Abstract: A reel based closure device for tightening an article includes a housing and a spool that is positioned within the housing. The spool is rotatable within the housing to wind a tension member about a channel of the spool. A knob is supported by the housing and is operably coupled to the spool so that rotation of the knob causes the spool to rotate within the housing. A pawl component is operably couplable to the knob. The pawl component includes one or more pawls having a pawl arm fixedly connected at a proximal end to the pawl component. A distal end of the pawl arm includes one or more pawl teeth. The pawl component includes a lip and the pawl arm includes a tab that engages with the lip of the pawl component to control radial movement of the pawl arm relative to the pawl component.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, a component for attachment to an article includes an upper component that is made of a thermoplastic material having a first melting temperature and a flange member that is molded onto the upper component and made of a thermoplastic elastomer material having a second melting temperature that is lower than the first melting temperature of the upper component. The flange member extends laterally from a bottom end of the upper component so that a bottom surface of the flange member is flush with or positioned axially below a bottom surface of the upper component. The melting temperature of the thermoplastic elastomer material enables the flange member to be directly coupled to the article via heat welding and the like without substantially affecting the upper component.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, a component for attachment to an article includes an upper component that is made of a thermoplastic material having a first melting temperature and a flange member that is molded onto the upper component and made of a thermoplastic elastomer material having a second melting temperature that is lower than the first melting temperature of the upper component. The flange member extends laterally from a bottom end of the upper component so that a bottom surface of the flange member is flush with or positioned axially below a bottom surface of the upper component. The melting temperature of the thermoplastic elastomer material enables the flange member to be directly coupled to the article via heat welding and the like without substantially affecting the upper component.

Abstract: A reel based closure device includes a housing component, a spool that is rotatably positioned within an interior region of the housing component, and a tightening component that is coupled with the housing component. The tightening component is operably coupled with the spool so that an operation of the tightening component causes the spool to rotate within the interior region of the housing component to wind a tension member about the spool. The housing component is configured so that the tension member is routed axially below the housing component's interior region and to one or more guides that are positioned along a lace path of an article, such as a shoe.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, a component for attachment to an article includes an upper component that is made of a thermoplastic material having a first melting temperature and a flange member that is molded onto the upper component and made of a thermoplastic elastomer material having a second melting temperature that is lower than the first melting temperature of the upper component. The flange member extends laterally from a bottom end of the upper component so that a bottom surface of the flange member is flush with or positioned axially below a bottom surface of the upper component. The melting temperature of the thermoplastic elastomer material enables the flange member to be directly coupled to the article via heat welding and the like without substantially affecting the upper component.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, a component for attachment to an article includes an upper component that is made of a thermoplastic material having a first melting temperature and a flange member that is molded onto the upper component and made of a thermoplastic elastomer material having a second melting temperature that is lower than the first melting temperature of the upper component. The flange member extends laterally from a bottom end of the upper component so that a bottom surface of the flange member is flush with or positioned axially below a bottom surface of the upper component. The melting temperature of the thermoplastic elastomer material enables the flange member to be directly coupled to the article via heat welding and the like without substantially affecting the upper component.

Abstract: A reel based closure device includes a housing component, a spool that is rotatably positioned within an interior region of the housing component, and a tightening component that is coupled with the housing component. The tightening component is operably coupled with the spool so that an operation of the tightening component causes the spool to rotate within the interior region of the housing component to wind a tension member about the spool. The housing component is configured so that the tension member is routed axially below the housing component's interior region and to one or more guides that are positioned along a lace path of an article, such as a shoe.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to medical braces having lacing systems for tightening of the medical braces. Some embodiments include multiple components of the lacing system integrated into a single housing piece. For example, multiple reels can be used to tighten different portions of the lacing system, and the multiple reels can be mounted onto a single housing. Also, multiple lace guides can be integrated into, or attached to, a single housing piece.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, a component for attachment to an article includes an upper component that is made of a thermoplastic material having a first melting temperature and a flange member that is molded onto the upper component and made of a thermoplastic elastomer material having a second melting temperature that is lower than the first melting temperature of the upper component. The flange member extends laterally from a bottom end of the upper component so that a bottom surface of the flange member is flush with or positioned axially below a bottom surface of the upper component. The melting temperature of the thermoplastic elastomer material enables the flange member to be directly coupled to the article via heat welding and the like without substantially affecting the upper component.

Abstract: Lacing systems are disclosed for use with footwear or other articles. The lacing system can include flexible webbing lace guides. A lace guide can include a first lace guide element and a second lace guide element. The lace can pass through the first and second lace guides consecutively on the first side of the article before crossing to the opposing side of the article. The first and second lace guide elements can be angled towards each other to reduce the occurrence of sharp turns in the lace path through the lace guide elements. The lace guide can have a central portion that is less flexible than the end portions so as to reduce the occurrence of sharp turns in the lace path through the lace guide when tension is applied to the lace.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, a component for attachment to an article includes an upper component that is made of a thermoplastic material having a first melting temperature and a flange member that is molded onto the upper component and made of a thermoplastic elastomer material having a second melting temperature that is lower than the first melting temperature of the upper component. The flange member extends laterally from a bottom end of the upper component so that a bottom surface of the flange member is flush with or positioned axially below a bottom surface of the upper component. The melting temperature of the thermoplastic elastomer material enables the flange member to be directly coupled to the article via heat welding and the like without substantially affecting the upper component.

Abstract: Lacing systems are disclosed for use with footwear or other articles. The lacing system can comprises flexible webbing lace guides. In some embodiments, a lace guide can include a first lace guide element and a second lace guide element. The lace can pass through the first and second lace guides consecutively on the first side of the article before crossing to the opposing side of the article. The first and second lace guide elements can be angled towards each other to reduce the occurrence of sharp turns in the lace path through the lace guide elements. In some embodiments, the lace guide can have a central portion that is less flexible than the end portions so as to reduce the occurrence of sharp turns in the lace path through the lace guide when tension is applied to the lace.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, a strap includes a closure system and a strap system. The closure system includes a tension member, a tightening mechanism that tensions the tension member and maintains the tension member's tension, and a guide that routes the tension member between the guide and the tightening mechanism. Tensioning of the tension member causes the guide to move toward the tightening mechanism. The strap system includes a strap guide(s), a first end that is coupled to the tightening mechanism, a second end that is coupled with the guide, and a strap body. The strap body is positioned through the strap guide(s) so that at least a portion of the strap overlaps and so that the strap body forms a loop. Tensioning of the tension member reduces a diameter of the strap system's loop, which effects constriction of the strap system about an article disposed within the loop.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, a component for attachment to an article includes an upper component that is made of a thermoplastic material having a first melting temperature and a flange member that is molded onto the upper component and made of a thermoplastic elastomer material having a second melting temperature that is lower than the first melting temperature of the upper component. The flange member extends laterally from a bottom end of the upper component so that a bottom surface of the flange member is flush with or positioned axially below a bottom surface of the upper component. The melting temperature of the thermoplastic elastomer material enables the flange member to be directly coupled to the article via heat welding and the like without substantially affecting the upper component.

Abstract: Lacing systems are disclosed for use with footwear or other articles. The lacing system can comprises flexible webbing lace guides. In some embodiments, a lace guide can include a first lace guide element and a second lace guide element. The lace can pass through the first and second lace guides consecutively on the first side of the article before crossing to the opposing side of the article. The first and second lace guide elements can be angled towards each other to reduce the occurrence of sharp turns in the lace path through the lace guide elements. In some embodiments, the lace guide can have a central portion that is less flexible than the end portions so as to reduce the occurrence of sharp turns in the lace path through the lace guide when tension is applied to the lace.

Abstract: Lacing systems are disclosed for use with footwear or other articles. The lacing system can comprises flexible webbing lace guides. In some embodiments, a lace guide can include a first lace guide element and a second lace guide element. The lace can pass through the first and second lace guides consecutively on the first side of the article before crossing to the opposing side of the article. The first and second lace guide elements can be angled towards each other to reduce the occurrence of sharp turns in the lace path through the lace guide elements. In some embodiments, the lace guide can have a central portion that is less flexible than the end portions so as to reduce the occurrence of sharp turns in the lace path through the lace guide when tension is applied to the lace.

Abstract: A method for operating a broadcaster mode within a gaming environment of a video game is provided. The method includes receiving, via a networked gaming system, a request from a broadcaster for a video signal for a peripheral display, the broadcaster being a non-participant in the video game occurring within the gaming environment. The method also includes providing the video signal for the peripheral display. A system that facilitates broadcasting a gaming environment is provided and includes a broadcaster module and an interactivity module that provides the broadcaster with one or more options for displaying information. The broadcaster module also includes a display controller include a primary display controller and a secondary display controller. A primary view of the gaming environment displayed on a primary display of the broadcaster being broadcast to at least one spectator. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program is provided.

Abstract: Systems and methods for distributing peer-to-peer communications are provided herein. Exemplary methods may include masking identification of two or more client nodes on a communications channel of a peer-to-peer communications network by directing peer-to-peer communications of the two or more client nodes through a proxy node, the proxy node including a disinterested client node relative to the two or more client nodes, the disinterested client node providing network resources to the peer-to-peer communications network.

Abstract: Systems and methods for generating and providing enhanced screenshots may include executing instructions stored in memory to evaluate at least a portion of a viewing frustum generated by the instructions to determine one or more objects included therein, obtain metadata associated with the one or more objects, and generate at least one enhanced screenshot indicative of the at least a portion of the viewing frustum by associating the metadata of each of the one or more objects with a location of each of the one or more objects within the at least one enhanced screenshot to create hotspots indicative of each of the one or more objects such that selection at least one hotspot by a computing system causes at least a portion of the metadata associated with the at least one hotspot to be displayed on a display device of a computing system.

Abstract: Lacing systems are disclosed for use with footwear or other articles. The lacing system can comprises flexible webbing lace guides. In some embodiments, a lace guide can include a first lace guide element and a second lace guide element. The lace can pass through the first and second lace guides consecutively on the first side of the article before crossing to the opposing side of the article. The first and second lace guide elements can be angled towards each other to reduce the occurrence of sharp turns in the lace path through the lace guide elements. In some embodiments, the lace guide can have a central portion that is less flexible than the end portions so as to reduce the occurrence of sharp turns in the lace path through the lace guide when tension is applied to the lace.