Shoelace retaining apparatus

Abstract

A shoelace knot retaining apparatus comprises an upper tab member, a lower tongue member and a fold for enabling the upper tab member and the lower tongue member to fold away from each other to dispose only one of the upper tab member and the lower tongue member to engage the shoelace knot. Further, the fold enables both of the upper tab member and the lower tongue member to engage the shoelace knot, whereby the upper tab member and the lower tongue member are disposed in a shoelace knot securing position to prevent the shoelace knot from untying. In particular, one of the upper tab member and the lower tongue member has at least one first opening of a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the shoelace to thereby limit the movement of the shoelace with respect to the one opening. The other of the upper tab member and the lower tongue member has at least one second opening. Each of the one first opening and the one second opening has respectively a first extremity and a second extremity. The first extremity and the second extremity are being disposed with respect to each other so that when the upper tab member and the lower tongue member are disposed in the shoelace securing position, the first extremity intersects the second extremity and the one member blocks at least a part of the second opening whereby the first and second extremities grip the show lace therebetween to prevent the shoelace from being withdrawn from the shoelace retaining member.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION

This application relates to Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/677170 and is incorporated by reference into this application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus for securing shoelace knots. More specifically, this invention relates to an improved shoelace knot retaining device which prevents shoelaces from becoming untied.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Various types of devices have been used to prevent shoelaces from becoming untied, including flexible ties that wrap around a shoelace knot, substantially rigid devices that are either laced and tied to the knot or that enclose and clamp the knot, and modifications to the shoes themselves, but these devices have suffered from inefficiency and inadequacy in terms of their ease of use, simplicity, cost to manufacture and ability to securely retain the shoelace knot.

An improved shoelace retaining apparatus is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,437 of Anderson, which discloses a shoelace knot retaining device 10′ adapted to secure a shoelace knot 6 securely in place. The device 10′ includes a rigid tab member 12 in which is formed a slot 22′ through which an elastic band 14′ is passed, and a distal grip 16 for attaching the end portions of the elastic band 14′ together. The tab 12′ also includes a slot 20′ through which a portion of a shoelace knot may be pulled, thereby securing the knot.

The prior art device has shown improved efficiency and ease of use, has a simple design and permits greater freedom of movement while securely retaining a lace knot. In the prior art device 10′, the shoelace knot is maintained by the clamping force developed by the band 14′ and exerted against the knot between the elastic band 14′ and the rigid tab member 12′. However, the effectiveness of such device is limited by the integrity of the elastic band 14′, wear and tear on the rigid tab member 12′, and the maintenance of the clamping force on the knot as long as the knot is positioned between the elastic band 14′ and the rigid tab member 12′.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is thus an object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus to prevent a shoelace knot from becoming untied.

It is a more particular object of this invention to provide a shoelace knot retaining device that has the advantages of efficiency, ease of use, and simplicity as the prior art device, and that provides structural features for more securely retaining a shoelace knot without adding complexity or further structures.

In accordance with these and other objects of the invention, there is disclosed an improved shoelace knot retaining apparatus. In an illustrative embodiment, the knot retaining apparatus comprises an upper tab member, a lower tongue member and a fold for enabling the upper tab member and the lower tongue member to fold away from each other to dispose only one of the upper tab member and the lower tongue member to engage the shoelace knot. Further, the fold enables both of the upper tab member and the lower tongue member to engage the shoelace knot, whereby the upper tab member and the lower tongue member are disposed in a shoelace knot securing position to prevent the shoelace knot from untying. In particular, one of the upper tab member and the lower tongue member has at least one first opening of a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the shoelace to thereby limit the movement of the shoelace with respect to the one opening. The other of the upper tab member and the lower tongue member has at least one second opening. Each of the one first opening and the one second opening has respectively a first extremity and a second extremity. The first extremity and the second extremity are being disposed with respect to each other so that when the upper tab member and the lower tongue member are disposed in the shoelace securing position, the first extremity intersects the second extremity and the one member blocks at least a part of the second opening whereby the first and second extremities grip the show lace therebetween to prevent the shoelace from being withdrawn from the shoelace retaining member.

In a further aspect of this invention, the upper tab member comprises a tab portion, and the lower tongue member comprises a clip for receiving the tab portion to secure the upper tab member and the lower tongue member in the shoelace knot securing position.

In a further aspect of this invention, at least one of the upper tab member and the lower tongue member is made of a flexible material to enable the tab portion to engage and to disengage the clip.

In a still further aspect of this invention, the lace slot is disposed in the one member adjacent to the one first opening to receive the shoelace knot.

In particular, the hook is supported by a portion to be aligned with the one first opening, and there is further included another first opening, whereby the one and the other first openings are disposed on either side of the shoe lace slot.

These features of the present invention will be described in further detail below, in connection with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective top view of the shoelace knot retaining device of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective bottom view of the shoelace knot retaining device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of the shoelace knot retaining device of FIG. 1, shown in a closed or folded position; and

FIG. 4 is a top view of the folded shoelace knot retaining device shown in its closed position in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a top view of the folded shoelace knot retaining device of FIG. 1 showing a tied knot in use on a shoe.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

With reference to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1, there is shown a perspective top view of a shoelace knot retaining device 10 in accordance with the present invention. The knot retaining device 10 is adapted to secure a shoelace knot in place so that the knot cannot be easily or accidentally untied.

The shoelace knot retaining device 10 comprises an elongated piece of rigid material made illustratively of plastic, such as polypropylene, and having a width-wise fold 22 separating an upper tab member 12 and a lower tongue member 14. When used in accordance with the principles of the present invention, the device 10 is folded along fold 22 so that the upper tab member 12 is folded over the lower tongue member 14 and a knot is securely maintained therein, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, and more particularly described below.

Referring to FIG. 1, the upper tab member 12 includes a bow slot 20 cut entirely therethrough to allow the bows of a shoelace knot to be pulled through the tab member 12, thereby retaining the knot more securely. Through the bow slot 20 is cut in a diamond shape to help position the knot centrally with respect to the tab member 12, it is within the contemplation of the invention that other shapes may be used for the slot 20. The upper tab member 12 also includes a tab portion 13 that is used to secure the upper member 12 to the lower member 14 when the device is in use.

The lower tongue member 14 of the device 10 is also shown in FIG. 1. As shown, a knot slot 18 is formed in approximately the center of the member 14 so that when the device is folded, the bow slot 20 of the upper tab member 12 substantially overlaps the knot slot 18. The knot slot 18 has a semi-circular shape, but may be formed in other shapes as well. The lower tongue member 14 additionally includes at least one lace slot 24. In the preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, two lace slots 24 are formed as holes cut entirely through the lower tongue member 14 on opposing sides of the knot slot 18 and are smaller in size relative thereto, but large enough to accommodate a shoelace to be passed therethough. The lace slots 24 may be circular in shape, as shown, or may extend from the sides of the lower tongue member 14 toward the knot slot 18, so that the laces do not have to be threaded through the lace slots 24 but rather can just be slid therein.

The lower tongue member 14 also includes a clip 16 at a distal end thereof, as shown in FIG. 1, for receiving the tab portion 13 of the upper tab member 12 when the device 10 is folded and in use, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. In the illustrative embodiment, clip 16 is a substantially U-shaped element and is joined at its terminal ends to the lower tongue member 14. The clip 16 may be made of plastic or other rigid, lightweight material and can be formed integrally with the lower tongue member 14, or may be formed separately and attached by suitable means for attachment, such as glue.

Turning to FIG. 2, a hook 26 is provided on the bottom of the lower tongue member 14 for attachment to the shoelaces on the shoe, to prevent the device 10 from loss when it is not in use. In the illustrative embodiment, the hook 26 comprises a first section 26a extending outward from the bottom surface of the lower tongue member 14, and a second section 26b that is substantially parallel to the lower tongue member 14 and extends toward the distal end thererof. As can be seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, the second portion 26b of the hook 26 has approximately the same semi-circular shape as the knot slot 18. Like the clip 16, the hook 26 may be made of plastic or other rigid lightweight material and can be formed integrally with the lower tongue member 14, or formed separately and attached by suitable means for attachment such as glue.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, when the device 10 is folded along fold 22, the tab portion 13 of the upper tab member 12 is secured by the clip 16 in the lower tongue member 14. Bow slot 20 in one embodiment of this invention overlaps knot slot 18 and, when the lace is pulled through the bow slot 20, both ends of the lace are secured to the device 10. As shown in FIG. 4 when the device 10 is in a folded position, the lace slots 24 formed in the lower tongue member 14 are substantially covered by the upper tab member 12 and are disposed adjacent to the edge of the bow slot 20 to form a pair of restricted areas 25. In the illustrative embodiment, the bow slot 20 is diamond or square-shaped, and includes a first set of sides 31a and b that intersect each other to form a corner 27a and a second set of side 29a and b that intersect each other to form a corner 27b. In an illustrative embodiment of this invention as shown in FIG. 4, the comers 27a and b of the bow slot 20 expose a portion of the lace slots 24 when the members 12 and 14 are in their folded position. Accordingly, both ends of the shoelace, which is passed through the lace slots 24 and is tied to form a knot, is clamped by the restricted areas 25. When the members 12 and 14 are placed in their folded state and the tab portion 13 is locked by the hook 16, sides 31a and b and the inner periphery of the lace slots 24 exert a clamping pressure against the lace threaded through the lace slots 24, whereby the lace is positioned by the action of the sides 31a and b into the comers 27a and b and, thus, the ends of the lace are securely clamped to the device 10. Thus the device 10 clamps thereto the opposite ends of the lace whereby the bow will not be loosened and/or come untied. The clamping of the laces by the present invention retains the laces and the shoelace knot formed thereby much more securely than devices in the prior art. In a further aspect of this invention, the largest dimension of the restricted areas 25 is less than that the diameter of the lace, whereby the lace is securely held within the area 25. In a further embodiment of this invention, the slots 24 may be so spaced from each other and positioned so as to be completely (as well as partially) hidden by the upper tab member 12 without lessening the clamping action of the device 10 on the lace as described above.

FIG. 5 shows the device 10 in use in the closed or folded position. As can be seen, the compression of the upper tab member 12 against the lower tongue member 14 securely holds a knot that is formed in the shoelaces. The bow formed by the knot has been passed through the bow slot 20. The compression of the upper tab member 12 against the lower tongue member 14 also secures the shoelaces that are passed through the lace slots 24 in the lower tongue member 14, by clamping the laces as they pass from the lace slots 24 to form the restricted areas 25 at corners 27a and b of the bow slot 20 formed in the upper tab member 12.

In all cases it is understood that the above-described arrangement is merely illustrative of the many possible illustrative embodiments which represent applications of the present invention. Numerous and varied other embodiments can be readily devised in accordance with the principles of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A device for retaining a knot of a shoelace, said shoelace retaining device comprising:

a) an upper tab member;

b) a lower tongue member;

c) a fold for enabling said upper tab member and said lower tongue member to fold away from each other to dispose only one of said upper tab member and said lower tongue member to engage the shoelace, and for enabling both of said upper tab member and said lower tongue member to engage the shoelace knot, whereby said upper tab member and said lower tongue member are disposed in shoelace knot securing position to prevent the shoelace knot from untying;

d) one of said upper tab member and said lower tongue member having at least one first opening of a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the shoelace to thereby limit the movement of the shoelace with respect to the one opening; and

e) the other of said upper tab member and said lower tongue member having at least one second opening;

f) each of said one first opening and said one second opening having respectively a first extremity and a second extremity, said first extremity and said second extremity being disposed with respect to each other so that when said upper tab member and said lower tongue member are disposed in said shoelace securing position, said first extremity intersects said second extremity and said one member blocks at least a part of said second opening whereby said first and second extremities grip the shoelace therebetween to prevent the shoelace from being withdrawn from said shoelace retaining member.

2. The shoelace retaining member as claimed in claim 1, wherein there is further comprised means for retaining said upper tab member and said lower tongue member in their shoelace knot securing position.

3. The shoelace retaining member as claimed in claim 1, wherein said upper tab member comprises a tab portion, and said lower tongue member comprises a clip for receiving said tab portion to secure said upper tab member and said lower tongue member in said shoelace knot securing position.

4. The shoelace retaining member as claimed in claim 3, wherein each of said upper tab member and said lower tongue member comprises a proximal and a distal end, said fold interconnecting said proximal end of said upper tab member to said proximal end of said lower tongue member, said tab portion being affixed to said distal end of said upper tab member; and said clip being affixed to said distal end of said lower tongue member.

5. The shoelace retaining member as claimed in claim 4, wherein at least one of said upper tab member and said lower tongue member is made of a flexible material to enable said tab portion to engage and to disengage said clip.

6. The shoelace retaining member as claimed in claim 1, wherein there is comprised a lace slot disposed in said one member adjacent to said one first opening to receive the shoelace knot.

7. The shoelace retaining member as claimed in claim 6, wherein there is a further comprised hook, which is supported by a portion to be aligned with said one first opening.

8. The shoelace retaining member as claimed in claim 7, wherein there is further included another first opening, said one and said other first openings being disposed on either side of said lace slot.

9. The shoelace retaining member as claimed in claim 8, wherein said second opening is of a diamond configuration, said diamond configuration comprising said first extremity, a third extremity, a fourth extremity and a fifth extremity, said first and third extremities intersecting each other to define a first corner, and said fourth extremity and said fifth extremity intersecting each other to define a second corner.

10. The shoelace retaining member as claimed in claim 9, wherein said first corner is aligned with said one opening and said second corner is aligned with said other opening, when said upper tab member and said lower tongue member are disposed in their shoelace knot securing position.