DEVICE FOR RAPIDLY SECURING AND OBSCURING FOOTWEAR LACES
A device for rapidly securing and obscuring footwear laces includes a strap having a cinching device such as a cord lock; a plurality of tubular lace restraints along the length of the strap; and a means for connecting one end of the strap to the other, so as to secure the device around a wearer's ankle with the laces obscured beneath. Laces travel the majority of the length of the strap, and can stay engaged with the laces even when footwear is not being worn. A user can insert foot into footwear, tighten laces by pulling on ends, cinch laces in tightened position by engaging cinching device, wrap strap with laces around ankle, and secure in place around ankle or ankle of footwear.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application 61/544,171, entitled HARNESS FOR SECURING FOOTWEAR LACES, which was filed Oct. 6, 2011, and is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to footwear accessories, and more specifically, to a device that rapidly secures and obscures footwear laces.
The humble shoelace is an integral part of a variety of types of footwear because it is easy to use, replaceable, effective and economical. Shoelaces are often constructed of cotton, textured polyester, spun polyester, nylon, leather, or polypropylene, with the aglet, the hard plastic end of the shoelace, made of clear plastic. It is believed that the use of shoelaces dates back to 2000 BC, when ancient Mesopotamians wore simple pieces of leather that fit beneath the foot and were bound to the foot and ankle with laces that are believed to have been rawhide.
Unfortunately, however, tightening and tying shoe laces can be a bit time consuming. While this extra time is not problematic for most people and situations, this can be a problem when time is of the essence, for example in combat or rescue services.
Also, tightening and tying shoe laces requires a level of dexterity that not everyone has. By way of example, it can be difficult to tighten and tie shoelaces when one suffers from a disease or injury, is in inclement weather, is wearing gloves, or when they have just woken up. Again, this can be problematic in certain situations.
Another shortcoming of shoelaces is that tied shoelaces, and in particular two looped portions and two end portions, typically dangle from a wearers shoe. This can be hazardous, especially in combat, factories, or on construction sites.
Others have tried to overcome the shortcomings of shoelaces in a variety of ways, including providing cinching devices and elastic bands that exert a continuous pull on the laces. However these devices are typically time consuming, complicated, not effective, or don't achieve the goals of quickly tightening and tying, even with limited dexterity, while providing the benefit of avoiding the hazards of dangling portions of tied laces.
As can be seen, there is a need for a device that quickly and easily facilitates tightening and tying shoelaces. It is desirable that this device can be used with limited dexterity. It is also desirable that this device is capable of obscuring the secured shoelaces. It is desirable that this device is structurally simple, easy to use, lightweight, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and can be used with a variety of types of footwear.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention provides a device for rapidly securing and obscuring footwear laces. This device generally includes an elongated strap portion, with a plurality of tubular shoe lace restraints positioned longitudinally along the length of the strap. Going from one end of the strap to the other end, an embodiment includes the following structures: cord lock; first pair of eyelets/grommets, hook/loop fastener; plurality of shoe lace restraints; at least a second pair of eyelets/grommets; and corresponding hook/loop fastener.
In use, a user threads their shoelaces through the cord lock, first pair of eyelets/grommets, along the length of the strap through the shoe lace restraints, then out a second pair of eyelets/grommets where the laces are preferably knotted to stay in place. The user then tightens their shoelaces by pulling the distal end of the device and cinching the laces tight with the cord lock, then wrapping the strap (and attached laces) around their ankle and securing the corresponding sections of hook/loop fastener. The laces are secured using the interference between the laces and the strap created outside the last set of eyelets/grommets and tension is held by the cord lock allowing the user to wrap the device no matter the exact length of the laces. To undo, for example prior to removing shoes, the hook/loop fastener is undone, strap unwrapped from ankle, cord lock is depressed and laces are loosened, and footwear is removed. The device remains on the footwear laces, so in subsequent use the wearer simply needs to go through the tightening, cinching, wrapping and securing steps.
The following detailed description includes the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.
As used herein, “shoelaces”, “footwear laces” and the like are used interchangeably, and it should be understood that the present invention can be used with a variety of types of footwear including shoes, boots, booties, and even sandals and dress shoes. It should also be understood that “shoelaces” and the like refer generally to flexible strips used to tighten and secure footwear, including fabric, leather, plastics, and composites, which may or may not include aglets.
The following structure numbers apply through the various FIGS:
-
- 10 is a strap;
- 12 is a cord lock device;
- 14 is a hook fastener;
- 16 is a loop fastener;
- 18 are shoe lace restraints;
- 20 are shoe laces;
- 22 are eyelets/grommets;
- 24 is a cord lock device spring;
- 26 is an article of footwear;
- 28 is a cord lock device aperture;
- 30 is a cord lock device attachment means; and
- 32 is a folded end.
Referring to
As depicted in
Strap 10 is preferably sized to accommodate the length of the “free” portion of shoe laces 20, meaning the end segments of shoe laces which are not secured by shoe lace eyelets, hooks or holes on the footwear. By way of example, if shoe laces 20 have a 10″ free portion, it is desirable that strap 10 is approximately 12″ in length. It is also desirable that strap 10 comfortably fits around the ankle portion of most boots with adequate overlap at each end for securing hook/loop fasteners 14, 16. In accordance with the present invention, it is desirable that strap 10 is approximately 12-26″; with 15-20″ being more preferred, and 17-18″ being most preferred. It is desirable that the strap is approximately 0.5-1.5″ in width. Strap 10 is preferably constructed of elasticized or non-elasticized webbing, with woven poly-elastic webbing from Jontay Distributing of Waycross, Ga. being an example of a suitable strap material.
Cord lock 12, depicted in detail in
Referring back to
Hook/loop fasteners 14, 16 are connected to strap 10 on opposite sides so that when device is secured on a user, the corresponding sides contact and adhere. This is shown best in
As depicted in
Use of the device is depicted in
Referring to
Referring to
It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. It should also be understood that ranges of values set forth inherently include those values, as well as all increments between.
Claims
1. A device for rapidly securing and obscuring footwear laces including:
- a. An elongated strap having a front side surface, back side surface, a proximal end, and a distal end;
- b. A cinching device connected on the front side surface of the proximal end of said strap;
- c. A first pair of eyelets defined by the proximal end of said strap;
- d. A second pair of eyelets defined by the distal end of said strap; and
- e. A plurality of lace restraints on the back side surface of said strap, between said first pair of eyelets and said second pair of eyelets.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein said strap is approximately 12″ long to approximately 26″ long.
3. The device of claim 2 wherein said strap is approximately 15″ long to approximately 20″ long.
4. The device of claim 1 wherein said cinching device is a cord lock.
5. The device of claim 1 wherein said first pair of eyelets are reinforced.
6. The device of claim 1 wherein said second pair of eyelets are reinforced.
7. The device of claim 1 wherein said lace restraints are longitudinally aligned tubular structures.
8. A footwear system including:
- a. An article of footwear having a shoe lace;
- b. A securing device engaged with said shoe lace, said securing device including: i. An elongated strap having a hook fastener on the front side surface and a corresponding loop fastener on the back side surface; and ii. A plurality of lace restraints longitudinally aligned along said elongated strap, between said hook fastener and said loop fastener.
9. The footwear system of claim 8 wherein said footwear is a boot.
10. The footwear system of claim 9 wherein said boot is a military issued boot.
11. The footwear system of claim 8 consisting of 3 lace restraints.
12. The footwear system of claim 8 wherein said lace restraints are located on the back side surface.
13. A method of securing and obscuring laces in footwear including the sequential steps of:
- a. Obtaining an article of footwear having an engaged but untied lace with two free ends;
- b. Passing said free ends through a cinching device;
- c. Passing the first free end through a first aperture;
- d. Passing the second free end through a different first aperture;
- e. Passing both of said free ends through a series of linearly aligned lace restraints;
- f. Passing the first free end through a second aperture; and
- g. Passing the second free end through a different second aperture.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of passing said free ends through a cinching device includes the step of temporarily disengaging said cinching device to allow the ingress of said free ends.
15. The method of claim 13 further including the sequential step of pulling said two free ends in order to lessen slack of laces within said footwear.
16. The method of claim 13 further including the sequential step of wrapping said two free ends around a wearer's ankle.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 26, 2012
Publication Date: Oct 31, 2013
Inventors: Andrew Williams (Wilmington, NC), Peter Christoper Foster (New Bern, NC)
Application Number: 13/627,115
International Classification: A43C 7/00 (20060101);