Method and apparatus for quickly securing a laced shoe

• US 5,353,483 A
• Filed: 07/06/1993
• Issued: 10/11/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Donald L. Louviere
• Original Assignee: Donald L. Louviere
• Inventors: Louviere, Donald L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sakran, Victor N.
• Application Number:
  US08/085,624
• Time in Patent Office: 462 Days
• Field of Search: 24/71 SK, 24/69 SK, 24/68 SK, 24/70 SK, 24/712, 24/712.1, 24/712.2, 24/713.6, 24/712.6, 36/50.1, 36/50.5, 36/51
• US Class Current: 24/712.1
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 11/00 Footwear with arrangements to facilitate putting-on or removing, e.g. with straps
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 11/008 Combined fastenings, e.g. to accelerate undoing or fastening
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 11/1493 Strap fastenings having hook and loop-type fastening elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/216 Ski boot and garment fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/3703 Includes separate device for holding drawn portion of lacing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/3716 with pivotal connection therebetween
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/3742 having eyelet type directing means

Abstract

Method and apparatus for lacing and securing a shoe onto the foot using an elongated lace and the five spaced apart holes in the shoe'"'"'s collar on each side of the shoe'"'"'s tongue. A two part fastening clip includes a flat rectangular clip base having spaced apart eyelets and an elongated slot and a clip lever designed to mate in hinged relation with the clip base by insertion of an enlarged cylindrical edge portion of the clip lever into the elongated slot of the clip base and also having spaced apart eyelets. The shoe lace passes through the shoe'"'"'s holes on opposite sides of the tongue, through the eyelets in the clip base, through the eyelets in the base, through the eyelets in the clip lever, and finally through the adjacent hole in the shoe collar. Then the two ends of the lace are securely tied together leaving sufficient slack to permit the foot to be inserted into the shoe. The clip base and the clip lever are hingedly joined together by inserting the clip lever'"'"'s enlarged cylindrical edge into the slot in the clip base and the clip lever is secured flat against the clip base by locking means, thereby securing the laced shoe onto the foot.

Claims

1. In a method of lacing and securing onto the foot a shoe having an elongated lace and at least five spaced apart holes in the shoe'"'"'s collar on each side of the shoe'"'"'s tongue designed to receive the lace,

a solid rectangular clip base having near one side of the base three eyelets spaced apart similar to the spacing between the holes in the shoe'"'"'s collar and on its opposite side having an elongated slot,

a solid rectangular clip lever designed to mate in hinged relation with the clip base by insertion of an enlarged cylindrical edge portion of the clip lever into the elongated slot of the clip base,

said slip lever also having three eyelets spaced similar to the eyelets in the slip base,

the shoe lace passing through one pair of the shoe'"'"'s holes on opposite sides of the tongue and then one end of the shoe lace passing through the next adjacent hole on the opposite side of the tongue, then through one of the eyelets in the clip base, then through the middle eyelet in the base, then through the next adjacent hole in the coller, then through the adjacent hole on the opposite side of the tongue, then through the middle eyelet in the clip lever, then through an adjacent eyelet in the clip lever, then through the next adjacent hole on the same side of the collar,

the opposite end of the lace being put through the lower most adjacent hole in the collar on the opposite side of the tongue, then through the lowermost eyelet in the clip lever, then through the middle eyelet in the clip lever, then through the adjacent hole in the same side of the collar, then through the hole on the opposite side of the tongue, then through the middle eyelet in the clip base, then through the adjacent eyelet in the clip base, and finally through the adjacent hole in the shoe collar,

then the two ends of the lace are securely tied together leaving sufficient slack in the lacing of the shoe to permit the foot to be inserted into the shoe,

then the clip base and clip lever are hingedly joined together by inserting the clip lever'"'"'s enlarged cylindrical edge into the slot in the slip base and the clip lever is secured flat against the clip base by locking means, thereby securing the laced shoe onto the foot.

2. In a method of lacing and securing onto the foot a shoe having an elongated lace and at least five spaced apart holes in the shoe'"'"'s collar on each side of the shoe'"'"'s tongue designed to receive the lace,

a solid flat rectangular clip base having near one side of the base at least two eyelets spaced apart similar to the spacing between the holes in the shoe'"'"'s collar and on its opposite side having an elongated slot,

a solid rectangular clip lever designed to mate in hinged relation with the clip base by insertion of an enlarged cylindrical edge portion of the clip lever into the elongated slot of the clip base,

said clip lever also having at least two eyelets spaced similar to the eyelets in the clip base,

the shoe lace passing through one pair of the shoe'"'"'s holes on opposite sides of the tongue and then one end of the shoe lace passing through the next adjacent hole on the opposite side of the tongue, then through one of the eyelets in the clip base, then through the next adjacent eyelet in the base, then through the next adjacent hole in the collar, then through the adjacent hole on the opposite side of the tongue, then through the next adjacent eyelet in the clip lever, then through the next adjacent hole on the same side of the collar,

the opposite end of the lace being put through the lower most adjacent hole in the collar on the opposite side of the tongue, then through the lowermost eyelet in the clip lever, then through the next adjacent eyelet in the clip lever, then through the adjacent hole in the same side of the collar, then through the hole on the opposite side of the tongue, then through the next adjacent eyelet in the clip base, and finally through the adjacent hole in the shoe collar,

then the two ends of the lace are securely tied together leaving sufficient slack in the lacing of the shoe to permit the foot to be inserted into the shoe,

then the clip base and the clip lever are hingedly joined together by inserting the clip lever'"'"'s enlarged cylindrical edge into the slot in the clip base and the clip lever is secured flat against the clip base by locking means, thereby securing the laced shoe onto the foot.

3. A fastening clip for securing a laced shoe onto a foot comprising

a solid convexly curved rectangular clip base having along one side of the base at least two eyelets equally spaced apart along a straight line parallel to the one side,

the opposite edge of the base being curved back to form an elongated slot, and

a solid convexly curved rectangular clip lever designed to mate in hinged relation with the clip base by insertion of an enlarged cylindrical edge of the clip lever into the elongated slot of the clip base,

the clip lever also having at least two eyelets spaced similar to and parallel with the eyelets in the clip base, and

the clip base and the clip lever each having mounted thereon cooperating means for locking the base and lever together.

4. A fastening clip for securing a laced shoe onto a foot as set forth in claim 3 in which the means for locking the base and lever together consists of patches of interlocking hook and loop fibers on the clip base and on the clip lever which when pressed together lock the clip base and clip lever together along the side of the shoe.