Closure system

• US 6,857,204 B1
• Filed: 01/17/2002
• Issued: 02/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Reebok International Limited (Authentic Brands Group, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Reebok International Limited (Authentic Brands Group, LLC)
• Inventors: Marvin, William, Reagan, Greg, Davis, Paul M.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATTERSON, MARIE D
• Application Number:
  US10/050,048
• Time in Patent Office: 1,132 Days
• Field of Search: 36/501, 36/45, 36/88, 361/36, 244/42
• US Class Current: 36/50.1
• CPC Class Codes: A41B 7/02 Closures for cuffs
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/0081 made at least partially of hook-and-loop type material hook and loop-type straps for fastening purpose A43C11/1493
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/12 Sandals; Strap guides thereon
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/24 Collapsible or convertible
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/242 characterised by the upper
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/244 characterised by the attachment between upper and sole
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 11/1493 Strap fastenings having hook and loop-type fastening elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 2/913 Chest encircling, e.g. shirt, vest
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/181 Adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/27 including readily dissociable fastener having numerous, protruding, unitary filaments randomly interlocking with, and simultaneously moving towards, mating structure [e.g., hook-loop type fastener]

Abstract

A closure system comprises a hook and pile material having hooks on one side and pile on the other side. With regard to footwear, the present invention is a shoe comprising this material allowing a wearer to adjust the point of attachment of closure straps on the exterior of the outer member of the shoe, thereby allowing every shoe wearer to wear the strap across the throat of the shoe at a different location. With regard to apparel, the present invention is a closure system comprising a single-ply hook and pile material in which the overlapped piece, or the exterior piece attaches to the underlapped piece, or the interior piece that provides the wearer with the ability to customize the fitting of the apparel, including the tightness of the apparel around an individual.

Claims

1. Footwear, comprising:

a sole;

an upper attached to said sole wherein a portion of said upper is formed of a material having a first side and a second side wherein said first side has a pile and said second side has hooks opposite substantially everywhere said first side has pile,

wherein said portion extends from a throat region of said upper to a region of said upper that attaches to said sole.

2. The footwear of claim 1, further comprising at least one strap formed of said material extending from at least one of a medial side and lateral side of said upper, wherein said at least one strap is capable of being removably fastened to said portion of said upper located on the other of said medial side and said lateral side.

3. The footwear of claim 2, wherein said at least one strap extends from and is formed as a unitary structure with said portion of said upper.

4. The footwear of claim 2, wherein at least two straps extend from said portion of said upper with a first strap extending from said medial side and a second strap extending from said lateral side.

5. The footwear of claim 2, further comprising at least one heel strap of said material extending from said portion of said upper on at least one of said medial and lateral sides, wherein said at least one heel strap extends behind the heel of a wearer and is capable of being removably fastened to said portion of said upper of said footwear located on the other of said medial and lateral sides.

6. The footwear of claim 2, wherein a first heel strap of said material extending from said portion of one of said medial and lateral sides is capable of being removably fastened behind the heel of a wearer of said footwear to a second heel strap of said material extending from said portion of the other of said medial and lateral sides.

7. The footwear of claim 1, wherein said material is a single-ply material.

8. The footwear of claim 1, wherein said portion includes at least 50% of said upper.

9. Footwear comprising:

a sole,

an upper attached to said sole, said upper including a vamp having a medial side and lateral side and at least one vamp strap, wherein at least a portion of one of said medial and said lateral sides of said vamp extending from a throat region of said upper to a region of said upper that attaches to said sole and a portion of said at least one vamp strap are formed from a material with a first side and a second side, said first side having a plurality of hooks and said second side having a pile,

wherein said at least one vamp strap extends from at least one of said medial side and lateral side of said upper and removably fastens to said portion of said vamp located on the other of said medial side and said lateral side of said upper.

10. The footwear of claim 9, wherein said at least one vamp strap is formed as a unitary structure with said portion on said side from which said at least one vamp strap extends.

11. The footwear of claim 9, wherein at least two vamp straps extend from said upper with at least one vamp strap extending from said medial side and one vamp strap extending from said lateral side.

12. The footwear of claim 9, said upper further comprising a heel region including at least one heel strap extending from said heel region on at least one of said medial and lateral sides, wherein said heel region and said at least one heel strap are formed from a material with a first side and a second side, said first side having a plurality of hooks and said second side having a pile and wherein said heel strap extends behind the heel of a wearer and is removably fastened to said heel region on the other of said medial and lateral sides.

13. The footwear of claim 12, wherein said at least one heel strap is removably fastened behind the heel of a wearer of said footwear to at least another heel strap extending from the other of said medial and lateral sides.

14. The footwear of claim 9, wherein said material is a single-ply material.

15. The footwear of claim 9, wherein said portion includes at least 50% of said upper.

16. Footwear, comprising:

a sole;

an upper attached to said sole wherein a portion of said upper is formed of a material having a first side and a second side wherein said first side of said material includes a plurality of hooks and said second side of said material includes a pile;

wherein said portion includes a region extending from said sole through a throat region of said upper,

wherein said hook and said pile are coextensive on a single-ply of said material.

17. The footwear of claim 16, wherein said portion includes at least 50% of said upper.