Lace system for footwear
First Claim
1. A snowboard boot comprising:
- a snowboard boot body having a lower region adapted to cover a foot of a wearer and an upper region adapted to cover at least a portion of a shin of the wearer;
a lower lacing zone comprising a first lace adapted to tighten the lower region, the first lace having a portion that is disposed in the upper region;
an upper lacing zone comprising a second lace adapted to tighten the upper region, the second lace having a portion that is disposed in the upper region;
wherein both the first lace and the second lace are securable in the upper region; and
at least one lace lock mounted to the snowboard boot body at the upper region thereof to secure at least one of the first and second laces; and
wherein the snowboard boot body has a tongue opening disposed in a shin-toe direction and a tongue disposed within the tongue opening, wherein each of the first and second laces crosses over the tongue more than once.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A boot incorporating techniques for making the process of tightening and loosening the laces of a boot more convenient for the wearer is disclosed. The boot may be provided with at least two independent lacing zones, the tensions of which are separately adjustable by the wearer. The zones may be secured by pulling on two laces, each of which tightens one of the two independent lacing zones. This arrangement allows the wearer to simultaneously tighten each zone, providing the wearer with the “feel” as though he or she is tightening a conventional single lacing zone boot. The laces may be simultaneously, yet independently secured by a lace lock at the upper and/or forward region of the boot. Slack may be created to facilitate loosening of the boot and easy removal of a foot from the boot by unhooking the lace from the lace guide without a corresponding distance of lace traveling through the lace lock. A release strap, graspable by the wearer, facilitates unhooking the lace.
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Citations
68 Claims
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1. A snowboard boot comprising:
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a snowboard boot body having a lower region adapted to cover a foot of a wearer and an upper region adapted to cover at least a portion of a shin of the wearer; a lower lacing zone comprising a first lace adapted to tighten the lower region, the first lace having a portion that is disposed in the upper region; an upper lacing zone comprising a second lace adapted to tighten the upper region, the second lace having a portion that is disposed in the upper region; wherein both the first lace and the second lace are securable in the upper region; and at least one lace lock mounted to the snowboard boot body at the upper region thereof to secure at least one of the first and second laces; and wherein the snowboard boot body has a tongue opening disposed in a shin-toe direction and a tongue disposed within the tongue opening, wherein each of the first and second laces crosses over the tongue more than once. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 36, 37)
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23. A snowboard boot comprising:
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a snowboard boot body having a lower region adapted to cover a foot of a wearer and an upper region adapted to cover at least a portion of a shin of the wearer; a lower lacing zone comprising a lace adapted to tighten the lower region, the lace of the lower lacing zone having a portion that is disposed in the upper region; an upper lacing zone comprising a lace adapted to tighten the upper region, the lace of the upper lacing zone having a portion that is disposed in the upper region; wherein the lace of the lower lacing zone is securable in the upper region to tighten the lower lacing zone, and wherein the lace of the upper lacing zone is separately securable in the upper region to tighten the upper lacing zone; and at least one lace lock mounted to the snowboard boot body at the upper region thereof to secure the lacing; and wherein the snowboard boot body has a tongue opening disposed in a shin-toe direction and a tongue disposed within the tongue opening, wherein the lace of each of the upper and lower lacing zones crosses over the tongue more than once. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 38, 39)
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40. A snowboard boot comprising:
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a snowboard boot body having a lower region adapted to cover a foot of a wearer and an upper region adapted to cover at least a portion of a shin of the wearer; a lower lacing zone comprising a first lace adapted to tighten the lower region, the first lace having a portion that is disposed in the upper region; an upper lacing zone comprising a second lace adapted to tighten the upper region, the second lace having a portion that is disposed in the upper region; wherein both the first lace and the second lace are securable in the upper region; at least one lace lock mounted to the snowboard boot body at the upper region thereof to secure at least one of the first and second laces; a first handle coupled to the first lace, the first handle being graspable by the wearer to tighten the first lace; and a second handle coupled to the second lace, the second handle being graspable by the wearer to tighten the second lace; wherein the snowboard boot body and the first and second handles cooperate to stow the first and second handles on the snowboard boot body. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
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56. A snowboard boot comprising:
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a snowboard boot body having a lower region adapted to cover a foot of a wearer and an upper region adapted to cover at least a portion of a shin of the wearer; a lower lacing zone comprising a lace adapted to tighten the lower region, the lace of the lower lacing zone having a portion that is disposed in the upper region; an upper lacing zone comprising a lace adapted to tighten the upper region, the lace of the upper lacing zone having a portion that is disposed in the upper region; wherein the lace of the lower lacing zone is securable in the upper region to tighten the lower lacing zone, and wherein the lace of the upper lacing zone is separately securable in the upper region to tighten the upper lacing zone; at least one lace lock mounted to the snowboard boot body at the upper region thereof to secure the lacing zones; a first handle coupled to the lace of the lower lacing zone lace, the handle being graspable by the wearer to tighten the lace; and a second handle coupled to the lace of the upper lacing zone, the second handle being graspable by the wearer to tighten the lace; wherein the snowboard boot body and the first and second handles cooperate to stow the first and second handles on the snowboard boot body. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
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Specification