| Lacing device for sports footwear -> Monitor Keywords |
|
|
  Lacing device for sports footwearUSPTO Application #: 20060179685Title: Lacing device for sports footwear Abstract: An article of footwear provided to receive the user's foot and including a lacing device, the lacing device including a lace, at least two guides provided to enable a lace to slide relative thereto within a lacing zone, and a blocker capable of blocking relative movement of the lace, the blocker including a control member to unblock the lace. The article of footwear has an open position, facilitating insertion of the user's foot, and a tightened position firmly retaining the foot within the article of footwear. The switch from the open position to the tightened position is carried out via a traction on the lace, and the switch from the tightened position to the open position is carried out via a traction on the control member of the blocker. (end of abstract) Agent: Greenblum & Bernstein, P.L.C - Reston, VA, US Inventors: Rene Borel, Pierre Alexis Marechal, Laurent Marechal USPTO Applicaton #: 20060179685 - Class: 036050100 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Boots, Shoes, And Leggings, Uppers, Closure The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060179685. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.119 of French Patent Application No. 05.01417, filed on Feb. 11, 2005, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference thereto in its entirety. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The invention relates to sports footwear provided with a lacing device and including a lace blocker. [0004] 2. Description of Background and Relevant Information [0005] U.S. Pat. No. 6,775,928 discloses an article of footwear for an inline roller skate, including an upper provided with a lacing device which brings two panels of the lower portion of an upper closer to one another. Between the two panels is a tongue that extends from the front of the article of footwear up to the top of the footwear. Each of the two panels includes a plurality of keepers arranged in the lower portion only. The lacing device also includes a lace and a lace blocker. The lace blocker is fixed to the top of the tongue. The article of footwear further includes a guide that is fixed to the tongue under the blocker, and which directs the lace toward the blocker. [0006] The aforementioned article of footwear and, in particular, the described mechanism therefor, has numerous drawbacks. Fixing the lace blocker on the top of the tongue renders the device inefficient due to the distance that exists between the lace exit out of the lacing zone, in the area of the two panels of the lower portion of the upper, and the high position of the blocker. A traction on the lace tends to bring the blocker closer to the guide, which results in bending the upper portion of the tongue. If the tongue is stiffened to prevent bending, comfort is impaired. [0007] Furthermore, the laces used for footwear always have a certain elasticity. The portions of the lace itself that are located between the guide and the blocker are of no use for the tightening per se, as they do not bring the two opposite panels closer to one another. However, they do affect the general extension of the lace, which is due to the elasticity inherent in the latter. [0008] Furthermore, the permanent fixing of the blocker to the top of the tongue makes it very difficult to replace a broken lace, and even impossible to replace the blocker when it is damaged. [0009] Finally, the use of the lacing device as described in this patent application is not ergonomic insofar as the user has to exert pressure on the blocker's button to release the lace and must sustain this pressure during the entire time necessary to switch from the footwear's tightened position to the open position, from which the user can remove his/her foot. Moreover, the pressure that the user must exert on the button is not natural as it is substantially parallel to the tongue and directed upward of the tongue. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0010] An object of the instant invention is to propose a lacing device that makes it possible to overcome the limitations of the known prior art devices. More particularly, the object of the invention is to provide a footwear provided with an optimized lacing device. [0011] Another object of the invention is a footwear having a high upper and provided with a tightening means that uses a lace/blocker assembly and allows tightening as well as loosening with one hand. [0012] The object of the invention is achieved with a footwear provided to receive the user's foot and including a lacing device that has at least two keepers, provided to enable a lace to slide, as well as a blocker that is capable of wedging the lace, the blocker including a control member that unlocks the lace, the footwear having an open position allowing the insertion of the foot and a tightened position from which the foot is firmly retained in the footwear. The footwear is characterized in that the switch from the open position to the tightened position is carried out with a traction on the lace, and in that the switch from the tightened to the open position is carried out with a traction on the blocker's control member. [0013] Advantageously, only traction forces are required from the user to open or tighten the footwear. [0014] Advantageously, the footwear according to the invention includes means for removably fixing the blocker to the footwear, so that the footwear tightening and opening stages can be carried out with one hand, and so that the sub-assembly constituted by the lace and the blocker can be dismounted from the footwear without having to use a tool. [0015] The object of the invention is also achieved with a footwear provided to receive the user's foot and including a high upper that has a lower portion provided with a lacing device, an upper portion adapted to enclose the lower part of the user's leg, and a tongue extending from the lower portion to which it is fixed up to the top of the upper portion; the tongue including a lower zone located in the area of the lower portion, an upper zone located in the area of the upper portion, and an intermediate zone located between the lower and the upper zones; the lacing device including at least two keepers provided to enable a lace to slide and a blocker that is capable of wedging the lace, characterized in that the blocker is fixed on the intermediate zone of the tongue. [0016] The object of the invention is also achieved with a footwear provided to receive the user's foot and including a lacing device that has at least two keepers provided to enable a lace to slide and a blocker capable of wedging the lace, the blocker including a blocking member that is movable inside a body, characterized in that the footwear includes means for removably fixing the blocker to the footwear, so that the footwear tightening and loosening stages can be carried out with one hand, and so that the lace/blocker sub-assembly can be dismounted of the footwear without using any tool. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0017] The invention will be better understood from the following description, with reference to the attached drawings, which illustrate exemplary embodiments for carrying out the invention, and in which: [0018] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a footwear according to a first embodiment of the invention; [0019] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the outer surface of the cover, which is the visible surface when employed on an article of footwear, for retaining the lace blocker; [0020] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the hidden surface of the cover for retaining the lace blocker; Continue reading... Full patent description for Lacing device for sports footwear Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Lacing device for sports footwear patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Lacing device for sports footwear or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Outer sole Next Patent Application: Skate boot Industry Class: Boots, shoes, and leggings ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Lacing device for sports footwear patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 1.00043 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Medical: Surgery , Surgery(2) , Surgery(3) , Drug , Drug(2) , Prosthesis , Dentistry |
||
