Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
The present invention relates to boots, and more
particularly, to an improved lacing for boots of the type used
for skates or ski boots, e-tc.
Boots used on skates conventionally use eyelets pierced
through the edge of the flaps which are normally laced together
to tighten the boot against one's foot. Such lacing systems,
especially on skate boots ~most ski boots now use buckle systems)
have always been less than satisfactory since the skate boots
must be laced firmly on the foot, and as the boot is being laced,
the portions of the lace which have been tightened should not be
permitted to loosen. Furthermore, in the construction of a skate
boot, the provision of the eyelets requires manual labour and
actually riveting the eyelets in the holes provided in the edge
of the flap. The arnount of manual labour required to manufacture
boots for skates today puts countries which have a relatively
high cos-t of labour at a disadvantage with countries having a
low cost of labour, that is, in the manufacture of such boots.
In recent years, the skate boot industry has been
evolving into new materials, and the plastics skate boot has
become more and more popular. The plastics skate boot, which is
made in two parts, an upper and a lower, can be injection molded,
and the labour associated with the construction of such boots is
decreased compared to the manufacture of a conventional leather
boot. However, plastics skate boots still employ the use of
conventional eyelets and laces for securing the boot to one's
foot. Of course, the time and manual labour required to provide
the eyelets in the flaps of the boot is still considerable.
Furthermore, one still has the disadvantages of the conventional
lacing systems using eyelets, especially since the lace crosses
over underneath the flap as it comes out of and goes into an
eyelet, increasing the amount of resistance to being further
tightened as the boot is being lacedO
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Attempts have been made to overcome the disadvantages
inherent with conventional lacesj and an example i5 i~ strated
in Canadian Patent 1,001,843, issued December 21, 1976, Anthony
Puchnarewicz, inventor. In this paten-t, loops are provided
stitched to the edge of a flap for allowing the lace to pas,s
therethrough. However, the loops of this patents protrude beyond
the flap and, therefore, the opening must be relatively wide
since the loops would collide agaînst each other if the flaps
extended conventionally. To widen the opening between the
flaps detracts from the overall rigidity needed for the boot
construction, particularly along the side walls there~f.
Further, special loc~king devices are necessary at the uppermost
limit of the flaps to provide the locking of the lace since
the loops must be spaced apart and do not appear to provide
sufficient friction to allow the laces to be tightened gradually.
It is an aim of the present invention to provide
an improved skate which is molded out of plastics material and
has lacing devices integrally molded with the flap of the
molded plastics skate. It is a further aim of the present
invention to provide improved lacing devices ~or boots~
A construction in accordance with the present invention
includes a boot comprising a pair of opposed flaps defining
an opening therebetween, each flap thereof having spaced-apart
lace receiving projections integral with the flap, and each
projection having a flange defining a lace receiving seat about
the projection.
Stated more specifically the invention includes a
boot made of molded plastics ma-terial having a pair of opposed
closure Flaps defining an opening therebetween. Each flap
has spaced-apart projections molded integral with the flap and
each projection has a stem portion. The stem has rounded
surfaces defining at least three sides and the cross-sectional
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dimensions of the ste~ being such as to al.Low smooth sliding
of the lace about the stem in an upper flange extends about
at least the three sides of the stem defining a lace receiving
seat about the projection. The flange extends outwardly an
extent greater than the thickne~s of a boot lace and is
sufficient to retain a complete loop of :Lacing from slipping
off the projection and allowing the lacing to be anchored
thereon.
In a more specific embodim~nt, the flanges on adjacent
projections on each flap near the bottom are joined forming
a bridge and openings between the projections for passing
the lace.
Having thus generally described the nature of the
invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying
drawings, showing by way of illust:ration, a preferred embodiment
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thereof, and in which:
Figure 1 is an elevational view of a skate boot
embodying the present invention,
Figure 2 is a fragmentary elevational view of a detail
of the boot in Figure 1,
Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan ~iew of the detail of
Figure 2,
Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view along
line 4-4 of Figure l; and
Figure 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view along
line 5-5 of Figure 1.
Referring now to the drawings, Figure 1 shows a
typical molded skate boot 10 having a lower 12 and an anklet or
upper 14 which is hinged to the lower 12. The skate boot 10 is
molded in two parts, that is, the lower is molded with the flaps
18 and 20 and a toe 16, while the upper 14 is molded separately.
Suitable hinge devices are provided in the area of the ankle
(not shown) for hinging the upper to the lower. Each of the flaps
18 and 20 are provided with lacing devices which are integrally
molded to the lower in the area of the flaps. The lacing devices
of the present invention include two portionsO The first portion
in the lower part of the flaps 18 and 20 near the toe 16
includes, for instance, a pair of projections 22, 24 on flap 18,
and 22a, 24a on flap 20. All of the elements on flap 20 are
identical to the elements on flap 18, and the numerals corres-
ponding to those elemen-ts have the added subscript "a". Only
the elements on flap 18 will be described for the purposes of
clarity. The projections 2? and 24 are spaced apart and subtend
a bridge 26 which extends along the tops of the projections 22
and 24 and terminates in abutment members 30 and 32 which are
also in the form of raised projections from the flap 18~ For
purposes of enhancing the appearance of the boot, the projections
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forming the abutments 30 and 32 slope gradually and merge in the
side wall of the skate boot.
The provision of the projections 22 and 24 covered by
the bridge 26 allows the lace L to be passed about the projec-
tions 22 and 24 as well as 22a and 24a in the normal lacing
fashion of crossing over the laces with reasonable ease, and at
the same time, retaining the lace to the boot. If all of the
projections 22 and 24 were similar to the lugs 34 as will be
described further, the lace could easily fall from -the boot 10
when the lacing has been unsecured. In the present case, the
laces L will be retained on the boot by the bridge 26.
The flaps 18 and 20 are also provided with opposed lugs
34 and 34a. The lug 34 as well as lugs 38 and 42, are of rela-
tively sirnilar constructlon as shown in Figures 4 and 5.
~Iowever, the lu~ 34, which lncludes a Elange 36, is :integral wlth
the flap 20 while the lugs 38 and 42 are integral with the edge
of the upper 14. Each of the lugs 34, 38 and 42 include rounded
surfaces, such as shown at 41 in Figure 5. This rounded surface
is on the side of the lug 38 which would be in contact with the
lace as it passes behind. The flange 36 of lug 34, or as shown
in Figure 5, flange 40 of lug 38, defines a seat for receiving
the lace L and prevents the lace from flipping over the lug 38
as it is being tightened. The lugs 34, 38 and 42 are similar to
metal hook devices presently on certain high boot skates, such
as figure skates. However, the diameter of the curved portions
41 of these lugs is large enough that the lace slides reasonably
well about the lug without having the reverse fold anchoring
action of the smaller diameter metal hooksL
It is known that in lacing a skate it is important that
the lower portion of the flaps 18 and 20 be tightly laced and
retain the tension while the laces are wrapped a~out the various
lugs 34, 38 and 42.
The projections 22 and 24, including bridge 26, can
be made such that the bridge 26 is low enough to provide a suit-
able amount of friction against the lace and that as the lace
is tightened, it will tend -to retain the lc~ce in tha-t positionO
On the other hand, for other types of boots, the opening between
the bridge 26 and the flap 18 can he slightly greater to allow
easier sliding of the lace L.
