QUICK SHOE LACE TIGHTENER

TENDEUR RAPIDE DE LACET DE CHAUSSURE

English Abstract

A quick shoe lace tightener is connected to a conventional laced
shoe by its lace in a unique fashion, said shoe having two flaps
with eyelets. The tightener comprises two elongated members, one
positioned along side each flap adjacent to its eyelets. The two
members are flexibly connected together at the toe end of the shoe
lace tightener. Each elongated member is laced to the eyelets one
on each flap. A slider, slidably attached to the two members moves
upward between the two members squeezing them together, quickly
and effectively tightening the shoe lace, hence the shoe.

Claims

CLAIMS
The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or
privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. A quick shoe lace tightener for a shoe having a lace, two
flaps one on either side of said shoe with eyelets along the
outer edges of said flaps, comprising a first elongated member
adapted to extend along the edge of a first flap, adjacent to
its eyelets, and said member adapted to lace to said eyelets, a
second elongated member adapted to extend along the edge of a
second flap adjacent its eyelets and said second member adapted
to lace to said eyelets, means connecting the first and second
members flexibly together near the bottom of said tightener
near the toe end of said shoe, a slider means slidably connected
to said elongated members for pulling said members together
whereby said lace pulls tight.
2. A tightener as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for
pulling said members together comprises a rail attached to each
elongated member which runs substantially parallel to said
members and a slider interconnecting said rails, the slider
slidably mounted on said rails, whereby moving said slider up
from the toe end of said shoe pulls said rails gradually
together along with the elongated members.
3. A tightener as claimed in claim 2 wherein said means for

pulling said members together, comprises a rail attached to each
elongated member, which runs substantially parallel to said
members, the slider slidably mounted on said rails, said rails
having indentations configured to lock said slider so as to
prevent said rails from moving apart, whereby moving said slider
up said rails pulls them together along with the elongated
members.
4. A tightener as claimed in claim 2 wherein said rails at the
top are bent inward from said centre line drawn through said
slider and between said rails, for locking said slider to said
rails.
5. A tightener as claimed in claim 1 comprising a protector
adapted to fit over said shoe's tongue and attached to said
tightener, said tongue protector adapted to protect said shoe's
tongue from said slider.
6. A tightener as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for
interconnecting said elongated members at the bottom of said
tightener comprises a spring member.

Description

CA 02302646 2000-03-17
QUICK SHOE LACE TIGHTENER
DISCLOSURE
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a quick shoe lace tightener. More
specifically it relates to a tightener that may be attached to a
shoe without modification to the shoe. The tightener is attached
to a common type laced shoe by its lace. In this invention the
lace is laced to an elongated member on either side of the shoe.
The tightener is configured to tighten the lace on the shoe
simply by pulling up a slider. It is released from a person's
foot by sliding the slider downwards toward a person's toe.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The prior art according to US Patent 4805270 shows an apparatus
for securing shoe laces employing a set of jaws. US Patent
5129130 shows a shoe lace arrangement with a fastener employing
a hinged tension lever and groove. US Patent 5315741 shows a
snap fastener for securing shoe laces employing a hinged
fastener, rotating lever and a vertical flange. None of the
prior art employs a system for shoe lace tightening using two
elongated members and a slider.
The advantages of this invention are that the shoe can be
quickly secured to or released from a person's foot and there
are no loose shoe laces that a person can trip on.
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CA 02302646 2000-03-17
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An objective of the invention is to provide a shoe lace
tightener that will effectively tighten or loosen a lace on a
shoe in one simple motion.
Another objective is to eliminate the tying of a lace on a
shoe every time it is put on one's foot.
Another objective is to provide a quick release of a shoe from a
person's foot.
Another objective of the invention is to provide a quick way to
fasten a shoe to a person's foot.
Still another objective is to eliminate loose shoe lace ends
that may cause a person to trip.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
Fig 1 shows a side view of a quick shoe lace tightener.
Fig 2 shows a partial top view of a shoe with the tightener
of Fig. 1 attached.
Fig 3 is a front view of the shoe lace tightener's slider.
Fig 4 is a front view of a shoe lace tightener's slider with
a spring tensioner.
Fig 5 is a side view of one of the elongated members of the
tightener.
Fig 6 shows a top view of the elongated member of Fig 5.
Fig 7 shows a side view of a second elongated member.
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CA 02302646 2000-03-17
Fig 8 shows a plan view of another version of a shoe lace
tightener employing a flexible member to hold both sides of
the shoe fastener together, wherein the shoe's tongue is
protected by a tongue protector.
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CA 02302646 2000-03-17
PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Figures 1,2,5,6 and 7 show a quick shoe lace tightener 1 having
an elongated member 2 comprising a rod section 4, loops 5 and 6,
a rail ? having indentations 8 and another loop 9. Loops 5 and 9
are positioned over rivet 19. Washer 18 acts as a spacer. A
similar elongated member 3 having a rail 11 and a rod 12 with
indentations 13 and loops 10 and 20 is also positioned over
rivet 19. A slider 14, Fig 3, having a slot 21, and a hole 22,
slides on rails 7 and 11. The hole 22 and slot 21 on slider
14, may be used to tie a bow on the tightener, such that the bow
will be positioned at the top of the shoe when the slider is up.
This will enhance its appearance. Also slider 14, may readily be
pulled up by the bow thus allowing the slider to have a low
profile. Elongated members 2 and 3 are riveted together by
rivet 19 so that the members can pivot about each other. This
form of pivot could be eliminated by employing a straight spring
wire or spring in place of a rivet and loops about which both
members can flex.
The tightener of Figs 1 and 2 is shown mounted in Fig 2 on a
shoe 30 having flaps 35 and 36 with eyelets 32 and 33
respectively along the flaps outer edge. The term eyelet is
employed to designate eyelets, holes ,loops, strap eyelets, etc,
through which a lace may be passed. The lace 31 is tied
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CA 02302646 2000-03-17
permanently to loop 17 with a knot(not shown)and knotted
partially under flap 35. It is laced around rod 12 by passing
it through eyelets 32 and then over to the other eyelets 33
and laced to rod 4. It is then permanently tied to loop 6 with
a knot(not shown) under flap 36. Tongue 34 lies under flaps 35
and 36. When slider 14 is at the bottom of flaps 35 and 36
near rivet 19 in Fig 2 flaps 35 and 36 are apart at the top of
the shoe, making it easy to put on shoe 30.
The indentations 8 on rail 7 and indentations 13 on rail 11 act
as a locking device to hold slider 14 in position. The rails
tend to spread apart due to the outward pressure on them caused
by a person's foot. The indentations 8 and 13 act to hold slider
14 at various locations along the rails thus acting to adjust
the tension for different foot widths. There is also some
springiness in both the rods and rails thus they tend to
accommodate various foot widths. The rods allow the laces to
adjust and equalize the tension on the lace.
The slider 32 of Fig 4 comprises a spring 35 and slider bushings
33 and 34. The spring 35 further acts to compensate for
variations in pressure along the length of the tightener rods 12
and 4.
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CA 02302646 2000-03-17
The slider 14 is pulled up to hold the shoe on a person's foot
and down to take it off. This greatly reduces the time to put a
shoe on or take it off while retaining the advantage given by a
lace which accommodates various foot widths and shapes.
The rails 7 and 11 are bent outward from the centre line 40
starting at rivet 19. This reduces the angle, theta, between
rails 7 and 11 making it initially easier to pull slider 14
upward toward loops 6 and 17. When slider 14 reaches midway up
rails 7 and 11 the angle, theta, is substantially reduced making
it easier to slide slider 14 further up the rails 7 and 11.
Figure 8 shows a shoe 40 having a shoe lace tightener 41.
Shoe lace tightener 41 has a rail 53 joined to rod 51
which in turn is joined to member 45, again in turn it joins to
rod 52 which joins rail 54. Lace 43 is threaded through
eyelets 42 on flaps 44 and is tied to itself at positions 58
and 59.
A slider, 50, is adapted to pull up and down on rails 53 and 54.
Slider, 50 at its top position, is also adapted to rest in
indentations 55 and 56. Slider, 50, when pulled down to position
57 at the toe end of shoe 40. allows rails 53 and 54 to open to
their widest position. Pulling slider, 50, toward indentations
55 and 56 tightens the laces. Member, 45, between rails 53 and
54 provides spring action which force rails 53 and 54 apart,
when slider, 50 is down.
The tongue protector 46 prevents the slider 50 from rubbing
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CA 02302646 2000-03-17
on tongue, 47.
The tightener can be fabricated from wire, stamped metal or
plastic moulding, etc.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various
changes may be made in the size, shape, number, type and
arrangement of parts described hereintofore without departing
from the spirit of the invention.
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Representative Drawing