Abstract:
An improved shoelace structure is made up of a belt-like shoelace having two narrowed leading ends bound at both ends thereon to be led through buttonholes of a shoe body thereby wherein between both narrowed leading ends thereof are disposed a tying section to be tied up at the upper surface of the shoe body thereof and a passage section to be wound through the buttonholes of the shoe body thereby. Both the tying section and the passage section are integrally woven to form a plurality of bulge parts and narrowed parts that are alternatively arranged with each adjacent to others in a sequence. The bulge parts of the tying section and the passage section thereof can be made into a wide flatness or a protruded arc shape thereof, and the narrowed parts thereof can be formed into a straight flatness or a round straight column thereof. Thus, the tying section and the passage section of the shoe body are contacted with a tying spot and the buttonholes respectively by the narrowed parts thereof and retained in place by the bulge parts limiting at both adjacent sides of the narrowed parts thereof so as to efficiently prevent the shoelace from getting loose and detached in practical use.
Abstract:
Enhanced lace tightening system including a plurality of apertures extending through the main body of a shoelace and smoothly finished end caps allowing unimpeded passage therethrough. A process includes a finishing step whereby end caps are generated without frayed edges to facilitate passage of the same through apertures to position appropriate aspects of the laces rapidly in a position from whence little tension loss occurs when properly disposed. Products by the process incorporate silicone, metallic elements, and related enhancements providing specifically improved shoelaces for any number of applications for a stated goal of drawing and fixing together two opposite edges.
Abstract:
An illuminated lace arrangement for footwear includes a conductive strip having affixed thereto a plurality of LEDs and electrical connections therefor, and textile netting material surrounding the strip. Electrical control components are housed in a power pack situated separately from the strip and netting material which forms the lace, or which includes a passage for permitting passage of the lace.
Abstract:
A releasable fabric joining apparatus is disclosed, comprising a first piece of material which includes a planar body substrate and a planar loop substrate which has a first loop substrate secured coplanar with the planar body substrate. The planar loop substrate also includes a second loop substrate surface formed of woven fabric having plural loops of thread. A second piece of material forms another part of the apparatus, and has at least one surface with a grip face provided with plural, outwardly-extending filamentary hooks releasably received by the plural loops of thread. In a preferred embodiment, the first piece of material is woven fabric, and the second piece of material is loop-type Velcro. The present invention may be used in many different embodiments, such as in a non-slip shoelace, baby bib, and in other applications wherein a need exists to releasably secure to pieces of fabric while ensuring that the joined pieces have high resistance to shear stress.
Abstract:
A shoelace is described for use by young children or the handicapped, which facilitates tying of a bow. The shoelace has opposite end portions which are just stiff enough to substantially retain the shape to which they are bent while permitting children to easily bend them during the tying of a bow. This enables a child or handicapped person to bend the end portion to the shape required for one step of tying, and to "freeze" the shoelace in that position while he manipulates the other end portion or decides what is the next step to be done.
Abstract:
A snap on shoe lace eliminates the conventional tying of the ends of the shoe lace. The snap on shoe lace consists of an elongated plastic or cloth strip member. A plurality of snap members are embedded in the back face of a first end of the elongated member and a plurality of snap receiving members are embedded in the front face of a second end of the elongated member. When the shoe lace is laced through the lacing holes of the flaps of a shoe, the first and second ends of the shoe lace extend outward from the top lacing hole of each flap. The first and second ends of the shoe lace are secured to each other by the engagement of the snap members and snap receiving members. A design pattern can be printed on the front face of the elongated strip.
Abstract:
Footwear uppers include: (a) a first upper member (formed from one or more component parts) including: one or more lace-engaging openings formed as elongated through hole openings with a length dimension extending in a top-to-bottom direction of the upper and a width dimension extending in a heel-to-toe direction of the upper, and wherein the length dimension is at least two times larger than the width dimension; (b) one or more midfoot supporting gussets located inside the first upper member, the midfoot supporting gusset(s) including one or more lace-engaging through holes (configured to pair up with the corresponding one or more lace-engaging openings of the first upper member); and (c) a lace extending through the lace-engaging opening(s) and the lace-engaging through hole(s). When the lace is tightened, the lace-engaging through hole(s) will at least partially align with a portion of its corresponding lace-engaging opening.