WO1997028713A1

WO1997028713A1 - Lace tensioning systems

Info

Publication number: WO1997028713A1
Application number: PCT/GB1997/000262
Authority: WO
Inventors: Aarn Tate
Original assignee: Aarn Tate
Priority date: 1996-02-08
Filing date: 1997-01-30
Publication date: 1997-08-14
Also published as: AU1552897A; GB9602551D0

Abstract

A lace tensioning system comprises a pair of flaps (10, 12) arranged with facing edges (16), teeth (18) on opposite edges of the flaps, the teeth on one flap being out of phase with the teeth on the other flap, each tooth having an opening (26) therethrough, and a lace (32) secured at one end and being threaded alternately through the teeth of one flap then the other, whereby pulling of the lace draws the teeth and hence the flaps towards each other.

Description

TITLE: Lace Tensioning Systems.

DESCRIPTION

This invention concerns lace tensioning systems suitable for footwear, clothing and other applications.

The lace tensioning system currently used for footwear generally comprises a pair of spaced flaps having eyelets in and/or hooks thereon through or around which a lace is threaded leaving its ends free. The ends of the lace are pulled to draw the flaps towards each other to a required extent and then tied in a knot. This system has a number of drawbacks. Firstly, the eyelets or hooks have to be individually inserted during manufacture, which is time consuming and hence keeps costs up.

Secondly, the lace has to follow sharp curves around the eyelets or hooks which causes wear of the lace and increases the friction forces to be overcome in tensioning or loosening the lace.

Thirdly as the lace in part passes under the flaps which hold the eyelets, tightening of the lace also increases the pressure on the lace parts under the flaps and hence the friction forces to be overcome in tightening the lace. This is a particular problem for long lace systems in boots, where it is necessary to pull a lace tight in stages starting from the bottom using one hand to stop the lace loosening and the other to progressively tension the lace. This is a fiddly and time consuming process. The friction in the system also makes it more difficult to obtain an even tension throughout. With cold fingers the process of fastening boot laces is even more difficult

Fourthly, it is necessary to tie a knot or bow in the lace ends to secure the lace tightly. Unfortunately, knots and bows tend to undo or can be undone by being snagged on something It is then necessary to stop and retie the lace This is especially difficult with cold fingers and for small children usually require the assistance of an adult

An object of this invention is to provide an improved lace tensioning system

According to one aspect of this invention there is provided a lace tensioning system comprising a pair of flaps arranged with facing edges, teeth on opposite edges of the flaps, the teeth on one flap being out of phase with the teeth on the other flap, each tooth having an opening therethrough, and a lace secured at one end and being threaded alternately through the teeth of one flap then the other, whereby tensioning of the lace draws the teeth and hence the flaps towards each other

Accordmg to a second aspect ot this invention there is provided a system for fastening a flap to a frame member, the flap having on its edge towards the frame member spaced teeth, each tooth having an opening therethrough, and a lace threaded alternately through a tooth and around the frame member, whereby tensioning ot the laces draws the teeth and hence the flap towards the frame member

The term "lace" as used herein is intended to include not only laces but also other suitable flexible elongate means, such as cord, string or

elasticated cord The system of the invention further comprises means for securing the lace against loosening. In one preferred form of the. invention a jamming means may be provided which is insertable into a tooth to jam the lace against movement through the tooth. The preferred jamming means is wedge shaped, whereby the jamming means is movable in the tooth in the direction of the lace either to release or to jam the lace. The jamming means preferably also has means for retaining same in a tooth, such as a toe extending from one end thereof and below an abutment of the tooth. The preferred jamming means has a jamming surface that is roughened, uneven or textured to provide grip. For example, the jamming surface may comprise a series of teeth. The jamming means is preferably fixed to a free end of the lace.

In another preferred embodiment one or more locking means may be provided on the lace to take up slack in the lace. Such locking means are preferably provided intermediate the ends of the lace. On long lace systems more than one locking means are preferably used in order to provide rapid even tensioning and untensioning over the whole length of the lace.

The preferred locking means has a body through which a loop of the lace passes and means associated with the body to lock the loop to the body. Preferably said means comprises a wedge member movable in the body and between the sides of the loop between a first position where the loop is free to move and a second position where the wedge traps the sides of the loop against the inside of the body.

For certain situations and particularly when using elasticated cord for the lace, a securing means for the lace will not be required as the stretching of the cord will be sufficient to maintain sufficient tension in the system.

The teeth may be secured to the flaps in any suitable way. Conveniently, the flaps may be provided with thickened edges and the teeth may have slots shaped to be retained on said thickened edges, for example, by having a narrower lead-in part and a wider end part within which the thickened edges of a flap is retained. The teeth may be further secured to the flaps in any suitable way, including, for example, by means of adhesive, pressure, heat by being injection moulded onto the flaps. The teeth are preferably shaped and/or arranged so that, as the teeth of the opposing flaps are drawn together, there is interleaving of the teeth.

The through opening of a tooth may be adapted to reduce frictional forces between the lace and sides of the openings. In one preferred embodiment the surface of the opening on which the lace bears is curved in the direction of the lace and may also be grooved around its periphery.

In another preferred embodiment the surface on which the lace bears is provided by a rotatable pulley wheel mounted in the tooth.

Only one lace is required in the system of the invention for tensioning which eliminates the friction of crossing laces. The lace may follow approximately the form of a sine wave to create minimal friction. When the lace is tensioned less friction is created on the lace, compared to eyelet systems.

The system using pulley wheels in the teeth is especially suitable for longer lace systems with greater loadings, whereby a pull on the end of the lace more easily transmits the tension through the whole system. This allows for speedy and effortless tensioning and loosening of the system.

The lace tensioning systems of the invention is preferably provided as a complete unit that can be fitted in the same manner as a zip fastener. Thus, the flaps are preferably tapes that can be fixed into suitable items of, for example, clothing or footwear, say by adhesive or stitching.

It is envisaged that lace tensioning systems of the invention will be produced on machinery similar to that producing moulded tooth zips, where each tooth is bonded to the tape by adhesive, pressure, heat or by injection moulding on to the tape for example. The pulley version of the invention would require a further manufacturing step to insert the pulleys and locating pins.

It is envisaged that the invention may share the following characteristics of zips. It may be produced as a continuous tape which may

be cut to any required length and assembled into a functioning unit. It may be available in different sizes for different applications, depending on the loadings necessary and styling requirements. For example, a lacing system for womens clothing may be sized smaller than one for mountaineering boots. Within each size, any required length may be produced.

While the most obvious applications include footwear and clothing, the invention may have many other potential applications, where parts are to be drawn together under tension.

This invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 shows a component of the embodiment of Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 shows a second embodiment of the invention;

Figure 4 shows a component of the second embodiment of the invention;

Figure 5 shows a component common to both embodiments of the invention;

Figure 6 shows a third embodiment of the invention;

Figure 7 shows various views of components of a cord lock for the embodiment of Figure 6;

Figure 8 shows another component of the embodiment of Figure 6;

Figure 9 shows a fourth embodiment of the invention;

Figures 10 and 1 1 shows various views of a component of the embodiment of Figure 9;

Figure 12 shows a fifth embodiment of the invention;

Figure 13 shows a sixth embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 14 shows a seventh embodiment of the invention.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 with Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings, a lace tensioning system suitable for boots and shoes comprises a pair of tapes 10, 12 connected at their lower ends by a cross tape 14, so that the tapes 10, 12 are spaced apart. The tapes 10, 12 have a thickened facing edges 16.

Mounted on the thickened facing edges 16 are teeth 18. Each tooth has at one end a slit 20 which has a narrow entrance 22 and a wider generally circular end part 24. The slit 20 is to enable the teeth to be securely held onto the tapes 10, 12 with the thickened edges thereof in the

end part 24. The teeth may be injection moulded onto the tapes. A tooth 18 has, at its opposite end to the slit 20 a slot 26 which has mounted near its open end a rotatable pulley wheel 28 leaving a space between the pulley wheel and the closed end of the slot. The pulley wheel 28 is held in place by a pin 30 through the wheel 28 and sides of the slot 26.

The teeth 18 on tape 10 are arranged to interleave with the teeth 18 on tape 12. For that purpose the teeth have a generally triangular shape in face view narrowing towards the pulley wheel end.

A lace 32 is stitched into the cross tape 14 at one end and runs through each tooth in turn from side to side behind the pulley wheels in the slots 26. At its other end which is free is a jam lever 34. The jam lever 34 has an elongate wedge-shaped body 36 with a toe 38 at one end and an enlarged head 40 with a through hole 42 for receiving the end of the lace 32. Between its ends the jam lever 34 has a toothed surface 44. The jam lever 34 is retained in the topmost tooth 18 by its toe 38 but is free to move up and down in the tooth slot 26. By virtue of its wedge-shaped body, when the jam lever 34 is pressed downwards it jams the lace against movement and when it is pulled upwards the lace is free to move.

The lace tensioning system is used in the following manner. The lace 32 is pulled upwards which draws the teeth and hence the two tapes 10, 12 towards each other. Once a desired tension on the lace is reached the jam lever is pressed downwards further into the top tooth to retain that tension on the lace.

Turning to Figures 3 and 4 with Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings, the lace tensioning system here is very similar to that of the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, so that only differences will be described. Like parts in each embodiment have been given the same reference numerals for simplicity.

The main difference in the embodiment of Figures 3 and 4 to that of Figures 1 and 2 is the form of the teeth 18¹. Instead of having a pulley wheel, the teeth 18' have their slots 26 bridged by an integral shaped part 50. The part 50 is curved in the direction of the lace and has a groove 52 around its periphery within the tooth 18'. The groove 52 is to accommodate the lace 32 in the same way as the pulley wheel 28 of the previous embodiment.

There will obviously be greater friction forces to overcome in tensioning the lace in this embodiment rendering it more suitable in shorter lengths than the previous embodiment, which, because of the reduction in friction afforded by the use of pulley wheels, renders it more suitable for use in longer lengths.

Turning to Figures 6, 7 and 8 of the accompanying drawings, a lace tensioning system comprises a pair of tapes 50, 52 connected at their lower ends by a cross tape 54, so that the tapes are spaced apart. The tapes have on their facing edges a bead 56.

Injection moulded onto the tapes are teeth 58 at spaced intervals, each tooth of one tape being arranged opposite the space between a pair of teeth on the opposite tape. The teeth 58 are shown in side view in Figure 8 and are very similar to those of Figure 4 except for the slots 60, in which the tape is secured, being angled relative to the plane of the teeth. This allows for the normal angle at which the tapes will lie when fitted into a boot or shoe.

A cord 62 runs through the teeth alternately of one tape and then the other. At each end the cord has an enlargement or knot 63, formed thereon to prevent it from coming through each of the top and bottom teeth. On the cord are two locking members 64. Loops of the cord pass through each locking member.

The locking member 64 comprises a body 66 with a through slot through which a loop of cord is fitted. Slidably mounted within the body is a wedge member 68 having a generally flat body with serrated sides 70 and a sloping protrusion 72. The protrusion 72 sits in a slot 74 of the body and the serrated sides wedge the loop of cord in the body when the wedge member is pushed into the body 66.

To use the system of Figure 6, the cord is pulled tight where it is looped through the locking members and the slack in the loops taken up by sliding the locking members towards the lacing system and wedging the loops by pushing the wedging members into the locking member bodies.

A variation is shown in Figures 9, 10 and 1 1 , wherein the teeth 90 are similar to those of Figure 2, i.e. having a pulley wheel 92 to facilitate tensioning of the lace, with the variation of an angled slot 94 into which the tape fits as described above in relation to Figure 8. Only one cord lock 96, is used of the same type as shown in Figures 6 and 7.

Figure 12 shows a variation on Figure 6 in that tapes 100 and 102 are not connected at either end. Such a variation is believed to have application to luggage.

The variation shown in Figure 13 uses the same teeth as used in Figure 6 but the tapes 200 and 202 are connected at both ends by cross tapes 204 and 206 respectively. Each tape has teeth 208 moulded thereon in offset opposing relationship. The teeth 208 are of the same type as shown in Figure 8. An elasticated cord is threaded through the teeth alternately on one side of the tape to the other, An enlargement 21 of or formed on each end of the cord stops it unthreading. No cord locks are provided in this embodiment which simply works on the basis of the cord being stretchable to expand the gap between the tapes. This type of system may be suitable for items of clothing that require some stretching to fit.

Finally in Figure 14 a single tape 300 bearing teeth 302 of the type shown in Figure 8 is used with a frame 304. A cord 306 runs from a tooth 302 around the frame and then through the next tooth and so on. The cord has an enlargement or knot 308 at each end to stop it unthreading. This type of system is possibly suitable for use in furniture or trampolines.

Claims

1. A lace tensioning system comprising a pair of flaps arranged with facing edges, teeth on opposite edges of the flaps, the teeth on one flap being out of phase with the teeth on the other flap, each tooth having an opening therethrough, and a lace secured at one end and being threaded alternately through the teeth of one flap then the other, whereby tensioning of the lace draws the teeth and hence the flaps towards each other.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising means for securing the lace against loosening.

3. A system as claimed in claim 2, wherein a jamming means is insertable into a tooth to jam the lace against movement through the tooth.

4. A system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the jamming means is wedge-shaped.

5. A system as claimed in claim 3 or 4, wherein the jamming means has means for retaining same in a tooth.

6. A system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the means for retaining is a toe extending from one end of the jamming means and below an abutment of the tooth.

7. A system as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the jamming means has a jamming surface that is roughened, uneven or textured to provide grip.

8. A system as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein the 12 jamming means is fixed to a free end of the lace.

9. A system as claimed in claims 1 or 2, having .one or more locking means on the lace to take up slack in the lace.

10. A system as claimed in claim 9, wherein locking means are provided intermediate ends of the lace.

11. A system as claimed in claim 9 or 10, wherein the locking means has a body through which a loop of the lace passes and means associated with the body to lock the loop to the body.

12. A system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein said associated means comprises a wedge member movable in the body and between the sides of the loop between a first portion where the loop is free to move and a second portion where the wedge traps the sides of the loop against the inside of the body.

13. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the flaps have thickened edges and the teeth have slots shaped to be retained on said thickened edges.

14. A system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the slots of the teeth have narrower lead-in parts and wider end parts within which the thickened edges of a flap are retained.

15. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the teeth are shaped and/or arranged so that, as the teeth of the opposing flaps are drawn together, there is interleaving of the teeth.

16. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the through opening of a tooth is adapted to reduce frictional forces between the lace and sides of the openings.

17. A system as claimed in claim 16, wherein a surface of the opening on which the lace bears is curved in the direction of the lace.

18. A system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the surface of the opening is also grooved around its periphery.

19. A system as claimed in claim 16, wherein a surface of a tooth on which the lace bears is provided by a rotatable pulley wheel mounted in the tooth.

20. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 19 provided as a complete unit.

21. A system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the flaps are tapes that can be fixed into suitable items.

22. A system for fastening a flap to a frame member, the flap having on its edge towards the frame member spaced teeth, each tooth having an opening therethrough, and a lace threaded alternative through a tooth and around the frame member, whereby tensioning of the lace draws the teeth and hence the flap towards the frame member.

23. A lace tensioning system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 5 Figures 3, 4 and 5, Figures 6 to 8, Figures 9 to 11 , Figure 12, Figure 13 or Figure 14 of the accompanying drawings.