Device for assisting lace tightening
AssigneeKamiko L. Darrow
InventorKamiko L. Darrow
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device for assisting with tightening footwear laces includes a frame configured to at least partially surround a portion of the footwear. The footwear has laces and sidewalls. The device also includes at least two compression pads coupled to the frame. The compression pads are positioned so as to contact a respective sidewall of the footwear. The compression pads have a distance between them that is adjustable so as to cause the compression pads to press the sidewalls of the footwear inwardly.
Claims20
A system for compressing footwear to ease tightening of footwear laces, the system comprising:
- footwear having sidewalls;
- and
- a device comprising:
- a frame configured to at least partially surround a portion of the footwear that includes sidewalls,
- at least two compression pads coupled to the frame, the compression pads configured to contact and compress a respective sidewall of the footwear when the frame at least partially surrounds the portion of the footwear that includes the sidewalls,
- the compression pads having a distance between them at rest, the distance between the compression pads being adjustable to press the sidewalls of the footwear inwardly, the device configured so that decreasing the distance between the compression pads reduces friction on the laces when the laces are tightened.
A method for compressing footwear to ease tightening of laces for footwear, the footwear having laces and sidewalls, the method comprising:
- providing a frame configured to at least partially surround a portion of the footwear that includes sidewalls, and at least two compression pads coupled to the frame, the compression pads having a distance between them at rest and positioned so as to contact a respective sidewall of the footwear, wherein the distance between the compression pads is adjustable to press the sidewalls of the footwear inwardly,
- positioning the frame around the footwear, and positioning the compression pads to overlap at least a portion of the respective sidewall of the footwear,
- pressing the sidewalls of the footwear inwardly by decreasing the distance between the compression pads to reduce friction on the laces when the laces are tightened,
- tightening the laces of the footwear after pressing the sidewalls inwardly.
Footwear comprising:
- a frame configured to at least partially surround a portion of the footwear that includes sidewalls;
- at least two compression pads coupled to the frame, the compression pads configured to contact and compress a respective sidewall of the footwear when the frame at least partially surrounds the portion of the footwear that includes the sidewalls,
- the compression pads having a distance between them at rest, the distance between the compression pads being adjustable to press the sidewalls of the footwear inwardly, the device configured so that decreasing the distance between the compression pads reduces friction on the laces when the laces are tightened.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.