Shoelace tightening and locking device
OwnerGary L. Hansoninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device for quickly tightening shoelaces on a shoe and for locking the tightened laces without the need for tying a bow or other knot is disclosed. The device includes a body unit with a slotted opening formed with a chamfered edge along one side of the slot. A rotatable shaft which includes a set of chamfered ridges rolls laterally across the width of the slot. A shoelace introduced through the slot becomes pinched between the chamfered edge of the slotted opening and the chamfered ridges of the shaft. The shaft is spring biased to automatically lock the laces in place upon being tightened to the desired tension. A quick release lever retracts the shaft to unpinch the lace.
Claims8
A device for tightening and locking shoelaces comprising:
- a body unit with a slotted opening therein;
- a chamfered side edge extending across one side of the slotted opening;
- a shaft rollable laterally across a width of the slotted opening toward and away from the chamfered side edge thereof;
- the shaft having a set of chamfered ridges extending axially down the length of the shaft;
- first and second geared rails adjacent to first and second ends of the slotted opening, respectively;
- first and second round gears on the first and second ends of the shaft rotatably engageable with the first and second geared rails, respectively;
- spring biasing means for urging the shaft toward the chamfered side edge of the slotted opening;
- and
- quick release means for rolling the shaft away from the chamfered side edge of the slotted opening;
- whereby a shoelace introduced into the slotted opening is pinchable between the chamfered side edge of the slotted opening and the chamfered ridges of the shaft and whereby the shoelace is releasable therefrom by activating the quick release means to roll the shaft away from the chamfered side edge of the slotted opening.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.