Footwear lacing system
AssigneeBoa Technology Inc.
InventorGary R. Hammerslag
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed is a footwear lacing system comprising a lace attached to a tightening mechanism. The lace is threaded through a series of opposing guide members positioned along the top of the foot and ankle portions of the footwear. The lace and guide preferably have low friction surfaces to facilitate sliding of the lace along the guide members so that the lace evenly distributes tension across the footwear member. The tightening mechanism allows incremental adjustment of the tension of the lace. A release mechanism allows a user to quickly loosen the lace.
Claims18
A footwear lacing system, comprising:
- a footwear member including a lacing zone in between first and second opposing sides configured to fit around a foot, the lacing zone extending from a forward portion of the footwear to at least part way up the ankle portion of the footwear;
- a plurality of opposing cable guide members positioned on the opposing sides and defining a cable path which extends throughout the lacing zone;
- a cable guided by the guide members and extending in a zig-zag pattern throughout the lacing zone, the cable having a first end and a second end, the first and second ends removably secured with respect to a spool;
- and
- a tightening mechanism attached to the footwear member and coupled to the spool, the tightening mechanism including a control for winding the cable around the spool to place tension on the cable thereby pulling the opposing sides towards each other.
A dynamic footwear lacing system, comprising:
- a footwear member including at least a foot portion and an ankle portion, and first and second opposing sides configured to fit around a foot;
- a plurality of opposing guide members positioned on the opposing sides;
- a cable slideably extending along the guide members, such that anterior flexing of the leg at the ankle causes a loosening of the lace in the ankle portion and a corresponding tightening of the lace in the foot portion, and subsequent posterior flexing of the leg at the ankle permits a tightening of the lace in the ankle portion and a corresponding loosening of the lace in the foot portion;
- and
- an expansion limiting element surrounding at least a portion of the footwear.
A tightening system for a boot having closure flaps, said tightening system comprising:
- a plurality of guide members positioned on opposed edges of said closure flaps, said guide members each comprising an elongated lace path;
- a lace slidably threaded through said lace pathways defined by the guide members and extending in a zig-zag pattern between the opposed edges;
- a tightening mechanism configured to incrementally tension said lace;
- a release mechanism configured to release the tension on said lace;
- and
- an expansion limiting strap defining an expansion limiting plane which extends through the boot.
A closure system for drawing first and second sides of an article of footwear towards each other to tighten the footwear around a foot, comprising:
- a rotatable spool for receiving a lace, the spool rotatable in a first direction to take up lace and a second direction to release lace;
- a knob coaxially aligned with and connected to the spool such that the spool can be rotated in the first direction in response to rotation of the knob;
- and
- a releasable lock for preventing rotation of the spool in the second direction;
- wherein releasing the lock permits the spool to rotate in the second direction in response to tension on the lace, but the spool is not rotatable in the second direction in response to rotation of the knob.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.