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US 8,381,362 B2Granted
Reel based closure system
AssigneeBoa Technology Inc.
InventorsGary R. Hammerslag, Mike Mayberry, Mark S. Soderberg
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed is a closure system used in combination in any of a variety of applications including clothing, for example as a footwear lacing system comprising a lace attached to a tightening mechanism. The lace extends through a series of guide members positioned along two opposing footwear closure portions. The lace and guides 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. The closure system allows a user to quickly loosen the lace and inhibits unintentional and/or accidental loosing of the lace.
Claims46
A footwear lacing system, comprising:
- a footwear member including first and second opposing sides configured to fit around a foot;
- a first pair of opposing guide members including first and second opposing cable guide members positioned on the opposing first and second sides;
- a first cable guided by the first pair of guide members and rotationally linked to a first spool;
- a first tightening mechanism attached to the footwear member and coupled to the first spool, the first tightening mechanism including a spring for winding a first length of said first cable around the spool and a manual control for manually winding a second length of cable around the spool to tighten the footwear, the first tightening mechanism being configured to apply tension to the first cable;
- a second pair of opposing guide members including first and second opposing cable guide members positioned on the opposing first and second sides;
- a second cable guided by the second pair of guide members and rotationally linked to a second spool;
- a second tightening mechanism attached to the footwear member and coupled to the second spool and being configured to apply tension to the second cable;
- a third pair of opposing guide members including first and second opposing cable guide members positioned on the opposing first and second sides, wherein both first and second cables are coupled to the third pair of opposing guide members and the third pair of opposing guide members are configured to be drawn toward each other under a tension subject to the greater of the tension applied to the two cables.
5 more elements
A closure system for an article, comprising:
- an article including a first side and a second side;
- at least a first cable guide on the first side and a second cable guide on the second side, defining a cable path which extends between the first and second sides;
- a cable guided by the first and second cable guides and extending between the first and second sides, the cable rotatable around a spool configured to hold at least about 14 inches of the cable;
- and
- a first tightening mechanism coupled to the spool, the first tightening mechanism including a control for winding the cable around the spool to draw the first side toward the second side, wherein said closure system comprises multiple lacing zones, a first lacing zone manipulated by said first tightening mechanism, a second lacing zone manipulated by a second tightening mechanism, and a third lacing zone manipulated by both said first and said second tightening mechanisms, the effective spool diameter with at least about 14 inches of cable thereon is less than about 75% of the diameter of the control.
2 more elements
Footwear with a multi-zone lacing system, comprising:
- a sole;
- an upper;
- first and second sides on the upper, separated by an elongated lacing zone configured to draw the first and second sides toward each other, the lacing zone having at least a first section and a second section;
- a first lace, extending across the first section of the lacing zone, coupled to a first lace retractor;
- a second lace, extending across the second section of the lacing zone, coupled to a second lace retractor separate from said first lace retractor, wherein said lacing zone further comprises a third section which is coupled to both said first and said second lace retractors and is configured to be held under the tension of the tighter of the two laces.
2 more elements
A closure system for an article, comprising:
- an article including a first side and a second side;
- at least a first cable guide on the first side and a second cable guide on the second side, defining a cable path which extends between the first and second sides;
- a cable guided by the first and second cable guides and extending between the first and second sides;
- and
- a first tightening mechanism coupled to a spool, the first tightening mechanism including a control for winding the cable around the spool to draw the first side toward the second side, wherein said closure system comprises multiple lacing zones, a first lacing zone manipulated by said first tightening mechanism, a second lacing zone manipulated by a second tightening mechanism coupled to a second cable, and a third lacing zone manipulated by both said first and said second tightening mechanisms.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.