Shoelaces and shoes that use them

Abstract

Laces (22, 122, 722, 822) for everyday needs, including shoes, clothing and bags, comprising: a core wire (50, 150) comprising at least one first wire material (50a); and at least one projecting section (52, 152, 252, 352, 452, 552) which is arranged on a circumferential section (50b, 150b) of the core wire (50, 150) such that it crosses the axial direction of the core wire (50, 150) and projects from the circumferential section (50b, 150b), characterized in that the first wire material (50a) is a steel wire, wherein the several preceding sections are formed by spirally winding a second wire material (52a, 152a, 252a, 352a, 452a, 552a) made of a synthetic resin onto the core wire (50, 150).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a lace used for everyday purposes, including shoes, clothing and bags, and to shoes that use this lace.

[0002] A shoelace is used for everyday purposes, including shoes, clothing, and bags. For example, a shoelace that is wound using a winding element, commonly used on ice skates, is known from JP 2010 148 927 A. Similarly, a shoelace that is wound onto a winding element, commonly used on athletic shoes, is known from US 2011 0 266 384 A1. A shoelace consisting of an inner band of gut or wire wrapped with thin metal wires is shown in DE 264 886 A. The conventional shoelace is guided in the guide section (e.g., an eyelet or the like) of a shoe body. A shoelace tightens a shoe body by engaging its two ends with the winding element and actuating the winding element in the winding direction. The tightening of the shoe can also be released by pulling the winding element along its axis so that it can be removed from the shoe.

[0003] With the conventional lace, considerable force was required to turn the rotating section, resulting in inconvenient slippage relative to the guide sections when tightening the lace after putting on the shoe. Significant force was also required when tightening the lace manually.

[0004] The aim of the present invention is to reduce the force required to tighten a lace used to tie an object to be tied.

[0005] This objective is achieved with a lace according to claim 1 and a shoe according to claim 6, wherein advantageous further developments are specified in dependent claims 2 to 5 and 7.

[0006] A shoelace according to a first aspect of the invention is a shoelace used for everyday purposes, including shoes, clothing, and bags. A shoelace consists of a core wire comprising at least one wire material and at least one projecting section, which is provided on the circumferential section of the core wire such that it intersects the axial direction of the core wire and projects from the circumferential section.

[0007] In this type of lace, the protruding section contacts the guide sections (e.g., the eyelets or similar features of the shoe) that guide the lace, for example, when tightening the shoelace. Consequently, the contact area between the guide sections and the lace is minimized, and the force required to tighten the lace can be reduced.

[0008] The multiple projecting sections are formed by spirally winding a second wire material made of a synthetic resin onto the core wire. This simplifies the formation of multiple projecting sections in the direction intersecting the axis by simply spirally winding a first wire material made of a synthetic resin onto the core wire.

[0009] The first wire is made of steel. This increases the strength of the core wire. The second wire is made of a synthetic resin. Only the first wire, which forms the core wire, is made of a synthetic resin. This allows for a reduction in the weight of the shoelace.

[0010] A second aspect of the invention is the lace according to the first aspect, wherein the core wire is formed by twisting together several pieces of a first wire material. In this case, the core wire is formed by twisting together several pieces of a wire material. This increases the strength of the core wire.

[0011] A third aspect of the invention is the lace according to the first or second aspect, wherein the synthetic resin is selected from the group consisting of PFA (tetrafluoroethylene perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer), FEP (tetrafluoroethylene hexafluoropropylene copolymer), PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), PE (polyethylene), and POM (polyacetal). In this case, the aforementioned sections are formed from a synthetic resin with excellent lubricity. Thus, the force required to tighten the object to be laced can be further reduced.

[0012] A fourth aspect of the invention is the lace according to one of the first to third aspects, wherein the first wire material is a stainless steel wire. In this case, the corrosion resistance of the core wire is improved.

[0013] A fifth aspect of the invention is the lacing according to one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein a base layer is formed on the circumferential section of the core wire. In this case, the steel core wire is connected to the aforementioned sections via a base layer. This improves the adhesion of the aforementioned sections to the core wire.

[0014] A sixth aspect of the invention is a shoe comprising the lace according to one of the first to fifth aspects, a shoe body, and a winding section. The shoe body has several guide sections that guide the lace. The winding section has a rotating section that draws the shoe body together with the lace by rotating the section and winding the lace.

[0015] In this shoe, the shoe body is tightened by winding the laces, which have protruding sections that extend in the direction intersecting the axis, using a winding mechanism. A lace is used here in which the protruding sections were already incorporated and the contact area with the guide sections was minimized. This reduces the force required to tighten the shoe body.

[0016] A seventh aspect of the invention is the shoe according to the sixth aspect, wherein the wrapping part has a release mechanism that loosens the tight fit of the shoe. In this case, the tightening of the laces can be released when the shoe is removed. Thus, the shoe can be easily removed.

[0017] According to the present invention, the contact area between the guide sections and the lacing tape is minimized, and the force required to tighten the object to be laced can be reduced.

[0018] Embodiments of the invention are shown in the figures, wherein: Fig. Figure 1 is an oblique projection of a shoe as the object to be laced, referring to the first embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a top view of the laces relating to the first embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 3 is an enlarged diagonal tear in a shoelace; Fig. Figure 4 is an enlarged side view of a shoelace; Fig. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a shoelace along line VV in Fig. 3; Fig. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of a second wire material along line VI-VI in Fig. 4; Fig. Figure 7 is a view of a shoelace in the second embodiment, which Fig. 3 corresponds to; Fig. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of a modified example of the second wire material in another embodiment, which Fig. 6 corresponds to; Fig. Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of a modified example of the second wire material in yet another embodiment, which Fig. 6 corresponds to; Fig. Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of yet another embodiment, which Fig. 6 corresponds to; Fig. Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view of yet another embodiment, which Fig. 6 corresponds to; Fig. 12 is an oblique projection of yet another embodiment, which was used for rain pants as clothing; Fig. 13 is a front view of a vest as clothing in yet another embodiment; Fig. 14 is a partial side view of the vest; and Fig. Figure 15 is an oblique projection of a backpack as a bag in yet another embodiment.

[0019] In Fig. Figure 1, the shoe 20, in relation to one embodiment of the present invention, is a bicycle shoe to which cleats, not shown in the drawing, can be attached for use with a pedal with a binding. The shoe 20 comprises a lace 22 in relation to one embodiment of the present invention, a shoe body 24, and a winding part 26 for tightening the shoe body 24 with the lace 22. Likewise, the shoe body 24 has a sole section 30 and an upper section 32 that covers the sole section 30. The upper section 32 has a tongue-like section 34 extending longitudinally and a pair of left and right flaps 36a and 36b that cover the tongue-like section 34. As described herein, left and right refer to the left side and the right side when the shoe is viewed from the rear.Likewise, the shoe body 24 has two first guide sections 38a, which are located on the tongue 36a on the left side (in . Fig. 1 of the reverse side), and a guide section 38b, which is provided on the tab 36b on the right side. The first two guide sections 38a are spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction of the tongue-like section 34. The first guide sections 38a and the second guide section 38b each guide the lacing strap 22 along the longitudinal direction of the tongue-like section 34.

[0020] The wrapping section 26 is arranged on the right flap 36b parallel to the longitudinal direction of the second guide section 38b and the tongue-like section 34. The two ends of the lace 22 are attached to the wrapping section 26. The wrapping section 26 has a rotating section 26a. The two flaps 36a and 36b of the shoe body 24 are moved in the approach direction by rotating the rotating section 26a, for example clockwise. Fig. 1 and winding of the lace 22. This tightens the lace 24. The winding section 26 consists of a winding section (not shown in the figure), a freewheel that inhibits the rotation of the winding section in the winding suppression direction, and a release mechanism to suppress activation of the freewheel. The release mechanism suppresses activation of the freewheel by pulling the rotating section 26a axially upwards with respect to the axis of rotation. This suppresses the tightening of the lace 22. A third guide section 40, curved into an arc, is arranged near the winding section 26 to guide the lace 22 smoothly to the winding section 26.

[0021] The tongue-like section 34 is provided with a crossing guide section 42 for guiding the drawstring 20 such that it intersects the lifting guide section 44, which is arranged above the crossing guide section 42. The lifting guide section 44 is positioned further towards the outermost end of the tongue-like section 34 than the winding section 26. The lifting guide section 44 raises the outermost end of the tongue-like section 34 by tightening the drawstring 22. This prevents the tongue-like section 34 from sagging. Preferably, the first guide section 38a, the second guide section 38b, the third guide section 40, the crossing guide section 42, and the lifting guide section 44 are made of a hard synthetic resin with excellent sliding properties and abrasion resistance.

[0022] As in Fig. 2 to Fig. As illustrated in Figure 5, the lace 22 is specifically provided with a core wire 50 comprising at least one first wire material 50a and at least one projecting section 52. In this embodiment, the core wire 50 is formed by twisting together several pieces (for example, 19 pieces) of the first wire material 50a.

[0023] The first wire material 50a is, for example, a steel wire, and preferably a stainless steel wire. The number of pieces of the first wire material 50a is suitably determined according to the object to be tied. Preferably, the core wire 50 is formed by twisting together several pieces of the first wire material 50a. In this embodiment, the several pieces of the first wire material 50a comprise one piece of the central wire material 51a, several pieces (for example, 6 pieces) of the middle wire material 51b, and several pieces (for example, 12 pieces) of the outer wire material 51c, as shown in Fig. Figure 5 illustrates this. The several pieces of the middle wire material 51b are twisted together in accordance with the central wire material 51a. The circumferential section of the several pieces of the middle wire material 51b is formed into an arc using a suitable drawing tool after they have been twisted together. The several pieces of the outer wire material 51c are twisted together in accordance with the several pieces of the middle wire material 51b. The circumferential section of the several pieces of the outer wire material 51c is formed into an arc using a suitable drawing tool after they have been twisted together. The circumferential section 50b of the core wire 50 is determined by the outer wire material 51c.

[0024] The foregoing sections 52 are intended to ensure that the lacing strap 22 slides easily against the first guide section 38a, the second guide section 38b, the third guide section 40, the intersecting guide section 42, and the lifting section 44. The foregoing sections 52 are arranged on the circumferential section 50b of the core wire 50 such that they intersect the axis A of the core wire 50. The foregoing sections 52 project radially outwards from the circumferential section 50b of the core wire 50. In this embodiment, the foregoing sections 52 have a cross-section that is round, as shown in Fig. Figure 6 illustrates that the preceding sections 52 are formed by spirally winding a piece of the second wire material 52a made of synthetic resin onto the core wire 50, as shown in Fig. Figure 4 illustrates this. The aforementioned sections 52 are attached to the core wire 50, for example, by a method such as room-temperature gluing, hot welding, or the like. Consequently, there is no relative displacement of the aforementioned sections 52 and the core wire 50. By spirally winding at least one piece of the second wire material 52a onto the core wire 50, as described above, the aforementioned sections 52 are positioned such that, viewed two-dimensionally, they intersect the axis direction A.

[0025] To reduce the sliding resistance with respect to the first guide section 38a, the second guide section 38b, the third guide section 40, the intersecting guide section 42, and the lifting section 44, the material used for the aforementioned sections 52 is preferably a material with a lower coefficient of friction than that of the core wire 50. In this embodiment, the aforementioned sections 52 are made of a synthetic resin. The synthetic resin is preferably selected from the group consisting of PFA (tetrafluoroethylene perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer 9), FEP (tetrafluoroethylene hexafluoropropylene copolymer), PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), PE (polyethylene), and POM (polyacetal). The spacing P1 of the aforementioned sections 52 is 1 mm or less, preferably 500 µm or less, and more preferably 150 µm or less.

[0026] Preferably, a cap section 54 is attached to both ends of the lace 22 by a fastening method based on plastic deformation, for example, crimping or the like. The lace 22 is guided in a grid pattern through the first guide section 38a, the second guide section 38b, the third guide section 40, the crossing guide section 42, and the lifting section 44. Both ends of the lace 22 are attached to the winding section of the winding part 26.

[0027] With the lace 22 configured as described above, a foot is inserted into the shoe body 24 in the loosened state by pulling the rotating section 26a of the winding part 26 axially upwards. As the foot is inserted into the shoe body 24, the rotating section 26a of the winding part 26 is pressed downwards, and the freewheel is set to the activated state. Then, when the rotating section 26a is turned clockwise, the two end sections of the lace 22 are wound onto the winding section, the two tabs 36a and 36b of the shoe body 24 approach each other, and the shoe body 24 is pressed against the foot according to the lace 22.The lace 22 now has the projecting sections 52 that cross the axis direction A; therefore, the lace 22 slides smoothly on the guide sections, such as the first guide section 38a, the second guide section 38b, the third guide section 40, the crossing guide section 42, and the lifting section 44. Consequently, the force required for the tightening process, which rotates the rotating section 26a, can be reduced.

[0028] In the second embodiment, the circumferential section 150b of the core wire 150 of the lacing band 122 is covered with a base layer 153, as shown in Fig. Figure 7 illustrates this. The preceding section 152 is wound onto the core wire 150 over the base layer 153. The base layer 153 improves the adhesion of the core wire 150 to the preceding section 152 and strengthens the adhesion of the preceding section 152.

[0029] Above, embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications are possible to an extent that does not deviate from the purpose of the invention. More precisely, the several embodiments and modified examples described in the description can be combined as needed.

[0030] In the embodiments described above, the laces are tightened by means of a winding element. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can also be applied to laces that are tightened manually.

[0031] In the second embodiment, the cross-section of the second wire material forming the preceding section is round. However, the cross-section of the second wire material need not be round and can be non-round, such as elliptical, polygonal, or the like. For example, the cross-section of the second wire material 252a in the preceding section 252 is triangular, as shown in Fig. Figure 8 illustrates the cross-section of the second wire material 252a of the second wire material 352a in the preceding section 352, which is square, as shown in Fig. Figure 9 illustrates the cross-section of the second wire material 452a in the preceding section 452, which is hexagonal, as shown in Fig. Figure 10 illustrates the cross-section of the second wire material 452a in the preceding section 552. The cross-section is star-shaped, as shown in Fig. Figure 11 illustrates this. In the non-circular cross-sections described above, unlike the two embodiments described above, angular sections 252b, 352b, 452b, and 552b are formed. The area contacting the first guide section 38a, the second guide section 38b, the third guide section 40, the intersecting guide section 42, and the lifting section 44 is further reduced by these angular sections 252b, 352b, 452b, and 552b. Consequently, the force required in the tightening process of the object to be laced can be further reduced. Furthermore, as with the core wire, the protruding section can be formed by twisting together several pieces of the second wire material.

[0032] In the embodiments described above, a bicycle shoe was given as an example of the item to be laced. However, the present invention can also be applied to rowing shoes, other sports shoes, everyday shoes, or the like. Furthermore, with regard to the item to be laced, the present invention can be applied to the entire item to be laced, which is tightened with the lace 22, including the parts shown in the illustration. Fig. 12 to Fig. 14 illustrated clothing and the in Fig. 15 illustrated bags. In Fig. Figure 12 shows the rain trousers 620 as a garment equipped with a wrap-around section 626 on two side sections in the hip area. The hip area can be cinched together using the respective wrap-around section 626. A drawstring (not shown in the figure) is arranged in a rectangular loop on two side sections, and the two end sections of the drawstring are wound up using the respective wrap-around section 626. In this way, the size of the two side sections can be adjusted according to the size of the wearer's hips.

[0033] In Fig. 13 and Fig. Figure 14 describes a vest 720 as a garment with a wrap-around section 726 on two side panels. The wrap-around section 726 has a drawstring 722, with the two side panels forming a rectangular loop. The two ends of the drawstring 722 are wrapped by the respective wrap-around section 726 in such a way that the two side panels of the vest 720 are drawn together. In this way, the size of the two side panels of the vest can be adjusted according to the size of the wearer.

[0034] In the case of a backpack 820 as the one in Fig.In Figure 15, a wrap-around section 826 is provided on the lower section of the back panel 820a. Several (for example, 3) guide sections 820b are arranged vertically on the two side sections of the back panel 820a, spaced apart to guide a drawstring 822. The drawstring 822 is formed in a grid pattern by being guided through the guide sections 820b. The two ends of the drawstring 822 are wound onto the wrap-around section 826. Various accessories, such as wheels or the like, can be attached to the backpack 820 here by using a drawstring 822 and tightening the back panel 820a with the drawstring 822.

[0035] In the embodiments described above, a steel wire and a stainless steel wire were given as examples of the first wire material. However, the first wire material can also be made from a synthetic resin.

[0036] In the embodiments described above, the present invention was explained using shoes, clothing, and a bag as examples of the items to be laced. However, the items to which the lacing of the present invention is applied are not limited to those described above. For example, the lacing can also be applied to stationery, furniture such as a table, a shelf, a chair, or the like, and a load-bearing platform of motor vehicles and motorcycles, or the like.

[0037] In the embodiments described above, the preceding section was formed by winding a piece of the second wire material. However, it is also possible to wind several pieces of the second wire material. In such cases, the size (for example, the diameter) of the several pieces of the second wire material can be varied.

[0038] In the embodiments described above, the leading section of the second wire material was formed from a synthetic resin. However, the second wire material can also be metal. REFERENCE MARK 20 shoes 22, 122, 722, 822 Lace-up 24 shoe bodies 26, 626, 726, 826 winding part 38a first section of the guide 38b second section of the guide 40 third section of the guide 42 crossing guide section 43 Lifting guide section 50, 150 core wire 50a first wire material 50b, 150b Scope section 52, 152, 252, 352, 452, 552 52a, 152a, 252a, 352a, preceding section 452a, 552a second wire material 153 Base layer 620 Rain pants 720 vest 820 Backpack 820b Guide section

Claims

[1] Laces (22, 122, 722, 822) for everyday use, including shoes, clothing and bags, comprising: a core wire (50, 150) comprising at least a first wire material (50a); and at least one protruding portion (52, 152, 252, 352, 452, 552) arranged on a peripheral portion (50b, 150b) of the core wire (50, 150) so as to cross the axial direction of the core wire (50, 150) and protrude from the peripheral portion (50b, 150b), characterized by , that the first wire material (50a) is a steel wire, wherein the plurality of projecting portions are formed by spirally winding a second wire material (52a, 152a, 252a, 352a, 452a, 552a) made of a synthetic resin onto the core wire (50, 150). [2] The lace (22, 122, 722, 822) of claim 1, wherein the core wire (50, 150) is formed by twisting together a plurality of pieces of a first wire material (50a). [3] The lace (22, 122, 722, 822) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the synthetic resin is selected from a group consisting of PFA (tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer), FEP (tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene copolymer), PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), PE (polyethylene) and POM (polyacetal). [4] Lace (22, 122, 722, 822) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first wire material (50a) is a stainless steel wire. [5] Lace (122) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a base layer (153) is formed on the peripheral portion (150b) of the core wire (150). [6] Shoe (20), comprising: a lace (22, 122) according to one of claims 1 to 5; a shoe body (24) having a plurality of guide sections (38a, 38b) that guide the lace (22, 122); and a winding part (26) having a rotating section (26a) which contracts the shoe body (24) with the one lace (22, 122) by rotating the rotating section (26a) and winding the lace (22, 122). [7] Shoe (20) according to claim 6, wherein the winding part (26) is configured so that the tightening of the lace (22, 122) can be released.

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