A lace cover for cleated sports shoes

Abstract

A lace cover 100 for a cleated sports shoe comprising a continuous elastically expandable sleeve 102 adapted to stretch around and cover at least a lace portion of the shoe; where a top and / or side po

Description

Technical Field of Invention The present invention generally relates to footwear and, more particularly, devices and methods of securing, concealing and containing ends of footwear laces, so that they remain secure and free of inadvertent snagging on foreign objects and prevent the laces from untying. Background Generally, common and athletic footwear, such as, for example, trainers, leather shoes, boots or any other type of specialised sports shoe, require some kind of fastener for comfortably securing the footwear to the foot of as user. Most commonly, a lacing system is used with the upper to tighten or loosen at least a portion of the upper around the foot of a user. In particular, an upper of a footwear may include a vamp area defining a throat that extends along an instep portion of the footwear. Eyelets or any other apertures are provided adjacent to the throat, and a shoelace is threaded through the eyelets and across the throat, for example, in a zigzag pattern, such that the ends of the shoelace are located at the last eyelets adjacent to the ankle opening of the footwear. Usually, a tongue is attached to the vamp area and is positioned within the throat and under the shoelace, so as to separate the shoelace from the user’s foot, when in use. During use, the edges of the throat are pulled together when tension is applied to the ends of the shoelace, thereby decreasing the dimensions of the upper and conform the upper 10 to the user’s foot. The ends of the shoelace are then tied into a knot and / or bow to maintain the tension in the shoelace. Depending on the overall length of the shoelace, the length of the loops and tails of the tied shoelace ends can vary greatly. It is commonly known that random movement (i.e. during walking, running or jumping) of the loose loops and tails may untie the knotted bow, presenting an unwanted disturbance and may even present a hazard to the user. Such problems occur specifically in team sports, such as football or rugby, where the shoe is typically used to kick a ball, potentially loosening or opening the tied knots which can then provide hazards for the wearer who may trip on the trailing ends of the laces or the trailing ends of the laces may get caught. Currently available shoe lace straps or covers can either be rather complex, for example removable strap systems, or are simply not capable to provide the intended function (i.e. cover and secure the laces of a tied cleated sports shoe) for a sufficiently long time period. For example, available elastic bands can be prone to sliding up or down the shoe, when subjected to the intended activity (i.e. stretched over the boot while playing football or the like), thus, leading to the untying of the laces, which can be a problem especially for young children or in sports using cleated sports shoes, such as, football or rugby. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved shoelace cover for cleated sports shoes, that is not only simple and easy to use, but that is in itself adapted to reliably secure the tied lace ends of a sports shoe while minimising the risk of sliding out of engagement with the ties laces during an activity. Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved shoelace cover or retainer that can be manufactured easily and cost effectively. Summary of the Invention Aspects of the invention are set out in the independent claim(s). Dependent claims describe optional features. According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a lace cover for a cleated sports shoe, comprising a continuous elastically expandable sleeve member adapted to stretch around and retainingly cover at least a lace portion of the cleated sports shoe, wherein a top portion and / or side portion(s) of said sleeve member comprise(s) a plurality of dots protruding from an inner surface of said sleeve member so as to nonslippingly engage with the upper of the cleated sports shoe, and wherein a bottom portion of said sleeve member comprises at least one oval-shaped elongated aperture extending in a direction transverse to a central axis of said sleeve member and configured to receive and retainingly engage with at least one cleat member of the cleated sports shoe. The patterned dots at the interior surface of the sleeve member provides an improved gripping engagement between the upper of the sports shoe, as well as, the lace portion, and the sleeve member of the lace cover. In particular, the predetermined pattern of the spaced apart protruding dots or nodules allows for an improved adaptability of the sleeve member (top portion) to the profile or contour of the sports shoe upper (which can be rather complex due to the materials used or contoured features and the lace portion). This improved adaptability of the sleeve member to any contour or profile of the sports shoe upper provides an improved grip of the sleeve member to the features of the upper surface, thus, minimising the risk of any unintended movement during use. Further, the improved adaptability and grippability of the top portion is further enhanced by securing the bottom portion to one or more cleats or studs of the sole via the elongated oval-shaped aperture. Here, the specific elongated oval or elliptical shape allows for one or more (e.g. two transversely aligned studs) studs to retainingly engage with the bottom portion of the sleeve member without the risk of damage during activity, i.e. the rounded edges of the elongate aperture minimise the risk of the studs cutting into the sleeve member material, especially, when the sleeve member and the aperture are stretched over the studs and boot. Advantageously, said plurality of dots are spaced apart and arranged in a predetermined pattern. Preferably, said plurality of dots are integrally formed with said sleeve member. Even more preferably, each one of said plurality of dots is of circular cross-sectional shape, comprising any one of cylindrical dots, semi-spherical bumps or nodules. Advantageously, said sleeve member extends along said central axis between a proximal opening and a distal opening. Preferably, said sleeve member is tapered along said central axis towards said distal opening, such that said distal opening is smaller than said proximal opening. This provides the advantage of an improved conformity of the sleeve member to the shape of a typical sports shoe (e.g. a foot or shoe typically tapers down towards the distal end (toe) portion), thus, further improving the adaptability and grippability of the sleeve member to contour, shape, profile of the shoe. Advantageously, the width of said top portion is larger than the width of any one of said bottom portion and said side portion(s). Advantageously, said sleeve member is made from a polymer. Preferably, said sleeve member is made from an elastomer. Even more preferably, said sleeve member is made of moulded silicone rubber. Brief Description of the Drawings An exemplary embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail hereinbelow with reference to the figures: Figure 1 illustrates an example embodiment of the sleeve member of the present invention (a) in a perspective top-side view and (b) in a perspective top-front view; Figure 2 shows a simplified schematic illustration of the inner surface of (a) the top portion and (b) the bottom portion of the sleeve member, incl. partial views of side portions and examples of suitable dimensions; Figure 3 illustrates (a) a plurality of protruding dots or nodules of the top portion and (b) a plurality of protruding dots or nodules of the side portions, and an elongate oval aperture of the bottom portion of the sleeve member, incl. examples of suitable spacing between the dots or nodules; Figure 4 shows schematic views of an example embodiment of the sleeve member of the present invention (a) from the back (aperture), (b) the inner surface of the top portion, (c) from the side (distal or proximal end) and (d) from the top, including examples of suitable dimensions, and Figure 5 shows perspective views of an example embodiment of a silicone rubber sleeve member of the present invention (a) from the side (right), (b) from the side (left) and (c) from the top-rear (showing the inner surface of the top portion). Detailed Description The described example embodiment relates to footwear and securing covers for lace-up cleated sports shoes. However, the invention is not limited to cleated sports shoes, but may be used for any suitable laced shoe or boot with cleats, studs, spikes or the like. Certain terminology may be used in the following description for convenience only and is not limiting. The words ‘right’, ‘left’, ‘lower’, ‘upper’, ‘front’, ‘rear’, ‘upward’, ‘down’, ‘downward’, ‘above’ and ‘below’ designate directions in the drawings to which reference is made and are with respect to the described component when in use (e.g. in situ). The words ‘inner’, ‘inwardly’ and ‘outer’, ‘outwardly’ refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, a designated centreline ora geometric centre of an element being described (e.g. central axis), the particular meaning being readily apparent from the context of the description. Further, as used herein, the terms ‘connected’, ‘attached’, ‘coupled’, ‘mounted’ are intended to include direct connections between two members without any other members interposed therebetween, as well as, indirect connections between members in which one or more other members are interposed therebetween. The terminology includes the words specifically mentioned above, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import. Further, unless otherwise specified, the use of ordinal adjectives, such as, ‘first’, ‘second’, ‘third’ etc. merely indicate that different instances of like objects are being referred to and are not intended to imply that the objects so described must be in a given sequence, either temporally, spatially, in ranking or in any other manner. Through the description and claims of this specification, the terms ‘comprise’ and ‘contain’, and variations thereof, are interpreted to mean ‘including but not limited to’, and they are not intended to (and do not) exclude other moieties, additives, components, integers or steps. Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the singular encompasses the plural unless the context otherwise requires. In particular, where the indefinite article is used, the specification is to be understood as contemplating plurality, as well as, singularity, unless the context requires otherwise. Features, integers, characteristics, compounds, chemical moieties or groups described in conjunction with a particular aspect, embodiment or example of the invention are to be understood to be applicable to any other aspect, embodiment or example described herein unless incompatible therewith. All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and / or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and / or steps are mutually exclusive. The invention is not restricted to the details of any foregoing embodiments. The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract or drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed. For the purpose of the present invention the term “sports shoe” refers to any item of laced footwear, including boots, trainers and shoes. Referring now to the various views and embodiments shown in Figures 1 to 5, the lace cover 100, for example, for a cleated (studded) football shoe (not shown) comprises a sleeve 102 in the form of a band of a single piece of stretchable material (e.g. Silicone rubber). The sleeve 102 may have a thickness of about 1mm to 2mm, a general width between 30mm and 70mm with varying width at different portions of the sleeve 102. The sleeve 102 has a rear or bottom portion 104 including an opening 106 that has an elongated oval shape (e.g. elliptical), suitable to retainingly and stretchably engage with, for example, two substantially transversely positioned (with regards to the longitudinal axis of the shoe) studs (not shown) that are arranged towards the midsection of the boot (plantar region or arch of the foot). A plurality of protruding (circular) dots 108 or nodules are provided at an inner surface 110 of sleeve, extending, for example, from a first side portion 112a, across a top portion 114 and into a second side portion 112b of the sleeve 102. The protruding dots 108 may be integrally formed with the sleeve 102 in a shape including, for example, any one of protruding cylinders or semi-spherical nodules. The protruding length of the dots 108 or nodules may be anywhere in the range of 0.2mm to 3mm, preferably within the range of 1 mm to 3mm. The pattern of the plurality of protruding dots 108 may follow the design and contour of the inner surface 110 of the sleeve 102, or may be specific to a particular layout of a sports show (i.e. in accordance with the lace portion and / or other significant features on the upper of the shoe), so as to maximise gripping engagement and provide a better contact between the sleeve 102 and the upper of the shoe. However, it is understood by the person skilled in the art, that the plurality of protrusions 108 can take any shape or form and have any length or spaced pattern on the inside of the sleeve 102 that is suitable for its intended use with sports shoes. As shown in Figure 2, in one preferred embodiment of the sleeve member 102 may have a bottom portion 104 at a width of 35mm and a top portion 114 at a maximum width of 50.04mm. The protruding dots 108 are spaced by about 7.50mm from a lateral edge of the sleeve member 102 and spaced apart from one another by about 10mm (see Figure 3). In another example embodiment (see Figure 4) the wider top portion 114 may be about 60.04mm wide at its maximum width. The elongated opening 106 may be 45mm long and 10 mm wide at its maximum width. The outer diameter of the sleeve 102 may be 65.50mm with an inner diameter of about 62.80mm. Preferably, the sleeve material is a resilient silicone rubber (e.g. a food grade silicone rubber) that can be coloured any desired colour scheme. However, it is understood, that any other suitable stretchable material can be used without diverting from the scope of the invention. The continuous sleeve 102 (protruding dots 108 and aperture 106) may be manufactured by injection moulding. However, any other suitable method of manufacture may be used to create the stretchable continuous sleeve 102. During use, the sleeve 102 is stretched so that the toe portion of the boot can be passed through the proximal opening 116, through the sleeve 102 and out of the distal opening 118 along a central axis 120 of the sleeve 102. The elongated oval opening or aperture 106 is stretched over one or two studs positioned underneath the lace portion of the boot, wherein the top portion 114 is arranged so as to securely cover the tied laces. This way, the sleeve 102 is secured via the gripping engagement of the inner protruding dots 108 or nodules and the stud or cleat engaging aperture 106, preventing any unintended slippage or movement of the sleeve during use. In particular, the rounded ends of the elongated aperture 106 allows an improved lit when stretched over, for example, two studs or cleats, as well as, minimises the risk of breaking 5 or “cutting” into the sleeve material. Further, the protruding dots or nodules 108 may be arranged so as to facilitate removal of any moisture (vapor) that could potentially build-up between the inner surface of the sleeve 102 and the upper of the shoe (especially during activity, where the user’s body may be cooled via sweating). 10 It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the above embodiment(s) have been described by way of example only and not in any limitative sense, and that various alterations and modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Various modifications to the detailed designs as described above are possible, for example, variations may exist in shape, size, 15 arrangement, assembly or the like. Reference numbers: lace cover sleeve bottom portion opening protruding dots inner surface side portions top portion proximal opening distal opening central axis

Claims

1. A lace cover for a cleated sports shoe, comprising a continuous elastically expandable sleeve member adapted to stretch around and retainingly cover at least a lace portion of the cleated sports shoe,wherein a top portion and / or side portion(s) of said sleeve member comprise(s) a plurality of dots protruding from an inner surface of said sleeve member so as to nonslippingly engage with the upper of the cleated sports shoe, andwherein a bottom portion of said sleeve member comprises at least one ovalshaped elongated aperture extending in a direction transverse to a central axis of said sleeve member and configured to receive and retainingly engage with at least one cleat member of the cleated sports shoe.

2. A lace cover according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of dots are spaced apart and arranged in a predetermined pattern.

3. A lace cover according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said plurality of dots are integrally formed with said sleeve member.

4. A lace cover according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each one of said plurality of dots is of circular cross-sectional shape, comprising any one of cylindrical dots, semi-spherical bumps or nodules.

5. A lace cover according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said ovalshaped elongated aperture is elliptically shaped.

6. A lace cover according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said sleeve member extends along said central axis between a proximal opening and a distal opening.

7. A lace cover according to claim 6, wherein said sleeve member is tapered along said central axis towards said distal opening, such that said distal opening is smaller than said proximal opening.

8. A lace cover according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the width of said top portion is larger than the width of any one of said bottom portion and said side portion(s).

9. A lace cover according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said sleeve member is made from a polymer.

10. A lace cover according to claim 9, wherein said sleeve member is made from an elastomer.

11. A lace cover according to any one of claims 9 and 10, wherein said sleeve member is made of moulded silicone rubber.

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