SHOE EQUIPPED WITH A SHOELACE

Abstract

The invention relates to a shoe whose flat upper material (3) has two rows of lace holes (4) and a shoelace (1) threaded through the lace holes (4), as well as a welt element (2, 9, 14) that is fixed to one of the lace holes (4) in the upper material (3) and immobilized against movement away from the lace hole (4) and has a passage hole (5) through which the shoelace (1) extends. A permanent, rigid connection, i.e., not non-destructively releaseable, exists between the welt element (2, 9, 14) and the longitudinal area of ​​the shoelace (1) that runs through it.

Description

SHOE EQUIPPED WITH A SHOELACE FIELD OF INVENTION The invention relates to a shoe equipped with a shoelace. Typically, a shoe equipped with laces has, in the flat upper material intended to cover the instep, two rows of lace holes, or passageways, running approximately parallel to the instep's crest. A shoelace (a cord or ribbon) is threaded through the individual lace holes in a zigzag pattern, alternating between a lace hole from one row and a lace hole from the other. In each case, one of the two free ends of the shoelace (usually) protrudes from the upper lace hole of the lace in each of the two rows.To tighten a shoe around a foot, both ends of the shoelace are pulled, moving the two rows of eyelets toward each other. To wear a shoe, the two ends of the tightened shoelace are loosely held in place, usually against each other, so that the shoelace remains taut. To take off the shoe, the ends of the shoelace are released, allowing the tension to loosen; the two rows of eyelets move away from each other, and the ends of the shoelace are pulled into the next eyelet in each row. For example, documents CH 264894 A, DE 446586 C, DE 1625874 U, and US 3526977 A each show a shoelace provided, at one end, with a terminating portion that has a much larger diameter than the shoelace and is typically in the form of a flat, circular disc. According to the patent, such a shoelace is threaded with its thin end forward through the lowest hole of a row of holes and then pulled in a zigzag pattern through the release mechanisms of both rows of holes until it rests with its terminating portion in the lowest hole from the inside, on the flat material of the shoe. The thin, free end of the shoelace is then pulled taut.To maintain tension on the shoelace, a retaining element is attached to the shoe, around which the free end of the shoelace can be secured. The purpose of this lacing system is to make it easier for people with only one hand to tighten and secure the shoelace. US patents 797743 A, 756690 A, and WO 2016020898 A1 disclose shoes in which one or two through-holes in the flat upper material are edged with a retaining element. The retaining element has features to which the end portion of the shoelace threaded through the edged through-hole can be releasably immobilized. The retaining elements replace the otherwise customary knotting of the two ends of a shoelace together. In many laced shoes, particularly those with very short rows of lace holes, the problem arises that the shoelaces shift over time relative to the lace holes in such a way that one end of a shoelace sticks out too far from the upper lace hole and the second end is too short, so that the two ends can no longer be joined together to form a nice knot. For example, in document DE 20 2011 003 919 U1, it is proposed to use a locking element in the portion of a shoelace between the two lowest eyelets of the two rows of eyelets. This locking element is shaped like a longitudinally grooved circular cylinder sleeve and is pressed so tightly against the shoelace that it can no longer slide. The locking element is too bulky to slip through the eyelets, thus securing the entire shoelace against prolonged and annoying slippage. The main disadvantage is the appearance of the locking element; it can seriously detract from the elegant look of a shoe. The objective of the invention is to configure a shoe having two rows of lace holes and a shoelace threaded through them, such that the shoelace, at a point away from its two ends, preferably in the central area of ​​its longitudinal length, is firmly connected to the upper material of the shoe so that no displacement occurs between the upper material and the shoelace at the point of connection during the period of use of the shoelace (i.e., not only while wearing or not wearing the shoe, but also while untying and tying it). In this respect, the means used for the connection between the shoelace and the upper material should be able to be precisely positioned on the shoe and, optionally, should also be able to be made in an optically inconspicuous manner. For the purpose of achieving the objective, the state of the art adopts the characteristic that a through-hole in the upper material of the shoe is edged with an element that is permanently and immovably fixed to the upper material, and that a shoelace extends through the through-hole in the upper material and thus also through the edged element. As an improvement according to the invention, it is proposed to provide a permanent rigid connection (i.e., not detachable in a non-destructive manner) between the trim element and the longitudinal area, which runs through it, of the shoelace. Specifically, this rigid connection must be designed at least so firmly that there is no displacement between these two parts under the expected forces at the connection point between the shoelace and the welt element during use of the shoe. By immobilizing the trim element in the lace hole, its position with respect to the upper material has been very precisely defined, making it possible to configure the trim element as an element that visually adapts to the shoe. Normally (and preferably), the welt element is arranged in the lowest lace hole of one of the two rows of holes in the upper material of the shoe which, with the shoe on, run along an upward line, usually along the instep of the foot. Normally (and preferably), the permanent connection between the welt element and the shoelace is located in the central longitudinal area of ​​the shoelace, typically 48% to 52% of the total length of the shoelace from one end of the shoelace. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the edging element comprises three rigidly connected annular bodies, positioned one behind the other in their axial direction, with different outer diameters. The annular body with the smallest outer diameter is located between the two larger annular bodies. The edging element can thus be dimensioned so that its central annular body passes through a bead hole, and the diameter of the two outer annular bodies is greater than the diameter of the bead hole when the upper material is relaxed. This design retains the edging element in the upper material against displacement perpendicular to the plane of the upper material in both directions. In this sense, an annular body is a body that has a central opening, whose surface is mostly enclosed. The outer circumference of the annular body does not necessarily have to be circular for this purpose. The enclosed surface of the opening does not necessarily have to be a closed loop. For the connection between the lacing element and the shoelace, in the simplest case, the lacing element's wrapping surface can be so closely enclosed that the shoelace is under radially aligned pressure, and the two parts are simply held together by strong friction. However, the connection can also be formed or reinforced by prongs or hooks that penetrate the shoelace from the lacing element, or by gluing or welding. The best form of connection between the shoelace and the trim element is probably that which is formed by making the trim element as a plastic injection molded part, which is produced by extrusion coating around the shoelace (which, for this purpose, runs through the mold cavity of the plastic injection molding machine). Ideally, the connection between the shoelace and the welt is stronger than the connection between the welt and the upper material of the shoe. To attach a shoelace with a welt to a shoe, thread the shoelace through the lace eyelet where the welt will be placed until the welt rests on the eyelet. Then, pull the shoelace sharply and firmly so that the welt is pulled into the lace eyelet and locked in place. To replace the shoelace, including the welt, pull the shoelace sharply and firmly in the opposite direction of threading so that the welt is released from the lace eyelet. DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES OF THE INVENTION The invention is illustrated by means of two drawings: Figure 1: shows, in a partial cross-sectional view with a section plane parallel to the longitudinal direction of the shoelace, the relevant fragment in this case of an example shoe configured according to the invention. Figure 2: shows an additional trim element as an example that can be used according to the invention by itself in a front view. Figure 3: shows, in a partial section view, the relevant fragment of a shoe equipped with the edging element of Figure 2. Figure 4: shows, in a perspective representation, a third edging element as an example that can be used in accordance with the invention on its own. Figure 1 shows a shoelace 1, a edging element 2 and the upper material 3 of a shoe equipped according to the invention in an assembled state as determined. The trim element 2 is immobilized over a lace hole 4 in the upper material 3, and the shoelace 1 extends through a through hole 5 in the trim element 2. In this example, the edging element 2 (as described above) is formed by three annular bodies that lie one behind the other, all of which surround the common through-hole 5. The central annular body 6 of the edging element 2 extends through the cord hole 4. It has a smaller diameter than the two annular bodies adjacent to it with respect to their front sides, namely, the outer annular body 7 rests on the outer side of the upper material 3 and the inner annular body 8 rests on the inner side of the upper material 3. The diameter of the outer annular body 7 is ideally sized so that it can be pushed forward through the lace hole 4 with its opposite side to the central annular body 6, making full use of the elastic deformability of itself and of the upper material 3 or any lace hole edging present in any case, or it can be pulled through the lace hole 4 by means of the shoelace attached to the edging element 2. As prototype tests have shown, good dimensions can be easily determined through testing. The diameter of the inner annular body 8 can be even larger than that of the outer annular body 7, because it never has to move through a cord hole 4. Whenever the rigid connection between the shoelace 1 and the trim element 2 must rely solely on friction, the diameter of the through-hole 5 of the trim element 2 is ideally so narrow that the shoelace 1 can only be passed through once, overcoming a strong frictional force, without noticeable damage. The optimal dimensions for this purpose can also be determined simply through testing. As mentioned above, instead of forcing the shoelace 1 through the through hole 5, the assembly of the shoelace 1 and the trim element 2 can also be formed, for example, by forming the trim element by extruding the shoelace 1 with plastic and thereby connecting it to the shoelace 1 already formed. For example, it is also possible to configure the through-hole 5 relative to the relaxed cross-sectional dimensions of the shoelace 1 more than depicted and to immobilize the connection between the edging element 2 and the shoelace 1 by means of glue or a kind of welding or by means of a bolt running transversely to the direction of the through-hole 5 or small prongs, hooks or ribs running transversely to the direction of the through-hole 5. Figure 2 shows a rim element 9 that differs from that in Figure 1 because it has a longitudinal groove 10 open towards both front sides of the rim element 9, through which the annular bodies 6, 7, 8 have been interrupted in such a way that they form open rings and, with this, the surrounding surface of the through hole 5 is also perforated outwards in a narrow circumferential area. / FRRnn / LZnZ / E / YIAI The longitudinal groove 10 has the advantages that the welt element 9, if not already disposed on the upper material of the shoe, can simply be pushed radially onto it in order to anchor it to the shoelace 1, and that the welt element 9 can be elastically deformed over a wider area, so that the anchoring process in a lace hole 4 in the upper material 3 can be effected more easily. Figure 3 shows an example of a particularly advantageous shoe structure according to the invention. As with many shoes, particularly many leather shoes, the upper material 3 consists of two layers, namely an inner layer 11 (usually a textile) and an outer layer 12 (most often leather or imitation leather). Of the lacing holes 4, in each case only the longitudinal area of ​​the inner layer 11 is edged with an eyelet 13. (Naturally, there are also leather shoes in which the eyelet is visible on the surface of the outer layer.) In the advantageous embodiment shown in Figure 3, the trim element 9 is pushed from the inner side of the upper material 3 through the eyelet 13 in the lace hole 4, and is so short that the outer annular body 7 barely protrudes beyond the eyelet 13, but does not extend beyond the outer layer 12. This makes the trim element 9 extremely inconspicuous and only recognizable when viewed from a very short distance. Its visibility can be further reduced if the color of the trim element 9 is configured identically or similarly to that of the outer layer 12 or of those eyelets 13 located in lace holes where no trim element 9 is positioned. Figure 4 shows a welt element 14 that can be mounted particularly well on the upper material of a shoe by pushing it into a lace eyelet. The welt element 14 is itself made up of three annular bodies 15, 16, 17, with the central annular body 16 having the smallest diameter. In the case of the two annular bodies 16, 17 that are to be inserted into a lacing hole for mounting the edging element 14, the enclosing surface is perforated by one or more longitudinal grooves 18, whereby the remaining material of these annular bodies 16, 17 forms spring-loaded tabs, which are well-suited for insertion into a lacing hole and to engage so as not to come out, even if the lacing hole is edged with an eyelet (Figure 3). The annular body 17, which is in the most forward position when inserted into a lacing hole, is beveled in the shape of an arrowhead in the form of a truncated cone, thus further facilitating the insertion process. The wider 15-inch annular body is not slotted at all; nor is it necessary to push it through a lanyard hole. In turn, a through-hole 19 passes through all the annular bodies 15, 16, / FAAnn / LZnZ / E / YIAI of the edging element 14. Preferably, the diameter of the through-hole 19 is smaller than that of the shoelace to be pushed through it, as determined when the shoelace is not under pressure. This not only ensures that the shoelace can sufficiently retain the edging element 14 through friction alone, but also prevents deformation of the spring tabs formed by the annular bodies 16, 17, which could cause them to slip out of the lace hole in the upper material. Naturally, the edging element 14 according to figure 4 can also be formed by extruding coating a shoelace with plastic and connecting it to the shoelace. In particular, the wider annular body 15, which should not be passed through a lace eyelet, can also be used as a decorative or identifying element on a shoe. For this purpose, the trim element 14 should be inserted from the outside in, with the pointed annular body 17 extending forward like an arrow, into a lace eyelet in the upper material of the shoe. The wider annular body 15 then remains clearly visible on the outer surface of the upper material. As an indication that the wide annular body 15 is equipped with decorative elements or an identifying element, such as a company logo, the lateral raised sections 20 are shown as an example in Figure 4. Different dimensions of trim elements can also be characterized using structures such as raised sections 20, as well as by means of printing, etc., making it very easy to differentiate and recognize trim elements of varying sizes. According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of a trim element, it is equipped with an electronic identification circuit, for example, an RFID chip. This identification circuit may be extruded into the plastic material that forms the essential part of the trim element, or it may be bonded to a surface area of ​​the trim element. This option should be taken into account, for example, for particularly high-quality safety shoes that companies provide to employees and whose use should be monitored and / or enforced during stays in certain hazardous areas. / ΓβΑηη / ίζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION Having described the present invention as above, it is considered novel and, therefore, the contents contained in the following are claimed as property:

Claims

1. A shoe that, in its flat upper material (3), has two rows of lace holes (4) and a shoelace (1) threaded into the lace holes (4), as well as a welt element (2, 9, 14) that is fixed in one of the lace holes (4) in the upper material (3) and is immobilized against movement away from the lace hole (4) and has a passage hole (5), through which the shoelace (1) extends, characterized in that between the welt element (2, 9, 14) and the longitudinal area, which runs through it, of the shoelace (1) there is a permanent rigid connection, i.e., not detachable in a non-destructive manner.

2. Shoe according to claim 1, characterized in that - the diameter of the through-hole (5) is precisely so narrow that the shoelace (1) can only be passed through once overcoming a strong frictional force without being noticeably damaged, and / or - in that the connection between the welt element (2) and the shoelace (1) is immobilized in the through-hole (5) by means of glue or welding or by means of a transversely running bolt or transversely running prongs, hooks or ribs.

3. Shoe according to claim 1, characterized in that the edging element (2) is formed by extrusion coating of the shoelace (1) with plastic.

4. Shoe according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the welt element (2, 9, 14) is arranged in the lowest lace hole (4) of one row of the two rows of holes in the upper material of the shoe which, with the shoe on, run along an ascending line.

5. Shoe according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the permanent connection between the welt element (2, 9, 14) and the shoelace (1) is located in the central longitudinal area of ​​the shoelace (1).

6. Shoe according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the edging element (2, 9, 14) has three annular bodies (6, 7, 8; 15, 16, 17) rigidly connected to each other, which are located one behind the other in their axial direction, with different outer diameters with respect to each other, the annular body (6, 16) having the smallest outer diameter between the other two annular bodies (7, 8; 15, 17), which both have larger outer diameters than the central annular body (6, 16).

7. Shoe according to claim 6, characterized in that the outer diameters of the two annular bodies (7, 8; 15,17) with a larger outer diameter are of different sizes.

8. Shoe according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the welt element (9) has a longitudinal groove (10) open towards both front sides of the welt element (9), which extends radially from the outer enveloping surface of the annular bodies (6, 7, 8) to the central through hole (5) that passes through all the annular bodies (6, 7, 8).

9. Shoe according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that two adjacent annular bodies (16,17) are divided into individual spring tongues through one or more longitudinal slots (18).

10. Shoe according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the upper material (3) has an inner layer (11) and an outer layer (12), and in that the welt element (9) in one of the lace holes (4) projects in the normal direction to the layer plane on both sides beyond the inner layer (11), but not beyond the outer layer (12).

11. Shoe according to claim 10, characterized in that the surrounding surface of the lace hole (4) is edged by an eyelet (13) in the area of ​​the inner layer (11), but not in the area of ​​the outer layer (12), and in that the edging element (9) extends through the eyelet (13).

12. Shoe according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the trim element (14) protrudes beyond the outer side of the upper material (3) and has a decorative element or an identifying element on the protruding part.

13. Shoe according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the trim element (2, 9, 14) is equipped with an electronic identification circuit.

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