Shoelace tightening device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a shoelace tightening device and, more specifically, a shoelace tightening device which is manufactured with a simple structure comprising a fixed housing on a shoe, etc., a winding drum which is a rotating body around which a shoelace is wound, a rotation housing acting as a handle, and a tension unit which carries out a reverse rotation prevention tensioning function and an axis coupling tensioning function. Thus, the device has excellent assembling property with a simple structure and has no minor defects, and has excellent maintainability by separately assembling the tension unit having two tensioning functions.

Description

shoelace tightener

[0001] The present invention relates to a shoelace tightening device, and more particularly, to a shoelace tightening device having a simple configuration of a fixed housing for a shoe or the like, a winding drum which is a rotating body on which shoelaces are wound, a rotating housing which serves as a handle, and a tension part which performs a reverse rotation prevention tension function and an axis-joining tension function, thereby having a simple structure, excellent assembly and no minor breakdowns, and having excellent maintenance by separately assembling the tension part having two tension functions.

[0002] Shoes like sneakers are equipped with shoelaces to ensure a proper fit for each individual's foot. After putting on the shoes, wearers should tighten the laces to ensure a secure fit between the shoe and their foot, ensuring a safe and comfortable walk.

[0003] Meanwhile, it is very cumbersome to loosen and retighten shoelaces every time you put on or take off your shoes, and many shoelace tightening devices have been developed and proposed to alleviate this cumbersomeness.

[0004] For example, Korean Patent No. 959800 (published on May 28, 2010) discloses a shoelace winding drum provided in the fixed housing, a rotating housing rotatably coupled to the fixed housing, a winding drum in which a shoelace is wound or unwound, a first tooth shape and a second tooth shape provided on one side of one of the fixed and rotating housings, but provided along a direction in which the fixed and rotating housings are coupled to each other, a latch provided on the other housing of the fixed and rotating housings, which is not provided with the first tooth shape and the second tooth shape, and which interacts by engaging with the first tooth shape or the second tooth shape so that the shoelace can be wound or unwound on the winding drum, at least one guide projection provided to protrude upward from the upper portion of the winding drum, a projection guide formed on the rotating housing and configured to receive and guide the guide projection, a free-curved spring coupled to the upper portion of the rotating housing, and a latch provided on one of the first tooth shape and the second tooth shape. A shoelace tightening device is disclosed, characterized in that it includes a coupling member that couples a fixed and a rotating housing to be selectively engaged with one another.

[0005] Korean Patent No. 1147681 (published on May 22, 2012) discloses a shoelace tightening device comprising a fixed housing, a rotating housing that is relatively rotatably coupled to the fixed housing, a winding drum inserted into the interior of the fixed housing and the rotating housing, a coupling unit that couples the fixed housing and the rotating housing, and a free-curve spring coupled to the upper portion of the rotating housing, wherein a first tooth shape and a second tooth shape are formed on one side of one of the fixed housing and the rotating housing, and a latch that selectively engages and interacts with the second tooth shape or the first tooth shape is provided on the other housing where the first tooth shape and the second tooth shape are not formed, and housing coupling teeth and drum coupling teeth that interlock with each other and operate in a circular shape are provided in the lower region of the rotating housing and the upper region of the winding drum, and Korean Patent No. 1107372 (published on January 19, 2012) discloses a shoelace tightening device characterized in that a drum rotation axis is formed in the central region. A shoelace tightening device is disclosed, which includes a fixed housing, a rotating housing that is rotatably coupled to the fixed housing, a winding drum that is inserted into the interior of the fixed housing and the rotating housing and has a winding portion for winding or unwinding a shoelace, and a coupling unit guide shaft that connects the fixed housing and the rotating housing and guides an up / down movement of the rotating housing for winding or unwinding a shoelace.

[0006] However, the above-mentioned conventional string length adjusting devices require, in addition to the fixed housing, the rotating housing, and the winding drum, a joining member for joining each component, and must adopt a special type of spring that provides elasticity for operation as an essential component, so there is a problem that the manufacturing cost increases and the structure becomes complicated due to the increase in the number of components.

[0007] Moreover, no configuration of a tension part that performs both a reverse rotation prevention tension function and an axis coupling tension function has been proposed in the past, and no technology has been proposed that makes maintenance easier due to a failure of the tension function by separately assembling a tension part of a simple structure having these two functions.

[0008] The present invention has been devised to solve the above problems, and the purpose of the present invention is to provide a shoelace tightening device having a simple structure, excellent assembly and no minor breakdowns, by being manufactured with a simple configuration of a winding drum which is a rotating body on which shoelaces are wound, a rotating housing which serves as a handle, and a tension part which performs a reverse rotation prevention tension function, and having a simple structure, excellent maintenance by separately assembling the tension part having a tension function.

[0009] Another object of the present invention is to provide a shoelace tightening device that is easier to maintain due to wear and failure of the tension by separately manufacturing a tension part having both a tension function for preventing reverse rotation for only one-way rotation of the rotary housing and a shaft-coupled tension function for winding and unwinding of the shoelace, compared to conventional technologies that do not provide a tension part with a simple structure having these two functions.

[0010] In order to achieve the above object, a shoelace tightening device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a fixed housing having a cylindrical receiving portion with an open upper portion therein and having tension reverse rotation prevention teeth formed on an upper inner surface; a rotating housing having housing engaging teeth formed thereon to enable one-way rotation with respect to a winding drum and having an axial engaging hole formed therein; a winding drum having drum engaging teeth inserted into the cylindrical receiving portion and engaging with the housing engaging teeth of the rotating housing, an axial engaging portion extending upwardly in the center in the axial direction and engaging to be axially movable up and down within the axial engaging hole, and a winding portion through which a shoelace is wound or unwound; And it is characterized by including a tension part including a cylindrical part formed in the center, a latch part formed on the outer periphery of the cylindrical part and meshed with the tension reverse rotation prevention gear, and a tension shaft part spaced apart in a circular direction on the inner periphery of the cylindrical part, each protruding downwardly inward and fitted into the shaft coupling part to provide elasticity in the radial direction.

[0011] In order to achieve the above object, a shoelace tightening device according to another embodiment of the present invention comprises: a fixed housing having a cylindrical receiving portion with an open upper portion therein and tension reverse rotation prevention teeth formed on an inner surface of the upper portion; a rotating housing having housing engaging teeth formed thereon to enable one-way rotation with respect to a taking-up drum and an axial engaging hole formed therein; a winding drum having drum engaging teeth inserted into the cylindrical receiving portion and engaging with the housing engaging teeth of the rotating housing, and a winding portion for winding or unwinding a shoelace; and a tension portion including a cylindrical portion formed in the center and a latch portion formed on an outer periphery of the cylindrical portion and engaging with the tension reverse rotation prevention teeth, wherein the latch portion of the tension portion comprises: a plurality of latch connecting portions spaced apart in an arcuate direction from the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion; a latch arm in the shape of a belt extending from each latch connecting portion to form a substantially arcuate shape; And it is characterized in that it comprises a tension tooth that is engaged with the tension reverse rotation prevention tooth of the fixed housing at the end of the latch arm.

[0012] In addition, the tension shaft portion of the tension portion is installed in a form in which it is integrally bent in an “ㄱ” shape at the upper end of the inner circumference of the cylindrical portion in the area within the shaft coupling hole of the rotating housing when coupled and extends downward in the axial direction, and a plurality of them are formed spaced apart in an arc direction, and a protrusion protruding radially inward is provided at the end of the portion in which each tension shaft portion is integrally bent in an “ㄱ” shape and extends downward in the axial direction, and is characterized in that it elastically engages with a hook portion formed on the central outer circumference of the shaft coupling portion of the winding drum.

[0013] In addition, the latch portion of the tension portion comprises a plurality of latch connecting portions spaced apart in an arcuate direction on the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion; a latch arm in the shape of a belt extending from each latch connecting portion to form a substantially arcuate shape; and a tension tooth at the end of the latch arm that corresponds to and engages with the tension reverse rotation prevention tooth of the fixed housing, wherein each latch connecting portion and the latch arm are characterized in that they are joined by a boss fastening.

[0014] In addition, the above-described rotating housing is characterized in that it further includes a plurality of tension shaft support portions formed between each tension shaft portion that are fitted together to fix and support the plurality of tension shaft portions at the inner periphery of the shaft coupling hole when coupled.

[0015] In addition, the rotating housing is characterized in that it further includes a latch insertion portion into which a latch connection portion, a latch arm, and a portion of a tension tooth of each latch portion are inserted and fixedly supported; and a cylindrical portion support portion into which a cylindrical portion of the tension portion is inserted and supported.

[0016] The tension portion is formed by including a latch connection body in the shape of an arc having a support groove between the cylindrical portion and each latch connection portion, and the rotary housing is formed by including a plurality of latch connection body support protrusions formed in an arc shape on the outer periphery of the shaft coupling hole, so that when the tension portion and the rotary housing are coupled, each latch connection body support protrusion is inserted into the corresponding support groove, so that the latch portion is firmly supported.

[0017] It is characterized in that it further comprises a cap that is coupled to the upper side of the above rotating housing and serves as a handle; and a base for attaching and fixing the shoelace tightening device to a shoe at the lower side of the above fixed housing.

[0018] According to the shoelace tightening device according to the present invention configured as described above, the winding drum, which is a rotating body on which shoelaces are wound, the rotating housing that serves as a handle, and the tension part having a reverse rotation prevention tension function are manufactured with a simple configuration, so that the structure is simple, but the assembly is excellent and there are no minor malfunctions.

[0019] In addition, the tension part is manufactured separately to have a tension function to prevent reverse rotation for only one-way rotation of the rotating housing and an axis-joint tension function for winding and unwinding the shoelace, so that the maintenance function is excellent due to simple replacement in case of wear or breakdown of the tension part.

[0020] In addition, the configuration of the tension part of the present invention that performs both the reverse rotation prevention tension function and the shaft coupling tension function has never been proposed in the past, and there is an advantage in that maintenance due to a failure of the tension function is made easier by separately assembling the tension part of a simple structure having these two functions.

[0021] Figures 1a and 1b are an exploded perspective view and a combined cross-sectional view, respectively, of a shoelace tightening device according to the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2a is a plan view of the tension part of the shoelace tightening device according to the present invention.

[0023] Figure 2b is a bottom perspective view of the tension portion of the shoelace tightening device according to the present invention.

[0024] Figures 3a and 3b are an exploded perspective view and a plan view, respectively, showing the joint structure of the tension portion and the rotary housing of the shoelace tightening device according to the present invention.

[0025] Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the tension reverse rotation prevention operation of the shoelace tightening device according to the present invention.

[0026] Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the shaft coupling operation of the shoelace tightening device according to the present invention.

[0027] Fig. 6 is a cutaway perspective view showing the joint structure of the rotary housing and the winding drum of the shoelace tightening device according to the present invention.

[0028] FIG. 7a and FIG. 7b are cross-sectional views showing the operation state of the up-and-down movement structure by tension shaft coupling of the shoelace tightening device according to the present invention.

[0029] Fig. 8a is a plan view of a tension portion of a shoelace tightening device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] FIG. 8b is a plan view showing the joint structure of a tension portion and a rotary housing of a shoelace tightening device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] The present invention may be embodied in various forms without departing from its technical spirit or essential characteristics. Therefore, the embodiments of the present invention are merely illustrative in all respects and should not be construed as limiting.

[0032] The terms first, second, etc. may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms.

[0033] The above terms are used solely to distinguish one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, a first component could be referred to as a second component, and similarly, a second component could also be referred to as a first component.

[0034] When it is said that a component is "connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that it may be directly connected or connected to that other component, but there may also be other components in between.

[0035] On the other hand, when it is said that a component is "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components in between.

[0036] The terminology used in this application is solely for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and is not intended to limit the present invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0037] In this application, it should be understood that terms such as “include,” “comprising,” or “having” are intended to specify the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, but do not preclude the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0038] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs.

[0039] Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted to have a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly defined in this application.

[0040] Hereinafter, the most preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings so that a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains can easily carry out the present invention.

[0041]

[0042] FIGS. 1A and 1B are an exploded perspective view and a joint cross-sectional view of a shoelace tightening device according to the present invention, FIG. 2A is a plan view of a tension part of a shoelace tightening device according to the present invention, FIG. 2B is a bottom perspective view of a tension part of a shoelace tightening device according to the present invention, FIGS. 3A and 3B are an exploded perspective view and a plan view showing a joint structure of a tension part and a rotary housing of a shoelace tightening device according to the present invention, FIG. 4 is a plan cross-sectional view schematically showing a tension reverse rotation prevention operation of a shoelace tightening device according to the present invention, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing an axis coupling operation of a shoelace tightening device according to the present invention, FIG. 6 is a cut-away perspective view showing a joint structure of a rotary housing and a winding drum of a shoelace tightening device according to the present invention, and FIGS. 7A and 7B are joint side cross-sectional views showing an operating state of an up-and-down movement structure by tension axis coupling of a shoelace tightening device according to the present invention.

[0043] Here, the example shown shows an example in which the shoelace tightening device (100) is provided on a shoe, but it can be applied to various tightening devices that can be used on items such as clothing or accessories, sports equipment, etc. that are worn by tightening wires or laces, such as hats, belts, gloves, bags, water skis, snowboarding, etc.

[0044] As illustrated, a shoelace tightening device (100) according to the present invention comprises: a fixed housing (10) having a cylindrical receiving portion (11) with an open upper portion therein, and tension reverse rotation prevention teeth (12) formed on an upper inner surface thereof; a rotating housing (20) having housing engaging teeth (21; see FIG. 6) formed thereon to enable one-way rotation with respect to a winding drum (30) and having an axial engaging hole (22) formed therein at a center; a winding drum (30) having drum engaging teeth (31; see FIG. 6) that are inserted into the cylindrical receiving portion (11) and engage with the housing engaging teeth (21) of the rotating housing (20), an axial engaging portion (32) that extends upwardly in the axial direction from the center and is axially movably engaged within the axial engaging hole (22), and a winding portion (33) through which a shoelace is wound or unwound; And it is characterized by including a tension part (40) including a cylindrical part (41; see Fig. 2a) formed in the center, a latch part (42) formed on the outer periphery of the cylindrical part (41) and meshed with the tension reverse rotation prevention gear (12), and a tension shaft part (43) spaced apart in a plurality in the direction of an arc from the inner periphery of the cylindrical part (41) and protruding downward to provide elasticity in the radial direction and fitted into the shaft coupling part (32).

[0045]

[0046] Here, the core feature of the present invention is that the tension part (40) is separately manufactured to include a latch part (42) on the outer periphery and a tension shaft part (43) in the center so that it performs a tension function for preventing reverse rotation for only one-way rotation of the rotary housing (20) and an axis-joining tension function for winding and unwinding of a shoelace, thereby providing excellent maintenance function by allowing simple replacement in case of wear or failure of the tension.

[0047] Here, the illustrated example shows a structure having a tension function for preventing reverse rotation for only one-way rotation of the rotating housing in the tension section (40) and an axial coupling tension function for winding and unwinding of the shoelace. However, it is of course possible to exclude the axial coupling tension function. In this case, the axial coupling structure may be included in a configuration other than the tension section.

[0048] Meanwhile, in the illustrated example, the structure of the cap (50) that the user holds and turns by hand when tightening the shoelaces and the structure of the base (60) for attaching and fixing to a skin object such as a shoe are illustrated, but it may also be composed of only the rotating housing, the winding drum, and the fixed housing.

[0049]

[0050] The above fixed housing (10) has a cylindrical receiving portion (11) with an open upper portion, as shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b, and tension reverse rotation prevention teeth (12) are formed on the upper inner surface of the cylindrical receiving portion (11).

[0051] In addition, a base (60) for attaching and fixing a shoelace tightening device (100) to a shoe or other skin-attaching object is positioned at the lower portion of the fixed housing (10) so that it can be fastened and fixed by a press-fit method. In the illustrated example, the fixed housing (10) and the base (60) are shown as two separate components that are mutually press-fitted together, but it is of course also possible to manufacture them as an integrated unit.

[0052] On the side of the above fixed housing (10), two shoelace passage holes (not shown in the drawing) may be formed spaced apart from each other through which shoelaces (not shown) can be pulled out of the fixed housing (10) from the cylindrical receiving portion (11).

[0053] The upper inner circumference of the fixed housing (10) is provided with a tension reverse rotation prevention gear (12) that is processed to a shape that allows only one-way rotation of the rotating housing (20) when engaged with the latch portion (42) of the tension portion (40) described later, thereby preventing reverse rotation of the tension portion (40) (see Fig. 4).

[0054] At the bottom of the tension reverse rotation prevention gear (12) of the above fixed housing (10), a flow prevention protrusion (13; see Fig. 1b, etc.) is formed by extending radially inward along the inner surface, and serves to prevent the winding drum (30) inserted into the cylindrical receiving portion (11) from being separated from the cylindrical receiving portion (11).

[0055] In addition, the upper outer surface of the fixed housing (10) is provided with a detachment prevention protrusion (14; see Fig. 1b, etc.) that extends outward and is formed to prevent the rotation housing (20) that is coupled to the fixed housing (10) from detaching from the fixed housing (10).

[0056]

[0057] The above base (60) is provided with a flange (61; see Fig. 1a) that is roughly plate-shaped and is intended to be attached to and fixed to a skin-attached object such as a shoe.

[0058] As described above, the fixed housing (10) and base (60) are configured to be press-fitted to each other.

[0059]

[0060] The above-mentioned rotary housing (20) is coupled to the lower winding drum (30) so that it can rotate in one direction in the tightening direction by receiving the rotational force of the cap (50) that acts as a handle when winding a shoelace.

[0061] That is, the above-described rotary housing (20) is approximately circular in shape, cylindrical in shape, and has housing coupling teeth (21; see FIG. 6, etc.) formed therein to enable one-way rotation with respect to the winding drum (30), and an axial coupling hole (22) is formed in the center thereof to provide a space in which the winding drum (30) can move up and down in the axial direction in the axial coupling hole (22), and a latch insertion portion (23) having an approximately inverted "L" shape on a plane is formed on the outer periphery of the axial coupling hole (22) so that a plurality of latch portions (41) described later are inserted and coupled therein while being spaced apart in an arcuate direction (see FIGS. 3a and 3b).

[0062] In addition, the rotating housing (20) is further formed with a plurality of tension shaft support parts (24; see FIGS. 3a and 3b) for fixing and supporting a plurality of tension shaft parts (43) of the tension part (40) described later on the inner circumference of the shaft coupling hole (22).

[0063] In addition, the rotating housing (20) is further formed with a cylindrical support portion (not numbered in the drawing) that can be supported by forming a space into which the cylindrical portion (41) of the tension portion (40) is inserted when combined.

[0064] The above housing coupling teeth (21) interact with the drum coupling teeth (31) of the winding drum (30) described later and are formed in a circular gear shape (see Fig. 6).

[0065] The circumference of the above-described rotating housing (20) having a disc shape extends downward to form a space at the bottom, and a portion of the extended end extends radially inward again to a predetermined length to form a coupling jaw (25; see Fig. 3b). The shape and structure of the coupling jaw (25) are illustrated in Fig. 3b, but the shape, structure, and number thereof are not limited thereto.

[0066] The above-mentioned coupling jaw (25) interacts with the detachment prevention jaw (14) formed by protruding outward from the upper outer surface of the fixed housing (10), and serves to prevent the rotating housing (20) coupled with the fixed housing (10) from detaching from the fixed housing (10) when it moves upward in the axial direction (see Fig. 7b).

[0067]

[0068] The tension portion (40) is manufactured separately to perform both the tension function for preventing reverse rotation of the latch portion (42) for rotation in only one direction of the tightening direction of the rotary housing (20) as described above, and the shaft coupling tension function for winding and unwinding of the shoelace, and as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, it is composed of a cylindrical portion (41) formed in the center, a latch portion (42) formed on the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion (41) and engaging with the tension reverse rotation prevention teeth (12), and a tension shaft portion (43) that is spaced apart in a plurality of directions in an arc from the inner periphery of the cylindrical portion (41) and protrudes downward to provide elasticity in a radial direction and is fitted into the shaft coupling portion (32).

[0069] That is, as shown in Fig. 4, the tension portion (40) is coupled to the fixed housing (10) so as to be able to rotate in one direction with respect to the fixed housing (10) by engaging with the tension reverse rotation prevention gear (12) of the fixed housing (10) through the latch portion (42) formed on the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion (41).

[0070] In addition, the tension part (40) is connected to provide elasticity in the radial direction through a tension shaft part (43) formed by protruding downwardly inwardly and spaced apart from the inner circumference in a plurality of circular directions as shown in FIG. 5, so as to be able to move upward or downward in the axial direction (see FIGS. 7a and 7b).

[0071] Here, the tension shaft portion (43) is installed in a form in which it is integrally bent inwardly in a roughly “ㄱ” shape from the upper end of the inner circumference of the cylindrical portion (41) in the area within the shaft coupling hole (22) of the rotating housing (20), as shown in FIGS. 3a and 3b, and extends downward in the axial direction, and a plurality of portions are formed spaced apart in the direction of an arc.

[0072] Accordingly, as illustrated in FIG. 5, when combined, the structure provides elasticity inwardly and / or outwardly in the radial direction between the inner circumference of the cylindrical portion (41) and the space bent inwardly downwardly in a roughly “ㄱ” shape.

[0073] Here, as shown in FIGS. 3a and 3b, etc., the tension shaft portions (43) are spaced apart in an arc direction at an angle of approximately 90 degrees along the inner circumference of the cylindrical portion (41) in four pieces, but the number is not limited, and it is preferable to form two or more.

[0074] In addition, the end of the portion that is integrally bent in the “ㄱ” shape of each of the above tension shaft parts (43) and extends downward in the axial direction is provided with a protrusion (43-1) that protrudes radially inward.

[0075] The above protrusion (43-1) interacts with the catch (32-1) formed on the central outer surface of the shaft coupling portion (32) of the winding drum (30) described later, and serves to maintain the state of the tension portion (40) by elastic force in a position where it has moved upward or downward in the axial direction.

[0076] In addition, when the tension part (40) and the rotating housing (20) are combined, the four tension shaft parts (43) spaced apart in the direction of the circle and the cylindrical part (41) are supported downward by the four tension shaft part support parts (24) of the rotating housing (20), so that the multiple tension shaft parts (43) of the tension part (40) are completely fixed and supported, thereby allowing a firm combination to be achieved.

[0077]

[0078] Meanwhile, as illustrated in FIGS. 3a to 4, the latch portion (42) formed on the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion (41) of the tension portion (40) is composed of a plurality of short rod-shaped latch connecting portions (42-1) spaced apart in an arcuate direction on the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion (41), a belt-shaped latch arm (42-2) extending from each latch connecting portion (42-1) to form a roughly arcuate shape, and a tension tooth (42-3) formed in a sawtooth shape at the end of the latch arm (42-2).

[0079] Here, the tooth shape of the tension teeth (42-3) is not limited to a shape that allows only one-way rotation so as to correspond to the shape of the tension reverse rotation prevention teeth (12). In addition, although the illustrated example shows four latch portions (42), the number is not limited as long as two or more are possible.

[0080] It is preferable that the above latch arm (42-2) have a predetermined length and thickness that can be elastically and appropriately deflected radially inward or outward of the rotating housing (20).

[0081] It is preferable for the convenience of assembly and manufacturing that the connection between the plurality of latch connecting parts (42-1) and the belt-shaped latch arm (42-2) is connected by fastening a boss (42-4) by forming a boss insertion hole (not shown) as shown in FIGS. 2a and 2b.

[0082] In addition, when the tension portion and the rotating housing are combined, four latch portions (41) spaced apart in the direction of an arc (i.e., a latch connection portion (42-1), a latch arm (42-2), and a portion of the tension teeth (42-3)) are inserted and combined in correspondence with four roughly inverted "L" shaped latch insert portions (23) formed on the rotating housing (20) so as to be fixedly supported and enable stable combination (see FIGS. 3a and 3b).

[0083] The above tension teeth (42-3) are a part that interacts by engaging with the tension reverse rotation prevention teeth (12) formed in the fixed housing (10). When the tension unit (40) separately assembled from the rotating housing (20) is moved downward in the axial direction, the tension teeth (42-3) of the latch unit (42) engage with the tension reverse rotation prevention teeth (12). In this state, when the rotating housing (20) is rotated in one direction, the latch arm (42-2) is elastically pressed inward in the radial direction, and the tension teeth (42-2b) move over the tension reverse rotation prevention teeth (12) and toward the adjacent tension reverse rotation prevention teeth (12). In this way, continuous rotation is possible (see Fig. 4).

[0084] On the other hand, if the rotating housing (20) is to be rotated in the opposite direction, the tension teeth (42-2b) are completely engaged with the tension reverse rotation prevention teeth (12) and cannot pass over the tension reverse rotation prevention teeth (12), so rotation does not occur (see Fig. 4).

[0085] That is, as shown in Fig. 7a, at a position where the tension portion (40) is moved downward in the axial direction, the rotation housing (20) is in a state where it can only rotate in one direction due to the interaction between the latch portion (42) and the tension reverse rotation prevention gear (12) having a shape that allows only one-way rotation.

[0086]

[0087] The above-mentioned winding drum (30) is inserted in a cylindrical receiving portion (11) of the fixed housing (10) in a rotatably manner, and includes drum coupling teeth (31) that engage with the housing coupling teeth (21; see FIG. 6) of the rotating housing (20), an axial coupling portion (32) that extends upwardly in the center in the axial direction and is coupled to be axially movable up and down within the axial coupling hole (22), and a winding portion (33) through which a shoelace is wound or unwound.

[0088] The upper portion of the above-mentioned winding drum (30) is provided with an axial coupling portion (32) extending upward from the center in an axial direction, so that the winding drum (30) can rotate in one permitted direction with the tension shaft portion (43) of the tension portion (40) as the rotation axis.

[0089] On the outer surface of the shaft coupling portion (32), a catch portion (32-1) is formed to support a protrusion (43-1) formed on the tension shaft portion (43) at a position where the rotating housing (20) is moved axially upward or downward. It is preferable that the catch portion (32-1) be formed in a form that protrudes radially outward from the outer surface of the shaft coupling portion (32).

[0090] In the above-mentioned winding part (33), a shoelace fixing hole (not given in the drawing) is formed to fix the end of the shoelace to the winding drum (30). In addition, in the winding drum (30), a disk-shaped circular plate part (not given in the drawing) is formed spaced apart from each other with the winding part (33) in between to prevent the shoelace being wound from moving arbitrarily to the upper or lower side of the winding part (33) so that the shoelace can be neatly wound on the winding part (33) or neatly unwound from the winding part (33).

[0091] In addition, drum coupling teeth (31) that interact with the housing coupling teeth (21) of the rotating housing (20) are formed on the upper surface of the winding drum (30), and a plurality of them are formed in a circular shape around the upper surface disc portion of the winding drum (30) (see FIG. 1 and FIG. 6).

[0092]

[0093] Meanwhile, as shown in FIGS. 7a and 7b, the outer diametrical end of the upper one of the two disk portions is prevented from being separated from the cylindrical receiving portion (11) by a flow prevention protrusion (13) formed by protruding radially inward along the inner surface of the cylindrical receiving portion (11) of the fixed housing (10).

[0094] That is, the cylindrical receiving portion (11) can rotate without being moved upward by the flow prevention bump (13), and the winding drum (30) can remain in place even when the rotating housing (20) moves upward in the axial direction.

[0095] Fig. 7a is a combined side cross-sectional view showing a state in which a shoelace is wound on a winding drum (30) at a position in which the rotating housing (20) is moved axially downward, and Fig. 7b is a combined side cross-sectional view showing a state in which a shoelace is wound on a winding drum (30) at a position in which the rotating housing (20) is moved axially upward.

[0096] First, as shown in Fig. 7a, when the rotary housing (20) is moved downward in the axial direction, the latch portion (42) engages with the tension reverse rotation prevention gear (12) so that the rotary housing (20) can only rotate in one direction, and at the same time, the housing coupling gear (13) engages with the drum coupling gear (21), and the protrusion (43-1) is positioned below the catch (32-1). In this state, the user can rotate the rotary housing (20) in one direction to wind the shoelace on the winding drum (30).

[0097] As shown in Fig. 7b, in a position where the rotating housing (20) is moved upward in the axial direction, the latch portion (42) and the housing coupling teeth (21) are spaced apart from the tension reverse rotation prevention teeth (12) and the drum coupling teeth (31), respectively, and the protrusion (43-1) is positioned above the catch portion (32-1). In this state, there is no restriction on the rotation of the winding drum (30), so the user can pull the shoelace to unwind the shoelace from the winding drum (30).

[0098] Meanwhile, when the housing coupling teeth (21) are separated from the drum coupling teeth (31) at a position where the rotating housing (20) is moved upward in the axial direction, there is no restriction on the rotation of the winding drum (30), so the user can pull the shoelace to unwind the shoelace from the winding drum (30).

[0099] The tension shaft (43) has a structure in which a plurality of (4 in the illustrated example) tension shafts are spaced apart at regular intervals in the direction of an arc and provide elastic force inward or outward in the radial direction, so that the phenomenon in which the protrusion (43-1) is arbitrarily released from a position located below or above the engaging portion (32-1) can be prevented.

[0100] Meanwhile, as shown in FIGS. 7a and 7b, a cap-catching groove (51) is formed on the lower inner periphery of the cap (50) that serves as a handle, and a cap-catching portion (26) is formed on the outer periphery of the corresponding rotating housing (20) so that it is inserted into the cap-catching groove (51) and fixedly supported, so that it can operate together when winding or unwinding the shoelace.

[0101]

[0102] FIG. 8a is a plan view of a tension portion of a shoelace tightening device according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8b is a plan view showing a joint structure of a tension portion and a rotary housing of a shoelace tightening device according to another embodiment of the present invention. Unlike the first embodiment in which a plurality of short rod-shaped latch connecting portions (42-1) of a latch portion (42) are directly connected in an arcuate direction to the outer periphery of a cylindrical portion (41), the present invention is substantially the same except that an arc-shaped latch connecting body (44) is formed between the cylindrical portion (41) and each latch connecting portion (42-1).

[0103] That is, unlike the first embodiment (see FIGS. 2a and 3b) in which a plurality of short rod-shaped latch connecting portions (42-1) are spaced apart in an arcuate direction on the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion (41) as shown in FIGS. 8a and 8b, an arc-shaped latch connecting body (44) is additionally formed between the cylindrical portion (41) and each latch connecting portion (42-1), which not only increases the rigidity of the latch portion (40), but also has the advantage of making it easier to manufacture the latch portion (40) by molding.

[0104] In addition, in the center of each latch connection body (44) in the shape of an arc, an arc-shaped support groove (44-1) is formed into which a latch connection body support protrusion (27) of a rotating housing (20) (formed in a plurality of arc shapes between the latch insertion portion (23) of the outer periphery of the shaft coupling hole (22) and the tension shaft support portion (24)) is inserted, so that when coupled, the arc-shaped latch connection body support protrusions (27) are each inserted corresponding to the corresponding support groove (44-1) so that the latch portion can be firmly supported.

[0105] Here, it is preferable that the direction of formation of the arc-shaped latch connection body (44) be formed in the same direction as the corresponding latch arm (42-2) in the arc direction, in that the reverse rotation prevention tension function of the latch part can be performed more firmly.

[0106] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, this is an embodiment described so that a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains can easily practice the present invention, and therefore the technical idea of ​​the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited by the description of the embodiments.

[0107] The present invention relates to a shoelace tightening device having a tensioning unit having two tension functions, which is separately assembled and configured, and can be widely used in various ways, such as not only shoes, but also clothing or accessories worn by tightening wires or laces, such as hats, belts, gloves, bags, water skis, snowboarding, etc., and sports equipment.

Claims

1. In the shoelace tightening device, A fixed housing having a cylindrical receiving portion with an open top inside and having tension reverse rotation prevention teeth formed on the inner surface of the top; A rotating housing having a housing engaging teeth formed to enable one-way rotation about a winding drum and an axial engaging hole formed in the center; A winding drum having a drum coupling gear that is inserted into the cylindrical receiving portion and engages with the housing coupling gear of the rotating housing, an axial coupling portion that extends upward in the axial direction from the center and is axially movably coupled within the axial coupling hole, and a winding portion through which a shoelace is wound or unwound; and A shoelace tightening device characterized by comprising a tension part comprising a cylindrical part formed in the center, a latch part formed on the outer periphery of the cylindrical part and meshed with the tension reverse rotation prevention gear, and a plurality of tension shaft parts spaced apart in an arcuate direction on the inner periphery of the cylindrical part, each protruding downwardly inward and fitted into the shaft coupling part to provide elasticity in a radial direction.

2. In the shoelace tightening device, A fixed housing having a cylindrical receiving portion with an open top inside and having tension reverse rotation prevention teeth formed on the inner surface of the top; A rotating housing having a housing engaging teeth formed to enable one-way rotation about a winding drum and an axial engaging hole formed in the center; A winding drum having a drum coupling gear that is inserted into the cylindrical receiving portion and engages with the housing coupling gear of the rotating housing, and a winding portion through which a shoelace is wound or unwound; and It is composed of a tension part including a cylindrical part formed in the center and a latch part formed on the outer periphery of the cylindrical part and interlocked with the tension reverse rotation prevention gear. The latch part of the above tension part, A plurality of latch connecting portions spaced apart in an arcuate direction on the outer periphery of the above cylindrical portion; A latch arm in the form of a belt extending approximately in an arc shape from each latch connection; and A shoelace tightening device characterized in that it comprises a tension tooth that is engaged with the tension reverse rotation prevention tooth of the fixed housing at the end of the latch arm.

3. In paragraph 1, The tension shaft portion of the above tension portion is installed in a form in which it is integrally bent in the shape of the letter “ㄱ” at the upper end of the inner circumference of the cylindrical portion in the area within the shaft coupling hole of the above rotation housing when combined and extends downward in the axial direction, and a plurality of portions are formed spaced apart in the direction of an arc. A shoelace tightening device characterized in that the end of the portion extending downward in the axial direction by being integrally bent in the shape of the letter “ㄱ” of each tension shaft portion is provided with a protrusion protruding radially inward, and elastically engages with a hook formed on the central outer surface of the shaft coupling portion of the winding drum.

4. In paragraph 1, The latch part of the above tension part: A plurality of latch connecting portions spaced apart in an arcuate direction on the outer periphery of the above cylindrical portion; A latch arm in the form of a belt extending approximately in an arc shape from each latch connection; and The above latch arm is formed by including a tension tooth that is engaged with the tension reverse rotation prevention tooth of the fixed housing at the end thereof, A shoelace tightening device characterized in that each latch connection and latch arm are joined by a boss fastening.

5. In paragraph 3, A shoelace tightening device characterized in that the above rotating housing further includes a plurality of tension shaft support parts formed between each tension shaft part that are fitted together to fix and support the plurality of tension shaft parts at the inner periphery of the shaft coupling hole when coupled.

6. In paragraph 1 or 2, The above rotating housing: A latch insertion portion in which a portion of the latch connection portion, latch arm, and tension teeth of each latch portion above are inserted and fixedly supported; and A shoelace tightening device characterized in that it further includes a cylindrical support portion into which the cylindrical portion of the tension portion is inserted and supported.

7. In paragraph 2 or 4, The tension member comprises a latch connection body having an arc shape having a support groove between the cylindrical member and each latch connection member, The above-mentioned rotating housing comprises a plurality of latch connection body support protrusions formed in an arc shape on the outer periphery of the shaft coupling hole, A shoelace tightening device characterized in that when the tension portion and the rotation housing are combined, each latch connection body support protrusion is inserted into the corresponding support groove so that the latch portion is firmly supported.

8. In paragraph 1 or 2, A cap that is coupled to the upper side of the above rotating housing and serves as a handle; and A shoelace tightening device characterized in that the lower part of the above-mentioned fixed housing further includes a base for attaching and fixing the shoelace tightening device to a shoe.

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