Continuous Lace Guide for Footwear Adjustability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing footwear closure systems, particularly lacing systems, often lack efficiency and versatility in securing the foot and accommodating different foot shapes and sizes.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of a lace-receiving structure or lace guide that is a continuous elongate length of material secured to the upper of the footwear, featuring a plurality of apertures through which lace members can be received, allowing for adjustable coupling and secure fastening.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional lacing systems are used, then the footwear can be secured to the foot, but the system lacks adjustability for different foot shapes and sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The lace guide is divided into multiple segments or sections, each with specific apertures positioned at different locations. This segmentation allows the lace to create various lacing patterns (crisscross, straight, diagonal) that can accommodate different foot shapes and sizes while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The lace guide structure serves multiple functions: it guides the lace members, provides multiple aperture options for different lacing patterns, and accommodates various foot dimensions. This multi-functionality increases adaptability without proportionally increasing device complexity.
2Reliability
If a simple closure system is used, then the device complexity is low, but the security and adjustability of the footwear is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The lace guide is pre-attached to the footwear upper with apertures positioned in advance at optimal locations. This preliminary arrangement ensures that when the lace is threaded through, it automatically follows a path that provides secure fastening, reducing the need for complex adjustment mechanisms during use.
Solution Approach 2:
The lace guide acts as an intermediary element between the lace members and the footwear upper. It mediates the interaction by providing a structured path for the lace, ensuring consistent and reliable securing without requiring the lace to directly interact with complex mechanisms on the upper.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple lace members are used to accommodate different foot dimensions, then the adaptability increases, but the ease of operation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple lace members are merged into a single continuous lace that can be threaded through the lace guide apertures in various patterns. This combining allows the user to operate with a single lace end, simplifying the lacing and unlacing process while still achieving multiple aperture configurations for different foot dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The lace guide allows dynamic reconfiguration of the lacing pattern by providing multiple aperture options. The user can easily switch between different lacing styles (crisscross, straight, diagonal) by simply changing the path of the lace through different aperture sequences, maintaining ease of operation while adapting to various foot dimensions.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
This disclosure is directed to lace-receiving structures that may be included in articles of footwear. The lace-receiving structure can include a first longitudinal portion, a second longitudinal portion spaced apart from the first longitudinal portion to define a gap therebetween, and an intermediate portion that includes a first folded region adjacent the first longitudinal portion and a second folded region adjacent the second longitudinal portion. The lace guide can be a continuous piece of material that includes the first portion, the intermediate portion, and the second portion.