Elastic Cord Tapered Protrusions Eyelet Fastening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional shoelaces and mechanical fasteners are prone to loosening, slipping, and are cumbersome to adjust, often requiring knots or mechanical devices for fastening and unfastening, which can be expensive and prone to breakage.
Innovation Solution
An elastic cord with a flexible sheath and tapered protruding portions that can be stretched to pass through an eyelet, providing reversible resistance to movement, allowing for independent adjustment at each eyelet without the need for knots or mechanical devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional shoelaces are tied into knots to prevent slipping, then fastening reliability is improved, but device complexity and ease of operation deteriorate due to requiring knots and mechanical devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the fastening function from complex mechanical devices and knots, embedding it directly into the cord structure through protruding portions that provide inherent resistance to movement through eyelets, eliminating the need for separate fastening mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The cord structure itself provides the fastening function through its protruding portions that automatically resist slipping and migration through eyelets without requiring external mechanical devices or complex tying operations
2Reliability
If mechanical fasteners are used to hold cords, then fastening reliability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to cumbersome adjustment procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamic protruding portions that can be compressed when the cord is stretched during threading, and automatically expand to provide resistance when the cord is in place, enabling easy adjustment while maintaining reliable fastening
Solution Approach 2:
The protruding portions change their dimensional parameters (compression during threading, expansion during fastening) in response to applied forces, allowing the same structure to facilitate both easy adjustment and reliable fastening
3Reliability
If shoelaces are tightened to prevent migration, then fastening reliability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to difficulty in adjustment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the cord into distinct functional zones with protruding portions positioned at specific locations, allowing independent adjustment at each eyelet while maintaining overall fastening reliability through the distributed resistance provided by multiple protruding portions
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The elastic cord effectively prevents lace migration and slipping by reversibly restricting movement through eyelets, allowing for easy adjustment and secure fastening without knots or mechanical devices, enhancing user convenience and durability.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic core; and a flexible sheath surrounding the elastic core forming at least two intermediate portions where the sheath is anchored to the core
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~4
Figure 5a~5b
AI summary
An elastic cord having at least one tapered protruding portion along its length, wherein the extent of protrusion is reduced when the cord is axially stretched, and returns to its original size when the cord is relaxed, is described. One embodiment includes an elastic core about which a flexible sheath is fitted, wherein chosen axially spaced-apart portions of the sheath form tapered isolates or knots in accordance with selected patterns for protrusions therein when the elastic core is in its relaxed state. Such knots are formed when the sheath is cause to bunch up at these axial locations. Sheath patterns may be achieved by employing a woven structure for the sheath. The protruding portions or knots reversibly resist movement of the elastic cord through an opening having a chosen size, such as an eyelet of a shoe.