Patent ID: 6779281
Filing Date: 2004-08-24
Classification: A43C,Y10T

Abstract:
A lace tightening assembly adapted for use with a shoe body that has a front end, a rear end, a shoe opening adjacent to the rear end, a shoe tongue that extends along a reference line from the front end toward the shoe opening, a pair of eyelet tabs disposed on opposite lateral sides of the shoe tongue, and a shoe lace tied to the eyelet tabs and having a pair of distal lace segments, said lace tightening assembly comprising:a connecting member having two opposite end segments and an intermediate segment between said end segments, said intermediate segment extending along a longitudinal direction transverse to the reference line when said connecting member is disposed on the shoe body; and two lace tightening units connected to said opposite end segments of said connecting member, respectively, each of said lace tightening units including a mounting seat including a pair of side walls spaced apart from each other in a direction parallel to the reference line when said mounting seat is disposed on the shoe body, each of said side walls having proximate and distal edges respectively disposed proximate to and distal from said connecting member, each of said side walls further having a top edge that interconnects said proximate and distal edges, said mounting seat further including a top wall that interconnects said top edges of said side walls and that cooperates with said side walls to form a lace receiving space, said top wall having an inner wall surface that confronts said lace receiving space and that has first and second wall ends spaced apart from each other, said top wall further having a hole formed therethrough for access to said lace receiving space, a pivot axle extending between said side walls, and disposed between said distal and proximate edges of said side walls and distal from said top wall, a tightening member disposed in said lace receiving space and having a pivot portion mounted pivotally on said pivot axle, a clamping portion extending from said pivot portion, and an actuating portion extending from said pivot portion and distal from said clamping portion, said tightening member cooperating with said inner wall surface of said top wall to confine a lace passage within said lace receiving space, said lace passage having a first passage opening defined by said first wall end and said actuating portion, and a second passage opening defined by said second wall end and said clamping portion, and a pull cord extending through said hole in said top wall and connected to said actuating portion of said tightening member; said lace passage in said mounting seat of each of said lace tightening units being adapted to permit passage of a respective one of the distal lace segments of the shoe lace therethrough; said tightening member of each of said lace tightening units being pivotable inside said lace receiving space between a shoe lace tightening position, in which said actuating portion is urged by the respective one of the distal lace segments of the shoe lace to pivot toward said reference line to cause said clamping portion to move toward said reference line to thereby clamp the respective one of the distal lace segments of the shoe lace at said second passage opening, and a shoe lace loosening position, in which said actuating portion is pulled to pivot away from said reference line upon application of a pulling force on said pull cord to cause said clamping portion to move away from said reference line to thereby release the respective one of the distal lace segments of the shoe lace from being clamped at said second passage opening.