Abstract:
A device for securing and restraining the loops and tails of tied shoe laces prevents the laces from becoming loosened and untied. A tab is mounted on a tension band to permit the loops and tails to be passed between the tension band and the shoe tongue and the loops end tails held securing next to the tongue and facings of the shoe.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to devices for securing shoe laces. In particular, the invention discloses a family of fastening devices which may be utilized to secure either or both of the loops and tails of a shoe lace bow knot proximate to the shoe. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Many devices have been proposed for securing shoe laces in the prior art. The extensive nature of the prior art suggests that problems with laced shoes coming untied and the tails of laces hanging loosely have existed for many decades. While flat profile cotton laces are often still used in children&#39;s footwear, materials such as polyester, nylon and other synthetics are now more frequently used in laces. These fibers have inherently less friction than cotton fibers, permitting knots to loosen more easily. In addition, the round woven profile style of laces is in widespread use and this style is more difficult to keep tied than flat profile laces. The tendency of round laces to come untied in all shoes, and especially in athletic shoes, appears established. Makers of athletic shoes also frequently provide those shoes with extra length laces which leads to loops and tails of substantial length after the shoes are knotted. Management of these long loops and tails presents a distraction for the athlete. Untied laces also present hazards not only for athletes, but also wearers of laced footwear of any age, and pose special hazards for infants and the infirm. Many athletes in some sports, such as soccer, have resorted to wrapping their shoes and laces with tape to hold the laces in place. 
     The prior art is replete with impractical, bulky, complicated and expensive aftermarket devices. These various apparatus have typically involved cumbersome implementation, as perhaps by weaving laces through or around the device or by utilizing some nature of resilient clip. The inherent defect with virtually all prior art devices is that those devices are more trouble to install and additionally more trouble for the wearer to utilize upon each wearing of the shoe, than it would be simply to stop and retie the shoe. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the disadvantages inherent in prior art devices for securing shoe laces, the present invention provides a new construction using a tension strap and tab for securing shoe lace loops and tails proximate to the shoe. 
     It is the purpose of the present invention to provide a shoe lace fastener which can be integrally formed in a shoe tongue when the shoe is being constructed without significant additional expense or labor. 
     It is yet another object of the invention to provide a shoe lace fastener that may be used when needed, or left unused at the wearer&#39;s option without detraction from the aesthetic appearance of the shoe. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide a shoe lace fastener that can be easily secured as an aftermarket add-on by consumers particularly concerned with shoe lace retention. 
     To obtain these goals the present invention provides a tab on a tension band extending across a portion of a shoe tongue. The tension band is preferably secured by a foundation plate in the tongue having two guide slots through which a central portion of the band extends and forms a central tab engaging section. Ends of the tension band are secured to either or both of the tongue and the foundation plate. A tab is mounted on the central tab engaging section of the band. When the tab is pulled, the tension band stretches and defines an opening above the shoe tongue through which either or both of the loops and tails of a knotted shoe lace may be passed. The tab is then released and the tension band securely holds the loops and tails proximate to the shoe. 
     According to the objects of the invention the shoe lace fastener devices of the present invention may be manufactured in a variety of designs in order to be compatible with many different shoe styles. The foregoing and other objects of the invention are more fully explained in connection with the accompanying drawings and description of several preferred embodiments of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the elements of a preferred embodiment of the shoe lace fastener invention. 
     FIGS. 2A and 2B are top and bottom perspective views of assembled tab and tension band components of the shoe lace fastener of FIG.  1 . 
     FIGS. 3A through 3C illustrate the sequential assembly of the shoe lace fastener of FIG. 1 on the tongue of a shoe. 
     FIG. 4 illustrates the shoe lace fastener of FIG. 1 in an extended position defining an opening for receiving loops and tails of shoe laces. 
     FIG. 5 shows the shoe lace fastener of FIG. 1 in a relaxed position on the surface of the shoe tongue. 
     FIGS. 6A through 6F sequentially illustrate the tying of the shoe and securing of the loops and tails of the shoe laces in the shoe lace fastener of FIG.  1 . 
     FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate an alternative embodiment of the shoe lace fastener in which the fastener is received within a housing on the surface of the shoe tongue. 
     FIG. 8 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the shoe lace fastener of the present invention in which the tab member has a decorative or logo section and the grasping portion of the tab lies in relatively flat position. 
     FIG. 9 is a view of another alternative embodiment of a shoe lace fastener according to the invention installed on a shoe tongue. 
     FIG. 10 is a view of the tension band and tab components of the shoe lace fastener of FIG.  9 . 
     FIG. 11 is yet another alternative embodiment of a shoe lace fastener according to the invention. 
     FIGS. 12A through 12E demonstrate the steps of tying a shoe and securing the loops and tails with the resulting knot in an alternative embodiment of the shoe lace fastener of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present shoe lace fastener devices are intended for use on laced shoes of conventional design. While the fasteners may be used on any laced shoes, it is believed that they will prove most useful on children&#39;s shoes and athletic shoes. A customary laced shoe comprises a sole and an upper. The upper extends from the front or toe of the shoe rearward to the vamp, generally considered the section above the ball of the foot where the shoe flexes then to the waist, the quarter, and finally to the collar and heel counter which wrap around the back of the wearer&#39;s foot. On a laced shoe the waist portion, generally extending between the wearer&#39;s instep to the ball of the foot, rises upward and over the foot ending in a facing. Eyelets for lacing the shoe are placed in the facing. On the top of the shoe the vamp extends rearward into a throat beneath the facings and then into a tongue which extends underneath the laced areas to protect the top of the wearer&#39;s foot. 
     As shown in FIG. 1 a preferred design of shoe lace fastener according to the present invention consists of a tab such as winged pull tab  20   a,  a tension band, such as an elastic strap,  30 , and a foundation plate  40  which may be mounted in the tongue of a shoe. Preferably, the foundation plate is mounted beneath at least a top layer  14  of the tongue (shown in FIG. 3A) and above a bottom layer of the tongue. Even more advantageously, the foundation plate may be above a padding layer within the tongue. Winged pull tab  20   a  is advantageously made of nylon belting material, but may alternatively be made of other fabrics or even cast or molded, most advantageously from thermoplastic resin. Winged pull tab  20   a  has a grasping section  23 , a left wing  21  and right wing  22 . The tension band  30  has a left end  31  and right end  32  and an intermediate stretching section  33 , shown in extended form in FIG.  6 D. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, a tab belly piece  60  is utilized to secure the tab  20   a  in slideable communication with the tension band  30 . The top edge  61  of belly piece  60  and the bottom edge  62  are joined to the edges of winged pull tab  20   a  defining a passageway through which tension band  30  passes. The belly piece  60  may be made of nylon fabric or other suitable material. It will be appreciated that both the winged tab  20   a  and belly piece  60  are slightly wider than the tension strap  30 . In a preferred embodiment, left end  31  of tension band  30  passes downward through left guide slot  42  of foundation plate  40  and is fastened at the left side  45  of plate  40 . Similarly, right end  32  of tension band  30  is passed through right guide slot  41  and fastened at right side  46  of plate  40 . The foundation plate is advantageously made of a pliant non-woven material or sheet plastic, that will conform to the shape of the wearer&#39;s foot, while still providing some lateral stiffness. The ends  31 ,  32  of tension band  30  may be joined to the foundation plate  40  by sewing, adhesives, or suitable heat or chemical fusion. 
     FIG. 2A shows in isolation winged pull tab  20   a  mounted on tension band  30 . FIG. 2B shows a bottom view where stitching or sonic welding  67  has been utilized to attach a belly piece  60  along its top edge  61  and bottom edge  62  to the bottom of winged tab  20   a  securing tension band  30  between the bottom of winged tab  20   a  and the top surface  63  of belly piece  60 . As will be clear from FIGS. 3A through 3C, when assembling the shoe lace fastener, the winged pull tab  20   a  is first assembled with belly piece  60  about tension band  30 , while foundation plate  40  is positioned beneath at least top layer  14  of shoe tongue  13 , and left opening  15  and right opening  16  in layer  14  are aligned with guide slots  42  and  41  of foundation plate  40 . Left end  31  and right end  32  of tension band  30  are then inserted through openings  15 ,  16  and guide slots  42 ,  41  and tension band ends  31 ,  32  are stitched or otherwise bonded to left and right portions  45 ,  46  of foundation plate  40 . 
     It will be appreciated that by forming the tab  20  of somewhat rigid material and utilizing a belly piece  60  of some width, lateral separation, shown as distance A in FIG. 3A, may be maintained between the upwardly extended sections of the tension band, approximating the lateral spacing between the openings  15 ,  16  in the top layer  14  of the tongue  13 . This spacing is illustrated in FIG. 4 when pull tab  20   a  has been pulled upward away from the top layer  14  of the tongue. The tension band  30  is kept to a length so that when in a relaxed state the winged pull tab  20   a  rests adjacent to the top layer  14  of the tongue, yet when pulled into an extended position, a clearance of about one to three inches above the top surface may be attained. In the preferred construction, left and right wings  21 ,  22  of pull tab  20   a  will bend slightly under tension and will partially fit beneath the facings of the shoe in rest position, as shown in FIG.  6 B. 
     It will also be understood that while the invention has been disclosed with a separate foundation plate which may be necessary to provide lateral strength in shoe tongues of existing design, it is also possible that in shoe tongues utilizing a relatively stiff non-woven layer or other suitable materials providing some lateral stiffness to the tongue, the foundation plate might be dispensed with and the ends  31 ,  32  of tension band  30  simply pass into the tongue  13  through openings  15 ,  16  and be stitched, bonded or adhered to an interior surface of a layer of the tongue. Generally adhering the ends  31 ,  32  to a foundation plate  40  that is permitted to move slightly within the tongue  13  provides the best performance. 
     FIGS. 6A through 6E show the winged pull tab  20   a  of FIG. 1 in use on an athletic shoe  12 . FIG. 6A depicts the tab  20   a  in its position on the top layer  14  of shoe tongue  13  in shoe  12  having shoe laces  50  threaded through eyelets  19 . In FIG. 6B the shoe laces have been pulled tight through eyelets  19  which are mounted on facings  70  of shoe  12 . The laces  50  have also been tied into knot  51  having loops  52  and first tail end  53  and second tail end  54 . The tongue  13  is positioned beneath the laces yet the grasping element  23  (shown in FIG. 6D) of winged pull tab  20   a  protrudes for accessibility. 
     Once the shoe has been laced and tied as in FIG. 6B, FIG. 6C shows the loops  52  and tails  53 ,  54  being gathered together in a lengthwise direction from knot  51 . Winged pull tab  20   a  is then raised away from the tongue  13  as shown in FIG.  6 D and the intermediate stretching section  33  of tension band  30  permits the creation of clearance space through which loops  52  and tails  53 ,  54  are inserted. 
     FIGS. 6E and 6F depict a shoe lace fastener after tension on pull tab  20   a  has been relaxed and tension band  30  has again returned pull tab  20   a  to proximity to the tongue  13  of shoe  12 . In this fashion, the tension band  30  and pull tab  20   a  hold the loops  52  and tails  53 ,  54  proximate to the shoe tongue  13  and facings  70  (shown in FIG.  6 B). Advantageously, left wing  21  and right wing  22  of winged pull tab  20   a  may be received beneath protruding eyelets  19  on the facings  70 . 
     FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate a slightly altered winged pull tab  20   b  with more rounded edges on wings  21 ,  22  and grasping element  23 . In this alternative embodiment, the winged pull tab  20   b  fits within a housing  17  mounted to the top layer  14  of the shoe tongue. The housing may display a logo, brand or design elements, and is preferably made of a pliable material to prevent discomfort to the wearer when lacing pressure forces the tongue and housing  17  against the top of the wearer&#39;s foot. 
     FIG. 8 displays an alternative tab  20   c  with a grasping element  23  designed to lay relatively flat above laces  50 , substantially parallel to the tongue  13  and with a central space adapted for display of a logo, brand or design information. By conforming the grasping element  23  above the laces in this fashion, the alternative tab  20   c  may both be suitable for use on shoes adapted to kick and guide balls such as soccer shoes, and also serve to protect the laces. 
     FIGS. 9 and 10 depict an alternative with unitarily molded tab  20   d  having a back piece  69  defining an opening for tension band  30 , in the place of a belly plate. Because the illustrated design has left end  31  of tension band  30  attached at left side  71  of the shoe tongue, as by the stitching  68 , and the right end  32  is attached at right side  72  of the shoe tongue  13  or top layer of shoe tongue  14 , it is not as critical to have a significant lateral distance over which the tension band  30  is held adjacent to tab  20   d.  The use of molded tab  20   d  creates a triangular opening with a relatively broad base instead of the rectangular opening created by tabs  20   a,    20   b  illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 7. While ends  31 ,  32  of tension band  30  are shown attached close to the edges of the shoe tongue, so long as they are attached on portions of the tongue that lie under the facings of the shoe upper, or are attached to a tongue with sufficient internal lateral support, the shoe tongue may avoid undue deformation from the tension of the band when the tab is extended to create an opening to receive loops and tails. Molded tabs  20   d  may be advantageously formed in colors to complement particular shoe styles, or be formed with designs such as happy faces, roses, footballs or other sports equipment items, pet or doll figures, or other shapes appropriate to the shoe style, and intended wearer. 
     FIG. 11 depicts an alternative tab  20   e  formed by simple looping of nylon or other fabric or plastic about tension band  30  thereby defining opening  25  through which tension band  30  is passed. Tab  20   e  may be formed with a variety of shapes or decoration, and the fabric can be selected in a color or pattern complimentary to the shoe. 
     FIGS. 12A through 12E demonstrate again the utilization of a shoe lace fastener according to the present invention, with a pull tab  20   f  bearing logo or design information  18  and being formed as a single piece of material encompassing tension band  30  and being bonded or sewn  67   a  as indicated. Different elastic bands are suitable for use as tension bonds on different shoes, from broad flat bands, to thinner flat bands, to oval or round bands, of various diameters. Usually larger bands are best suited for adult shoes and smaller bands for infant shoes. Commercially available apparel elastics are generally suitable. In FIG. 12A, tension band  30  extends from left end  31  to right end  32 , each end being sewn  68  to top surface  14  of shoe tongue  13 . Because the tension band  30  extends from left side  71  to right side  72  of the tongue, the sewn ends will rest under the facings  70  of the shoe upper. 
     In FIG. 12A the shoe is only partly laced with laces  50  passing through eyelets  19 . In FIG. 12B the shoe  12  has been completely laced and the laces  50  tied in knot  51  thereby defining loops  52  and first tail end  53  and second tail end  54 . It will be seen that the ends  31 ,  32  of tension band  30  are concealed beneath the eyelets  19  and facing  70 . In FIG. 12C the loops  52  and tails  53 ,  54  have been gathered and extended away from knot  51 . In FIG. 12D pull tab  20   f  has been raised by applying force to stretch tension band  30  to create a relatively broad based triangular opening through which loops  52  and tails  53 ,  54  have been passed. The tension is then removed so the force on pull tab  20   f  is relaxed in FIG.  12 E and the tension band  30  holds the loops  52  and tails  53 ,  54  proximate the shoe tongue  13 . 
     Although the present invention has been described with reference to certain preferred embodiments disclosed in detail, it is to be understood that this is for the purpose of illustrating the invention, and should not be construed as necessarily limiting the scope of the invention since it is apparent that many changes may be made to the disclosed components and procedures by those skilled in the art to suit particular applications.