Patent ID: 7681289

Claim:
A fastener for fastening together two lace segments, comprising: a base having an intermediate portion, and two openings disposed on two opposite sides of said intermediate portion, each of said openings being adapted to permit one of the lace segments to extend therethrough; a pull unit including a middle portion fixed to said base, and two opposite pull members extending outwardly from said middle portion; and two clamp units respectively connected to said pull members and disposed above said openings, each of said clamp units defining a through hole adapted to permit one of the lace segments to extend therethrough, said clamp units being movable toward said openings to effect clamping and being movable away from said openings when said pull members are pulled away from said base, wherein said base further has two looped edges respectively defining said openings, each of said looped edges having a clamping edge portion disposed away from said intermediate portion, said clamping edge portion cooperating with a respective one of said clamp units to effect clamping, and wherein each of said pull members has a first string segment that extends outward from said middle portion and a second string segment that returns toward said middle portion, and each of said clamp units has a ring fixed to said first and second string segments and defining a respective one of said through holes, said ring being movable toward said clamping edge portion of a respective one of said looped edges to effect clamping.