Patent ID: 8371004

Claim:
A locking member for releasably clamping two end portions of a lace, comprising: a wedge-shaped housing including a central cavity having first and second ends, two opposite sides of the housing each having a wall laterally spaced from one another and defining the central cavity, each wall having an inner side surface, and each inner side surface having teeth; two identical overlapping arms pivotally fixed on a lever post within the second end of the cavity and spring-biased via a coil spring at the first end of the cavity, each arm having a portion extending out of the cavity at one of the first end and the second end, forming a handle portion, each arm having an outer side surface, and each outer side surface having teeth facing the respective teeth of the inner side surfaces; the inner side surfaces of the walls and the outer side surfaces of the arms form two channels at opposite sides of the central cavity which are adapted to receive the two lace end portions; the teeth of the respective inner and outer side surfaces within the two channels are aligned in a zig-zag manner and are oriented to allow one direction of motion of the lace end portions through the channels while deterring movement of the lace end portions in the opposite direction when the two arms are spring-biased toward the walls of the housing thereby engaging the lace end portions; and wherein squeezing the handle portions together against the bias of the coil spring allows disengagement of the lace end portions from the respective teeth within their respective channel for removal of the lace end portions from the channels.