Patent ID: 7036193

Claim:
A shoe tightening device for use with a shoe that includes a pair of eyelet tabs each having a plurality of eyelets, said shoe tightening device comprising: a pair of lace units, each including a plurality of connecting end portions, a plurality of operating end portions opposite to said connecting end portions, a plurality of intermediate portions interconnecting said connecting end portions and said operating end portions correspondingly, and a plurality of anchoring elements mounted on said connecting end portions correspondingly and adapted to be anchored removably on the eyelet tabs at corresponding ones of the eyelets, said intermediate portions of at least one of said lace units having entry parts proximate to said connecting end portions and exit parts proximate to said operating end portions; a clamp unit removably clamping at least one of said lace units, and including at least one generally U-shaped flexible string section defining an opening, and at least one clamp member attached slidably to and extending across said flexible string section to divide said opening into a first aperture and a second aperture, said flexible string section having a U-bend which cooperates with said clamp member to confine said second aperture, said first aperture receiving said entry parts of said intermediate portions of a corresponding one of said lace units, said second aperture receiving said exit parts of said intermediate portions of the corresponding one of said lace units, said clamp member being slidable along said flexible string section between a clamping position in which said clamp member moves toward said U-bend to clamp said exit parts of said intermediate portions of the corresponding one of said lace units against said U-bend for maintaining a tightened state of the shoe, and a releasing position in which said clamp member moves away from said U-bend to permit sliding movement of said intermediate portions of the corresponding one of said lace units for loosening the shoe accordingly; and a pull lace connected to said flexible string section for pulling said flexible string section so that said clamp member can slide along said flexible string section to said releasing position.