Patent ID: 6938307

Claim:
A shoelace fastener for a shoe, the shoe including a shoe body with a pair of eyelet tabs, and a shoelace strung on the eyelet tabs and having a pair of distal lace segments, said shoelace fastener comprising: a clamp unit 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 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 a corresponding one of the distal lace segments 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 the corresponding one of the distal lace segments 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 slides along said flexible string section to said releasing position.