Guides and components for closure systems and methods therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9700101-B2
Application number	US-201414479173-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 5, 2014
Priority date	Sep 5, 2013
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

According to an embodiment, a component for attachment to an article includes an upper component that is made of a thermoplastic material having a first melting temperature and a flange member that is molded onto the upper component and made of a thermoplastic elastomer material having a second melting temperature that is lower than the first melting temperature of the upper component. The flange member extends laterally from a bottom end of the upper component so that a bottom surface of the flange member is flush with or positioned axially below a bottom surface of the upper component. The melting temperature of the thermoplastic elastomer material enables the flange member to be directly coupled to the article via heat welding and the like without substantially affecting the upper component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A shoe comprising:
a sole;
an upper attached to the sole, the upper having a pair of eyestays positioned on opposing sides of a tongue portion of the shoe;
a tension member that is guided about a path along the tongue portion and between the pair of eyestays;
a tightening mechanism that is operably coupled with the tension member, the tightening mechanism being operable to effect tensioning of the tension member; and
a pair of elongate eyestay guides, each elongate eyestay guide being coupled with an eyestay of the pair of eyestays so that the pair of elongate eyestay guides are positioned on opposing sides of the tongue portion, wherein each elongate eyestay guide extends longitudinally along a length of the eyestay from a collar of the shoe to a toe portion of the shoe and each elongate eyestay guide includes a top edge that extends continuously along an edge of the eyestay from the collar to the toe portion of the shoe and a flange that extends laterally therefrom toward the sole of the shoe, the top edge being relatively straight along an entire length of the elongate eyestay guide and the flange extending longitudinally along the entire length of the elongate eyestay guide, and wherein each elongate eyestay guide includes a plurality of holes that extend entirely through the respective guide to allow the tension member to be looped around the top edge of the respective guide, the plurality of holes being longitudinally offset from one another with a first hole positioned near the collar of the shoe and a second hole positioned toward the toe box of the shoe;
wherein the tension member is operably coupled with each elongate eyestay guide to guide the tension member about the path along the tongue portion and between the pair of eyestays, the tension member being operably coupled with each elongate eyestay guide by insertion of the tension member through the first hole and the second hole, whereby tensioning of the tension member causes the opposing sides of the tongue portion to more toward one another via the pair of elongate eyestay guides and thereby tightens the shoe; and
wherein the top edge of each elongate eyestay guide extends inward toward the tongue portion of the shoe from an inward most edge of the upper.

2. The shoe of claim 1 , wherein each elongate eyestay guide is made of a rigid thermoplastic material.

3. The shoe of claim 2 , wherein each elongate eyestay guide is made of Nylon.

4. The shoe of claim 1 , wherein the flange of each elongate eyestay guide is stitched to the upper of the shoe.

5. The shoe of claim 1 , wherein the top edge of each elongate eyestay guide is rounded or curved along its longitudinal length.

6. The shoe of claim 1 , wherein the top edge of each elongate eyestay guide has a lateral thickness that is greater than the flange.

7. The shoe of claim 1 , wherein the tightening mechanism is a reel based tightening device.

8. A shoe comprising:
a sole;
an upper attached to the sole;
a tension member;
a tightening mechanism that is operably coupled with the tension member; and
an elongate eyestay guide that is separate from the upper and that is attachable to a side of the upper so that the elongate eyestay extends longitudinally along a majority of a length of an eyestay of the upper between a collar and toe portion of the shoe, the elongate eyestay guide including a top end that is positioned along an edge of the eyestay and a flange that extends laterally therefrom toward a sole of the shoe, the flange extending longitudinally along an entire length of the elongate eyestay guide and the elongate eyestay guide including a first hole that is positioned near the collar of the shoe and a second hole that is longitudinally offset from the first hole and positioned toward the toe box of the shoe, the first hole and the second hole extending entirely through the elongate eyestay guide to allow the tension member to be looped around the top end of the elongate eyestay guide;
wherein the tension member is operably coupleable with the elongate eyestay guide so that the tension member is guided about a path along the shoe, the tension member being coupleable with the elongate eyestay guide by insertion of the tension member through the first hole and the second hole;
wherein the top end of the elongate eyestay guide is relatively straight along the entire length of the elongate eyestay guide; and
wherein the top end of the elongate eyestay guide extends inward toward the tongue portion of the shoe from an inward most edge of the upper.

9. The shoe of claim 8 , wherein the elongate eyestay guide is made of a rigid thermoplastic material.

10. The shoe of claim 9 , wherein the elongate eyestay guide is made of Nylon.

11. The shoe of claim 8 , wherein the flange of the elongate eyestay guide is stitched to the upper of the shoe.

12. The shoe of claim 8 , wherein the top end of the elongate eyestay guide is rounded or curved along its longitudinal length.

13. The shoe of claim 8 , wherein the top end of the elongate eyestay guide has a lateral thickness that is greater than the flange.

14. The shoe of claim 8 , wherein the tightening mechanism is a reel based tightening device.

Assignees

• Boa Tech Inc
• Boa Tech Inc

Inventors

• Lovett Kristopher
• Cavanagh Andrea
• Burns Robert
• Soderberg Mark
• Kerns Mark
• Nickel Michael
• Capra James
• Minkin Ilya
• Vladika Brett
• Cavanagh Sean
• Dickensheets David

Classifications

• F16G11/02

  with parts deformable to grip the cable or cables; Fastening means which engage a sleeve or the like fixed on the cable · CPC title

• A43C1/06 Primary

  tightened by draw-strings · CPC title

• A43C3/00

  Hooks for laces (making from sheet metal B21D53/46); Guards for hooks · CPC title

• A43C11/004

  Fastenings fixed along the upper edges of the uppers · CPC title

• F16G11/12

  Connections or attachments, e.g. turnbuckles, adapted for straining of cables, ropes, or wire (straining wire in general B21F9/00) · CPC title