Cord locking assembly

Claim 2

A cord fastener comprising a body containing a passage through which a pair of cords are to extend and having a first end facing in a first direction and a second end facing in a second essentially opposite direction, said passage having two opposite side walls forming a locking restriction, a relatively movable locking unit received at least partially within said passage and adapted to be received between said cords and to clamp them outwardly against said opposite side walls of said passage in a relation locking said cords against longitudinal movement in said first direction, said body being constructed to pass said two cords laterally from said first end of said passage in two opposite lateral directions respectively, said body having surfaces facing generally in said first direction for engaging said cords respectively as they extend laterally from said first end of the passage to take forces exerted longitudinally on said cords, said body having shoulders which are also positioned to engage said cords as they extenD laterally from said first end of said passage and which project in said first direction beyond said last mentioned surfaces and at locations to be pressed by said cords toward an adjacent structure and thereby hold said body essentially flat thereagainst.

Claim 3

A cord fastener as recited in claim 1, in which said body has at each side thereof two of said shoulders disposed generally parallel to one another and both projecting in said first direction beyond a corresponding one of said surfaces in a relation forming with said one surface a groove facing in said first direction and through which the associated cord extends laterally.

Claim 4

A cord fastener as recited in claim 2, in which said shoulders and said grooves continue laterally to the opposite sides of the body.

Claim 5

The combination comprising a shoe, a lace applied to the shoe and having two end portions; a locking device including a body containing a passage through which said end portions of the lace extend, said passage having two opposite side walls forming a locking restriction, and a locking unit received at least partially in said passage between said two end portions of the lace and relatively movable between a locking position clamping said end portions of the lace against said opposite side walls of the passage and locking said end portions against movement toward a first end of said passage and a released position permitting such movement; said end portions of the lace extending outwardly beyond a second end of the passage and forming respectively two loops which extend first outwardly away from said device and then back toward the device; said lace being retained at first ends of said loops by said clamped retention of the lace between said unit and said body; and means carried by said device holding said lace at second ends of the loops to maintain the looped configuration, said locking unit having a projection extending beyond said body at said second end of said passage, said lace holding means including an aperture formed in said projection and within which opposite ends of said lace are frictionally retained in essentially fixed positions.

Claim 6

The combination comprising a shoe, a lace applied to the shoe and having two end portions; a locking device including a body containing a passage through which said end portions of the lace extend, said passage having two opposite side walls forming a locking restriction, and a locking unit received at least partially in said passage between said two end portions of the lace and relatively movable between a locking position clamping said end portions of the lace against said opposite side walls of the passage and locking said end portions against movement toward a first end of said passage and a released position permitting such movement; said end portions of the lace extending outwardly beyond a second end of the passage and forming respectively two loops which extend first outwardly away from said device and then back toward the device; said lace being retained at first ends of said loops by said clamped retention of the lace between said unit and said body; and means carried by said device holding said lace at second ends of the loops to maintain the looped configuration, said locking unit having a projection extending beyond said body at said second end of said passage, said lace holding means including an aperture formed in said projection and within which opposite ends of said lace are frictionally retained in essentially fixed positions.

Claim 7

The combination comprising a fastener body containing a passage, said passage having two opposite side walls forming a restricted locking portion of the passage; two cords extending through said passage; a locking unit located at least partially within said passage between said cords and movable between a locking position in which it clamps said cords tightly against opposite side walls of the passage and locks said cards against longitudinal movement toward a predetermined first end of said passage and a released position permitting such movement; said cords having portions extending out of a second end of the passage to the outside of the body and forming respectively two loops which first extend outwardly away from the body and then back toward the body; said cords being retained at first ends of said loops by said clamped retention of the cords between said unit and said body; and means holding said cords at second ends of the loops in a relation maintaining the looped configuration, said locking unit having a projection extending beyond said second end of said passage, said card holding means including aperture means formed in said projection of the locking unit and through which said cords extend at said second ends of said loops and within which said cords fit tightly in a relation retaining said cords in fixed positions therein.

Claim 8

The combination comprising a fastener body containing a passage, said passage having two opposite side walls forming a restricted locking portion of the passage; two cords extending through said passage; a locking unit located at least partially within said passage between said cords and movable between a locking position in which it clamps said cords tightly against opposite side walls of the passage and locks said cards against longitudinal movement toward a predetermined first end of said passage and a released position permitting such movement; said cords having portions extending out of a second end of the passage to the outside of the body and forming respectively two loops which first extend outwardly away from the body and then back toward the body; said cords being retained at first ends of said loops by said clamped retention of the cords between said unit and said body; and means holding said cords at second ends of the loops in a relation maintaining the looped configuration, said locking unit having a projection extending beyond said second end of said passage, said card holding means including aperture means formed in said projection of the locking unit and through which said cords extend at said second ends of said loops and within which said cords fit tightly in a relation retaining said cords in fixed positions therein.

Claim 9

The combination comprising a fastener body containing a passage having first and second ends and a restricted locking portion; two cords extending through said passage; a locking unit located at least partially within said passage and movable relative to said body between a locking position in which it grips said cords tightly and locks them against longitudinal movement toward said first end of said passage and a released position permitting such movement; said cords having portions extending out of said second end of the passage to the outside of the body and forming respectively two loops which first extend outwardly away from the locking unit and then back toward the locking unit; said cords being retained at first ends of said loops by said gripped engagement with said unit; and means carried by said locking unit for movement therewith relative to said body and holding said cords at second ends of the loops in a relation maintaining the looped configuration.

Claim 10

The combination comprising a fastener body containing a passage having first and second ends and a restricted locking portion; two cords extending through said passage; a locking unit located at least partially within said passage and movable relative to said body between a locking position in which it grips said cords tightly and locks them against longitudinal movement toward said first end of said passage and a released position permitting such movement; said cords having portions extending out of said second end of the passage to the outside of the body and forming respectively two loops which first extend outwardly away from the locking unit and then back toward the locking unit; said cords being retained at first ends of said loops by said gripped engagement with said unit; and means carried by said locking unit for movement therewith relative to said body and holding said cords at second ends of the loops in a relation maintaining the looped configuration.

Claim 11

The combination as recited in claim 6, in which said cord holding means include means forming an aperture in said locking unit through which at least one of said cords extends at said second end of the corresponding loop in a tightly fitting relation frictionally retaining it in fixed position in the aperture.

Claim 12

The combination as recited in claim 6, in which said locking unit has a projection extending beyond said second end of said passage and carrying said cord holding means.

Claim 13

The combination comprising a shoe a lace applied to the shoe and having two end portions; a locking device including a body containing a passage through which said end portions of the lace extend, said passage having two opposite side walls forming a locking restriction, and a locking unit received at least partially in said passage between said two end portions of the lace and movable relative to said body between a locking position clamping said end portions of the lace against opposite side walls of the passage and locking said end portions against movement toward a first end of said passage and a released position permitting such movement; said end portions of the lace extending outwardly beyond a second end of the passage and forming respectively two loops which extend first outwardly away from said device and then back toward the device; said lace being retained at first ends of said loops by said clamped retention of the lace between said unit and said body; and means carried by said locking unit for movement therewith relative to said body and holding said lace at second ends of the loops to maintain the looped configuration.

Claim 14

The combination comprising a shoe a lace applied to the shoe and having two end portions; a locking device including a body containing a passage through which said end portions of the lace extend, said passage having two opposite side walls forming a locking restriction, and a locking unit received at least partially in said passage between said two end portions of the lace and movable relative to said body between a locking position clamping said end portions of the lace against opposite side walls of the passage and locking said end portions against movement toward a first end of said passage and a released position permitting such movement; said end portions of the lace extending outwardly beyond a second end of the passage and forming respectively two loops which extend first outwardly away from said device and then back toward the device; said lace being retained at first ends of said loops by said clamped retention of the lace between said unit and said body; and means carried by said locking unit for movement therewith relative to said body and holding said lace at second ends of the loops to maintain the looped configuration.