US5184378A — Lacing system for shoes

Claim 1

Independent Claim 262 words

A lacing system for a shoe having an upper with a vamp, a quarter on each side of the shoe, a counter, and a sole, comprising: a plurality of elongate strips, each strip having a lower portion, an upper portion, and a middle portion, said lower strip portion being rigidly attached near the quarter of the shoe in the vicinity of the sole of the shoe; a plurality of lacing eye members at least equal in number to said number of said plurality of strips, one of said lacing eye members being fixed at said upper portion of each of said strips; and a plurality of loop means equal in number to said number of said strips, said plurality of loop means comprising a plurality of pairs of spaced apart parallel slits made either through a loop member piece positioned along the medial longitudinal axis of the shoe, or directly through the quarter of the shoe lying along the medial longitudinal axis of the shoe, said pairs of slits running in a direction approximately parallel to said elongate strips, and a lanyard, said lanyard being looped through said plurality of paris of slits, said plurality of loops being defined by the portion of said lanyard lying on top of said loop member piece between said parallel slits or between said parallel slits made directly through the quarter of the shoe, wherein each said strip is movably retained at its upper portion by one loop means and at least said middle portion of said strips lies unattached on the quarter of the shoe.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 262 words

A lacing system for a shoe having an upper with a vamp, a quarter on each side of the shoe, a counter, and a sole, comprising: a plurality of elongate strips, each strip having a lower portion, an upper portion, and a middle portion, said lower strip portion being rigidly attached near the quarter of the shoe in the vicinity of the sole of the shoe; a plurality of lacing eye members at least equal in number to said number of said plurality of strips, one of said lacing eye members being fixed at said upper portion of each of said strips; and a plurality of loop means equal in number to said number of said strips, said plurality of loop means comprising a plurality of pairs of spaced apart parallel slits made either through a loop member piece positioned along the medial longitudinal axis of the shoe, or directly through the quarter of the shoe lying along the medial longitudinal axis of the shoe, said pairs of slits running in a direction approximately parallel to said elongate strips, and a lanyard, said lanyard being looped through said plurality of paris of slits, said plurality of loops being defined by the portion of said lanyard lying on top of said loop member piece between said parallel slits or between said parallel slits made directly through the quarter of the shoe, wherein each said strip is movably retained at its upper portion by one loop means and at least said middle portion of said strips lies unattached on the quarter of the shoe.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 40 words

The lacing system for shoes of claim 1, wherein each of said strips are fixedly attached near the lower portion of the shoe by a means used to attach the soles of the shoes to the upper of the shoe.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 36 words

The lacing system for shoes of claim 2, wherein at least one of said number of strips is permanently fixed at its lower portion to a lower portion of the quarter of the shoe by stitches.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 53 words

The lacing system for shoes of claim 1, wherein said lacing rings are attached to each said upper portion of said strips by virtue of the upper portion of the strips being looped through and folded over a portion of the lacing ring, and the overlapped layers of the strips being sewn together.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 177 words

A lacing system for shoes having an upper with a vamp, a quarter, and a counter, a loop member attached to the upper in the vicinity of a tongue of the shoe, and a sole, comprising: a plurality of elongate strips, each strip having a lower portion, an upper portion, and a middle portion, said lower portion being rigidly attached near the sole of the shoe in the vicinity of the quarter; a plurality of lacing eye members at least equal in number to said number of said strips, one of said lacing eye members being fixed at said upper portion of each said strip; and a plurality of loops equal in number to said number of strips, each of said loops comprising a pair of spaced apart parallel slits defined through said loop member, said slits being approximately perpendicular to said elongate strips, wherein said upper portion of each said strip is slideably retained by one of said plurality of loops and said middle portion of said strips ride unattached on said quarter of the shoe.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 177 words

A lacing system for shoes having an upper with a vamp, a quarter, and a counter, a loop member attached to the upper in the vicinity of a tongue of the shoe, and a sole, comprising: a plurality of elongate strips, each strip having a lower portion, an upper portion, and a middle portion, said lower portion being rigidly attached near the sole of the shoe in the vicinity of the quarter; a plurality of lacing eye members at least equal in number to said number of said strips, one of said lacing eye members being fixed at said upper portion of each said strip; and a plurality of loops equal in number to said number of strips, each of said loops comprising a pair of spaced apart parallel slits defined through said loop member, said slits being approximately perpendicular to said elongate strips, wherein said upper portion of each said strip is slideably retained by one of said plurality of loops and said middle portion of said strips ride unattached on said quarter of the shoe.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 35 words

The lacing system for shoes of claim 5, wherein at least one of each said strips is permanently fixed at its lower portion to a lower portion of the quarter of the shoe by stitches.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 55 words

The lacing system for shoes of claim 5, wherein said lacing eye members are attached to each said upper portion of said strips by virtue of the upper portion of the strips being looped through and folded over a portion of the lacing eye member, and the overlapped layers of the strips being sewn together.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 160 words

In a shoe having a sole, an upper, a plurality of elongate strips having an upper end and a lower end with lacing eye members affixed at said upper end, and shoe laces, the improvement comprising: said plurality of elongate strips being retained on the shoe at only the upper and lower portions thereof by an upper loop means and a lower retention means respectively, said upper loop means and lower retention means being spaced apart from each other by a substantial distance, wherein said upper loop means comprises a plurality of pairs of slits made either directly through the upper of the shoe or through an eyestay member affixed to the upper of the shoe, each of said pairs of slits being adjacent to and oriented generally parallel to the upper ends of said strips, and a strip retention lanyard looped between said plurality of said pairs of slits to thereby slideably retain the upper ends of said strips.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 160 words

In a shoe having a sole, an upper, a plurality of elongate strips having an upper end and a lower end with lacing eye members affixed at said upper end, and shoe laces, the improvement comprising: said plurality of elongate strips being retained on the shoe at only the upper and lower portions thereof by an upper loop means and a lower retention means respectively, said upper loop means and lower retention means being spaced apart from each other by a substantial distance, wherein said upper loop means comprises a plurality of pairs of slits made either directly through the upper of the shoe or through an eyestay member affixed to the upper of the shoe, each of said pairs of slits being adjacent to and oriented generally parallel to the upper ends of said strips, and a strip retention lanyard looped between said plurality of said pairs of slits to thereby slideably retain the upper ends of said strips.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 13 words

The shoe of claim 8, wherein said lower retention means comprises stitch means.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 13 words

The shoe of claim 8, wherein said lower retention means comprises adhesive means.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 18 words

The shoe of claim 8, wherein said lower retention means comprises a combination of stitch and adhesive means.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 230 words

A lacing system for a shoe having an upper with a vamp, a quarter on each side of the shoe, a counter, and a sole, comprising: a plurality of elongate strips, each strip having a lower portion, an upper portion, and a middle portion, said lower strip portion being rigidly attached near the quarter of the shoe in the vicinity of the sole of the shoe; a plurality of lacing eye members at least equal in number to said number of said plurality of strips, one of said lacing eye members being fixed at said upper portion of each of said strips; and a plurality of loop means equal in number to said number of said strips, said plurality of loop means positioned near a top portion of the upper of the shoe, wherein each loop means comprises a pair of spaced apart parallel slits made through a loop member piece positioned along the central longitudinal axis of the shoe, or directly through the quarter of the shoe, said pairs of slits being approximately perpendicular to said strips, whereby in use, each said strip is looped through and movably retained at its upper portion through a portion of the loop member piece lying between said pair of slits of each loop means and wherein at least said middle portion of said strips lies unattached on the quarter of the shoe.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 230 words

A lacing system for a shoe having an upper with a vamp, a quarter on each side of the shoe, a counter, and a sole, comprising: a plurality of elongate strips, each strip having a lower portion, an upper portion, and a middle portion, said lower strip portion being rigidly attached near the quarter of the shoe in the vicinity of the sole of the shoe; a plurality of lacing eye members at least equal in number to said number of said plurality of strips, one of said lacing eye members being fixed at said upper portion of each of said strips; and a plurality of loop means equal in number to said number of said strips, said plurality of loop means positioned near a top portion of the upper of the shoe, wherein each loop means comprises a pair of spaced apart parallel slits made through a loop member piece positioned along the central longitudinal axis of the shoe, or directly through the quarter of the shoe, said pairs of slits being approximately perpendicular to said strips, whereby in use, each said strip is looped through and movably retained at its upper portion through a portion of the loop member piece lying between said pair of slits of each loop means and wherein at least said middle portion of said strips lies unattached on the quarter of the shoe.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1996-02-09	1996-08-10	1997-02-09	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2000-02-09	2000-08-10	2001-02-09	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2004-02-09	2004-08-10	2005-02-09	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Lacing system for shoes

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