Continual comfort adjusting fastener for a footwear article

Abstract

The present invention relates to a continual comfort adjusting fastener for a footwear article and provides an alternative to fasteners that necessitate periodic attention by the wearer in order to maintain a proper combination of support, fit and comfort by utilizing spring mechanisms to induce a predetermined amount of tension between opposing eye flaps of the footwear article. In accordance with various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the spring mechanism portion of the spring assembly that provides constant tension between eye flaps may be one of a tension spring, compression spring and torsion spring. The spring assembly is comprised substantially of a spring mechanism and may be fastened directly to eyelets in the footwear article. In accordance with other exemplary embodiments, the spring assembly is further comprised of locking eyelets which themselves are attached to the eye flap of the footwear article via rivets, thus replacing the eyelets. With respect to embodiments that make use of eyelets in the footwear eye flap, the attachment means for the spring mechanism is a simple “J” hook and thereby may be hooked into existing eyelets, alternatively the J hook attachment might be fastened to the aforementioned locking eyelets. The J hook attachment is open ended, thereby allowing the spring mechanism to be easily disconnected from the corresponding eyelet at any time for ease of entry into the footwear article and further, the J hook attachment configuration is compatible with all types of spring mechanisms.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A continual comfort adjusting system for a footwear article comprising: 
 a footwear article having a first portion and a second portion, wherein said first and second portions of said footwear article adjustably accept a wearer's foot;    a first locking eyelet secured to said first portion of said footwear article;    a second locking eyelet secured to said second portion of said footwear article; and    a spring assembly having a spring mechanism, a first spring connector at a first extremity of said spring assembly and a second spring connector at a second extremity of said spring assembly, said spring mechanism being interposed between said first spring connector and said second spring connector for providing tension between said first and second spring extremities of said spring assembly, said first spring connector being inserted through said first locking eyelet and forming a U-shaped safety catch between the first locking eyelet and the first spring extremity, said second spring connector being inserted through said second locking eyelet and forming a U-shaped safety catch between the second locking eyelet and the second spring extremity, whereby said spring assembly continual adjusts the comfort for the wearer's foot by providing tension between said first and second portions of said footwear article.    
     
     
         2 . A continual comfort adjusting system recited in  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a third locking eyelet secured to said first portion of said footwear article;  
 a fourth locking eyelet secured to said second portion of said footwear article; and  
 a second spring assembly having a spring mechanism, a first spring connector at a first extremity of said second spring assembly and a second spring connector at a second extremity of said second spring assembly, said spring mechanism being interposed between said first spring connector and said second spring connector for providing tension between said first and second spring extremities of said second spring assembly, said first spring connector being inserted through said third locking eyelet and forming a U-shaped safety catch between the third locking eyelet and the first spring extremity, said second spring connector being inserted through said fourth locking eyelet and forming a U-shaped safety catch between the second locking eyelet and the fourth spring extremity, whereby said second spring assembly continual adjusts the comfort for the wearer's foot by providing tension between said first and second portions of said footwear article independent of the tension between said first and second portions of said footwear article provided by the spring assembly.  
 
     
     
         3 . A continual comfort adjusting system recited in  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a first plurality of locking eyelets secured to said first portion of said footwear article;  
 a second plurality of locking eyelets secured to said second portion of said footwear article; and  
 a plurality of spring assemblies, each spring assembly of the plurality of spring assemblies having a spring mechanism, a first spring connector at a first extremity of said second spring assembly and a second spring connector at a second extremity of said second spring assembly, each of said spring mechanisms being interposed between respective said first spring connector and said second spring connector for providing tension between said first and second spring extremities of each respective spring assembly of the plurality of spring assemblies, each said first spring connector being inserted through a locking eyelet in said first plurality of locking eyelets and forming a U-shaped safety catch between the locking eyelet in said first plurality of locking eyelets and the first spring extremity, each said second spring connector being inserted through a locking eyelet of said second plurality of locking eyelets and forming a U-shaped safety catch between the locking eyelet of said second plurality of locking eyelets and the second spring extremity, whereby each spring assembly in the plurality of spring assemblies continual adjusts the comfort for the wearer's foot by providing tension between said first and second portions of said footwear article independent of the tension between said first and second portions of said footwear article provided by the spring assembly.  
 
     
     
         4 . A continual comfort adjusting system recited in  claim 3 , wherein each spring assembly in the plurality of spring assemblies continual adjusts the comfort for the wearer's foot by providing tension between said first and second portions of said footwear article independent of each other spring assembly in the plurality of spring assemblies.  
     
     
         5 . A continual comfort adjusting system recited in  claim 1 , wherein the spring mechanism is a compression-type mechanism.  
     
     
         6 . A continual comfort adjusting system recited in  claim 1 , wherein the spring mechanism is a torsion-type mechanism.  
     
     
         7 . A continual comfort adjusting system recited in  claim 1 , wherein the spring mechanism is a tension-type mechanism.  
     
     
         8 . A continual comfort adjusting system recited in  claim 7 , wherein the first locking eyelet further comprises a tubular channel for receiving said first spring connector, said tubular channel each having a diameter sufficient to accept said first spring connector and insufficient to accept the U-shaped safety catch, and said second locking eyelets further comprise a tubular channel for receiving said second spring connector, wherein said tubular channel having a diameter sufficient to accept said first spring connector and insufficient to accept the U-shaped safety catch.  
     
     
         9 . A continual comfort adjusting system recited in  claim 1 , wherein an inner edge of the first portion of said footwear article is approximately linear and an inner edge of the second portion of said footwear article is approximately linear.  
     
     
         10 . A continual comfort adjusting system recited in  claim 9 , wherein the first and second portions of said footwear article are eye flaps and the inner edge of the first eye flap faces the inner edge of the second eye flap.  
     
     
         11 . A continual comfort adjusting system recited in  claim 10 , wherein the first locking eyelet further comprises a tubular channel for receiving said first spring connector, said tubular channel each having a diameter sufficient to accept said first spring connector and insufficient to accept the U-shaped safety catch, and said second locking eyelets further comprise a tubular channel for receiving said second spring connector, wherein said tubular channel having a diameter sufficient to accept said first spring connector and insufficient to accept the U-shaped safety catch.  
     
     
         12 . A continual comfort adjusting system recited in  claim 8 , wherein at least one wall of the first locking eyelet protrudes into the U-shaped safety catch portion of said first spring connector, and at least one wall of the second locking eyelet protrudes into the U-shaped safety catch portion of said second spring connector.  
     
     
         13 . A continual comfort adjusting system recited in  claim 2 , wherein spring assembly further comprises: 
 a first predetermined distance separating the first extremity of said spring assembly is separated from said second extremity of said spring assembly; and    the second spring assembly further comprises:    a second predetermined distance separating the first extremity of said second spring assembly is separated from said second extremity of said second spring assembly, wherein second predetermined distance is greater than said first predetermined distance.    
     
     
         14 . A continual comfort adjusting system recited in  claim 2 , wherein at least one of said first and second predetermined distances are based on wearer comfort.  
     
     
         15 . A continual comfort adjusting system recited in  claim 1 , wherein the footwear article is one of a low-quarter, mid-quarter, high-quarter, high-top and boot.  
     
     
         16 . A continual comfort adjusting system for a footwear article comprising: 
 a first plurality of locking eyelets secured to a first portion of a footwear article;    a second plurality of locking eyelets secured to a second portion of said footwear article; and    a plurality of spring assemblies, each spring assembly of the plurality of spring assemblies having a spring mechanism, a first spring connector at a first extremity of said second spring assembly and a second spring connector at a second extremity of said second spring assembly, each of said spring mechanisms being interposed between respective said first spring connector and said second spring connector for providing tension between said first and second spring extremities of each respective spring assembly of the plurality of spring assemblies, each of said first spring connectors being inserted through said first locking eyelet and forming a U-shaped safety catch between the first locking eyelet and the first spring extremity, said each of said spring connectors being inserted through said second locking eyelet and forming a U-shaped safety catch between the second locking eyelet and the second spring extremity, whereby each spring assembly in the plurality of spring assemblies continual adjusts the comfort for the wearer's foot by providing tension between said first and second portions of said footwear article independent of the tension between said first and second portions of said footwear article provided by the spring assembly.    
     
     
         17 . A continual comfort adjusting system recited in  claim 16 , wherein each of the a first plurality of locking eyelets secured to the first portion of a footwear article and each of the second plurality of locking eyelets secured to the second portion of said footwear article are separated from an adjacent locking eyelet secured to the respective portion of the footwear article by substantially equal distance.  
     
     
         18 . A continual comfort adjusting system recited in  claim 16 , wherein the footwear article is one of a low-quarter, mid-quarter, high-quarter, high-top and boot.  
     
     
         19 . A continual comfort adjusting system recited in  claim 16 , wherein an amount of tension between said first and second spring extremities of each respective spring assembly of the plurality of spring assemblies is determined on the basis of wearer comfort.  
     
     
         20 . A continual comfort adjusting system recited in  claim 16 , wherein each spring assembly of the plurality of spring assemblies is one of metallically plated with a shiny metal, painted with a color matching the footwear article and painted with a color contrasting the footwear article.  
     
     
         21 . A continual comfort adjusting system recited in  claim 16 , wherein each of the spring mechanisms is a tension-type mechanism.  
     
     
         22 . A continual comfort adjusting system recited in  claim 21 , wherein each of the first plurality of locking eyelets further comprises a tubular channel for receiving said first spring connector. said tubular channel each having a diameter sufficient to accept said first spring connector and insufficient to accept the U-shaped safety catch, and each of the second plurality of locking eyelets further comprise a tubular channel for receiving said second spring connector, wherein said tubular channel having a diameter sufficient to accept said first spring connector and insufficient to accept the U-shaped safety catch.  
     
     
         23 . A continual comfort adjusting system recited in  claim 16 , wherein an inner edge of the first portion of said footwear article is approximately linear and an inner edge of the second portion of said footwear article is approximately linear.  
     
     
         24 . A continual comfort adjusting system recited in  claim 23 , wherein the first and second portions of said footwear article are eye flaps and the inner edge of the first eye flap faces the inner edge of the second eye flap.  
     
     
         25 . A continual comfort adjusting system recited in  claim 24 , wherein each of the first plurality of locking eyelets further comprises a tubular channel for receiving said first spring connector, said tubular channel each having a diameter sufficient to accept said first spring connector and insufficient to accept the U-shaped safety catch, and each of said second plurality of locking eyelets further comprise a tubular channel for receiving said second spring connector, wherein said tubular channel having a diameter sufficient to accept said first spring connector and insufficient to accept the U-shaped safety catch.  
     
     
         26 . A continual comfort adjusting system recited in  claim 16 , wherein at least one wall of each of the first plurality of locking eyelets protrudes into the U-shaped safety catch portion of said first spring connector, and at least one wall of each of the second plurality of locking eyelets protrudes into the U-shaped safety catch portion of said second spring connector.