Self tying shoe

Abstract

A self tying shoe wherein the weight of a user who, upon sliding his foot inside the shoe will depress a hingedly movable inner sole which actuates a mechanism which pulls on the laces so as to close in the tongue of the shoe towards the user's foot, thus lacing the shoe. The user can simply pump the inner sole or walk a couple of steps to accomplish the lacing of the shoes. Using his other foot, the user can move a knob in either one of two positions, one being for tying and the other being for untying the shoe. Most of the mechanical components are situated underneath the movable inner sole and are interconnected in a way reminiscent of the cooperating interconnections of clockwork.

1 . A self tying shoe comprising: 
 a lace holding rod integrated within a standard shoe tongue;    at least one set of lace;    a tying/untying button situated on the side of an outer sole to select a tying or an untying mode;    said lace holding rod being a biasing means normally in an outward configuration so as to pull on said lace;    an inner sole hingedly attached to a base by mechanical fasteners connected to mechanical fastening holes which provide a limited range of pivoting motion;    said base set inside said shoe;    a biasing means to counteract the downward pressure created by a user and allowing for said inner sole to return to an upward position once the weight of said user is removed;    a ratcheted wheel acting as a winch to wind said lace around itself;    a power screw inducing rotation to a top plate having a central threaded hole so threaded as to match threads of said power screw;    rotation of said top plate being mechanically connected to said ratcheted wheel inducing rotation of said ratcheted wheel;    mechanical connection of said top plate to said ratcheted wheel being by way of stubs engaging notches situated on said ratcheted wheel;    an elastomer absorber being sandwiched between said top plate and said ratcheted wheel to act as both a cushioning means and biasing means;    a lower pawl interacting with said ratcheted wheel to limit said ratcheted wheel to only one rotational direction for as long as said lower pawl is engaged to said ratcheted wheel;    a pawl interacting with a toothed wheel to limit said toothed wheel to only one rotational direction for as long as said pawl is engaged to said toothed wheel;    said power screw inducing rotation onto said toothed wheel which is mechanically connected to said power screw by a multisided top engaging a multisided opening in said toothed wheel;    said toothed wheel frictionally rotating against the surface of a disc extending integrally from underneath said inner sole.    a hood mechanically fastened to said base by mechanical fasteners engaging mechanical fastening holes to create a containment within which are said ratcheted wheel, said lower pawl, an actuator, and an actuator biasing means;    said hood also supporting a casing fastened on top of said hood by said mechanical fasteners;    said casing holding within it a double pin;    a tying/untying button pushing against said double pin when depressed;    said tying/untying button also pushing on an actuator and said actuator in turn pushing against both said lower pawl and said upper pawl in order to free both said ratcheted wheel and said toothed wheel;    said released ratcheted wheel releasing said lace.    
   
   
       2 . A self tying shoe having an inner sole, a top plate and a power screw having the following method of use: 
 the weight of a user is applied on said inner sole, this has for effect of inducing rotation of said top plate;    said power screw not rotating when said inner sole inducing a downward motion onto it but inducing rotation to said top plate having a central threaded hole so threaded as to match threads of said power screw;    rotation of said ratcheted wheel being provided by said top plate mechanically connected to said ratcheted wheel by stubs engaging notches found on said ratcheted wheel;    said ratcheted wheel winding at least one lace around itself;    winding said lace causing tying of said shoe;    when said shoe is sufficiently tied, a balance is reached between the tension applied by the lace to the user's foot and a biasing means stops any additional motion from said inner sole so that said power screw no longer induces rotation of said ratcheted wheel;    a tying/untying button, when depressed, pushes against a double pin, which in turn pushes on an actuator and said actuator in turn pushes against both a lower pawl engaging said ratcheted wheel and an upper pawl engaging said toothed wheel in order to free both said ratcheted wheel and said toothed wheel, which releases said lace so that a lace holding rod can pull on said lace;    pushing once more on said tying/untying button brings said actuator back to its initial configuration which allows for the reengagement of both said lower pawl and said upper pawl.