Rough and fine adjustment closure system

Abstract

Disclosed is a closure system used in combination in any of a variety of applications including clothing, for example as a footwear lacing system comprising a lace attached to a tightening mechanism. The tightening mechanism provides for both rough and fine adjustment of the closure system. The rough adjustment allows for rapid tightening of a loosened opening. The fine adjustment allows for final closure and incremental adjustment of the tension in the closure system.

1 . A footwear lacing system, comprising: 
 a footwear member including first and second sides configured to fit around a foot;    a first lace guide attached to the first side;    a second lace guide attached to the second side;    a tightening mechanism attached to the footwear and including a housing and a rotatable spool, wherein the spool includes at least one bore defining a lace pathway extending from a first side of the spool disposed near the guides through at least a portion of the spool to a second side of the spool disposed away from the guides; and    a lace, wherein the lace extends between the first and second guides to define at least a portion of a lacing zone and the lace being adapted to extend through the bore in the spool of the tightening mechanism and including a portion extending from tightening mechanism outside the lacing zone adapted to be grasped by a user and wherein the lace is configured to be pulled through the spool without rotating the spool to permit a first stage tightening of the lacing zone and the spool being rotatable to permit a second stage tightening of the lacing zone.    
     
     
         2 . A footwear lacing system as in  claim 1 , further comprising a rotatable knob selectively engageable with the spool.  
     
     
         3 . A footwear lacing system as in  claim 2 , wherein the knob is rotatable only in a first, lace tightening direction.  
     
     
         4 . A footwear lacing system as in  claim 3 , wherein the knob is moveable between an engaged position and a disengaged position, and the spool is rotationally locked to the knob when the knob is in the engaged position.  
     
     
         5 . A footwear lacing system as in  claim 4 , wherein the knob has an axis of rotation and the knob is moveable between the engaged position and the disengaged position by moving the knob along the axis of rotation.  
     
     
         6 . A footwear lacing system as in  claim 1 , wherein the lace pathway extends across the top of the spool and is partially enclosed.  
     
     
         7 . A footwear lacing system as in  claim 1 , wherein the lace pathway is fully enclosed by the spool.  
     
     
         8 . A tightening mechanism, comprising: 
 a housing having an internal chamber, an entrance opening, and an exit opening;    a spool disposed in the internal chamber, 
 wherein the spool has an axis of rotation and includes two substantially parallel bores substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation and extending through the spool from a first side of the spool to a second side of the spool;  
   a control knob selectively engageable with the spool, 
 wherein the knob has an axis of rotation substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the spool and is rotatable only in one direction when engaged with the spool and wherein the spool is rotatable about its own axis in both directions when the knob is disengaged from the spool.  
   
     
     
         9 . A tightening mechanism as claimed in  claim 8 , further comprising an alignment portion spaced apart from the entrance opening of the housing.  
     
     
         10 . A tightening mechanism as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the alignment portion is connected to the housing with elongated tubes.  
     
     
         11 . A tightening mechanism as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the alignment portion and the housing are unitary.  
     
     
         12 . A tightening mechanism as claimed in  claim 8 , further comprising a lace extending through the bores in the spool such that a portion of the lace extends outwardly from the housing from both the entrance and exit openings.  
     
     
         13 . A tightening mechanism as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein rotation of the knob when engaged with the spool causes the lace to wind into the housing and onto the spool from both the entrance and exit openings.  
     
     
         14 . An article incorporating a tightening mechanism as claimed in  claim 8 .  
     
     
         15 . An article as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the article is one of footwear, shoes, boots, sandals, pants, belts, jackets, vests, gloves, headwear, baggage, briefcases, back packs, or sports equipment bindings.  
     
     
         16 . A closure system incorporating the tightening mechanism as claimed in  claim 8 .  
     
     
         17 . A closure system as claimed in  claim 16 , further comprising at least two lace guides and a lace; and 
 wherein the lace couples the lace guides to the tightening mechanism and is configured to extend through the tightening mechanism and is configured to be manually pulled through the tightening mechanism without rotating the spool in a first stage of tightening and the spool is rotated to wind the lace thereon in a second stage of tightening.    
     
     
         18 . The closure system of  claim 17 , wherein the tightening mechanism further comprises a control selectively coupled to the spool.  
     
     
         19 . The closure system of  claim 18 , wherein the control has an axis and is rotatable about the axis.  
     
     
         20 . The closure system of  claim 19 , wherein the control is movable along the axis.  
     
     
         21 . The closure system of  claim 17 , wherein the tightening mechanism further comprises an alignment portion spaced apart from the entrance opening of the housing.  
     
     
         22 . The closure system of  claim 21 , wherein the alignment portion is connected to the housing with elongated tubes.  
     
     
         23 . The closure system of  claim 21 , wherein the alignment portion and the housing are unitary.  
     
     
         24 . An article incorporating a closure system as claimed in  claim 17 .  
     
     
         25 . An article as claimed in  claim 24 , wherein the article is one of footwear, shoes, boots, sandals, pants, belts, jackets, vests, gloves, headwear, baggage, briefcases, back packs, or sports equipment bindings.  
     
     
         26 . A lace system for constricting an artical, comprising: 
 a housing having an internal chamber, an entrance opening and an exit opening;    a rotatable reel disposed in the internal chamber;    a lace passing through the housing such that a portion of the lace extends from the entrance opening to form a lacing zone and a portion extends from the exit opening to form a free end configured to be grasped by a user;    wherein the lace may be pulled by the free end through the housing to take up slack in the lace in the lacing zone without the need to rotate the reel and further tightening of the lace may subsequently be achieved by rotation of the reel to wind lace around the reel.    
     
     
         27 . An article incorporating a tightening mechanism as claimed in  claim 26 .  
     
     
         28 . An article as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein the article is one of footwear, shoes, boots, sandals, pants, belts, jackets, vests, gloves, headwear, baggage, briefcases, back packs, or sports equipment bindings.