Lace adjuster

Abstract

A lace adjuster includes a tubular member, a stop anchor, and a separating member. The tubular member includes a surrounding wall which has two open ends and an inner surface bounding a through hole that has an axis. The stop anchor includes a fixing portion fixed on a part of the inner surface, and an inclining portion extending inclinedly from the fixing portion toward the axis and having a sharp free end portion proximate to the axis. The separating member extends axially through the through hole and said open ends, and is adapted to partition off the stop anchor from the lace moving past the stop anchor. The separating member is removable from the tubular member to permit the stop anchor to engage the lace after a desired length of the lace has moved past the stop anchor.

1 . A lace adjuster for adjusting a length of a lace, said lace adjuster comprising:
 a tubular member adapted to permit passage of the lace and including a surrounding wall which has two open ends and an inner surface bounding a through hole that has an axis;   at least one stop anchor including a fixing portion fixed on a part of said inner surface of said surrounding wall of said tubular member, and an inclining portion that extends inclinedly from said fixing portion toward said axis and that has a sharp free end portion proximate to said axis and pointing toward one of said open ends of said tubular member; and   a separating member extending axially through said through hole and said open ends, and adapted to partition off said stop anchor from the lace moving past said stop anchor, said separating member being removable from said tubular member to permit said stop anchor to engage the lace after a desired length of the lace has moved past said stop anchor.   
     
     
         2 . The lace adjuster as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said tubular member further includes at least one retaining ring projecting from said inner surface of said surrounding wall toward said through hole, and having a retaining hole axially extending for receiving and retaining said fixing portion of said stop anchor. 
     
     
         3 . The lace adjuster as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said tubular member further includes a push element protruding inwardly from said inner surface of said surrounding wall, and pushing said inclining portion of said stop anchor to bend toward said axis from said fixing portion. 
     
     
         4 . The lace adjuster as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said separating member axially divides said through hole into two parts, one of said parts forming a passage, the other one of said parts receiving said stop anchor. 
     
     
         5 . The lace adjuster as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein said separating member further includes two opposite pulling portions axially extending outside said tubular member. 
     
     
         6 . The lace adjuster as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein each of said pulling portions is larger in cross section than said tubular member. 
     
     
         7 . The lace adjuster as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein said separating member includes a primary separating element, and two secondary separating elements respectively connected to two opposite sides of said primary separating element, said primary separating element dividing axially said through hole into two parts which receive said secondary separating elements, respectively, a pair of said stop anchors being mounted on said inner surface within said two parts, respectively, said sharp free end portions of said stop anchors pointing in two opposite directions and towards said two open ends of said tubular member, respectively. 
     
     
         8 . The lace adjuster as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein said stop anchors are proximate to said two open ends of said tubular member, respectively. 
     
     
         9 . The lace adjuster as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein said primary separating element includes a middle portion axially extending in said tubular member, and two pulling end portions oppositely and tearably connected to said middle portion. 
     
     
         10 . The lace adjuster as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein each of said secondary separating elements includes a ring portion connected to a corresponding one of said pulling end portions of said primary separating element, and a guiding sheet portion connected to said ring portion and extending axially over and covering one of said stop anchors. 
     
     
         11 . The lace adjuster as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein said separating member further includes two direction indicators provided respectively on said pulling end portions of said primary separating element. 
     
     
         12 . The lace adjuster as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein said ring portion of each of said secondary separating elements has a slit extending axially. 
     
     
         13 . The lace adjuster as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein said tubular member further includes at least one pair of anchoring holes proximate to one of said open ends, and said primary separating element of said separating member includes at least one pair of anchoring studs respectively engaging said anchoring holes.