Shoe Lace Apparatus and Locking Mechanism

Abstract

Shoe Laces and locking apparatus for locking laces without trying the laces, the apparatus including an opening for holding a lace or laces in a locked configuration. The apparatus may include a slit for passing a lace into the locking opening.

1 . A shoe lace locking apparatus for a lace having a first lace envelope in an un-elongated state and a second, smaller envelope in a second elongated state, including:
 a substantially front surface;   a substantially rear surface;   an opening sized to enable the lace to slide there-through when the lace is elongated and limit sliding when the lace is not substantially elongated; and   a slit from extending from the front surface to the rear surface and from the opening to an edge of apparatus,   
       wherein the apparatus has a substantially disc-like configuration. 
     
     
         2 . The shoe lace locking apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is comprised a restorably flexible material. 
     
     
         3 . The shoe lace locking apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is restorably deflectable to enable the slit to deflect to permit passage of a lace to the opening and return to a substantially flat state. 
     
     
         4 . The shoe lace locking apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the opening includes a plurality of teeth. 
     
     
         5 . The shoe lace locking apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the teeth are angled so that a lace may slideably move more easily in a first direction than a second, opposite direction. 
     
     
         6 . The shoe lace locking apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the opening is sized to enable a lace loop to slide there-through when the lace loop is elongated and limit sliding when the lace loop is not substantially elongated. 
     
     
         7 . The shoe lace locking apparatus of  claim 4 , the lace including one or an aglet or bar at an end and the apparatus including a recess between the front surface and the rear surface, the recess sized to compressably hold a lace aglet or bar therein. 
     
     
         8 . A shoe lace locking apparatus for a lace having an envelope and one of an aglet or bar at an end, including:
 a substantially front surface;   a substantially rear surface;   an opening sized to enable the lace and one of an aglet or bar at an end to slide there-through; and   a plurality of restorably retractable teeth that extend into the opening, the teeth retractable to enable the lace and one of an aglet or bar at an end to slide there-through,   
       wherein the apparatus has a substantially disc-like configuration. 
     
     
         9 . The shoe lace locking apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the apparatus is comprised a restorably flexible material. 
     
     
         10 . The shoe lace locking apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the teeth are angled so that a lace may slideably move more easily in a first direction than a second, opposite direction. 
     
     
         11 . The shoe lace locking apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the opening is sized to enable a lace loop to slide there-through. 
     
     
         12 . The shoe lace locking apparatus of  claim 8 , the lace including one or an aglet or bar at an end and the apparatus including a recess between the front surface and the rear surface, the recess sized to compressably hold a lace aglet or bar therein. 
     
     
         13 . A shoe closing system including:
 a lace having a first envelope in an un-elongated state and a second, smaller envelope in a second elongated state; and   a lace locking apparatus, the apparatus including:
 a substantially front surface; 
 a substantially rear surface; 
 an opening sized to enable the lace to slide there-through when the lace is elongated and limit sliding when the lace is not substantially elongated; and 
 a slit from extending from the front surface to the rear surface and from the opening to an edge of apparatus, 
   wherein the apparatus has a substantially disc-like configuration.   
     
     
         14 . The shoe closing system of  claim 13 , wherein the apparatus is comprised a restorably flexible material. 
     
     
         15 . The shoe closing system of  claim 13 , wherein the apparatus is restorably deflectable to enable the slit to deflect to permit passage of a lace to the opening and return to a substantially flat state. 
     
     
         16 . The shoe closing system of  claim 13 , wherein the opening includes a plurality of teeth. 
     
     
         17 . The shoe closing system of  claim 14 , wherein the teeth are angled so that a lace may slideably move more easily in a first direction than a second, opposite direction. 
     
     
         18 . The shoe closing system of  claim 14 , wherein the opening is sized to enable a lace loop to slide there-through when the lace loop is elongated and limit sliding when the lace loop is not substantially elongated. 
     
     
         19 . The shoe closing system of  claim 14 , the lace including one or an aglet or bar at an end and the apparatus including a recess between the front surface and the rear surface, the recess sized to compressably hold a lace aglet or bar therein. 
     
     
         20 . The shoe closing system of  claim 19 , the lace having a substantially flat shape and a plurality of separately, elastic strands.