Footwear Securing systems

Abstract

Devices for adjusting the fit of footwear, some examples including resilient laces operatively coupled to first retaining flaps of footwear, latching members including latches and lace receives sized to slidingly receive string portions of resilient laces and to restrict passage of retaining bodies of resilient laces, and latch couplers on second retaining flaps of footwear and configured to releasingly couple with lace couplers. In some examples, coupling latches to latch couplers tensions resilient laces and pulls first retaining flaps toward second retaining flaps. Some examples include first resilient laces and second resilient laces. Some examples including first resilient laces and second resilient laces include latching members including a first lace receiver sized to receive string portions of first resilient laces and second lace receivers sized to receive string portions of second resilient laces. Some examples are configured for adjusting the fit of apparel items defining eyelets.

1 . A device for adjusting the fit of footwear, the footwear including a first retaining flap and a second retaining flap spaced from the first retaining flap across a wearer's instep, comprising:
 a resilient lace operatively coupled to the first retaining flap and defining:
 a string portion; and 
 a retaining body disposed on the string portion and being thicker than the string portion; 
   a latching member defining:
 a lace receiver sized to slidingly receive the string portion of the resilient lace and to restrict passage of the retaining body through the lace receiver; and 
 a latch coupled to the lace receiver; and 
   a latch coupler secured to the second retaining flap, the latch being configured to releasingly couple with the latch coupler;   wherein coupling the latch to the latch coupler tensions the resilient lace and pulls the first retaining flap toward the second retaining flap.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the string portion is routed through an eyelet disposed through the first retaining flap. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the eyelet defines a first eyelet; and   the string portion is routed through a second eyelet disposed through the second retaining flap.   
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the string portion is routed through a third eyelet disposed through the second retaining flap;   the string portion is routed through a fourth eyelet disposed through the first retaining flap;   the string portion defines a loop portion routed between the second eyelet and the third eyelet; and   the latch coupler is defined by the loop portion of the resilient lace.   
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the resilient lace defines a first resilient lace; and   the latching member defines a first latching member;   further comprising:   a second resilient lace, the second resilient lace defining:
 a string portion defining:
 a first terminal end routed through a fifth eyelet disposed on the first retaining flap; 
 a loop portion routed between a sixth eyelet disposed on the second retaining flap and a seventh eyelet disposed on the second retaining flap; and 
 a second terminal end routed through an eighth eyelet disposed on the first retaining flap; and 
 
 a retaining body being thicker than the string portion of the second resilient lace; 
   a second latching member defining:
 a lace receiver sized to slidingly receive the string portion of the second resilient lace and restrict passage of the retaining body of the second resilient lace through the lace receiver of the second latching member; and 
 a latch configured to releasingly couple with the loop portion of the second resilient lace; 
   wherein coupling the latch of the second latching member to the loop portion of the second resilient lace tensions the second resilient lace and pulls the first retaining flap toward the second retaining flap.   
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 5 , further comprising a loop pairing device attached to the loop portion of the first resilient lace and attached to the loop portion of the second resilient lace;
 wherein:
 the latch of the first latching member is configured to releasingly couple with the loop portion of the first resilient lace by releasingly coupling with the loop pairing device; and 
 the latch of the second latching member is configured to releasingly couple with the loop portion of the second resilient lace by releasingly coupling with the loop pairing device. 
   
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein the loop pairing device is a rigid member defining:
 a first pairing device opening configured to releasingly receive the first resilient lace; and   a second pairing device opening configured to receive the second resilient lace.   
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the resilient lace defines:
 a first terminal end disposed on a portion of the string portion routed through the first eyelet; and   a second terminal end disposed on a portion of the string portion routed through the fourth eyelet.   
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the retaining body defines a first retaining body and is disposed proximate the first terminal end;
 further comprising a second retaining body disposed proximate the second terminal end.   
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the lace receiver defines a first lace receiver; and   the latching member defines a second lace receiver sized to slidingly receive the string portion of the lace and restrict passage of the second retaining body through the lace receiver.   
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the first retaining body defines a first terminal cap disposed on the first terminal end of the resilient lace; and   the second retaining body defines a second terminal cap disposed on the second terminal end of the resilient lace.   
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a third retaining body proximate the first terminal end; and   a fourth retaining body proximate the second terminal end.   
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the retaining body defines a terminal cap disposed on a terminal end of the resilient lace. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the retaining body defines a first retaining body;   the resilient lace defines a second retaining body, the second retaining body being:
 thicker than the string portion; and 
 spaced from the terminal end of the resilient lace. 
   
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 13 , the resilient lace defines one or more supplemental retaining bodies, each supplemental retaining body being:
 thicker than the string portion; and   spaced from the terminal end of the resilient lace.   
     
     
         16 . A device for adjusting the fit of footwear, the footwear including a first retaining flap and a second retaining flap spaced from the first retaining flap across a wearer's instep, comprising:
 a first resilient lace operatively coupled to the first retaining flap and defining:
 a first string portion; and 
 a first retaining body disposed on the first string portion and being thicker than the string portion; 
   a second resilient lace operatively coupled to the first retaining flap and defining:
 a second string portion; and 
 a second retaining body disposed on the string portion being thicker than the string portion; 
   a latching member defining:
 a first lace receiver sized to slidingly receive the first string portion and to restrict passage of the first retaining body through the lace receiver; 
 a second lace receiver sized to slidingly receive the second string portion and restrict passage of the second retaining body through the lace receiver; and 
 a latch coupled to the first lace receiver and to the second lace receiver; and 
   a latch coupler secured to the second retaining flap, the latch being configured to releasingly couple with the latch coupler;   wherein coupling the latch to the latch coupler:
 tensions the first resilient lace and the second resilient lace; and 
 pulls the first retaining flap toward the second retaining flap. 
   
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the first resilient lace defines a loop portion secured to the second retaining flap;   the second resilient lace defines a loop portion secured to the second retaining flap; and   the latch coupler defines a loop pairing device attached to the loop portion of the first resilient lace and attached to the loop portion of the second resilient lace.   
     
     
         18 . A device for adjusting the fit of an apparel item, the apparel item defining an eyelet, comprising:
 a resilient lace defining:
 a string portion routed through the eyelet; and 
 a retaining body disposed on the string portion and being thicker than the string portion; 
   a latching member defining:
 a lace receiver sized to slidingly receive the string portion of the resilient lace and to restrict passage of the retaining body through the lace receiver; and 
 a latch coupled to the lace receiver; and 
   a latch coupler secured to the apparel item spaced from the eyelet, the latch being configured to releasingly couple with the latch coupler;   wherein coupling the latch to the latch coupler tensions the resilient lace and pulls the eyelet toward the latch coupler.   
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the eyelet defines a first eyelet;   the retaining body defines a first retaining body;   the lace receiver defines a first lace receiver;   the apparel item defines:
 a second eyelet spaced from the first eyelet; 
 a third eyelet aligned with the second eyelet; and 
 a fourth eyelet aligned with the first eyelet; 
   the string portion defines a first terminal end routed through the first eyelet, the first retaining body being disposed proximate the first terminal end;   the string portion defines a second terminal end routed through the fourth eyelet;   the resilient lace defines a second retaining body disposed proximate the second terminal end;   the string portion defines a looped portion routed through the second eyelet and the third eyelet; and   the latching member defines a second lace receiver configured to slidingly receive the string portion of the resilient lace and restrict passage of the second retaining body through the lace receiver.   
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 19 , wherein the latch is configured to releasingly couple with the loop portion of the resilient lace.