Shoe Lace Securing Device

Abstract

The present invention is a device positionable over the top of a shoe and over a wearer's instep to allows shoe laces of ones shoes to be secured in place. This device includes a lower piece that feeds under ones laces and contours to the shoe and instep to a tight fit to allow the appearance of being a natural part of one's shoes. A top piece or flap of this device that is connected to the lower piece folds overtop of the laces once placed in and is the secured to the lower piece to hold the laces in place.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A device for use in securing end portions of a shoe lace extending beyond eyelets on a shoe, the device comprising a flexible section attachable to the shoe and being deformable to a curved configuration and being securable in a curved configuration to cover the ends of shoelaces 
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1  further comprising:
 an upper section and a lower section, the upper section being flexible and comprising the flexible section and the lower section being deformable to a curved configuration to fit over a portion of the shoe extending over a wearer's foot instep, wherein 
 the upper section extends from one end of the curved lower section, and 
 the upper section is foldable over portions of the shoe laces extending over the curved lower section and is attachable to and detachable from at an opposite end from the one end from which the upper section extends to trap end portions of the shoe lace extending beyond eyelets on the shoe. 
 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2  wherein the upper section is flexible but less resilient than the lower section. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 2  wherein hook and loop fasteners are provided on both the upper and lower sections so that the upper section can be attached to and detachable from the lower section. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1  wherein two layers are attached around their periphery. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 5  wherein a resilient piece having at least one relatively stable curved configuration is located between the two layers in the lower section of the device, the curved portion being deformable but fitting a wearer's instep when positioned on the shoe. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6  wherein the resilient curved piece is mounted in a pocket formed between the two layers. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 6  wherein the resilient piece comprises a bistable spring. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 2  wherein the upper section is rectangular so that artwork on an exposed surface of the upper section will be visible. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the flexible section comprises a bistable spring. 
     
     
         11 . A device for use in securing end portions of a shoe lace extending beyond eyelets on a shoe, the device comprising:
 an elongated strip of material comprising an upper section and a lower section wherein the lower section is dimensioned to fit between a portion of shoe laces that are laced between eyelets on a shoe and further comprising a relatively narrower central section joining a relatively wider section adjacent a leading end of the lower section, the relatively wider section including an upwardly facing fastener, and wherein;   the upper section is joined to the relatively narrower central section of the lower portion and the upper section is wider than the relatively narrower central section, the upper section being foldable over the lower section and laces extending between eyelets, the upper section including a downwardly facing fastener attachable to the upwardly facing fastener to trap end portions of shoe laces extending beyond the eyelets.   
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 11  wherein the upwardly facing fastener and the downwardly facing fastener comprise hook and loop fastening material. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 11  wherein a pocket is formed by two layers of material in the relatively narrower central section. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 13  wherein a curvable member is disposed within the pocket, the curvable member conforming to a wearer's instep when the device is positioned on the shoe. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 11  wherein the upper section comprises a rectangular flap. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 15  wherein artwork is located on a top surface of the rectangular flap to be visible when the rectangular flap is disposed over portions of shoelaces extending beyond the eyelets on a shoe. 
     
     
         17 . A method of securing end portions of shoelaces on top of a shoe so that the shoelaces will not be exposed and will not become undone or protrude so as to cause a wearer to trip, the method comprising the steps of;
 inserting a lower section of a securing device beneath and through shoelaces extending and laced between eyelets on the shoe so that the lower section extends beyond both sides of the tongue of the shoe, the lower section being deformable to conform to the wearer's instep;   folding an upper section over a the end portions of the shoelaces after the shoelaces have been tied by the wearer and fastening a leading end of the upper section to a leading end of the lower portion.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein hook and loop fastening material is located on both the upper and lower sections of the securing device. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the lower section includes a deformable member having a curved stable configuration positionable over the top of the shoe and over the wearer's instep so that the deformable member is fitted to the top of the shoe after insertion through the shoelaces. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the lower section comprises a bistable spring.