Lace Tightening Assembly

Abstract

A lace tightening assembly for tightening a lace in an article of clothing includes a ring that has a lace being extendable therethrough. In this way the ring abuts against an article of clothing through which the lace is extended. A plurality of engagements is each coupled to the ring to engage the lace. Each of the engagements is positioned at an angle in the ring such that the lace can be urged in a first direction through the ring but is inhibited from is urged in a second direction through the ring. In this way the lace is retained at a chosen tightness.

1 . A lace tightening assembly for retaining a lace in an article of clothing at a chosen tightness, said assembly comprising:
 a ring having a lace being extendable therethrough thereby facilitating said ring to abut against an article of clothing through which the lace is extended, said ring having an inwardly facing side that defines an opening through said ring, said ring having a forward side and a rearward side, said opening insertably receiving the lace; and   a plurality of engagements, each of said engagements being coupled to said ring wherein each of said engagements is configured to engage the lace, each of said engagements being positioned at an angle in said ring such that the lace can be urged in a first direction through said ring but is inhibited from being urged in a second direction through said ring thereby retaining the lace at a chosen tightness, each of said engagements being positioned on said inwardly facing side of said ring, each of said engagements extending into said opening, said plurality of engagements being laterally spaced apart from each other and being distributed into a single line around a full circumference of said opening, each of said engagements having a distal end with respect to said inwardly facing side, each engagement having a pair of faces, each of said faces having a bend thereon to define a first portion forming an angle with a second portion, said first portion of each of said engagements having parallel first sections of said faces extending inwardly from said inwardly facing surface, said second portion of each of said engagements having parallel second sections of said faces extending from a distal edge of said first portion relative to said inwardly facing surface and sloping toward said rearward side of said ring.   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said ring has a diameter of at least 5.0 mm thereby inhibiting said ring from passing through an eyelet through which the lace extends. 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said ring has the lace being extended therethrough from said forward side to said rearward side such that said distal end of each of said engagements slides along the lace wherein said engagements are configured to facilitate the lace to be drawn to a selected tightness, said distal end of each of said engagements engaging the lace when the lace is urged to move through said opening from said rearward side toward said forward side wherein said engagements are configured to retain the lace at the selected tightness. 
     
     
         7 . A lace tightening assembly for retaining a lace in an article of clothing at a chosen tightness, said assembly comprising:
 a ring having a lace being extendable therethrough thereby facilitating said ring to abut against an article of clothing through which the lace is extended, said ring having a diameter of at least 5.0 mm thereby inhibiting said ring from passing through an eyelet through which the lace extends, said ring having an inwardly facing side that defines an opening through said ring, said ring having a forward side and a rearward side, said opening insertably receiving the lace; and   a plurality of engagements, each of said engagements being couple to said ring Wherein each of said engagements is configured to engage the lace, each of said engagements being positioned at an angle in said ring such that the lace can be urged in a first direction through said ring but is inhibited from being urged in a second direction through said ring thereby retaining the lace at a chosen tightness, each of said engagements being positioned on said inwardly facing side of said ring, each of said engagements extending into said opening, said plurality of engagements being laterally spaced apart from each other and being distributed into a single line around a full circumference of said opening, each of said engagements having a distal end with respect to said inwardly facing side, each engagement having a pair of faces, each of said faces having a bend thereon to define a first portion forming an angle with a second portion, said first portion of each of said engagements having parallel first sections of said faces extending inwardly from said inwardly facing surface, said second portion of each of said engagements having parallel second sections of said faces extending from a distal edge of said first portion relative to said inwardly facing surface and sloping toward said rearward side of said ring, said ring having the lace being extended therethrough from said forward side to said rearward side such that said distal end of each of said engagements slides along the lace wherein said engagements are configured to facilitate the lace to be drawn to a selected tightness, said distal end of each of said engagements engaging the lace when the lace is urged to move through said opening from said rearward side toward said forward side wherein said engagements are configured to retain the lace at the selected tightness.