DEVICE TO PROTECT THE END OF A SHOELACE

DEVICE TO PROTECT THE END OF A SHOELACE

The present invention relates to shoelaces and, more particularly to a device to protect the end of a shoelace.

Conventional shoelace anglets are commonly injection-molded from plastics. The structure of plastic anglet is not durable in use and tends to be removed from the shoelace.

Devices for protecting the end of a shoelace are already part of the prior art. US 6,427,298 discloses a shoelace anglet having a front opening at one end thereof, a rounded head at an opposite end thereof, an end slot in the rounded head, a split extended between the end slot and the front opening, at least one protruding portion disposed at a first side of the split, and at least one recessed portion disposed at a second side of the split and adapted to receive the at least one protruding portion respectively.

The aim of the present invention is to propose a device for attachment of an end part of a shoelace which is easy to fix and remove.

This aim is achieved by a device as set out in claim 1. This device comprises an elongated member having therein a passageway through which the shoelace can be inserted. It further comprises an opening in an end of the elongated member for receiving the end part of the shoelace. Said passageway for the shoelace extends over said opening and is arranged so that when the shoelace has been inserted in the passageway and the end part of the inserted shoelace has been folded back and inserted in said opening, the shoelace can be pulled to tighten the part of the shoelace in the passageway over the opening such that said part of the shoelace is held firmly against the end part of the shoelace in said opening. The invention will be better understood thanks to the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

- Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the device from the top front side

- Figure 2 represents a perspective view of said device from the top rear side

- Figure 3 represents a longitudinal cross sectional view of the device.

- Figure 4 represents a cross section view of the device illustrating the first step of the required manipulation for holding firmly the end of a shoelace inside said device.

- Figure 5 represents a cross section view of the device illustrating the second step of said manipulation.

- Figure 6 represents a cross section view of said device illustrating the third step of said manipulation.

- Figure 7 represents a cross section view of the device when the manipulation is over and the end of the shoelace is held firmly inside said device.

- Figures 8 to 11 represent perspective views of the device corresponding to Figures 4 to 7 illustrating the steps required for holding firmly the end of the shoelace in said device. According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, Figures 4 to 11 show the different steps on how the end (2) of the shoelace must be arranged inside the device in order to be held firmly inside said device when the manipulation is over.

First, the end part (2) of the shoelace is inserted inside the device through a first hole (10) located on the top front end of said device (Figures 4 et 8). Said end part (2) comes out through a second elongated hole (11) situated on the bottom side of the device. Thereafter, the shoelace is folded back and inserted through the same elongated hole (11) traversing the passageway to come out on the top side of the device through a third hole (12) (Figures 5 and 9). The end part (2) of the shoelace is then pulled and folded back to be inserted in an opening (5) located at the end of the elongated member (3) (Figure 6 and 10). As shown by Figure 7, the shoelace is then pulled in an opposite direction in order to tighten a part (6) of the shoelace in the passageway (4) over the opening (5) such that said part (6) of the shoelace is held firmly against the end part (2) of the shoelace in said opening (5).

The device is constructed symmetrically and it comprises a counter part (9) to hold firmly said part (6) of the shoelace against the end part (2) of the shoelace in said opening (5).

The upper part of the elongated member (3) comprises a half cylindrical recess (7) into which another part (8) of said shoelace is resting when the shoelace is held firmly inside the device. The bottom side of the elongated member (3) can be perforated so that precious stones can be set.

Such device protects the end of the shoelace against outer influences, while it is located in a fixed position.