Shoelace Receiver

Abstract

A shoelace receiver attached to a tongue of a shoe and threaded with a shoelace fixes the shoelace in a tightened condition. A first side of the shoelace receiver has a first opening having first and second portions; each portion opens into a delimited interior open area of the shoelace receiver. A second side of the shoelace receiver, opposite the first side, has a second opening having first and second portions; each portion opens into the delimited interior open area of the shoelace receiver. A first portion of the shoelace extends from an eyelet on a shoe first side, to and through the second opening, though the delimited interior open area, and out the first opening. A second portion of the shoelace extends from an eyelet on a shoe second side, to and through the second opening, though the delimited interior open area, and out the first opening.

1 . A shoelace receiver, attached to a tongue of a shoe and threaded with a shoelace, orients said shoelace and fixes said shoelace in a tightened condition, said shoelace receiver, comprising:
 a first side of said shoelace receiver having a first opening having first and second portions each open into a delimited interior open area inside of said shoelace receiver;   a second side of said shoelace receiver having a second opening having first and second portions each open into said delimited interior open area inside of shoelace receiver;
 said first opening faces toward a toe portion of said shoe; 
 said second opening faces toward a heal portion of said shoe; 
 said first portion of said first opening disposed to receive a first shoelace portion and direct said first shoelace portion to extend away from said receiver towards said toe portion of said shoe; said first portion of said second opening disposed to receive said first shoelace portion extending from an eyelet on a first side of said shoe at an angle with a major axis of said shoe occurring in a range of about 20 degrees to about 160 degrees; 
 said second portion of said first opening disposed to receive a second shoelace portion and direct said second shoelace portion to extend away from said receiver towards said toe portion of said shoe; said second portion of said second opening disposed to receive said second shoelace portion extending from an eyelet on a second side of said shoe at an angle with the major axis of said shoe occurring in a range of about 20 degrees to about 160 degrees; and
 wherein when said shoelace disposed in said shoelace receiver and drawn taught, said shoelace receiver fixes said shoelace in said tightened condition. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The shoelace receiver of  claim 1 , wherein when said shoelace disposed in said shoelace receiver and drawn taught in a laced orientation:
 said first portion of said shoelace, starting from an end of said first portion of said shoelace, extends upstream away from said toe portion of the shoe and towards said heal portion, it extends into said first portion of said first opening of the shoelace receiver; from said first opening, said first shoelace portion extends further upstream into said delimited interior open area of the shoelace receiver; from said delimited interior open area, said first shoelace portion extends into said first portion of said second opening of said shoelace receiver and out of said receiver from said first portion of said second opening; from said second opening, said first shoelace portion extends to and into said eyelet on said first side of said shoe, said first shoelace portion extends to said eyelet at an angle with said major axis of said shoe in a range of about from 20 to 160 degrees; and   said second portion of said shoelace, starting from an end of said second portion of said shoelace, extends upstream away from said toe portion of the shoe and towards said heal portion, it extends into said second portion of said first opening of the shoelace receiver; from said first opening, said second shoelace portion extends further upstream into said delimited interior open area of said shoelace receiver; from said delimited interior open area, said second shoelace portion extends into said second portion of said second opening and out of said receiver from said second portion of said second opening; from said second opening, said second shoelace portion extends to and into said eyelet on said second side of said shoe, said second shoelace portion extends to said end eyelet on said second side of said shoe at an angle with said major axis of the shoe in a range of about from 20 to 160 degrees.   
     
     
         3 . A shoelace receiver, comprising:
 a delimited interior open area;   a first opening, said first opening opens into said delimited interior open area;   a second opening, said second opening opens into said delimited interior open area;   a first axis passing through a first end and a second end of said shoelace receiver, wherein a first length measured along a first line, coextensive with said first axis, extends from said first end to said second end;   a second axis passing through a first side and a second side of said shoelace receiver, wherein a second length measured along a second line, coextensive with said second axis, extends from said first side to said second side;   wherein when in an installed orientation
 said receiver proximate to a tongue of a shoe; 
 at least a portion of said first opening facing in a first direction, said first direction at an angle with a major axis of said shoe of about 0 degrees to about 75 degrees; and 
 at least a portion of said second opening facing in a second direction, said second direction at an angle with said major axis of said shoe of about 0 degrees to about 75 degrees. 
   
     
     
         4 . The shoelace receiver of  claim 3 , wherein when said shoelace receiver in said installed orientation:
 said first opening, said delimited interior open area, and said second opening all exclusive of open areas delimited by any eyelet of said shoe.   
     
     
         5 . The shoelace receiver of  claim 3 , wherein when said shoelace receiver in said installed orientation:
 said first line extending from said first end to said second end extends away from an interior facing surface of said tongue and a sole of said shoe.   
     
     
         6 . The shoelace receiver of  claim 5 , wherein when said shoelace receiver in said installed orientation:
 said second line extending from said first side to said second side extends away from a tongue attachment towards a tongue free end.   
     
     
         7 . The shoelace receiver of  claim 5 , wherein when said shoelace receiver in said installed orientation:
 a shortest straight line drawn to extend through said first opening and said second opening extends away from said tongue attachment towards said tongue fee end.   
     
     
         8 . The shoelace receiver of  claim 3 , wherein when said shoelace receiver in said installed orientation:
 a shortest straight line drawn from an end eyelet of a first group of eyelets of said shoe to said second opening at an angle with said shoe major axis of about 20 degrees to about 160 degrees; said first group of eyelets on a first side of an upper of said shoe, said end eyelet resides as a last eyelet of a said first group of eyelets on said first side of said shoe moving along said shoe upper from a toe portion to a heel portion of said shoe.   
     
     
         9 . The shoelace receiver of  claim 8 , wherein when said shoelace receiver in said installed orientation:
 a shortest straight line drawn from an end eyelet of a second group of eyelets to said second opening at an angle with said shoe major axis of about 20 degrees to about 160 degrees; said second group of eyelets on a second side of said upper of said shoe, said end eyelet resides as a last eyelet of said second group of eyelets on said second side of said shoe moving along said shoe upper from said toe portion to said heel portion of said shoe.   
     
     
         10 . The shoelace receiver of  claim 9 , wherein when said shoelace receiver in said installed orientation and said shoelace receiver in a laced orientation:
 each of a first section of a shoelace and a second section of said shoelace at and extending into said first opening.   
     
     
         11 . The shoelace receiver of  claim 9 , wherein when said shoelace receiver in said installed orientation and said shoelace receiver in said laced orientation:
 each of a third section of said shoelace and a fourth section of said shoelace positioned in said delimited interior open area.   
     
     
         12 . The shoelace receiver of  claim 11 , wherein when said shoelace receiver in said installed orientation and said shoelace receiver in said laced orientation:
 a fifth section of said shoelace extends along a pathway from said end eyelet of said first group to said second opening.   
     
     
         13 . The shoelace receiver of  claim 12 , wherein when said shoelace receiver in said installed orientation and said shoelace receiver in said laced orientation:
 a sixth section of said shoelace extends along a pathway from said end eyelet of said second group to said second opening.   
     
     
         14 . The shoelace receiver of  claim 12 , wherein when said shoelace receiver in said installed orientation and said shoelace receiver in said laced orientation, said shoelace receiver further comprising:
 a portion of a shoelace receiver surface delimiting an open area of said first opening, an open area of said second opening, or said delimited interior open area; said portion of said shoelace receiver surface providing a resistive force against movement of said shoelace first section from said first opening towards said second opening.   
     
     
         15 - 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . The shoelace receiver of  claim 13  wherein when said shoelace receiver in said installed orientation and said shoelace receiver in said laced orientation, said shoelace receiver further comprising:
 a portion of a shoelace receiver surface delimiting an open area of said first opening, an open area of said second opening, or said delimited open interior area; said portion of said shoelace receiver surface providing a resistive force against movement of said shoelace second section from said first opening towards said second opening. 
 
     
     
         19 . The shoelace receiver of  claim 18 , wherein said resistive force resists movement of said second section of said shoelace from said first opening toward said second opening against a force applied directly to said sixth section of said shoelace along a vector pointing in a direction away from said shoe major axis, said vector at an angle of between about 20 and about 160 degrees with said major axis of said shoe. 
     
     
         20 - 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . The shoelace receiver of  claim 1 , wherein movement of said tongue relative to a shoe sole and said shoe upper moves said shoelace receiver. 
     
     
         25 . The shoelace receiver of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a shoelace receiver first end surface at said shoelace receiver first end, said shoelace receiver first end surface, when said shoelace receiver in said installed orientation, facing in a direction away from a direction said interior facing surface of said tongue of said shoe faces.   
     
     
         26 - 33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . The shoelace receiver of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a partition dividing said first opening into a first opening first portion and a first opening second portion.   
     
     
         35 . The shoelace receiver of  claim 34 , further comprising:
 a partition dividing said second opening into a second opening first portion and a second opening second portion.   
     
     
         36 - 46 . (canceled)