EP0659359A1

EP0659359A1 - Fastening device, particularly for sports shoes

Info

Publication number: EP0659359A1
Application number: EP94120076A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Roberto Gorza; Faustino Lucchetta
Original assignee: Nordica SpA
Current assignee: Nordica SpA
Priority date: 1993-12-24
Filing date: 1994-12-19
Publication date: 1995-06-28
Also published as: IT1266105B1; ITTV930122A1; ITTV930122A0

Abstract

Fastening device, particularly for sports shoes including a first flap (4) and a second (5) flap which mutually overlap. In the device, at least one flexible tab (7) is associated with the first flap or protrudes therefrom and has a lever (12) at one end; its other end overlaps the second flap. The tab is also interposed between the first and second flaps and a covering element (8) which is in turn associated, at its end, with the second flap and the lever. The first and second flaps are in mutual contact. It is thus possible to achieve optimum tightness against water or snow at the overlapping regions of the flaps.

Description

The present invention relates to a fastening device particularly for sports shoes of the type comprising a shell or at least one quarter which have a first flap and a second flap that mutually overlap.
The need to limit water infiltration during sports practice inside the shell or the quarters that constitute the shoes is currently strongly felt, as said shells or quarters have flap overlap regions.
The overlap of the flaps in fact never manages to eliminate infiltrations of water inside the shoe, such as for example a ski boot or an ice skate.
Said flaps are in fact made of a relatively rigid material and are subject, during use, to mutual sliding motions that form small gaps especially along the edges of the flaps, particularly when the levers are loosened to allow the foot to relax after skiing or skating.
In order to obviate these drawbacks, it is known to apply a pad made of rubber or plastics especially at the transverse edges of the flaps. The purpose of the pad is to create a mechanical obstacle to the flow of water from the toe unit to the flaps during sports practice.
Watertight sealing devices are also known which are constituted by two separate inserts which are applied separately to different edges of the flaps of the shell. One of the two inserts can be arranged at a longitudinal edge of a flap.
The second insert is in turn constituted by two parts: one can be inserted at the transverse edges of the flaps of the shell, and the other one is associated, transversely to the first one, towards the toe of the boot.
Even this known solution, disclosed in the Italian patent no. 1,039,942 filed on July 18, 1975, has drawbacks: first of all there are three components which must be partially assembled to each other and to the shell, and, moreover, the interaction of all these components with each other and with the flaps still does not ensure optimum watertightness between them.
The aim of the present invention is to eliminate the described technical problems in the prior art, by providing a device that allows optimum tightness against water infiltrations in shoes such as ski boot, roller skates, or ice skates which comprise a shell or a quarter provided with overlapping flaps.
Within the scope of this aim, an important object is to provide a device which is structurally simple and easy to apply to the sports shoes.
Another important object is to provide a device which is reliable and safe in use and maintains an optimum aesthetic configuration for the shoe.
Another object is to provide a device that has low manufacturing costs and can be obtained with conventional known equipment or machines.
This aim, these objects, and others which will become apparent hereinafter are achieved by a fastening device, particularly for sports shoes comprising a first flap and a second flap which mutually overlap, characterized in that at least one flexible tab is associated with said first flap and has means for engagement with a lever, said tab being interposed between said first flap and said second flap and a covering element which is associated with said second flap and said lever.
Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description of some particular but not exclusive embodiments, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

figure 1 is a front sectional view of the fastening device applied at the overlapping flaps of a shell of a ski boot or skate;
figure 2 is a lateral perspective view of the shell of a ski boot with the device of figure 1 applied thereto;
figure 3 is a view, similar to the preceding one, of the shell of the boot, in which the covering element has been omitted for the sake of clarity;
figure 4 is a front sectional view of the fastening device according to a further aspect of the invention.

With reference to the above figures, the reference numeral 1 designates the fastening device particularly for sports shoes such as for example ski boots 2 which comprise at least one quarter or shell 3 and have a first flap 4 and a second flap 5 that mutually overlap.
At least one flexible tab 7 is associated with the first flap 4 by adapted engagement means such as for example a first rivet 6.
As an alternative, said tab can be obtained during the molding of the first flap and can thus protrude therefrom.
Said at least one tab 7 is extended in an essentially longitudinal direction, and its length allows it to partially surround transversely the first and second flaps.
The tab 7 thus surmounts part of the first flap 4 and of the second flap 5, and is thus interposed between said flaps and an overlying covering element 8.
Said covering element is thus arranged transversely to the first and second flaps and has a first end 9 which is associated with the second flap 5 or with the lateral surface of the shell for example by means of a suitable second rivet 10.
The covering element 8 also has a second end 11 which is associated at an underlying lever 12 which has two wings 13 between which there is an engagement element, such as a cross-member 14, for engagement means constituted by a rack-like region 15 formed at the end of said tab that is associated with the first flap 4.
The use of the device according to the invention is therefore as follows: initially, in order to insert the foot in the boot, the lever 12 is of course disengaged from the rack-like region 15 provided in the tab 7; insertion is facilitated by the fact that the first and second flaps can slide with respect to each other but are in any case kept in mutual contact by the tab 7.
Once the foot has been inserted, the user fastens the flaps, placing the engagement element 14 associated with the lever 12 at the desired seat of the rack-like region 15 of the tab 7, subsequently fastening the lever in the direction that lies opposite to the first end of the covering element 8, which is associated with the second flap 5.
In this manner, both the tab 7 and the first flap 4 are pushed towards the second flap 5, mutually fastening them and providing optimum mutual contact, by virtue of the tab 7 and of said covering element.
The tab 7 thus prevents water or snow from entering the interspace between the first flap and the second flap; the covering element 8 provides an additional protection for the first and second flaps as well as for said tab.
It has thus been observed that the device according to the invention allows to achieve the intended aim and objects, a fastening device having been provided which allows to achieve optimum mutual closure of the flaps of a sports shoe, eliminating any possibility of water infiltration for example during sports practice.
This characteristic is achieved directly during the fastening of the flaps, which occurs very quickly and easily for the user.
Furthermore, the fastening device still allows the user to achieve optimum insertion or removal of the foot in or from the shoe, always with very simple and rapid operations.
The device according to the invention is naturally susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the same inventive concept.
Thus, for example, figure 4 illustrates a fastening device 101 which can be applied at sports shoes such as for example a ski boot 102 which has a quarter or a shell 103 provided with a first flap 104 and with a second flap 105 which mutually overlap.
Again, there is at least one tab 107 which is associated at the first flap 104 by means of suitable first rivets 106.
The tab 107 has, at the surface that does not face the first and second flaps, engagement elements 114 which are constituted by a transverse set of teeth with which a ratchet-like element 118 interacts selectively. The ratchet-like element is transversely pivoted between the wings of a lever 112 which is in turn slidingly associated with said tab 107 by virtue of two guiding plates 119a and 119b which lie on approximately parallel planes at a distance that is approximately equal to the thickness of said tab 107.
The second end 111 of a covering element 108 is associated with the lever 112; the first end 109 of said covering element is associated with the second flap 105 by means of third rivets 117.
This solution, too, allows to achieve the intended aim and objects; the ratchet-like element 118 can be disengaged by means of a suitable release button 120 which can be accessed by the user or can be activated by applying a slight pressure at an overlying deformable region of the lever 112.
The materials and the dimensions that constitute the individual components of the device may of course also be the most pertinent according to the specific requirements.
Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the scope of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

Fastening device, particularly for sports shoes comprising a first flap (4,104) and a second flap (5,105) which mutually overlap, characterized in that at least one flexible tab (7,107) is associated with said first flap and has means for engagement with a lever (12,112), said tab being interposed between said first flap and said second flap and a covering element (9,109) which is associated with said second flap and said lever.
Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least one tab (7,107) is longitudinally extended and is arranged transversely to said first (4,104) and second (5,105) flaps so as to at least partially surround said first and second flaps.
Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least one tab (7,107) is associated, at one end, externally to said first flap by at least one first rivet (6,106), its free end being directed towards said second flap (5,105).
Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least one tab (7,107) protrudes above and externally to said first flap (4,104), its free end being directed towards said second flap (5,105) and surmounting it.
Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said at least one tab (7,107) surmounts at least part of said first (4,104) and second (5,105) flaps and is interposed between said first and second flaps and an overlying covering element (8,108).
Device according to claim 5, characterized in that said covering element (8,108) is arranged transversely to said first (4,104) and second (5,105) flaps and has a first end (9,109) which is associated with said second flap (5,105) by means of at least one second rivets (17,117).
Device according to claim 6, characterized in that said covering element (8,108) has a second end (11,111) which is associated at said underlying lever (12,112).
Device according to claim 7, characterized in that said lever has temporary engagement elements (14) which selectively interact with engagement means (15) provided on said at least one tab (7) at the end that is associated with said first flap or protrudes therefrom.
Device according to claim 8, characterized in that said engagement means are constituted by a rack-like region (15) formed on the surface that lies opposite to said first (4) and second (5) flaps.
Device according to claim 9, characterized in that said engagement elements are constituted by a cross-member (14) which is interposed between the wings (13) that constitute said lever (12).
Device according to claim 9, characterized in that said engagement elements are constituted by a ratchet-like element (118) which can be deactivated by a release button (120) and is transversely associated between the wings of said lever (112).
Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said lever (112) is slidingly associated with said at least one tab (107).