EP0682483B1 - Central closing device for shoes - Google Patents

Abstract

PCT No. PCT/DE93/01251 Sec. 371 Date Jul. 25, 1995 Sec. 102(e) Date Jul. 25, 1995 PCT Filed Dec. 27, 1993 PCT Pub. No. WO94/17686 PCT Pub. Date Aug. 18, 1994The object of the invention is to improve a central closing device for shoes with a rotationally supported cord disc for at least one cord-type tensioning member for closing the shoe in such a way that the number of rotations of the cord disci is limited without any increasing the space required. This object is achieved by the fact that both the cord disc (3) and a stationary member (1 or 41) each have mutually-cooperating tooth profiles (41a, 42a or 41b, 42b) having the same tooth pitch but of different diameters. Located in the intermediate space (49) created due to the different diameters of the tooth profiles (41a, 42a or 41b, 42b) is an idling pinion (43) of the same pitch, which meshes with the two tooth profiles (41a, 42a or 41b, 42b). At least one stop (46, 46') is provided to limit the travel of the idling pinion (43).

Description

The present invention relates to a central closure for shoes according to the preamble of claim 1.

Such a central lock designed as a rotary lock is known from EP-0 393 380 B1. The limitation of the number of revolutions of the sheave to a little less than two full revolutions is there due to the application of the traction sheave principle. One drag pulley is formed by the rope pulley. This has a driver which, after about one revolution, can strike a rotatable arm, which embodies the second drag disc, and which can strike a housing edge with a stop projection. Small structural dimensions are desirable, even if a long cable route is necessary to close the shoe.

In this known device, the diameter of the rope sheave must be chosen according to the rope path and the possible, not quite two complete turns of the rope sheave. For large rope routes, the diameter of the rope sheave should therefore be chosen accordingly. In this known device, the freedom to choose the dimensions of this device is therefore greatly restricted.

On the other hand, the number of revolutions of the rope sheave could be increased by using additional drag disks, so that a larger rope path could be managed by increasing the number of turns on the rope sheave. However, this would require a larger construction volume corresponding to the thickness of the additional drag disks.

EP-A-255 869 discloses a twist lock for a sports shoe, in particular a ski boot, in which the range of rotation of the rope pulley driven by a planetary gear is limited. For this purpose, a not-closed circular groove in the housing base is provided for the limitation in a rotation range of not quite 360 °, in which a nipple engages. In order to enable a larger, for example 1.5 times, rotation, a corresponding 1.5-turn spiral groove is provided in the housing base, in which the nipple engages. In order to be able to follow the spiral, the nipple in the sheave is held to be movable to a limited extent in the radial direction. For rotation ranges equal to or greater than one revolution, a relatively thick housing base must therefore be used in order to be able to produce the groove sufficiently deep, and a guide for the nipple must be able to be incorporated in the sheave.

The object of the present invention is to achieve a central lock of the type mentioned at the beginning, ie with a limitation of the number of revolutions of the rope sheave, to improve so that an increase in the number of revolutions of the rope sheave to be limited is made possible without increasing the construction volume.

This object is achieved with the features of claim 1.

Due to the limitation of the number of revolutions of the sheave based on the principle of the planetary drive, the choice of the transmission ratio of the transmission and the arrangement of the stop (s) make it possible in a simple manner to make the number of revolutions of the sheave relatively large regardless of the external dimensions Ranges, for example in a ratio between 2: 1 to 10: 1. Thus, by changing, for example increasing the diameter of the toothing of the sheave and corresponding changes, for example reducing the diameter of the free-running gear, a predetermined central lock can be produced with gear ratios adapted to the respective intended use, without any other structural changes being necessary.

Further advantageous details of the invention are specified in the subclaims.

Fig. 1

eine Seitenansicht eines erfindungsgemäßen Zentralverschlusses in einem Schnitt durch die Zentralachse (Querschnitt),

Fig. 2 bis 4

je eine Ansicht gemäß dem Schnitt I-I der Fig. 1 in jeweils einer anderen Einstellage mit einem Zahntrieb, bei dem die Zahnung des unbeweglichen Teils den größeren Durchmesser aufweist und die

Fig. 5 bis 7

je eine Ansicht gemäß dem Schnitt I-I der Fig. 1 in jeweils einer anderen Einstellage mit einem Zahntrieb, bei dem die Zahnung des unbeweglichen Teils den kleineren Durchmesser aufweist.

The invention is described in more detail below with reference to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawing. Show it:

Fig. 1

a side view of a central lock according to the invention in a section through the central axis (cross section),

2 to 4

a view according to section II of FIG. 1 in a different setting position with a pinion, in which the toothing of the immovable part has the larger diameter and the

5 to 7

a view according to section II of FIG. 1 in a different setting position with a pinion, in which the toothing of the immovable part has the smaller diameter.

In Fig. 1 is a central closure for shoes, especially for sports, leisure or rehabilitation shoes, from the side in cross section - i.e. in a section through the central axis - shown, which has a housing part 1 formed as a flat housing shell with a circular recess 2 for receiving a rope pulley 3. The rope sheave 3 can be driven via a gear mechanism which is provided between the rope sheave 3 and an externally actuatable rotary member 33 or another actuating member, for example a lever or lever system.

A transmission is preferably used, as described in the older patent DE 42 40 916 C1 of December 4, 1992. However, the present embodiment according to the invention is not limited to the combination with this type of transmission.

Between the sheave 3 and the bottom 8 of the housing part 1, a flat, disk-shaped cavity 40 is provided, into which an axial extension of the sheave 3 formed as a pinion 41 with teeth 41a projects. The vertical housing inner wall of the cavity 40 is provided with a circular toothing 42a in the form of an internal ring gear 42. In the space 49 formed between the pinion 41 and the toothing 42a of the internal ring gear 42, a gear 43 meshing with these two gear parts 41, 42 is arranged with the same module as the other two gear parts 41, 42 and through the underside 44 of the pulley 3 and the inner bottom surface 45 of the bottom 8 guided freely.

Provided in the cavity 40 at one point is a stop 46, for example a pin molded onto or inserted into the base 8, which protrudes into the circular path on which the gear 43 rotates and thus limits its range of motion in both directions of rotation.

Through these measures, the number of revolutions of the rope pulley 3 is predetermined or calculable in accordance with the gear ratio of the gear comprising pinion 41, internal ring gear 42 or toothing 42a and gear 43 as well as the arrangement of the stop 46 and can therefore be adapted to the given requirements. By selecting the pitch circle diameter of the pinion 41 and the gear 43 and / or according to the length of the circular path blocked by the stop 46 for the gear 43, it is possible to determine the number of revolutions of the rope pulley 3 or to adapt it to specific requirements.

The pitch circle diameter of the pinion 41 or the gear 43 corresponds to the product of the module (measured for example in "mm") and the number of teeth.

The transmission according to the invention, intended to limit the number of revolutions of the rope pulley 3, is in principle a planetary gear, the pinion 41 forming the sun gear and the freewheeling gear 43 forming the planet gear.

The operation of the arrangement according to the invention for limiting the number of revolutions of the rope sheave 3 is as follows:

If the pinion 41 is rotated counterclockwise from the setting shown in FIG. 2, the gear 43 is driven clockwise and it moves counterclockwise on a circular path.

von 5 hat sich hierbei das Zahnrad 43 um 36° weiterbewegt.Fig. 3 shows the position of the transmission after rotation of the pinion 41 by 180 °. Corresponding to the number of teeth shown of 14 for the pinion 41 and of 56 teeth of the teeth 42a of the internal ring gear 42 and the resulting transmission ratio: $$\text{Ü = 1 +}\frac{\text{Number of teeth outer wheel}}{\text{Number of teeth inner wheel}}$$

of 5 the gear 43 has moved further by 36 °.

When the pinion 41 continues to rotate, the gear 43 finally comes to the stop 46 after four full rotations, as shown in FIG. 4. The gear 43 has moved 288 ° on its circular path. As can easily be seen, the range of motion of the gear 43 can be further limited in a simple manner by as shown in dashed lines in FIGS. 2 to 4, a second stop 46 'is provided. For this purpose, several plug openings can be present in the bottom 8 of the housing part 1 at different angular distances from one another, into which, depending on the desired limitation of the number of revolutions of the sheave 3, further pins 46 'can be inserted. Instead of two stops 46, 46 ', it is also possible to provide only one stop which extends over a desired angular range to be blocked, or a plurality of such stops are attached. In this way, by selecting the stops 46, 46 ', etc., a large range of possible rotation speeds of the pulley 3 can be set without changing the dimensions of the gear comprising the pinion 41, the internal ring gear 42 and the gear 43.

In the exemplary embodiment of a limiting gear for the number of revolutions of the rope pulley 3 shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the pinion 41 is arranged in a fixed manner, for example by a part of the housing part 1 itself or non-rotatably attached to it. The gear 43 is driven via the toothing 42b provided on the rope pulley 3 in the form of an internal ring gear 42. However, the toothing 42b is not completely formed here and the non-toothed section 48 (FIG. 6) which has an inwardly projecting web 47 forms the stop 46 for limiting the path of the gear 43.

In this embodiment, if the rope pulley 3 is rotated counterclockwise via the rotary member 33 according to FIG. 5, the gear 43 is also rotated counterclockwise and at the same time also moves in the same direction on its circular path around the pinion 41.

von 4 durch 42 Zähne der Zahnung 42b und 14 Zähne des Zahnritzels 41 ist hierbei der relative Weg des Zahnritzels 41 zur Seilscheibe 3 genau 45°, d.h. eine Umdrehung der Seilscheibe 3 entspricht der Weiterbewegung um den relativen Weg von 90°.After half a turn of the sheave 3, the setting shown in FIG. 6 is reached. With the gear ratio chosen here $$\text{Ü = 1 +}\frac{\text{Number of teeth outer wheel}\hfill }{\text{Number of teeth internal gear}\hfill }$$

of 4 by 42 teeth of the toothing 42b and 14 teeth of the pinion 41, the relative path of the pinion 41 to the sheave 3 is exactly 45 °, ie one revolution of the sheave 3 corresponds to the further movement by the relative path of 90 °.

After three full rotations of the sheave 3, the end position shown in FIG. 7 is reached. The size of the section 48 corresponds here to the blocking of a complete revolution of the rope sheave 3. The relative path from the pinion 41 to the rope sheave 3 reaches 270 ° here.

With the invention, the desired number of revolutions of the rope sheave 3 can thus be set to, for example, two to ten revolutions without increasing the overall volume of the central lock, which is achieved by inserting or providing stops 46, 46 'or the like and / or by changing the diameter of Pinion 41 and toothing 42a or 42b of the internal ring gear 42 is made possible with a corresponding adjustment of the gear 43.

The two embodiment variants of the invention, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 on the one hand and in FIGS. 5 to 7 on the other hand, are characterized in that at least one tooth groove of the toothing 42a of the immovable Part of the housing part 1 - or the toothing 42b of the movable part - rope pulley 3 - is closed or not, or at least not completely, as a tooth groove.

Claims (7)

1. A central closure for footwear, with a rotatably supported pulley for at least one cordlike tension member for closing the footwear, the pulley being coupled through a gear to an actuator member and able to be driven by the latter, the number of revolutions of the pulley being limited by a stop, characterized in that
   both the pulley (3) and an immovable part (1 or 41) exhibit sets of teeth (41a, 42a or 41b, 42b) of equal modulus but of different diameters, arranged coaxially and in operative connection with one another, that in the gap (49) determined by the different diameters of the sets of teeth (41a, 42a or 41b, 42b) a gearwheel (43) of equal modulus is arranged as an idler meshing with both sets of teeth (41a, 42a or 41b, 42b), and that in the gap (49) at least one stop (46, 46' or 47) is provided, which limits the run of the idler gearwheel (43).
2. A central closure as in Claim 1, characterized in that
      the stop (46) consists or the stops (46, 46') consist of one insert part or of insert parts.
3. A central closure as in Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that
      the set of teeth (42a) on the immovable part (housing part 1) or the set of teeth (42b) on the movable part (pulley 3) exhibits in at least one section (48) no cut tooth or teeth or - caused by the stops (46, 46') - a cut tooth or cut teeth incompletely formed.
4. A central closure as in one of the Claims 1 to 3, characterized
      in that the set of teeth (41a or 42b) associated with the pulley (3) form with it one structural unit.
5. A central closure as in Claim 4, characterized in that
      the set of teeth (41a or 42b) and the pulley (3) consist of one homogeneous body, in particular of an injection-moulded plastics part.
6. A central closure as in Claim 1, characterized in that
      the set of teeth (42a) on the immovable part (housing part 1) exhibits a greater diameter than the set of teeth (41a) on the movable part (pulley 3).
7. A central closure as in Claim 1, characterized in that
      the set of teeth (42b) on the movable part (pulley 3) exhibits a greater diameter than the set of teeth (41b) on the immovable part (41).

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