JP2003250604A - Lace shoes - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve lace shoes so that pressure can be independently adjusted in different areas of footwear, more specifically, the front area and top side/shin area of a foot even in use of a single lace. <P>SOLUTION: In the lace shoe provided with the lace 9, the lace is guided by guide elements provided on opposed flaps 6 and 7 of the footwear. The footwear comprises a spacer provided between the flaps 6 and 7. The spacer acts as a stopper for limiting the clearance between the flaps. According to such a structure, the tensions for fastening various parts 2, 3 and 4 of the footwear can be independently limited. The spacer is desirably formed of a coil spring 22, and the lace 9 is partially passed through its inner part, or grasped thereby. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a knitted shoe according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Knitted shoes of this type are known from US Pat.

As can be deduced from the above-mentioned two patent documents, knitted shoes, more specifically knitted boots such as snowboard boots, inline skate boots, hiking boots, mountaineering boots, etc. Can be tightened. The laces, which are fastened at both ends by sewing, pressing or clamping, are fastened through several guiding elements, for example eyelets, which are attached to two opposite flaps of the boot.

An important advantage of knitted shoes is that the pressure exerted by the shoe on the foot is relatively evenly distributed, yet soft and pliable.

However, for certain embodiments, this very uniform pressure distribution may not be desired. For example, in the case of snowboard boots, where relatively high pressure is desired on the shin and instep, the toe area is guaranteed to ensure toe mobility and to avoid tightening the anterior area of the foot. Is preferably loosely tightened. For this purpose, US Pat. No. 6,037,049 proposes a plurality of split shoelaces or shoelaces which allow different areas of the shoe to be operated and adjusted separately. However, this is cumbersome to handle.

[0006]

[Patent Document 1] US Pat. No. 5,934,999

[Patent Document 2] German Utility Model No. 29814659.2.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide the above-described knitted shoe with different areas of footwear, and more particularly on the front side of the foot, even when using a single lace. It is to improve so that the pressure can be adjusted individually in the area and the instep / shin area.

[0008]

This object is solved by the features of claim 1. Advantageous developments and improvements of the invention can be inferred from the dependent claims.

The basic essence of the invention is to provide a spacer placed between the flaps of the footwear which are pulled towards each other by the laces, the spacer being a stop for keeping the minimum distance between the flaps. Act as a child.
These spacers preferably surround a portion of the shoelace, and more particularly are sleeve-like elements through which the shoelace penetrates or is gripped by the spacer. When the laces are tightened, the opposing flaps are pulled towards each other until the sleeve acts as a stop for the flaps. Therefore, by adjusting the length of these sleeves, it is possible to adjust the strength of tightening with the lace.

Since the sleeve-like elements are held by a portion of the lace and the laces are under tensile stress, the buckling strength of the sleeve-like elements is guaranteed, so that they are elastic against pressure. Various structural designs may be considered for the sleeve-like element. They are explained in more detail in the description below.

The present invention will be explained in more detail by the description of the embodiments of the invention corresponding to the drawings.

[0012]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS First, FIG. 1 will be described. Footwear is designated by reference numeral 1 throughout this specification. The footwear 1 includes a forefoot part 2, an instep part 3, a shin part 4, and a sole 5. In the upper part of the footwear 1, the body of the footwear 1 comprises two flaps 6 and 7, with a tongue 8 between them. The two flaps 6 and 7 are pulled towards each other by a lace 9. Here, the lace 9 is guided and deflected along a guide element 10 located above the edges of the flaps 6 and 7. The shoe laces are located in the gap between the two flaps 6 and 7.
Here, the method of tightening the shoelaces is not limited to the method of tightening the shoelaces shown in FIG. 1 so as to intersect in the gap, and all known methods of tightening can be considered. In the example shown, the laces 9 are led to the intersection points in the additional guide element 11. The guide element 11 may be a sleeve-like object with intersecting holes through which the laces are threaded. In this context, it is understood that "shoe laces" means all the elements that pull things, that is, not only conventional woven laces, plastic laces, but also wire and leather laces. I will mention it.

A fixing device 12 is provided on the shin 4 at the upper end of the tongue 8 for fixing the laces. The fixation device 12 can be manufactured by any known method, for example, the prior art described above.

When lacing a conventional boot with a fixation device on the upper part of the shin, the tensile force transmitted to the lace is transmitted to the end of the shin and due to the friction in the guide element 10 it is lowered. That is, it decreases in the direction of the front foot part 2. Thus, normally, when the laces are tightened, the shin 4 is tightened more as compared to the area located further "below". This is exactly what is desired in snowboard boots. However, in subsequent use, if the rider of the snowboard bends forward, the pulling forces by the laces will be stronger than the frictional forces in the guide elements 10, so that the laces 9 are separated within the individual guide elements 10. It slides and therefore the tightening force of the string is looser in the upper areas (3, 4) and tighter in the lower areas (2). The initially adjusted tightening is no longer the "desired state" and is referred to as the above mentioned conditions, namely tight tightening in the area of the forefoot 2 and looser tightening in the area of the instep 3 and the shin 4. The state appears. In order to avoid this, the present invention contemplates the use of a sleeve-like element (hereinafter sleeve 13). The sleeve 13 is located between the flaps 6 and 7 facing the shoelace 9 and acts as a stop which limits the movement of the flaps 6 and 7 towards each other. Depending on how the laces are tightened, i.e. on the guide elements 11 of the lace 9, these sleeves 13 also move in the longitudinal or diagonal direction of the shoe. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, a particular depiction of a sleeve 13 in the form of a spacer extending transversely to the anterior-posterior axis of the shoe is shown in the region of the forefoot 2. In the upper part 3, four sleeves 13 are provided where two guide elements 11 are provided at the intersection points, one end of each sleeve 13 abutting the flaps 6 and 7 and the other end abutting the guide element 11. In the shin 4, two sleeves 13 are provided in series, each sleeve 13 being located between the flap 6 or 7 and the fixation device 12.

When the shoelace 9 is pulled tight, the sleeve 1
When the individual gaps between the flaps 6 and 7 determined by the length of 3 occur, the sleeve immediately acts as a stop, preventing the flaps from pulling further together. Since the lace 9 is in tension when in the tied state, the lace 9 at the same time forms a guide for the sleeve 13. As a result, the sleeve 13 does not bend or buckle under a considerably large pressure, and is elastic with respect to pressure, although it has a relatively low rigidity characteristic.

Another advantage of the sleeve 13 is that the laces do not rub in the area of the tongue 8 but rather slide through the sleeve 13. The sleeve 13 is formed of a low friction material such as plastic. Furthermore, at the intersection of the guide elements 11, the two laces that intersect do not rub against each other, nor the tongue 8.

2 to 5 show different embodiments of the sleeve 13.

In FIG. 2, the sleeve 13 is an integral cylindrical tube, and the shoelace 9 passes through the tube. The sleeve 13 has a notch 1 extending in the axial direction.
6. A plurality of notches 16 ′ extending in the outer peripheral direction are provided, and a plurality of segments 15 are formed in the gap. To adjust the length of the sleeve 13, the user can remove multiple segments 15 by cutting the sleeve 13 over the corresponding incisions and removing the individual segments 15.

In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the sleeve 13 has two
It is a two-part long object consisting of two half sleeves 17 and 18, which are connected to each other by fasteners 24, 25. For example, as shown in FIG. 3 (b), the fastener comprises a tail-shaped pin 26 and a corresponding tail-shaped recess 28 on the other half sleeve to allow elastic deformation. A vertical slit 27 is formed on the pin 26 so that
Are introduced into the recess 28, where they are automatically fastened. Therefore, the user can hold the sleeve on the shoelace 9 and pass the shoelace therethrough without taking out the entire shoelace.

Next, in the embodiment of FIG. 4, the sleeve consists of an integral tubular body 19 in series. Cylindrical element 20 with fan-shaped openings 21 for adjusting the length
Is used. The element 20 can grasp and remove the lace 9.

In the embodiment of FIG. 5, the sleeve 13 comprises a helical spring 22. The length can be adjusted to a desired length by shortening (that is, cutting) the sleeve 13 to a desired length.

In the embodiment of FIG. 6, the sleeve 13 is a perforated plate 613, through which the laces 9 pass and which are placed parallel to the laces 9. In the area where the laces are arranged in series between the opposing flaps 6 and 7, the fixing device 29 for the perforated plate 613 is attached to the tongue 8 or is formed integrally with the tongue 8. In the embodiment of FIG. 6 (b), the fixing device 29 is a jagged bar. There, the distance between the adjacent protrusions of the jagged edge is determined by the perforated plate 61.
This corresponds to a width of 3. In this way, the user can position the perforated plate 613 very easily and quickly. When tightening the lace 9, the perforated plate 613 remains in place and is used as a stop for the flaps 6 and 7. In the embodiment of FIG. 6, the fixing device 29
Is shown as a continuous element that extends completely over the tongue 8 in the area between the two flaps 6 and 7. Obviously, it is also possible to install a shorter fastening device 29 only in the area of the flaps 6 and 7.

As another embodiment, in the embodiment of FIG. 6 (c), the fixing device 29 is a rod having a hole 31. The perforated plate 613 has a pin 30 at its lower part,
By inserting 0 into the corresponding hole 31, the perforated plate 61
3 is fixed to the fixing device 29.

If the tongue 8 is formed of a plastic that absorbs a corresponding force, or is provided with a plastic coating, a corresponding knurling or perforation is provided on the surface of the tongue to provide a knurled rod or hole. The fixing device 29, which is a bar that is pierced, can be formed integrally with the tongue 8. The only important feature in this embodiment is that the perforated plate 613 is fixed on the tongue 8 by positively locking in the direction along the lace.
It acts as a stop for the flaps 6 and 7 when the boot is laced.

In the embodiment of FIG. 7, spacer 13 is a threaded sleeve with outer threads 13a and 13b. The sleeve is formed by left-handed and right-handed screws, depending on the variant. The threaded sleeve 13 is hollow so that the laces 9 can pass through. The threaded sleeve 13 is
It can be screwed onto insert nuts 729, which attach in series with the boot flaps (6 and 7) through sleeve-like attachment elements 730.

Right-handed screw 13a and left-handed screw 13b
7, the insert nut 729 may be non-rotatably attached to the flap of the boot and is designed, for example, integrally with the attachment element 730. In other words, if the function of the attachment element 730 is replaced by the insert nut 729, the attachment element 730 can be omitted. In this case, a polygonal plane 731 is formed in the central part of the threaded sleeve 13, in which region the threaded sleeve can be turned manually or by means of a spanner.
By turning the threaded sleeve, the threaded sleeve is threaded into and out of the insert nut 729, which allows the distance between both insert nuts 729 to be adjusted.

In another variation of this embodiment, the insert nut 729 may rotate with respect to the attachment element 730,
As a result, the aforementioned clearance can also be adjusted by fixing the threaded sleeve 13 and turning the insert nut 729. Also, the insert nut 729 may be knurled so that the insert nut can be manually turned. In this case, the support flap 32 is fitted with a threaded sleeve 1 to prevent the threaded sleeve 13 from rotating relative to the boot.
Can be placed on top of three.

In the embodiment of FIG. 8, the spacer 13 comprises two sleeves 13c and 13d, which can be moved so as to telescopically fit into each other. The interiors of the two sleeves are hollow and the laces 9 extend within them. The sleeve 13c can move inside the sleeve 13d. The screw 33 is
The relative positions of the two sleeves 13c and 13d can be fixed. The screw 33 is externally screwed into the threaded hole of the sleeve 13d and the internal sleeve 1
Secure 3c.

In this example, the outer sleeve 13d can also act as the attachment element 730, the outer sleeve 13d being attached directly to the corresponding boot flap.

In the embodiment of FIG. 9, the spacer 13 is formed by two threaded sleeves 13e and 13f. The two sleeves are hollow so that the laces 9 can move through their interior,
The two sleeves can be screwed together. The inner sleeve 13e is externally threaded and the outer sleeve 13f is internally threaded. Therefore, the relative rotation of the two threaded sleeves allows the length of the spacer to be adjusted. Here too, the outer sleeve 13f can simultaneously be provided with an attachment element 730 and a threaded sleeve can be attached to the flap of the boot. Similar to the embodiment of FIG. 7, in the embodiment of FIG. 9, the two threaded sleeves comprise polygonal flat surfaces 731a and 731b,
The sleeve can be gripped by a spanner. Instead of a flat plate, it is possible to provide a hole into which a screwdriver or a stick can be inserted.

In order to reduce the friction between the sleeve and the lace 9, in all embodiments the lace 9 may be provided with a slidable coating 23, for example a plastic sheath.

It will be appreciated that sleeve configurations other than those described may also be considered. Thus, the sleeve may have a square cross section to further improve stiffness and may be provided with axially extending ribs. More specifically, the material of the sleeve may be metal. In the embodiment of FIG. 4, the helical spring 22 may be provided with a coating, for example the known Bowden cable.

[0033]

As is apparent from the above description, even when a single shoelace is used in a knitted shoe, pressure is applied to different regions of the footwear, more specifically, the forefoot and the instep / shin. Improve so that it can be adjusted individually.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a knitted shoe according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sleeve-like spacer which is a part of the knitted shoe in the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 and an enlarged detailed view thereof in the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 according to another embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a part of a knitted shoe with a sleeve-shaped spacer having the shape of a helical spring according to another embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a part of a knitted shoe provided with a perforated plate as a spacer and an enlarged detailed sectional view thereof in another embodiment.

FIG. 7 is another embodiment with a threaded sleeve as spacer.

FIG. 8 is an adjustable spacer in another embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a spacer according to still another embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 footwear 2 forefoot 3 Upper part 4 shin 5 shoe sole 6 flaps 7 flaps 8 Bello 9 shoelaces 10 Guide element 11 Guide element 12 Fixing device 13 Sleeve 13a screw 13b screw 13c sleeve 13d sleeve 13e sleeve 13f sleeve 14 segments 16 notches 16 'notch 17 half sleeve 18 half sleeves 19 Tubular objects 20 elements 21 opening 22 string springs 23 coating 24 Fastener 25 fasteners 26 pin 27 slits 28 recess 29 Fixing device 30 pin 31 holes 32 Support flap 33 screws 613 perforated plate 729 Insert Nut 730 Attachment element 731 plane 731a plane 731b plane

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Mark Elkington             People's Republic of China (Hong Kong SAR), New             -Territories, Twen Mün,               Han Chen Road 3, Stage               3, Tins Center, 16th floor             In Il Pride Limited (72) Inventor Ralph Kohler             Austria, A-6173 over             Barfus, Brassius Hoover We             Gu 4 F-term (reference) 4F050 AA07 MA01

Claims (20)

[Claims] 1. A knitted shoe comprising laces (9) guided along guide elements (10) provided on opposed flaps (6, 7) of footwear (1), said laces (9) Between the flaps (6, 7), said flaps (6, 7)
Knitted shoes, characterized in that a spacer used as a limit stop for the gap between them is installed. 2. Knitted shoe according to claim 1, characterized in that the spacer has the form of a sleeve (13) and is held by a part of the lace (9). 3. Knitted shoe according to claim 2, characterized in that the sleeve (13) surrounds a part of the shoelace (9). 4. The shoe lace (9) is partially penetrated through the inside of the sleeve (13).
Knitted shoes described in. 5. Knitted shoe according to claim 3, characterized in that the sleeve (13) grips a part of the shoelace (9). 6. Knitted shoe according to any of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the sleeve (13) is a tubular object. 7. The sleeve (13) according to claim 6, characterized in that it comprises an axially extending notch (16) and a plurality of circumferentially extending notches (16 ′). Knitting shoes. 8. The sleeves are two half sleeves (17, 1) which are connected to each other by a positive fastening.
8. The knitted shoe according to claim 6, which is composed of 8). 9. The sleeve has a fan-shaped opening (21).
Knitted shoe according to claim 6, characterized in that it comprises an annular element (20) with. 10. Knitted shoe according to any of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the sleeve is a helical spring (22). 11. Knitted shoe according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the shoelace (9) comprises a coating (23) made of a friction-reducing material. 12. The spacer (13) is a perforated plate, and the shoelace (9) penetrates through the perforated plate to prevent the perforated plate (613) from moving along the shoelace. Fixing device (29) for fixing the perforated plate (613)
1 to 5 and 11 characterized in that
Knitted shoes according to any one of. 13. Knitted shoe according to claim 12, characterized in that the fixing device (29) is a jagged bar. 14. The fixing device (29) is a perforated rod with a plurality of holes (31) aligned in a line, the perforated plate inserting a pin () into the holes (31). Three
0) Knitted shoes according to claim 12, characterized in that 15. Knitted shoe according to any of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that the fastening device (29) is formed integrally with the tongue (8) of the footwear. 16. The sleeve (13) is a threaded sleeve with external threads (13a, 13b), the threaded sleeve being screwed into at least one insert nut (729). The knitted shoe according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the insert nut is attached in series on the flap (6, 7) of the footwear. 17. Knitted shoe according to claim 16, characterized in that the insert nuts are provided on both sides of the threaded sleeve (13). 18. The threaded sleeve (13).
Knitted shoe according to claim 17, characterized in that it comprises a left-handed threaded part (13a) and a right-handed threaded part (13b). 19. The spacer (13) is composed of a plurality of portions (13c, 13d), the plurality of portions are moved so as to be telescopically fitted to each other, and a relative position of the plurality of portions is a screw (33). The knitted shoe according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the knitted shoe is secured by 20. The spacer (13) is constituted by two hollow threaded rods (13e, 13f), one of the rods (13e) being externally threaded and another Knitted shoe according to any of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that one (13f) is internally threaded and the outer thread is screwed into the inner thread.