WO2004089144A1

WO2004089144A1 - A device and a method for fastening a strap in a channel

Info

Publication number: WO2004089144A1
Application number: PCT/IB2004/001147
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bjørn KLAVENESS
Original assignee: Klaveness Skofabrikk As
Priority date: 2003-04-10
Filing date: 2004-03-25
Publication date: 2004-10-21
Also published as: SE526479C2; SE0301067D0; SE0301067L

Abstract

A device and a method for adjusting an anchoring position of a strap (6) within and along a channel (20). The strap (6) extends through the channel (20). A first main area of the strap (6), in the anchoring area (61) of the strap, is provided with one part (10) of a velcro joint (10, 25). The channel (20) is on the one of its sides that faces said first part (10) of the joint provided with the second part (25) of the velcro joint. A separating element (40) can temporarily be pushed into the channel between the parts of the velcro joint (10, 25) to separate them och allow displacement of the strip (6) along the channel.

Description

A DEVICE AND A METHOD FOR FASTENING A STRAP IN A CHANNEL

The invention relates to a method for fastening a strap in a channel, wherein the method is of the kind described in the preamble of the appended independent procedure claim.

The invention also relates to a device for fastening a strap in a channel acccording to the preamble of the appended device claim.

Especially in connection with shoes like sandals it is customary, when used in applications such as physical training, to anchore two parts of the upper piece to each other with a strap device. Usually one first part of an end of the strap is firmly attached to a first part of the upper piece and the free part of the strap extends through an eye on a second part of the upper piece and is returned back to (usually overlapping itself) the first part, where the two parts of the strap are detachably anchored to each other with a velcro joint (whose parts are carried by the respective ends of the strap) . Alternatively one part of the joint can be carried by the free end part of the strap and the other part of the joint can be carried by the upper piece in a position beside the firmly attached end of the strap.

Even though the velcro part of the free movable part of the strap extends over a great area of the length of strap, there are problems concerning adjusting the effective length of the velcro joint of the strap to different types of feet. The problem among others relates to the fact that the total length of the two parts of the velcro joint needs to be relatively large and that the excess length usually becomes very long for the free end part of the strap that extends past the position where the velcro part is attached to the upper pie- ce, for all feet sizes that are smaller than the expected largest foot for the shoe length in question. The object of the invention therefore relates to an adjustable anchoring of the first end of the strap along a fixing channel. Thus when the invention is applied to a sandal the fixing channel can be established on said one part of the up- per piece.

It shall be noted that the invention not necessarily shall be restricted to be used together with shoes.

The object will be achieved with the invention.

The invention is defined in the appended independent method claim.

The invention is also defined in the appended independent device claim.

Embodiments of the invention are defined in the appended dependent claims .

The invention can also be defined as a system, i.e. a combination of the method, the joint and an element or a tool to establish and possibly loosen the joint. The invention also relates to the element that can be used together with the de- vice, the method or the system.

According to the invention there is offered a flexible long strap and a channel for the strap, wherein the strap extends through and within the channel which has a form and a size corresponding to the cross section of the strap. One main area of the strap is in the joint area of the strap provided with one part (for instance the burred part) of a velcro joint. The channel is provided with the other part (for example the looped part) of the velcro joint on the area facing the strap. A separating element is provided to be inserted under the strap in the channel to prevent the contact between the parts of the velcro joint. The separating element may consist of a flexible elastic oblong bladelike thin element, the width of which corresponds to the width of the channel och whose thickness is small to make it possible to thread, or puch it, it into the channel together with the strap. On one main surface at one of its end, the separating element can carry a friction covering which detachable cooperate with the velcro joint of the strap .

The separating element is preferably designed to be pushed into the channel to open up the velcro tape, wherein the separating element preferably exhibits smooth main surfaces. When the separating element is introduced this way, the strap can be displaced along the channel to the desired position, after which the separating element is withdrawn and the connection between the strip and the chanel is re-established. Because the small clearance between the strap and the channel, the velcro joint between the strap and the channel becomes extremely durable. Yet the fastening of the strap in the channel can be corrected afterwards; alternatively the strap can be exchanged.

The invention will, among other things, be used for shoes like sandals and the like. The invention is especially fa- vourable when the second part of the strap shall be anchored with an openable velcro joint on, or adjacent to, the channel, especially when the other end of the strap are provided with a largened grip element with a belonging velcro joint with relatively small length, that shall cooperate with a velcro joint that for example is situated on the outer side of the channel and also har a relatively small length.

The invention will now be described by way of examples, with reference to the accompanying Figures .

Fig 1 A shows schematically a longitudinal part view of a sandal with an adjustable strap lock according to the invention for adjusting the distance between two upper parts of a sandal .

Fig 1 B shows a perspective view of the object in Fig. 1 A. Fig 2 shows schematically a section taken along line

II-II in Fig 1.

Fig 3 shows schematically a section taken along line III-III in Fig 1.

Fig 4 and 5 show a tool for establishing or separat- ing the velcro tape according to Fig 2.

Fig 6 shows schematically a section taken along line VI-VI in Fig 5.

Fig 7 illustrates use of the tool for establishing the unit according to Fig 2. Fig 8 illustrates use of the tool for separating the forband according to Fig 2.

Fig 9 illustrates adjusting of a joint accordning to Fig 2 during utilization of the tool.

Fig 1 A och B shows a longitudinal view of the upper side of a sandal 1 which comprises a sole 2 and upper pieces 3 and 4 respectively along their side edges of the sole 2. The pieces 3, 4 are detachably joined together with a joint 5 which comprises a strap 6 whose first end part 61 is attached to the piece 4 and extends through and around a deflection escutcheon 8 on piece 3 and back over piece 61, where the other end part 62 is formed as a gripping tongue.

Fig 2 och 3 show that the strap 6 along a large part of its length from its end 61 carries one part 10 of a velcro joint. The part 10 is preferably the burred part of the velcro tape. The end part 61 of the strap extends through a channel 20 formed of the upper piece 4 och a piece of a band 22 attached to the upper piece 4 in the longitudinal direction of the strap 6 with seams parallel with respective long edge of the band 22. The band 22 carries on the side that faces the piece 4 the part 25 of a velcro joint which cooperates with the adjacent part 10 of the joint on the strap 6. The band 22 has on its opposite side one part 30 of a velcro joint, for example the burred part of a velcro joint 30 that co-operates with a corresponding joint part 35 on the end part 62 of the strap 6. Thus the band 22 can carry burred parts 25, 30 on both its main surfaces.

It can be seen from Fig 3 that the channel 20 has a free run- through area that substantially corresponds to the cross section of the strap 6. The band 22 has a certain limited elas- ticity och co-operates in keeping the velcro parts 10, 25 engaged to each other.

Fig 3 to 6 show a tool used as a separating element 40. The separating element 40 is thin, formed like a blade and is flexible and has a width that substantially corresponds to the inner free width of the channel. One main surface 41 of the element is at the bands bevelled 42 against the opposite main surface '43 of the element, at least at one of the ends 45 of the element 40. At its other end part 46 the element 40, on the main surface 43, carries a friction covering 47 which preferably can be shaped as a burred part of a velcro joint. Preferably the element 41 is rounded at both its ends 45, 46. As an alternativ to the depicted separating element 40, which preferably is supplied together with the joint or the product with the joint, one can use another easily accessible object, for example a lead pencil at least when the strap can be pulled in the desired direction along the channel .

In Fig 7, which shows a section across the channel 20 approximately along the section line II-II in Fig 1, one can see that the elementet 40 is placed along the part 61 of the strap 6 with the main surface 43, and thereby the friction covering 47, facing the part 10 of the joint of the strap 6, whereby the end 46 of the tool 40 is situated at the end 60 of the strap 6 and whereby the friction covering 47 engages the part 10 of the joint. The upper side of the upper piece 4, which faces the inner of the channel 20 is smooth and the adjacent surface 67 of the strap 6 is also smooth.

Since the main surface 41 of the element 40 which faces the part 25 of the joint of the band 22 also is smooth, it is obvious that the aggregate of the element 40 och the end part 61 of the strap 6 kan be pushed into and along the channel 20 with the end 46 of the element 40 at the front. When the end 46 with the friction cover 47 has been completely pushed through the channel 20 the joint part 10 of the strap 6 can be separated from the covering 47, whereafter the element 40 can be withdrawn from the channel 20, while the end part 61 remains therein, at which point the velcro parts 10, 25 en- gage each other. Thanks to the relatively small clearance between the strap 6 and the the channel 20 och possibly also the elasticity of the band 22, the joint 10, 25 becomes especially durable.

If one wishes to change the position of the part 61 of the strap in the channel 20, the element 40 kan be pushed into the channel between the jonit parts 10, 25 and they will separate. This pushing will be facilitated of the bevelling 42 and the rounding of the front end 45. When the element 40 is completely extended through the channel, the strap 6 can be displaced along the channel, for example be retracted, to the desired position, whereafter the separating element 40 also retracts so that the joint 10, 25 is re-established. Correspondingly also the strap 6 can be exchanged.

By means of the invention the strap 6 can be supplied relatively long, whereafter the end part 61 will be mounted in the channel 20 in a selected longitudinal position. Preferably so that the other end part 62 of the strap with the joint 35 will be in the correct longitudinal position with its cooperating joint 30 on the upper piece 4. The joint 30 may, as is previously indicated, be attached onto the channel 20. The end part of the strap 6 that extends from the channel 20 can of course be cut off if desired, when the end 61 of the strap is anchored in the channel 20 in the correct longitudinal position.

Claims

1. A device for adjusting an anchoring position of a strap (6) within and along a channel (20) , wherein the strap (6) extends through the channel (20) , characterised in that a first main surface of the strap (6) in the anchoring area (61) of the strap is provided with one part (10) of a velcro joint (10, 25), and that the channel (20) on the one of its sides that faces said first part (10) of the joint, is pro- vided with the second part (25) of the joint and that a separating element (40) temporarily can be pushed into the channel between the parts of the velcro joint (10, 25) to separate them and allow displacement of the strap (6) along the channel (20) .

2. A device according to claim 1, characterised in that the separating element (40) is supplied with the device, and that the the separating element (40) comprises a flexible, elastic, oblong, thin element, the width of which substan- tially corresponds to the width of the channel (20) , so that the separating element can be threaded through the channel (20), between the co-operating strap and channel parts (10, 25) of the velcro joint.

3. A device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that a first main surface of the separating element (40) at one end (46) of the element has a friction covering (47) which displaceably can co-operate with the jointing part (10) of the strap (6) .

4. A device according to claim 3, characterised in that the friction covering (47) is arranged to displaceably fasten to the jointing part (10) of the strap (6) .

5. A device according to any of claims 2 to 4, characterised in that the edge of the element is bevelled between its main areas (41, 43) at least at the ends (45, 46) of the element .

6. A device according to any of claims 2 to 5, characterised in that at least that end (45) of the element that is situated opposite the end (46) covered with the friction covering (47), is rounded in the surface plane of the element.

7. A device according to any of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that one main surface of the channel (20) is formed of a part of an upper piece (4) of a shoe, that the second main surface of the channel is formed of a band (22) , the side of which that faces the inner of the channel carries the joint part (25) of the velcro that cooperates with the joint part (10) of the strap (6) , and that the strap at its other end part (62) has one part (35) of a velcro (35, 30), which can cooperate with the other part (30) of the velcro that is arranged on the upper piece (10) .

8. A device according to claim 7, characterised in that the channel band (22) on its outer side carries the joint part (30) of the velcro that co-operates with the correspon- ding joint part (35) on the other end (62) of the strap (6) .

9. A method for adjustably fastening a strap (6), which extends through and along a channel (20) , wherein the channel comprises two substantially parallel main surfaces and where- in the one main channel surface that faces the interior of the channel, and the one main surface of the strap extending through the channel that faces said one main channel surface are provided with respective parts (10, 25) of a velcro joint, characterised in that a separating element (40) is pu- shed into the channel between the joint part of the strap (6) and the joint part of the channel whereby the the strap (6) can be longitudinally displaced under sliding against an adjacent channel wall.

10. A method according to claim 9, characterised in that one main surface (43) of the separating element at one end (46) of the separating element carries a friction covering (40) for detachable engaging the joint part (10) of the strap (6) so that the end part of the strap (6) is accompanying the separating element (40) at its threading through the channel (20) .

11. A method according to claim 10, characterised in that after the threading of the end (61) of the strap through the channel (20) , the friction cover (47) on the element (40) is detached from the joint part (10) of the strap (6) to allow the strap to be displaced to the desired position along the channel .

12. A method according to any of claims 9 to 11, characterised in that the tool (40) is threaded in between the cooperating joint parts of the channel and the strap in order to release the joint to adjust the position of the strap (6) along the channel or take out the strap (6) from the channel.