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The present invention relates to a fastening device particularly for sports shoes,
such as for example ski boots.
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It is known to manufacture ski boots that have a first flap and a second flap to be
fastened at the shell and at the quarter articulated thereto.
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The flaps are fastened together by levers arranged transversely to the shell and/or
the quarter so as to fasten the shoe around the metatarsal region of the foot and/or the
lower part of the leg of the user.
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In combination with the use of these levers, it is also known to use at least one
fastening band that is transversely associated with the quarter, preferably at a region
thereof that is arranged at the level of the tibia.
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Such band, usually made of plastics, is provided with a grip means of the type
commonly known by the trademark "Velcro", which provides a coupling produced by
overlapping.
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Such band is therefore arranged around the quarter so as to have a first fixed end
and a second movable end that can be mutually connected by means of a metallic ring,
which is usually made of steel and has an approximately rectangular plan shape.
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In greater detail, the first fixed end of the band is associated with one side of the
metal ring, while the second movable end of the band is inserted at the opposite side
thereof.
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In this manner, the metallic ring allows to guide the second movable end, which
can therefore be pulled by the user toward the region arranged opposite the first fixed
end of the band.
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The guiding of the second end of the band on the ring allows to tension the band
as a consequence of the sliding of a portion thereof at the respective side of the metallic
ring.
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Once the intended fastening has been achieved, the band is locked by
overlapping the second movable end on a respective adjacent portion of the band, so as
to allow their coupling.
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A first drawback that is observed in such conventional type of fastening band is
the fact that the activation of the bands is very troublesome for the user, because the
sliding with respect to the metallic ring is greatly hindered by the friction that occurs
between the parts arranged in mutual contact.
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A further drawback is that the locking of the band is often inaccurate, because
unexpected slippages can occur between the band and the metallic ring.
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A further important drawback is that the band can deteriorate and wear rapidly due
to the friction that hinders the sliding of the band with respect to the metallic ring.
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The aim of the present invention is therefore to solve the drawbacks noted above
and therefore solve the described technical problems by providing a fastening device that
can be used easily and at the same time allows to achieve precise closure of the shoe
around the respective region of the foot or of the lower part of the leg.
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An object is to provide a fastening device that allows to perform rapidly and safely
the guiding and subsequent locking of a band.
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A further object is to provide a fastening device that is reliable over time and is not
subject to deterioration or rapid wear.
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A further object is to provide a device that is structurally simple and has low
manufacturing costs.
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This aim, these objects and others that will become better apparent from the
description that follows are achieved by a fastening device, as claimed in the appended
claims.
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Other objects will become better apparent in the description that follows, which
must be considered together with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate only by
way of non-limitative example a particular embodiment, which is illustrated by way of non-limitative
example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:
- Figures 1 to 3 are side views of a sports shoe provided with a fastening device
according to the invention;
- Figure 4 is a front view of the fastening device according to the preceding figures;
- Figure 5 is a sectional view of the fastening device, taken along the line V-V of
Figure 4;
- Figure 6 is a sectional view of the guiding ring, taken along a longitudinal plane;
- Figure 7 is a sectional view of the guiding ring, taken along the line VII-VII of
Figure 6;
- Figure 8 is a bottom view of the guiding ring according to the preceding figures;
- Figure 9 is a view of a detail of Figure 6.
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With reference to the cited figures, and bearing in mind that they exemplify a
particular embodiment and are in variable scale and that individual reference numerals
designate identical or equivalent parts therein, the reference numeral 1 designates a
sports shoe, such as for example a ski boot, which includes a shell 2 to which a quarter 3
is pivoted approximately at the malleolar region.
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The shell 2 and the quarter 3 have a first flap 4 and a second flap, not shown,
which can be mutually connected for example by partial overlap in the metatarsal and
instep region.
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The fastening of the first flap 4 and of the second flap around the foot and the
lower part of the leg of the user is performed by activating levers, of a per se known type,
each designated by the reference numeral 5, and a fastening device according to the
invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 6.
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The device includes a band 7, made for example of plastics, which has a first male
layer at one surface and a second female layer at the opposite surface, both of the type
commonly known by the trademark "Velcro", so that they can be mutually coupled by
overlapping.
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The band 7 is arranged transversely to the quarter 3, so as to surround the
quarter, for example at the region of the tibia, and has a first fixed end, designated by the
reference numeral 8, and a second movable end, designated by the reference numeral 9.
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The first fixed end 8 of the band 7 is rigidly coupled to the first flap 5 and at the
same time is associated with a ring 10 which is preferably metallic and is allowed to
cooperate with the second movable end 9, so as to allow its guiding.
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In greater detail, the ring 10 has a preferably rectangular shape and is constituted
by a pair of spacer shoulders or linkages, generally designated by the reference numeral
11, that are mutually parallel. A first pivot 12 and a second pivot 13 are associated
transversely, for example by riveting with the ends of the shoulders 11. The pivots are
arranged at a preset distance from each other and approximately at right angles to the
spacer shoulders or linkages 11.
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The first fixed end 8 of the band 7 is associated with the first pivot 12, and a first
means for limiting the friction between the band 7 and the ring 10 is rotatably associated
with the second pivot 13; the means is preferably constituted by a roller 14, which is
arranged coaxially with respect to the second pivot 13 so as to be freely pivoted with
respect to the pivot.
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The roller 14 has a circular annular transverse cross-section and an approximately
I-shaped longitudinal cross-section.
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The roller 14 is provided with a second means, suitable to increase the friction
with the band 7, which is preferably constituted by a plurality of protrusions 15 which
protrude radially and longitudinally with respect to the outer surface 16 of the roller 14.
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Figures 1 to 3 show how it is possible to insert manually the second movable end
9 through the gap between the first pivot 12 and the roller 14, so as to allow, by pulling
manually the second end 9, the subsequent guiding of the end toward the region directed
away from the first fixed end 8.
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Pulling the second movable end 9 toward the region directed opposite with
respect to the first fixed end 8 causes an equal sliding of the band 7 with respect to the
second pivot 13, so as to achieve the intended fastening between the first flap 4 and the
second flap of the quarter 3 due to the tensioning thus received by the band 7.
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The sliding of the band 7 with respect to the second pivot 13 is matched by an
equal rotation of the roller 14 about the pivot 13.
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This is due to the fact that the protrusions 15 of the roller 14 perform an antislip
action for the respective portion of the band 7 that is temporarily rested at the outer
surface 16 of the roller 14, consequently entraining it in rotation.
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The rotation of the roller 14 about the second pivot 13 occurs easily, since the
friction produced between the parts arranged instantaneously in contact is very small, for
example by applying lubricants or by using suitable materials.
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Respective first annular ridges, designated by the reference numeral 17, protrude
radially at the ends of the outer surface 16 of the roller 14, and contain and guide the
band 7 during its sliding with respect to the second pivot 13.
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Second annular ridges 18 protrude axially at the ends of the outer surface 16 of
the roller 14, preferably in a region adjacent to the lateral surface of the second pivot 13,
and are arranged approximately at right angles to the first ridges 17.
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The function of the second annular ridges 18 is to reduce the friction of the roller
14 also in relation to the facing surfaces of the spacer shoulders or linkages 11.
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Once the intended fastening between the first flap 4 and the second flap is
achieved, by overlapping the second movable end 9 on a respective adjacent portion of
the band 7 it is possible to produce the coupling between the female layer and the male
layer thereof, so as to provide the temporary locking of the band 7.
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It has thus been shown that the described solution has achieved the intended aim
and objects, a fastening device having been provided which allows to obtain easily a
precise closure of the corresponding region of the shoe, because the application of the
roller at the second pivot drastically reduces the friction between the band and the ring
and at the same time prevents the sliding and slipping of the band with respect to the ring
once the intended mutual fastening of the first and second flaps has been achieved.
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The roller also allows to avoid or at least reduce drastically the wear of the band,
both by way of the drastic reduction of the friction that occurs between the band and the
ring and because the diametrical dimension of the roller gives the band a larger contact
surface.
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The materials and the shape or the dimensions of the individual components of
the described embodiment may of course vary according to specific requirements.
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The various means for performing certain different functions need not certainly
coexist only in the illustrated embodiment but can be present per se in many
embodiments, including ones that are not illustrated.
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Anything found to be already known during the patenting process is understood
not to be claimed and to be the possible subject of a disclaimer.