[0001] The present invention relates to a sports shoe, such as for example a roller skate
or ice skate.
[0002] Adjustable-size skates are currently commercially available which are usually constituted
by a shell divided into a heel unit and a separate toe unit, which are slidingly associated
along an axis that lies longitudinally to the shoe.
[0003] A supporting frame for an ice-skating blade or for a plurality of wheels is associated
with the heel unit in a downward region.
[0004] The user can insert his foot within a soft innerboot that is accommodated inside
the shell and can then fasten his foot inside the sports shoe by activating closure
means arranged transversely to the shell or transversely to the two flaps of the soft
innerboot.
[0005] Said soft innerboot further has means that are elastically deformable at least in
a longitudinal direction in order to allow an elongation that is equal to the elongation
of the shell.
[0006] The main drawback of this known type of sports shoe is the fact that a selected elongation
of the shell, obtained by sliding the toe unit forward with respect to the heel unit,
is often not matched by an equally effective elongation of the soft innerboot.
[0007] Accordingly, there is the drawback of having available a known type of sports shoe
that can be used comfortably for only part of the size range and not all over the
size range for which the shoe was designed.
[0008] In particular, the elongation of the soft innerboot often must be achieved by inserting
the foot in such innerboot, with consequent user discomfort.
[0009] Another important drawback consists in that due to manufacturing requirements the
shell often does not surround the soft innerboot completely but does so only partially
at the toe and heel.
[0010] Thereby, a further drawback is due to the fact that the exposed parts of the soft
innerboot can be subjected to wear or damage.
[0011] The aim of the present invention is therefore to solve the noted technical problems,
eliminating the drawbacks of the cited known art, by providing a sports shoe of adjustable
size that allows the user to have at his disposal all the sizes planned during design.
[0012] Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a sports shoe that
is comfortable to wear regardless of the preset size.
[0013] Another important object of the present invention is to provide a sports shoe that
allows to protect the soft innerboot against wear and any damage.
[0014] Another object of the present invention is to provide a sports shoe that is structurally
simple and has low manufacturing costs.
[0015] This aim and these and other objects that will become better apparent hereinafter
are achieved by a sports shoe, comprising a semirigid shell divided into a heel unit
and a separate toe unit, which are slidingly associated, and a soft innerboot that
can be accommodated in said shell, characterized in that it comprises means for detachable
interconnection between said soft innerboot and an element for at least partial covering
and/or fastening of said soft innerboot, said element being associated with said toe
unit and protruding therefrom.
[0016] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent
from the detailed description of an embodiment of the sports shoe according to the
present invention, illustrated by way of nonlimiting example in the accompanying drawings,
wherein:
Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of the sports shoe according
to the present invention;
Figures 2 and 3 are two further partially exploded perspective views of the sports
shoe shown in Figure 1.
[0017] In the examples of embodiments that follow, individual characteristics, given in
relation to specific examples, may actually be interchanged with other different characteristics
that exist in other examples of embodiment.
[0018] With reference to the figures, the numeral 1 designates a sports shoe, such as for
example a roller skate, with four wheels 2 arranged in line.
[0019] Said wheels 2 are associated, by way of mechanical means 3 of a known type, with
a supporting frame 4 whose transverse cross-section is arch-shaped, i.e. is like an
inverted U.
[0020] In particular, the wheels 2 are associated between the downward-pointing wings of
the frame 4.
[0021] A box-like heel unit, designated by the reference numeral 5, is associated above
the rear portion of said frame 4 and is open at the front and top.
[0022] At the front of the heel unit 5, the frame 4 has, in an upward region, guides 6 for
the longitudinal sliding of a toe unit 7, from the lower surface of which, not shown,
an edge 7a protrudes laterally and frontally and is designed to contain the foot of
the user.
[0023] The toe unit 7 and the heel unit 5 constitute a shell, generally designated by the
reference numeral 8, that is advantageously made of semirigid material and is adapted
to contain a soft innerboot 9 for accommodating the foot of the user.
[0024] The soft innerboot 9 can be associated with the heel unit 5 advantageously by further
interlocking means.
[0025] For example, such interlocking means are associated laterally with the soft innerboot
9, approximately to the rear of the malleolar region, and comprise at least a pair
of rigid cleats 10, only one of which is shown in the figures.
[0026] Said cleats 10 can be arranged within complementarily shaped openings 11 formed in
the heel unit 5, so as to ensure mutual locking once the foot has been inserted in
the skate.
[0027] The sports shoe 1 further comprises detachable interconnection means, designated
by the reference numeral 12, for interconnection between the soft innerboot 9 and
an element for the at least partial covering and/or fastening of said soft innerboot
9, such as for example a sheath or overshoe 13.
[0028] Said overshoe 13 is associated with the toe unit 7 at its front region and has two
lateral flaps, respectively designated by the reference numerals 14a and 14b, that
protrude to the rear of said toe unit 7 toward the heel unit 5.
[0029] As shown in Figure 3, said pair of flaps 14a and 14b affects or are adapted to enclose
the soft innerboot 9 laterally, interposing itself partially between said innerboot
and the sides of the heel unit 5.
[0030] The connection between the overshoe 13 and the soft innerboot 9 is achieved by way
of said detachable interconnection means 12: in this particular embodiment, shown
merely by way of example, said means 12 are advantageously constituted by a tongue
15 that protrudes from the innerboot 9 approximately proximate to the toe region,
can be arranged through a slot 16 formed transversely in the overshoe 13 and is provided
with engagement means, designated by the reference numerals 17a and 17b, for engagement
with said soft innerboot 9.
[0031] In particular, the engagement means 17a and 17b can be constituted advantageously
for example by a press-stud.
[0032] The overshoe 13, moreover, can comprise fastening means for fastening the shoe 1
around the user's foot, such as for example laces 18 guided between the flaps 14a
and 14b of the overshoe 13.
[0033] Operation of the sports shoe is therefore as follows: with reference to the figures,
when the toe unit is moved forward, the overshoe is forced to follow such movement,
thus applying to the soft innerboot a traction with a point of application located
at the detachable interconnection means.
[0034] In this manner, the elongation of the soft innerboot occurs before foot insertion
and is not due to the insertion of the user's foot.
[0035] It has thus been found that the invention has achieved the intended aim and objects,
a size-adjustable sports shoe having been provided which allows the user to have at
his disposal all the sizes planned during design.
[0036] The sports shoe according to the invention, moreover, is very comfortable regardless
of the preset size, since the soft innerboot is deformed by the necessary extent before
foot insertion.
[0037] Moreover, the overshoe preserves the soft innerboot from wear and any damage, since
it covers the lower part of said innerboot, i.e., the part that is particularly subjected
to contacts with the ground or with other objects.
[0038] The sports shoe, finally, is very simple from the structural standpoint and therefore
has low manufacturing costs.
[0039] The invention is of course susceptible of numerous modifications and variations,
all of which are within the scope of the appended claims.
[0040] The materials used, as well as the dimensions that constitute the individual components
of the invention, may be more pertinent according to specific requirements.
[0041] Various means for performing functions as the ones required by the present invention
and set forth in the illustrated preferred embodiment can be envisaged by those skilled
in the art which are technically equivalent with those herein illustrated.
[0042] The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. TV2002A000153 from which this application
claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.
[0043] 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 interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference
signs.
1. A sports shoe, comprising a semirigid shell (8) divided into a heel unit (5) and a
separate toe unit (7), which are slidingly associated, and a soft innerboot (9) that
can be accommodated in said shell (8), characterized in that it comprises interconnection means (12) for detachable interconnection between said
soft innerboot (9) and an element (13) for at least partial covering and/or fastening
of said soft innerboot, said element (13) being associated with said toe unit (7)
and protruding therefrom.
2. The sports shoe according to claim 1, characterized in that said element for covering and/or fastening said soft innerboot (9) comprises a sheath
or overshoe (13) that is associated with said toe unit (7) at its front region.
3. The sports shoe according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that said element (13) for covering and/or fastening said soft innerboot (9) comprises
two lateral flaps (14a, 14b) that protrude to the rear of said toe unit and so as
to be arranged laterally to said soft innerboot (9), by partial interposition between
said soft innerboot (9) and the sides of said heel unit (5).
4. The sports shoe according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said interconnection means (12) for detachable interconnection between said covering
and/or fastening element (13) and said soft innerboot (9) comprise a tongue (15) that
protrudes from said soft innerboot (9) proximate to the toe region (5), said tongue
(15) can be arranged through a slot (16) formed transversely in said element (13)
and is provided with engagement means (17a, 17b) for engaging said soft innerboot
(9).
5. The sports shoe according to claims 1 and 4, characterized in that said engagement means (17a, 17b) comprise a press-stud that interacts between the
free end of said tongue (15) and the toe region of said soft innerboot (9).
6. The sports shoe according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said element (13) for covering and/or fastening said soft innerboot comprises fastening
means (18) for fastening said sports shoe around the user's foot, such as one or more
laces guided between said lateral flaps (14a, 14b) of said sheath or overshoe (13).
7. The sports shoe according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises interlocking means for detachable interconnection between said soft
innerboot (9) and said heel unit (5) which are provided by two or more interlocking
cleats (10) that protrude laterally to said soft innerboot (9) and are insertable
within complementarily shaped openings (11) formed in said heel unit (5).