CLOSURE DEVICE FOR A SPORTS FOOTWEAR PROVIDED WITH AN IMPROVED ACTUATING LEVER

Abstract

 The present invention relates to a closure device (1) for a sports footwear of the kind comprising a supporting plate (5), an actuating lever (3) connected to said supporting plate by means of one or more first connecting pins (7a, 7b) and a tensioning member (9) which, at a first one of its ends, is connected to a central portion of the actuating lever by means of one or more second connecting pins (11) and, at its second end, is provided with hooking means for engagement with an anchoring member (17). According to the invention, at least one of said one or more first and second connecting pins (7a, 7b, 11) comprises an extension (19) which forms at least a portion of said gripping portion of said actuating lever (3). Thanks to this measure, the actuating lever (3) can be made light, resistant and easy to handle and can be manufactured in a very cost-effective manner.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a closure device for a sports footwear provided with an actuating lever having a particularly advantageous structure.

[0002] More particularly, the present invention relates to a closure device for sports footwear comprising a substantially rigid outer shell, such as ski boots and the like.

[0003] The present invention further relates to a sports footwear equipped with one or more of the aforementioned closure devices.

Prior Art

[0004] As is known, ski boots and other sports footwear provided with a substantially rigid outer shell have a longitudinal opening allowing to widen said outer shell in order to allow the user to insert his/her foot into the footwear and extract it therefrom and are equipped with a series of closure devices which are arranged transversely to said longitudinal opening and by means of which the footwear can be closed so as to immobilize the user's foot within the footwear during sports practice.

[0005] In particular, closure devices are known comprising a supporting plate adapted to be rigidly attached to a first side of the longitudinal opening of the shell, an actuating lever connected to said supporting plate by means of one or more connecting pins, and a tensioning member which, at a first one of its ends, is connected to a central portion of the actuating lever by means of a connecting pin and, at a second one of its ends, is provided with hooking means for engaging with an anchoring plate (for instance a toothed rack) rigidly attached to a second, opposite side of said opening of the shell.

[0006] Such closure device can be moved from an open position, in which the hooking means of the tensioning member are disengaged from the anchoring plate and the distance between the two sides of the longitudinal opening of the shell can be varied, to a second position, in which the hooking means of the tensioning member are firmly connected to the anchoring plate and the distance between the supporting plate and the anchoring plate - hence the distance between the two sides of the longitudinal opening of the shell - is fixed, and vice versa.

[0007] In order to move the closure device from the open position to the closed position, once the hooking means of the tensioning member are engaged with the anchoring plate, the user grabs the actuating lever and rotates it relative to the supporting plate in a direction away from the anchoring plate: the actuating lever, upon its rotation, drags with it the tensioning member and the hooking means, which in turn drag with them the anchoring plate, thus allowing the two sides of the longitudinal opening of the shell to get closer to each other. In order to move the closure device from the closed position to the open position, the user grabs the actuating lever and rotates it in the opposite direction: the actuating lever, upon its rotation, pushes the tensioning member in a direction towards the anchoring plate, thus creating clearance enough to disengage the hooking means of said tensioning member from said anchoring plate.

[0008] Closure devices of the aforementioned kind are described, for example, in documents EP 659 360, US 5 586 367, EP 1 958 539 and EP 1 985 196. In order to meet the users' needs, continuous attempts have been made in order to make such closure devices as light and easy to handle as possible, especially with respect to their actuating levers.

[0009] At the same time, similar attempts have been made in order to make the manufacturing process of such closure devices as cost-effective as possible.

[0010] In general, in the closure devices of known type, the actuating levers are made of plastic material.

[0011] In order to make said actuating levers lighter, actuating levers have been made the arm of which is provided with openings: the provision of such openings allows to reduce the weight of the actuating lever as well as to save material.

[0012] Such openings, however, can only have limited width.

[0013] Indeed, taking into account the stresses and shocks to which the sports footwear - and consequently the closure devices thereof - is/are exposed during sports practice, too wide openings would make the actuating lever too frail and exposed to the risk of breaking.

[0014] As a consequence of the above, the reduction of weight and saving of material that can be attained by means of said openings are limited. Moreover, said openings usually have such a small width that they have no influence on improving handling of the actuating lever.

[0015] The main object of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks of prior art by providing a closure device that is light and easy to handle as well as robust and resistant at the same time.

[0016] Another object of the present invention is to provide a closure device having a limited number of components and low manufacturing costs. This and other objects are achieved with the closure device for sports footwear as claimed in the appended claims.

Summary of the Invention

[0017] In a manner known per se, the closure device of the present invention comprises a supporting plate, an actuating lever connected to said supporting lever by means of one or more first connecting pins, a tensioning member which, at a first one of its ends, is connected to the actuating lever by means of one or more second connecting pins and, at a second one of its ends, is provided with hooking means, and an anchoring member which is provided with retaining means (for example made as an anchoring plate having a toothed rack) and in which said hooking means can engage.

[0018] Said closure device finds application as closure device for sports footwear of the kind comprising a substantially rigid outer shell (for example made of a rigid plastic material) such as ski boots and the like.

[0019] According to the invention, at least one of said one or more first connecting pins and said one or more second connecting pins comprises and extension forming at least a portion of said gripping portion of the actuating lever of the closure device.

[0020] Thanks to this measure, the actuating lever is light and resistant at the same time.

[0021] In the case in which the extension of said at least one of said one or more first connecting pins and said at least one or more second connecting pins forms only a portion of the gripping portion of the actuating lever, the remaining portion of the gripping portion of the actuating lever is made of plastic material.

[0022] In any case, a remarkable saving of material in comparison with the closure devices of known type is achieved.

[0023] In addition, it is possible to make an actuating lever having an opening wide enough to positively affect the ease of handling of the lever itself, even under challenging conditions (for example, in case of application to ski boots, when the user is hindered by the thick or padded gloves he/she is wearing).

[0024] Due to the fact that at least a portion of the gripping portion of the actuating lever consists of the extension of a structural and functional element already available in the closure device, the number of components of the closure device is kept advantageously limited compared to the hypothesis of using separate components intended for this purpose.

[0025] Advantageously, the extension of said at least one of said one or more first connecting pins and said one or more second connecting pins, being made of metal wire, can be shaped at will, which will allow wide margins of freedom in obtaining closure devices with a desired outer appearance.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0026] Further features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, given by way of non-limiting example with reference to the annexed drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a sports footwear provided with a plurality of closure devices according to the invention;

Figure 2 shows in greater detail a closure device according to the invention.

Detailed Description of a Preferred Embodiment

[0027] Although in the ensuing detailed description reference is made to the application of a closure device according to the invention to a ski boot, such application is given merely by way of example and must not be intended at all as limiting, and said closure device can be applied to sports footwear of different types.

[0028] Referring at first to Figure 1, a ski boot 101 is schematically illustrated therein.

[0029] Said ski boot 101 essentially comprises an inner liner 103 made of a substantially soft material and an outer shell 105 made of a substantially rigid material. Both said inner liner and said outer shell comprise a lower portion for receiving the user's foot and a cuff for receiving the ankle and the lower part of the user's calf (only the lower part of which 105a and the cuff 105b of the shell are visible in Figure 1).

[0030] The outer shell 105 comprises a longitudinal opening 107 extending along said lower part 105a and said cuff 105b. Thanks to the presence of said longitudinal opening, the inner volume defined within the outer shell 105 can be changed.

[0031] The boot 101 further comprises a plurality of closure devices 1 according to the invention, arranged along said longitudinal opening 107 and transversely thereto.

[0032] Figures 2 shows in greater detail a closure device 1 according to the invention.

[0033] Said closure device 1 comprises a supporting plate 5 intended to be fixed to the shell 105 of the boot 101, on a first side of the longitudinal opening 107. To this aim said supporting plate 5 shall be equipped with through-holes for the passage of corresponding attaching means for attachment to said shell.

[0034] Said closure device 1 further comprises an actuating lever 3 including a connecting portion 3a for connection to the other structural elements of the closure device, and a gripping portion 3b intended to be grabbed and handled by the user.

[0035] The connecting portion 3a of the actuating lever 3 comprises a body 4 made of plastic material (preferably by moulding) and is oriented towards the supporting plate 5 and pivotally connected to the supporting plate 5 by means of one or more first connecting pins, whereas the gripping portion 3b of the actuating lever 3 is oriented opposite to said supporting plate 5.

[0036] In the illustrated embodiment, the connecting portion 3a of the actuating lever 3 comprises a body 4 made of plastic material and having a pair of arms 4a, 4b parallel to and distanced from each other, and each of said arms is pivotally connected to the supporting plate 5 by means of a corresponding first connecting pin 7a, 7b.

[0037] In a manner known per se, the first connecting pins 7a, 7b are elements made of metal wire.

[0038] In alternative embodiments of the invention, a single first connecting pin can be provided, extending between the actuating lever 3 and the supporting plate 5.

[0039] The closure device 1 further comprises a tensioning member 9 which, at a first one of its ends, has a connecting portion 9a, which is connected to the connecting portion 3a of the actuating lever 3 by means of a second connecting through-pin 11 with the interposition of an elastic opposing means 13 (for example, a spring), and at its second, opposite end is provided with a hooking portion 9b. Said connecting portion 9a and said hooking portion 9b of the tensioning member 9 are preferably connected to each other in an articulated manned by means of a joint 9c.

[0040] In the illustrated embodiment, the connecting portion 9a of the tensioning member 9 is arranged in the opening defined between the parallel arms 4a, 4b distanced from the body 4 of the connecting portion 3a of the actuating lever 3, and is connected to said arms 4a, 4b by means of the second connecting through-pin 11.

[0041] In a manner known per se, the second connecting through-pin 11 is an element made of metal wire.

[0042] In alternative embodiments of the invention, it is also possible that the connecting portion 9a of the tensioning member 9 is connected to the connecting portion 3a of the actuating lever 3 by means of two second connecting pins, one for each arm 4a, 4b of the body 4 made of plastic material.

[0043] The hooking portion 9b of the tensioning member 9, at its end opposite to the connecting portion 9a, is provided with hooking means 15 that are adapted to engage with retaining means 17a of an anchoring member - particularly an anchoring plate 17 - which is fixed to the shell 105 of the boot 101, on a second, opposite side of the longitudinal opening 107.

[0044] By grabbing the gripping portion 3b of the actuating lever 3 and by rotating said actuating lever about the first connecting pins 7, it is possible to shift the closure device 1 from a closed position (illustrated in Figure 2), in which the hooking means 15 of the tensioning member 9 are firmly connected to the retaining means 17a of the anchoring plate 17, to an open position, in which said hooking means of said tensioning member are disengaged from said retaining means of said anchoring plate 17, and vice versa.

[0045] According to the invention, at least one out of the first connecting pins 7a, 7b and the second connecting pin 11 comprises an extension which forms at least a portion of the gripping portion 3b of the actuating lever 3.

[0046] In other words, at least one portion of the gripping portion 3b of the actuating lever 3 is made as a single piece with at least one out of the of the first connecting pins 7a, 7b and the second connecting pin 11.

[0047] In the illustrated embodiment, the second connecting pin 11 comprises an extension 19 which forms a portion of the gripping portion 3b of the actuating lever 3.

[0048] In other words, at least a portion of the gripping portion 3b of the actuating lever 3 is made as a single piece with said second connecting pin 11.

[0049] In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the extension 19 of the second connecting pin 11 may form the whole gripping portion 3b of said actuating lever.

[0050] In other words, the whole gripping portion 3b of the actuating lever 3 would be made as a single piece with said second connecting pin 11.

[0051] In other embodiments of the invention, one of the first connecting pins 7a, 7b may comprise an extension forming the gripping portion 3b of the actuating lever 3 or a portion thereof.

[0052] In further embodiments of the invention, both first connecting pins 7a, 7b may comprise corresponding extensions forming the gripping portion 3b of the actuating lever 3 or a portion thereof.

[0053] In other words, the whole gripping portion 3b of the actuating lever 3 or a portion thereof would be made as a single piece with either of said first connecting pins 7a, 7b or with both said first connecting pins 7a, 7b.

[0054] Reverting now to the embodiment illustrated in Figure 2, advantageously the extension 19 comprises a first portion 19a adjacent to the second connecting pin 11 which is substantially perpendicular to said second connecting pin: owing to the presence of said first portion 19a it is ensured that the connecting portion 9a of the tensioning member 9 remains correctly aligned between the arms 4a, 4b of the body 4 of the connecting portion 3a of the actuating lever 3.

[0055] The extension 19 further comprises a second portion 19b that can be shaped at will and constitutes the actual gripping portion of the actuating lever (or a portion thereof).

[0056] Advantageously, said second portion 19b of the extension 19 may be shaped so as to optimize ease of handling (particularly ease of grip) of the actuating lever 3.

[0057] In addition, by suitably shaping said second portion 19b of the extension 19, it will be possible to confer different outer appearances to the actuating lever - and consequently to the closure device.

[0058] Advantageously, as the extension 19 of the second connecting pin 11 is made - like said second connecting pin - of metal wire, said second portion 19b of the extension 19 can be shaped at will in a simple and very cost-effective manner.

[0059] In the illustrated embodiment, the extension 19 of the second connecting pin 11 forms only a portion of the gripping portion 3b of the actuating lever 3. The remaining part of said gripping portion preferably consists of an extension 4c of the body 4 made of plastic material of the connecting portion 3a of the actuating lever 3.

[0060] It will be noted that the invention allows remarkable saving of plastic material in comparison with the closure devices of known type.

[0061] It will further be noted that, by virtue of the invention, it is possible to provide, between the extension 19 of the second connecting pin 11 and the extension 4c of the body 4 made of plastic material, an opening 21 - having a substantial width remarkably larger than the widths obtainable in actuating levers that are entirely made of plastic material - which remarkably increases the ease of handling of the actuating lever 3.

[0062] Therefore, it is apparent from the above description that the closure device according to the invention achieves the objects set forth above.

[0063] It is further apparent that the detailed description provided above has been given by way of non-limiting example and that several modifications and variants are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

[0064] In particular, although in the detailed description above reference has been made to the application of the closure device to a ski boot, the device may also be advantageously applied to a wide range of different sports footwear.

Claims

1. Closure device (1) comprising:

- a supporting plate (5),

- an actuating lever (3), in which a connecting portion (3a) and a gripping portion (3b) are defined, said connecting portion (3a) of said actuating lever being pivotally connected to said supporting plate (5) by means of one or more first connecting pins (7a, 7b);

- a tensioning member (9) which, at a first one of its ends, is connected to said connecting portion (3a) of said actuating lever by means of one or more second connecting pins (11) and which is provided with hooking means (15) at its opposite end, and

- an anchoring member (17) provided with retaining means (17a), said hooking means (15) of said tensioning member being arranged for selectively engaging said retaining means of said anchoring member, wherein said one or more first connecting pins (7a, 7b) and said one or more second connecting pins (11) are made of metal wire,

characterized in that at least one of said one or more first connecting pins (7a, 7b) and said one or more second connecting pins (11) comprises an extension (19) which forms at least a portion of said gripping portion (3b) of said actuating lever (3), said extension being made of metal wire as well.

2. Closure device (1) according to claim 1, wherein said extension (19) comprises at least a first portion (19a) adjacent to the respective first or second connecting pin (7a, 7b, 11) and substantially perpendicular thereto.

3. Closure device (1) according to claim 1, wherein only one second connecting pin (11) is provided between said actuating lever (3) and said tensioning member (9) and wherein said second connecting pin (11) comprises an extension (19) which forms at least a portion of said gripping portion (3b) of said actuating lever (3).

4. Closure device (1) according to claim 1, wherein two or more second connecting pins are provided between said actuating lever (3) and said tensioning member (9) and wherein at least one of said second connecting pin comprises an extension which forms at least a portion of said gripping portion of said actuating lever.

5. Closure device (1) according to claim 1, wherein only one first connecting pin is provided between said actuating lever (3) and said supporting plate (5) and wherein said first connecting pin comprises an extension which forms at least a portion of said gripping portion of said actuating lever.

6. Closure device (1) according to claim 1, wherein two or more first connecting pins (7a, 7b) are provided between said actuating lever (3) and said supporting plate (5) and wherein at least one of said first connecting pin comprises an extension which forms at least a portion of said gripping portion of said actuating lever.

7. Closure device (1) according to claim 1, wherein said connecting portion (3a) of said actuating lever (3) comprises a body (4) made of plastic material.

8. Closure device (1) according to claim 7, wherein said extension (19) of said at least one of said one or more first connecting pins (7a, 7b) and said one or more second connecting pins (11) forms only a portion of said gripping portion (3b) of said actuating lever (3) and wherein the remaining portion of said gripping portion (3b) of said actuating lever (3) is formed by an extension (4c) of said body (4) made of plastic material of said connecting portion (3a) of said actuating lever (3).

9. Sports footwear (101), of the kind comprising an outer shell (105) made of a substantially rigid material and provided with a longitudinal opening (107) extending along said shell, characterized in that it comprises one or more closure devices according to any of the claims 1 - 8 arranged transversely to said longitudinal opening (107), said supporting plate (5) and said anchoring member (17) being secured to said shell on opposite sides of said longitudinal opening (107).

Drawing