CRAMPON COMPRISING IMPROVED ADJUSTMENT MEANS

Abstract

 A crampon (4) for footwear, comprising a front portion (8), a rear portion (12), and connection and adjustment means (24) between said front portion (8) and rear portion (12), which means are suitable for adjusting the distance of said portions from each other along a longitudinal direction (L-L), wherein said connection and adjustment means (24) comprise at least one flexible cable (28) having a front end (32) provided with a front terminal (36) associated with the front portion (8) and a rear end (40) provided with a rear terminal (44) associated with the rear portion (12), wherein at least one of said terminals (36, 44) is a manually detachable terminal (48) having a curvilinear configuration that has an initial part (52) for connection to the corresponding flexible cable (28), an intermediate part (56) for insertion into at least one hole (58) of an adjustment and fastening plate (60) of the associable front portion (8) or rear portion (12), and a cantilevered final part (64) for clamping the manually detachable terminal (48) having a curvilinear configuration onto the adjustment and fastening plate (60).

Description

FIELD OF APPLICATION

[0001] This invention relates to a crampon comprising improved adjustment means.

PRIOR ART

[0002] Crampons are superstructures which are joined to sports footwear in order to allow the user to have better grip on particularly slippery and uneven terrain, typically icy terrain and/or mountain faces.

[0003] For this purpose, crampons are provided with metal teeth which are preferably made of steel and which provide adequate grip.

[0004] Known crampon solutions have two main elements which are substantially open in order to be fastened to the footwear and placed between the sole of the footwear and the terrain; in particular, said main elements comprise a front element designed to be joined to the forefront of the footwear and a rear element designed to be joined to the heel of the footwear. Each of these elements is provided with means for fastening to the footwear, such as typically laces, ties, bridge structures and the like, and with teeth for providing the necessary grip on the terrain.

[0005] These main elements are connected to each other by means of adjustable connection means which allow the elements to be moved away from and toward each other, in order to be able to apply the crampon to footwear of different sizes.

[0006] Said connection means need to allow the parts of the crampon to move away from/toward each other and also need to allow the crampon to be compacted when not in use. In fact, the crampon is usually kept in a pocket when not needed and is removed from the pocket and opened when needed.

[0007] The process for opening the crampon has to be as simple as possible, in consideration of the fact that, especially in the case of ice, those who use crampons do so in difficult atmospheric conditions and often wear gloves.

[0008] It is also desirable to provide a crampon which allows the main elements to be adjusted relative to each other without using particular tools/equipment.

[0009] The solutions of the prior art are not able to resolve the technical problems set out above. For example, known crampon solutions have bulky connection means that cannot be operated easily. Moreover, these connection means often require the use of tools to make the relative adjustments.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

[0010] There is therefore a need to resolve the disadvantages and limitations mentioned with reference to the prior art.

[0011] This need is satisfied by a crampon according to claim 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Further features and advantages of this invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred, non-limiting embodiments thereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view, in an assembled configuration, of a rear portion of the crampon according to an embodiment of this invention;

Fig. 2-3 are a front view and a side view, respectively, of the rear portion of the crampon in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4-8 are perspective views of steps of inserting/fastening a detachable terminal into the rear portion of Fig. 1;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view, in an assembled configuration, of a complete terminal according to an embodiment of this invention;

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the terminal in Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a perspective view, from a different angle, of the terminal in Fig. 9.

[0013] Elements or parts of elements common to the embodiments described hereinafter will be indicated with the same reference signs.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] With reference to the aforesaid figures, reference sign 4 globally denotes an overall schematic view of a crampon for footwear, in particular for sports footwear.

[0015] The crampon 4 comprises a front portion 8 shaped so as to be detachably joined to a forefoot of a boot (not shown) and a rear portion 12 shaped so as to be detachably joined to a heel of a boot.

[0016] For example, the front portion 8 and/or the rear portion 12 may comprise means 16 for hooking to the boot, such as laces, ties, cables, brackets and the like, which allow the front portion 8 and the rear portion 12 to be hooked to and unhooked from the boot, respectively, by means of undercuts with respect to the boot, in a known manner.

[0017] The front portion 8 and the rear portion 12 are preferably also provided with teeth 20, preferably metal teeth, which have for example a triangular profile, in order to improve grip on the terrain.

[0018] The crampon 4 also comprises connection and adjustment means 24 between the front portion 8 and the rear portion 12, which means are suitable for mechanically connecting the front portion 8 and the rear portion 12 to each other and adjusting their distance from each other along a longitudinal direction L-L of connection between the front portion 8 and the rear portion 12.

[0019] In other words, the connection and adjustment means 24 ensure the mechanical connection between the front portion 8 and the rear portion 12, and make it possible to adjust their distance from each other so that the crampon may be suitable for boots of different shapes and/or sizes.

[0020] According to one possible embodiment, the connection and adjustment means 24 comprise at least one flexible cable 28 having a front end 32 provided with a front terminal 36 associated with the front portion 8 and a rear end 40 provided with a rear terminal 44 associated with the rear portion 12.

[0021] The flexible cable 28 may have various geometries and configurations.

[0022] Typically, but not exclusively, the cable is made of a metal material which consists of a plurality of interwoven strands and is optionally covered by an external sleeve, for example made of polyethylene. It is also possible for the flexible cable to be made entirely of polymeric material, for example polyethylene. Preferably, but not exclusively, said flexible cable has a circular cross-section. It should be noted that the flexible cable, despite being designed to be bent since it is flexible, is not compressible: in other words, the resistant cross-section of the cable, irrespective of its geometry (which is preferably but not exclusively circular), does not vary and may not be compressed or modified when being handled by a user who wishes to adjust the size of the crampon 4.

[0023] Therefore, said flexible cable 28 is preferably also incompressible.

[0024] At least one of said front terminal 36 and rear terminal 44 is advantageously manually detachable and is a terminal 48 having a curvilinear configuration.

[0025] It should be noted that the term manually detachable' is understood to mean that the terminal may be hooked and unhooked (i.e. removed) by hand by an operator/user without the use of any tools such as screwdrivers, keys or similar equipment. It should also be noted that 'detachable' is understood to mean that said at least one front terminal 36 and rear terminal 44 may be completely dismounted and separated from the corresponding front portion 8 and rear portion 12.

[0026] According to one embodiment, said terminal 48 having a curvilinear configuration has an initial part 52 for connection to the corresponding flexible cable 28, an intermediate part 56 for insertion into at least one hole 58 of an adjustment and fastening plate 60 of the associable front portion 8 or rear portion 12, and a cantilevered final part 64 for clamping the curvilinear terminal 48 onto said adjustment and fastening plate 60. The adjustment and fastening plate 60 is a base plate of the corresponding front portion 8 and/or rear portion 12, which base plate is substantially flat and is placed between the sole of the boot and the terrain. Indeed, an upper face or wall 61 of the adjustment and fastening plate 60 faces and makes contact with the sole of the associable footwear, while a lower face or wall 62 of the adjustment and fastening plate 60 substitutes the tread of the footwear and interfaces directly with the terrain.

[0027] The initial part 52 connects the terminal 48 having a curvilinear configuration to the flexible cable 28: this connection may, for example but not exclusively, occur by means of crimping the flexible cable.

[0028] As shown, the intermediate part 56 is inserted into the hole 58 of the adjustment and fastening plate 60 and effectively produces the mechanical connection with the corresponding front portion 8 and/or rear portion 12.

[0029] The final part 64 is cantilevered and helps to clamp the terminal 48 having a curvilinear configuration because it resists this terminal 48 being removed from the corresponding hole 58, as will be better described in the following.

[0030] According to one possible embodiment, the initial part 52 and the final part 64 are substantially parallel to each other. Moreover, said initial part 52 and final part 64 are arranged parallel to the corresponding adjustment and fastening plate 60.

[0031] It should be noted that said initial part 52 and final part 64 are parallel on opposite sides of the intermediate part 56 so that the terminal 48 having a curvilinear configuration takes on an overall 'S' shape; according to a further embodiment, said initial part 52 and final part 64 are parallel on the same side with respect to the intermediate part 56: in this configuration, the terminal 48 having a curvilinear configuration takes on an overall hooked, 'U' or 'C' shape.

[0032] In particular, the cantilevered final part 64 of the terminal 48 having a curvilinear configuration faces the upper wall or face 61 of the adjustment and fastening plate 60, and the initial part 52 faces the lower wall or face 62 of the adjustment and fastening plate 60.

[0033] According to one embodiment, said terminal having a curvilinear configuration is rigid, and preferably made of metal material. 'Rigid' is understood to mean that it is not deformable, for example under flexion or under compression, during normal manual assembly/dismantling operations carried out by the operator.

[0034] As stated, the adjustment and fastening plate 60 comprises at least one hole 58 and preferably comprises a plurality of holes 58 suitable for receiving said detachable terminal 48 having a curvilinear configuration inserted therein.

[0035] Said holes 58 are separated and spaced from each other at least along said longitudinal direction L-L. The holes are therefore discrete, i.e. separate, so as to allow discrete adjustment of the distance between the front portion 8 and the rear portion 12. In particular, said holes 58 pass through the adjustment and fastening plate 60 and are delimited or closed perimetrically; in other words, said holes 58 may only be engaged by said front terminal 36 and rear terminal 44 along a direction substantially perpendicular to the adjustment and fastening plate 60, and not along a direction parallel to said plate, i.e. perpendicular to a centerline plane M-M of the crampon 4.

[0036] The holes 58 are preferably circular holes and the terminal 48 having a curvilinear configuration has a circular cross-section counter-shaped to said holes 58. The play between the terminal 48 having a curvilinear configuration (in particular the intermediate part 56) and the hole 58 is limited so as to allow mechanical coupling between the parts, and to simultaneously ensure that the distance between the front portion 8 and the rear portion 12 is fixed and prevent the risk of possible accidental unhooking.

[0037] Preferably, said detachable terminal 48 having a curvilinear configuration is the rear terminal 44 and is configured to detachably engage in said at least one hole 58 of the adjustment and fastening plate 60 of the rear portion 12.

[0038] It is clearly also possible to exclusively or also use the detachable terminal having a curvilinear configuration as a front terminal 36, on the front portion 8.

[0039] According to one possible embodiment, said adjustment and fastening plate 60 is provided with at least one guide bracket 68 which is joined to the adjustment and fastening plate 60 and configured to guide and position the flexible cable 28 in such a way as to limit displacements of the flexible cable 28 and/or of the corresponding terminal 36, 40, 48 with respect to a transverse direction T-T that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L-L and/or with respect to a vertical direction Y-Y that is perpendicular to the adjustment and fastening plate 60 and parallel to said intermediate part 56 of the terminal 48 having a curvilinear configuration.

[0040] Said guide bracket 68 preferably has at least one insertion opening 72 for the flexible cable 28, which opening directly faces the adjustment and fastening plate 60.

[0041] As a result of the guide bracket 68, the displacements of the flexible cable in the vertical direction Y-Y and transverse direction T-T are limited, thus reducing the risk of the detachable terminal having a curvilinear configuration, i.e. the front and/or rear terminal, accidentally unhooking.

[0042] The guide bracket 68 is clearly provided to the front or rear side of the corresponding detachable terminal 48 having a curvilinear configuration, so as to prevent the risk of it accidentally unhooking.

[0043] According to one embodiment, the front terminal 36, or in any case the terminal not provided with the curvilinear configuration, is fastened to the corresponding front portion 8 at the lower wall or face 62, on the same side as the guide bracket 68. This also improves the positioning and the guiding of the flexible cable 28, thus also facilitating the relative bending when not in use.

[0044] According to a preferred embodiment, the connection and adjustment means 24 comprise two flexible cables 28, each having a front end 32 provided with a front terminal 36 associated with the front portion 8 and a rear end 40 provided with a rear terminal 44 associated with the rear portion 12.

[0045] Said flexible cables 28 are preferably arranged parallel and symmetrically to each other with respect to a longitudinal centerline plane M-M of the crampon 4 that is parallel to said longitudinal direction.

[0046] The method for assembling/using the crampon according to this invention on footwear will now be described.

[0047] In particular, it is assumed that the crampon 4 is initially stored for example in a pocket or similar container, in a folded position. Once removed and released, it is also possible to simply throw or deposit the crampon 4 on the ground so that it opens automatically as a result of the elasticity of the flexible cable or cables 28 which tend to straighten, thus bringing the front portion 8 and the rear portion 12 into a planar configuration aligned along the longitudinal direction L-L.

[0048] With regard to the adjustment of the longitudinal distance between the front portion 8 and the rear portion 12, it is assumed for example that the front terminal 36 is fixed while the rear terminal 44 is detachable. This is clearly a non-binding hypothesis consistent with the accompanying figures. It should be noted that, when the expression 'fixed terminal' is used, it is understood to mean a terminal that requires a suitable fastening means, such as a screwdriver, in order to be fastened or detached, unlike the detachable terminal which may instead be fastened and unhooked manually.

[0049] The detachable terminal 48 having a curvilinear configuration, and in particular the final part 64, is then placed in proximity to a hole 58 pre-selected for the desired adjustment (Fig. 4).

[0050] The detachable terminal 48 having a curvilinear configuration is then inserted into the hole 58 by rotating the flexible cable 28 (Fig. 5-6). Lastly (Fig. 7), the detachable terminal 48 having a curvilinear configuration is placed in a horizontal position, with the final part 64 substantially contacting the upper face 61 of the adjustment and fastening plate 60 and the initial part 52 contacting the lower face 62 of the adjustment and fastening plate 60. Clearly, care must be taken to insert the flexible cable 28 inside the insertion opening 72 of the guide bracket 68, if provided.

[0051] As may be understood from the above, this invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art.

[0052] In particular, this invention provides a crampon provided with improved adjustment means that are easy to use.

[0053] Indeed, the cables are light and easily bendable so that it is possible to replace the crampon into a pocket when not in use.

[0054] Moreover, when the crampon is removed, the cables automatically tend to open and bring the crampon into a use configuration: it is sufficient to throw the crampon to the ground for it to open and allow the boot to be inserted therein.

[0055] Moreover, adjustment is easily made without using any tools: indeed, in order to produce the desired adjustment, it is sufficient to manually remove the terminals from the relative holes (after relative inclination/rotation) and position them in other adjacent holes.

[0056] Despite the absence of means of constraint using tools, the adjustment made, as a result of the particular configuration of the terminals and the front and rear elements of the crampon, does not risk unhooking at all. The adjustment is therefore simple (because it does not require tools) and at the same time reliable (because there is no risk of accidental unhooking).

[0057] A person skilled in the art, in order to satisfy contingent and specific needs, may make numerous modifications and variations to the solutions described above, which modifications and variations are all contained within the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

Claims

1. A crampon (4) for footwear, comprising:

- a front portion (8) shaped so as to be detachably joined to a forefoot of a boot,

- a rear portion (12) shaped so as to be detachably joined to a heel of a boot,

- connection and adjustment means (24) between the front portion (8) and the rear portion (12), which means are suitable for mechanically connecting the front portion (8) and the rear portion (12) to each other and adjusting their distance from each other along a longitudinal direction (L-L) of connection between the front portion (8) and the rear portion (12),
wherein

- said connection and adjustment means (24) comprise at least one flexible cable (28) having a front end (32) provided with a front terminal (36) associated with the front portion (8) and a rear end (40) provided with a rear terminal (44) associated with the rear portion (12),

- wherein at least one of said terminals (36, 44) is a manually detachable terminal (48) having a curvilinear configuration that has an initial part (52) for connection to the corresponding flexible cable (28), an intermediate part (56) for insertion into at least one hole (58) of an adjustment and fastening plate (60) of the associable front portion (8) or rear portion (12), and a cantilevered final part (64) for clamping the manually detachable terminal (48) having a curvilinear configuration onto said adjustment and fastening plate (60) .

2. The crampon (4) for footwear according to claim 1, wherein the initial part (52) and the final part (64) are substantially parallel to each other.

3. The crampon (4) for footwear according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the initial part (52) and the final part (64) are parallel on opposite sides of the intermediate part (56) so that the terminal (48) having a curvilinear configuration takes on an overall 'S' shape.

4. The crampon (4) for footwear according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the initial part (52) and the final part (64) are parallel on the same side with respect to the intermediate part (56), so that the terminal (48) having a curvilinear configuration takes on an overall hooked, 'U' or 'C' shape.

5. The crampon (4) for footwear according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said manually detachable terminal (48) having a curvilinear configuration is rigid, preferably metal.

6. The crampon (4) for footwear according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the cantilevered final part (64) of the manually detachable terminal (48) having a curvilinear configuration faces an upper wall (61) of the adjustment and fastening plate (60) and the initial part (52) faces a lower wall (62) of the adjustment and fastening plate (60).

7. The crampon (4) for footwear according to claim 5 or 6, wherein said adjustment and fastening plate (60) comprises a plurality of holes (58) suitable for receiving said detachable terminal (48) having a curvilinear configuration inserted therein, said holes (58) being separated and spaced from each other at least along said longitudinal direction (L-L).

8. The crampon (4) for footwear according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said detachable terminal (48) having a curvilinear configuration is the rear terminal (44) and is configured to detachably engage in said at least one hole (58) of the adjustment and fastening plate (60) of the rear portion (12).

9. The crampon (4) for footwear according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the at least one hole (58) is a circular hole and the detachable terminal (48) having a curvilinear configuration has a circular cross-section counter-shaped to said hole (58).

10. The crampon (4) for footwear according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein said adjustment and fastening plate (60) is provided with at least one guide bracket (68) which is joined to the adjustment and fastening plate (60) and configured to guide and position the flexible cable (28) in such a way as to limit displacements of the flexible cable (28) and/or of the corresponding terminal with respect to a transverse direction (T-T) that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (L-L) and/or with respect to a vertical direction (Y-Y) that is perpendicular to the adjustment and fastening plate (60) and parallel to said intermediate part (56) of the detachable terminal having a curvilinear configuration.

11. The crampon (4) for footwear according to claim 10, wherein said guide bracket (68) has at least one insertion opening (72) for the flexible cable (28), which opening directly faces the adjustment and fastening plate (60) .

12. The crampon (4) for footwear according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the front terminal (36) is fastened to the front portion (8) at a lower wall (62), on the same side as the guide bracket (68).

13. The crampon (4) for footwear according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein said connection and adjustment means (16) comprise two flexible cables (28), each having a front end (32) provided with a front terminal (36) associated with the front portion (8) and a rear end (40) provided with a rear terminal (44) associated with the rear portion (12), said flexible cables (28) being arranged parallel and symmetrically to each other with respect to a longitudinal centerline plane (M-M) of the crampon (4).

14. The crampon (4) for footwear according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the flexible cables (28) are made of polyethylene and/or metal.

15. The crampon (4) for footwear according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein said flexible cables (28) are also incompressible.

16. The crampon (4) for footwear according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein said holes (58) pass through the adjustment and fastening plate (60) and are closed perimetrically.

Drawing