Anttila, Sakari (Kurpantie 2 D, Tampere, FIN-33100, FI)
| 1. | An antislip device for footwear, comprising: a body portion (5) to be arranged at a shoe (1), a spike portion (3) arranged at the wings (7b) of a wing portion (7a) arranged at the body portion (5), and a spring portion (6) arranged at the body portion (5), characterized in that the spike portion (3) is arranged to be substantially motionless in relation to the wings (7b). |
| 2. | An antislip device for footwear as claimed in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the spike portion (3) is detachably connected to the wings (7b). |
| 3. | An antislip device for footwear as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the spike portion (5) comprises a coupling slot (13), and that a locking bolt (11) of the spring portion (6) is arranged to be en gaged into the coupling slot (13). |
| 4. | An antislip device for footwear as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the longitudinal (B) strength exerted on a release device (8) is arranged to make the locking bolt (11) shift towards the shoe (1), thus releasing the pressure between the upper surface of the locking bolt (11) and the upper surface of the coupling slot (13). |
| 5. | An antislip device for footwear as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the vertical (A) strength exerted on a locking de vice (9) is arranged to make the locking bolt (11) shift towards the coupling slot (13). |
| 6. | An antislip device for footwear as claimed in any one of the pre ceding claims, characterized in that the body portion (5) and the spike portion (3) are made of tempered spring steel. |
| 7. | An antislip device for footwear as claimed in any one of the pre ceding claims, characterized in that the antislip device can be ar ranged at the heel (2) of the shoe (1) and/or at the tip of the shoe (1). |
| 8. | An antislip device for footwear as claimed in any one of the pre ceding claims, characterized in that the antislip device can be fixedly arranged to form a part of the heel (2) of the shoe (1) and/or a part of the tip of the shoe (1). |
| 9. | A shoe, characterized by comprising an antislip device fixedly arranged thereto, the antislip device comprising a body portion (5) to be arranged at the shoe (1), a spike portion (3) arranged at the wings (7b) of a wing portion (7a) arranged at the body portion (5), the spike portion (3) being arranged substan tially motionless in relation to the wings (7b), and a spring portion (6) arranged at the body portion (5). |
| 10. | A shoe as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the spike portion (3) of the antislip device is detachably engaged to the wings (7b). |
| 11. | A shoe as claimed in claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the spike portion (3) of the antislip device comprises a coupling slot (13), and that a locking bolt (11) of the spring portion (6) is arranged to be con nected into the coupling slot (13). |
| 12. | A shoe as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 11, character i z e d in that the the longitudinal (B) strength exerted on a release device (8) of the antislip device is arranged to make the locking bolt (11) shift towards the shoe (1), thus releasing the pressure between the upper surface of the locking bolt (11) and the upper surface of the coupling slot (13). |
| 13. | A shoe as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 12, character i z e d in that the vertical (A) strength exerted on a locking device (9) of the antislip device is arranged to make the locking bolt (11) shift towards the cou pling slot (13). |
| 14. | A shoe as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 13, character i z e d in that the antislip device is fixedly arranged to form a part of the heel (2) of the shoe (1) and/or a part of the tip of the shoe (1). |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Each year nearly a million accidents occur in Finland. Falling is the most common cause of accident, and as the population becomes older, the number of accidents increases even more. No record is kept of the number of falling accidents; only the number of deaths caused by falling is compiled into statistics. Every fourth death caused by falling and most of the fallings leading to permanent injuries are a result of slipping.
Town centres are the most liable places for slipping. The costs caused by slipping accidents are fivefold compared with the costs caused by street maintenance. Typical weather conditions that make moving more difficult and unsafe include temperature variation above and below zero degrees, cold air rapidly warming up or warm air rapidly cooling down as well as abundant snow fall. If it is known that the street surface is slippery, one naturally tends to move cautiously. A slippery surface is most dangerous when it is unexpected.
Walking without antislip devices most likely causes slipping, for instance, when a person walking on a sanded street unexpectedly hits his/her heel on an un- sanded spot. If the person is walking relatively briskly, the heel slides forward, the centre of gravity of the body abruptly moves backwards and the walker falls. Reflexive struggling with hands and feet could worsen the injuries. This may result in fractures of the limbs, fractures of the hip or injury of the skull including all the risks associated therewith.
Various kinds of antislip devices are commercially available. Some of the antislip devices are attached using a sticker tape or buckled shoelaces beneath the heel. Some are made of flexible rubber adapting to the form of the shoe and are placed above the shoe by stretching the rubber straps or rubber sole of the antislip device. The shoes can be provided with a fixed tap including a foldable antislip device. The commercially available antislip devices refer to accessories to be attached to the footwear. According to test results, such an- tislip devices have not been able to avoid slipping sufficiently. The most signifi-
cant reason for not employing antislip devices is the difficult use thereof. The antislip devices have to be fitted separately, and they are generally not brought along when required. In addition, the antislip devices, which are generally at- tached with straps, encumber normal walking and the appearance thereof is not very appealing.
US patent 4 525 939 shows a separate antislip device to be at- tached with straps to the footwear. However, the antislip device is merely meant to be used outdoors, since the metal spikes at the bottom of the antislip device slide on a stone surface or a metal surface and leave traces on soft floor surfaces.
WO publication 00/25619 shows a U-shaped antislip device to be arranged around the heel of the shoe using hinges. The locking mechanism in the heel allows locking the antislip device into an antislip position or a passive position. When the antislip device is in the antislip position, the ice spikes therein point towards the ground. In the passive position, the antislip device is beneath the sole of the shoe. In order to place the antislip device into the an- tislip position, the locking mechanism has to be opened by hand and thereafter revolved approximately 180 degrees backwards beneath the heel. In order to be able to handle the antislip device the user of the antislip device must be sitting down.
DE patent 742 627 discloses an antislip device composed of two metal strips detachably arranged at the heel of the shoe. The metal strips are connected together by a toggle fastener, by which the antislip device is locked into the desired position. Furthermore, opening and closing the toggle fastener has to be carried out manually, and therefore the user of the antislip device has to be sitting down.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the invention to provide an antislip device for foot- wear so as to solve the problems mentioned above.
An antislip device according to the invention is characterized in that the spike portion is arranged to be substantially motionless in relation to the wings.
In addition, the shoe according to the invention is characterized by comprising an antislip device fixedly arranged thereto, the antislip device com- prising a body portion fixedly arranged at a shoe, a spike portion arranged at
the wings of a wing portion arranged at the body portion, the spike portion be- ing arranged substantially motionless in relation to the wings, and a spring por- tion arranged at the body portion.
The essential idea of the invention is that the spike portion of the an- tislip device is placed at a strained state in relation to the shaft-like wing portion of the body portion in the operating position thereof, into which state the spike portion and the body portion are locked.
The invention provides such an advantage that the antislip device can be switched to an operating position and back to a passive position using the tip of the shoe in the other foot, whereby no hands are required to carry out the operation. The shoe can also be used indoors without causing any damage to the tread surface. Furthermore, arranging the antislip device fixedly at the shoe, the antislip devices always follow the user, since the antislip device is integrated into the sole of the shoe during the manufacturing process, whereby considerable cost and material savings can be obtained compared to separate antislip devices.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the following the invention will be described in greater detail by means of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying dra- wings, in which Figure 1 schematically shows a shoe when an antislip device is in the passive position, Figure 2 schematically shows a shoe when the antislip device is in the operating position, Figure 3 schematically shows an antislip device for footwear, Figure 4 schematically shows the antislip device for footwear in the passive position, and Figure 5 schematically shows the antislip device for footwear in the operating position.
For clarity, the invention is shown in simplified form in the Figures.
The same reference numerals are used for similar parts.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Figure 1 schematically shows a shoe 1. A heel 2 of the shoe 1 is provided with a spike portion 3 of an antislip device, which is shown in the Fig-
ure in the passive position, in other words the spikes 4 in the spike portion 3 of the antislip device do not touch the tread surface not shown in the Figure.
Figure 2 correspondingly schematically shows the shoe 1 according to the invention in a situation, in which the spike portion 3 of the antislip device is in an active operating position, whereby the spikes 4 in the spike portion 3 of the antislip device touch the tread surface.
Figure 3 schematically shows the antislip device for the shoe 1, which is composed of a spike portion 3 and a body portion 5, which is provided with a wing portion 7a and a spring portion 6. The spike portion 3 and the body portion 5 are made of tempered spring steel or of another corresponding mate- rial provided with great strength and stiffness. The body portion 5 is integrated into the heel 2 of the shoe 1 made preferably of polyurethane during the manu- facturing stage of the shoe in such a manner that the spring portion 6 is at least partly outside the heel side of the heel 2 of the shoe 1. A shaft-like wing portion 7a transversely arranged in relation to the body portion 5 is arranged in such a manner that the wings 7b therein are on both sides thereof directed from the heel to the side parts of the heel 2. The spring portion 6 is composed of a locking bolt 11 and a spring element 12 and a release device 8. The spike portion 3 is bent in a U-shaped manner around the heel portion of the heel 2 of the shoe 1 and is preferably provided with at least two coupling slots 10 on both sides of the heel in order to connect the wings 7b to the spike portion 3.
The shape and location of the coupling slots 10 as well as the shape and loca- tion of the wings 7b are selected so that when the wing 7b is fixedly connected to the coupling slot during the manufacturing process of the antislip device, the coupling slot 13 of the spike portion 3 is substantially higher in relation to the tread surface than the locking bolt 11 of the body portion 5.
Figure 4 schematically shows the antislip device for the shoe 1 in the passive position. The body portion 5 is arranged inside the heel 2 so that the plane surface of the body portion 5 is parallel with the tread surface of the heel 2. The wings 7b are connected to the coupling slots 10 and they are ar- ranged to be motionless in relation to one another using the locking mecha- nisms not shown in the Figure, which are detachably connected to the wings 7b.
Figure 5 schematically shows the antislip device for the shoe 1 in the operating position. When the antislip device is moved to the operating posi- tion, a vertical operating effect in the direction of arrow A is exerted on a lock-
ing device 9. Thus, the spike portion 3 bends downwards in relation to the shaft formed by the wing portion 7a providing a strained state between the spike portion 3 and the body portion 5. The antislip device is in the operating position thereof, when a longitudinal strength in the direction of arrow C of the spring element 12 in the spring portion 6 forces the locking bolt 11 to engage through the coupling slot 13. Pressure is then formed between the upper sur- face of the locking bolt 11 and the upper surface of the coupling slot 13. Corre- spondingly, when a longitudinal strength in the direction of arrow B is exerted on the release device 8, the locking bolt 11 shifts in the direction of arrow B away from the coupling slot 13 and the pressure between the upper surface of the locking bolt 11 and the upper surface of the coupling slot 13 is released.
Consequently, the strained state between the spike portion 3 and the body portion 5 affects in such a manner that the spike portion 5 rises above the tread surface to the passive position.
As shown above, a new antislip device for footwear is provided to remove the disadvantages and problems of known solutions. It is apparent for those skilled in the art that as technology advances the basic idea of the inven- tion can be implemented in various ways. The drawings and the specification associated therewith are merely intended to illustrate the idea of the invention, which are not in any way restricted thereto. The details of the invention may vary within the scope of the claims. Thus, the antislip device according to the invention can be integrated into the sole of the shoe so that the spike portion of the antislip device is bent around the tip of the shoe. It is also possible to make the antislip device for footwear such that it can be fitted to the shoe later on.
This can be carried out for instance in such a manner that the body portion 5 is fitted beneath the heel 2 of the shoe 1 and the wing portion 7a extends to the front part of the heel 2 and is bent upwards, and is thus placed and protected in a recess found at the front side of the heel 2. Furthermore, it is possible to arrange appropriate soft material, such as leather, rubber or the like, beneath the body portion 5 to increase friction between the body portion 5 and the tread surface and to protect the tread surface from the wearing effect in the body portion 5 material.