DESCRIPTION

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001]. The present invention refers to a fastening device, in particular for sports footwear such as, for example, ski or snowboard shoes or boots, skates, mountain boots, cycling shoes.

PRIOR ART

[0002]. Document WO98/41 121 in the name of Officine Everest S.p.A. discloses a device of the lever and toothed strap type for sports footwear in general, comprising a tensioning lever and ratchet type engaging means for a toothed strap; the ratchet engaging means comprise a pair of pawls having different length arranged adjacent to each other and adapted to selectively engage the toothed strap, so as to allow a controlled reduction of the fastening degree by releasing the toothed strap tooth-by- tooth.

[0003]. A drawback of such prior art solution lies in the fact that the alternate operation of the two pawls causes uncertainty about the operation of the device, as the user is unsure which of the two pawls is currently engaging the strap, and thus he/she does not know exactly which one of the twopawls is to be actuated; a simultaneous actuation of both pawls causes the strap to be completely released , and this may be unwanted; thus, the prior art device is difficult to use and lacks of immediate comprehension.

[0004]. A further drawback lies in the fact that, given that only one of the two pawls arranged adjacent engages the strap, the load on the latter due to the fastening force acts offset with respect to the longitudinal axis of the device, hence possibly leading to the strap being stuck with respect to the support base, or however giving rise to possible malfunctioning due to a non-axial tension.

[0005]. A further drawback of the prior art device lies in the size of the strap: given that the tooth of the pawl that temporarily engages half of the section of the strap must be able to resist to the normal traction forces occurring in such closure devices, and thus must be of suitable size, the strap of the device according to the aforementioned patent is required to be twice wide with respect to a normal strap in which the tooth acts over the entire cross-section.

[0006]. European patent EP 161 181 1 in the name of Tecnologica S.p.A. discloses a fastening device for footwear comprising a lever arm for the gradual fastening of the strap, first means for the gradual release of the strap and second means for the complete release of the strap, wherein said first and said second means are distinct with respect to each other and they are capable of being actuated by means of two separate push-buttons.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007]. The main aim of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art by providing a fastening device for footwear capable of allowing the complete release and the tooth-by-tooth release of the strap by actuating only one push-button.

[0008]. Within the previously described aim, an important object is to provide a fastening device that is easy and immediate to perform through unequivocal and distinct actions for the two controlled and gradual release functions.

[0009]. A further object of the present invention is to provide a fastening device for footwear that is small in size and formed by a fewest number of components as low as possible.

[0010]. Another object is to provide a fastening device capable of attaining the aforementioned objects at competitive production costs, so that the use thereof is advantageous even from an economical point of view, and which is obtainable by means of the usual and known systems, machinery and tools.

[0011]. The aforementioned aim and objects, as well as others that will be apparent hereinafter are reached by a fastening device particularly for sports footwear as defined by claim 1 .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012]. Further characteristics and advantages of a fastening device according to the present invention shall be better understood from the following description of a particular, but not exclusive, embodiment illustrated purely by way of non-limiting example with reference to the following figures:

- figure 1 is a perspective exploded view of a fastening device according to the present invention;

- figure 2 illustrates, according to a top view, a fastening device according to the present invention;

- figure 3 is a lateral perspective view of the device according to the preceding figures;

- figure 4 is a longitudinal section along plane A-A, indicated in figure 2, of the fastening device according to the preceding figures;

- figure 5 is a cross-section along plane B-B, indicated in figure 2, of the fastening device according to the preceding figures;

- figure 6 is a lateral view of the fastening device according to the preceding figures, at a position of tensioning the strap;

- figure 7 shows, according to a sectional view, the fastening device in the position of figure 6;

- figure 8 shows the fastening device according to the present invention without the lever arm and at closure or rest position; and

- figure 9 shows, according to a perspective view, the fastening device of the present invention at complete release position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013]. With reference to the previously mentioned figures, a fastening device in particular for sports footwear adapted to be fixed onto a first flap of a footwear (not shown) is generally indicated with reference number 10. A toothed strap 1 can be fixed with an end 1A to a second flap of the footwear (not shown), and it is adapted to be removably associable, by means of the other end 1 B, to the fastening device 10, provided as follows, to obtain the approaching of the two flaps of the footwear and thus attain closure thereof.

[0014]. The fastening device 10 comprises a base 7 constituted by a flat bottom surface 17 and two shoulders 7A, 7B, mutually opposite, which rise, preferably at a right angle, from said flat bottom surface 17.

[0015]. The flat bottom surface 17 is shaped so as to comprise a longitudinal groove 17A, whose width is smaller than the total width of the flat base surface 17, within which the strap 1 is slidingly inserted to allow the closure of the footwear. In particular, said groove 17A is provided slightly offset with respect to the centre of the flat base surface 17, so as to laterally leave a space sufficient to create a notch 70, i.e. a lateral gap, which extends adjacent to the groove 17, at the base of one of the two shoulders 7A, 7B.

[0016]. Furthermore, a first pair of holes 27, arranged mutually facing each other, which allow articulating - on said base 7, in the space comprised between said shoulders - a pawl 6, in turn provided with a through hole 26, about a first transverse axis 8, defined by a first pin, substantially perpendicular to the two shoulders 7A, 7B, is provided on said two shoulders 7A, 7B

[0017]. A first resilient means 5, in particular a torsion-compression spring, is coaxially inserted into said first pin 8.

[0018]. The pawl 6 is provided with a single control means 99, i.e. a push-button, arranged at the top part thereof; furthermore, it is also provided with first engaging means 16A and second engaging means 16B, in particular two transverse teeth adapted to selectively engage the toothing of the strap 1 for the gradual or complete opening of the footwear as outlined further in detail hereinafter. Said second transverse tooth 16B is spaced with respect to said first transverse tooth 16A by a distance between centres equivalent to about n + ½ times the pitch of the toothing of the strap 1 , and it is provided in a manner to be completely raised from the strap 1 during the rest condition.

[0019]. The oscillability of the pawl 6 about the first pin 8 is limited and controlled by exploiting the resilient torsional return property of the spring 5; this causes said first engaging tooth 16A to constantly adhere to the toothed surface of the strap 1 during the rest condition, thus preventing slipping off thereof.

[0020]. A supporting connecting rod 4 is provided with a second pair of holes 14 which allow articulating the same, outside the shoulders 7A, 7B of the base 7, about the first pin 8; it substantially has the function of rotatably supporting a lever arm 2 on the base 7, articulating it about a second axis 9, defined by a second cylindrical pin, passing through a third pair of holes 24.

[0021]. The lever arm 2 has a free end 50 that allows the user to hold it, while the other end 21 is provided with engaging means adapted to engage the toothing of the toothed strap 1 which is inserted into the groove 17A of the base 7. By rotating about the second pin 9, said lever arm 2 passes from a rest position (as in figures 3 and 4), in which the end 21 is raised with respect to the toothing of the strap 1 , to an engagement position (figures 6 and 7) for the moving forward the strap 1 biased by a second resilient means 3 which holds the lever arm 2 in the rest position when no forces are applied. Said second resilient means 3 is usually constituted by a torsion spring positioned coaxially to the pin 9 and operating in a conventional manner.

[0022]. Stop means 40, such as small projecting portions, may be provided on the lateral outer surface of the shoulders 7A, 7B of the base 7 with the aim of limiting the movement of the connecting rod 4 towards the surface of the footwear and allow a more fluid movement of the lever arm 2.

[0023]. Furthermore, given that said lever arm 2 is extended above said pawl 6, it is centrally provided with an opening 22 from which it is possible accessing said control means 99 and actuating it for attaining the displacement of the pawl 6.

[0024]. The fastening device 10 operates as follows: obtaining the closure of the two flaps of the footwear requires the manual insertion of the free end 1 B of the strap 1 into the fastening device 10, sliding it in the groove 17A provided on the flat surface of the base 7. The sliding of the strap 1 is free until the first tooth of the toothed strap 1 comes into contact with the first engaging tooth 16A of the pawl 6: at this point, the first engaging tooth 16A is raised overcoming the resilient torsional reaction of the first resilient means 5 and slides on the toothing of the strap 1 allowing the forward moving of the same in the direction indicated by the arrow C in figures 3 and 4.

[0025]. The lever arm 2 is actuated for the subsequent forced fastening of the strap 1 : the user, holding the lever arm 2 at the free end thereof 50, rotates it repeatedly clockwise and anticlockwise about the pin 9 as indicated by the arrow T in figures 6 and 7, so that the end 21 provided with engaging means engages, overcoming the bias action provided by the second resilient means 3, one of the teeth of the toothing of the strap 1 , forcing the forward movement thereof. The temporary position achieved by the strap 1 is maintained during the passive return travel of the lever arm 2 from the first engaging tooth 16A which acts as during the manual insertion of the strap 1 , i.e. sliding on the toothing biased by the first resilient means 5 and then maintaining the position achieved by the strap 1 by temporarily engaging one of the teeth of the toothing thereof.

[0026]. Reiterating the oscillatory movement of the lever arm 2 about the second pin 9 causes the strap 1 to be tensioned up to the desired fastening degree.

[0027]. In order to gradually and controllably loosen the degree of fastening set during the fastening, the user simply needs to operate on the control push-button 99 of the pawl, pressing it according to a vertical direction with respect to the motion direction of the strap 1 , as indicated by the arrow G in figures 3 and 4: this leads to a slight rotation of the pawl 6, biased by the first resilient means 5, about the first pin 8, which in turn causes the first engaging tooth 16A, responsible for maintaining the fastening position, to raise from the groove of the tooth of the strap 1 to which it is engaged, allowing the strap 1 to translate along the loosening direction indicated by the arrow A by about ½ tooth. Simultaneously, following the rotation of the pawl 6 about the pin 8, the second engaging tooth 16B, which is spaced from said first transverse tooth by n + ½ teeth, engages the closest groove of the toothing in the loosening direction.

[0028]. During the subsequent step in which the user releases the push-button 99, the pawl 6 returns to the initial rest position, exploiting the resilient return property provided by the first resilient means 5: however, in this manner the second tooth 16B is disengaged from the groove of the toothing of the strap 1 in which it had settled in the previous step, while the first tooth 16A engages the adjacent groove, allowing the strap to translate by an amount equivalent to the remaining ½ tooth. Thus, in total, a single vertical actuation of the push-button 99 allows the strap 1 to translate in the direction indicated by the arrow A of one tooth and thus by a distance equivalent to the pitch of the toothing of the strap 1 .

[0029]. Thus, repeating the previously described operation actuating and releasing several times the push-button 99 allows obtaining a gradual and controlled release, tooth-by-tooth, of the strap 1 , up to the desired fastening degree.

[0030]. Lastly, in order to attain the quick release of the strap 1 , the user shall simply operate on the push-button 99 by translating it laterally with respect to the motion direction of the strap, as indicated by the arrow R in figures 5 and 9, so as to displace the body of the pawl 6, biasing the action of the spring 5, at the gap 70 provided on the base 7. Consequently to this movement, the first engaging tooth 16A, responsible for maintaining the fastening position attained in the previous steps, and the second engaging tooth 16B are completely moved away from the toothing of the strap 1 , allowing the latter to be loosened quickly or even completely slipped off from fastening device 10. By releasing the push-button 99, the pawl 6 automatically returns to the rest position due to the resilient return action provided by the spring 5.

[0031]. From the description outlined above it is clear how the present invention attains the preset objects and advantages: actually, a fastening device 10 provided with a single push-button 99 to obtain both the quick release and the gradual release tooth by tooth of the strap 1 is provided.

[0032]. Furthermore, said control push-button 99 can be used through unequivocal and distinct actions, in particular the compression towards the surface of the footwear to obtain the controlled release and the transverse displacement for the quick release of the strap; this makes the use of the device 10 easy and immediate to perform.

[0033]. Due to the presence of a single push-button 99, the fastening device 10 is extremely small in size, just like the number of construction components is minimum, making said fastening device 10 competitive even from an economical point of view.

[0034]. Obviously, the present invention is susceptible to numerous applications, modifications or variants without thereby departing from the scope of protection, as defined by the attached claims.

[0035]. Furthermore, the materials and equipments used to carry out the present invention, as well as the shapes and dimensions of the single components, may suitably vary according to the specific needs.