DESCRIPTION

This invention relates to a quick-release fastening device for sports footwear.

The manufacture of sports footwear in general and in particular race boots, such as those used in motorcycle competitions, provided with fastening devices which use a line extending between a winder fixed to one side or flap of an upper of the footwear and a hooking member attached to one side or flap of an opposite upper are known. Winding the line into the winder draws together the flaps of the upper, closing the footwear over the user's foot with the desired tension.

Similar devices make it possible to apply and release the fastening tension of the footwear gradually. They do not however provide any means to help opening of the fastening device, to make this action easy.

It is also known that it is possible to manufacture sports footwear provided with means for magnetic attraction designed to provide a fastening between the two flaps of the footwear.

One example of such footwear is described in international patent application WO2011012828 in the name of Carnac Sport.

The magnetic means included in the abovementioned device apply a force to respective fastening elements in a direction bringing the two together to bring about their attachment. Again however there is no provision in this case for any means assisting opening of the device.

The problem underlying this invention is that of providing a fastening device for sports footwear which is functionally and structurally designed to overcome all the disadvantages mentioned with reference to the cited known art.

This problem is resolved by the invention through a quick-release fastening device constructed in accordance with the following claims.

Characteristics and advantages of the invention will be more apparent from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment illustrated by way of indication and without limitation with reference to the appended drawings in which :

• Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fastening device according to the invention in the unattached position;

• Figure 2 is a view from above of the fastening device in Figure 1 ;

• Figure 3 is a view from above of the device in Figure 2 with the fastening under tension;

• Figures 4A and 4B are two diagrammatical illustrations in cross- section along a plane B and a plane C respectively of the device in the preceding figures; and

• Figure 5 is a perspective view of a race boot comprising the device according to this invention .

In the figures a quick-release fastening device is indicated as a whole by reference number 100.

This device is preferably provided on the upper of sports footwear, such as a race boot, for example of the type illustrated in Figure 5, to draw its two facing flaps 101, 102 together.

As will be apparent from the following description, fastening device 100 may also be applied to footwear of other kinds in which it is important to ensure not only gradual and progressive tensioning of the fastening, but also ease of release.

In the embodiment in Figure 5 the footwear uses the device according to this invention at three fastening points located on the top of the foot, the ankle and the calf respectively. It is however obvious that the device according to this invention may also be used on only a limited number of fastening points and on footwear of a different kind .

A tensioning device 103 is attached to the first flap of upper 101 at the end of the latter facing second flap of upper 102. In a preferred embodiment of the invention tensioning device 103 comprises a winder with a base 104 attached to the flap of the upper in a known way, and a spool 105 rotatably supported on base 104, which can be caused to rotate about its own axis through a folding handle 106. A flexible fastening line 107, which forms a tie, is mounted on spool 105 and is pulled up by tensioning device 103 when spool 105 is rotated in one direction and released when spool 105 is rotated in the opposite direction . Two buttons 108 are mounted on base 104 at the sides of spool 105 to bring about the quick release of a ratchet which limits the rotation of spool 105 in a known way to provide quick release of the fastening .

A first attachment member 1 is mounted on fastening line 107 with the ability to slide freely thereupon and designed to engage a second fastening member 2, which is in turn attached by screws, rivets or otherwise to a plate 109, illustrated in Figure 4A, of plastics material, designed to be sewn to the second flap of upper 102 by way of reinforcement.

First and second attachment members 1,2 have corresponding facing attachment surfaces 11a, l ib and 21a, 21b designed to provide a self- centering attachment between the two elements 1,2. Typically this self- centering attachment is obtained by means of the fact that surfaces 11a, l ib of first attachment member 1 converge together in a V-shape to form an angle A and are further formed with an inclined plane such that when fastening line 107 is tensioned, pulling the two attachment members 1,2 together, member 1 is pressed towards plate 109 and/or the upper above it through the coupling effect between the inclined planes.

Opposite surfaces 21a, 2ab of attachment member 2 also have an inclined plane and are V-shaped and are also provided with a projecting lip 22, projecting above above-mentioned surfaces 21a, 21b, which is useful to encourage a first attachment between members 1 and 2.

Attachment between attachment members 1,2 thus draws the two flaps of uppers 101, 102 in a direction bringing them closer together.

A permanent magnet 31, preferably of the neodymium type, is embedded in a tail piece 12 (or other portion) of attachment member 1 ; another permanent magnet 32 is housed beneath plate 109 in a position at a distance from the position adopted by first member 1 when attached to second member 2 in the direction in which the fastening is released . In this way, when the fastening tension is reduced by releasing fastening line 107 through action on buttons 108, depending on the relative polarity of magnets 31,32 there may be an attractive force between them which tends to release the fastening tension, drawing first attachment member 1 away from second member 2. It is also provided that the relative orientation between magnets 31,32 is the opposite, to produce a repulsive force between them . In this case the two magnets 31,32 will be mounted on corresponding supports in a position such as to maximise this repulsive force when attachment members 1,2 are mutually attached . In either case the force exerted by the magnetic fields, either an attractive force or a repulsive force tending to produce separation between the two attachment members, will tend to assist release of the attachment when the attachment tension is reduced.

In addition, moving first attachment member 1 away from second member 2 through the attractive force between magnets 31,32 places a stress on the two flaps of uppers 101,102 in a direction away from each other so that the footwear can easily be removed .

The invention thus solves the problem described, providing many advantages, including that of providing a quick-release function assisted by a fastening device for footwear.

Furthermore the configuration with an attractive force between magnets 31,32 makes it possible to achieve a stable position separating first attachment member 1 from second member 2, to keep these members unattached from each other when the attachment tension is sufficiently reduced .