Abstract:
The laced boot has a flexible leg and two lateral closing flaps, a tongue arranged between them, and a lacing that can be fastened on the closing flaps and covers the tongue. A suspender for receiving the lacing is attached in the upper area of the tongue in order to adjust the flexibility of the leg and of the tongue.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The invention relates to a laced boot with an upper having a flexible leg.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Such a laced boot is known from German utility model DE-GM 85 01 207 U1. This known laced boot comprises a flexible upper comprising two lateral, opposing closing flaps and a tongue arranged between them, as well as a lacing that can be fastened on the closing flaps and covers the tongue. A hook open at the bottom is attached in the upper area of the tongue and can be suspended in the lacing. This is intended to prevent the tongue from sliding down during use.  
         [0003]     U.S. Pat. No. 5,934,599 shows a laced boot used especially in snowboarding as a so-called soft boot, in which instance special requirements are placed on the flexibility of the upper and of the tongue. On the one hand the upper and the tongue should be so flexible that the sportsman has the greatest possible freedom of movement in all directions and especially in the direction to the front and to the rear relative to the longitudinal axis of the shoe. On the other hand the upper and the tongue must be so stiff that the sportsman can apply sufficient forces on the front edge and the back edge of the snowboard during snowboarding. In addition, the required flexibility and stiffness of the upper and of the tongue are also a function of the snow conditions. In soft snow or deep snow the flexibility should be greater than on a hard or even icy course.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     The invention therefore has the problem of improving the laced boot of the initially cited type in such a manner that the flexibility of the upper and of the tongue can be adjusted.  
         [0005]     This problem is solved by the features indicated in claim  1 . Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention can be gathered from the dependent claims.  
         [0006]     The basic concept of the invention resides in providing a suspender on the upper end of the tongue for selective reception of the lacing. If the lacing is suspended in the suspender the tongue is pressed substantially downward in the direction towards the sole of the foot and is stiffened as a result. This also reduces a relative shifting between the tongue and the lateral closing flaps in the upper area, which reduces the flexibility of the upper and of the tongue. The force exerted by the lacing via the suspender on the tongue increases with increasing “forward lean” of the upper, so that upper and tongue are progressively stiffened. On the other hand, if the snowboarder would like to have the greatest possible flexibility he can remove the lacing from the suspender with a movement of his hand and obtain a traditional flexible laced boot.  
         [0007]     The suspender is preferably designed as a hook open at the top and preferably consists of plastic, that has a friction-reducing surface relative to the lacing. The hook can be formed in one piece with a hook plate fastened to the tongue either by adhesion, screws, rivets or also be formed in one piece from the material of the tongue itself. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES  
       [0008]     The invention is described in detail in the following using an exemplary embodiment in combination with the drawings.  
         [0009]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a laced boot in accordance with the invention.  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  shows a detailed view of the suspender.  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  shows a cross section of the suspender. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0012]     This application claims priority from German application 103 42 236.6, filed Sep. 11, 2003, the entire disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference.  
         [0013]     The laced boot of  FIG. 1  is designated in its entirety by reference numeral  1 . It has a sole  2 , and an upper having a middle part  3  receiving the foot of the user and having a flexible leg  4  immediately following the middle part, which leg normally receives a lower part of the lower leg of the user. At least leg  4 , but also as a rule middle part  3  form closing flaps  5 ,  6 , between which a free space is present into which tongue  7  is set, closing this free space.  
         [0014]     Closing flaps  5 ,  6  are drawn onto one another by lacing  8 , that can be, e.g., a traditional boot lace, a wire cable or some other tractive member, and deflections in the form of hooks or eyelets  9 ,  10  or tabs  11  can be provided on closing flaps  5 ,  6  into which deflections lacing  8  is placed or threaded in. To this extent a traditional laced boot is concerned. The invention provides that a suspender  13  for receiving lacing  8  is attached in the area of the upper end of tongue  7 .  
         [0015]     As can be seen from  FIGS. 2 and 3 , suspender  13  preferably comprises hook  14  open at the top into which lacing  8  can be placed.  
         [0016]     If, as shown in FIGS.  1  to  3 , lacing  8  has been placed in suspender  13  and if the lacing has been tightened, a relative movement of tongue  7  upward towards shaft  4 , that is, away from sole  2 , is prevented or limited and the upper part of tongue  7  is even pressed down in the direction of the sole, as a result of which leg  4  and tongue  7  are stiffened.  
         [0017]     If leg  4  is inclined to the front, that is, toward the tip of the shoe when the lacing is suspended, the imaginary pivot axis for this movement is located approximately in the middle of the leg when viewed from the side. If tongue  7  should follow this movement, then its pivot axis is further to the front on the other hand, so that leg  4  and tongue  7  have different pivot radii. As a consequence thereof, the lacing suspended in suspender  13  is tensioned more strongly and progressively presses the upper part of tongue  7  down with the pivoting movement, as a result of which leg  4  and tongue  7  are progressively stiffened. In this manner the snowboarder can exert intensified pressure on the front edge of the snowboard during forward lean.  
         [0018]     On the other hand, if the snowboarder would like to adjust the boot “softer,” he merely needs to remove lacing  8  from suspender  13 , that is, hook  14  with a movement of his hand and place it under the hook. He then has a “normal” laced boot with the flexibility determined solely by the material.  
         [0019]     In the embodiment of  FIGS. 2, 3  the suspender is designed as a substantially flat plate on which hook  14  is formed in one piece. This plate can be adhered, screwed or riveted to tongue  7 . It can also be formed in one piece from the material of tongue  7  together with hook  14  in as far as the tongue consists, as is often customary today, of plastic with an additional padding (not shown).  
         [0020]     The suspender together with hook  14  preferably consists of plastic that has a friction-reducing surface relative to lacing  8 . However, it is also possible to make the suspender from metal or of metal coated with plastic. The friction-reducing surface brings about that lateral movements of the leg are not hindered by the suspender since lacing  8  can then slide along the suspender.  
         [0021]     When introducing elements of the present invention or the preferred embodiment(s) thereof, the articles “a”, “an”, “the” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising”, “including” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements.  
         [0022]     In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.  
         [0023]     As various changes could be made in the above methods and products without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.