LOCKING AND ADJUSTMENT DEVICE PARTICULARLY FOR SKI BOOTS

Abstract: The device comprises a box-like body (2) associable with a ski boot (3) and provided with a knob (7) actuating a spool (4) for winding at least one cable (5). The knob is rotatably associated with the stem (8) of a toothed ring (9) interacting with ratchet-gear means (10) which locks said spool during the rotation in one direction and unlocks it upon a rotation imparted to the knob in the opposite direction. A flange (16) is associated with the spool which has at least one helical seat (17) for an element (18) which slides within said seat and within a guide (19) provided radially on said box-like body (2).

Description: The present invention relates to a locking and adjustment device particularly usable in ski boots. Devices for locking cables are currently known having a knob for winding a cable at adapted winders and/or pulleys. European Patent No.0056953 filed by the same Applicant, discloses a device comprising a box-like body provided with a knob acting on a spool for winding at least one cable, said device having ratchet-gear means controlled by said knob and adapted to lock said spool in any position during the rotation of said knob in one direction and to unlock said spool upon the rotation of said knob in the opposite direction. To prevent the skier, unwinding the cable, from accidentally rotating the knob such as to cause said cable to wind in the opposite direction with respect to the designed one, the device has an axially raised tooth, of an inner set of teeth provided on said spool, which interferes with a small collar provided at the base of the teeth of a small pinion associated with the knob, said interference locking the relative rotation of said pinion with respect to a set of teeth present at a flange provided on an axial body protruding from a ring rigidly associated in rotation with said small pinion associated with said knob. This device however has the disadvantage of being relatively expensive due to the particular mechanical machinings and to the related tolerances to be imposed on the components of the device to prevent the rotation of the knob beyond the point of maximum unwinding. As a partial solution to this disadvantage,European Patent No. 0 132 744 by the same Applicant, discloses a device having an actuation element comprising a spool for the winding of a cable rigidly associated in rotation with a knob supported, with the possibility of rotation and axial translatory motion, by a fixed body associated with the shell. To prevent the rotation of said knob beyond the point of maximum unwinding, a stroke limit element is provided, constituted by a pin extending axially from said knob which engages by contact with a stop abutment defined on the shell constituting the boot. This device also has disadvantages, only one turn of winding being allowed for the knob, this limitation being very restrictive for the use of the device, a single turn not being always sufficient to ensure an adequate locking of the cable. EP-A-0 255 869, which was published after the priority date of the present application and which is accordingly an intermediate document within the meaning of Article 54(3) EPC, shows a rotary fastener particularly for ski boots which includes a housing fixable to the ski boot in which a spool is rotatably supported for winding a cable. A knob is rotatably mounted above the fixed housing and a rotation of the knob correspondingly drives the spool. An intermediate disc is also rotatably mounted on the housing, between such housing and the knob. Such disc carries a pawl member which engages or disengages, depending upon the rotation direction of the knob which is provided with a pawl abutment member, a set of teeth of a toothed ring provided at the top of the fixed housing. At the surface of the housing facing the spool, a spiral groove is provided and a nipple connected to the end of the cable at the spool projects therefrom and is slidingly accommodated in the spiral groove of the fixed housing. EP-A-0 177 269 shows in a ski boot an adjustable anchorage for a tension strap which employs a rotatable element grooved with a spiral track. The tension strap is attached to the rotatable element by way of a pin connected to the end of the tension strap which is slidingly seated in the spiral track, and hence a rotation of the rotatable element provides a direct linear displacement of the end of the tension strap. The aim of the present invention is to eliminate the disadvantages described above in known types, by providing a device, applicable to a ski boot, for locking and adjusting a tensioning element, such as a cable, by means of a knob actuatable by the skier, which allows to prevent the accidental and/or intentional winding of said cable beyond the point of maximum unwinding. Within the scope of the above described aim, another important object is to provide a device which associates with the preceding characteristic that of being structurally simple and reliable in use. Not least object is to provide a device which has modest costs and which allows at the same time to achieve the optimum locking of the boot. This aim and the objects mentioned, as well as others which will become apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a locking and adjustment device, as defined in the appended claims. Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description of a particular but not exclusive embodiment, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein: figure 1 is a partially cutout plan view of the device; figure 2 is a view along the middle sectional plane longitudinal to the device; figure 3 is a plan view of the device in partial cross section, pointing out the flange having the helical seat. With reference to the above described figures, the locking and adjustment device, indicated by the numeral 1, comprises a box-like body 2, associable with the flap 3 of a ski boot, internally whereto a cavity is defined in which a spool 4 is rotatably accommodated, having an annular grove for the accommodation of a cable 5 windable thereat. With said spool 4 there is associated a pivot 6, rigidly associated at one end with a knob 7 external to the flap 3 of the boot. A stem 8, externally threaded, having, at the end facing towards said spool 4, a toothed ring 9 with the teeth directed towards said spool, is rigidly associated in rotation coaxially to the pivot 6. The knob 7 couples to the stem 8, the knob having an internal cylindrical wall which is complementarily threaded with respect to the thread provided on the stem 8. Preferably said complementary thread is a left-handed rapid thread. The toothed ring 9 interacts with ratchet-gear means constituted by a ratchet 10 pivoted to the box-like body 2 and rotatable about an axis 11 arranged on a plane perpendicular to the axis of said toothed ring 9. Said ratchet 10 has an engagement tooth 12 which couples removably with the set of teeth present on the toothed ring 9, the presence of a spring 13 and the configuration of said engagement tooth allowing the rotation of the toothed ring 9 in the direction of winding of the cable and locking the same upon a rotation in the opposite direction. Said ratchet 10 furthermore has a shoulder 14 adapted to engage by contact with an actuation edge 15 defined on the inner face of the knob 7. With the spool 4 there is furthermore associated, on the opposite side with respect to the knob 7, a disc element 16 rigidly associated in rotation therewith. Gears may be interposed between the spool and the disc element. A seat 17 having a helical configuration is provided at the surface of said disc element directed towards the side opposite to said knob. Within said seat an element constituted by a pawl 18 is slideably accommodated at the end, protruding beyond said seat 17 and slideable at the other end within an adapted guide 19 provided on said box-like body radially to said disc element. The use of the device is therefore as follows: upon a rotation given clockwise to the knob 7, the cable 5 winds within the spool 4, the ratchet 10 preventing the unwinding thereof. As a rotation is progressively imparted to the spool 4, the pawl 18 is caused to move along the guide 19 due to the presence of the seat 17 on the disc element 16. A first winding stroke limit is thus defined, reached once the pawl 18 abuts on the end of the guide 19 placed adjacent to the pivot 6. The configuration of the seat 17 and the length of the guide 19 are naturally such as to allow an adequate degree of locking before reaching said winding stroke limit. If instead the skier wishes to unwind the cable he rotates the knob anticlockwise: by doing this the actuation edge 15 pushes the shoulder 14 of the ratchet 10 causing the disengagement of the engagement tooth 12 from the set of teeth of the toothed ring 9. The subsequent rotation of the knob allows the unwinding of the cable and consequently causes the pawl 18 to move in the guide 19 moving away from the pivot 6. Once it reaches the end of the guide 19 an unwinding stroke limit is thus defined which prevents the further rotation of the knob and therefore the winding of said cable in the opposite direction with consequent damage thereof. Preferably, the pawl will be accommodated simultaneously at both the respective ends of the seat 17 and guide 19 when the winding and unwinding stroke limits are reached. It has thus been observed that the invention achieves the intended aim and objects, a device having been provided preventing the accidental winding of the cable beyond the point of maximum unwinding. The device achieves these characteristics with a simple and reliable structure. The structural simplicity furthermore implies constructively very simple components with a consequent reduction of costs and greater reliability in use. The provision of a winding stroke limit and of an unwinding stroke limit still allows an adequate degree of locking of the cable. Naturally the invention thus conceived is susceptible to numerous modifications and variations, all within the scope of the same inventive concept. Thus the materials, as well as the dimensions of the individual components of the device, may also be the most suitable according to the specific requirements. Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the scope of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims: Locking and adjustment device, comprising a box-like body (2) connectable with a ski boot (3) and provided with a knob (7) which is rotatably pivoted to said box-like body (2), said device further comprising a spool (4) rotatably supported in said box-like body (2) and at least one cable (5) which is connected to said spool (4), said spool (4) being rotatably actuated by a rotation of said knob (7) to thereby wind or un-wind said at least one cable (5) thereon, said knob (7) being rotatably connected with the stem (8) of a toothed ring (9) interacting with ratchet-gear means (10) adapted to lock and unlock said spool (4) during the rotation of said knob (7) in one direction and in the opposite direction, the device characterized in that it further comprises a disc element (16) rigidly connected with said spool (4), said disc element (16) being provided with a surface facing towards said box-like body (2), said surface being provided with at least one helical seat (17), a guide (19) being provided in said box-like body (2) facing said surface of said disc element (16) and radial thereto, and an element (18) being slideable within said guide (19) and within said at least one helical seat (17). Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said element is a pawl (18) which has an end slideably accommodated in said at least one helical seat (17) and another end protruding from said at least one helical seat and slideably accommodated in said guide (19). Device according to any one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that, upon a rotation of said knob (7) in the direction of winding of said cable (5), said pawl (18) executes a translatory motion within said guide (19) in the direction of the central axis of said disc element (16), until it abuts a first end of said guide (19) thereby locking a further rotation of said spool (4) and thereby defining a winding stroke limit. Device according to any one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that, upon a rotation of said knob (7) in the direction of unwinding of said cable (5), said pawl (18) executes a translatory motion within said guide (19) in the direction opposite to the central axis of said disc element (16), until it abuts a second end of said guide (19) thereby locking a further rotation of said spool (4) and thereby defining a unwinding stroke limit. Device according to any one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the length of said guide (19) and the positioning of said seat (17) are such as to allow the obtainment of the simultaneous positioning of said pawl (18) at the respective ends of both the guide (19) and the seat (17) in the winding and the unwinding stroke limit conditions.

Inventors: BAGGIO, GIORGIO, BARATTO, MIRKO
Applicants: NORDICA S.P.A.
Application year: 1988
Main classification: A43C11
IPC codes: A43B5, A43C11