FASTENING AND ADJUSTING DEVICE, PARTICULARLY FOR SKI BOOTS

Abstract: Fastening and adjusting device, particularly usable in ski boots comprising a winder (2) for at least one traction element. The peculiarity of the device consists in the fact that a skier accessible knob (4) is associated with said winder and has a first seat (5) for a temporary locking element (6) for locking to a body (14) associated to said boot. Both the knob and the winder respectively have a second (8) and third (11) seats for a releasing element (9), for releasing said knob and body, and for a resilient member (10).

Description: The present invention relates to a fastening and adjusting device, particularly usable in ski boots. Several fastening and adjusting devices are known nowadays having a round knob adapted to control a winder member for traction elements, such as cables for example, adapted to fasten the quarters or to secure the foot inside the boot. To this aim, this same applicant has filed a U.S. patent N. 4.433.456 which claimed a closure device comprising a casing associated to one of the flaps of the boot to be joined, and provided with a knob for actuating a winder spool. The spool winds at least one string associated with the other one of the flaps to be joined. The device furthermore comprises pawl means controlled by said knob and adapted to lock the spool in any position, by rotating the knob in one direction, and to release said spool, by rotating the knob in the opposite direction. Although such a known device is reliable, it has nevertheless a few drawbacks: the pawl means, and the relative rotation pivot, are located at the casing, a rotating spool for winding a pair of cables and a pinion gear rotated by the knob are housed inside the casing, therefore a toothed gear associated with the knob has been located outside the casing, this arrangement entails the use of a large number of components that consequently increases both the global cost of the device and the assembling operations. It has been furthermore noted that the device has a large longitudinal size and it is consequently difficult to fit it into the boot structure. Other devices of this type, such as shown in EP-A-255 869, have temporary locking means of the winder, constituted by a combination of ratchet pawl engaging a toothed section, and the pawl as well as the relative rotation pivot are located at a ring interposed between a knob operated by the skier and a body on which said toothed section is provided. Also in this case, there is a large number of components and a large longitudinal size. DE-A-2 341 658 shows a cable winder which is rotatably supported by a body which is rigidly connected to a ski boot, and a knob element which is connected to the winder for winding it thereof. The winder/knob assembly is also slidably mounted on a pivot so that it can be moved along the axis of such pivot. A bell shaped spring is interposed between the lower surface of the winder and the lower surface of the body, thereby to bias the winder and knob into an upward position in a direction away from the ski boot surface. The other upper side of the winder, opposite to where the bell spring acts, is provided with a set of serrated teeth which engage with a fixed tooth which protrudes downwardly from the upper side of the body, thereby to allow the winding actuation of the knob and winder but to block its unwinding movement, which only occurs by pushing on the knob against the force of the bell spring. EP-A-132 744 shows a cable winding device comprising a reel to which the cable is connected and which is rotatably supported by a fixed body. A knob is also provided with a cover element rigidly connected to the-reel and with a cylindrical body handgrip supported for rotational and axil movements on the fixed body. The cover element is provided with a circumferential notch in which is axially slidably a wall portion of the handgrip, thus the rotation of the handgrip rotates the cover element and the reel connected thereto. The handgrip is provided with a bottom having serrated tooth formations which engage with opposite serrated tooth formations provided on the fixed body, and an elastic spring is disposed between the cover element and the handgrip, thereby to bias the tooth formations of the handgrip into contact with the tooth formations of the fixed body. The tooth formations allow the knob to be rotated in a winding direction to wind the cable on the reel, and additionally the rotation in the opposite direction of the reel is prevented. By pulling outwardly on the handgrip of the knob however against the biasing action of the spring, the tooth formations are disengaged and hence the knob can be wound in the unwinding direction. Thus this device, even though presenting a smaller number of elements, has the disadvantage that in order to effect unwinding, the handgrip must be pulled against the contrast force of the spring and simultaneously unwound, which is a rather awkward and slow operation. The main aim of the present invention is therefore that of eliminating the above mentioned drawbacks in the known types, by providing a device that allows one or more of the traction elements to be optimally fastened and adjusted, for example for closing the quarters and for securing one or more of the boot inner pressers, and at the same time that has a limited number of components in order to limit the global costs and to simplify the assembling. Within this aim, a further important object is that of providing a device having a very limited longitudinal size and therefore that can be easily fit into the boot structure without making the overall esthetic aspect dull. Not least object is that of providing a device that, to the above mentioned characteristics, adds that of allowing said one or more traction elements to be released rapidly. The above mentioned aim and the objects, as well as others that will be more apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a fastening and adjusting device, particularly for ski boots, as defined in the appended claims. Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will be more apparent from the detailed description of a particular, but not exclusive, embodiment illustrated by way of non limitative example in the enclosed drawing, wherein: Fig. 1 illustrates the device in a view obtained by diametrally sectioning the knob. With reference to the above drawing figure, the fastening and adjusting device, generally designated with the reference numeral 1, particularly usable with ski boots, comprises a winder 2 constituted by a spool having one or more annular races 3 for one or more traction elements, such as cables. The device also comprises a knob 4 which has a circular shape and may be provided with per se known optional elements adapted to improve the grip for the skier. Such knob 4 has a first seat 5 for a temporary locking element such as a pawl 6. Said first seat 5 is substantially L-shaped and therefore has wings perpendicular to each other, one of the wings being perpendicular to the axis passing through the center of said knob. The knob 4 furthermore has an axial second seat 8 for a releasing element constituted by a pushbutton 9 partially protruding outside the knob 4 at one end, and at the other end engaging a resilient member, such as a spring 10 located at a third seat 11 formed on said winder 2 and communicating with said second seat 8. Said winder 2 has a first lug 12 associated with a second lug 13 of said knob 4. A body 14, which is associated to the boot and to which is rotatingly associated said second lug 13, has an annular toothing 15 in the direction of the upper head of said knob. The pawl 6 is substantially L-shaped and has a bigger first wing 16, which is hinged, by means of a pivot 17, inside said first seat 5 at the junction with the smaller second wing 18. The first wing 16 has its end engaging with a groove 19 formed on said pushbutton 9, the second wing 18, by means of spring 10, is forced to engage with the lower facing annular toothing 15 of body 14. The interaction between said ends of said second wing 18 and the annular toothing 15 is such as to allow the rotation of the knob 4 in one direction. The operation of the device is in fact the following: to a rotation in one set direction of the knob 4, follows the winding of the traction elements at the annular races 3 of the winder 2, because the knob 4, the pawl 6 and the winder 2 rotate together with respect to the body 14; in this manner, the pawl 6, and therefore the pushbutton 9, work as a catch because of the interaction with the annular toothing 15. As the desired fastening strength is reached, according to the selected adjusting, to release the device, it will be sufficient to press the pushbutton 9 in order to move the first wing 16 of the pawl 6 that will cause the second wing 18 of the pawl to disengage from the annular toothing 15. The traction exerted by any optional string wound on the annular races 3 of the winder 2, or by an optional recovery spring associated with the cables, will cause the autonomous rotation of the winder in the opposite direction, allowing, for example, the easy opening of the quarters or the easy releasing of the foot. It has thus been observed that the invention achieves the intended aim and objects, having provided a device that allows, for example, to easy fasten the quarters and/or to secure the foot inside the boot, the device having a limited number of components that lowers the overall cost of the device and allow a rapid and easy assembling. The device furthermore has a very limited axial size that eases the insertion in the boot structure, keeping an optimal aesthetic aspect.

Claims: Fastening and adjusting device, particularly for ski boots, comprising a winder (2) for winding at least one traction element, a body (14) which is rigidly connectable to said ski boot and which rotatably supports said winder (2), a knob (4) also rotatably supported by said body (14) and connected to said winder (2) for winding thereof, the device being characterized in that it further comprises a pawl element (6) having a first wing (16) and a second wing (18) and which is hinged to said knob (4) in a first accommodation seat (5) thereof by means of a pivot (17) located at the junction between said first and second wings, said second wing (18) of said pawl element (6) engaging with an annular toothed formation (15) provided on said body (14) thereby for allowing rotation of said knob (4) and winder (2) in a winding direction of said at least one traction element and for releasably blocking the rotation thereof in the opposite unwinding direction, the device further comprising a pushbutton release element (9) slidably guided in an axial second seat (8) of said knob and actuatable by a user, and a resilient member (10) for biasing said pushbutton outwardly, said first wing (16) of said pawl engaging with said pushbutton in a groove (19) thereof, so that an inward push of said pushbutton (9) pivots said pawl (6) to disengage said second wing (18) thereof from said annular toothed formation (15) to allow the unwinding rotation of the winder (2). Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said winder is constituted by a spool (2) having one or more annular races (3) for one or more of said traction elements which are constituted by cables, said knob (4) being substantially circular and being provided with means for improving the grip thereon by a user, said first accommodation seat (5) being substantially L-shaped. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that said first seat (5) has wings perpendicular to each other, one of said wings being perpendicular to the axis passing through the center of said knob (4). Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said resilient member (10) is located in a third seat (11) formed axially on said winder (2) and communicating with said second seat (8), said resilient member (10) being interposed between said winder (2) and said pushbutton (9). Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said winder (2) has a first lug (12) connected with a second lug (13) of said knob (4), said second lug (13) being rotatably supported by said body (14), said annular toothed formation (15) of said body (14) facing in a direction towards an upper head of said knob (4). Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said first wing (16) has an extension which is longer than the extension of said second wing (18).

Inventors: DE BORTOLI GIUSEPPE
Applicants: NORDICA S.P.A
Application year: 1990
Main classification: A43C11
IPC codes: A43B5, A43C11