Device for adjusting the inclination of a quarter with respect to the shell of a sport shoe

Abstract: A device for adjusting the inclination of a quarter (3) with respect to the shell (2) of a sports shoe, comprising a bushing (5) and a first plate (13) and a second plate (22) which are provided with teeth (20,21) and selectively interact by means of a screw (12) for fixing to the bushing. The device allows to vary the position of the axis (26) that passes through the bushing and the screw when the inclination of the quarter is adjusted. This solution allows to improve the efficiency of the boot and user comfort by reducing the difference between the rotation axis of the quarter and the natural rotation axis of the ankle.

Description: The present invention relates to a device for adjusting the inclination of a quarter with respect to the shell of a sports shoe. Especially in the field of ski boots, many devices are currently known which allow to adjust the inclination of a quarter with respect to a shell. In this regard, French patent No. 1,412,281 discloses a shoe which comprises a sole with which a rigid shell is laterally and rotatably associated. The shell has a flexible membrane for connection to a quarter, which is laterally connected to the rigid shell by means of two flaps of flexible material. One end of the flaps is rotatably associated at the shell, while the other end is connected to the quarter at a longitudinal slot formed on said flap. This device substantially allows movement of the quarter with respect to the shell in all directions; lateral adjustment has a maximum value which is determined by the length of the slot formed on the flap; the shape and the chosen connection between the quarter and the shell in any case do not allow to achieve correct lateral support, which is required in order to control the ski, owing to the lateral motion produced by the deformability of said flaps. French patent No. 71.47959 discloses an improvement for shoes which includes means for adjusting the angle of the quarter with respect to the shell; said means are substantially constituted by two sets of teeth formed on the two mutual contact surfaces of the two components, which are locked in the chosen position by means of a suitable bushing, the entire assembly being located in the malleolar region. This device, however, does not allow the quarter to oscillate with respect to the shell, owing to the locking determined between the two sets of teeth, and therefore allows no movement of the ankle, thus limiting user comfort and optimum transmission of forces during sports practice. US-4,334,368 relates to a device for the adjustable locking of the relative movement between the quarter and the shell of a ski boot; said device comprises a T-shaped screw whose shank has a first part which is longitudinally knurled for coupling at a suitable hole formed in the shell; said shank has a second threaded part which interacts with a suitable locking nut arranged outside the quarter; the threaded part of the shank of the T-shaped screw is located in a suitable slot formed in the lateral surface of the quarter, while there is provided a rectangular base having teeth which, once the nut is tightened, engage a corresponding set of teeth formed on the shell; this allows to determine the lateral inclination of the quarter with respect to the shell. However, also this device entails drawbacks: the set of teeth formed on the shell is in fact subjected to many stresses and the material it is made of does not ensure optimum resistance in the course of time, compromising the support and lateral stability of the boot and accordingly compromising the safety of the user. Since the presence of the slot on the quarter can cause possible infiltrations of snow, ice or mud, said slot must be concealed by using an element which is coupled to the threaded nut and must have such dimensions as to cover the entire slot, and this is aesthetically unpleasant. Moreover, the shank of the T-shaped screw constitutes the point through which the axis for articulation between the shell and the quarter passes: said point is fixed with respect to the shell, so that when the lateral position of the quarter is adjusted, the articulation axis thereof remains fixed; accordingly, a lateral movement of the quarter is not matched by a movement of its rotation axis, and therefore the rotation point of the boot may be located differently than the natural rotation point of the ankle. This lack of correspondence between the two rotation axes causes unnatural movements, pressure points and relative movements which decrease the level of comfort and can cause discomfort to the user. US-4,601,118 discloses a boot provided with a means for adjusting the inclination of the quarter with respect to the shell; said means comprises a first plate and a second plate which are associated respectively with the shell and with the quarter and have suitable sets of teeth at their mutually interacting facing surfaces. The plate associated with the quarter has a vertical slot, while the plate associated with the shell has a threaded seat for a complementarily threaded shank of a screw which is suitable to allow the mutual clamping of the plates and thus allow to maintain the preset angular position of the quarter with respect to the shell. However, also this device entails drawbacks, since the slot formed at the plate associated with the quarter is subject to accidental filling with snow or ice during sports practice and this prevents adjustment of the inclination except after perfect cleaning performed by the user. Like the previously mentioned device, this one, too, entails that the shank of the screw is fixed with respect to the shell, so that the axis of articulation between the quarter and the shell may not coincide with the rotation axis of the ankle; this can cause unnatural movements, pressure points and relative movements which decrease the level of comfort and can cause discomfort to the user. EP 0 570 053 also describes an adjusting device for ski-boots which provides for means for adjusting the inclination of the the quarter with respect to the shell. Such means comprise a first toothed plate associated with the shell and a second toothed plate inserted in the quarter, said second toothed plate having a slot within which a screw can be slided for adjusting the inclination of the quarter with respect to the shell. Nonetheless, also in this case, this device entails the same drawbacks already indicated before, and particularly the fact that the slot is covered by a cover which may not, under particular circumstances, avoid the accidental introduction of impurities, such as snow, ice or mud. Moreover, in order to perform the adjustment, the user has to take away the cover, perform the adjustment and then replace the cover, with obvious risk of deformation or even breaking to such cover. French patent No. 91.13048 relates to a ski boot which comprises a means for adjusting the transverse and longitudinal inclination of the quarter with respect to the shell; this device entails using a plurality of toothed plates which are orientated in the chosen adjustment direction: in this case, too, there is a screw with a threaded shank which is suitable to allow the clamp-like mutual closing of the plates. The plate arranged outside the quarter is substantially constituted by a disk which has a toothed surface and a diametrical slot which, as in the previous case, can be subject to accidental filling with snow or ice during use of the shoe, with the consequent drawback of requiring preliminary perfect cleaning before performing a new adjustment. In this case, too, the axis of the screw for interconnecting the plates and therefore for interconnecting the quarter and the shell may not coincide with the rotation axis of the ankle, and this creates unnatural movements, pressure points and relative movements which decrease the level of comfort and can create discomfort for the user. US-5,363,572 discloses a device for adjusting the lateral inclination in ski boots; said device is constituted by a bushing which has, on its shank, a threaded cavity which accommodates a complementarily threaded shank of a screw; between these two parts there is provided a first plate, which has a flat surface that abuts against the outer lateral surface of the shell, and there is provided a toothed surface, which couples to a complementarily toothed surface of a second plate which is arranged on the outside of the lateral surface of the quarter and on which a vertical slot is provided which allows to vary the inclination of the quarter with respect to the shell. This device partially solves one of the previously mentioned problems, since the second plate has a seat for inserting a panel which is suitable to protect the region provided with the slot. Although this device allows to prevent penetration of snow or ice at the slot, there is in any case an increase in the overall cost of the device, owing to the particular configuration and thickness which must be given to the second plate, to the need to form thereon the guides for inserting the covering part, and to the cost of the covering part. Furthermore, the need to remove the covering element before performing a new adjustment entails possible jammings, and an objective difficulty for the user to remove it because of poor grip on the covering element, also because of the small size of the part. Moreover, as in the previous cases, the axis between the bushing and the screw, and therefore the axis for articulation between the quarter and the shell, may not coincide with the rotation axis of the ankle, with the above-mentioned consequences, thus entailing unnatural movements, pressure points and relative movements which decrease the level of comfort and can cause discomfort to the user. An aim of the present invention is to solve the described problems, eliminating the drawbacks of the cited prior art and thus providing a device which allows to achieve optimum and easy adjustment of the inclination of a quarter with respect to a shell, at the same time allowing optimum transmission of forces from the shoe to the ski or to wheels in the case of a skate, and a high level of comfort for the user. An important object of the present invention is to provide a device which is permanently protected against snow, ice or mud and can be activated directly when the need arises, without any preliminary operation prior to its activation. A further important object is to provide a device which associates with the preceding characteristics that of allowing an improvement in the aesthetic appearance of the shoe. A further object is to provide a device which is reliable and safe in use, is free from jammings and has a limited number of components, so as to also allow to contain production costs. This aim and these objects, as well as others which will become apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a device for adjusting the inclination of a quarter with respect to the shell of a sports shoe, as claimed in claim 1. Preferred embodiments are claimed in dependent claims 2 to 6. Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a particular but not exclusive embodiment thereof, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 is an exploded view of the components of the device; Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the device, taken along a plane that lies diametrically with respect to the screw; Fig. 3 is a sectional view, taken along a sectional plane which lies vertically with respect to the shoe and passes through the bushing-screw axis, with a leg which has a normal configuration; Fig. 4 is a view, similar to Fig. 3, of the adjustment condition which can be obtained with the prior art if the leg has a significant cant; Fig. 5 is a view, similar to Fig. 3, of the adjustment condition of the current solution. With reference to the above figures, the reference numeral 1 designates a sports shoe, such as a ski boot, which is substantially constituted by a shell 2 to which at least one quarter 3 is laterally articulated. The reference numeral 4 generally designates the device for adjusting the inclination of the quarter with respect to the shell; said device comprises a substantially T-shaped bushing 5, in which the first head 6 is accommodated at a suitable first seat 7 formed at the inner lateral surface 8 of the shell 2. The bushing 5 also has a first shank 9, which is preferably squared so as to form two mutually parallel flat surfaces and in which there is provided a second internally threaded axial seat 10 with which a complementarily threaded second shank 11 of a screw 12 interacts. The device is furthermore constituted by a first substantially rectangular plate 13, in which the longer side is slightly inclined with respect to the resting plane of the sole 14 and of the shell 2. First plate 13 has a first vertical slot 15 and can be accommodated in a complementarily shaped third seat 16 formed on the outer lateral surface 17 of the shell 2. At the third seat 16 there is provided a slotted opening 18 provided at the first slot 15. Said first slot has, at the surface that faces the inner lateral surface 19 of the quarter 3, a first set of teeth 20 which can be selectively coupled to a second complementary set of teeth 21 formed on the facing surface of a second plate 22 provided with a hole 23 which is shaped complementarily to the first shank 9 of the bushing 5. The first shank 9 of the bushing 5 also affects a suitable hole formed laterally to the quarter 3; at the outer lateral surface 24 of said quarter there is provided a seat for an applied element 25 which has protective and aesthetic functions and is provided with a hole for positioning the second shank 11 of the screw 12. The device is assembled by inserting the bushing 5 from the inside of the shell 2 at the opening 18 formed thereon, while the first plate 13, the second plate 22, the quarter 3 and, on the outside of said quarter, the applied element 25 are fitted outside the shell at the first shank 9. Clamping is then provided by means of the screw 12 which tightens onto the bushing 5. The activation of the screw 12 therefore allows to mutually engage or disengage the first plate 13 and the second plate 22, thus allowing to select the mutual angular position of the shell and the quarter that is most appropriate for the user. It is noted that the configuration of the various components of the device forms means which allow, when the chosen inclination of the quarter with respect to the shell is adjusted, to vary the position of the axis 26 that passes through the bushing 5 and the screw 12; said axis 26 tends to be arranged along the axis 27 that passes through the malleoli 28. Said means are constituted by the bushing 5 5 remaining rigidly coupled to the quarter 3 during adjustment and the first shank 9 sliding at the opening 18 formed on the shell. Advantageously, the bushing 5, by virtue of the configuration of the first shank 9, cannot rotate but can only slide with respect to the first plate 13. Accordingly, the axis 26 for articulating the quarter to the shell moves with respect to the shell when the lateral position of the quarter is adjusted. A lateral movement of the quarter is thus matched by a movement of its rotation axis 26, which tends to move so that it approximately coincides with the axis 27 that passes through the malleoli 28. It has thus been observed that the invention has achieved the intended aim and objects, a device having been provided which allows to achieve easy and quick adjustment of the inclination of a quarter with respect to a shell, considerably reducing the difference between the rotation axis of the boot and the natural axis of the ankle, so as to improve the efficiency of the boot and the comfort of the skier. Furthermore, the provision of the opening 18 at the shell 2, which has a slotted configuration, causes the opening to be concealed, because it is covered by the quarter, and this allows to protect the device against snow, ice or mud and also improves the aesthetic appearance of the boot by virtue of the continuity of the quarter. The device can of course be applied to other sports shoes, besides ski boots, which have at least one quarter which is articulated to a shell and require the adjustment that can be performed by means of the above-described device, such as for example shoes for roller skates and for ice skates. The device according to the invention is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations within the scope of the appended claims. The materials and the dimensions that constitute the individual components of the device may of course also be the most pertinent 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 interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims: A device for adjusting the inclination of a quarter (3) with respect to a shell (2) of a sports shoe (1), comprising a bushing (5), a first plate (13) and a second plate (22) provided with teeth (20,21), and a screw (12) for fixing to said bushing, characterized in that it is provided with means (5,9,18) wherein said bushing (5) is rigidly coupled to said quarter (3) during adjustment and wherein a first shank (9) is slidable at an opening (18) formed on the shell (a), for allowing to vary the position of an axis (26) that passes through said bushing (5) and said screw (12) when the inclination of said quarter (3) is adjusted. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that , said first shank (9) is slidingly associated with said first plate (13) which is associated with said shell (2). A device according to claim 2, characterized in that axis (26) for the articulation of said quarter (3) to said shell (2) moves with respect to said shell when the lateral position of said quarter is adjusted, so that a lateral movement of said quarter is matched by a movement of its rotation axis, which tends to move so that it approximately coincides with an axis (27) that passes through the malleoli. A device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that a second internally threaded axial seat (10) is formed on said first shank (9) of said bushing (5), which is substantially T-shaped and accommodates its head at a suitable first seat (7) formed on the inner lateral surface (8) of said shell, a complementarily threaded second shank (11) of said screw (12) interacting with said second seat (10). A device according to claim 4, characterized in that said first plate (13), which is substantially rectangular and has a longer side which is slightly inclined with respect to the resting plane of the sole (14) of said shell (2), has a first vertical slot (15) and can be accommodated in a complementarily shaped third seat (16) formed on the outer lateral surface (17) of said shell (2), a slotted opening (18) being formed at said third seat (16) at said first slot (15). A device according to claim 5, characterized in that said first plate (13) has, at the surface that faces the inner lateral surface (19) of said quarter (3), a first set of teeth (20) which can be selectively coupled to a second complementary set of teeth (21) formed on the facing surface of said second plate (22), which is provided with a hole (23) which is shaped complementarily to said first shank (9) of said bushing (5), said first shank also affecting a suitable hole formed laterally to said quarter (3), a seat being furthermore provided at the outer lateral surface (24) of said quarter to accommodate an applied element (25) which has protective and aesthetic functions and is provided with a hole for the positioning of said second shank (11) of said screw (12).

Inventors: CANIL GILBERTO, GALLINA LUCA, CANIL, GILBERTO, GALLINA, LUCA
Applicants: BENETTON SPA, BENETTON GROUP S.P.A.
Application year: 1997
Main classification: A43B5
IPC codes: A43B5