Patent Publication Number: US-6655049-B2

Title: Connector for attaching and detaching attachment to/from shoe sole

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a division of U.S. Ser. No. 09/815,281 issued Jan. 28, 2003 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,510,625 and claims, under 35 USC 119, priority of Japanese Application No. 2000-088635 filed Mar. 28, 2000 and Japanese Application No. 2000-211149 filed Jul. 12, 2000. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a connector structure for attaching and detaching an attachment to/from a shoe sole, and it is mainly directed to development of a structure for attaching and detaching a heel of a shoe and a structure for attaching and detaching a spike, etc., provided on a sole portion of an athletic shoe such as a golf shoe for preventing slipping. 
     2. Prior Art of the Invention 
     In the field of athletic shoes, the present applicant has already filed an application directed to an attachable and detachable spike having a structure in which an insert member of a spike is inserted into a concave receptacle portion of an attaching base member to be embedded in a desired portion of a sole and the insert member is removably pinched and fixed with an elastic member, and the application has been laid-open under the publication number JP-A-11-89609. 
     In the above attachable and detachable spike structure, attaching is easy, but detaching requires lifting with something like a nail puller or a pry. A specialized detaching tool has been therefore required, and inconveniently, no conventional wrench can be used. Further, the above structure is not suitable for fitting an attachment that requires positioning on a front or back portion like a heel, and it is impossible to apply the above structure to a heel and a shoe sole. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a releasable connector for attaching and detaching an attachment to/from a shoe sole, the connector including a hollow cylinder portion embedded in a desired portion of the shoe sole and an insert,member pinched and fixed in the hollow cylinder portion with an elastic member, but which is provided with a mechanism allowing the attachment to be easily detached with a detaching tool such as a conventional wrench. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a connector for attaching and detaching an attachment to/from a shoe sole, which attachment can be accurately aligned and fitted to, e.g., a heel portion of the shoe sole, and which can be easily detached. 
     Means to Solve the Problems 
     For overcoming the above problems, the present invention provides a connector for releasably attaching an attachment to/from a shoe sole. According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a connector for releasably attaching an attachment to a shoe sole, which structure includes a hollow cylinder portion embedded in a shoe sole and an attachment having an attaching/detaching tool fitting portion formed on the shoe sole side and an insert member to be inserted into the hollow cylinder portion. The insert member is inserted into the concave receptacle portion and inside the concave receptacle portion, and is then removably pinched and fixed with an elastic member. 
     Third, a gradient surface is formed on either one side of the portion or the insert member, and a copying portion for copying the pushing-up gradient surface is formed on the other side. 
     The attachment may be turned with an attaching/detaching tool to remove the insert member from the concave receptacle portion. 
     According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a connector for attaching and detaching an attachment to/from a shoe sole, which includes a hollow cylinder portion embedded in a shoe sole, an insert member having an attaching/detaching tool fitting portion and an attachment pressing flange for holding the attachment against the shoe sole side, the insert member being inserted into the hollow cylinder portion, wherein the attachment has a hole through which the insert member can be inserted. 
     The insert member is inserted into the hollow cylinder portion through the hole in the attachment receptacle portion, and the insert member is removably pinched and fixed within the hollow cylinder portion by an elastic member. 
     A first camming surface is formed on one of the hollow cylinder portion or the insert member, and a second camming surface for engaging the first camming surface is formed on the other. 
     The holding tool is turned with an attaching/detaching tool to remove the insert member from the hollow cylinder portion. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a first embodiment in which an insert member is formed in a heel sole. 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the above first embodiment. 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a shoe incorporating the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a second embodiment in which an insert member is formed in a holding tool. 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the connector of the above second embodiment. 
     FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a third embodiment directed to a connector for attaching and detaching a spike. 
     FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the connector of the third embodiment showing the state of attaching the spike. 
     FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a fourth embodiment. 
     FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of a fifth embodiment. 
     FIG. 10 is a drawing of an insert member having two engaging grooves. 
     FIG. 11 is a drawing showing the attaching of a spike metal member of a baseball player shoe. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Embodiments and examples of the present invention will be explained with reference to drawings hereinafter. FIGS. 1 to  3  show a first embodiment of the connector for attaching and detaching an attachment to/from a shoe sole. The present invention can be applied to almost all shoes including athletic shoes, and-the first embodiment is directed to an example in which a heel sole  1  of a shoe for a woman is provided as an attachment. 
     The connector for attaching and detaching an attachment to/from a shoe sole in the first embodiment has an attaching base member  8  having a hollow cylindrical portion (bushing)  9  and the heel sole  1  that is an attachment having an insert member  4 . For example, when the heel sole  1  is a small heel sole such as a heel sole  1  of a shoe for a woman, the heel sole I can be fixed directly to a shoe heel with one insert member  4 . In the present invention, the bushing  9  may be formed directly in a heel  2 , while the first embodiment uses the attaching base member  8  that is separately provided for convenience of production. 
     The hollow cylindrical portion or bushing  9  into which the insert member  4  of the heel sole  1  is to be inserted is formed in the attaching base member  8  to be embedded in a desired portion of the heel  2 , and a spring ring  12  as an elastic member is fitted inside the concave receptacle portion  9  in a fashion in which the spring ring  12  projects inside of the bushing  9 . 
     Four notches are formed in a top end portion (lower end portion in FIG. 1) of the bushing  9 , and each of them forms a gradient (first camming) surface  10 . The notches are arranged at 90° intervals. When the heel sole  1  has a defined forward and backward and is symmetrical with regard to a front to back central axis two notches may be provided in forward and rear positions. When the heel sole  1  is not thus symmetrical, four notches are formed at intervals of 90 degrees, so that the direction of the insert member  4  can be adjusted by 90 degrees. 
     The attaching base member  8  is separated into a main attaching base member and a cover member  13  in a position located deeper than the position where the spring ring  12  is fitted inside the bushing  9 . As a result, production can employ a method in which the spring ring  12  is separately fitted inside the attaching base member  8  and then the cover member  13  is fitted and tightened to fix it. In the drawings, numeral  11  indicates a flange, and it is formed so that the attaching base member  8  in the heel  2  does not easily come off. 
     A wrench hole  5  is formed as a tool receiving portion in the heel sole  1 , and the insert member  4  which is received in the bushing  9  is fixed to and extends from the heel sole  1 . Near the distal end of the insert member  4  is an engaging groove  6  which is removably engaged by the spring ring  12 . 
     The heel sole  1  has mating projections (second camming surface)  7  formed in four places corresponding to the notches of the attaching base member  8 . Each projection  7  has a size corresponding to the depth of the notches of the attaching base member  8 . The projections  7  do not enter into the deepest portions of the notches but, when the heel sole  1  is turned, the projections  7  slide along the sloped notch surfaces  10  thereby pushing the insert  4  out of the base member  8 . 
     In this embodiment, the heel sole  1  is removably pinched and fixed by inserting the insert member  4  into the bushing  9  of the attaching base member  8  and engaging the spring ring  12  within the engaging groove  6  of the insert member  4 . After the insertion, if the insert member  4  is turned to some extent (90 degrees to 180 degrees or less), the projections  7  slide along the notch surfaces  10  so that the insert member  4  enters the bushing  9 , and the spring ring  12  becomes engaged within the engaging groove  6  to lock the insert member  4 . 
     For detaching, in a state where the insert member  4  of the heel sole  1  is removably held within the bushing  9  of the attaching base member  8  by the spring ring  12 , a wrench is inserted into the wrench hole  5  of the heel sole  1 , and the heel sole  1  is turned to cause the projections  7  to slide on the notch surfaces  10 , whereby the insert member  4  is pushed outward from the bushing  9 , and the heel sole  1  is thereby removed from the bushing  9  of the attaching base member (socket)  8 . 
     FIGS. 4 and 5 show a second embodiment. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the second embodiment in which an insert member  4  is formed on a fixing element  3 , and FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view thereof. In principle, the second embodiment is similar to the first embodiment, and the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment only in that a heel sole  1  and the fixing element  3  are separate from each other and are two in number. The second embodiment is directed to a heel sole  1  as an attachment to a shoe for a man. 
     The connector for attaching and detaching the attachment to/from a shoe sole  2  in this embodiment has an attaching base member  8  with two sockets  9 , and fixing elements  3 , each having an insert member  4 , and the heel sole  1  as an attachment. Each of the sockets  9  in the shoe sole  2  holds both a bushing  9 ′ into which the insert member  4  of the fixing element  3  is to be inserted, and a spring ring  12  as an elastic holding member. Four notches are formed in a distal end portion of the bushing  9 ′, and each notch forms surfaces  10  (first camming surface). The notches are arranged at intervals of 90 degrees. 
     Wrench holes  5  are formed in the fixing elements  3 . An engaging groove  6  for removably receiving the spring ring  12  is provided near the distal end portion of the insert member  4 . A through hole  22  is made in the heel sole  1  and has a size large enough for the insert member  4  of the holding tool  3  to pass through it, but smaller than flange portion  23 . 
     Projections  7  (second camming surface) on fixing elements  3  are formed in four places corresponding to the notches of the bushing  9 ′. Each projection  7  has a size corresponding to the depth of the notches of the bushing  9 ′. The projections  7  are positioned so that they do not come into deepest portion of the bottom of the notch but, when the heel sole  1  is turned, the projections  7  slide along the notch surfaces  10  to push out insert member  4 . 
     In this embodiment, the heel sole  1  is fixed by the flange portion  23  of the fixing element  3 . The fixing element  3  is removably pinched and fixed by inserting the insert member  4  into the socket  9  of the base member  8  and engaging the spring ring  12  within the engaging groove  6  of the insert member  4 . For detaching, in a state where the insert member  4  of fixing element  3  is removably pinched and fixed in the socket  9  of the attaching base member  8  by the spring ring  12 , a wrench is inserted into the wrench hole(s)  5  of the fixing element  3 , and the fixing element  3  is turned to cause the projections  7  to slide on the notch surfaces  10 , whereby the insert member  4  is pushed out, the holding tool  3  is released from the socket  9  of the attaching base member  8 , and then the heel sole  1  is removed. In this embodiment, the projections  7  are not shown. 
     A third embodiment is directed to a connector for attaching and detaching a spike. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the connector according to the third embodiment, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the connector. The connector has an attaching base member  8  and a spike  31 . In the present invention, a socket  9  may be formed directly in the sole of an athletic shoe, but this embodiment uses a socket  9  that is separately provided for the convenience of production. 
     The socket  9  into which an insert member  4  of the spike  31  is to be inserted is formed in the attaching base member  8  to be embedded in a desired portion of the shoe sole, and a spring ring  12  as an elastic member is fitted inside the socket  9 . Notches are formed in two places of a top end portion (upper end portion in FIG. 7) of the socket  9  as a first camming surface, and each notch forms a gradient surface  10 . 
     The attaching base member  8  includes a flange  11 , a hollow cylindrical portion (socket)  9  and a separate cover member  13 . The cover member  13  holds a spring ring  12  fitted inside the hollow cylinder portion  9 . As a result, a production process can employ a method in which the spring ring  12  is fitted inside the hollow cylindrical portion  9  and the cover member  13  is fitted and tightened to fix the spring ring  12 . The flange  11  is used to secure the attaching base member  8  to the sole of the athletic shoe. 
     The spike  31  has a spike pin  32 , a flange portion  33  having wrench holes  5  made therein and an insert member  4  to be inserted into the hollow cylinder portion  9 . An engaging groove  6  for removably fixing the spring ring  12  is formed near the distal end of the insert member  4 . 
     On a lower surface of the flange portion  33  of the spike  31 , mating projections  27  (second mating surface) are provided in two places corresponding to the notches of the attaching base member  8 . Each projection  27  has a size corresponding to the depth of the notches of the attaching base member  8 . The projections  27  do not come into contact with the gradient surface  10  in the deepest portion of the bottom of the notch but, when the flange portion  33  is turned, the projections  7  slide along the gradient surfaces  10  to push out the insert member  4 . 
     In this embodiment, the spike  31  is removably fixed in place by inserting the insert member  4  into the hollow cylinder portion  9  of the attaching base member  8  and engaging the spring ring  12  within the engaging groove  6  of the insert member  4 . 
     In a state where the insert member  4  of the spike  31  is removably fixed in the hollow cylinder portion  9  of the attaching base member  8  with the spring ring  12 , a wrench is inserted into the wrench hole(s)  5  of the spike  31 , and the spike  31  is turned to slide the projections  7  on the gradient surfaces  10 , whereby the insert member  4  is lifted up, and the spike  31  is removed