Patent Publication Number: US-8109015-B2

Title: Sports shoe particularly for cycling

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The subject of the invention is a sports shoe particularly for cycling, of the type including the characteristics mentioned in the preamble of the main claim. 
     PRIOR ART 
     In the cycling field it is known to produce footwear provided with various clamping devices suitable for dealing with different stresses in order to obtain improved locking of the foot in the shoe. 
     Typically, these devices are concentrated on the instep area of the shoe, providing for adjustable clamping of the band of vamp which surrounds the instep. 
     The clamping of the instep area is reflected only partially on the heel area, leaving the latter relatively free to move in the shoe. 
     This drawback is increased in the case of slim feet, since the clamping on one area, for example the instep area, has a lesser influence on the other areas of the shoe. 
     However, in the cycling field there is a need for effective locking of the foot, in particular when pedalling is performed both by pressure on the pedal and by pulling upwards. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The problem underlying the present invention is that of providing a sports shoe, particularly for cycling, which is structurally and functionally designed so as to make it possible to remedy all the drawbacks mentioned with reference to the prior art cited. 
     Within the scope of this problem, it is an important aim of the invention to produce a sports shoe capable of adapting to feet of completely different shape. 
     This problem and this aim are solved by the invention with a sports shoe particularly for cycling having the characteristics mentioned in the following claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The characteristics and advantages of the invention will become clearer from the detailed description of a preferred, but not exclusive, exemplary embodiment thereof, illustrated by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the appended drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a partial perspective view from the rear side of a sports shoe particularly for cycling, according to the present invention; 
         FIGS. 2A ,  2 B and  3 A,  3 B are views respectively in longitudinal section and in elevation of a detail of the shoe of  FIG. 1  in two operating positions; 
         FIG. 4  is a diagrammatic view in elevation of a detail of the shoe of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     PREFERRED EXAMPLE OF THE INVENTION 
     In  FIG. 1 , the reference  1  indicates as a whole a sports shoe particularly for cycling, produced according to the present invention. 
     The sports shoe  1  comprises a vamp  2 , in which a heel area  3  is identified, having a lower part  3   a  proximal to a sole  3   b , and an upper part  3   c  distal with respect to the sole and located normally above the heel of the user. 
     The heel area  3  comprises a rear part  4  from which extend respective walls  5   a ,  5   b  juxtaposed and spaced for bilaterally encircling the heel of the user. 
     A pair of presser arms  6   a ,  6   b  extends like a pincer in the heel area  3  at the upper part  3   a , and each of the presser arms  6   a ,  6   b  extends behind the corresponding wall  5   a ,  5   b  of the vamp  2  above (or distally with respect to the sole) the heel of the user. The arms may be fixed, in a fork-like configuration in which they are capable of being moved apart only through a limited resilient effect, or capable of being pivoted with respect to one another. 
     In the second case, actuating means  8  act between the presser arms  6   a ,  6   b  to displace them between a position for clamping of the heel area  3  and a position for release of same. 
     The presser arms  6   a ,  6   b  extend in the same direction from a support  9  integral with the rear part  4  of the shoe. In the pivotal version, they have respective ends  10   a ,  10   b  rotatable on the support  9  by means of corresponding pins  11   a ,  11   b.    
     The arms  6   a ,  6   b  are hinged to the support  9  in a position such that, for each of the arms, a control appendage  13   a ,  13   b  is defined, extending on the opposite side with respect to the arms themselves, with reference to the hinge axis. 
     The actuating means  8  are adjustable into at least one intermediate position between the clamping position and the release position. 
     According to a preferred exemplary embodiment, the actuating means  8  are adjustable into three intermediate positions between the clamping position and the release position, and the displacement of the presser arms  6   a ,  6   b  is actuated by the actuating means  8  by means of a cam  12  rotatably supported on the support  9 . 
     The cam  12  is bilateral with symmetrical cam profiles  14  of elliptical section. 
     The cam  12  is mounted on the support  9  between the control appendages  13   a ,  13   b  and is provided on a neck  15  integral with a control knob  16 . 
     The control knob  16  is rotatably supported by a shaft  22  with a base  23  and rotations of the control knob  16  are actuated by means of a handgrip  17  thereof. 
     Advantageously, the cam  12  is provided in a hollow seat  24  suitable for housing the control appendages  13   a ,  13   b  of the presser arms  6   a ,  6   b.    
     In the seat  24 , cam-follower surfaces  18   a ,  18   b  of the control appendages  13   a ,  13   b  abut against the cam  12  in a manner dependent on the rotation of the control knob  16  with respect to the axis of the shaft  22 . 
     The abutment occurs at the minor axis of the profiles  14  in the release position and at the major axis of same in the clamping position. 
     The intermediate positions correspond to intermediate angles of rotation of the control knob  16  between the clamping position and the release position, as indicated by marks  20  present on a plug  21  for fixing the control knob  16  to the shaft  22 . 
     The functioning of the invention is described below. 
     The control knob  16  is rotated by means of the hand grip  17  until the angular displacement corresponding to the desired position of the presser arms  6   a ,  6   b  is reached. 
     The rotation of the control knob  16  involves an alteration in the state of abutment of the cam  12  with the cam-follower surfaces  18   a ,  18   b  and a consequent displacement of the control appendages  13   a ,  13   b  with respect to the hinge axis. 
     As a consequence, the pressure exerted by the presser arms  6   a ,  6   b  in the heel area  3  varies. 
     In the case of a fork with fixed arms, when the foot is inserted into the shoe, the heel portion is received between same arms with consequent retention of the rear part of the foot with respect to the vamp. 
     The invention thus solves the problem posed and obtains numerous advantages with respect to the prior art. 
     In particular, it permits easy adaptation, on the part of the user, of the same shoe to feet of completely different shape.