Patent Publication Number: US-4546521-A

Title: Fastener for sports shoes

Description:
This invention relates to a fastener for sports shoes, particularly for skiing boots or mountaineering boots. The fastener should permit of a fine adjustment to be effected with simple means and in a simple manner. It is also an object of the invention to provide a fastener consisting of components which can easily be made and can be assembled without need for a particularly high expenditure and for tools. 
     In accordance with the invention the fastener comprises a base member, which is adapted to be secured to one side part of the quarter of the shoe and provided with a track extending in the direction in which the fastener is to be tightened, a slider, which is received by the track, a tightener lever, which is pivoted to the slider and provided with a loop member that is adapted to be hung into a hook provided on the other side part of the quarter of the shoe, and locking means for connecting the slider to the base member in a desired position. 
    
    
     Further details of the invention will be explained more fully with reference to the drawing, which shows an illustrative embodiment of the fastener according to the invention. 
     FIG. 1 shows the fastener in an open position. 
     FIG. 2 shows the fastener in a closed position. 
     FIG. 3 is an exploded view showing the fastener. 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line IV--IV in FIG. 1. 
     FIG. 4A shows a modification of the design of FIG. 4. 
    
    
     The fastener according to the invention comprises a base member 1, a slider 2, a locking block 3, a tightener lever 4, and a loop member 5, which is adapted to be hung into a hook, not shown, which is provided on the opposite side part of the quarter of the shoe. 
     The base member 1 comprises a bottom plate 6 and cheeks 7, which protrude from the side edges of the bottom plate and are connected at one end by a crosspiece 8. The cheeks 7 constitute a track, which is outwardly open at the other end of the cheeks 7. Each cheek 7 is provided with a rib 9, which extends along the cheek 7 and is spaced by a distance-a-from the bottom plate 6. Said ribs 9 and the bottom plate 6 constitute a track 10 for receiving the slider 2. 
     The slider 2 comprises a plate 11, which has a width-b-that is slightly smaller than the inside width of the track 10. The thickness of the plate 11 is slightly smaller than the inside height-a-of the track. At that end which faces the crosspiece 8, the plate 11 is provided with a pivot pin 12, which is parallel to the crosspiece 8 and on which the tightener lever 4 is pivotally mounted. The plate 11 is formed with a slot 13, which extends along and is centered on the longitudinal center line of the plate 11 and in the present case is rectangular. 
     The slider 2 is adapted to be connected to the base member 1 by means of a locking block 3, which has a prismatic portion 14 conforming to the slot 13 so that it is adapted to fit said slot substantially without a backlash. The upwardly protruding end portion of the prismatic portion 14 constitutes a grip or is provided with grooves 15 so that the locking block 3 can easily be actuated by the user with the fingers of his or her hand in a manner which will be described more in detail hereinafter. The prismatic portion 14 merges at its lower end into a portion 16, which is trapezoidal in cross-section and which on those faces 17 that extend in the direction of movement of the slider 2 is provided with teeth. Said teeth cooperate with mating teeth 18, which are formed on the bottom plate of the base 6 and protrude into an aperture 19 that is formed on said bottom plate and congruent to the trapezoidal portion 16. 
     The aperture 19 is longer than the locking block 3 so that the latter can be adjusted along the base member 1 in the aperture 19 and will carry the slider 2 along. A leaf spring 20 is fitted in the prismatic portion 14 and protrudes on both sides thereof and in the assembled fastener rests on the ribs 9. 
     The tightener lever 4 is forked and comprises two legs 21, which are first outwardly deflected and then released so that openings 23 formed in the legs receive the end portions of the pivot pin 12. It will be understood that the tightener lever 4 can be connected to the slider 2 by any other suitable means, e.g., by means of a pin or the like which is slidably fitted in the openings 23. The loop member 5 can be selectively snapped into any of the openings 22, which are formed in the tightener lever 4 and are parallel to the openings 23 for mounting the tightener lever on the pivot pin 12. 
     The fastener can be assembled as follows. The tightener lever 4 is first mounted on the pivot pin 12 in the manner described hereinbefore. Then the slider 2 is inserted into the track 10 of the base member 1. Thereafter the locking block 3 is inserted from below into the aperture 19 to such an extent that the grooved surface 15 of the prismatic portion protrudes upwardly from the slot 13, the leaf spring 20 is then inserted through an opening 20&#39; formed in the prismatic portion 14 so that the leaf spring bears on both ribs 9. The leaf spring 20 can then be secured by means of an adhesive in the opening of the prismatic portion 14 (FIG. 4). 
     The slider 2 is then pushed forwardly to such an extent that a conical opening 24 is exposed, which is provided in the bottom plate 6 between the slot 13 and the crosspiece 8 and is adapted to receive a rivet for connecting the fastener to one side part of the quarter of the shoe. The base member 1 is pivoted to said rivet so that the loop member 5 can adapt itself to the shape of the hook, not shown, which is provided on the other side part of the quarter of the shoe. The tightener lever 4 is mounted on the pivot pin 12 in such a manner that in the closed position of the fastener, shown in FIG. 3, the axis on which the loop member 5 is mounted in the openings 22 is below the pivotal axis provided by the pivot pin 12 so that the tightener lever must be moved beyond a dead center to its closed position and also to its open position so that the fastener cannot be inadvertently opened. 
     When the loop member 5 has been hung into a hook on the other side part of the quarter of the shoe, the fastener can be tensioned in that the tightener lever 4 is turned about the pivot pin 12 so that the loop member 5 will pull the hook over a certain distance toward the slider 2. When it is desired to change that distance, a coarse adjustment may be effected in that the loop member 5 is inserted into a different pair of openings 22. For a fine adjustment, the locking block 3 is depressed so that its lower portion disengages from the teeth 18 of the bottom plate 6 and enters a recess 26 provided on the underside of the base member 1. The locking block 3 can now be adjusted along the aperture 19 and during said adjustment will carry the slider 2 along. As the locking block 3 is depressed, the leaf spring 20 bearing on the upper surfaces of the ribs 9 will be deflected and will exert a restoring force, which will raise the locking block 3 when it has been released so that the locking block in its new adjusted position will snap into the teeth 18 so as to hold the slider 2 in position. 
     As the tightener lever 4 approaches its closed position it is forced to snap in between upstanding detent elements 25, which are provided on the top of the plate 11 and tend to retain the lever 4 in its closed position shown in FIG. 2. 
     It will be understood that various changes in design may be adopted within the scope of the invention. For instance, a design such as that shown in FIG. 4A may be used, in which a leaf spring 27 is provided, which urges the locking block 3 upwardly. That leaf spring 27 may be secured to the locking block 3 and may have approximately the same length as the latter, or the leaf spring 27 may have the same length as the aperture 19 and in that case may be secured to the corresponding side part of the quarter of the shoe or to the base member 1. It will be understood that means for urging the locking block upwardly may consist of any spring element which subjects the locking block either to an upward pressure or to an upward tension, as is shown by way of example in the two embodiments which have been illustrated. In another modification the underside of the base member 1 may be curved to conform to the curvature of the surface of the shoe. The loop member 5 may be replaced by a different retaining link, which is adapted to interlock with a hook or other suitable retaining member provided on the other side part of the quarter of the shoe.