SPORTS BOOT BUCKLE WITH SEGMENTED RACK

Abstract

A lever and rack-type fastener assembly for sports footwear includes a lever assembly having a hooking member that is movably between an open position and a closed position for securing the footwear about the user's foot or ankle. A conformable segmented rack assembly is configured to engage the hook member. The segmented rack assembly includes a flexible cable, and a plurality of rack segments that is fixedly attached to the cable, wherein the cable provides a hinged joint between adjacent rack segments. Each of the rack segments includes a plurality of teeth. In some embodiments, an attachment plate clamps the rack members to the cable, in other embodiments, the rack members are formed with a crimpable channel for fixing the rack members to the cable.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/480,290, filed Apr. 28, 2011, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND

Sport boots, for example ski boots, typically include a closure or fastening system for securing a boot about a user's foot and leg. Sport boots, and especially snow sport boots, present particular challenges. For example, sport boots are often bulky and may include substantially rigid components that make entry and exit from the boots more difficult. Sport boots for skiing and snowboarding provide the interface between the user and the gliding board. To promote the desired performance requires a very secure attachment between the user and the boot; this will allow the user to exert and react to the many and changing forces experienced during skiing and snowboarding. A secure attachment must also be comfortable because the user may be active for long periods of time. Additionally, a user may need to remove a boot while on the mountain for various reasons. It is desirable that the fastening system be simple and easy to use to permit and facilitate removing and putting boots back on in snowy and uneven terrain. It is also not uncommon for a user to want to alter the adjustment of the boot, for example, to tighten or loosen the boot while in the field.

A prior art lever and rack-type fastening system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,603,795, to Pallatin, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Another exemplary prior art lever and rack-type fastening system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,983,531, to Chaigne et al., which is also hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. In another exemplary fastener system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,096,065, to Marechal et al., which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, the lever is provided with a rack and pinion mechanism so that the pivoting movement of the lever generates a translational movement of the mechanism.

A disadvantage of the rack members of prior art fastening systems is that the rigid rack members do not conform to the user's boot and therefore may contact the boot only over a small area, and/or be fixed to the boot shell. For example, prior art rack members on ski boots are typically fixed to one side of the boot opening. Such rigid rack members will either be flat or more typically may have a fixed curvature. As the fastening system is tightened, the rack member typically moves the boot flap laterally to the desired tightened position. The tightened position may be different for different users, or even different for the same user at different times, for example, to accommodate different skiing conditions or skiing styles. The optimal curvature will typically vary depending on the lateral position of the rack member. Prior art rigid rack members are not able to conform to the optimal curvature needs of the user. The rigid rack members can result in discomfort to the user, damage and/or accelerated wear to the boot, less effective closure of the boot, and the opportunity for snow and other debris to become lodged between the rack member and the boot. Such prior art rigid racks are typically short and may not provide the range of adjustability desired. Improvements to lever and rack-type fastening systems would be beneficial to overcome deficiencies in prior art closure systems. For example, it would be beneficial to provide a rack-type fastener system that is conformable to better adjust to the contours of sports footwear.

SUMMARY

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This summary is not intended to identify key features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

A conformable lever and rack-type fastener assembly for sports footwear, for example, ski boots, provides a rack assembly formed from articulated segments, such that the curvature of the rack assembly can vary to conform to the shape of the footwear. The conformable rack assembly can therefore be moved laterally to different locations and still approximately conform to the footwear, for example, when the user adjusts the tension in the assembly, or when a different user uses the footwear.

The fastener assembly includes a lever assembly with a hook member, which may be a conventional lever assembly. The conformable rack assembly comprises a cable, preferably comprising two parallel cable portions, and a plurality of rack segments that are serially attached to the cable, such that the cable provides a hinged connection between adjacent rack segments.

In an embodiment, the rack segments include a toothed portion with teeth that are sized and configured to engage the hook member. The toothed portion may include parallel channels on a base portion that are sized to receive the cable. An attachment plate attaches to the toothed portion, to clamp the rack segment at a desired position on the cable. The attachment plate may include parallel channels that are aligned with the channels on the toothed portion when assembled, such that the cable engages the parallel channels and is clamped therebetween.

In an embodiment, the toothed portion is formed with a rivet portion that is sized to extend through an aperture provided in the attachment plate, wherein the rivet portion fixes the attachment plate to the toothed portion.

In an embodiment, the rack segments are unitarily formed and include oppositely disposed channel portions that are sized to receive the cable, and are configured to be crimped to lock the rack segment to the cable.

In an embodiment, the rack segments are formed with proximal and distal ends that are curved and nest to facilitate articulation between adjacent rack segments. The rack segments may further be assembled with narrow gaps therebetween, to further facilitate articulation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a rack and lever fastening system for a sports boot in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the rack assembly of the fastening system shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the rack assembly of the fastening system shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a cross section view of the rack assembly of the fastening system shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a side view of a second embodiment of a rack assembly for a rack and lever fastening system in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a proximal rack segment for the rack assembly shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a distal rack segment for the rack assembly shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a lower-side perspective view of a third embodiment of a rack assembly for a rack lever fastening system in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a partially exploded perspective view of a proximal rack segment for the rack assembly shown in FIG. 8; and

FIG. 10 is a partially exploded view of a distal rack segment for the rack assembly shown in FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Particular embodiments of a fastening system in accordance with the present invention will now be described with reference to the FIGURES, wherein like numbers indicate like parts. FIG. 1 is a side view of a fastening system 100 suitable for sports footwear and the like, for example, ski boots, in accordance with the present invention. The fastening system 100 comprises a conventional lever assembly 90 and an articulated or conformable segmented rack assembly 110. The lever assembly 90 and segmented rack assembly 110 are configured to adjustably engage and securely close the sports footwear 80 about a user.

The lever assembly 90 may be any conventional lever assembly as are known in the art. For example, a suitable lever assembly may be constructed based on the lever assemblies disclosed in any of U.S. Pat. No. 8,096,065, to Marechal, U.S. Pat. No. 7,603,795, to Pallatin, and/or U.S. Pat. No. 5,983,531, to Chaigne et al., all of which are incorporated by reference above. The lever assembly 90 shown in FIG. 1 includes a mounting plate 91 that may be configured for attachment to a boot or binding by any suitable means, for example, by stitching, rivets, adhesives, a strap, or the like. A lever arm 92 is pivotably attached to the mounting plate 91 with a first pivot pin 93 that extends through a mounting plate wing or boss 94. A rod assembly 95 is attached to the lever arm 92 at an intermediate location with a second pivot pin 96, and is attached near one end to a hook or latching element 97 with a third pivot pin 98. In an exemplary embodiment, the length of the rod assembly 95 is adjustable, for example, with a threadable attachment or the like. The latching element 97 includes a rung, hook, or other transverse elements 99 that is configured to engage the segmented rack assembly 110 at a selectable location on the rack assembly 110. To close the fastening system 100, the transverse element 99 is positioned to engage a selected tooth 122 of the rack assembly 110, and the lever arm 92 is pivoted about the first pivot pin 93 to a latching position (counterclockwise in FIG. 1).

The articulated segmented rack assembly 110 comprises a flexible cable 112, for example, a steel or composite cable, that may include a sheath 114 over a portion of the cable 112. A plurality of rack segments 120 (three shown) clamp onto and are fixed to the cable 112.

In this embodiment, the rack segments 120 each include a toothed member 124 and an attachment plate 126. The toothed member 124 includes one or more hook elements or teeth 122 (two shown for each rack element 120) that are configured to engage the transverse element 99 of the lever assembly 90. The toothed member 124 and the plate 126 are assembled to fix the rack segments 120 to the cable 112.

FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of the segmented rack assembly 110, FIG. 3 shows a bottom view of the rack assembly 110, and FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the rack assembly 110 through section 4-4 in FIG. 3.

Each toothed member 124 includes a pair of generally parallel, longitudinal channels 125 that extend along the length of the toothed member 124 and are sized to engage the cable 112. The attachment plates 126 similarly include a pair of longitudinal channels 127 that are aligned with the toothed member channels 125 when the rack assembly 110 is assembled.

A fastener 128 attaches each attachment plate 126 to a corresponding toothed member 124 to clamp the rack segment 120 onto the cable 112, such that cable portions 112A, 112B are retained in and between the channels 125, 127. In the current embodiment, the fasteners 128 are screws, but may alternatively comprise bolts, rivets, or the like.

The cable 112 in this embodiment includes two cable portions 112A, 112B that are joined together at their distal ends with a U-shaped crimp connector 116. Alternatively, but not preferably, the cable 112 may simply loop around to engage the parallel channels 125, 127 in the rack segment 120. The distal-end rack segment 120 may optionally define a transverse channel (not shown) that joins the parallel longitudinal channels 125, 127 and receives a looped portion of the cable 112.

As seen most clearly in FIGS. 1 and 2, in this embodiment, the rack segments 120 are attached to the cable 112 with a small gap between adjacent rack segments 120, and the ends of the rack segments 120 are shaped to permit neighboring rack segments 120 to move angularly with respect to each other through flexure of the cable 112. The cable 112 therefore defines a hinge connecting adjacent rack segments 120. Therefore, the rack segments 120 may articulate relative to each other, such that the rack assembly 110 can conform to the shape of the boot 80.

It is contemplated that the present invention may be practiced with more or fewer rack segments 120 to meet the needs of a particular application.

The rack segments 120 may be formed from any suitable material. For example, in a current embodiment, the toothed member 124 and the attachment plate 126 are formed from aluminum. However, it is contemplated that these components may be formed from other materials, for example, rigid plastics or composite materials.

To use the fastener system 100, typically the lever assembly 90 is fixedly attached to a boot 80, or mounted on a strap to engage the boot 80, for example. The cable 112 supporting the rack assembly 110 is fixed on an opposite side of the boot 80. The user may position the rack assembly 110 in a desired location to engage the lever assembly transverse element 99, with the lever arm 92 pivoted towards an open position. The transverse element 99 engages the selected tooth 122 of one rack segment 120, and the lever arm 92 is then pivoted to an over-center closed position.

A side view of another embodiment of a rack assembly 210 in accordance with the present invention is shown in FIG. 5. The rack assembly 210 in this embodiment comprises a plurality of segments including proximal rack segments 220 and a distal rack segment 220′. The rack segments 220, 220′ are formed unitarily, that is, each as a single member, and are attached to the cable 112 (shown in phantom) by crimping.

The rack segments 220, 220′ each include a plurality of hook portions or teeth 222 that are shaped to engage the lever assembly 90 described above, and a base portion 226, 226′. A first end 221 of each segment 220, 220′ is convexly curved, for example, forming a partially cylindrical face, and a second end 223 of the proximal rack segments 220 is concavely curved and shaped to receive the first end 221 of the neighboring segment 220 or 220′.

Refer also to FIG. 6, which shows a perspective view of the proximal rack segment 220. In this embodiment, the teeth 222 are narrower in width than the base portion 226 and approximately centered such that lateral end portions 229 are defined on either side of the teeth 222. The proximal rack segment 220 further includes a pair of longitudinal channels 225 that are sized to receive and engage the cable 112. In the current embodiment, the channels 225 include one or more gripping transverse teeth or gripping elements 127 (five shown). The longitudinal channels 225 each include a narrow inwardly-extending portion 228. The proximal rack segment 220 is formed from a plastically deformable material, for example, aluminum, or a deformable polymeric material.

A perspective view of the distal rack segment 220′ is shown in FIG. 7. The distal rack segment 220′ is generally similar to the proximal rack segments 220, except as discussed herein, with side channels 225′ configured to receive and crimp to the cable 112. From FIG. 5, it is clear that the distal rack segment 220′ second end 223′ does not have a neighboring rack segment. Rather, the distal rack segment 220′ second end 223′ includes a transverse channel or recess 224′ that serves as a guide or retainer for the U-shaped crimp connector 116 or end portion of the cable 112.

In this embodiment, the rack segments 220, 220′ are clamped to the cable 112 by positioning cable 112 at the desired position to engage the longitudinal channels 225, 225′ and crimping the rack segments 220, 220′, for example, by compressing the end portions 229, such that the gripping elements 227 engage and secure the flexible cable 112. It will be appreciated that the crimping is facilitated by the inner narrow portion 228 of the longitudinal channels 225.

A lower side perspective view of another embodiment of a rack assembly 310 in accordance with the present invention is shown in FIG. 8. The rack assembly 310 in this embodiment also comprises a plurality of proximal rack segments 320 and a distal rack segment 320′. Two proximal rack segments 320 are shown in FIG. 8, although more or fewer proximal rack segments may be included.

In this embodiment, the proximal rack segments 320 include a toothed member 324 with a plurality of teeth 322, and an attachment plate 326 that is fixed to a bottom of the corresponding toothed member 324 to lock the rack segment 320 to the flexible cable 112. Similarly, the distal rack segment 320′ includes a toothed member 324′ and an attachment plate 326′ that is fixed to a bottom of the toothed member 324′ to attach the distal rack segment 320′ to the flexible cable 112. The front and back faces of the rack segments 320 and the back face of the distal rack segment 320′ are shaped to permit pivotal motion between neighboring rack segments 320, 320′ by flexure of the cable 112.

FIG. 9 shows an exploded view of the proximal rack segment 320 with the cable 112 shown in phantom. The toothed member 324 includes a bottom portion (i.e., a face opposite the teeth 322) defining two parallel longitudinal channels 325. In this embodiment, the channels 325 have a depth that is approximately equal to, or slightly less than, the diameter of the cable 112, such that the received portion of the cable 112 substantially fits within the longitudinal channel 325. The longitudinal channels 325 optionally include a plurality of ridges or gripping elements 337 extending inwardly from the channels 325. A recess 330 is defined on the bottom portion of the proximal rack segment 320 between the longitudinal channels 325, and is sized to receive the attachment plate 326.

The bottom portion of the proximal rack segment 320 further defines a plastically deformable rivet portion 332 extending distally from the recess 330. In this embodiment, the rivet portion 332 is round and tubular in shape, although other shapes may alternatively be used. The attachment plate 326 includes an aperture 327 that is sized and positioned to slidably engage the rivet portion 332 when the attachment plate 326 is received into the recess 330.

It will now be appreciated that the proximal rack segment 320 is attached to the cable 112 by positioning the cable 112 at a desired position in the parallel longitudinal channels 325, pressing the attachment plate 326 into the recess 330 such that the segment 320 clamps onto the cable 112, and deforming the tubular rivet portion 332 to lock the attachment plate 326 to the toothed member 324.

FIG. 10 shows an exploded view of the distal rack segment 320′, which is substantially similar to the proximal rack segments 320 in most respects. The distal rack segment 320′ includes a toothed member 324′ with a plurality of teeth 322 (two shown), and a U-shaped channel 325′ that is sized and configured to receive the flexible cable 112. A rivet portion 332 extends from a recess 330′ on the bottom of the toothed member 324′. An attachment plate 326′ with an aperture 327 is sized and configured to be positioned in the recess 330 to clamp onto the cable 112, and the rivet portion 332 is plastically deformed to lock the attachment plate 326′ to the toothed portion 324′, and thereby fix the distal rack segment 320′ to the cable 112.

While illustrative embodiments have been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A fastener assembly for sports footwear comprising:

a lever assembly having a lever arm movable between an open position and a closed position, and a hooking member; and

a segmented rack assembly comprising a flexible cable having first and second spaced-apart portions, and a plurality of rack segments that are fixed to the cable first and second portions, each rack segment having a plurality of teeth, wherein the teeth are sized and shaped to releasably engage the hooking member;

wherein the plurality of rack segments are fixed serially on the cable such that adjacent rack segments are hingedly joined by the cable.

2. The fastener assembly of claim 1, wherein the rack segments each comprise a toothed member defining a plurality of teeth that are configured to selectively engage the hooking member and an attachment plate that is attached to the toothed member to fixedly attach the rack segment to the flexible cable.

3. The fastener assembly of claim 2, wherein at least one of the toothed member and the attachment plate define a pair of spaced-apart channels that are configured to engage the flexible cable.

4. The fastener assembly of claim 3, wherein the attachment plate is attached to the toothed member with a threaded member that extends through an aperture in the attachment plate and threadably engages the toothed member.

5. The fastener assembly of claim 3, wherein the toothed member further comprises a rivet portion that extends distally from the toothed member, and the attachment plate further comprises an aperture sized and configured to slidably receive the rivet portion, wherein the rivet portions fix the attachment plate to the toothed member.

6. The fastener assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of rack segments is unitarily formed and comprise a toothed portion and a base portion, wherein the base portion comprises a crimpable channel portion that is sized and configured to receive the cable and to fix the rack segment to the flexible cable by crimping the crimpable channel portion.

7. The fastener assembly of claim 6, wherein the crimpable channel portion further comprises a narrow inner channel portion that facilitates crimping the channel portion.

8. The fastener assembly of claim 6, wherein the crimpable channel portion further comprises a plurality of gripping elements that engage the flexible cable.

9. The fastener assembly of claim 1, wherein the flexible cable further comprises a U-shaped crimp connector that connects two portions of the flexible cable.

10. The fastener assembly of claim 9, wherein the plurality of rack segments includes a distal rack segment having a distal channel portion that is configured to receive the U-shaped crimp connector.

11. The fastener assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of rack segments is fixed to the cable such that adjacent rack segments are separated by a gap.

12. The fastener assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of rack segments defines a convex end portion, and at least one of the plurality of rack segments defines a concave end portion that is sized and shaped to receive the convex end portion.

13. The fastener assembly of claim 12, wherein the convex end portion is cylindrical.

14. The fastener assembly of claim 1, wherein the segmented rack assembly comprises at least three rack segments.

15. The fastener assembly of claim 1, wherein the toothed members are formed of aluminum.

16. A segmented rack assembly for a sporting boot fastener assembly comprising:

a flexible cable having first and second spaced-apart portions; and

at least three rack segments, wherein each rack segment is fixed to the cable first and second portions, each rack segment having a plurality of spaced-apart teeth that are sized and configured to releasably engage a hook member;

wherein the at least three rack segments are fixed to the flexible cable such that adjacent rack segments are hingedly connect by the cable.

17. The segmented rack assembly of claim 16, wherein the at least three rack segments each comprise a toothed portion and an attachment plate, and wherein each rack assembly is attached to the flexible cable by clamping the flexible cable between the toothed portion and the attachment plate.