U.S. patent application number 10/937013 was filed with the patent office on 2005-03-31 for laced boot.
This patent application is currently assigned to Goodwell International Ltd.. Invention is credited to Elkington, Mark, Kohler, Ralph.
Application Number | 20050066546 10/937013 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34129789 |
Filed Date | 2005-03-31 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050066546 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Elkington, Mark ; et
al. |
March 31, 2005 |
Laced boot
Abstract
The laced boot has a flexible leg and two lateral closing flaps,
a tongue arranged between them, and a lacing that can be fastened
on the closing flaps and covers the tongue. A suspender for
receiving the lacing is attached in the upper area of the tongue in
order to adjust the flexibility of the leg and of the tongue.
Inventors: |
Elkington, Mark; (Tuen Mun,
CN) ; Kohler, Ralph; (Oberperfuss, AT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SENNIGER POWERS LEAVITT AND ROEDEL
ONE METROPOLITAN SQUARE
16TH FLOOR
ST LOUIS
MO
63102
US
|
Assignee: |
Goodwell International Ltd.
|
Family ID: |
34129789 |
Appl. No.: |
10/937013 |
Filed: |
September 9, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
36/50.1 ;
36/54 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43C 3/00 20130101; A43C
1/00 20130101; A43C 11/20 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
036/050.1 ;
036/054 |
International
Class: |
A43C 011/00; A43B
023/26 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 11, 2003 |
DE |
103 42 236.6 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A laced boot comprising a flexible leg, the flexible leg
comprising: two lateral opposed closing flaps; a tongue arranged
between the two lateral closing flaps; a lacing that can be
fastened on the closing flaps and covering the tongue; and a
suspender on the tongue in an upper region of the tongue for
receiving the lacing, wherein the suspender comprises a hook open
at a top of the suspender.
2. The laced boot according to claim 1 wherein the suspender is
plastic with a friction-reducing surface.
3. The laced boot according to claim 1 wherein the suspender
comprises a hook plate with said hook formed on it in a one-piece
manner.
4. The laced boot according to claim 2 wherein the suspender
comprises a hook plate with said hook formed on it in a one-piece
manner.
5. The laced boot according to claim 3 wherein the suspender is
connected in a one-piece manner to the tongue.
6. The laced boot according to claim 4 wherein the suspender is
connected in a one-piece manner to the tongue.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention relates to a laced boot with an upper having a
flexible leg.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Such a laced boot is known from German utility model DE-GM
85 01 207 U1. This known laced boot comprises a flexible upper
comprising two lateral, opposing closing flaps and a tongue
arranged between them, as well as a lacing that can be fastened on
the closing flaps and covers the tongue. A hook open at the bottom
is attached in the upper area of the tongue and can be suspended in
the lacing. This is intended to prevent the tongue from sliding
down during use.
[0003] U.S. Pat. No. 5,934,599 shows a laced boot used especially
in snowboarding as a so-called soft boot, in which instance special
requirements are placed on the flexibility of the upper and of the
tongue. On the one hand the upper and the tongue should be so
flexible that the sportsman has the greatest possible freedom of
movement in all directions and especially in the direction to the
front and to the rear relative to the longitudinal axis of the
shoe. On the other hand the upper and the tongue must be so stiff
that the sportsman can apply sufficient forces on the front edge
and the back edge of the snowboard during snowboarding. In
addition, the required flexibility and stiffness of the upper and
of the tongue are also a function of the snow conditions. In soft
snow or deep snow the flexibility should be greater than on a hard
or even icy course.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The invention therefore has the problem of improving the
laced boot of the initially cited type in such a manner that the
flexibility of the upper and of the tongue can be adjusted.
[0005] This problem is solved by the features indicated in claim 1.
Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention
can be gathered from the dependent claims.
[0006] The basic concept of the invention resides in providing a
suspender on the upper end of the tongue for selective reception of
the lacing. If the lacing is suspended in the suspender the tongue
is pressed substantially downward in the direction towards the sole
of the foot and is stiffened as a result. This also reduces a
relative shifting between the tongue and the lateral closing flaps
in the upper area, which reduces the flexibility of the upper and
of the tongue. The force exerted by the lacing via the suspender on
the tongue increases with increasing "forward lean" of the upper,
so that upper and tongue are progressively stiffened. On the other
hand, if the snowboarder would like to have the greatest possible
flexibility he can remove the lacing from the suspender with a
movement of his hand and obtain a traditional flexible laced
boot.
[0007] The suspender is preferably designed as a hook open at the
top and preferably consists of plastic, that has a
friction-reducing surface relative to the lacing. The hook can be
formed in one piece with a hook plate fastened to the tongue either
by adhesion, screws, rivets or also be formed in one piece from the
material of the tongue itself.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0008] The invention is described in detail in the following using
an exemplary embodiment in combination with the drawings.
[0009] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a laced boot in
accordance with the invention.
[0010] FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of the suspender.
[0011] FIG. 3 shows a cross section of the suspender.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0012] This application claims priority from German application 103
42 236.6, filed Sep. 11, 2003, the entire disclosure of which is
expressly incorporated herein by reference.
[0013] The laced boot of FIG. 1 is designated in its entirety by
reference numeral 1. It has a sole 2, and an upper having a middle
part 3 receiving the foot of the user and having a flexible leg 4
immediately following the middle part, which leg normally receives
a lower part of the lower leg of the user. At least leg 4, but also
as a rule middle part 3 form closing flaps 5, 6, between which a
free space is present into which tongue 7 is set, closing this free
space.
[0014] Closing flaps 5, 6 are drawn onto one another by lacing 8,
that can be, e.g., a traditional boot lace, a wire cable or some
other tractive member, and deflections in the form of hooks or
eyelets 9, 10 or tabs 11 can be provided on closing flaps 5, 6 into
which deflections lacing 8 is placed or threaded in. To this extent
a traditional laced boot is concerned. The invention provides that
a suspender 13 for receiving lacing 8 is attached in the area of
the upper end of tongue 7.
[0015] As can be seen from FIGS. 2 and 3, suspender 13 preferably
comprises hook 14 open at the top into which lacing 8 can be
placed.
[0016] If, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, lacing 8 has been placed in
suspender 13 and if the lacing has been tightened, a relative
movement of tongue 7 upward towards shaft 4, that is, away from
sole 2, is prevented or limited and the upper part of tongue 7 is
even pressed down in the direction of the sole, as a result of
which leg 4 and tongue 7 are stiffened.
[0017] If leg 4 is inclined to the front, that is, toward the tip
of the shoe when the lacing is suspended, the imaginary pivot axis
for this movement is located approximately in the middle of the leg
when viewed from the side. If tongue 7 should follow this movement,
then its pivot axis is further to the front on the other hand, so
that leg 4 and tongue 7 have different pivot radii. As a
consequence thereof, the lacing suspended in suspender 13 is
tensioned more strongly and progressively presses the upper part of
tongue 7 down with the pivoting movement, as a result of which leg
4 and tongue 7 are progressively stiffened. In this manner the
snowboarder can exert intensified pressure on the front edge of the
snowboard during forward lean.
[0018] On the other hand, if the snowboarder would like to adjust
the boot "softer," he merely needs to remove lacing 8 from
suspender 13, that is, hook 14 with a movement of his hand and
place it under the hook. He then has a "normal" laced boot with the
flexibility determined solely by the material.
[0019] In the embodiment of FIGS. 2, 3 the suspender is designed as
a substantially flat plate on which hook 14 is formed in one piece.
This plate can be adhered, screwed or riveted to tongue 7. It can
also be formed in one piece from the material of tongue 7 together
with hook 14 in as far as the tongue consists, as is often
customary today, of plastic with an additional padding (not
shown).
[0020] The suspender together with hook 14 preferably consists of
plastic that has a friction-reducing surface relative to lacing 8.
However, it is also possible to make the suspender from metal or of
metal coated with plastic. The friction-reducing surface brings
about that lateral movements of the leg are not hindered by the
suspender since lacing 8 can then slide along the suspender.
[0021] When introducing elements of the present invention or the
preferred embodiment(s) thereof, the articles "a", "an", "the" and
"said" are intended to mean that there are one or more of the
elements. The terms "comprising", "including" and "having" are
intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional
elements other than the listed elements.
[0022] In view of the above, it will be seen that the several
objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous
results attained.
[0023] As various changes could be made in the above methods and
products without departing from the scope of the invention, it is
intended that all matter contained in the above description and
shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as
illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
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