U.S. patent application number 13/425601 was filed with the patent office on 2012-09-27 for sports shoe.
This patent application is currently assigned to POWERSLIDE SPORTARTIKELVERTRIEBS GMBH. Invention is credited to Matthias Knoll.
Application Number | 20120240428 13/425601 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44501718 |
Filed Date | 2012-09-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120240428 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Knoll; Matthias |
September 27, 2012 |
SPORTS SHOE
Abstract
This invention relates to a sports shoe (1) having a shell (2)
and a lacing system (3), with a cover (4) connected to the lacing
system (3) being arranged on the upper side (5) of the shell
(2).
Inventors: |
Knoll; Matthias; (Bindlach,
DE) |
Assignee: |
POWERSLIDE SPORTARTIKELVERTRIEBS
GMBH
Bindlach
DE
|
Family ID: |
44501718 |
Appl. No.: |
13/425601 |
Filed: |
March 21, 2012 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
36/50.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B 5/0427 20130101;
A43C 11/165 20130101; A43B 5/14 20130101; A43B 5/1666 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
36/50.1 |
International
Class: |
A43C 11/00 20060101
A43C011/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 23, 2011 |
EP |
11002422.1 |
Claims
1. A sports shoe (1) comprising: a shell (2); a lacing system (3);
and a cover (4) that is arranged on an upper side (5) of the shell
(2) and that is connected to the lacing system (3).
2. The sports shoe in accordance with claim 1, wherein the cover
(4) is attached loosely on the upper side (5) of the shell (2).
3. The sports shoe in accordance with claim 1, wherein the cover
(4) is linked to the shell (2) at a cap area (6) or at a side of
the shell.
4. The sports shoe in accordance with claims 1, wherein the cover
(4) is provided with lace guides (7).
5. The sports shoe in accordance with claims 1, wherein a fastener
(8) of the lacing system (3) is arranged on the cover (4) or on a
side of the shoe or in a heel area of the shell.
6. The sports shoe in accordance with claims 1, wherein an
attachment (9) is arranged on the cover (4).
7. The sports shoe in accordance with claim 1, wherein the cover is
made of at least one of a carbon, plastic, fiberglass, light metal,
and composite material.
8. The sports shoe in accordance with claims 1, wherein the lacing
system (3) has guiding elements (10 to 14) in the shell (2) and the
cover (4), with the guiding elements (10 to 14) being variable in
respect of their stiffness.
9. The sports shoe in accordance with claim 1, wherein a shaft (15)
is arranged on the shell (2).
10. The sports shoe in accordance with claim 9, wherein the shaft
(15) is attached to the shell (2) by a joint (16).
11. The sports shoe in accordance with claims 1, wherein the shell
(2) is made of at least one of a carbon, fiberglass, plastic,
metal, or metal alloy material.
12. The sports shoe in accordance with claim 1, wherein the lacing
system (3) includes a single lace (18) spanning 360 degrees around
the shell (2) and the cover (4).
13. The sports shoe in accordance with claim 8, wherein the lacing
system (3) includes a single lace (18) passing through the guiding
elements (10 to 14) in the shell (2) and the cover (4).
14. The sports shoe in accordance with claim 13, wherein the cover
(4) includes a plurality of lace guides (7), and wherein the single
lace (18) passes through the lace guides (7).
15. The sports shoe in accordance with claim 14, further comprising
a disk fastener (8) to which the single lace (18) is attached,
wherein the disk fastener (8) is operable to tighten the single
lace (18) to close the sports shoe.
16. The sports shoe in accordance with claim 15, wherein the disk
fastener (8) is attached to the cover (4).
17. The sports shoe in accordance with claim 16, wherein the cover
(4) is attached loosely to the upper side (5) of the shell (2).
18. The sports shoe in accordance with claim 17, wherein the shell
(2) includes a cap area (6) at a front of the sports shoe, and
wherein the cover (4) is attached to the cap area (6) of the shell
(2).
19. The sports shoe in accordance with claim 18, wherein at least
two of the guiding elements (12, 13) are positioned adjacent the
cap area (6).
20. The sports shoe in accordance with claim 19, wherein the
guiding elements (10, 11, 12) are arranged in a lower portion (17)
of the shell (2) passing around an entire underside of the shell
(2).
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] Sports shoes, especially when used with other components,
for example inline skate rails, ice skate blades or clip-type
bicycle pedals, are subject to particularly strict requirements in
respect of their stability. This is, for example in the case of
inline skate rails, due to the fitting clearance between the rail
and the shoe, which is increasing due to the tendency of wheels to
become larger than is the case in conventional inline skating
sports shoes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention provides, in one aspect, a sports shoe
including a shell, a lacing system, and a cover that is arranged on
an upper side of the shell and that is connected to the lacing
system.
[0003] Other features and aspects of the invention will become
apparent by consideration of the following detailed description and
accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a sports shoe in
accordance with the present invention.
[0005] FIG. 2 shows the embodiment of FIG. 1 with a cover of the
sports shoe in an opened position.
[0006] FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of a sports shoe in
accordance with the present invention.
[0007] Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in
detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in
its application to the details of construction and the arrangement
of components set forth in the following description or illustrated
in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other
embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in
various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and
terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and
should not be regarded as limiting.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0008] In accordance with FIGS. 1 and 2, the following describes a
first embodiment of a sports shoe 1 in accordance with the
invention.
[0009] The sports shoe 1 has a shell 2 provided with a lacing
system 3.
[0010] The shell 2 can be provided with a removable inner shoe,
with an inner padding or with a fixed inner shoe, not however shown
in detail in the figures. The padding here is preferably glued
firmly to the shell 2.
[0011] Possible materials for the shell 2 are carbon, fiberglass,
plastics, metals (for example aluminum, magnesium etc.) and metal
alloys.
[0012] A cover 4 is arranged on the upper side 5 of the shell 2 and
is connected to the lacing system 3 FIG. 2). FIG. 1 shows the
closed position of the sports shoe 1 while FIG. 2 shows the opened
position.
[0013] The lacing system 3 has guiding elements 10, 11 and 12 which
in the embodiment shown are arranged in the lower portion 17 of the
shell 2 (FIG. 1). These guiding elements 10, 11 and 12 can be
designed as guide tubes or as guide slots and pass around the
entire underside of the shell 2. Alternatively, the guide slots can
be provided on the side of the shell 2, or it is also possible to
combine circumferential guide slots with laterally provided guide
slots. The lacing system 3 furthermore includes other guiding
elements 13 and 14 into which the lace 18 or a cord or a strap of
the lacing system 3 is introduced, resulting in a circuit of the
lace 18 of 360 degrees around the shell 2 and hence considerably
improving foot control inside the sports shoe 1.
[0014] The lacing system 3 furthermore has lace guides 7 on the
cover 4, which in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2
are arranged on an attachment 9 which can for example be made of
leather, synthetic leather, linen or other microfiber materials and
can be connected to the cover 4 by gluing or also by a hole/rivet
combination. It is however also possible for the lace guides 7 to
run directly over or through the cover 4, which preferably
comprises carbon, plastics or light metals and their alloys. On the
basis of the illustrations selected in FIGS. 1 and 2, only one of
the usual two lace guides 7 is visible; the other lace guide is
arranged diametrically opposite on the other side of the attachment
9 or the cover 4. The other lace guide can however also be arranged
asymmetrically.
[0015] The lacing system 3 furthermore has other lace guides
arranged on the shell 2, of which only the lace guide 19 is visible
in the illustrations selected in FIGS. 1 and 2. In this case too,
two such lace guides are preferably provided, with the lace guide
not visible in FIGS. 1 and 2 being arranged on the diametrically
opposite side of the shell 2 so that a symmetrical arrangement of
the lace guides 19 is obtained. The arrangement of the lace guides
19 can however also be asymmetrical if necessary.
[0016] Finally, the lacing system 3 has a fastener 8 which for
example can be designed as a so-called disk fastener and with which
the lace 18 of the lacing system 3 can be tightened to close the
sports shoe 1. However, other lace, strap or cord fixing means are
also possible in principle.
[0017] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the fastener 8 is
arranged on the cover 4. The fastener 8 could however in principle
also be attached to the side of the shoe or at the back in the heel
area.
[0018] The cover 4 can in particular be attached loosely on the
upper side 5 of the shell 2 or it can be linked to the shell 2 at
its cap area 6 or fixed at the side. Since the shell 2 in the
example shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 has an underside 17 (FIG. 1), the
link in this embodiment is provided at this underside 17. For
linking it is possible to provide a hinge, for example a film
hinge. As alternative embodiments for linking, joints made of
leather, synthetic leather, linen or other microfiber materials are
also possible and can be glued, riveted or screwed onto the cover 4
and the lower shell 17.
[0019] In addition to their function of guiding the lace 18, the
guiding elements 10 to 14 furthermore form reinforcing elements for
the shell 2 and the cover 4. The lace, cord or strap guides 7 are
also used for airing in addition to their guidance function.
[0020] FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the sports shoe 1 in
accordance with the invention, which in turn has a shell 2 and a
cover 4 arranged on the upper side of the shell 2. Furthermore, the
design of the lacing system 3 corresponds to that of FIGS. 1 and 2,
such that reference can be made to the previous statements on FIGS.
1 and 2 in this respect and also in respect of all further
elements.
[0021] The embodiment in accordance with FIG. 3 is distinguished by
a shaft 15 attached to the shell 2 by a joint 16.
[0022] The following features are conceivable as options or
alternatives for the previously described guiding elements: (a)
tubes made of various materials (for example carbon or plastics)
and inserted into the shell; (b) cords placed into the shell during
the production process and then removed to create a cavity; (c)
cut-out grooves into which can be inserted tubes which are fixed
either positively by an appropriately matching shape of the grooves
or by adhesives or riveted connections or the like; (d)
prefabricated parts, for example of carbon, plastics, composite
materials, which are placed into the shells during production and
then fixed; (e) cords running freely inside grooves and recesses
and guided by these; and (f) additional lace, cord or strap guides
fitted on the inside or outside of the lower shell, the shaft or
the cover.
[0023] Various features of the invention are set forth in the
following claims.
* * * * *