U.S. patent application number 13/460402 was filed with the patent office on 2013-05-02 for sports boot buckle with segmented rack.
This patent application is currently assigned to K-2 CORPORATION. The applicant listed for this patent is Paul Bennett, Darrin J. Haugen, Jason Neubauer. Invention is credited to Paul Bennett, Darrin J. Haugen, Jason Neubauer.
Application Number | 20130104355 13/460402 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 47073121 |
Filed Date | 2013-05-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130104355 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Neubauer; Jason ; et
al. |
May 2, 2013 |
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.
Inventors: |
Neubauer; Jason; (Redmond,
WA) ; Bennett; Paul; (Seattle, WA) ; Haugen;
Darrin J.; (Burien, WA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Neubauer; Jason
Bennett; Paul
Haugen; Darrin J. |
Redmond
Seattle
Burien |
WA
WA
WA |
US
US
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
K-2 CORPORATION
Seattle
WA
|
Family ID: |
47073121 |
Appl. No.: |
13/460402 |
Filed: |
April 30, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61480290 |
Apr 28, 2011 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
24/70SK |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43C 11/1453 20130101;
A43C 11/146 20130101; Y10T 24/2106 20150115; A43C 11/1426
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
24/70SK |
International
Class: |
A43C 11/14 20060101
A43C011/14 |
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.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] 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
[0002] 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.
[0003] 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.
[0004] 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
[0005] 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.
[0006] 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.
[0007] 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.
[0008] 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.
[0009] 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.
[0010] 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.
[0011] 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
[0012] 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:
[0013] FIG. 1 is a side view of a rack and lever fastening system
for a sports boot in accordance with the present invention;
[0014] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the rack assembly of the
fastening system shown in FIG. 1;
[0015] FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the rack assembly of the
fastening system shown in FIG. 1; and
[0016] FIG. 4 is a cross section view of the rack assembly of the
fastening system shown in FIG. 1;
[0017] 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;
[0018] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a proximal rack segment for
the rack assembly shown in FIG. 5;
[0019] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a distal rack segment for
the rack assembly shown in FIG. 5;
[0020] 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;
[0021] FIG. 9 is a partially exploded perspective view of a
proximal rack segment for the rack assembly shown in FIG. 8;
and
[0022] FIG. 10 is a partially exploded view of a distal rack
segment for the rack assembly shown in FIG. 8.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0023] 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.
[0024] 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).
[0025] 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.
[0026] 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.
[0027] 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.
[0028] 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.
[0029] 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.
[0030] 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.
[0031] 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.
[0032] 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.
[0033] 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.
[0034] 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.
[0035] 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.
[0036] 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'.
[0037] 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.
[0038] 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.
[0039] 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.
[0040] 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.
[0041] 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.
[0042] 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.
[0043] 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.
[0044] 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.
[0045] 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.
[0046] 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.
* * * * *