U.S. patent number 3,711,900 [Application Number 05/183,991] was granted by the patent office on 1973-01-23 for shoe closure device especially for ski shoes.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Weinmann Aktiengesellschaft. Invention is credited to Robert Schoch.
United States Patent |
3,711,900 |
Schoch |
January 23, 1973 |
SHOE CLOSURE DEVICE ESPECIALLY FOR SKI SHOES
Abstract
In a shoe having a pair of closure flaps, a closure device
comprising a pull member coupled to one of the shoe flaps at one
end thereof, a coupling device mounted on another one of the shoe
flaps and comprising a rotatably mounted disc, a member coupling
the pull member to the disc in a manner that rotation of the disc
causes a longitudinal displacement of the pull member, the disc
being at least partially formed as a maltese cross having leg
portions with recesses formed between adjacent leg portions and
groove means formed in the leg portions, the coupling member
comprising a connecting strap jointed with the disc, a driving
member disposed adjacent the disc and having a pair of pins formed
thereon, the driving member being mounted for rotation and the pins
during rotation engaging a predetermined one of the groove means, a
cam member on the driving member having convexly shaped end
portions for engagement with a predetermined one of the recesses
formed on the maltese cross shaped disc and forming a latch
therewith in a rest position, the cam member having concavely
shaped side surfaces connecting the end surfaces for allowing
unimpeded passage of the end portions of the legs of the disc
during rotation of the disc by the pins, whereby a rotation of the
driving member causes one of the pins entering the groove means and
thereby rotating the disc, and as a result, the coupling strap
fixedly coupled to the pull member becomes displaced along a
straight line and causes the pull member to move therewith.
Inventors: |
Schoch; Robert
(Singen/Hohentwiel, DT) |
Assignee: |
Weinmann Aktiengesellschaft
(Schaffhausen, CH)
|
Family
ID: |
22675161 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/183,991 |
Filed: |
September 27, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
24/68SK |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43C
11/00 (20130101); Y10T 24/2183 (20150115) |
Current International
Class: |
A43C
11/00 (20060101); A43c 011/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;24/68SK,69SK,7SK,71SK,91.3,263B ;36/2.5AL ;254/51,79
;280/11.35R |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Gay; Bobby R.
Assistant Examiner: Dorner; Kenneth J.
Claims
Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire
to be secured by Letters Patent, is as follows:
1. In a shoe having a pair of closure flaps, a closure device
comprising a pull member coupled to one of said closure flaps at
one end thereof, a coupling means mounted on another one of said
shoe closure flaps and comprising a rotatably mounted disc, means
coupling said pull member to said disc in a manner that rotation of
said disc causes a longitudinal displacement of said pull member,
said disc member being at least partially formed as a maltese cross
having leg portions with recesses formed between adjacent leg
portions and groove means formed on said leg portions, said
coupling means comprising a connecting strap means journalled at
one end on said disc, a driving member disposed adjacent said disc
and having pin means formed thereon, said driving member being
mounted for rotation, said pin means during rotation of said
driving member engaging a predetermined one of said groove means, a
cam member on said driving member, said cam member having convexly
shaped end portions for engagement with a predetermined one of said
recess means formed on said maltese cross shaped disc and forming a
latch means therewith in a rest or intermediate position of said
closure device, said cam member having concavely shaped side
surfaces connecting said end surfaces for allowing an unimpeded
passage of the end portions of said legs of said disc during
rotation of said disc by said pin means, whereby a rotation of said
driving member causes the associated pin means entering said groove
means and thereby rotating said disc means and, as a result, said
coupling strap fixedly coupled to said pull member becomes
displaced along a straight line and causing said pull member to
move therewith.
2. The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein a pair of pin
means are formed on said driving element, adjacent groove means
formed on said leg portions of said maltese cross being displaced
by 60.degree., each subsequent rotation of said driving element by
180.degree. causes entry of alternate pin means into adjacent
groove means and a formation of latch means by an alternate one of
said convex end surfaces of said cam member with a recess of said
disc next following the groove means which the pin means engaged
for rotating of said disc.
3. The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein said connecting
strap at the other end thereof is journalled in a recess formed on
said pull member and adapted to be rotated under a wide angle about
its journal-point when said disc is rotated.
4. A closure device for a shoe having a pair of closure flaps, said
closure device comprising a pull member adapted to be coupled to
one of said closure flaps at one end thereof, a coupling means
adapted to be mounted on another one of said shoe closure flaps and
comprising a rotatably mounted disc, means coupling said pull
member to said disc in a manner that rotation of said disc causes a
longitudinal displacement of said pull member, said disc member
being at least partially formed as a maltese cross having leg
portions with recesses formed between adjacent leg portions and
groove means formed in said leg portions, said coupling means
comprising a connecting strap means journalled at one end on said
disc, a driving member disposed adjacent said disc and having pin
means formed thereon, said driving member being mounted for
rotation, said pin means during rotation of said driving member
engaging a predetermined one of said groove means, a cam member on
said driving member, said cam member having convexly shaped end
portions for engagement with a predetermined one of said recess
means formed on said maltese cross shaped disc and forming a latch
means therewith in a rest or intermediate position of said closure
device, said cam member having concavely shaped side surfaces
connecting said end surfaces for allowing an unimpeded passage of
the end portions of said legs of said disc during rotation of said
disc by said pin means, whereby a rotation of said driving member
causes the associated pin means entering said groove means and
thereby rotating said disc means and, as a result, said connecting
strap fixedly coupled to said pull member being displaced along a
straight line and causing said pull member to move therewith.
Description
FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a closure means for shoes,
especially ski shoes, in which a pull member or strap at one end
thereof is directly or by means of a further pull member connected
with one of the closure flaps of the shoe and at the other end
thereof is coupled to a disc mounted for rotation about its own
axis in a housing which is secured to the other closure flap of the
shoe, such coupling being affected in such a manner that during the
rotation of the disc the pull member is displaced in a longitudinal
direction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A shoe closure means according to the present invention is
characterized in that the above-mentioned rotatably mounted disc at
least in portions is formed as a maltese cross and that the pull
member or strap is jointedly coupled with the disc and wherein, on
the leg portions of the maltese cross, radial guide groove means
are provided into which pin means disposed in an off-center fashion
on a driving member are adapted to enter. Such driving member is
rotatably mounted in a plane parallel with respect to the plane of
the disc, and when rotated, the pins operatively engage the groove
means; the driving member includes a pair of pin means and a cam
member has a pair of convexly shaped front or end surfaces which
during the rotation of the driving member alternatively engage
recess means formed on the maltese cross with a radius similar to
those of the convex end portions of the cam member and are retained
therein to form a latch means together with such recess means and
define a rest position of the closure device thereby.
The disc which is formed as a maltese cross is preferably a
circular disc and has three leg portions, and consequently it has
four recess means formed thereon, which in turn allow for four rest
or intermediate positions of the pull member, as hereinafter
described.
If three leg portions are formed on the maltese cross with a
displacement of 60.degree. with respect to each other, the disc
then also has three guide grooves formed thereon for engagement
with the pin means of the driving member.
If in the embodiment broadly described above the driving member has
a round disc and only a single pin means formed thereon, there will
be a full rotation of the driving member necessary in order to
arrive from one of the rest positions necessary in order to arrive
from one of the rest positions of the closure means to another rest
position thereof. In the case of a pair of pin means it is
sufficient that a rotation of 180.degree. takes place between
adjacent rest or latch positions. The driving member preferably is
provided with a pair of pin means which are lying opposite each
other.
It is within the scope of the present invention to provide a
plurality of rest or latch positions, such as five or more, wherein
the disc should have four or more leg portions and accordingly the
same number of guide grooves thereon; such disc, however, may
require an enlarged shaped which may not be desirable for every
condition.
The camming member between its two convex end or front surfaces has
concave side surfaces on each side connecting the front surfaces
which, during the rotation of the disc, allow entry of the sharp
end corners of the leg potions of the maltese cross and an
unimpeded passing of them over said concave surfaces.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The invention will become more readily apparent from the following
description of a preferred embodiment thereof shown, by way of
example, in the accompanying drawing, in which:
FIG. 1 is a top view of the closure device according to the present
invention, in closed position, and illustrating a direct connection
of the pull member with one of the closure flaps of the shoe;
FIG. 2 is a top view of the closure device according to the present
invention, in closed position, in which a further pull element is
included into the coupling between the pull member and the shoe
flap;
FIG. 3 is the backside of the closure device according to the
present invention as illustrated in FIG. 2 with the cover removed
and showing same in an open position;
FIG. 4 is the backside of the closure device illustrated in FIG. 2
with the cover removed and in closed position;
FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view along the line A--A of FIG. 3;
and
FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view along the line B--B of FIG. 4.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In all figures the same reference numerals have been used to
identify similar parts.
With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, it is seen that the closure device
according to the present invention is secured on one of the closure
flaps 11 of the shoe (not shown) by means of rivets 12. A pull
member or strap 15, as seen in FIG. 1, is directly secured on the
closure flap 13 of the shoe by means of rivets 16. Between the
closure flaps 11 and 13 of the shoe, the tongue 14 of the shoe is
secured or folded in a conventional manner. As shown in FIGS. 2 and
5, the differently constructed pull member 17 is connected with the
closure flap 13 of the shoe by means of a further pull element 18
comprising several parts which engage a nose portion 19 of the pull
member 17.
Notwithstanding the difference between the individual construction
of the pull member 15 of FIG. 1 and the pull member 17 illustrated
in the remaining figures, both types of the closure device 10 shown
in FIGS. 1 and 2 have the same general construction and general
operational features as far as the invention is concerned.
The pull member 15 or 17 is coupled by means of a connecting rod 20
with a disc 21. The connecting element 20 has a partially circular
end portion 22 which is journaled in a correspondingly partially
circular recess 23 formed in the pull member 15 or 17,and can be
rotated about the center of the partially circular end portion 22
under a wide angle. The other end 24 of the connecting element 20
is rotatably mounted on the disc 21 at a point of rotation defined
at 25, so that during a rotation of the disc 21 in a manner
hereinafter described and about a shaft butt 26, the pull member 15
or 17 is either pulled in or pushed outwardly in a longitudinal
direction, that is, the center point of the circular end portion 22
becomes displaced along a straight line. More than half of the
round disc 21 is formed as a maltese cross which, in the
illustrated embodiment has three cross legs or projections 27, 28
and 29, three guide grooves 30, 31 and 32 and four recesses 33, 34,
35 and 36. The guide grooves 30, 31 and 32 can be formed as open
slots.
The disc 21 is coupled with a driving member 37 which has a pair of
pin means 38, 39 disposed thereon in an off-center fashion and
lying opposite each other, and a cam member 40. The driving member
37 which is also formed as a round disc, is rotatably mounted on a
shaft butt 41 in a housing 42. The pull member or strap 15 or 17 is
guided in the housing 42 and both discs 21 and 37, as can be seen
more particularly in FIGS. 5 and 6, are journaled by means of the
shaft butts 26 and 41, respectively. In order to attain a good
journalling, the invention provides for bearings of a synthetic
material, such as bearing 43 for the butt 26 and bearing 44 for the
butt 41. The shaft butts 26, 41 are fixedly connected with the
discs 21, 37, respectively. It is preferred to form the butts 26,
41 and the discs 21, 37 as an integral part, that is, from a single
piece in each case. The shaft butt 41 is connected by a square stud
45 and a cylindrical pin 46 with an operating handle 47 which is
riveted to the pin 46.
The housing 42 is closed by means of a cover 49 riveted
thereto.
The pull member 15 or 17 and the disc 21 may be made, for example,
of hot pressed brass or steel. The connecting element 20 can be
made of sheet metal by punching. The housing 42, the disc 37 and
the operating handle 47 are preferably made from an aluminum alloy
in a hot pressing process. The cover 49 can be made from a rolled
aluminum alloy, brass or steel, or even from a synthetic
material.
By rotating the driving element 37 by means of the operating handle
47, with reference to FIG. 3 illustrating the first rest or
latching position associated with an open state of the closure
device, counter-clockwise, the pin 38 will engage the guide groove
30 of the disc 21 and thereby cause a rotation of the disc 21 into
a clockwise direction. The convex front surface 50 of the cam
member 40 serving as a latching means in the rest positions or in
any one of the intermediate closing positions associated with the
recesses 34 and 35 as hereinafter described, leaves in a gliding
manner the recess 33 of the disc 21. By rotating the driving member
37 by 180.degree., the disc 21 with its maltese cross formation
describes a rotation of 60.degree.. The pin 39 assumes now the
position of the pin 38 (as illustrated in FIG. 3) and the convex
front surface 51 of the cam 40 abuts now against or lies in the
recess 34 of the disc 21, so that the cam 40 acts again as a latch
in this intermediate position. Such intermediate positions can be
identified by numbers, so that the user of the shoe will know which
is a convenient position for him, or how tight he has to close his
shoes; such number may appear through a window formed in the
housing 42, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, wherein the position 4
appears in the window.
Inasmuch as the cam member 40 in each of the rest positions, or
intermediate positions associated with the recesses 33, 34, 35 and
36, acts as a latch means, it is impossible that the pull member or
strap 17 could undergo a longitudinal push or pull without
additionally rotating the handle 47. By rotating the disc 21 by
60.degree., the pull member 17 arrives in its first intermediate
position. From said first intermediate position of the closure
device 10, a second intermediate position associated with the
recess 35 can be reached, or a return into the initial or rest
position associated with the recess 33 can be attained only by
rotating the driving element 37 by means of the operating handle
47.
By further rotating the driving element 37 in the counter-clockwise
direction, the pin 39 engages, or enters into, the guide groove 31
and causes a further rotation of the disc 21 into the clockwise
direction. The convex front or end surface 51 of the cam member 40
leaves in a sliding manner the recess 34 of the disc 21. By such
new rotation of the driving element 37 by 180.degree., the disc
with its maltese cross formation has undergone a further rotation
of 60.degree., and the closure device has arrived in a second
intermediate position associated with the recess 36 into which the
convex end or front surface 50 of the cam member 40 comes to rest
forming again a latch means.
In the event the driving element 37 is rotated again by 180.degree.
in the counter-clockwise direction, as a result the disc 21 will
undergo a 60.degree. rotation in the clockwise direction, and
during such rotation the pin 38 will enter into the groove 32 and
the convex front surface 51 of the cam member 40 will enter into
the recess 36; thus a complete closure of the closure device has
been accomplished.
In the illustrated embodiment the driving element 37 after reaching
the closed or open position can be driven further by a small angle
only until the pin 39 abuts against the disc 21, since at the
abutting point there is no guide groove provided. During this
process the cam member 40 will not leave the last attained rest
position in the associated recess and will act further as a latch
means, so that the disc 21 cannot be rotated by any attempt to
longitudinally pull or push the pull member 17.
When the driving element 37 must be rotated counterclockwise in
order to close the closure device 10, the operating handle 47 must
be rotated clockwise, which is a reasonable expectation.
It would be possible to form the entire disc 21 as a full maltese
cross and to provide all cross legs with guide grooves. Then, in
this case, the closure device 10 could be opened or closed in
either direction, which, however, would not be desirable in every
instance.
The pull member 18 comprising a plurality of elements and
illustrated in FIG. 2 as connecting the closure device, according
to the present invention, with the closure flap 13 of the shoe, can
have a further pull member which can undergo a fine adjustment by a
knurled wheel which is well known on the market. It can also be in
the form of a simple yoke.
From the above, it is apparent that although the invention has been
described hereinbefore with respect to a certain specific
embodiment thereof, it is evident that many modifications and
changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the
invention. Accordingly, by the appended claims, I intend to cover
all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit
and scope of this invention.
* * * * *