Patent Application
20090090029
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a boot that is easy to fasten and provides a perception of good fit.
2. Description of the Related Art
A known fastening structure is one in which bootlaces are threaded from the instep section to the foot insert part and tightened, and this bootlace fastening structure is often adopted in boots having a high upper hold section above the ankle such as a boot for a snowboard, for example.
However, the laced fastening structure entails tightening the laces in sequence from the toe end, but in a boot such as a snowboard boot in which the upper hold section reaches midway up the shin, a considerable amount of strength, labor, and time is required to tighten the laces from the toe to a midway point along the shin, and it is also difficult to securely fasten the laces because the laces in the toe area have loosened by the time the upper portions have been tightened.
In view of this situation, conventional snowboard boots have been proposed in which various contrivances have been made to facilitate bothersome fastening and to allow the tightening to be rapidly carried out.
For example, Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3115773 proposes a snowboard boot that has a fastening structure in which bootlaces are independently provided to the instep section and the shin section of the boot and each section can be separately adjusted so that the fasteners of the instep section and the shin section do not loosen. Each of the bootlaces is provided with lace locking means, and the lace locking means can prevent in a simple manner the laces from loosening. In this boot, the laces are not likely to loosen because the instep section and the shin section are separately fastened and a person with less strength can perform the fastening operation.
There has also been proposed a snowboard boot having a fastening structure that can be tightened in a simple manner by rolling up the bootlaces using a dial-operated tool. This boot has further merits in that force is not required for fastening, the rolled up bootlaces are wound onto a dial, and the knot is not exposed, resulting in a good appearance and a configuration in which the knot of the bootlaces does not interfere with the binding strap belt.
Although the former boot can certainly shorten the time required for fastening in comparison with a configuration in which bootlaces are laced from the instep section to the foot insert part, it cannot be said that satisfactory ease of operation is achieved because the bootlace fastening operation as such is not such an easy fastening method to perform.
The latter boot has a problem in that the upper support section from the ankle upward is the main area that can be fastened, and the perception of a good fit from the toes to the ankle is difficult to obtain. Additionally, the dial-operated winding tool often breaks, and, once broken, the tool cannot be easily repaired, resulting in a perplexing situation for a user onsite (a ski site).
The present invention was contrived in view of the current state of such conventional snowboard boots, and the present invention was perfected after trial and error to develop a product in which the fastening operation can be rapidly performed in a simpler manner than in a conventional boot.
In other words, an object of the present invention is to provide an extremely practical novel boot in which the fastening operation can be rapidly performed in a simple manner by anyone.
The main points of the present invention will be described with reference to the diagrams.
A boot according to the first aspect in one in which a tongue member 5 is disposed in a front-side opening section 4, and fastening means 6 is provided to the front-side opening section 4 of a boot main body 1 having the front-side opening section 4 that opens from the front side of a foot insert part 2 to an instep section 3, wherein the fastening means 6 has belt insertion parts A, B, C, and D provided to the upper-side left and right sections and the lower-side left and right sections of the boot main body 1 along the front-side opening section 4; the belt insertion parts A, B, C, and D are configured so as to be positioned on the front side of the tongue member 5; a first end of the fastening belt 7 is fixed to the first belt insertion part A at the upper side or is fixed using a detachable fastener; the second end of the fastening belt 7 is positioned on the front side of the tongue member 5, is passed through the second belt insertion part B at the lower side positioned diagonally downward, is then horizontally folded back and passed through the first belt insertion part C at the lower side, is subsequently folded back in the diagonally upward direction, is made to cross the midway section of the fastening belt 7 positioned between the first belt insertion part A at the upper side and the second belt insertion part B at the lower side on the front side of the tongue member 5, and is passed through the second belt insertion part D at the upper side, and the second end of the fastening belt 7 is pulled, whereby the tongue member 5 and the boot main body 1 can be fastened; and a binding fitting 8 for detachably binding the second end of the fastening belt 7 thus pulled is provided to the first end of the fastening belt 7.
A boot according to a second aspect is the boot according to the first aspect, wherein the boot main body 1 is provided with an upper hold section 9 for holding an area above the ankle, and the fastening means 6 is provided to an upper-side opening section 4A of the front-side opening section 4 that is present in the upper hold section 9.
A boot according to a third aspect is the boot according to the first or second aspect, wherein the boot main body 1 is provided with an upper hold section 9 for holding an area above the ankle, and the fastening means 6 is provided to one or both of the upper-side opening section 4A of the front-side opening section 4 that is present in the upper hold section 9 and a lower-side opening section 4B of the front-side opening section 4 that is present in the instep section 3 of the boot main body 1.
A boot according to a fourth aspect is the boot according to the first or second aspect, wherein the belt insertion parts A, B, C, and D are configured so as to protrude inward from the opening edge part of the front-side opening section 4 of the boot main body 1, and the belt insertion parts A, B, C, and D are positioned on the front side of the tongue member 5.
A boot according to a fifth aspect is the boot according to the third aspect, wherein the belt insertion parts A, B, C, and D are configured so as to protrude inward from the opening edge part of the front-side opening section 4 of the boot main body 1, and the belt insertion parts A, B, C, and D are positioned on the front side of the tongue member 5.
A boot according to a sixth aspect is the boot according to the first or second aspect, wherein the second belt insertion part D at the upper side through which at least the second end of the fastening belt 7 passes is provided so as to be able to move in a vertical direction in relation to the boot main body 1.
A boot according to a seventh aspect is the boot according to the third aspect, wherein the second belt insertion part D at the upper side through which at least the second end of the fastening belt 7 passes is provided so as to be able to move in a vertical direction in relation to the boot main body 1.
A boot according to an eighth aspect is the boot according to the fourth aspect, wherein the second belt insertion part D at the upper side through which at least the second end of the fastening belt 7 passes is provided so as to be able to move in a vertical direction in relation to the boot main body 1.
A boot according to a ninth aspect is the boot according to the fifth aspect, wherein the second belt insertion part D at the upper side through which at least the second end of the fastening belt 7 passes is provided so as to be able to move in a vertical direction in relation to the boot main body 1.
The present invention, having the configuration described above, makes it possible to rapidly pull the fastening belt in a simple manner to fit a boot main body on a foot because the frictional resistance between the fastening belt and the belt insertion parts is relatively low when the second end of the fastening belt is pulled. It is also possible to obtain a perception of good fit on the foot while using a structure in which only a single fastening belt is used for fastening because the fastening belt is arranged in the shape of a figure eight on the front-side opening section of the boot main body and the range in which the fastening belt is present is adequately fastened together with the tongue member when the second end of the fastening belt thus pulled and fastened is bound and locked to a binding fitting provided to the first end of the fastening belt. Also, since the first end of the fastening belt is fixed to the first belt insertion part at the upper side, the binding operation of the fastening belt can be reliably carried out in the vicinity of the front-side opening section without the binding fitting provided to the first end of the fastening belt moving to an inconvenient position for binding the second end of the fastening belt, resulting in ease of operation and other benefits that produce a novel boot having excellent practicality.
In the second aspect of the present invention, the upper hold section of the boot main body can be rapidly fastened in a simple manner, wherefore application of the present invention to, e.g., a snowboard boot that has an upper hold section and that requires fastening over a broad range of the boot main body allows at least the upper hold section to be rapidly fastened in a simple manner. Also, separate fastening means can be provided to the instep section by providing fastening means to the upper hold section. The instep section and the upper hold section are thereby separately fastened and a highly commercially valuable snowboard boot that can attain a perception of good fit can be achieved.
In the third aspect of the present invention, one or both of the instep section and the upper hold section of the boot main body can be rapidly fastened in a simple manner, and a boot having a very practical configuration can be achieved.
In the fourth and fifth aspects of the present invention, the fastening belt has a configuration in which contact is not made with the opening edge of the front-side opening section of the boot main body. Therefore, the pulling resistance of the fastening belt is further reduced, and a boot having a very practical configuration can accordingly be achieved because the pulling operation (fastening operation) of the fastening belt can be rapidly performed in a simpler manner.
In the sixth to ninth aspects of the present invention, when the second end of the fastening belt is pulled, at least the second belt insertion part at the upper side follows the movement of the fastening belt 7 thus pulled and moves in the vertical direction in relation to the boot main body. Therefore, a boot having excellent practicality can be achieved in that the pulling operation can be easily performed without the second end of the fastening belt becoming twisted, even when a wide fastening belt is used.
Embodiments (the manner in which the present invention is implemented) of the present invention considered to be advantageous are briefly described by showing the effects of the present invention with reference to the drawings.
When a foot is inserted from the foot insert part 2 into the boot main body 1, and a second end of a fastening belt 7 that has been passed through a second belt insertion part D at the upper side of the boot main body 1 is pulled, the fastening belt 7 is fixed to the first belt insertion part A on an upper side in which the first end is disposed along a front-side opening section 4 of the boot main body 1, and the second end is passed in sequence through the second belt insertion part B at the lower side, the first belt insertion part C at the lower side, and the second belt insertion part D at the upper side. Therefore, a prescribed range of the front-side opening section 4 of the boot main body 1 in which the fastening belt 7 is present is fastened together with the tongue member 5, and the boot main body 1 is fitted to a foot.
The fastening belt 7 that has been passed through only three locations, i.e., the second belt insertion part B in the lower part, the first belt insertion part C in the lower part, and the second belt insertion part D in the upper part, has relatively low frictional resistance (pulling resistance) against the belt insertion parts B, C, and D when the second end of the fastening belt 7 is operated by pulling. Therefore, the pulling operation does not generate considerable resistance, the pulling operation can be rapidly carried out in a simple manner, and the boot main body 1 can be rapidly fitted to a foot in a simple manner.
After the fastening is completed, the second end of the fastening belt 7 is bound to a binding fitting 8 provided to the first end of the fastening belt 7, whereupon the fastened state is locked and the fastening belt 7 is disposed in a substantially figure eight shape on the front-side opening section 4 of the boot main body 1. The substantially figure eight-shaped fastening belt 7, together with the tongue member 5, fastens a prescribed range of the front-side opening section 4 of the boot main body 1, and the state in which a perceived good fit on the foot can be maintained.
In this case, the first end of the fastening belt 7 is fixed to the first belt insertion part A at the upper side, whereby the binding operation of the fastening belt 7 can be reliably carried out in the vicinity of the front-side opening section 4 without the binding fitting 8 provided to the first end of the fastening belt 7 moving to an inconvenient position for binding the second end of the fastening belt 7, resulting in excellent ease of operability.
Therefore, in this manner, a very practical boot provided with fastening means 6 can be obtained in which the pulling operation (fastening operation) of the second end of the fastening belt 7 can be easily carried out, tightening and locking can be rapidly performed, and the upper and lower range of the boot main body 1 can be very adequately fastened together with the tongue member 5 along the front-side opening section 4 by the fastening belt 7 that has been arranged in a figure eight.
When a configuration is adopted in which the first end of the fastening belt 7 is fixed to the first belt insertion part A at the upper side using a detachable fastener, the fastener can be detached from the first belt insertion part A at the upper side, whereby the fastening belt 7 can be exchanged for a belt with a better design and a damaged fastening belt 7 can be exchanged for a new belt.
For example, the boot main body 1 is provided with an upper hold section 9 for holding an area above the ankle, and the fastening means 6 is provided to the upper-side opening section 4A of the front-side opening section 4 that is present on the upper hold section 9, whereby the upper hold section 9 of a boot provided with the upper hold section 9 having a broad fastening range can be rapidly fastened in a simple manner.
Therefore, when the present invention is applied to, e.g., a snowboard boot having an upper hold section 9, the snowboard board requires that a broad range be securely fastened, i.e., from the instep section 3 of the boot main body 1 to the upper hold section 9, so that the foot does not slide in the boot, but since at least the upper hold section 9 can be rapidly and securely fastened in a simple manner unlike in a conventional configuration, the mounting operation can be speedily carried out in a simple manner. Also, separate fastening means can be provided to the instep section 3 by providing fastening means 6 to the upper hold section 9. The instep section 3 and the upper hold section 9 can thereby be separately fastened and are not likely to become loose, and a highly commercially valuable snowboard boot that can attain a perception of good fit can be achieved.
For example, in a boot provided with an upper hold section 9, the instep section 3 can also be rapidly fastened in a simple manner by providing the fastening means 6 to the instep section 3 of the boot main body 1 as well, and an even more practical configuration can be obtained.
Also, the fastening means 6 can be provided, for example, to the instep section 3 as well as to the upper hold section 9 in a snowboard boot application, whereby the instep section 3 and the upper hold section 9 can be rapidly fastened in a simple manner, and a snowboard boot with high commercial value can be achieved.
The fastening belt 7 can be easily loosened when removing the boot of the present invention by releasing the binding of the second end of the fastening belt 7 from the binding fitting 8.
Specific examples of the present invention will be described with reference to the diagrams.
The present examples show cases of application to a snowboard boot.
Following is a simple description of the boot main body 1 of a snowboard boot having an upper hold section 9 that is higher than the ankle and that covers an area to a midway point of the shin, as shown in
In the present example, first fastening means 16 is provided to a lower-side opening section 4B of the front-side opening section 4 that is present in the instep section 3 of the boot main body 1, and a second fastening means 6 as the fastening means 6 of the present invention is provided to the upper-side opening section 4A of the front-side opening section 4 that is present in the upper hold section 9 of the boot main body 1. In other words, the configuration in the present example has separate fastening means provided to the instep section 3 and the upper hold section 9, rather than having the instep section 3 and the upper hold section 9 being fastened by a single fastening means.
Specifically, the first fastening means 16 of the present example has a configuration in which lace insertion parts 12 are formed in several locations on the opening edge of the lower-side opening section 4B of the instep section 3, a bootlace 11 is passed through the lace insertion parts 12, and the instep section 3 is fastened with the aid of the bootlace 11.
The second fastening means 6 of the present example has a configuration in which belt insertion parts A, B, C, and D are provided to the upper-side left and right sections and the lower-side left and right sections, respectively, of the upper hold section 9 disposed along the upper-side opening section 4A of the front-side opening section 4, and the belt insertion parts A, B, C, and D are positioned on the front side of the tongue member 5.
More specifically, strip-shaped mounting belts 13 are disposed so as to protrude facing the upper-side opening section 4A from a total of four locations between the upper-side left and right sections and the lower-side left and right sections further outward from the opening edge of the upper-side opening section 4A of the upper hold section 9. Long narrow annular rings are connected to the protruding distal ends of the mounting belts 13, and the rings are used as the belt insertion parts A, B, C, and D.
In the present example, the protruding distance of the mounting belts 13 (length dimension) is set and configured so that the rings constituting the belt insertion parts A, B, C, and D are disposed further inward from the opening edge of the front side opening section 4 (upper side opening section 4A) of the boot main body 1, and the belt insertion parts A, B, C, and D are positioned on the front side of the tongue member 5.
The configuration is one in which the first end of the fastening belt 7 is passed through the first belt insertion part A at the upper side (upper side right end in the diagram), is then folded back, overlaid, and mutually fixed with the overlaid portion (using a machine screw, for example), as shown in
At this point, the fastening belt 7 is configured to move in relation to three locations, i.e., the second belt insertion part B in the lower part, the first belt insertion part C in the lower part, and the second belt insertion part D in the upper part. Therefore, the frictional resistance of the movement of the fastening belt 7 against the belt insertion parts B, C, and D is relatively low. Also, the second belt insertion part B in the lower part, the first belt insertion part C in the lower part, and the second belt insertion part D in the upper part are disposed further inward from the opening edge of the upper-side opening section 4A. Therefore, frictional resistance is essentially not generated in the fastening belt 7 and the upper hold section 9, and the pulling operation of the second end of the fastening belt 7 can accordingly be carried out in a simple manner without the generation of strong resistance. In accordance with the prototype boot manufactured by the applicant, it was confirmed that the second end of the fastening belt 7 can be easily pulled and fastened even with the strength of a female.
Also, a binding fitting 8 in which the second end of the fastening belt 7 thus pulled is detachably bound, fastened, and locked is provided to the first end of the fastening belt 7.
The binding fitting 8 adopts an existing belt fastener in which the belt can be bound by passing the belt through the belt fastener and folding the belt back. The belt fastener 8 is connected using the overlapping portion of the first end of the fastening belt 7. Therefore, a configuration can be achieved in which the binding fitting 8 can be designed and implemented in a simple manner and the fastening belt 7 can be easily attached and detached by adopting such an existing belt fastener 8.
In the present example, the overlapping portion of the first end of the fastening belt 7 is disposed so as to protrude facing the upper-side opening section 4A, and the overlapping dimension (the protruding distance from the first belt insertion part A at the upper side) of the overlapping portion is set and configured so that the belt fastener 8 acting as the binding fitting 8 connected to the overlapping portion is positioned substantially in the center of the upper-side opening section 4A (see
Therefore, when the second end of the fastening belt 7 is pulled and fastened, the binding fitting 8 provided to the first end of the fastening belt 7 does not move to an inconvenient position for binding the second end of the fastening belt 7 because the first end of the fastening belt 7 is fixed to the first belt insertion part A at the upper side, and the operation for binding the first and second ends of the fastening belt 7 can be reliably carried out in substantially the center position of the front-side opening section 4 (upper-side opening section 4A).
In this case, as shown in the diagram, the second end of the fastening belt 7 folded back in the diagonally upward direction from the first belt insertion part C at the lower side is made to cross to the lower side of the midway point of the fastening belt 7 disposed between the first belt insertion part A at the upper side and the second belt insertion part B at the lower side and to pass through the second belt insertion part D at the upper side, whereupon a favorable state is achieved in which the second end of the fastening belt 7 is pressed and fitted into the tongue member 5 at the crossing portion, the belt is pulled (tightened and adjusted), and the second end of the fastening belt 7 is prevented from returning (loosening). The binding operation of the binding fitting 8 can thereby be carried out without concern that the belt will loosen.
When the first and second ends of the fastening belt 7 are bound with the aid of the binding fitting 8, the fastened state is locked and the fastening belt 7 is arranged substantially in the shape of a figure eight on the upper-side opening section 4A of the boot main body 1. A configuration is achieved in which a prescribed range of the upper-side opening section 4A of the boot main body 1 in which the figure eight-shaped fastening belt 7 is present is very adequately fastened together with the tongue member 5, and a perception of a good fit on the foot can be obtained in the upper hold section 9 (the section upward from the ankle).
The fastening belt 7 of the present example has flexibility (made of nylon, for example), and one having a width of about 23 to 25 mm is adopted. The pulling (fastening) operation can be easily performed when a fastening belt 7 having such a width is adopted, and the applicant has confirmed that the fastening belt 7 thus disposed in the shape of a figure eight is capable of obtaining sufficient effect of fastening the upper hold section 9.
In the present example, the first belt insertion part A at the upper side to which the first end of the fastening belt 7 is fixed, as well as the second belt insertion part D at the upper side through which the second end of the fastening belt 7 is passed, are movably disposed in the vertical direction in relation to the boot main body 1 (upper hold section 9).
Specifically, the base end of the mounting belts 13 of the upper-side left and right sections in which the first belt insertion part A at the upper side and the second belt insertion part D at the upper side are disposed is configured so as to rotatably pivot about the left and right protruding parts of the upper hold section, and the first belt insertion part A at the upper side and the second belt insertion part D at the upper side are configured to move in the vertical direction (undulating movement) together with the undulating movement of the mounting belts 13.
Therefore, the second end of the fastening belt 7 is thereby pulled diagonally upward, particularly when the second end of the fastening belt 7 is pulled to carry out the fastening operation. However, the configuration is such that the second belt insertion part D at the upper side is moved upward in a coordinated manner, whereby the pulling operation is facilitated and the fastening belt 7 is prevented from twisting. In addition, the configuration is such that the first belt insertion part A at the upper side to which the first end of the fastening belt 7 is fixed is moved as needed and pulling is facilitated.
Also, in the present example, a belt storage ring 14 for storing the long excess portion of the fastening belt 7 that has been folded back and bound to the binding fitting 8 is provided at a midway point of the mounting belt 13 that is provided with the second belt insertion part D at the upper side, and the excess second end of the fastening belt 7 is passed through the belt storage ring 14 in the manner shown in
In the present example, the configuration is provided with a belt loosening device 15 that loosens the fastening belt 7. The belt loosening device 15 is mounted on the fastening belt 7 that is present between the second belt insertion part B at the lower side and the first belt insertion part C at the lower side, as shown, for example, in
The present invention is not limited to the present examples, and the specific configuration of the constituent elements can be suitably designed.
In the present examples, application was made to a snowboard boot, but application can also be made to, e.g., a mountain climbing boot that is provided with an upper hold section 9 above the ankle section, and to a trekking shoe or other shoe that does not have an upper hold section 9.
In the present examples, a case was described in which the fastening means 6 (second fastening means 6) of the present invention is provided solely to the upper hold section 9, but the fastening means 6 of the present invention may be provided as the first fastening means 16 of the instep section 3, and the fastening means 6 of the present invention may be provided to both the upper hold section 9 and the instep section 3.
When the fastening means 6 is provided to the instep section 3, the term “upper side” used in the first aspect refers to the ankle side of the instep section 3, and the term “lower side” used in the first aspect refers to the toe side of the instep section 3. Also, the case in which the fastening means 6 is provided to the instep section 3 can be described in the description of the second fastening means 6 above by substituting “lower-side opening section 4B” in place of “upper-side opening section 4A.”
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-263519 | Oct 2007 | JP | national |
