Patent Application
20130091674
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fastening device, and more particularly to a fastening device for footwear.
2. Description of Related Art
The conventional footwear is often fastened on the feet by the lace tightening on the footwear. However, to lace the footwear often costs a lot of time. In addition, the over tightening laces make people feel uncomfortable and the un-tightening laces make the conventional footwear escape from the feet easily.
In order to improve the shortcomings from the conventional lacing footwear, a manufacturer invents a controlled-release fastening device. The controlled-release fastening device includes a toothed strap with pitched teeth, a base on which is mounted at least one main hook pivotal with respect to the base between a retaining position, in which the hook is selectively engaged between contiguous teeth in order to hold the strap in one direction with respect to the base, and a release position, in which at least one hook is disengaged from the strap, allowing the sliding thereof relative to the base. A ratchet is mounted on the base for the gradual release of the strap by one or more teeth at a time. The ratchet includes a first and a second hooks mutually spaced by a non-integral multiple of the tooth pitch and capable of alternately engaging the teeth of the strap. The first hook of the escapement ratchet mechanism coincides with the main hook and the second hook is structurally independent of the first hook, hinged on the base coaxially with the first hook and operationally connected to the first hook in order to disengage it from the teeth of the strap when the second hook is engaged therein and vice versa.
However, there are still some shortcomings in the controlled-release fastening device as following:
First, the controlled-release fastening device is only adjustable in one direction, more specifically in the tightening direction; and
Second, the first hook and the second hook are respectively pivoted on the same axis to activate, one engaged the teeth on the strap and another disengaged from the strap to move the strap forward step by step; the combination of the first hook and the second hook might be destructed easily because there are at least three elements in the combination, and any one element in this combination broken will cause the adjusting mechanism not to work anymore.
The present invention poses one replaceable structure for footwear to mitigate and/or obviate the disadvantages of the conventional.
The main objective of the present invention is to provide an improved fastening device for footwear.
To achieve the objective, the fastening device for footwear in accordance with the present invention comprises: a hook element, a major tooth formed on the front-bottom of the hook element, a miner tooth formed on the rear-bottom of the hook element, a first pivotal hole defined on the lateral of the hook element therethrough and located between the major tooth and the miner tooth, a releasing element having a receiving hole at one end thereof for receiving the hook element, two ribs formed on two sides of the releasing element and abutted against two sides of the receiving hole, a second pivotal hole defined on the lateral of the rib, the second pivotal holes of the ribs aligned to the first pivotal holes of the hook element, a first pin with a first torsion spring passing through the second pivotal holes and the first pivotal holes to pivot the hook element on the releasing element, two ends of first torsion spring abutted against the hook element and the releasing element respectively, a pair of pivotal protrusions formed at another end of the releasing element and the pivotal protrusions located between the two ribs, a boosting cover having a boosting tooth in front of the boosting cover, two pivotal portions extruded from the bottom of the boosting cover, a connecting member having a plurality of fourth pivotal holes at two ends therethrough, the fourth pivotal holes aligned to the pivotal portions and the pivotal protrusions respectively, a second pin with a second torsion spring and a third pin with a third torsion spring passing through the fourth pivotal holes and the pivotal portions, the pivotal protrusions and the fourth pivotal holes respectively to pivot the releasing element on the boosting cover, the second torsion spring being between the releasing element and the connecting member, the third torsion spring being between the connecting member and the boosting cover, a base having two lateral walls at two sides respectively, the boosting cover pivoted on the base by the second pin via the connecting member, the releasing element and the hook element located between the two lateral walls, a strap placed into the base and between the two lateral walls, a sequence of teeth formed on the strap, the miner tooth engaging with the teeth for fastening the strap; wherein the hook element is pressed so that the major tooth and the miner tooth is engaged with the inclining surface of the teeth alternately to push the strap to move backward; the boosting cover is bent up so that the boosting tooth is engaged with the vertical surface of the teeth to push the strap to move forward; the releasing element is pulled up so that the boosting cover and the hook element are both disengaged with the strap simultaneously and the strap is completely released from the base.
The connecting member is H-shaped, the fourth pivotal holes at one end of the connecting member aligned to the pivotal portions for connecting to the third pin, the fourth pivotal holes at another end of the connecting member aligned to the pivotal protrusions for connecting to the second pin.
The connecting member has a block portion, two ends of the second torsion spring being fastened at the block portion, a supporter disposed on the inner side of the lateral wall and located at one end of the base, the second pin positioned on the two supporters, two ends of the third torsion spring being fastened at the bottom of the supporters.
A rib space is defined on the lateral wall of the base for receiving the ribs of the releasing element.
A notch is defined on the inner side of the lateral wall at another end of the base and the shape of notch is corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of the minor tooth for positioning the minor tooth of the hook element.
Each of the teeth has an inclining surface and a vertical surface, a trough formed between each pair of the neighboring teeth, the minor tooth being positioned in the trough for fastening the strap.
Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.
Referring to the drawings and initially to
A releasing element 2 has a receiving hole 20 at one end thereof for receiving the hook element 1. Two ribs 21 are formed on two sides of the releasing element 2 and abut against two sides of the receiving hole 20. A second pivotal hole 22 is defined on the lateral of the rib 21. A pair of pivotal protrusions 23 is formed at another end of the releasing element 2 and the pivotal protrusions 23 locate between the two ribs 21.
A boosting cover 3 has a boosting tooth 30 in front of the boosting cover 3. Two pivotal portions 31 are extruded from the bottom of the boosting cover 3. A base 4 has two lateral walls 40 at two sides respectively. A third pivotal hole 41 is defined on the lateral wall 40. A supporter 42 is disposed on the inner side of the lateral wall 40 and locates at one end of the base 4. A notch 43 is defined on the inner side of the lateral wall 40 at another end of the base 4 and the shape of notch 43 is corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of the minor tooth 12. A rib space 44 is defined on the lateral wall 40 at the middle of the base 4 for receiving the ribs 21 of the releasing element 2.
A connecting member 5 is H-shaped. Each ends of the connecting member 5 has a fourth pivotal hole 50 therethrough. The connecting member 5 has a block portion 51.
The second pivotal holes 22 of the ribs 21 are aligned to the first pivotal holes 13 of the hook element 1. A first pin 6b with a first torsion spring 6a passes through the second pivotal holes 22 and the first pivotal holes 13 to pivot the hook element 1 on the releasing element 2. Two ends of first torsion spring 6a are abutted against the hook element 1 and the releasing element 2 respectively.
The fourth pivotal holes 50 at one end of the connecting member 5 are aligned to the pivotal protrusions 23 of the releasing element 2 and the third pivotal holes 41 of the lateral walls 40 of the base 4. A second pin 7b with a second torsion spring 7a passes through the third pivotal holes 41, the fourth pivotal holes 50 at one end of the connecting member 5 and the pivotal protrusions 23 to pivot the releasing element 2 and one end of the connecting member 5 on the base 4. The second pin 7b is positioned on the two supporters 42 of the lateral walls 40. The second torsion spring 7a is between the releasing element 2 and the connecting member 5. Two ends of the second torsion spring 7a are fastened at the block portion 51 of the connecting member 5. The releasing element 2 and the hook element 1 are located between the two lateral walls 40. The ribs 21 of the releasing element 2 are placed on the rib spaces 44 of the lateral walls 40 of the base 4. The minor tooth 12 of the hook element 1 is placed at the notches 43 of the lateral walls 40 of the base 4.
The fourth pivotal holes 50 at another end of the connecting member 5 are aligned to the pivotal portions 31 of the boosting cover 3. A third pin 8b with a third torsion spring 8a passes through the fourth pivotal holes 50 at another end of the connecting member 5 and the pivotal portions 31 to pivot the releasing element 2 on the boosting cover 3 via the connecting member 5. The third torsion spring 8a is between the connecting member 5 and the boosting cover 3. Two ends of the third torsion spring 8a are fastened at the bottom of the supporters 42.
A strap 9 is placed into the base 4 and between the two lateral walls 40. A sequence of teeth 90 is formed on the strap 9. Each of the teeth 90 has an inclining surface 901 and a vertical surface 902. A trough 903 is formed between each pair of the neighboring teeth 90. The miner tooth 12 is engaging with the teeth 90 for fastening the strap 9, more specifically, the minor tooth 12 is positioned in the trough 903 for fastening the strap 9.
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All in all, the fastening device for footwear can used to adjust the strap 9 not only to move forward, more specifically in the tightening direction, but also to move backward for releasing the strap 9 step by step.
Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.
