Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
2.~ % 12 ' 99 09: 42 '8'09 051031 gar r.iL~, y
A lacing hook for laced fastenings
Tecr.nical Fie' d
The presen t invention relates tc a l ac:.ng hook fcr
laced fastenings according to the prea:..ble to t!:e main
claim.
Background Art
In the technical f~.eJ.d of footwear with lacQd
fastenings, lacing hooks are used widely for guidi.~.g the
laces suitably on the upper of the footwear.
A lacing hook having the features outlined abcve is
also known from DE 1951910 and DE 1800135.
One of the prcblems encountered with known -pacing
hooks lies in the resistance due to friction ~.rhich these
hooks offer to the sliding of the lace, wrich ::ay .«ake it
difficult to faster. the footwear with the desired te::sion.
In cider partially to prevent this prob~em, it is
known to brovide suitably-shaped inserts in the base of the
channel of the hook to improve the sliding of t:e lace. Tn
these solutions, however, the tens:.ons prod::ced ~ n the
laces, as well as the frictional forces present, tend to
stress the aforementioned inserts until they are pulled off
the corresponding hooks, compromising the fastening of t:e
footwear. Moreover, these solutions req~~re pre-asse:,~,bly
of the hook w,~th the corresponding insert.
Disclosure of the invention
:he problem upon. which the present inversion is based
is that of providing a lacing hock w'.:ich is ces'_gned
structura 1 1 y and functionally to preve::t a~.l of t::e
probl emS cOmp~.a .n ed of with refere.~.ce to the prier ar t
mentioned.
This prcb-em ;.s solved by the inventic:. by a lac:.:.g
hook formed in accordance with the follow'.ng c~ay:.is.
A.~ advantage achieved by the hook of the present invention
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is that it permits effective and rapid sliding of the lace with
low sliding friction during both fastening and unfastening, at
the same time forming a particularly strong hook which is free
of sharp surfaces, and which can hold the lace in position once
it is housed in the channel of the hook.
Another advantage is that of providing a lacing hook with
a monolithic structure such that it requires no pre-assembly
operations.
Brief descriptions of the drawings
Further advantages and characteristics of the invention
will become clearer from the following detailed description of
some preferred embodiments thereof described by way of non-
limiting example with reference to the appended drawings, in
which:
Figures 1 and 2 are a plan view and a side elevational
view, respectively, of a first embodiment of the lacing hook
according to the invention,
Figure 3 is a view corresponding to Figure 2 of a second
embodiment of the lacing hook according to the invention,
Figures 4 and 5 are views corresponding to Figures 1 and
2, respectively, of a third embodiment of the lacing hook
according to the invention,
Figure 6 is a view corresponding to Figure 5 of a fourth
embodiment of the lacing hook according to the invention,
Figures 7 and 8 are a plan view and a side elevational
view, respectively, of a fifth embodiment of a lacing hook
according to the present invention,
Figure 9 and 10 are views corresponding to Figures 7 and
8, respectively, of a sixth embodiment of the lacing hook
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according to the invention.
Best mode of carrying out the invention
With reference to Figures 1 and 2, a first embodiment of
a lacing hook formed in accordance with the present invention
is generally indicated 1. The hook 1 comprises an attachment
plate 2 having through-holes 3 for the fixing of the hook 1 to
a respective portion 4 of a footwear upper, shown only
partially (Figure 2), by means of rivets 5 or similar fixing
means. The plate 2 is extended to form a first cheek 6 and a
second cheek 7 together defining a channel 8 which has a closed
base 9 and is open on the opposite side with a mouth 10.
The surface of the base 9 defines a lacing surface over
which a lace 11 can be guided for sliding and which has a
substantially toroidal shape. The toroidal surface of the base
9 is defined by the rotation of a first arc of a circle,
indicated 12 in Figure 2, about an axis on which a second arc
of a circle, indicated 13 in Figure 1, is centred. It should
be noted that both arcs 12 and 13 extend through respective
angles of between approximately 15° and 180° and preferably in
the region of the higher value indicated above. The lace 11
is thus guided on the curved base of the channel 9 without
breaks in continuity, particularly in the regions in which the
lace enters and leaves the hook (Figure 1), thus offering the
best possible sliding and preventing damage to the lace due to
repeated changes in its curvature. It is envisaged that the
curvature of the arc 14 may be variable along its length.
It should also be noted that the base 9 with the toroidal
surface, is formed integrally with the hook 1 during the
formation thereof, for example, by the stamping technique. The
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hook 1 thus produced therefore has a monolithic structure which
can make it particularly strong.
A narrow portion formed at the mouth 10 of the channel 8
is defined by a lip 14 at the end of the cheek 7, facing the
opposite cheek 6 and projecting towards the latter in order to
restrict the mouth.
The narrow portion of the mouth 10 constitutes restraining
means for holding the lace 11 close to the lacing surface of
the base 9 once the lace is engaged in the channel 8.
In the regions in which the lace enters and leaves the
channel 8 of the hook, the peripheral edge 15 of the hook is
turned over towards the outside of the channel and is bent onto
the corresponding cheek so as to allow for ample sliding of the
lace engaged in the hook, at the same time eliminating any
regions in which there is friction and consequently wear of the
lace against the lacing surfaces of the hook.
With reference to Figure 3, a second embodiment of the
lacing hook formed in accordance with the present invention is
indicated 20. Details similar to those of the previous
embodiment are indicated by the same reference numerals. The
hook 20 differs from the hook 1 in that a narrow portion at the
mouth l0 is produced by the bending of an end lip 21 of the
cheek 7 towards the inside of the channel to form an eye.
Figures 4 and 5 show a third embodiment of the lacing hook
according to the invention, generally indicated 30. Unlike the
hooks of the previous embodiments, the hook 30 has a rivet-
shaped appendage 31 formed integrally with the hook and
projecting from the cheek 6 in order to engage a corresponding
hole formed in the footwear upper in order to fix the hook to
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the footwear.
In Figure 6, a variant of the hook of Figures 4 and 5 is
indicated 40 and differs in that, as in the hook 20, it has a
narrow portion at the mouth 10 formed by bending of the end lip
of the cheek 7 towards the inside of the channel 8 to form an
eye.
With reference to Figures 7 and 8, a fifth embodiment of
the lacing hook according to the present invention is indicated
50. The hook 50 comprises a first portion and a second portion
articulated to one another. The first portion comprises an
attachment plate 52 having a single hole 53 for the fixing of
the hook to the footwear upper by means of a rivet or the like.
The second portion comprises a pair of opposed cheeks 56, 57
together defining a duct 58 having, on one side, a base 59 the
toroidal-shaped surface of which constitutes a lacing surface
for the sliding of a lace, not shown in the drawings. The duct
58 is closed on the opposite side by an extension of the cheek
57 which extends as far as the opposite cheek 56. Once the
lace has been disposed in the duct 58 for lacing, it thus
remains in position engaged in the hook until it is
deliberately unthreaded from the duct. It should be noted
that, since the second portion of the hook 50 is pivotable in
a plane substantially perpendicular to the footwear upper
(Figure 7), self-alignment of the second portion which is
subject to the lacing tensions is facilitated and the sliding
of the lace in the lacing hook during tensioning and/or release
of the lace during fastening and unfastening of the footwear
is thus improved.
Figures 9 and 10 show a sixth embodiment of the lacing
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hook according to the invention, generally indicated 60. The
hook 60 differs from the hook of the previous embodiment
substantially in that it has a monolithic structure in which
the two hook portions are formed as a single piece. A
plurality of projections, indicated 61, serve to improve the
anchorage of the hook to the portion of the upper on which it
is fitted.
The invention thus solves the problem set, achieving the
advantages indicated above in comparison with known solutions.
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