Buckles – buttons – clasps – etc. – Strap tighteners – Accordion straps
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-25
2003-11-04
Sakran, Victor (Department: 3677)
Buckles, buttons, clasps, etc.
Strap tighteners
Accordion straps
C024S0680AS, C024S0690SK, C024S0710SK, C024S311000, C024S308000, C024S191000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06640396
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tensioning/releasing mechanism for a buckle device of a skate that allows taking off skate without disengaging a strap from an adjustable receptor on the skate.
2. Description of the Related Art
Skating is a popular sport, as it is exciting and fun. A buckle device is provided on the skate in order to tightly wrap the shank and the foot of the skater while avoiding troublesome taking off of the skate.
FIG. 1
of the drawings illustrates a conventional buckle device for a skate. The buckle device includes a tensioning/releasing mechanism
1
, an adjustable receptor
2
, and a strap
3
. The tensioning/releasing mechanism I is fixed by a base
11
to a side of an upper
4
of a boot of a skate. The adjustable receptor
2
includes a fixed portion
21
that is fixed the other side of the upper
4
. The strap
3
includes an end extending through the adjustable receptor
2
. The strap
3
further includes a plurality of ratchet teeth
31
on an outer side thereof, each ratchet tooth
31
having a stop face
311
and a slide face
312
. A lever
22
is pivotally mounted on the fixed portion
21
of the adjustable receptor
2
and includes a catch (not shown). When in a normal state (i.e., the lever
22
is not pushed), the catch is engaged with the stop face
311
of an associated ratchet tooth
31
such that the strap
3
can only be moved along a tightening direction relative to the adjustable receptor
2
. When the lever
22
is pushed, the catch is disengaged from the stop face
311
of the associated tooth
31
, allowing movement of the strap
3
in a loosening direction. The strap
3
may be completely disengaged from the adjustable receptor
2
when taking off the skate. A release arm
12
is pivoted at
122
(
FIG. 2
) to the base
11
of the tensioning/releasing mechanism
1
. The other end
32
of the strap
3
is pivoted at
123
to the release arm
12
. Thus, when in a state shown in
FIG. 1
, the strap
3
is in a tensioned state for skating. When taking off of the skate is required, the release arm
12
is pivoted to a position shown in
FIG. 2
, the lever
22
is pushed, and the strap
3
is then pulled out of the adjustable receptor
2
, which is troublesome to the skater. Further, when the skater wears the skate next time, he or she has to pass an end of the strap
3
through the adjustable receptor
2
, move the release lever
12
to the position shown in
FIG. 1
, and then move the strap
3
relative to the adjustable receptor
2
until a desired tightness or tension is obtained. Further, the release lever
12
is retained in place by a hook
121
releasably engaged in a slot (not shown) in the base
11
, and it was found that the release arm
12
could be inadvertently impinged and thus cause loosening of the buckle device. Risk of injury to the skater exists accordingly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a tensioning/releasing mechanism for a buckle device of a skate that allows taking off skate without disengaging the strap from the adjustable receptor on the skate.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a tensioning/releasing mechanism for a buckle device of a skate that provides precise tightness for the user for next putting on of the skate.
A buckle device for a skate in accordance with the present invention comprises an adjustable receptor fixed to a side of an upper of a boot of a skate, a strap, and a tensioning/releasing mechanism. The strap has a first end extending through the adjustable receptor and a second end. The strap includes a plurality of ratchet teeth on a side thereof. The adjustable receptor allows the strap to move in a tightening direction when a lever of the adjustable receptor is in a first position. The adjustable receptor allows the strap to move in either a tightening direction or a loosening direction when the lever is in a second position.
The tensioning/releasing mechanism comprises a base and a release arm. The base is fixed to another side of the upper of the boot of the skate and includes a pivotal seat on an end thereof. The release arm has a first end and a second end pivotally engaged with the pivotal seat. The second end of the strap is pivoted to the release arm. The release arm is movable between a tensioning position in which the release arm is retained in place relative to the base and the strap is tensioned and a detaching position in which the strap is not tensioned, the second end of the release arm being detachable from the pivotal seat when the release arm is in the detaching position. Further, the release arm is retained in place when it is in the tensioning position.
The troublesome procedure for taking off and putting on the skate as well as the adjustment of the position of the strap relative to the adjustable receptor in conventional design is avoided by means of the tensioning/releasing mechanism in accordance with the present invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4670946 (1987-06-01), Olivieri
patent: 4761859 (1988-08-01), Calabrigo
patent: 5845371 (1998-12-01), Chen
patent: 6055707 (2000-05-01), Simioni
patent: 6311372 (2001-11-01), Wang
patent: 6324735 (2001-12-01), Chen
patent: 6347436 (2002-02-01), Barber et al.
patent: 6467133 (2002-10-01), Chen
Kamrath Alan D.
Rider Bennett LLP.
Sakran Victor
LandOfFree
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