Shoe with a central closure
First Claim
1. Shoe with an upper formed at least in part of an elastically flexible material, a sole to which the upper is attached, an instep cover hinged to the upper at a lower end thereof, a central closure attached to the instep cover in an instep area, a wire-like tightening element coupled with the central closure and running down one side of a throat area of the upper and back up an opposite side thereof to the central closure, at each side of the upper the tightening element running back and forth between guide elements on a tensioning strip and guide elements on the instep cover, each tensioning strip being formed as part of a structural unit for each side of the shoe, said structural unit being a separate and independent part with respect to said instep cover having at least two supporting straps which run over the upper to at least an edge area of the sole as permanent parts thereof with the tensioning strip, a first of the supporting straps being directed toward an area at least as far rearward as the metatarsophalangeal joints and a second of the supporting straps extending rearwardly to a heel part of the shoe and at least partially encompasses the heel at least in the edge area of the sole;
- wherein the tensioning strips have a greater stiffness than the supporting straps; and
wherein the tensioning strips, at least in an area at which the guide elements are provided thereon, are made of a material that is abrasion-resistant, hard and of a low coefficient of friction.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A shoe with a central closure attached to an instep cover, to which a wire-like tightening element is coupled and from which the tightening element runs back and forth between guide elements on side parts of the shoe upper and guide elements on the instep cover along the throat area of the shoe, where the guide elements on both sides of the shoe are connected, via a tensioning strip, with at least a pair of instep supporting straps which run over the side parts of the shoe upper from at least an edge area of the sole is improved by combining the instep supporting straps and the tensioning strips into a structural unit for each side of the shoe. Furthermore, the thickness of the instep supporting straps and the tensioning strips and/or the material properties of these parts is/are selected so that the tensioning strips have a greater stiffness than the supporting straps, and the tensioning strips, at least in the area of the guide elements is formed of a material that is abrasion-resistant, hard and has good sliding properties, i.e., a low coefficient of friction.
241 Citations
19 Claims
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1. Shoe with an upper formed at least in part of an elastically flexible material, a sole to which the upper is attached, an instep cover hinged to the upper at a lower end thereof, a central closure attached to the instep cover in an instep area, a wire-like tightening element coupled with the central closure and running down one side of a throat area of the upper and back up an opposite side thereof to the central closure, at each side of the upper the tightening element running back and forth between guide elements on a tensioning strip and guide elements on the instep cover, each tensioning strip being formed as part of a structural unit for each side of the shoe, said structural unit being a separate and independent part with respect to said instep cover having at least two supporting straps which run over the upper to at least an edge area of the sole as permanent parts thereof with the tensioning strip, a first of the supporting straps being directed toward an area at least as far rearward as the metatarsophalangeal joints and a second of the supporting straps extending rearwardly to a heel part of the shoe and at least partially encompasses the heel at least in the edge area of the sole;
- wherein the tensioning strips have a greater stiffness than the supporting straps; and
wherein the tensioning strips, at least in an area at which the guide elements are provided thereon, are made of a material that is abrasion-resistant, hard and of a low coefficient of friction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
- wherein the tensioning strips have a greater stiffness than the supporting straps; and
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14. Shoe with an upper formed at least in part of an elastically flexible material, a sole to which the upper is attached, an instep cover hinged to the upper at a lower end thereof, a central closure attached to the instep cover in an instep area, a wire-like tightening element coupled with the central closure and running down one side of a throat area of the upper and back up an opposite side thereof to the central closure, at each side of the upper the tightening element running back and forth between guide elements on a tensioning strip and guide elements on the instep cover, each tensioning strip being formed as part of a structural unit for each side of the shoe, said structural unit having at least two supporting straps which run over the upper to at least an edge area of the sole as permanent parts thereof with the tensioning strip, a first of the supporting straps being directed toward an area at least as far rearward as the metatarsophalangeal joints and a second of the supporting straps extending rearwardly toward a heel part of the shoe;
- wherein the tensioning strips have a greater stiffness than the supporting straps; and
wherein the tensioning strips, at least in an area at which the guide elements are provided thereon, are made of a material that is abrasion-resistant, hard and of a low coefficient of friction;
wherein the guide elements on each of the tensioning strips are recessed in portions of the tensioning strips on an inner side thereof;
wherein at least a recessed edge area along the periphery of each guide element is covered by a tab portion of the tensioning strip, said tab portion providing a guide space relative to the respective guide element of a width which corresponds to at least the thickness of the tightening element and producing proper guidance of the tightening element over the respective guide element; and
wherein an edge of each tensioning strip is provided with holes at opposite ends of said guide space which lead to and from the respective guide element for the tightening element. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
- wherein the tensioning strips have a greater stiffness than the supporting straps; and
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17. Shoe with an upper formed at least in part of an elastically flexible material, a sole to which the upper is attached, an instep cover hinged to the upper at a lower end thereof, a central closure attached to the instep cover in an instep area, a wire-like tightening element coupled with the central closure and running down one side of a throat area of the upper and back up an opposite side thereof to the central closure, at each side of the upper the tightening element running back and forth between guide elements on a tensioning strip and guide elements on the instep cover, each tensioning strip being formed as part of a structural unit for each side of the shoe, said structural unit having at least two supporting straps which run over the upper to at least an edge area of the sole as permanent parts thereof with the tensioning strip, a first of the supporting straps being directed toward an area at least as far rearward as the metatarsophalangeal joints and a second of the supporting straps extending rearwardly to a heel part of the shoe and at least partially encompasses the heel at least in the edge area of the sole;
- wherein the tensioning strips have a greater stiffness than the supporting straps; and
wherein the tensioning strips, at least in an area at which the guide elements are provided thereon, are made of a material that is abrasion-resistant, hard and of a low coefficient of friction. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
- wherein the tensioning strips have a greater stiffness than the supporting straps; and
Specification