| 摘要 |
Disclosed is an electro-mechanical apparatus for snugging a boot, especially a snow ski boot, around the calf of the user. The apparatus is essentially comprised of a reversible electric motor, a jackscrew, a switch, two brackets, a strap, and a power supply. The invention enables the user to achieve a desired snug fit by first placing a foot of the user into the boot, then operating the electric motor to turn the jackscrew, bringing the two brackets together and thereby tightening the strap around the boot to reach the desired fit. Once the desired snug fit is achieved, the electric motor is switched off, the user closes pre-existing latches on the boot to lock the boot parts into place, and the user removes the apparatus from around the boot by unbuckling a quick release buckle provided for this purpose. The apparatus may then be stored for later use. The reversible feature of the electric motor enables the operator to reverse the direction of travel of the jackscrew and thereby widen the gap between the brackets so that the apparatus is ready to be used again. Also disclosed is a method of tightening the parts of a boot onto the calf of a user utilizing a strap surrounding the parts of the boot and an electric motor to tighten the strap to reach the desired snug fit. Once the desired fit is achieved, the user removes the apparatus by releasing a quick release buckle.
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