EP0504769B1 - Alpine ski boot having an articulated movement damper on the bottom shell - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to alpine ski boots having at least one rear part of the upper which is retractable towards the rear for the introduction and / or extraction of the skier's foot and relates to the use of means control of the flexion of the upper arranged at the rear of such a shoe in the region of said rear part of the upper.

This type of shoe usually comprises a shell bottom surmounted by an at least partially articulated rod on the latter, for example around a transverse axis, said rod comprising at least a front part and a rear part intended to be spaced apart. one of the other in the open position for the passage of the foot. In these shoes, as taught by patent FR 2 619 684 (cf. the preamble of claim 1), at least one tightening system at least partially surrounds the anterior and posterior parts of the upper and is associated with at least one of said parts in order to maintain the latter against the lower leg of the skier in the skiing practice position. Regarding the means for controlling the bending of the rod, various embodiments are proposed. Most often, these means consist of springs or other elastically deformable elements interposed between the bottom of the shell and the rear part of the rod which they connect together. These means are generally prominent over a large area of the rear part of the rod and require the use of numerous securing elements such as anchoring parts in the bottom of the shell and the rod and parts for guiding and holding in place springs capable of intervening, in particular during the bending movements of said rod.

Mention may also be made, by way of example, of the ski boots illustrated in US Patents 3,619,914, CH 491,619 and CH 512,204, where such means of controlling flexion are described. As is evident, these means of controlling flexion prove to be complex and essentially adaptable to so-called "top-entry" ski boots because they form a connecting bridge between the bottom of the shell and the posterior part of the stem; indeed, only this type of ski boots with entry from above, which are provided with at least one upper opening situated on the anterior part of the upper and / or the bottom of the shell, allows the introduction of the foot into the shoe without requiring the clearance or spacing of the rear part of said rod towards the rear.

Mention may also be made of the ski boots described in patents FR 2 305 948 and FR 2 330 345; in these shoes, the flexion control means used are relatively flexible reinforcements, the volume of which is practically integrated into the rear part of the upper. Such an embodiment of the means makes it possible to build shoes which are, compared to those mentioned above, without prominence and / or protrusion on the outside of the shell, which allows in particular a more rational use with the ski clothes which usually cover the top of the upper of said boots. The fact remains, however, that such means cannot always be adapted to ski boots of the rear entry and / or mixed entry type.

In fact, to keep a structure of alpine ski boot with entry "from the back", provided with a device for controlling the bending of the upper which is not prominent on the rear part thereof, the solution the most widespread has been that of transferring the elastic means from the rear part of the rod to the front part thereof. Many shoes have been produced according to such a structure and mention may be made, by way of example, of the shoes taught in the patents FR 2 096 248 and US 4 095 356.

In French Patent No. 2,096,248, the boot with rear entry has a rear part of the upper which is articulated on an axis of the bottom of the shell, and which obtains the closure of an opening between the upper and the said shell bottom at the heel. A flap attached to one or other of these elements plays a role of closure limited to the heel area. In such a device, the control and limitation of the flexion of the upper are only obtained by elastic means disposed at the front of the shoe, between the front part of the upper and an upper front part of the bottom of the shell.

US Patent No. 4,095,356 presents a shoe also with rear entry in which the front part of the upper is articulated around a first axis corresponding substantially to the malleoli, which front part has a downward extension carrying a second axis on which the rear part of the rod is able to pivot relative to the front part. In bending, the front cover rear cover assembly pivots around said first axis.

As previously, the articulated flap shown closes a limited opening between the rear part of the rod and the bottom of the shell, but plays no role in controlling the flexing of said rod, the latter being effected by an interposed seal. between the lower front edge of the front part of the rod and the upper front edge of the bottom of the shell.

It is clear that the aforementioned shoes in the patents FR 2 096 248 and US 4 095 356 allow an easy fitting from the rear because the means of controlling the flexion are transferred to the front of the upper. On the other hand, this arrangement of the control means at the front has certain drawbacks in use since the resistant forces of said means are located on the anterior face of the skier's lower leg, that is to say in correspondence of the parts the least protected bones of the latter; it follows a more or less important sensitization of these bony parts which results in irritations, even in the formation of calluses which are at the very least harmful to the comfort of the skier.

It is for this reason in particular that it has been estimated that retaining the rod from the rear, by means of a set of rod forming a collar, would have the effect of distributing said forces over the entire perimeter of the rod. lower leg, without any support or localized effort.

The object of the invention is precisely to achieve this result and for this purpose relates to an alpine ski boot comprising a rigid shell of which a shell bottom is surmounted by a rod having at least a front part and a rear part, which rod is at least partially articulated on the latter via a connecting element, and itself comprising a rear opening to allow passage of the foot, a closure assembly forming a collar on the lower leg, comprising at least one clamping system at least partially surrounding the rod to be tensioned by at least one tensioning member, such as a lever fixed on one of the constituent parts of said rod, and means for controlling the bending of the rod in amplitude and forward force, being arranged at the rear of the shoe, characterized in that said means for controlling flexion in amplitude and forward force comprise u n flexible flap in the form of a shell for wrapping the heel which extends contiguously under the rear part of the upper, constituting the energy source of said control means, which flap is integral with the bottom of the shell in the area of the heel articulated relative to the latter by means of a joint disposed in its lower part and is pivotally driven, in a delimited stroke, by the rear part of the rod relative to said bottom of the shell in a movement postero-anterior to the closed rod position on the lower leg of the skier, position from which, on the one hand, the flap cooperates with a fixed abutment zone, formed on a part of the bottom of the hull by a complementary mobile stop zone with which it is provided, and on the other hand, the control of the bending of the rod is exerted by reaction of the flap against the rear part of said rod, which flap thus constitutes the source e energy control means.

Such an energy component plays well, in the present case, as a front bending control element allowing a specific control of the tilting of the rod towards the front, thanks to the choice of shapes and materials which can also be implemented.

In addition, due to the small volume of the energy flap which extends contiguously under the rear part of the upper, the choice of a more expensive suitable material does not strike the cost price of the shoe.

• la figure 1 est une vue en perspective d'une chaussure de ski, partiellement découpée, pourvue de moyens de contrôle de la flexion.
• les figures 2, 3, 4 sont des vues de côté et partiellement en coupe de la chaussure selon la figure 1 montrant respectivement celle-ci en position ouverte, en position fermée et en position de flexion avant.
• la figure 5 montre une chaussure de ski du même type que celle de la figure 1, mais dans laquelle les moyens de contrôle de la flexion travaillent différemment.
• les figures 6 et 7 illustrent l'adaptation des moyens de contrôle selon l'invention à des chaussures à entrée mixte, figure 6, et à entrée par le dessus, figure 7.
• la figure 8 représente une variante de réalisation des moyens de contrôle de la flexion avant de la tige.

Advantages of the invention will appear during the description which follows, given by way of nonlimiting example, and which will make it easier to understand how the invention can be implemented with reference to the drawings in which:

• Figure 1 is a perspective view of a ski boot, partially cut, provided with flexion control means.
• Figures 2, 3, 4 are side views and partially in section of the shoe according to Figure 1 showing respectively the latter in the open position, in the closed position and in the forward bending position.
• Figure 5 shows a ski boot of the same type as that of Figure 1, but in which the flexure control means work differently.
• FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate the adaptation of the control means according to the invention to shoes with mixed entry, FIG. 6, and with entry from above, FIG. 7.
• FIG. 8 represents an alternative embodiment of the means for controlling the forward bending of the rod.

By way of illustrative but nonlimiting example, the shoe shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 is of the rear entry and / or mixed type.

According to the invention, the ski boot has a rod 1 comprising at least a front part 2 and a rear part 3, and a shell bottom 4 on which the rod 1 of articulation by means of a connecting element such as a transverse axis 5.

The shoe shown also comprises several systems for tightening 6 and closing the rod 1 on the lower leg of the skier, each comprising, in a manner known per se, a tensioning lever 7 which subjects in tension a flexible link such as a cable loop 8, partially surrounding the front part 2 of the rod 1 to connect each tensioner 7, fixed on one wing 3a of the rear part 3, to anchor points (not shown) arranged on the other wing 3a of the same part 3, surrounding the front part 2 in passing, with a view to bringing them together.

The shoe comprises means for controlling the flexion of the upper 1 in amplitude and in forward force, which are arranged at the rear of said shoe.

These means comprise a flexible flap 9 constituting the energy source, in the form of a shell for wrapping the rear of the heel, secured to the bottom of the shell 4 in the heel area and comprising two lateral wings 9a, overlapped by the two. lateral wings 3a of the rear part 3 of the rod 1 against which said flap 9 is held flat so that the latter is pivotally driven relative to said bottom of shell 4, in a postero-anterior or antero-posterior movement, around a joint 10 disposed transversely between a lower part of the flap 9 and an upper part of the bottom of the shell 4, at the heel, on which it is capable of being articulated (FIG. 1).

In a postero-anterior movement, when the rod 1 is closed on the lower leg (fig 3), the energy flap 9 is capable of being pivoted by the rear part 3, according to a certain limited stroke towards the 'before by a fixed stop 11, formed on an upper part of the bottom of the shell 4. The stop 11 then cooperates with a movable complementary stop 12 of the energy flap 9. From this position, the control of the bending of the rod 1 acting in the direction F1 takes place, by reaction of the flap 9 in the opposite direction F2 against the rear part 3 of the rod 1 (fig 4).

The energy flap 9 is also capable of pivoting in an anteroposterior direction according to a stroke whose amplitude is respectively delimited, on the one hand, by the upper fixed stop 11 of the bottom of the shell 4 previously defined, and, d on the other hand, by a second fixed lower stop zone 4a, constituted by a lower rear part of the hull bottom heel 4, on which is likely to bear a lower zone 3b of the rear part 3 of the rod 1, in a maximum boot opening position (fig 2).

According to the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4, the movable abutment zone 12 of the energy flap 9 is constituted by the edges of its own wings 9a, in fact their respective lower edge, capable of cooperating with the upper abutment fixed 11 at the bottom of the shell 4, which stop 11 is itself formed by two shoulders, obtained on either side of the bottom of the shell 4, in correspondence with said lower edges of the wings 9a of the energy flap 9 to allow the support of the latter in flexion (fig 4).

The energy flap 9 also comprises, at its rear part substantially in its median zone, a vertical notch 15, open in a flared manner upwards, in this example, capable of being deformed by bringing together the edge lips 15a, during a forward bending.

The notch 15 is directed opposite the articulation means 10 of the stirrup 9. As soon as the rear part 3 biases before the stirrup 9, the latter which is locked in pivoting towards the before, on the upper stop 11 at the bottom of the shell 4, produces a resistant force by being elastically deformed by simultaneous bringing together of the lips 15a of the notch 15 and by buckling of the latter.

In the example chosen and shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the energy flap 9 is articulated at 10 on the bottom of the shell 4 by means of a hinge 16 formed by a male element 17, obtained by molding with the bottom of the shell 4, fitting into a female part produced on the flap 9 at its lower part, and delimited by two ears 18, 19, a pin 20 passing through both the ears 18, 19 and the male element 17.

Of course, the articulation 10 could be of any other type such as for example being formed by a hinge constituted by a flexible element (not shown), obtained by molding simultaneously with the bottom of the shell 4 and said energy flap 9.

It goes without saying that, in the embodiment of the articulation in the form of a hinge 16 previously described, the energy flap 9 is obtained alone, independently of the other constituent parts of the shoe, and therefore can advantageously be produced, of in one piece by molding a plastic material selected for its mechanical characteristics, flexibility in particular.

In the ski boot represented in FIG. 5 which follows, the energy flap 9 is arranged in the same manner as in the preceding example of FIGS. 1 to 4 but its movable abutment zone 12 is, in this example, constituted by the vertical edges of its wings 9a; in correspondence, the fixed stop 11 is then obtained on the bottom of the shell 4 opposite said vertical edges to cooperate with the latter when the rear part 3 of the rod 1 is connected to the front part 2 of the latter in view of maintaining the lower leg of the skier in the boot in the ski practice position.

As seen in the above description, the energy flap is preferably adapted to shoes of the rear entry type. However, given its small size and its easy insertion under the rear part 3 of the rod 1 thanks to its attachment by a joint 10 to the bottom of the shell 4 in the heel area, such an energy component 9 can be suitable for shoes of the "mixed entry" type as illustrated in FIG. 6 and for shoes of the top entry type, as illustrated in FIG. 7. Such shoes are widely used and known and their description will therefore not be repeated in their entirety.

In the example of the shoe in FIG. 6, the front part 2 of the upper 1 is shown pivoting forwards relative to the bottom of the shell 4 around the same connecting axis 5 as that of the rear part 3. Always according to this example, the rearward retention of the rod 1, that is to say in the anteroposterior direction, is carried out by means of two abutment flanges 24, 25, obtained respectively on the front part 2 of the rod 1 and the upper front edge of the bottom of the shell 4, substantially in the zone corresponding to the instep. These edges 24 and 25 cooperating only in the antero-posterior direction, the front part 2 of the rod 1 is thus free from a certain forward deflection simultaneously with the rear part 3 which switches backwards when the tensioner 7 is unlocked in order to open said rod 1 for putting on or taking off.

In all cases of adaptation of the energy flap 9 to the ski boots which have just been mentioned and described by way of example, and without limitation, the control of the forward bending of the rod 1 can be provided essentially by said energy flap 9 and, of course, in association with at least one other means of controlling flexion.

In the example of the shoe represented in FIG. 7, the front part 2 of the upper 1 is opened by a longitudinal slot covered by flexible tabs and / or flanges coming from the bottom of the shell 4 and several systems of tightening 6 with tensioners 7 ensure the closing of the latter in the skiing practice position by connection of one side of the bottom of the shell 4 to the other for the lower front part of the shoe and by connecting the rear part 3 and its wings 3a with this front part 2 in the manner of a collar. In this type of shoe, the introduction and / or extraction of the foot can be carried out from above and from behind or essentially from above. It will be noted that the retention of the rod 1 in the anteroposterior direction is carried out by means of at least one vertical extension coming from the bottom of the shell 4 in the anterior zone of the rod and that this extension is at least flexible in the postero-anterior direction to accompany the posterior part 3 when the latter is stressed in forward bending. In such a shoe structure, the control of the forward bending of the rod 1 is thus ensured by the energy flap 9 in association with the flexible vertical extension extending in the anterior zone of said rod 1.

Also, it appears from such a construction that the rod 1 is relatively flexible towards the rear and that this flexibility may not be desired, in particular for competition skiers who are looking for firm rear support. It then suffices, as illustrated in FIG. 8, to endow the energy flap 9 with a support flange 26 intended to cooperate with at least part of the lower zone 3b of the rear part 3 thus blocked in skiing position and prohibited from any possibility of tilting backwards. It goes without saying that the ski boot is then essentially usable as an "entry from above" unless the support flange 26 is retractable, for example in the manner of a "pawl" without leaving the part of the invention.

Claims (11)

1. Alpine ski boot comprising a rigid shell whose shell base (4) is surmounted by an upper (1) having at least one front portion (2) and one rear portion (3), which upper (1) is at least partially journalled (6) on the latter (4) by means of a linkage element (5), and which itself comprises a rear opening to enable passage of the foot, a closure assembly forming a collar on the lower part of the leg, comprising at least one tightening system (6) partially surrounding the upper (1) in order to be placed under tension by at least one tensioning element (7) fixed on one of the component parts (2,3) of said upper (1), and means for controlling flexion of the upper in amplitude and during forward effort, being located at the rear of the boot, characterized in that the means for controlling the flexion in amplitude and during forward effort comprise a shell-shaped flexible flap (9) for enveloping the heel, which extends in a contiguous manner beneath the rear portion (3) of the upper (1), which flap (9) is affixed to the shell base (4) in the heel zone, in a journalled manner with respect to the latter by means of a journal (10) positioned in its lower portion, and is pivotally driven, along a demarcated path, by the rear portion (3) of the upper (1) with respect to said shell base (4) in a rear-to-front movement up to the closed position of the upper (1) on the lower part of the of the leg of the skier, from which position, on the one hand, the flap (9) comes to cooperate with a fixed abutment zone (11), arranged on a portion of the shell base (4) by a complementary movable abutment zone (12) with which it is provided, and on the other hand, the flexion control of the upper (1) is exerted by reaction of the flap (9) against the rear portion (3) of the upper (1), which flap thus constitutes the energy source of the control means.
2. Boot according to claim 1, characterized in that the energy flap (9) comprises two lateral wings (9a) extending beneath the rear portion (3) of the upper (1) which overlaps them.
3. Boot according to claim 2, characterized in that the movable abutment zone (12) of the energy flap (9) is constituted by at least one edge portion of each of its lateral wings (9a) adapted to cooperate with the fixed abutment zone (11) of the shell base (4), itself constituted by at least one complementary shoulder obtained at the shell base (4) corresponding to the edge portion of at least one of the wings (9a) of the energy flap (9).
4. Boot according to claim 3, characterized in that the edge portion of the lateral wings (9a) forming the movable abutment zone (12) of the energy flap (9) is constituted by its lower edges.
5. Boot according to claim 4, characterized in that the edge portion of the lateral wings (9a) forming the movable abutment zone (12) of the energy flap (9) is constituted by these vertical edges.
6. Boot according to one of the claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the energy flap (9) is journalled (10) on the shell base (4) by means of hinge (16) formed by a male element (17) obtained by molding with the shell base (4) that is inserted in a female part obtained on the flap (9) and demarcated by two lugs (18, 19), one pin (20) that passes through both the lugs (18,19) and the male element (17).
7. Ski boot according to one of the claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the energy flap (9) is journalled (10) on the shell base (4) by means of a hinge constituted of a flexible element obtained by simultaneous molding with the shell base (4) and said energy flap (9).
8. Boot according to one of the claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the energy flap (9) comprises an upwardly open scallop (15) directed opposite the journal means (10) of said flap (9).
9. Boot according to one of the claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the energy flap (9) is obtained independently of the other component parts of the boot, in an integral manner by molding of plastic material.
10. Boot according to one of the claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the energy flap (9) pivots with the rear portion (3) of the upper (1) in a rear-to-front or front-to-rear movement, along a path demarcated respectively on the one hand, by the upper fixed abutment zone (11) of the shell base (4) with which the movable abutment zone (12) of the energy flap (9) is capable of cooperating during the start of flexion control, and on the other hand, by a second lower fixed abutment zone (4a) constituted by a lower rear portion of the heel of the shell base (4) on which a lower zone (3b) of the rear portion (3) of the upper (1) is capable of taking support in the position of maximum opening for putting on the boot.
11. Boot according to one of the claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the energy flap (9) comprises a support edge (26) cooperating with a lower zone (3b) of the rear portion (3) of the upper (1), thus blocked in the front-to-rear direction.

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