EP0689777B1 - Ski boot - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a ski boot consisting of a lower part surrounding the foot and the heel and an articulated rod on the part lower, and comprising, at the rear, a first stop mounted on the lower part of the shoe and cooperating with a second stop mounted on and at the inside of the shoe upper to maintain the rod in the descent position, tilted forward, one of these stops being mounted movable about an axis so as to authorize a recovery and a rod swing on the bottom of the shoe, the movable stop being provided with an arm actuated from the outside of the shoe by a substantially vertical pressure exerted by a stick.

From US patent 3,543,421, we know a shoe which the rod articulated on a shell is provided with a stop adjustable cooperating with a stop fixed to the shell.

US Patent 4,499,676 in the name of the applicant, we know a shoe whose upper is provided with a rocker spring whose lower arm abuts on a stop fixed on the hull. Pressure on the arm upper of the rocker releases the rod.

Patent FR 2 619 317 also describes a shoe whose rod is provided with a rocker, the rod of the shoe can be released simultaneously with the opening of a clamping lever mounted at the rear of the shoe and acting like a cam on the upper arm of the scale.

Document WO-A-93/12683, we know a shoe the rod of which is provided with a movable stop in the form of rocker can be brought in and held in position inoperative by a slider mounted on the back of the rod of the shoe. To do this, the cursor must be pushed to the top. The cursor must be pushed down to release the movable stop.

It is also known to act on the upper arm of the rocker by means of a cam actuated by a button rotary or by a push button mounted on the back of the shoe.

In all cases, the skier must bend down to release the rod in order to straighten the leg and put yourself in the rest or walking position. Now, this stem release is most often desired in a queue from a ski lift and in such a queue it's awkward or even dangerous to bend down or squat.

The present invention aims to allow the release of the stem without bending down, i.e. using a ski pole. For this purpose, the skier must ability to press stick easily on organ accessible without requiring contortions on the part of the skier.

The object of the present invention is to provide a shoe meeting the above requirements.

The shoe according to the invention has the characteristics defined in claim 1.

The upper of the shoe can be in the form of a necklace in one piece, as described in the patent French 2,661,076 or we form a reconstituted necklace in two parts as described in French patent 2 673 081 (US 5 243 774) or in the form of a necklace notched at the back for wide tilting and hood auxiliary as described in European patents 0 286 586 and US 4 839 973.

Depending on the version, the arm is rigidly secured of the mobile stop or articulated on the mobile stop.

The movable stop can be mounted either on the rod or on the bottom of the shoe.

The accompanying drawing shows, by way of example, some embodiments of the invention.

Figure 1 shows a straight shoe in position closed and rod retained in lowering position according to a first form of execution.

Figure 2 is a view partially in vertical section longitudinal of the shoe shown in figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view in direction A of the arm of control of the movable stop of this first form of execution.

Figure 4 is a partial sectional view similar to that of FIG. 2 representing the same shoe in open position, rod released.

Figure 5 shows a second embodiment in the descent position, in a view similar to that in Figure 2.

FIG. 6 is a detail view, in direction A, the shoe control button shown in Figure 5.

FIG. 7 shows an exploded view of the control means of the movable stop of this second embodiment.

FIG. 8 represents the second embodiment in released position of the rod.

Figure 9 is a partial view of a third form of execution.

Figure 10 is a partial view of a fourth form of execution.

The shoe shown in Figures 1 to 8 is a shoe with necklace reconstituted, in two parts, same type as the shoe described in the patent French 2,673,081 (US 5,243,774). The shoe includes a lower part consisting of a shell 1 to variable volume surround the foot and heel and coming close on the foot with two flaps 2 and 3 provided with two tightening loops 9 and 10, and a rod made up a collar 4 surrounding the back of the bottom of the leg by a relatively narrow bridge and provided at the front two flaps 5 and 6 and tightening loops 7 and 8. The collar 4 is articulated on the shell 1 by means of two opposite rivets such as rivet 11. The stem of the shoe is completed by a rear part 12 extend over the entire length of the stem and having a general form of gutter provided in its part lower of two lateral arms 13 by which the part 12 is articulated on the hull at two opposite points by means of two rivets such as rivet 14, located below the rivet 11 and the rivet opposite to this latest. The joining of parts 4 and 12 of the rod in closed position as shown in figure 1, can be carried out for example as described in patent application EP 0 671 134. A distinction is made between in addition to an inner comfort liner 50.

In the first embodiment shown in the figures 1 to 4, the posterior part 12 of the rod is internally provided with a movable stop 15 constituted an elongated piece hinged in its upper part around an axis 16 at the end of a rod 17 secured to a connecting piece 18, the other end of which is articulated at a point 19 in the upper half of the posterior part 12 of the rod. The room 18 is a threaded sleeve acting as a nut for the rod 17 and allowing, by its rotational drive, to modify the distance between axes 16 and 19 and thereby the inclination of the rod. Such a device is described in particular in US patent 4,839,973. sleeve 18 can also contain a device elastic shock absorber as described in the US patent 4,932,143.

The movable stop 15 cooperates with a fixed stop 20 constituted of a bent plate, fixed to the shell 1. The movable stop 15 is held in abutment against this plate by a leaf spring 21 working between the movable stop 15 and the inner wall of part 12 of the stem. The movable stop 15 is provided with a lateral arm 22 came from one room with the stopper and presenting to its end a pallet 23. The arm 22 crosses the posterior part 12 of the rod by a slot 24 of so that pallet 23 is outside of the shoe, on the outside of it. The slot 24 allows a slight downward movement of the arm 22, displacement just sufficient to allow the movable stop 15 to move away from the fixed stop 20 in pivoting about its axis 16.

In the locked position of the rod shown in Figure 2, when the skier wishes to release the rod shoe to straighten the leg, he only has to exert by means of his stick a pressure P on the palette 23 which has the effect of rotating the movable stop 15. From this position released from the upper, the shoe can also be opened as shown in Figure 4 by tilting back of its posterior part 12. The rotation of the stop movable 15 in the direction of the shell 1 is limited by the upper end of the slot 24 against which abuts the arm 22 of the movable stop.

The shoe according to the second embodiment, shown in Figures 5 to 8, includes a movable stop 25 consisting of a plate articulated by its end upper by means of an axis 26 directly on the part posterior 12 of the rod. On the inner wall part 12 of the rod is fixed a leaf spring 27 which tends to push the movable stop 25 against the fixed stop 20. At an intermediate point of the stop mobile 25 is articulated a bent arm 28 having a part 28a substantially parallel to the axis of the rod the shoe and by which the rod 28 can be actuated by means of a push button 29 mounted in a oblong housing 30 formed by a depression formed in the outer wall of the rear part 12 of the stem. The rod 28 therefore constitutes a kind of link cubit. The lower part of the housing 30 has a lip 31 in which a part is fixed annular 32 (Figure 6) internally provided with ribs 33 and in which a support piece can slide 34 whose center is bowl-shaped in which comes to engage the end of the bent arm 28.

The push button 29 is a bistable push button of the type used in some ballpoint pens. The components of this push button are shown in the exploded view of FIG. 7. The push button 29 has on the one hand, longitudinal ribs 35 engaged in ribs of the annular part 32 so that that the push button 29 is prevented from turning around of its axis. The push button 29 is in the form of overturned socket with lower edge fitted with ratchet teeth 36. The upper end of the push button 29 has a depression 37 intended to hold the tip of the ski pole laterally used to press the push button. The support piece 34 is provided with four radial arms 38 engaged in the grooves 33 of the annular part 32 and being able slide in these grooves. In a manner known per se, the grooves 33 are alternately short and long and limited by a stop wall limiting movement longitudinal of the radial arms 38 of the support piece in the grooves. The width of the teeth of the teeth ratchet 36 is such that when the push button 29 is pressed, the ramps of the teeth 36, which come lean on the radial arms 38 of the part support, tend to cause the support piece to rotate so that when the radial arms 38 escapes from the grooves 33, the support piece rotates by step and each of its arms goes from a groove to the next groove, i.e. from a long groove to a short groove, then from a short groove to a long groove and so on. Figure 5 shows the support piece 34 at the bottom of the long grooves. In this position, the movable stop 25 can come hook onto the fixed stop 20 by locking the rod.

Pressing the push button with the ski pole 29 has the effect of passing the radial arms 38 of the support piece 34 in the grooves short, as shown in FIG. 8. The arm 28, driven by the support piece 34, then spreads the stop mobile 25 of the fixed stop 20, allowing to straighten the upper of the shoe and tilt its part rear 12 for opening the shoe as shown in Figure 8. The push button 29 being bistable, the movable stop 25 remains in the position shown in Figure 8 until further pressure on the push button 29. The spring of the push button bistable 29 is constituted by the spring 27 of the movable stop.

The recess 30 simultaneously constitutes a guide for the end of the stick on the push button.

Figure 9 partially shows a third embodiment consisting of a movable stop 40 rotatably mounted around a perpendicular axis 41 to the wall of the rear part 12 of the rod of the shoe and provided with an arm 42 passing through a slit substantially vertical 43 formed in part 12 of the rod so that a pressure P on the end arm 42 rotates the movable stop 40 so to move it away from a fixed stop 44 integral of the shell 1 of the shoe. The return of the stop mobile 40 in the position shown can be ensured by a spring, such as a hunting horn spring or a leaf spring.

The movable stopper does not necessarily have to be on the shoe upper. Figure 10 shows schematically a fourth embodiment obtained by reversing the previous embodiment. She is consisting of a movable stop 50 articulated on the hull 1 around an axis 51 perpendicular to the hull and provided with an arm 52 passing through the rear part 12 of the rod by a slot 53. A pressure P on the end arm 52 has the effect of rotating the stop mobile 50 and away from a fixed stop 54 integral from part 12 of the rod.

The bistable push button 29 could of course be replaced by all other button executions bistable, for example switch pushbuttons as used in some installations electric.

Claims (8)

1. A ski boot constituted by a lower part (1) surrounding the foot and the heel and by a shaft (4, 12) articulated on the lower part, and comprising, at the rear, a first stop (20; 44; 50) mounted on the lower part (1) of the boot and interacting with a second stop (15; 25; 40; 50) mounted on and inside of the shaft of the boot to hold the shaft in downhill position, inclined towards the front, one of these stops being mounted movably about an axis so as to allow restraightening and oscillation of the shaft on the lower part (1) of the boot, said movable stop (15; 25; 40; 50) being equipped with an arm (22; 28; 42; 52) capable of being actuated from the outside of the boot by essentially vertical pressure, characterized in that said arm ( 22; 28; 42; 52) passes through the shaft of the boot on the external side of the boot and that said arm is linked to the movable stop in such a manner that an essentially vertical pressure exerted by a pole on the portion of the arm located outside of the boot has the effect of moving the movable stop away from the fixed stop.
2. The ski boot as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the arm (22; 42; 52) is rigidly integral with the movable stop.
3. The ski boot as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the movable stop (15; 25) is articulated about a horizontal axis transverse to the boot.
4. The ski boot as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the movable stop (40; 50) is mounted rotatably about an axis essentially perpendicular to the wall of the shaft or of the lower part of the boot.
5. The ski boot as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the movable stop (40) is mounted on the shaft of the boot.
6. The ski boot as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the movable stop (50) is mounted on the lower part (1) of the boot.
7. The ski boot as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the movable stop (25) is articulated on the shaft (12) about a horizontal axis transverse to the boot and wherein said arm (28) is an elbowed arm articulated on the movable stop and actuable by a bistable push-button (29) holding the movable stop out of the trajectory of the fixed stop (20) in one of its stable positions.
8. The ski boot as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the movable stop (25) is pushed by a spring (27) in the direction of the lower part of the boot and wherein the arm (28) articulated to the movable stop is a link, the end of which bears, under the thrust of the spring, in a depression in the form of a bowl of a bearing piece (34) of the push-button (29), this bearing piece being equipped with radial arms (38) engaged in parallel grooves (33) formed in the wall of a cylindrical housing (32), these grooves being alternately short and long, of a length limited by a stop wall limiting the displacement of the radial arms of the bearing piece in the grooves, and in that the push-button (29) is mounted slidingly, but retained in rotation, and has one end in the form of a crown equipped with a toothing made of ratchet teeth (36) which come to bear on the radial arms (38) of the bearing piece when the push-button is pressed, in such a manner that the inclines of its teeth, by bearing on tthe radial arms of the bearing piece, tend to drive the bearing piece rotationally and that when said radial arms (38) escape from said grooves, the bearing piece turns by one turn and each of its arms passes from one groove to the following groove.

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