EP0796570A1 - Snowboard boot - Google Patents

Abstract

The snowboarding boot consists of an upper (2) and a sole (3) which has a recess in the middle for a detachable adaptor (20) shaped to receive a binding (30) which engages with a fastening on the board. The recess (6) is open on both sides (10, 11) of the boot sole, and its front and rear edges (8, 9) are curved to receive the convex edges (21, 22) of the adaptor, which have the same cylindrical or conical shape, allowing the adapter to be rotated in the recess. The diameter of the recess is between 105 and 120 mm, and it has a depth of 15 - 20 mm.

Description

Technical area

The invention relates to the field of board sports, and more specifically to that of snowboarding. It aims more particularly at improving the shoes allowing the practice of this sport.

Previous techniques

In known manner, the shoes allowing the practice of snowboarding fall into three main categories having very different mechanical qualities.

Thus, rigid boots are known, approaching boots intended for downhill skiing and mainly consisting of a rigid shell and a sole cooperating with a binding, consisting of a front stirrup and a heel piece. articulated, or formed by a system with retractable lugs allowing automatic putting on. This type of rigid shoe is relatively uncomfortable for walking.

Furthermore, flexible surf shoes are known, essentially consisting of a waterproof boot intended to be enclosed in a binding consisting mainly of a rear gutter allowing the grip of the supports and straps securing the boot to the binding. Taking support with such a flexible shoe is not optimal.

There is also known a third category of shoes combining the qualities of the two aforementioned families, consisting of the assembly of a flexible upper with an internal frame ensuring the taking of the supports and the connection with the board by means of organs arranged at the median level. of the sole. This type of construction is in particular the subject of document FR-A-2 733 671 of the Applicant.

However, concerning the bodies for cooperation with the fixing, numerous architectures and geometries have so far been proposed. Thus, a particular geometry is known in the form of a frustoconical stud cooperating with sliding jaws of the binding. Also known, from patent FR-A-2 738 751, are shoes having lateral extensions at the median level of the sole and intended to allow the shoe to be secured with a transverse attachment. WO 94/26365 also discloses a shoe comprising at the median level of the sole, two offset lateral axes, oriented substantially along the longitudinal axis of the shoe, and intended to cooperate with a specific binding. In addition, there is also known from patent FR 2 705 248, a fixing produced by means of a longitudinal axis disposed under the sole, substantially at the level of the arch of the foot, this axis being hooked by a jaw of the fixing.

Thus, there are a wide variety of ways of securing the shoe on the surf. It follows that a pair of shoes is dedicated to a particular surfboard with specific bindings. This has several major drawbacks, namely on the one hand, for the user the need to change shoes when he wishes to change the surfboard, and on the other hand, for the manufacturer, the obligation to produce as many types of shoes than existing bindings.

The problem which the invention therefore proposes to solve is that of the compatibility of surf shoes with the plurality and the wide variety of bindings existing on the market.

Statement of the invention

The invention therefore relates to a known type of surf boot comprising a rod associated with a sole, in which the sole comprises, at the median level, cooperation members with a binding located on the surfboard.

This shoe is characterized in that the sole has at the median level, a housing in which is removably disposed an adaptation piece intended to receive under its underside the members for cooperation with the binding.

In other words, the invention consists in providing under the sole of the shoe a clearance inside which can be inserted an intermediate wedge whose lower profile allows either the adaptation of different bases of cooperation with the binding, or direct cooperation with fixing.

In this way, starting from a single shoe, by only changing the adaptation piece, the shoe can be made compatible with a large number of bindings.

Advantageously, and to facilitate the manufacture of the shoe and in particular the release of the sole, when it is produced by injection, the housing opens laterally on both sides of the sole.

To ensure easy installation and avoid any risk of slipping, the front and rear sides of the adaptation piece are convex, that is to say curved respectively towards the front and towards the rear of the shoe. Thus, by these engaging shapes, the adaptation piece can receive cooperation members with the fixing of large size.

In a preferred form, the front and rear sides of the adapter piece are inscribed in the same cylindrical or conical surface, so as to allow the rotation of the adapter piece in the housing. In this way, the user can adjust the angular position of the members of cooperation with the binding relative to the longitudinal axis of the shoe, and thus modify the orientation of his feet on the surf without intervention on the bindings.

Advantageously in practice, the housing has a diameter of between one hundred and five millimeters and one hundred and twenty millimeters, and a depth of between fifteen millimeters and twenty millimeters, and preferably equal to eighteen millimeters.

Advantageously in practice, in one embodiment, the adaptation part has on the underside of the hollow parts intended to accommodate, at least in part, the members for cooperation with the fasteners.

Thus, these fastening members are totally or partially embedded in the adaptation shims, which allows on the one hand, to obtain a more effective attachment and on the other hand, to reduce the total size of the shoe.

In practice, the sole has a plurality of sets of holes allowing the fastening of the cooperation members, through the corresponding sets of holes drilled through the adaptation piece.

In a preferred form, the cooperation members and therefore the adaptation piece are secured to a rigid element disposed inside the shoe, above the sole.

In a first embodiment, the members for cooperation with the fastening consist of a stud of generally rectangular shape extending laterally on each side of the sole. In other words, the active parts of the cooperation members are constituted by a pair of lateral extensions of the sole.

In a second embodiment, these bodies for cooperating with the binding consist of a set of two offset axes oriented substantially along the longitudinal axis of the shoe, and connected by an openwork plate embedded in the adaptation piece.

In a third embodiment, the members for cooperating with the fastening consist of two lateral recesses hollowed out in the lateral faces of the adaptation piece.

Advantageously, the lateral recesses are produced by inserts made of a material of hardness greater than the rest of the adaptation piece.

Brief description of the drawings

The manner of carrying out the invention as well as the advantages which result therefrom will emerge clearly from the description of the embodiments which follow, in support of the appended figures in which:

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a shoe according to the invention.

Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 are summary perspective views of adapter parts according to three alternative embodiments.

Figure 6 is a sectional view of Figure 5 according to arrows VI-VI '.

Figure 7 is a bottom view of a bare sole.

Figure 8 is a bottom view of a sole fitted with the cooperation members.

Figure 9 is a longitudinal section of a sole receiving the adapter and the members for cooperation with the attachment.

Ways to realize the invention

In the following description, and to facilitate understanding, we have chosen to describe a shoe placed by its sole on a horizontal support.

As already said, the invention relates to a surf shoe (1), of the known type mainly comprising a flexible upper (2) and a sole (3), typically made of injected plastic.

One of the aims of the invention is to allow the adaptation on the same shoe of various types of bindings. This object is obtained by using an adaptation piece inserted inside a housing (6) arranged at the level of the arch of the shoe.

More specifically, in a practical embodiment, this housing (6) has a flat upper face (7) and is bordered by two vertical sides respectively front (8) and rear (9). These sections (8, 9) are curved so as to give the housing (6) a convex shape of maximum surface area. Of course, the invention also covers the variants in which the upper face (7) is not planar but follows a shape allowing cooperation or interpenetration of the adaptation piece with the sole.

In addition, in a preferred form, the housing (6) opens on both sides of the sole (3) through two openings (10, 11). This housing (6) therefore receives, in accordance with the invention, an adaptation piece (20) forming a wedge intended to receive the members (30) for cooperation with the fixing proper.

Thus, as illustrated in FIG. 2, in an alternative embodiment, this adaptation piece (20) has a front side (21) of curvature complementary to the vertical face (8) of the housing and therefore curved in the direction of the tip ( 5) of the sole (3). In contrast, the rear side (22) of this adaptation piece (20) is itself curved in the direction of the heel (4) of the sole. The two lateral sides (23 and 24) have profiles allowing them to be flush with the openings (10, 11) of the housing (6).

In a preferred form, the adaptation piece (20) is inscribed by its front (21) and rear (22) sides in a cylinder, which makes it possible to adjust the angular position of the members of cooperation with the fixing relative to the longitudinal axis of the foot, and hence that of the foot on the surf, without having to act on the binding itself. In other words, the sides (21) and (22) of the adaptation piece (20) have an identical curvature and their centers of curvature are combined.

In practice, it has been determined that the diameter allowing a maximum number of binding types to be adapted while remaining compatible with the stiffness and manufacturing constraints of the shoe, must be between 105 and 120 millimeters and that the associated depth of the housing must be between 15 and 20 millimeters, and preferably in the vicinity of 18 millimeters.

In a different embodiment, the adaptation piece (20) is inscribed by its front (21) and rear (22) sides in a cone whose virtual top is located under the shoe. In other words, the housing (6) has undercuts which oppose the tearing of the adaptation piece (20) and thus ensure good performance of the characteristic elements.

Specifically to the shape illustrated in Figure 2, the wedge (20) has a transverse recess (25) whose transverse sides (27, 28) are mutually parallel and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shoe. The lateral edges of this housing (25) open laterally into the openings (10, 11) of the housing (6). The upper face (26) of this housing (25) is intended to receive the cooperation members that constitute the stud (30).

This stud (30), corresponding to a first type of fasteners, follows a generally rectangular shape of width corresponding to that of the housing (25) of the adaptation piece (20). The end portions (33, 34) of the stud (30) are intended to extend beyond the housing (25) of the adaptation piece (20), and therefore from the housing (6) of the sole (3). To secure this stud (30) to the sole (20), the stud may include a plurality of holes (35), into which are inserted fastening members of the screw, rivet, or internally threaded rivet type, and which pass through the adaptation piece (20) through a set of holes (29), to anchor themselves inside the sole (3) through the set of holes (14).

Regarding the anchoring of the stud (30), this can be carried out directly in the sole (3), or in a preferred form, inside a reinforcing element (50) disposed inside of the shoe above the sole (3), and which can advantageously be part of an articulated frame such as in particular described in document FR 95.05615 of the Applicant, not published on the date of filing of the present application. Advantageously, this reinforcement does not extend beyond the area of the metatarsophalangeal joint to allow flexion of the foot during walking.

The essential advantage of the surf shoe according to the invention is that it allows the adaptation of different members of cooperation with the binding by only modifying the adaptation piece inserted in the housing (6). To this end, the adaptation piece (40) illustrated in FIG. 3 has an external contour identical to the adaptation piece (20) in FIG. 2. More precisely, the front (41) and rear (42) edges of this adaptation piece (40) also coincide with the vertical sections (8) and (9) of the housing (6) of the sole (3). This adaptation piece (40) can therefore come in place of the adaptation piece (20).

To allow the establishment of members (60) for cooperation with the attachment, as illustrated in FIG. 9, the shim (40) has a plurality of recesses (43, 44) in which the 'cooperation member (60) with the fixing itself. More specifically, the recesses (43) form a cross along the diagonals of the adaptation piece (40) while the channels (44) follow the front and rear edges (41, 42) of this same adaptation piece. The protruding zones (46-49) surrounding these recesses allow the effective positioning of the element (60).

Complementarily, this element (60) consists of two axes (61, 62) arranged laterally to the sole, and substantially parallel to the portions of the outline of the shoe which they are opposite. These axes (61, 62) are intended to be trapped in the binding located on the surfboard (not shown). These axes (61, 62) are connected by a portion forming a perforated plate having segments (63, 64) corresponding to the channels (43, 44) of the plate (40).

The fixing of this member (60) in the sole is carried out by screwing or any other equivalent means through the holes (65) situated opposite the holes (45) drilled in the adaptation piece (40). These same holes (45) lead to a set of holes (15) drilled for this purpose in the upper face (7) of the housing (6) of the sole (3). As for the adaptation piece (20) described above, the connection can be made directly in the sole or in an additional element (50) located inside the shoe.

In an advantageous form, the adaptation piece comprises on its upper face lugs intended to plug the holes in the sole corresponding to the other adaptation shims dedicated to different fastenings.

In the same principle, the surf shoe according to the invention can receive a third adaptation part (70) as illustrated in FIG. 4. Thus, this adaptation part has front (71) and rear sides (72) complementary to the vertical sections (8 and 9) of the housing (6). This adaptation piece (70) comprises zones of greater thickness (76, 77), located at the front and at the rear and connected by the axis (73) of cooperation with a fixing. To allow the connection, this adaptation piece (70) has holes (75) opposite holes drilled on the upper face (7) of the housing (6).

The surf shoe according to the invention can also receive a fourth adaptation piece (80) as illustrated in FIG. 5. More specifically, this adaptation piece (80) has on each of its lateral faces (83 , 84), a recess (81,82), arranged substantially at mid-height, 3 to 10 centimeters wide and 0.5 to 2 centimeters high. These lateral recesses (83,84) receive, as illustrated in FIG. 6, two inserts (85,86) made of a material of rigidity much greater than that of the rest of the adaptation piece (80). Typically, these inserts (85,86) are made of rigid plastic or metal. They are intended to be interpenetrated by transverse jaws of the surfboard attachment (not shown).

Of course, the invention covers multiple variants of geometries and architecture responding to the same principle, that is to say allowing from a single shoe, by simply replacing an adaptation piece, the mounting of different types of cooperation devices with fasteners of very varied architecture.

It follows that the production of such shoes is more economical than that of a range which would decline all types of fasteners on the market. In addition, the user who practices surfing on boards with different bindings can easily change his shoes to adapt them to the binding of his choice.

Claims (13)

Surf boot (1) of the type comprising a rod (2) associated with a sole (3), in which the sole (3) comprises, at the median level, cooperation members (30; 60; 73; 81.82) with a binding located on the surfboard, characterized in that the sole (3) has at the median level, a housing (6) in which is removably disposed an adaptation piece (20; 40; 70; 80) intended to receive on its lower and / or lateral faces, the members for cooperation with the binding. Surf boot according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing opens laterally on both sides (10, 11) of the sole. Surf boot according to claim 1, characterized in that the front (21; 41; 71) and rear (22; 42; 72) sides of the adapter piece (20; 40; 70) are convex. Surf boot according to claim 3, characterized in that the front (21; 41; 71) and rear (22; 42; 72) sides of the adaptation piece (20; 40; 70) are inscribed in the same surface cylindrical or conical, so as to allow rotation of the adapter piece (20; 40; 70) in the housing (6). Surf boot according to claim 4, characterized in that the housing (6) has a diameter between one hundred and five millimeters (105 mm) and one hundred and twenty millimeters (120 mm). Surf boot according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing (6) has a depth of between fifteen millimeters (15 mm) and twenty millimeters (20 mm), and preferably equal to eighteen millimeters (18 mm). Surf boot according to claim 1, characterized in that the adaptation piece (20; 40; 70) has on its underside hollow parts (25; 43, 44) intended to accommodate, at least in part, the cooperation bodies (30; 60) with the attachment. Surf boot according to claim 1, characterized in that the sole (3) has a plurality of holes (14, 15) allowing the joining of the cooperation members (30, 60), through a plurality of holes (29; 45 ; 75) corresponding drilled through the adapter piece (20; 40; 70). Surf boot according to claim 8, characterized in that the cooperation members are secured to a rigid element (50) disposed inside the boot (1), above the sole (3). Surf boot according to claim 1, characterized in that the members for cooperating with the binding consist of a stud (30) of generally rectangular shape, projecting laterally on each side (10, 11) of the sole (3). Surf boot according to claim 1, characterized in that the cooperating members (60) with the binding consist of a set of two axes (61, 62) oriented substantially along the longitudinal axis of the boot, and connected by a perforated plate (63, 64) embedded in the adaptation piece (40). Surf boot according to claim 1, characterized in that the adaptation piece has two lateral recesses (81,82) hollowed out in the lateral faces (83,84) of the adaptation piece (80) intended to receive the organs cooperation with the fixation. Surf boot according to claim 12, characterized in that the members for cooperating with the binding consist of inserts (85,86) made of a material of hardness greater than the rest of the adaptation piece (80), housed inside the lateral recesses (81,82).

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