EP0796570B1 - 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 sliding sports, and more specifically to that of snowboarding. It aims more particularly at improving shoes allowing the practice of this sport.

Previous techniques

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

Thus, we know the rigid shoes, approaching the shoes intended for downhill skiing and mainly consisting of a shell rigid and a sole cooperating with a binding, consisting of a front stirrup and an articulated heel, either formed by a system with retractable lugs allowing automatic fitting. This type of rigid shoe is relatively uncomfortable for walking.

In addition, we know flexible surf shoes, consisting essentially a waterproof boot intended to be enclosed in a binding mainly consisting of a rear gutter allowing the taking of supports and straps securing the boot to the binding. Taking supports with such soft shoe is not optimal.

We also know a third category of shoes combining the qualities of the two aforementioned families, consisting of the assembly of a flexible rod 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 kind of construction is the subject, in particular, of document FR-A-2 733 671 of the Applicant.

However, concerning the bodies of cooperation with the fixation, many architectures and geometries have so far been proposed. Thus, we know a special geometry in the form of a frustoconical stud cooperating with sliding jaws of the fastener. We also know, from the patent FR-A-2 738 751, shoes having lateral extensions at the level median of the sole and intended to allow the attachment of the shoe with a transverse fixing. 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 for cooperate with a specific fixation. In addition, we also know from the 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, this axis being hooked by a fastener jaw.

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 special surfboard with specific bindings. This presents several major disadvantages, namely on the one hand, for the user the need to change shoes when he wants to change a surfboard, and other share, for the manufacturer, the obligation to produce as many types of shoes as existing fixings.

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

Statement of the invention

The invention therefore relates to a surf shoe of the known type comprising a rod associated with a sole, in which the sole comprises at the level median of the cooperation members with a fixing 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 shim whose lower profile allows either the adaptation of different bases of cooperation with fixation, that is, direct cooperation with fixation.

So, from a single shoe, changing only the part adaptation, the shoe can be made compatible with a large number of fixings.

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 sides front and rear of the adapter piece are convex, i.e. curved forward and backward respectively of the shoe. So by these engaging shapes, the adaptation piece can receive cooperation devices with the attachment 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 rotation of the adapter piece in the housing. In this way, the user can adjust the angular position of the cooperation members with the fixing relative to the longitudinal axis of the shoe, and thus modify the orientation of its feet on surfing without intervention on the bindings.

Advantageously in practice, the housing has a diameter of between one hundred 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 part on the underside of the recessed portions intended for to welcome, at least in part, the cooperation bodies with the fixings.

Thus, these fixing members are totally or partially embedded in the adaptation shims, which allows on the one hand, to obtain a hooking more effective 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 joining of the cooperation members, through the sets of holes corresponding drilled through the adapter piece.

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

In a first embodiment, the cooperation bodies with the fixing consist of a generally rectangular stud projecting laterally on each side of the sole. In other words, the active parts of cooperation bodies consist of a pair of lateral extensions of the sole.

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

In a third embodiment, the cooperation bodies with the fixing are constituted by two lateral recesses dug in the faces side of the adapter.

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

Brief description of the drawings

The manner of carrying out the invention as well as the advantages which flow therefrom will emerge clearly from the description of the embodiments which follow, in support 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 parts adaptation according to three variant 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.

Figure 9 is a longitudinal section of a sole receiving the part adaptation and cooperation bodies with fixation.

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 type known mainly comprising a flexible rod (2) and a sole (3), typically made of injected plastic.

One of the aims of the invention is to allow adaptation on the same shoe of various types of bindings. This goal is achieved by using a coin adapter inserted inside a housing (6) disposed at the level of the roof sole 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 front (8) and rear (9) respectively. These sections (8, 9) are curved so as to give the housing (6) a convex shape with a maximum surface area. Of course, the invention also covers the variants in which the upper face (7) is not flat but follows a shape allowing cooperation or interpenetration of the adaptation piece with the sole.

Additionally, in a preferred form, the housing (6) opens onto the two sides of the sole (3) by two openings (10, 11). This accommodation (6) therefore receives according to the invention an adaptation piece (20) forming a shim intended to receive the organs (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 section (8) of the housing and therefore curved in the direction of the point (5) of the sole (3). In contrast, the rear side (22) of this adaptation piece (20) is itself arched towards 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 sides front (21) and rear (22) in a cylinder, which allows to adjust the position angle of the cooperation members with the fixing relative to the axis longitudinal of the foot, and therefore that of the foot on the surf, without having to act on the fixing itself. In other words, the sides (21) and (22) of the part adapter (20) have an identical curvature and their centers of curvature are confused.

In practice, it has been determined that the diameter allowing a number to be adapted maximum type of fixing while remaining compatible with the constraints of stiffness and manufacturing of the shoe, must be between 105 and 120 millimeters and 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) fits its front (21) and rear (22) sides in a cone whose virtual vertex is located under the shoe. In other words, the housing (6) has undercuts which oppose the tearing of the adaptation piece (20) and ensure thus good behavior of the characteristic elements.

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

This stud (30), corresponding to a first type of fasteners, follows a shape general rectangular width corresponding to that of the housing (25) of the adapter piece (20). The end portions (33, 34) of the stud (30) are intended to overflow from the housing (25) of the adaptation piece (20), and consequently 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), in which are inserted fastening devices such as screws, rivets, or threaded rivets internally, and which pass through the adapter piece (20) through a set of holes (29), to anchor inside the sole (3) through the assembly of holes (14).

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

The essential advantage of the surf shoe according to the invention is that allow the adaptation of different cooperation bodies with the fixation by not modifying that the adaptation piece inserted in the housing (6). To this end, the adapter piece (40) illustrated in Figure 3 has an outer contour identical to the adaptation piece (20) of FIG. 2. More precisely, the edges front (41) and rear (42) of this adaptation piece (40) also coincide with the vertical sections (8) and (9) of the housing (6) of the sole (3). This piece adapter (40) can therefore come in place of the adapter piece (20).

To allow the establishment of bodies (60) of 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) is embedded with the fixing proper. More specifically, the recesses (43) form a cross according to the diagonals of the adapter piece (40) while the channels (44) follow the front and rear edges (41, 42) of this same adaptation piece. The zones (46-49) protruding around these recesses allow efficient positioning of the element (60).

Additionally, 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 facing. 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 plate openwork having segments (63, 64) corresponding to the channels (43, 44) of the plate (40).

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

In an advantageous form, the adapter piece has on its face upper of the pins intended to plug the holes of the sole corresponding to the other adapter blocks dedicated to different fixings.

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

The surf shoe according to the invention can also receive a fourth adapter part (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, from 3 to 10 centimeters in wide and 0.5 to 2 centimeters high. These lateral recesses (83,84) receive, as illustrated in Figure 6 two inserts (85,86) made of a stiffness material much higher than that of the rest of the adapter 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 fixing (not represented).

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 adapter, mounting of different types of cooperative bodies with architectural fixings very varied.

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

Claims (13)

1. A snowboarding shoe (1), of the type including an upper (2) associated with a sole (3), in which, in its central portion, the sole (3) includes components (30; 60; 73; 81, 82) for interacting with a binding located on the snowboard, wherein, in its central portion, the sole (3) has a housing (6) in which an adaptation piece (20; 40; 70; 80), intended, on its lower and/or side faces, to receive the components for interacting with the binding, is removably arranged.
2. The snowboarding shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing opens laterally on the two sides (10, 11) of the sole.
3. The snowboarding shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the front (21; 41; 71) and rear (22; 42; 72) sides of the adaptation piece (20; 40; 70) are convex.
4. The snowboarding shoe as claimed in claim 3, wherein the front (21; 41; 71) and rear (22; 42; 72) sides of the adaptation piece (20; 40; 70) are circumscribed by the same cylindrical or conical surface, so as to allow rotation of the adaptation piece (20; 40; 70) in the housing (6).
5. The snowboarding shoe as claimed in claim 4, wherein the housing (6) has a diameter of between one hundred and five millimeters (105 mm) and one hundred and twenty millimeters (120 mm).
6. The snowboarding shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein 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).
7. The snowboarding shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein, on its lower face, the adaptation piece (20; 40; 70) has hollowed parts (25; 43, 44) intended, at least in part, to receive the components (30; 60) for interacting with the binding.
8. The snowboarding shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sole (3) has a plurality of holes (14, 15) allowing the securing of the interaction components (30, 60), through a corresponding plurality of holes (29; 45; 75) made through the adaptation piece (20; 40; 70).
9. The snowboarding shoe as claimed in claim 8, wherein the interaction components are secured to a rigid element (50) arranged inside the shoe (1), above the sole (3).
10. The snowboarding shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the components for interacting with the binding consist of a block (30), of rectangular general shape, protruding laterally on each side (10, 11) of the sole (3).
11. The snowboarding shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the components (60) for interacting with the binding consist of a set of two pins (61, 62) which are oriented substantially along the longitudinal axis of the shoe and are connected by an openworked plate (63, 64) fitted into the adaptation piece (40).
12. The snowboarding shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the adaptation piece has two lateral recesses (81, 82) which are hollowed into the side faces (83, 84) of the adaptation piece (80) and are intended to receive the components for interacting with the binding.
13. The snowboarding shoe as claimed in claim 12, wherein the components for interacting with the binding consist of inserts (85, 86) which are made of a material with a greater hardness than the rest of the adaptation piece (80) and are housed inside the lateral recesses (81, 82).

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