EP0815756B1 - Sole for ski boot or surfing boot and shoe with such a sole - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to the field of manufacturing ski boots background of surfing, or skating, ice or rollers. It aims more specifically an architecture of the sole allowing manufacturing at lower cost.

Previous techniques

We know that a cross-country ski boot, especially when it is intended to skating or "skating", has a sole with worms front a transverse articulation axis and over the entire length of the shoe, longitudinal ribs and grooves intended to cooperate with rails complementary to the fixation. An example of such a shoe is described in the document FR 2 565 117.

Taking into account the mechanical stresses exerted during the phases of impulse, it is necessary that the articulation axis is particularly well anchored inside the sole.

Furthermore, during the lateral pushing phases, it is important that the ribs do not do not deform under the effect of impulses and are therefore very rigid. he it follows that the sole must have high mechanical properties technicality, and constitutes a preponderant element in the cost price of a cross-country ski boot.

However, generally this sole is either manufactured independently and then glued under the upper, either directly made in situ when the shoe is assembled, especially by over-injection.

We can see that the preponderance of the cost of this element is further increased by the fact that all shoes in a shoe size range have soles of different dimensions, and therefore require the use of different molds to their manufacture.

It is the same in the field of surf shoes which have means of attachment to the fastening located under the sole, slightly in back of the metatarsophalangeal joint.

Mechanical stresses are similar in skating shoes to wheels or ice, in which the upper of the shoe itself is detachably associated with a plate supporting either the blade for skating on the ice, that is, the inline casters. Indeed, the lateral impulses during the propulsion are powerful, and it is necessary to have a sole sufficiently rigid and with high quality technical properties.

Additionally, the upper part of the shoe constituting the upper must be as flexible as possible to facilitate walking when the stage is separate from the shoe itself.

The problem which the invention therefore proposes to solve is that of decrease in the share inherent in a high-tech sole in the price of returns from a cross-country ski or surf boot.

However, we also know that the sole is the part of the shoe that has tendency to wear out more quickly, due to its friction with the ground during operating phases, and the mechanical stresses to which it is subjected during skiing, surfing, or skating.

Thus, in the extreme majority of cases, a shoe becomes unusable at because of the degradation of the technical parts of the sole. We therefore understand that could be interesting to replace these used parts to prolong the life of a shoe.

Statement of the invention

• des moyens d'accrochage localisés en partie avant et destinés à coopérer avec des moyens complémentaires d'une fixation d'un ski, d'un surf ou d'une platine de patinage ;
• un profil s'étendant au moins sur partie essentielle de la longueur de la semelle, destiné à coopérer avec des formes complémentaires ménagées à cet effet sur la fixation (ou sur le ski, le surf, ou la platine de patinage) ;

ladite semelle étant destinée à être assemblée à une tige pour former la chaussure de ski de fond, de surf, ou de patinage. The invention therefore relates to a cross-country ski, surfing or skating shoe sole comprising:

• attachment means located in the front part and intended to cooperate with complementary means for fixing a ski, a board or a skating plate;
• a profile extending at least over an essential part of the length of the sole, intended to cooperate with complementary shapes provided for this purpose on the binding (or on skiing, surfing, or the skating plate);

said sole being intended to be assembled with a rod to form the boot for cross-country skiing, surfing, or skating.

• en ce qu'elle comprend deux portions indépendantes, à savoir:
  • une portion avant destinée à être assemblée à la partie avant de la tige, et comportant au moins une partie des moyens d'accrochage
  • une portion arrière destinée à être assemblée à la partie arrière de la tige, et apte à coopérer avec la fixation
• et en ce que lorsque la semelle est assemblée à la coque, l'espace intermédiaire entre ces deux portions est constitué par un prolongement de la coque vers le bas.

This sole is characterized :

• in that it comprises two independent portions, namely:
  • a front portion intended to be assembled with the front part of the rod, and comprising at least part of the hooking means
  • a rear portion intended to be assembled with the rear part of the rod, and able to cooperate with the fixing
• and in that when the sole is assembled to the shell, the intermediate space between these two portions is constituted by an extension of the shell downwards.

In other words, the invention consists in making the sole of the shoe with from two elements produced in isolation, then assembled to the rod of the shoe. Thus, the elements comprising the technical organs are manufactured isolation.

According to the invention, these two front and rear portions are therefore manufactured independently of the rod, which allows the use of specific materials different from those of the rod and thus optimize the materials used depending on the mechanical properties sought. Of the so it is possible to use, to make the heel piece (i.e. the portion rear of the sole), rubbers resistant to abrasion and providing flexibility in walking. Conversely, the materials used for the hull of the shoe only meet flexibility requirements and do not need to perform the specific functions of the sole, namely abrasion resistance etc ...

Advantageously, the rear and front portions have the same shapes and dimensions whatever the shoe size. So the elements comprising the technical organs, which have been seen to constitute a part essential in the cost price of the shoe, are standardized for a whole range of sizes. Only the rod has its dimensions modified, and in particular at level of the central part of the sole, to adapt to the different sizes of foot.

In a particular embodiment, the front and rear portions of the sole are removably mounted on the upper of the shoe. So it is possible thanks to the invention to replace worn technical parts and thus extend the life of a cross-country or snowboard boot.

In addition, this capacity makes it possible to interchange the technical parts in modifying the number, the position, or even the nature of the technical bodies. So, in the case of a cross-country ski boot, it is therefore possible to modify the position of the hinge pin and / or the profile of the grooves in cooperation with the fixing rails. In the case of surfing or skating, we can adapt various means of attachment to the attachment.

To facilitate assembly, the front and / or rear portions have guide means facilitating their positioning on the shell of the shoe.

Obviously, it is understood that the invention covers not only the soles made from two inserts under the upper, but embraces also the minimum variants in which only the front part is made separately from the rod. It also covers cases where for a range of sizes, a reduced number of reported portion sizes is used.

The invention also covers all cross-country ski boots, surf boots, or skates equipped with a sole as described above.

Thus, in practice, the rod has recesses intended to receive the front and rear portions of the sole.

Always to facilitate the assembly of independently manufactured elements, the recesses have means for positioning the front portions and rear of the sole by sliding in a direction parallel to the plane of the sole. In this way, the assembly is carried out by sliding in one direction perpendicular to the tearing stresses observed during the different phases of skiing, surfing, or skating.

In a preferred form, the recess intended to receive the front portion opens laterally on the internal side of the shoe.

In practice, the means for guiding the positioning of the portions of sole consist of ribs and complementary grooves arranged in the recesses and on the upper face of the front and / or rear portions of the sole.

Preferably, the ribs and grooves are in the form of a dovetail, which increases the resistance to tearing.

Always to facilitate installation and prevent tearing of added portions, the extension of the intermediate shell between the portions front and rear of the sole has at least one channel inside which is recessed a rail of the front portion of the sole.

In an alternative embodiment, to ensure rapid assembly of the portions added from the sole, the recesses include securing means front and rear portions of the sole by snap-fastening.

In a sophisticated form of the invention, the front portion of the sole includes a light intended to let part of a technical organ through, the rest of this technical organ being trapped between the upper face of the front portion and the recess.

Brief description of the drawings

La figure 1 est une vue en perspective sommaire du dessous d'une chaussure de ski de fond dans laquelle les portions techniques ne sont pas encore mises en place sous la tige.

La figure 2 est une vue en coupe longitudinale d'une chaussure de ski de fond conforme à l'invention.

La figure 3 est une coupe transversale selon les flèches III-III' de la figure 2.

La figure 4 est une vue en perspective sommaire du dessous d'une chaussure de ski de fond conforme à une variante de réalisation de l'invention.

La figure 5 est une vue éclatée en perspective sommaire d'une tige de chaussure de patinage à roulettes, associée à des portions de semelle rapportées, et destinée à être solidarisé temporairement à une platine de patinage.

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 a summary perspective view of the bottom of a cross-country ski boot in which the technical portions are not yet in place under the upper.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a cross-country ski boot according to the invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross section along the arrows III-III 'of FIG. 2.

Figure 4 is a summary perspective view of the bottom of a cross-country ski boot according to an alternative embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view in summary perspective of a roller skating shoe upper, associated with added sole portions, and intended to be temporarily secured to a skating plate.

Way of realizing the invention

As already said, the objective of the invention is to produce a ski boot background, surfing or skating at a lower cost, i.e. by performing the parts sole techniques as standard regardless of the size of the shoe, and by associating this technical part with a rod whose dimensions vary depending on the shoe size. The rest of the description relates more particularly to the application of the invention to cross-country skiing, but it it goes without saying that transposing to surf shoes is obvious to humans of trade which will replace the transverse articulation axis of a ski boot bottom by hooking means specifically dedicated to surf bindings.

As seen in Figure 1, the rod (1), or more precisely its lower part has a characteristic underside. So, we identify in the front part (A) a recess (2) forming a housing, in the central part (B) a part in protrusion (3), and in the rear part (C) a recessed area (4).

More specifically, in the front part (A), the recess (2) is arranged to axially and longitudinally, and is laterally limited by two zones (6, 7) thicker. The borders of these thicker areas (6, 7) are advantageously rectilinear (8) or consist of a succession of segments parallels (9, 10).

Opposite the front part, the heel area (C) is set back from the central portion (B). This central portion forms a stud (3) connected to the zones side (6, 7) of the front part.

In accordance with an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the size of the recess (2) and the recessed part (4) are constant whatever the shoe size. On the other hand, the dimensions of the central stud (3) and of the lateral extensions (6, 7) vary depending on the size of the shoe.

The recess (2) is intended to receive a front portion (20) of the sole which contains the technical elements. More specifically, this portion (20) comprises forward a hinge pin (21) located inside a clearance (22) arranged to allow the insertion of the attachment means of the fastening (not shown). This part (20) has central (23) and lateral (24, 25) defining between them grooves (26, 27) intended to receive the rails longitudinal of the binding (not shown).

This part (20) has lateral edges (28, 29) complementary to the borders (8, 9, 10) of the recess (2) of the rod (1).

At the opposite end of the shoe, the recessed area (4) receives a portion (40) forming the wear part of the heel. This rear portion (40) has on its underside of the central (43) and lateral (44, 45) ribs arranged in the extension of the ribs (23, 24, 25) of the part (20). Likewise, these ribs (43, 44, 45) define grooves (46, 47) suitable for receiving the rails of fixation.

On its upper face, the part (40) comprises a groove (50) opening out on the front part of this part (40). This groove (50) has a shape complementary to a rib (12) located in projection on the part (4) in removal of the rod.

In a more sophisticated form illustrated in FIG. 3, the rib (12) has a dovetail shape (13) which allows a more secure attachment. Obviously, the complementary rib (51) of the part (40) is also of the dovetail type.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the front part of the part (40) may include two projecting parts (52, 53) forming an extension of the rib (50). These projecting parts (52, 53) are intended to be embedded in a housing (14) formed for this purpose between the central part (3) of the bottom of the rod and the flat face of the recessed portion (4).

This allows for a more efficient attachment and avoids any risk of tearing of the part placed under the heel.

In the more sophisticated variant illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 in which the rib (13) is in the form of a dovetail, it is advantageous to provide latching means (15, 54) respectively disposed on the recessed portion (4) and on the part (40). These means for example are produced by a triangular lug protruding intended to snap into a groove (15) formed in this effect on the recessed part (4) of the upper at the heel. Obviously from many equivalent execution variants can replace this means particular.

It is easy to see that to secure the parts (20 and 40) with the underside of the bottom of the rod (1) one can use any known means such as bonding, screwing, riveting, depending on the use you want to make of the shoe, and in particular depending on the wish to make these parts (20 and 40) removable or no.

In the alternative embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the front portion (60) of the sole comprises in the central part, a through lumen (61). This light (61) is arranged substantially at the level of the metatarsophalangeal joint. It is intended to receive part of an axis of cooperation (62) with the fixing, more particularly intended for the practice of "skating", and offset at the rear, towards the central part of the shoe. This axis (62) is in the form of a plate metallic "H" whose parallel branches (63, 64) are arranged longitudinally, and whose central branch (66) is folded so as to form a recess (65) intended to pass through the light (61) of the front portion (60) of the sole.

Advantageously, the parallel branches (63, 64) of the metal plate (62) are drilled at their ends to allow the fixing of this plate (62) in the front recess (2) of the shell. This fixation is done through the portion front (60) of the sole by means of four holes (67) drilled for this purpose.

In this variant, the rail (68) of the front portion (60) comes to be embedded in the channel (16) of the front recess (2) to facilitate installation and limit the risk of tearing.

Figure 5 illustrates the principle of the invention applied to a shoe skating.

Thus, such a shoe (70) has at its sole means attachment (71, 72) intended to cooperate with the fixing system of the plate (73). More specifically, and like what has been described above for cross-country ski boots, the boot (70) has a sole (75) conforming to the invention, comprising two parts (76, 77).

Thus, the front portion (76) comprises the hooking means (71) with the plate (73), and a profile having a central groove (78) corresponding to the width of the plate (73).

In this way, when the shoe is placed on the plate (73), the platinum itself penetrates and becomes embedded inside the groove (78). As already described for cross-country ski boots, the front part (76) of the sole the skating shoe has means on its upper face allowing its insertion and its attachment to the rod proper (74). It could be in particular in dovetail profile, but also in any other mode of equivalent achievement.

The rear part (77) of the sole also has a grooved profile (79) disposed in the extension of the groove (78) of the front portion (76), and this to allow the mounting of the plate (73).

The hooking means with the plate (73) consist of pins transverse housed inside the ribs (78, 79) by connecting the faces side. These attachment means (71, 72) are intended to come inside pairs of notches (80, 81) located on the plate (73).

In the illustrated embodiment, the plate (73) has a central channel (82) inside which can move a linkage not shown suitable for depending on its movement to close off the notches (80, 81) by hooking the axes (71, 72).

The movement of the linkage not shown is ensured by the displacement of the lever (85) located behind the plate.

Obviously, the invention is not limited to this method of attachment particular illustrated for the skate of figure 5, but obviously covers all other means of attachment with various fasteners, provided that the spirit of the invention is respected, namely that the attachment means are located on technical portions added under the shoe, respectively in front and in back.

It appears from the above that a cross-country ski boot, a surf boot, or a skating according to the invention has multiple advantages, both for the manufacturer as for the user. So the manufacturer will find it interesting to standardize and standardize the manufacturing of technical parts, which will reduce the overall cost price of the shoe.

At the same time, the user will particularly appreciate being able to replace wear parts subject to the most significant stresses without having to change shoes. Furthermore, such a shoe allows from a upper adaptability to different standards, especially with regard to position of the transverse axis and the geometry and the number of ribs longitudinal, in the case of cross-country skiing.

Claims (14)

1. A sole of a boot for cross-country skiing, snowboarding or skating, comprising :

   coupling means (21) located in the front part and intended to interact with complementary means of a binding mounted on a ski, a snowboard or a skating plate;

   a profile (26, 27) extending at least over the major part of the length of the sole, intended to interact with complementary shapes arranged for this purpose on the binding;

   said sole being intended to be assembled with a shaft (1) to form the boot for cross-country skiing, snowboarding or skating, wherein this sole comprises two separate portions, namely:

   a front portion (20; 60) intended to be assembled with the front part (2) of the shaft (1) and comprising at least one part of the coupling means (21),

   a rear portion (40) intended to be assembled with the rear part (4) of the shaft (1) and capable of interacting with the binding;

   and wherein, when the sole is assembled with the shell (1), the intermediate space between these two portions (20, 40) is constituted by a downward extension (3) of the shell (1).
2. The sole as claimed in claim 1, wherein the front (20) and rear (40) portions have the same shapes and dimensions whatever the size of the boot.
3. The sole as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the front (20) and/or rear (40) portions are mounted in removable manner on the shell (1) of the boot.
4. The sole as claimed in one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the front (20) and/or rear (40) portions have means (12; 50) of guiding their positioning on the shell (1) of the boot.
5. The sole of a cross-country ski boot as claimed in one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the coupling means consist of a transverse spindle (21) and wherein the profile consists of at least one groove (26, 27) extending at least over the major part of the length of the sole.
6. A boot for cross-country skiing, snowboarding or skating, which is equipped with a sole as claimed in one of claims 1 to 5.
7. The boot as claimed in claim 6, wherein the shell (1) has recesses (2, 4) intended to receive the front (20) and rear (40) portions of the sole.
8. The boot as claimed in claim 7, wherein the recesses (2, 4) have means (14) of positioning the front (20) and rear (40) portions of the sole by sliding in a direction parallel to the plane of the sole.
9. The boot as claimed in claim 8, wherein the recess (2) intended to receive the front portion (20) opens out laterally on the inner side of the boot.
10. The boot as claimed in one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the guide means for positioning the sole portions consist of complementary ribs (12, 13) and grooves (50, 51) arranged in the recesses (2, 4) and on the upper face of the front and/or rear (40) sole portions.
11. The boot as claimed in claim 10, wherein the ribs (13) and grooves (51) are of dovetail shape.
12. The boot as claimed in one of claims 6 to 11, wherein the intermediate extension (3) of the shell between the front (60) and rear (40) sole portions comprises at least one channel (16) inside which a rail (68) of the front portion (60) of the sole fits.
13. The boot as claimed in one of claims 6 to 12, wherein the recesses (2, 4) comprise means (15, 54) of joining the front and rear (40) portions of the sole together by catching.
14. The boot as claimed in one of claims 6 to 13, wherein the front portion (60) of the sole comprises a slot (61) intended to allow a part (66) of a technical member (62) to pass through, the rest (63, 64) of this technical member (62) being captive between the upper face of the front portion (60) and the recess (2).

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