EP0968664A1 - Ski boot - Google Patents

Abstract

The ski boot comprises a collar (4) articulated on a body (1) and a collar retainer opposing its tipping rearwards but giving way when the tipping force exceed a specified value. The retainer comprises a ramp (12) fixed to the body against which a support part (8) integral with the collar is supported. The support ramp can push against a spring (9). The retainer has an escape position allowing free rearward tipping of the collar.

Description

The present invention relates to a ski boot comprising a first part consisting essentially a sole and a rod enveloping the foot and the malleolar region and a second part made up of a collar articulated with respect to the rod so to allow movement of the collar back and forth and vice versa, and means for retaining the collar opposing the tilting of the collar backwards, but yielding when the effort tending to tip over the collar exceeds a determined value.

The purpose of such a construction is to protect skier's knees, more specifically the cruciate ligament anterior, when excessive forward force is exerted on the tibia relative to the femur. He was observed that ruptures of the anterior cruciate ligament due to excessive effort of this type have increased in a very large extent while other people's injuries types, especially leg fractures and the ankle have decreased considerably due to progress made in security fasteners. A excessive effort on the anterior cruciate ligament produced in particular during a hump passage, whether either by jumping, at the reception, or by descending quickly the bump.

From US patent 5,107,608 we already know a shoe fitted with a trigger restraint intended to protect the anterior cruciate ligament in case of excessive effort. This device includes a lock first kind of angled lever retained by a spring. In case of excessive effort on the collar, the spring can no longer hold the lock, which tilts and releases the necklace. Such a device has the drawback of not being able to be initial position by the skier. It is further relatively bulky.

From international application WO 97/22 271, we know in addition a ski boot also equipped with a restraint system triggering in the event of effort excessive on the collar, backwards. These measures consists of a spring toggle, of which the joint presents a clearance allowing a certain longitudinal displacement of the articulation axis in the lower element of the kneepad, and whose elements come into abutment, at a point located at a certain distance from the hinge pin, at the end of a stroke less than the possible displacement of the axis. The elements of the kneepad having arrived in stop and the spring of the toggle having already undergone some compression, if the effort on the collar continues to grow there is a pivoting of knee brace elements around their fulcrum and the kneepad triggers if its joint exceeds the alignment of the articulation points of the knee protector on stem and collar. This device has the advantage of being able to be brought back to the initial position by the skier, but it's relatively complex and bulky.

In order to protect the anterior cruciate ligament from knee it has also been proposed to introduce a simple spring in a shoe closing device ski connecting the rear cuff to the shell of a shoe with rear entry (EP-B1-0 410 136). In the corresponding published patent application it's question of a safety device ensuring the opening of the shoe closing device, but the document gives no example of implementation.

Also for a shoe with rear entry, the patent application EP 0 514 762 describes devices protective exhaust mounted on the cuff forward or on the hull and releasing a strap or closure cable of this cuff when a pressure on the rear cuff exceeds a value determined.

The object of the invention is to provide means for retained according to a different principle likely to be executed by simple and low means size.

The shoe according to the invention is characterized in that that the retaining means are constituted essentially a ramp attached to one of the parts of the shoe and against which comes to lean a support element integral with the other part of the shoe, the ramp and the support element being able to repel each other against the action of a elastic means so as to allow tilting of the collar, said means having a position exhaust allowing free tilting back of the collar.

In the case of a shoe whose collar is articulated on the stem in the malleolar region, the ramp can for example be formed on the back of the rod and cooperate with a retractable finger mounted on the necklace.

According to another embodiment, in which the shoe is equipped with a stirrup surrounding the heel and articulated in the malleolar region above the collar, the ramp can be formed at the end top of a caliper retaining pawl and the support element may be constituted by the edge lower of the collar, the tilting of the pawl allowing its escape from its stop and the tilting of the stirrup and the collar.

According to another embodiment, the ramp is formed by the rounded end of a finger secured to the collar, at the back of this collar and directed downwards, and the support element is constituted at least two balls retained laterally by diverging opposite ramps down and up of which they are maintained by the push of a spring out so as to oppose the passage of the finger, until the spring has been compressed so that allow the spacing of the balls and the passage of finger.

The invention is also applicable to a shoe whose collar is articulated by its end lower back on the rod. In this case, the ramp can be formed on one end, shaped like hook, at least one lever pivotally mounted on at at least one side of the rod, the support element being consisting of a stud or the like secured to the collar and whose pressure on the ramp tends to make pivot the lever backwards until the his hook.

In all cases the safety restraint can be reset by the user.

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

Figure 1 is a cutaway of the rear part of a partially shown ski boot, according to a first mode of execution.

Figure 2 is a partial view of a second form of execution.

Figure 3 is a cutaway of the rear part of a ski boot according to a third embodiment, in the rest position.

FIG. 4 represents the same shoe in the position of trigger back.

Figure 5 is a cutaway of the rear part of a shoe according to a fourth embodiment.

Figures 6 and 7 show, in axial section, the shoe retainer shown in Figure 5, respectively in the retaining position and in trigger position.

Figure 8 shows the restraint system inoperative, resting or walking position.

Figure 9 is a sectional view along IX-IX Figure 7.

The ski boot whose rear part is shown in Figure 1 is made up essentially of a shell 1 forming the rod 2 and the sole 3 of the shoe, the upper 2 extending substantially above the malleolar region, and a collar 4 articulated on the rod 2, in the region malleolar, at two opposite points 5. The rest of the shoe can be made in any known manner, the rod and the collar being generally provided with loops closing and tightening. The bottom edge posterior of the collar 4 has an extra thickness 6 in which is formed a hole 7 whose axis is directed substantially perpendicular to the surface of the rod 2, in the median longitudinal plane of the shoe. In this hole 7 is mounted a finger retractable 8 pushed by a spring 9 resting on a threaded plug 10, i.e. a screw allowing modify the spring precompression 9. The finger retractable 8 leans against the bottom of a housing 11 formed in the thickness of the rod 2. The housing 11 is limited downwards by a first ramp 12 and towards the high by a second ramp 13. In the position shown in the drawing, the necklace is slightly tilted forward. When the necklace tends to straighten up, finger 8 comes to rest against the bottom of the ramp 12. When an effort on the leg has tendency to tilt the collar 4 backwards, i.e. clockwise in the drawing, the retractable finger 8 slides on the ramp 12 by compressing the spring 9. When the force is sufficient, the retractable finger 8 arrives at the end of the ramp 12 where it escapes from the housing 11 by sliding on an exhaust ramp 14 formed on the rod 2. This ramp 14 also makes it possible to return the collar 4 to the position shown in drawing.

The upper ramp 13 makes it possible to control an effort of tilting forward.

For the sake of simplification, the shell, the rod and the shoe collar will be referred to by the same references in the following embodiments.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the collar 14 is articulated from the rear, at its point the lower down, on rod 2, around an axis 15. At least on one side of the shoe, the collar 4 is provided with a stud or stud 16 on which a lever is supported 17 pivotally mounted on the rod 2 about an axis 18 and which is rotated forward, that is to say counterclockwise, by a spring 19 schematically represented by a spiral spring. The end 20 of the lever 17 is in the form of a hook coming to rest on the pad 16 by a ramp 21 oblique and ascending towards the anterior edge bottom of the collar 4. In other words, the inclination of this ramp is such that during a stress on the collar 4 in reverse rotation, the force exerted by the stud 16 on the ramp is substantially perpendicular to this ramp. She is breaks down into two forces, one of which tends to do pivot the lever 17 backwards against the action of the spring 19. The stud 16 slides on the ramp 21 and when the effort is sufficient, it escapes from the hook 20 and the collar 4 can tilt backwards by following the movement of the leg.

The shoe according to the embodiment shown in Figures 3 and 4 includes, in addition to the articulated collar 4 at a point 5 located in the malleolar region lower, a stirrup 22 enveloping the heel and articulated at two opposite points 23 below the joint 5. Such a stirrup is known in particular from the shoe described in US Patent 4,839,973. On this stirrup 22 is articulated a pawl 24 around a horizontal axis 25. This pawl 24 is supported by its beak 26 on a surface 27 of the rod 2 forming a stop. The ratchet 24 is held in this position by a spring 28. The end of the upper arm of the pawl 24 has a ramp 29 descending behind the shoe. The collar 4 has, at the rear, a extension 30 extending downward towards the ramp 29. The collar 4 is kept apart from the stirrup 22 by at least one spring 31 working in compression between collar 4 and stirrup 22.

When the collar 4 is biased rear, its part 30 abuts on the ramp 29. This pressure tends to tip the pawl 24 so as to move its beak away from the rod 2. When the pressure of the collar 4 reaches a certain value, the pawl 24 escapes from its stop 27 (Figure 4) thus allowing the rearward tilting of the stirrup 22 and collar 4.

It should be emphasized that the main spring is the spring 31, the spring 28 being only a spring of reminder of the pawl. The force of this spring 28 is such that the pawl 24 can be easily pressed by hand so as to allow the liberalization of the collar 4 and straightening it in the rest or walking position.

As in the first embodiment, precompression of spring 31 could be adjusted by means of a threaded plug.

The shoe retainer shown in Figures 5 to 9 also uses a principle of ramp. The shoe is again a shoe with collar 4 articulated in 5 in the malleolar region. The ramp of the retainer is formed by the rounded end 32, for example in portions of sphere, of a finger 33 of section at least approximately rectangular, retained axially in an extra thickness 34 of the lower rear edge of the collar 4 and whose axis is oriented approximately vertically. This finger 33 is engaged in a hole 35 an extra thickness 36 of the rod 2 in which is formed a housing 37 containing a spring 38. The part upper part of this housing 37 has a narrowing frustoconical 39. In this accommodation are arranged two diametrically opposite balls 40 and retained in rotation around the axis of the housing by unrepresented gorges. These balls 40 are based on a metal washer 41 which supports itself on the precompressed spring 38. In rest position (Figure 6) the balls 40 are in abutment against the front upper of housing 37 and prevent free passage of finger 33 between the balls, when the finger is oriented as shown in figure 6 ..

In this position of the finger 33, when the collar 4 is highly stressed in rear tilting, the finger 33 pushes the balls 40 downwards compressing the spring 38. As they are descent, the balls 40 move away from one another in because of the taper in part 39. At a certain moment the balls are sufficiently apart one of the other to allow the passage of finger 33 and the corresponding tilting of the collar 4.

If the finger 33 is rotated around its axis, by example of 90 °, as shown in figure 8, the finger 33 can pass freely and effortlessly between balls 40. A relaxation position is thus obtained or walking. For its rotation, finger 33 is all simply provided with a knurled head 42 having two positioning marks.

The bottom of the housing 37 could be provided with a plug threaded for adjusting the spring precompression 38.

Claims (8)

Ski boot comprising a first part (1) essentially consisting of a sole and an upper (2) enveloping the foot and the malleolar region and a second part (4) consisting of a bottom collar leg (4) articulated with respect to the rod so as to allow movement of the collar back and forth and conversely, and means for retaining the collar opposing the tilting of the collar backwards, but yielding when the effort tending to tip over the collar exceeds a determined value, characterized in that the retaining means are constituted essentially a ramp (12; 21; 29; 32) integral of one of the parts of the shoe and against which comes to bear a support element (8; 16; 30; 40) integral with the other part of the shoe, the ramp and the supporting element being able to repel each other against the action of an elastic means (9; 19; 31; 38) of so as to allow tilting of the collar, said retaining means having an exhaust position allowing a free tilting back of the collar. Ski boot according to claim 1, the collar is hinged on the rod in the area malleolar, characterized in that the ramp (12) is located on the back of the rod, which is followed by a rebound counter-ramp (14) and the support element consists of a retractable finger (8) mounted in the collar, at least approximately perpendicular to the stem. Ski boot according to claim 2, characterized in that the spring (9) bears against a screw (10) for adjusting the force of the spring. Ski boot according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that said ramp (12) forms the side lower of a housing (11) whose upper side is also formed from a collar retaining ramp (13) forward. Shoe according to claim 1, the collar of which is articulated at the rear of the rod, characterized in that that said ramp (21) is formed on one end in hook shape (20) of a lever (17) pivotally mounted on at least one side of the stem and in that the element support consists of a stud or stud (16) integral of the necklace. Ski boot according to claim 1, the collar is hinged on the rod in the area malleolar and which is equipped with a stirrup (22) surrounding the heel and articulated in the area malleolar (23) below the collar, this stirrup being fitted with a pawl (24) articulated about an axis horizontal and bearing on a stop (27) of the rod located below the pawl so as to prevent tilting back of the stirrup, the pawl being held in the support position by a ratchet spring (28), characterized in that said ramp (29) is formed on the upper end of the pawl, that the support element (30) is located at the lower edge of the collar and that the elastic means consists of at least at least one spring (31) working in compression between the collar and the stirrup, the exhaust of the pawl stop, under the pressure of the collar, allowing the tilting of the collar. Ski boot according to claim 1, the collar is hinged on the rod in the area malleolar, characterized in that the ramp is constituted by the rounded end (32) of a finger (33) integral with the collar, at the rear of this collar and directed downwards, and in that the support element is consisting of at least two balls retained laterally by opposite ramps converging upwards and at the top of which they are held by the push said elastic means (38) so as to oppose the passage of said finger, so that a compression of the elastic means by said finger allows the spacing of the balls and the passage of said finger between the marbles. Ski boot according to claim 7, characterized in that the finger (33) is of section non-circular, in particular rectangular, of so that it can occupy at least two positions around its axis, one in which it abuts against said balls (40) and the other in which it does not meet the balls.

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