EP3415026B1 - Sport shoe intended to be connected to a sport device - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a sports shoe intended to be mechanically connected to a sports machine, in particular a gliding machine. It relates more particularly to a shoe allowing a good rolling of the foot, in particular in the area of the metatarsals.

The invention will find a particularly advantageous application in cross-country skiing, a sport in which the mobility of the foot must make it possible to take an alternative step, a step of the skater or skater. The invention can also be applied to ski touring, road skiing or the practice of snowshoeing.

For the practice of these winter sports, the shoe must meet many requirements. In particular, the boot must be able to flex in the region of the metatarsals in order to facilitate the movements of the skier during the pushing phases, in particular, when he takes alternative steps. Moreover, in order to be efficient, such a shoe must be light and must be able to be worn for several hours without injuring or hindering the user.

Conventionally, a cross-country shoe comprises a sole assembly and an upper. Usually, for this type of shoe, the sole comprises several layers, and in particular, a flat mounting insole, covering an outsole. In many constructions, upper flaps are inserted between the insole and the outsole, peripherally to these two layers. The flaps are then glued to the underside of the insole. The insole therefore serves to hold the flaps in position in order to ensure a sealed continuity between the sole assembly and the upper.

This structure is, for example, described in the application EP2060196 . In the document, the bottom shoe further comprises a shell formed of a plate and a peripheral wall at the level of the heel so as to form a buttress. In this example, the shell is interposed between, on the one hand, the wear sole and, on the other hand, the flexible wall flaps constituting the upper as well as a fitting insole. The "sole" then comprises the following successive layers, from the ground to the foot: the outsole, the shell plate, the flaps (locally), the insole. On the other hand, the “upper” comprises the following successive layers, from the outside towards the foot: the peripheral wall of the shell (locally), flexible walls. Thus, the foot is never in contact with the shell. There is always an element, the first assembly or a flexible wall, fixed, in a non-removable manner, on the hull. This construction includes a multitude of elements to be assembled which makes its manufacture complex. In addition, the use of a multitude of elements is a determining factor for the weight of the shoe. On the other hand, by fixing the flexible walls inside the peripheral wall of the hull, the upper edge of the peripheral wall of the hull forms a rim conducive to the accumulation of water or snow at the level. of the junction between the shell and the flexible walls. This water retention can penalize the waterproofness of the shoe, water being able to infiltrate between the shell and the flexible walls.

He is known to FR 2 759 552 A1 other similar solutions, on the other hand the flexible panel is not fixed to the shell in such a way that the flexible panel covers a peripheral strip of the lower surface of the front part of the plate.

The aim of the invention is to provide an improved sports shoe.

An object of the invention is to provide a lightweight shoe.

One goal is to provide an economical shoe that is easy to make.

Another aim is to provide a shoe with good sealing.

• une coque monobloc, en matériau rigide, composée
  • ∘ d'une plaque délimitée par une surface supérieure et une surface inférieure, la surface supérieure étant destinée à couvrir la plante du pied de l'utilisateur, la plaque comprenant une partie avant s'étendant, depuis l'extrémité avant de la plaque, sur un quart de sa longueur totale et, une partie arrière s'étendant, depuis l'extrémité arrière de la plaque, sur une moitié de sa longueur totale,
  • ∘ d'une paroi latérale et d'une paroi médiale, chaque paroi s'étendant du côté de la surface supérieure de la plaque, dans la partie arrière de la plaque, depuis, respectivement, un bord latéral et médial de la plaque, chaque paroi étant délimitée par une surface interne et une surface externe,
  • ∘ d'aucune paroi s'étendant du côté de la surface supérieure de la plaque depuis un bord de la plaque dans sa partie avant,
• une tige comprenant un panneau souple destiné à couvrir au moins une partie du dessus du pied de l'utilisateur, le panneau souple étant fixé à la coque.

For this, the invention relates to a sports shoe intended to be mechanically connected to a sports machine comprising:

• a one-piece shell, in rigid material, made up of
  • ∘ a plate delimited by an upper surface and a lower surface, the upper surface being intended to cover the sole of the user's foot, the plate comprising a front part extending from the front end of the plate, over a quarter of its total length and, a rear part extending from the rear end of the plate over a half of its total length,
  • ∘ a side wall and a medial wall, each wall extending from the side of the upper surface of the plate, in the rear part of the plate, from, respectively, a lateral and medial edge of the plate, each wall being delimited by an internal surface and an external surface,
  • ∘ no wall extending to the side of the top surface of the plate from an edge of the plate in its front part,
• a rod comprising a flexible panel intended to cover at least part of the top of the user's foot, the flexible panel being fixed to the shell.

The flexible panel covers a peripheral strip of the lower surface of the front part of the plate and part of the outer surface of the side and medial walls of the shell.

Thus, with this construction, the insole is no longer necessary because it is produced directly by the plate of the shell, in particular, at its front part. At this point, the flexible panel is fixed to the peripheral strip of the lower surface of the front part of the plate. By removing the insole, the shoe is then lightened. In addition, at the level of the lateral and medial walls of the shell, the flexible panel covers part of the external surface of these walls. This means that the flexible panel does not completely overlap the shell in its rear part. Consequently, this makes it possible to use a smaller flexible panel surface and therefore to further lighten the structure. Moreover, by fixing the flexible wall to the outside of the shell, this makes it possible to improve the sealing of the boot. In fact, any rim likely to be a source of water retention is removed.

• le panneau souple comprend plusieurs pièces assemblées pour former une enveloppe destinée à couvrir le dessus du pied et la cheville de l'utilisateur,
• le panneau souple est constitué d'une toile, d'un tissu ou d'un film,
• le panneau souple comprend un revêtement complémentaire au niveau de l'extrémité avant de la chaussure,
• la coque comprend également une paroi arrière s'étendant du côté de la surface supérieure de la plaque depuis un bord arrière de la plaque et reliant la paroi latérale à la paroi médiale, selon un mode de réalisation, la paroi arrière est moins haute que les parois latérale et médiale.
• le panneau souple est collé uniquement sur la coque,
• la chaussure comprend un chausson amovible destinée à se loger entre la coque et le panneau souple,
• l'épaisseur de la partie avant de la plaque est inférieure à 2,5 millimètres,
• la coque est réalisée en matériau rigide ayant un module d'élasticité supérieur à 2 GPa,
• la plaque composant la coque est galbée uniquement selon une direction longitudinale,
• la chaussure comprend une semelle d'usure fixée sur la surface inférieure de la plaque de la coque et/ou une partie du panneau souple recouvrant la bande périphérique de la surface inférieure de la partie avant de la plaque,
• la semelle d'usure comprend :
  • ∘ un élément d'accroche apte à coopérer avec un mécanisme de fixation porté par un engin de sport afin de solidariser la chaussure avec l'engin de sport tout en permettant la rotation de la chaussure, par rapport à l'engin de sport, autour d'un axe transversal à l'avant de la chaussure, le mécanisme de fixation permettant la désolidarisation de la chaussure avec l'engin de sport et,
  • ∘ des moyens de guidage, positionnés sous la plaque de la coque, aptes à coopérer avec un guide porté par l'engin de sport afin de limiter uniquement le déplacement transversal du talon de la chaussure,
• l'élément d'accroche est réalisé par un arbre porté s'étendant transversalement à la chaussure,
• la chaussure comprend une entretoise destinée à s'intercaler entre la surface inférieure de la partie avant de la coque et une surface supérieure de la partie avant de la semelle d'usure.

Optionally, the invention may have any of the following optional characteristics taken alone or in combination:

• the flexible panel comprises several pieces assembled to form an envelope intended to cover the top of the foot and the ankle of the user,
• the flexible panel consists of a canvas, a fabric or a film,
• the flexible panel includes a complementary coating at the front end of the boot,
• the shell also comprises a rear wall extending on the side of the upper surface of the plate from a rear edge of the plate and connecting the side wall to the medial wall, according to one embodiment, the rear wall is lower than the sides. lateral and medial walls.
• the flexible panel is glued only to the shell,
• the shoe includes a removable liner intended to fit between the shell and the flexible panel,
• the thickness of the front part of the plate is less than 2.5 millimeters,
• the shell is made of a rigid material having a modulus of elasticity greater than 2 GPa,
• the plate making up the shell is curved only in a longitudinal direction,
• the shoe comprises an outsole fixed to the lower surface of the plate of the shell and / or a part of the flexible panel covering the peripheral strip of the lower surface of the front part of the plate,
• the outsole includes:
  • ∘ a fastening element capable of cooperating with a fixing mechanism carried by a sports machine in order to secure the shoe with the sports machine while allowing the rotation of the shoe, relative to the sports machine, around a transverse axis at the front of the boot, the binding mechanism allowing the boot to be detached from the sports machine and,
  • ∘ guide means, positioned under the plate of the shell, able to cooperate with a guide carried by the sports machine in order to limit only the transverse displacement of the heel of the boot,
• the attachment element is produced by a supported shaft extending transversely to the boot,
• the shoe comprises a spacer intended to be inserted between the lower surface of the front part of the shell and an upper surface of the front part of the outsole.

• la figure 1 est une vue en perspective d'un mode de réalisation d'une chaussure de sport selon l'invention, la perspective étant prise du dessus et depuis le côté médial de la chaussure ;
• la figure 2 est une vue de côté (côté médial) de la chaussure illustrée à la figure 1;
• la figure 3 est une vue éclatée des composants de la chaussure illustrée à la figure 1, les composants étant représentés de manière simplifiée ;
• la figure 4 est une vue de dessous de la coque de la chaussure illustrée à la figure 1 ;
• la figure 5 est une vue de côté de la coque de la figure 4 ;
• la figure 6 est une vue de dessus de la coque de la figure 4 ;
• la figure 7 est une vue en coupe longitudinale partielle, de la partie avant de la chaussure illustrée à la figure 1, selon VII-VII de la figure 8 ;
• la figure 8 est une vue en coupe selon VIII-VIII de la figure 7.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of nonlimiting examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

• the figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a sports shoe according to the invention, the perspective being taken from above and from the medial side of the shoe;
• the figure 2 is a side view (medial side) of the shoe shown in figure 1 ;
• the figure 3 is an exploded view of the components of the shoe shown on figure 1 , the components being shown in a simplified manner;
• the figure 4 is a bottom view of the shoe shell shown on figure 1 ;
• the figure 5 is a side view of the hull of the figure 4 ;
• the figure 6 is a top view of the hull of the figure 4 ;
• the figure 7 is a view in partial longitudinal section, of the front part of the shoe illustrated in figure 1 , according to VII-VII of the figure 8 ;
• the figure 8 is a sectional view along VIII-VIII of the figure 7 .

In the remainder of the description, use will be made of terms such as “upper”, “lower”, “top”, “bottom”, “front” and “rear”. These terms must be interpreted in relation to the position that the shoe occupies on the foot of a user in normal posture, and the normal direction of advance of a user.

The terms “lateral” and “medial”, in a conventional manner, are understood as facing outwards and inwards respectively. Thus, the medial side of one foot or shoe faces the medial side of the user's other foot or shoe.

The term “longitudinal” refers to a heel-toe direction while the term “transverse” refers to a lateral-medial direction and therefore substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

In the description, the “shoe” is defined by a “sole” and a “upper”. The figures 7 and 8 present the distinction between these two parts of the shoe. The “sole” is the lower part of the shoe between the foot and the ground. The “upper” is the upper part of the shoe enveloping the foot and possibly part of the ankle. The upper is secured to the peripheral edge of the sole assembly. It should be noted that certain elements of the shoe can form both part of the sole assembly and part of the upper.

An embodiment will now be described with reference to figures 1 to 8 .

These figures illustrate a sports shoe 1 for a right foot. The shoe 1 conventionally comprises an upper 2 and a sole assembly 3.

More precisely, and as illustrated in figure 3 , the sports shoe 1 comprises an outsole 10, a shell 20, a flexible composite panel 30, a spacer 40 and a removable liner 50. Thus, for this construction, the sole 3 is defined by the elements intended to be positioned under the sole of the foot, namely the outsole 10, part 21 of the shell 20, the spacer 40, flaps 33 bordering the lower front part of the flexible panel 30 and the lower wall 52 of the liner 50 Furthermore, the upper is defined by parts 22, 23, 24 of the shell, the major part of the flexible panel 30 and the envelope 51 of the liner 50 with the exception of the lower wall 52.

According to this embodiment, the outsole 10 is delimited vertically by a lower face 12, intended to be in contact with the ground or a sports machine, and an upper face 11, opposite the lower face, and intended to be in contact with the ground or a sports machine. be in contact with another element of the sole assembly which will be described later. The outsole 10 is provided with at least one gripping element 13 and, on the side of the lower face 12, lateral reliefs 14 delimiting a central groove 15 extending longitudinally of the boot. The attachment element 13 is able to cooperate with a fixing mechanism carried by a sports machine such as a ski, for example, a cross-country ski or a ski touring, or such as a snowshoe. For this type of practice, this cooperation makes it possible to secure the shoe with the sports machine while allowing the rotation of the shoe relative to the sports machine, around a transverse axis Y1 to the shoe, positioned at the level from the front of the shoe. The binding mechanism enables the boot to be detached from the sports machine. Such a mechanism is, for example, described in the document FR2638974 .

In this example, the gripping element 13 is produced by a shaft carried by two lateral reliefs 14 of the front part of the wear sole 10 and extending transversely to the boot, at the level of the central groove 15 of the shoe. the outsole 10 delimited by the two lateral reliefs 14. Other attachment elements can be envisaged as long as they define a pivot axis of the boot. For example, the outsole may comprise, on each side, lateral / medial, of its anterior part, an external recess intended to receive a lateral pivot, respectively right and left, of a fixing mechanism. Thus, the two lateral pivots of the mechanism define the transverse axis of rotation of the boot when they are in engagement with the external recesses of the sole. These external recesses can be made in an insert attached to the sole.

In this example, the central groove 15 delimited by the lateral reliefs 14 able to cooperate with a guide carried by the sports machine in order to limit only the transverse displacement of the heel of the boot. This cooperation occurs when the shoe is in a configuration where the outsole, and more particularly the lower face 12, bears, directly or indirectly, on the sports machine. In this configuration, the skier can then better guide the trajectory of his ski. The groove 15 bordered by the lateral reliefs 14 thus define guide means, positioned under the foot. The guide is for example a guide ridge. Alternatively, other guidance means can be considered. For example, the outsole can include several longitudinal grooves instead of a single central longitudinal groove. In this case, these longitudinal grooves are able to cooperate respectively with as many guide ridges formed on the top of the ski. A reverse construction can also be considered. One or more grooves are formed on the top of the ski so as to receive guide ridges formed on the underside of the wear sole.

According to a variant, the outsole may be composed of two separate inserts, for example, a front insert carrying the gripping element 13 and a rear insert integrating the guide means such as a longitudinal central groove intended to cooperate with a guide ridge carried by the sports machine.

According to the invention, the shell 20 has specific characteristics, as illustrated in the figures 4 to 6 .

The shell 20 is in one piece and is made of a rigid material. Within the meaning of the invention, a rigid material is a material having sufficient stiffness to obtain a self-supporting shell structure. Generally, the modulus of elasticity of a rigid material is greater than 2 GPa. Such a material can be a composite material comprising fibers of synthetic and / or natural materials embedded in a matrix. Alternatively, such a material can be a plastic material, such as a polymer, optionally loaded with particles and / or staple fibers. However, fabrics, fabrics or films are not considered to be rigid materials because they do not have sufficient strength to be self-supporting without exerting a specific holding force on these fabrics, fabrics or films.

• d'une plaque 21 délimitée par une surface supérieure 211 et une surface inférieure 212, la surface supérieure 211 étant destinée à couvrir la plante du pied de l'utilisateur, la plaque 21 comprenant une partie avant 21a s'étendant, depuis l'extrémité avant de la plaque, sur un quart de sa longueur totale L21 et, une partie arrière 21b s'étendant, depuis l'extrémité arrière de la plaque, sur une moitié de sa longueur totale L21,
• d'une paroi latérale 22 et d'une paroi médiale 23, chaque paroi 22, 23 s'étendant du côté de la surface supérieure 211 de la plaque 21, dans la partie arrière 21b de la plaque, depuis, respectivement, un bord latéral 215 et médial 216 de la plaque 21, chaque paroi 22, 23 étant délimitée par une surface interne 221, 231 et une surface externe 222, 232,
• d'aucune paroi s'étendant du côté de la surface supérieure 211 de la plaque 21 depuis un bord de la plaque dans sa partie avant 21a.

The hull 20 is composed of:

• of a plate 21 delimited by an upper surface 211 and a lower surface 212, the upper surface 211 being intended to cover the sole of the user's foot, the plate 21 comprising a front part 21a extending from the end front of the plate, over a quarter of its total length L21 and, a rear portion 21b extending from the rear end of the plate, over half of its total length L21,
• a side wall 22 and a medial wall 23, each wall 22, 23 extending from the side of the upper surface 211 of the plate 21, in the rear part 21b of the plate, from, respectively, a side edge 215 and medial 216 of the plate 21, each wall 22, 23 being delimited by an internal surface 221, 231 and an external surface 222, 232,
• no wall extending from the side of the upper surface 211 of the plate 21 from an edge of the plate in its front part 21a.

The plate 21 is thus delimited, in width, by a medial peripheral edge 216 and a lateral peripheral edge 215, and in length, by a front peripheral edge 213 and a rear peripheral edge 214. It extends over a total length L21. It comprises an average thickness e21 which is preferably less than 2.5 mm in order to facilitate the bending of the plate. The plate 21 is not necessarily flat, it is advantageously curved. In order not to penalize the bending of the plate around a transverse axis, in particular at the level of the metatarsals, the plate is preferably curved only in a longitudinal direction. In other words, for each of its length portions, the plate has a substantially linear width. In its front part 21a, the lower surface 212 comprises a lower peripheral strip 2121 running along the peripheral edge of the plate 21a, namely, part of the medial edge 216, the front edge 213 and part of the lateral edge. 215. The lower peripheral strip 2121 is not necessarily marked, it can be fictitious.

As described above, the shell 20 comprises two walls extending upwards from the rear part 21b of the plate 21. A first side wall 22 extends from the side edge 215, in a direction normal to the upper surface 211. of the plate 21. It is defined by an external surface 222 and an internal surface 221, these surfaces determining an average thickness e22 which is preferably less than 2.5 mm. A second medial wall 23 extends from the lateral edge 215, in a direction normal to the upper surface 211 of the plate 21. It is defined by an external surface 232 and an internal surface 231, these surfaces determining an average thickness e23 which is preferably less than 2.5 mm. These two walls provide good transverse support for the foot. Thanks to these walls, the user can maintain a foot position allowing him an efficient transmission of force to the sports machine. This is particularly the case when the skier takes a skater step. Preferably, the two walls are curved in order to match the lateral and medial morphology of the foot and, for certain shoes, the lateral and medial malleoli. These left shapes make it possible to improve the wearing comfort, in particular by avoiding occasional contact with the foot which can cause painful local pressure. The walls can also protect the malleoli against possible blows. In the example described, the walls are provided with means making it possible to fix a collar 60, which rotates along a transverse axis positioned substantially at the level of the axis of the malleoli. Alternatively, the shoe does not include a collar. The lateral and medial walls may be lower and not cover the malleoli. Indeed, for certain sports practices, for example reciprocating skiing, the transverse support of the foot is less useful and does not require a less important lateral and medial overlap.

In this example, the shell also comprises a third rear wall 24, connecting the first side wall 22 to the second medial wall 23, in the rear part of the shell. The third rear wall 24 extends from the rear edge 214, in a direction normal to the upper surface 211 of the plate 21. Thus, the first side wall 22, the second medial wall 23 and the third rear wall 24 form a wall. continues aft of the hull. This continuous wall is intended to substantially surround the rear of the foot, at the heel. This continuity, via the third rear wall 24, improves the rigidity of the first and second walls, which makes it possible to limit their bending. The third rear wall 24 is lower than the lateral 22 and medial 23 walls. This rear notch makes it possible not to cover the Achilles tendon. Thus, the foot can freely pivot around a transverse axis at the level of its malleoli without the shell coming into contact with the Achilles tendon. User comfort is then improved by avoiding painful point contact in this sensitive area.

The first 22, second 23 walls and / or the third wall 24 comprise, on their outer surface 222, 232, an outer peripheral strip 25 running along the peripheral edge. upper side of these walls. This outer peripheral strip 25 is illustrated on figure 3 . The outer peripheral strip 25 is not necessarily marked, it can be fictitious.

According to the invention, no wall extends on the side of the upper surface 211 of the plate 21 from an edge of the plate in its front part 21a. This means that there are no walls extending upwards from the front part 21a of the plate 21, neither from the lateral peripheral 215 and medial edges 216 of the front part, nor from the front peripheral edge. 213 from the front part. In other words, the front part of the shell only forms a plate characterized by an average thickness e21a which is preferably less than 2.5 mm. This plate corresponds to the front part 21a of the plate. It is sized to position itself vis-à-vis the metatarsals of the foot when the latter is fitted in the shell. The front part 21a of the plate can be curved, as is the case in this example.

The absence of lateral and medial vertical walls in the front part 21a of the shell facilitates flexion of the shell, around a transverse axis, in the region of the metatarsals. This flexion is essential. Indeed, when the user uses a sports machine targeted by the invention, he must effectively transmit propulsive forces. For this, at the end of the movement, its support is mainly carried out at the front end of the foot. It is therefore important for the foot to be able to flex freely at the level of the metatarsals. In addition, the foot must have good transverse stability in order to have stable support. Also, the use of a plate allows this double requirement, bending around a transverse axis and rigidity around a longitudinal axis. To improve the bending around a transverse axis, it is possible to envisage varying the thickness of the plate 21 and, in particular in its front part 21a. Thus, by locally reducing the thickness e21a of the front part, over the entire width of the plate, the bending of the plate at the level of this zone is promoted, in a manner analogous to a hinge. Another way to improve flexion in the metatarsal area is to create a corrugation in the plate, with the trough of a wave extending in a transverse direction.

The absence of a vertical front wall in the front part 21a of the shell greatly facilitates the production of the shell and also makes it possible to lighten the part. Some shoe constructions incorporate a shell incorporating a front reinforcement to protect the toes. Such a construction is illustrated in the document EP2989917 . It turns out that such a shell is complex to produce. Indeed, the tooling making it possible to produce such a part is complex and costly, in particular due to the presence of large undercuts. The production rate is thus limited due to the movements of the impressions of the mold. By eliminating the front walls of the hull, the invention makes it possible to greatly simplify the tooling for producing the hull. This allows the use of tooling comprising simple indentation movements, without undercuts or with low undercuts.

The shoe also comprises a flexible panel 30. Within the meaning of the invention, a flexible panel can easily be deformed, in all directions, to conform to the morphology of the foot. The flexible panel, also called applique, is intended to cover at least part of the top of the user's foot. The flexible panel is generally made up of several pieces assembled together. Each piece is made according to a pattern so that by assembling the pieces together, a volume structure is obtained forming an envelope intended to cover the top of the foot and the ankle of the user. The flexible panel can be made from a single piece. The component or parts that make up the flexible panel can be a canvas, a fabric or a film. These parts of the flexible panel can comprise several layers or coatings depending on their location. Other elements can be associated with the flexible panel to form the rod. For example, the upper may include a lacing system to hold the foot while tightening the top of the foot.

In this example, the flexible panel 30 comprises a multilayer film 35 composed of an internal or charmeuse mesh, a breathable membrane and an external canvas. This film 35 forms a front part of the upper intended to cover the top and the front of the foot. At the front end, the flexible panel comprises a complementary coating 36. In this example, this coating comprises a succession of layers. The first layer, covering the film 35, is the "hard end". It is a thermoformed part so as to create a curve, a volume structure. The hard toe helps create the camber of the front of the shoe. It ensures the shaping of the front of the rod and prevents it from sagging. The second layer, covering the hard toe, is a reinforcement to protect the toes against blows. A third layer can cover the reinforcement. This third layer can be used to improve the seal or ensure the maintenance of the previous layers. This construction is illustrated in the figures 7 and 8 .

The flexible panel 30 is delimited by an internal surface 31 and an external surface 32. In its front part, the flexible panel 30 comprises flaps 33 intended to be positioned opposite the lower peripheral strip 2121 of the lower surface. 212 of the front part 21a of the plate 21, during the assembly of the flexible panel with the shell. The flaps 33 are separated by cutouts 331, as seen on the figure 3 , so that the flaps can fit properly on the lower surface 212 of the shell 20, without folds. In its rear part, the internal surface 31 of the flexible panel 30 comprises an internal peripheral strip 311, in its lower part, as seen in the figure. figure 3 . The inner peripheral strip 311 is not necessarily marked, it can be fictitious. This internal peripheral strip 311 is dimensioned so as to position itself vis-à-vis the external peripheral strip 25 of the shell 20, during the assembly of the flexible panel with the shell.

In this example, the boot comprises a spacer 40 intended to be inserted between the lower surface 212 of the front part 21a of the shell 20 and the upper surface 11 of the front part of the outsole 10. This spacer 40 is dimensioned to fit into a space delimited by the flaps 33 of the flexible panel when the flexible panel is assembled on the shell.

The production of the shoe according to the invention comprises the following steps.

In a first step, the outsole 10, the shell 20, the flexible panel 30 and the spacer 40 are produced independently. As regards the flexible panel 30, this is produced by assembling several elements. between them, as we have seen previously.

In a second step, the flexible panel 30, or "applies", is assembled on the shell 20. During this step, the lower edges of the flexible panel 30 are fixed on the peripheral edges of the shell. To connect these two elements, several assembly techniques can be considered. According to one embodiment, the flexible panel 30 is glued only to the shell 20. The adhesive layer 4 is shown on the figures 7 and 8 . Gluing or thermo-gluing is an interesting solution because it makes it possible to have a good relative seal between the two parts. It is also possible to use an assembly by stitching / stitching or else by welding, for example, by ultrasound.

A feature of the claimed construction is that the flexible panel 30 covers a lower peripheral strip 2121 of the lower surface 212 of the front part 21a of the plate 21 and a part 25 of the outer surface 222 of the side wall 22 and a part 25 of the external surface 232 of the medial wall 23. Thus, in the rear part of the assembly, the internal peripheral strip 311 of the internal surface 31 of the rear part of the flexible panel 30 is placed on the defined external peripheral strip 25. by a part 25 of the outer surface 222 of the side wall 22, a part 25 of the outer surface 232 of the medial wall 23 and, in this example, by a part 25 of the outer surface of the rear wall 24. This assembly by covering the flexible wall on the shell, in the rear part of the boot, it is possible to improve the sealing of the boot. In fact, this makes it possible to avoid creating an external rim liable to create water or snow retention. This water retention can be the cause of water penetration or infiltration inside the shoe. According to one embodiment, the flexible panel 30 covers the external surfaces 222, 232 of the lateral 22 and medial 23 walls over a relatively large covering surface, greater than a peripheral strip of defined width.

On the other hand, in the front part of the assembly, the flanges 33 are folded so that they cover the lower peripheral strip 2121 of the lower surface 212 of the front part 21a of the plate 21. There also, this assembly by covering improves the sealing of the shoe. There is no external rim that could be the source of water infiltration. With this construction, the covering of the flexible panel on the front part of the shell is achieved on a relatively flat and relatively large surface of the shell. This makes it possible to improve the quality of the adhesion between the two elements, in particular, when the parts are assembled by gluing. During this stage of securing, it is necessary to temporarily maintain contact between the two parts. It is therefore necessary to apply pressure on one element in order to press it against the other. This construction makes it possible to control the applied pressure and to obtain a qualitative assembly.

In addition, this construction makes it possible to reduce the number of discontinuities between the overlap zones. These discontinuities can be more difficult areas to seal. In this example, there are two discontinuities, each at an intersection, lateral and medial, between the lower peripheral strip 2121 and the outer peripheral strip 25.

In a third step, the outsole 10 is assembled on the assembly made up of the shell 20 and the flexible panel 30, optionally inserting a spacer 40. This assembly can be done by gluing (adhesive layer 4 shown in figures 7 and 8 ), by means of screws and insert or by any other suitable technique. The outsole is attached to the lower surface of the shell plate and / or a portion of the flexible panel covering the peripheral strip of the lower surface of the front portion of the plate.

A lightweight shoe 1 is then obtained, comprising a minimum of components. The particularity of this construction is the absence of a traditional assembly insole, the latter being replaced by a part 21 of the shell 20.

In this example, the shoe 1 also comprises a removable liner 50 formed by an envelope 51 and delimited, in its lower part, by a lower wall 52. The liner 50 is intended to be inserted inside the assembly. of the shell 20 and of the flexible panel 30, between the shell and the flexible panel.

This construction is particularly advantageous for removable shoes because it is light while ensuring good transverse support and flexion in the region of the metatarsals.

References

• 1. Sports shoe
• 2. Stem
• 3. Sole
• 4. Glue layer
• 10. Outsole
  • 11. Upper side
  • 12. Underside
  • 13. Hanging element
  • 14. Lateral relief
  • 15. Central groove
• 20. Hull
  • 21. Plate
    • 21a. Front part
    • 21b. Rear part
    • 211. Top surface
    • 212. Bottom surface
      2121. Lower peripheral strip
    • 213. Front peripheral edge
    • 214. Rear peripheral edge
    • 215. Lateral peripheral edge
    • 216. Medial peripheral border
  • 22. Side wall
    • 221. Internal surface
    • 222. External surface
  • 23. Medial wall
    • 231. Internal surface
    • 232. External surface
  • 24. Rear wall
  • 25. External peripheral band
• 30. Flexible panel
  • 31. Internal surface
    311. Internal peripheral strip
  • 32. External surface
  • 33. Rabat
    331. Cutting
  • 34. Movie
  • 35. Complementary coating
• 40. Spacer
• 50. Slipper
  • 51. Envelope
  • 52. Lower wall
• 60. Necklace

Claims (15)

1. Sports shoe (1) intended to be mechanically connected to a sports device, comprising:

   - a one-piece shell (20) made of a rigid material, and made up

   ∘ of a plate (21) delimited by an upper surface (211) and a lower surface (212), the upper surface being intended to cover the sole of the foot of the user, the plate comprising a front part (21a) extending, from the front end of the plate, over one quarter of the total length (L21) thereof, and a rear part (21b) extending, from the rear end of the plate, over half of the total length thereof,

   ∘ of a side wall (22) and of a medial wall (23), each wall extending on the side of the upper surface of the plate, in the rear part of the plate, from, respectively, a lateral edge (215) and medial edge (216) of the plate, each wall (22, 23) being delimited by an internal surface (221, 231) and an external surface (222, 232),

   ∘ no wall extending from the side of the upper surface of the plate from an edge of the plate in the front part thereof,

   - an upper (2) comprising a flexible panel (30) intended to cover at least part of the top of the foot of the user, the flexible panel being attached to the shell,

   characterized in that
   the flexible panel covers a peripheral band (2121) of the underside surface of the front part of the plate, a part (25) of the external surface of the lateral wall and a part (25) of the external surface of the medial wall.
2. Sports shoe according to Claim 1, characterized in that the flexible panel comprises several parts which are assembled to form a cover intended to cover the top of the foot and the ankle of the user.
3. Sports shoe according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the flexible panel is made of a web, a woven or a film.
4. Sports shoe according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that flexible panel comprises an additional covering (35) at the front end of the shoe.
5. Sports shoe according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the shell also comprises a rear wall (24) extending from the side of the upper surface of the plate from a rear edge of the plate and connecting the lateral wall to the medial wall.
6. Sports shoe according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the rear wall (24) is not as tall as the lateral wall (22) and medial wall (23).
7. Sports shoe according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the flexible panel is bonded only to the shell.
8. Sports shoe according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a removable bootsock (50) intended to be housed between the shell and the flexible panel.
9. Sports shoe according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the thickness (e21a) of the front part of the plate is less than 2.5 millimetres.
10. Sports shoe according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the shell is made from a rigid material having an elastic modulus higher than 2 GPa.
11. Sports shoe according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the plate (21) that makes up the shell is curved only in a longitudinal direction.
12. Sports shoe according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises an outsole (10) attached to the underside surface of the plate of the shell and/or part of the flexible panel covering the peripheral band of the underside surface of the front part of the plate.
13. Sports shoe according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the outsole comprises:

    - an attachment element (13) able to collaborate with a binding mechanism borne by a sports device so as to attach the shoe to the sports device while allowing the shoe to rotate, with respect to the sports device, about a transverse axis at the front of the shoe, the binding mechanism allowing the shoe to be detached from the sports device, and

    - guide means (14, 15), positioned under the plate of the shell, and able to collaborate with a guide borne by the sports device so as to limit only the transverse movement of the heel of the shoe.
14. Sports shoe according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the attachment element (13) is produced by a supported shaft extending transversely to the shoe.
15. Sports shoe according to one of Claims 12 to 14, characterized in that it comprises a spacer (40) intended to be interposed between the underside surface (212) of the front part (21a) of the shell (20) and an upper surface (11) of the front part of the outsole (10).

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