FR2651648A1 - Ski boot with variable-volume shell - Google Patents

Abstract

Boot with variable-volume shell (1) equipped with gripping means, for example buckles (13, 14) and with entry via the rear, that is to say equipped with an upper in two parts (3, 4) articulated on the shell. The front part (3) of the upper has a notch (indentation) covered over by a pair of tongues (8) equipped with gripping means (9, 10). The tongues are either integral with the front part (3) of the upper, or integral with the rear part (4) of the upper. <??>This boot combines the advantages of variable-volume and rear-entry boots.

Description

The present invention relates to a ski boot consisting of a shell

with variable volume surrounding the

foot and heel and a two-part upper, respec-

anterior and posterior, articulated on the shell and equipped with means of closing and tightening. Shoes with variable volume and articulated upper are known in particular from US Patents 3,570,148, 3,494,054 and 4,499,676. The hull can be clamped, by reducing its volume, by means of cables and tensioners (US 3,570,148) or, more conventionally by means of

loops. This type of shoe has the advantage of allowing

provide excellent foot support by adapting the volume of the shell to the size of the foot. Tightening is carried out externally by simple and precise means, for example by means of micrometric adjustment buckles. The rod is in the form of a collar which can be closed and tightened by means of tension cables or

curls and hardly extends over the neck

foot.

With this type of shoe, known as variable volume, we op-

generally put on the so-called fixed-volume shoes

whose hull is shaped like a hoof. In these shoes

as the foot cannot be tightened by reducing the volume of the shell, it is necessary to provide

internal tightening means, which complicates the

construction and poses problems of lateral support of the foot inside the shoe. It was also necessary to provide internal tightening means

diagonal, at the instep, to keep the

mement the heel in the shoe.

On the other hand, shoes with a fixed-volume shell generally have an upper in two parts, the

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rear part can tilt backwards, making it easier to put on, hence the name of rear entry or rear entry shoes. Such a shoe is described for example in the patent

US 4,539,673.

Recently, a new shoe with a variable-volume shell, the upper of which consists of two

parts, respectively anterior and posterior, ar-

ticulated on the shell, allowing entry from the rear. The rod is closed by means of a cable and a tensioner mounted at the rear. As for the shell, it can be tightened by means of two loops of which

one is mounted between two tabs of the an-

of the rod extending obliquely from the joints

lations in the direction of the instep, in an

opening of the front part of the upper freeing the instep, the buckle thus ensuring diagonal tightening of the shoe. This shoe therefore combines the advantages of variable-volume shoes and

rear-entry shoes.

The object of the present invention is to simplify and

improve the integration of the two types of footwear.

The ski boot according to the invention is characterized

by the fact that the anterior part of the stem pre-

feels an indentation releasing the part of the shell on the instep, the unobstructed area being covered, at least in the closed position of the shoe, by a pair of opposed tongues integral with one of the

parts of the stem, and extending appreciably horizontally

tally on each side of the stem, from the back to

forward and overlapping in said clearance zone.

age, the means for closing and tightening the rod

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being arranged so as to exert a traction towards

the rear on at least one of said tabs.

The tabs may be integral with the an-

terior or posterior part of the stem.

The closing and tightening means provide simul-

immediately closing the upper and diagonal tightening of the shoe. The rod is presented as a rod of

variable dimension at the instep. It does not

There is no open cut above the neck.

foot, but the superposition of the tongues, enveloping the front of the ankle, ensures a certain rigidity of the upper, a good lateral hold, and a tightness

sufficient at the instep.

In the case where the tongues are integral with the rear part of the rod, the lateral strength can also be further improved by providing in the sides of the front part of the rod profiles in which the tongues fit together, so so that in the closed position the rod forms a

monolithic set.

The appended drawing represents, by way of example, two embodiments of the ski boot according to the invention. Figure 1 shows a first embodiment,

closed, seen from the outside of the foot.

Figure 2 shows the same shoe, closed, view

on the inside of the foot.

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Figure 3 is an exploded view of the constituent parts

tives of the shoe, without the tightening means.

FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment, closed, seen from the outside of the foot. Figure 5 shows the shoe of Figure 4,

closed, seen from the inside of the foot.

Figure 6 is an exploded view of the constituent parts

tives of the same shoe, without the tightening means.

The shoe shown in Figures 1 to 3 comprises a

shell 1 with variable volume surrounding the foot and the

lon, the variable volume being obtained, in a known manner, by means of two flaps la and lb extending above the instep, in the manner of a low rod of

shoe. The hull 1 is fitted at the rear with a lan-

watch 2 connected to the shell by a narrow part, in a known manner, allowing the tongue 2 to flex

easily forward and backward (Figure 3).

On the shell 1 is articulated a rod consisting of an anterior part 3 and a posterior part 4. These

parts 3 and 4 are articulated on each side of the co-

that 1 by means of rivets 5 and 6. The rear part 4 of the rod fits in known manner in the front part 3. The front part 3 has, on the front, a notch 16 (Figure 3) releasing

the lc area of the shell in the instep area.

This indentation leaves a relative part

ment ridige consisting of two side parts and

a part 3a adjoining the upper edge of the rod.

The notch is occupied by two opposite tongues 7 and 8 integral with part 3 and extending from the sides

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of the upper towards the front of the shoe, and coming

layer on the instep. The ends of the lan-

guets 7 and 8 are attached to the ends of a cable 9 attached itself to a tensioning lever 10 articulated in its upper part about a horizontal axis 11 at the

back of the posterior part 4 of the rod. On the in- side

inside the shoe, the cable 9 crosses the part

anterior 3 of the rod through a passage 12. The co-

that 1 is provided with two loops 13 and 14 connecting parts 1a and 1b, for example loops as described in US Pat. No. 4,051,611. At the back, the

shoe is further provided with a device 15

both to block the rod in the forward position. Such

device is described in patent 4,499,676.

To put on the shoes, the tensioning lever 10 is raised, which has the effect of releasing a sufficient length of cable to allow the rear part to tilt.

4 of the rod backwards and the relaxation of the lan-

watches 7 and 8. Once the foot has been inserted into the shoe, the rear part 4 of the upper is pushed forward and the tensioning lever 10 is folded down, which has the effect of pulling on the tabs 7 and 8 and tighten the rod. As the tongues 7 and 8 also extend over the instep, the tightening of these tongues also has the effect of exerting a

pressure on the instep and consequently

push the heel into its seat, as if you had a diagonal tightening. According to a simplified variant embodiment, one of the ends of the cable 9, on the inside of the boot, could be fixed to the lateral part of the front part 3 of the upper instead of being fixed to the tongue 7. In this case

fixing would be approximately at the place of the pass-

sage 12, figure 2.

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The tensioner lever 10 shown could be replaced

by any other traction device working towards

tically, horizontally or rotatively, that is

say of the reel drum type. As for cable 9, it could be replaced by any similar means such as

than a belt or the like.

The shoe according to the second embodiment, shown

shown in Figures 4 to 6, consists of a shell 21 with variable volume having, on the top of the foot, two superimposed flaps 21a and 2lb making it possible to tighten the foot in the shoe by reducing the volume of the

shell. At the rear, the hull 21 is fitted with a lan-

watch 22 connected to the hull by a narrow part for-

mant articulation for the tongue which surrounds and applies to the Achilles tendon. On the shell 21 is articulated, by means of two rivets 23 and 24, a rod in two parts, respectively anterior 25 and posterior 26. The anterior part 25 of the rod is

consisting of two side parts 25a, 25b extending

dant substantially vertically from the joints

tions and interconnected, in their upper part

upper, by a transverse part 25c limiting a

large indentation 27 above zone 21c neck

of foot. The side parts 25a and 25b have a profile 28, 29 respectively in the form of a groove. The posterior part of the rod, which fits into the anterior part 25 is furthermore provided with two

tabs 30 and 31 starting from the back of the posterior part

upper 26 and extending forward. The hull 21 and

the tabs 30 and 31 are fitted with adjustable buckles

micrometric ge 32, 33 and 34 each consisting of a

tensioning lever fixed on one side of the hull, res-

pectively the tongue 30 and a hooking means

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fixed on the flap 2lb of the shell and respectively on the tongue 31. Such loops are, for example,

described in US Pat. No. 4,051,611. In closed position

mée, the shoe shown looks like a classic three-buckle shoe. The rod is completed by a tibial support piece 35 which is placed between the top of the anterior part.

of the upper and a comfort liner, not shown.

This tibial support piece 35 covers the edge

upper part of the shell 21 and it is provided with a

relet 36 coming to be placed under the lower edge of the transverse part 25c of the anterior part 25 of

the rod.

In the closed position of the shoe, the tongues 30 and 31 are engaged in the profiles 28 and 29 of the front part 25 and are superimposed on the front

of the foot, below the bead 36, forming a collar

bind with the posterior part 26 of the rod, this collar

binding that can be tightened by means of the buckle 34. The

tongues 30 and 31 are therefore in a way interlocked

tees in the anterior part 25 of the shank, so

so that the two parts of the stem form a set

monolithic wheat relatively rigid and ensuring in

in all cases, perfect lateral support of the leg,

lateral inlet necessary for the correct guidance of the skis.

The shoe is of course equipped with an internal liner.

comfort not shown in the drawing.

The shoe shown is further provided, at the ar-

rière, a locking device 37 similar to the available

Sitif 15 of the first embodiment.

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The relatively low position of the tongues 30 and 31 on the front of the foot has the effect of ensuring a tightening of the instep, that is to say a blocking of the heel as

in shoes with diagonal tightening.

Loop 34 could be replaced by any other

means of closing and tightening.

Claims (4)

1. Ski boot made up of a shell (1; 21) with variable volume surrounding the foot and the heel and of a rod made up of two parts, respectively anterior upper (3; 25) and posterior (4; 26), articulated on the shell and equipped with closing and tightening means, characterized in that the anterior part of the rod (3; 25) has a notch (16; 27) placing the part (lc; 21c) of the shell on the neck foot, the open area being covered, at least in closed position of the shoe, by a pair of lan- opposing lookouts (7, 8; 30, 31) integral with one of the parts of the stem, and extending appreciably horizontally tally on each side of the stem, from the back to forward and overlapping in said clearance zone. gée, the closing and tightening means (9, 10; 34) of the rod being arranged so as to exert a trac- tion towards the rear on at least one of said lan- lurks. 2. Ski boot according to claim 1, character- ized by the fact that the tabs (7, 8) are solid daires of the anterior part (3) of the stem. 3. Ski boot according to claim 1 charac- ized by the fact that the tongues (30, 31) are so- lidaires of the posterior part (26) of the rod, and that the means for closing and tightening (34) of the rod are located on said tabs. 4. Ski boot according to claim 3, character- laughed at by the fact that the lateral parts (25a, 25b) of the front part (25) of the rod have profiles (28, 29) in which the tabs (30, 31).