FR2787724A1 - SKATE COMPRISING A SHOE ARTICULATED ON A CHASSIS - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an articulated inline skate comprising a chassis (4) on which is mounted a series of wheels (5), and a shoe (2) connected to the front only of the chassis so as to allow the lifting of the heel of the shoe relative to the chassis during skating, characterized in that; said shoe (2) comprises a flexible upper having a front portion (20) provided with a sole base (22) fixedly connected to the chassis, and a rigid rear sole portion (63), independent of the front portion (20) of flexible rod, and which is articulated on the chassis. Such a shoe frees the foot in extension, making the pushing phase more effective, while retaining good mechanical characteristics, in particular good torsional rigidity between the shoe and the chassis.

Description

Skate comprising a shoe articulated on a chassis The invention

  relates to the field of skating such as roller skating, line skating or ice skating. In particular, the invention relates to a skate comprising a shoe articulated on a chassis to allow lifting of the heel and

  thus improving the practice of skating on the sliding surface.

  Articulated skates are already known from the prior art, especially in the field of ice skating, where their effectiveness is now recognized in speed skating. It has been observed that traditional skates limit the extension of the ankle o0 at the time of the push in order to avoid catching the point of the skate with the sliding surface. Suddenly, this limitation of movement causes a loss of power. In addition, the contact time with the gliding surface with each stride is reduced. A skate structure in which the shoe is articulated on the chassis allows the heel to detach from the chassis and thus releases the ankle. The skater can lengthen the ankle without risk of planting the point in the gliding surface. The contact with the sliding surface is also kept longer while

  the ankle is still extended.

  Current systems which offer such a possibility of mobility of the foot relative to the chassis are not entirely satisfactory. Existing systems provide flexibility of the shoe more or less approaching the natural course of the foot, but on the other hand, they are generally of complicated design and they have a low torsional rigidity. An example illustrating this problem is given in document WO 96/37269 which comprises a shoe formed by two sub-frames mutually connected by mechanical means of the link type allowing movement both in rotation and in translation of the shoe. Such a system comprises transverse articulation means which are highly stressed in torsion, in particular in the extension phases. In order to obtain sufficient rigidity, the parts must be oversized and made of materials with high mechanical characteristics. The pads are therefore quite heavy and complicated to assemble. In general, they are expensive to manufacture and they

  are therefore reserved for competition.

  Patent application EP 0 778 058 A2 relates to an inline skate, the boot of which comprises two rigid half-shells, one front, the other rear, articulated together by a pivot arranged transversely. The front half-shell is rigidly fixed to a chassis comprising a series of aligned wheels. One of the drawbacks is that the shoe has a rigid type structure which tends to be heavy, uncomfortable and hot. In addition, the joint is also subjected to significant stresses arising from the increase in the lever arm during

  the extension of the shoe around the axis of rotation.

  Other documents have to do with articulated skid systems. Examples include the following documents: DE 78 733; DE 297 01 659 U1; DE 296 14 090;

  US 1,603,588; IT 278004; NL 8702068; CA 2 155 444; EP 0 192 312 A2.

  There is therefore always a need to propose a simple and economical skate which cleanly releases the ankle in extension in order to increase the yield of the thrust during skating, while ensuring sufficient rigidity in torsion. For this the invention relates to an inline skate comprising a chassis on which is mounted a series of wheels, and a shoe connected to the front only of the chassis so as to allow the heel of the shoe to be raised relative to the chassis during the skating. The shoe includes a flexible upper that provides comfort, lightness and flexibility. The upper comprises a front portion provided with a sole base fixedly connected to the chassis, and a rigid rear sole portion, independent of the front portion of flexible rod, and which is hingedly connected to the chassis. By being connected to the chassis, the joint provides good rigidity

  in torsion while providing sufficient freedom in extension of the ankle.

  According to an additional characteristic, the shoe consists of a sub-

  reinforcement assembly comprising a heel counter fixed to the rear portion of rigid sole and a collar surrounding the ankle and connected on the sides of the heel counter. Thus, the forces imposed to tilt the shoe are directly transmitted by the reinforcement structure of the shoe. This has the effect of increasing the power transmitted on the sliding member (blade or

wheels) when pushing.

  According to another characteristic, the rigid rear sole portion is articulated on the chassis around an axis of rotation substantially transverse and parallel to the support base of the chassis. The articulation is thus arranged to promote a thrust perpendicular to the chassis and participate in the torsional rigidity of the assembly

when extending the ankle.

  According to another characteristic, the rigid rear sole portion comprises a lower bearing surface on the support base of the chassis. In addition, the rigid rear sole portion is coupled to an elastic return means opposing a couple of elastic resistance tending to bring the lower bearing surface closer to the support base of the chassis when the heel is raised. The skater thus finds a stable and solid support in the flat sliding position. There is also no effort required to move from an extended position to a flat sliding position; the reminder is done automatically when the sliding member (blade or wheels) leaves the

sliding surface.

  According to another characteristic, the elastic return means comprises an elastic bending plate housed in overlap with the flexible front portion and the

  rear portion of the sole on which it rests to deform in flexion.

  The advantage lies in the simplicity and reliability of the reminder means

  works a minimum of parts and whose size is reduced.

  According to another advantageous characteristic, the front portion is connected to the support base of the chassis by fastening elements located in the area of the toes of the shoe. Attaching the front of the shoe to the chassis solves the problem of diving the forefoot onto the sliding member (blade or wheels) or the sliding surface, which can thus cause friction. It also determines an axis of rotation disposed back from the front portion which is fixed; this having the advantage of concentrating the thrust forces at a predetermined location, in particular in the vicinity of the metatarsals, while a moving axis diffuses the forces of

  thrust; which results in a loss of yield.

  According to another characteristic, the flexible rod comprises in the region of the vertical plane passing through the articulation axis sufficient flexibility allowing the rod to bend. The advantage is to allow the fitting of shoes with an upper, at least partially flexible as opposed to shoes with rigid shells such as those

  disclosed in document EP 0 778 958.

  Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear in the

  detailed description which follows in relation to the drawings annexed to

  which: Figure 1 is a schematic view of an inline skate according to the invention in the pushing phase; Figure 2 is a schematic view of the shoe of Figure 1 in the flat sliding phase; Figure 3 is a partial view similar to Figure 1 showing a construction detail; Figure 4 is a sectional view along the line IV-IV of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a schematic side view similar to Figure 1 but according to a variant of the invention; Figure 6 is a partial detail view of the shoe showing different

setting configurations.

  The shoe 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises a shoe base 2 and a running gear 3 on which the shoe is mounted. The running gear means the part of the shoe which ensures contact with the sliding surface. It generally comprises a chassis 4 formed by an inverted U-shaped profile between which extends a series of wheels 5; which are individually arranged in an aligned configuration

  in a main longitudinal extension direction.

  The shoe can have different configurations depending on the specific disciplines intended for it. Nevertheless, the invention finds an advantage in using a shoe with a flexible upper as opposed to shell shoes derived from the practice of alpine skiing. The upper of the shoe means the part of the shoe surrounding the user's foot. The upper therefore comprises a front portion 20 covering the front of the foot, including the toes, and a rising portion 21 which surrounds the ankle and extends more or less high in the vicinity of the calf. The flexibility of the upper is mainly provided by the choice of appropriate materials. Such materials provide strength, comfort and breathability. They can be chosen from fabrics, leather and flexible plastics. However, the flexible rod can be locally reinforced by reinforcing portions of relatively rigid material. For example, the point portion of the shoe is preferably reinforced with a semi-rigid or rigid plastic part providing protection for the toes (not shown). It is therefore necessary to understand by flexible rod, a rod consisting mainly of flexible portions assembled to each other, without

  however, exclude the assembly of relatively more rigid portions.

  The practice of skating requires designing a reinforcement structure which has the function of transmitting the pushing forces of the skater towards the ground, but also of ensuring the protection and the safety of the leg which take account of the stresses undergone by it. during practice. This reinforcement structure is

  present in the form of a sub-assembly 6 which surrounds the sensitive areas of the foot.

  In particular, the sub-assembly includes a heel counter 60 and a collar 61

  connected on the sides of the buttress by articulation means 62.

  According to the invention, the shoe comprises a rear sole portion 63 which is rigid enough not to deform, or only slightly, to deform during the skating movement. This portion is independent of the flexible rod 2 and is an integral part of the reinforcement sub-assembly 6. By “independent”, it is meant that the portion is considered to be structurally distinct from the flexible rod although it

  can be connected to it by permanent or detachable fixing means.

  As illustrated in FIG. 1, the rear sole portion 63 comprises a front end 63a ending under the flexible upper, behind the tip of the shoe, and which is connected to the chassis by a hinge 7. Preferably, the The joint is located in the metatarsal region or slightly behind the metatarsal region. According to the invention, it has been determined that it is in this region that the best power yield is obtained. The articulation preferably corresponds to a simple axis of rotation. The rigid sole portion 63 can be integral with the heel counter or, in an alternative, consist of an independent part connected by connecting means such as by gluing, screws or

  rivets, or a combination of these.

  The front portion 20 of the flexible upper comprises, for its part, a sole portion 22 which is fixedly connected to the chassis 4. The front sole portion 22 is fixed by fastening means 23 located in the region of the toes. The sole portion is extended rearwards by a rear portion 24 which rests on the rigid rear sole portion 63 of the reinforcement sub-assembly. The sole of the upper is fixed to the chassis only in the front region of the foot; that is to say, in front of the articulation 7. In this way, the flexible upper is forced to bend when the heel of the shoe is raised. The bending is exerted substantially in the vertical plane passing through the joint. It is therefore advantageous to provide that the shoe has sufficient flexibility at least in this area. The upper must in fact be both resistant to repeated flexing movements in this area and flexible enough 0o not to hinder the free bending of the shoe. It should also be noted that the heel of the flexible rod moves in the rigid heel counter 60 by a few millimeters during bending of the rod. To promote this movement, it is provided that the rear sole portion 24 of the flexible upper is free relative to the rigid sole portion 63. The upper can be coupled to the reinforcement sub-assembly 6 by means such as a strap 64 or additional connecting means (not shown) favoring the driving of the rod in bending so as to avoid a

  detachment of the heel from the upper relative to the base.

  Figure 2 shows the shoe during a rest configuration on the chassis or corresponding to a sliding or rolling phase. The rear sole portion 63 of the reinforcement sub-assembly 6 has a lower support surface 63b which rests on the support base 40 of the chassis. The base 40 corresponds to a transverse surface, preferably substantially planar, connecting the sides of the chassis supporting the wheels. This base 40 can extend continuously over the entire length of the chassis or, on the contrary, extend only over part of its length. On either side of the lower bearing surface 63b, the sole portion 63 is extended laterally and downwards by two guide walls 63c, 63d (FIG. 4). These two walls are spaced transversely from each other by a distance substantially greater than the width of the chassis 4. These walls serve to ensure better guidance of the rear part of the boot in the longitudinal plane of articulation P of the shoe in relation to the chassis and allows

  reduce the risk of twisting around the joint.

  As shown in Figure 3, an elastic return element 8 equips, preferably, the shoe to promote the return to the rest position or heel support of the shoe on the chassis. This return means opposes a couple of elastic resistance which tends to bring the lower support surface 63b closer to the portion of

  rigid sole 63, on the support base 40 of the chassis when the heel is raised.

  The force of the return element must be sufficient to allow this approximation in the absence of voluntary extension effort on the part of the skater; so that the running gear returns to the rest position automatically after the push, without the skater having to worry about the position of the running gear relative to his shoe. Such an elastic return means 8 is preferably an elastic flexion plate housed in the shoe. As shown in FIG. 3, the plate is located overlying the rigid rear portion 63 on which it rests and the front portion 20 of rod so as to deform in bending when the rear portion is raised relative to at point of articulation 7. The plate can be discreetly housed under an insole, for example. It is therefore a simple, reliable and economical element to implement. Of course, other elastic means fulfilling an equivalent return function can be envisaged without departing from the scope of the invention. So we can consider replacing

  the bending plate by torsion springs mounted on the hinge pin 7.

  Figure 4 illustrates the arrangement of the upper relative to the reinforcement sub-assembly in the rear part of the shoe. The flexible upper portion is inserted 15 into the heel counter 60 of the reinforcement sub-assembly 6. A connection between the internal flexible portion 24 and the external rigid sole portion 63 is not desirable so as to allow relative sliding. of the flexible upper with respect to the reinforcement structure in the region of the sole during bending. On the other hand, a connection 61a between the rod and the reinforcement structure is necessary,

  for example, at the level of the collar 61, to keep the rod integral with the sub-

reinforcement set.

  FIG. 5 relates to a variant of the invention in which the rigid rear sole portion 63 is an independent element of the reinforcement structure and is in the form of a plate on which the rod 2 bears. The rear sole portion of the rod is preferably linked to the plate 63 by sliding type connecting means allowing a relative longitudinal movement front / rear during bending of the rod. Such means may include sleeves 63e, 63f, connected on the sole of the flexible rod and in which the plate 63 slides. Several sleeves can be distributed longitudinally on the plate as required. Their functions are to keep the rod and the plate 63 integral during rotation while promoting relative longitudinal guidance of the rod by

compared to the plate.

  The reinforcing structure 6 is located in part at least inside the flexible rod as shown by the dotted lines. This structure can be formed of a heel counter 60 and a support element 61 at least partially surrounding the ankle. The heel counter and the support element can be

  formed in one piece by molding a rigid plastic.

  Figure 6 shows a detailed view of a variant of the invention in which there are possibilities of adjusting the longitudinal position of the shoe relative to the chassis in different configurations. In a first configuration, the front portion 20 of the shoe comprises a fixing means 23 intended to cooperate selectively with a series of positions for receiving the fixing means spaced longitudinally from one another on the chassis. For example, the fixing means can be a screw 23a / nut 23b assembly. The screw 23a passes through the front sole portion 22 of the shoe. A series of holes 41a, 41b, 41c are arranged in the base 40 of the chassis in a longitudinally spaced manner with a predetermined pitch p. Each hole corresponds to a selected position of the front portion 20 of the shoe as soon as the screw / nut assembly cooperates with one of the holes. We can thus move the fixed front position of the flexible upper of the shoe relative to the chassis. For reasons of simplification, only one fixing means 23 has been shown, but of course, it is possible to envisage several means of

  fasteners spaced transversely and / or longitudinally from each other.

  A second adjustment configuration can be proposed to move the articulation point 7 longitudinally relative to the chassis 4. The position of the articulation has a very significant effect on the efficiency of the thrust exerted by the skater. The adjustment adjusts the position of the joint relative to the relative position of the metatarsals according to the morphology of each skater. The adjustment is obtained, for example, by providing a series of transverse bearings 42a, 42b, 42c in the chassis intended for the reception of the axis of articulation of the rigid sole portion 63. The axes of bearings are spaced from a predetermined step P2 ,. In a possible configuration, the step p. can be equal to the step P2; which allows relative movement of the entire shoe relative to the chassis. Alternatively, p, and P2 can have separate values. In general, one can consider one or the other of the

  settings, or both in combination.

  Of course, the invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments which have just been described in detail but it includes any embodiment covered

by the claims which follow.

Claims (13)

  1. Inline skate comprising a chassis (4) on which is mounted a series of wheels (5), and a shoe (2) connected to the front only of the chassis so as to allow the heel of the shoe to be raised relative to to the chassis during skating, characterized in that said shoe (2) comprises a flexible upper having a front portion (20) provided with a sole base (22) fixedly connected to the chassis, and a rigid rear sole portion ( 63), independent of the portion   front (20) of flexible rod, and which is articulated on the chassis.   2. Inline skate according to claim 1, characterized in that the shoe (2) consists of a reinforcement sub-assembly (6) comprising a heel counter (60) integral with the rear portion (63) of the sole rigid and with a collar (61)   surrounding the ankle and connected on the sides of the heel counter (60).   3. Inline skate according to claim 1, characterized in that the portion of i5 rigid rear sole (63) is articulated on the chassis (4) around a joint (7) having an axis of rotation substantially transverse and parallel to the support base of the frame. 4. Inline skate according to claim 3, characterized in that the rigid rear sole portion (63) comprises a lower bearing surface (63b) on the base support (40) of the chassis.   5. Inline skate according to claim 4, characterized in that the rigid rear sole portion (63) is coupled to an elastic return means (8) opposing a couple of elastic resistance tending to bring the lower bearing surface closer together.   (63b) on the support base (40) of the chassis when the heel is raised.   6. Inline skate according to claim 5, characterized in that the elastic return means (8) comprises an elastic flexion plate housed in overlap of the flexible front portion (22) and the rear sole portion (63) on which she   leans to deform in flexion.   7. In-line skate according to claim 1, characterized in that the front portion (22) is connected to the support base (40) of the chassis by fastening elements (23)   located in the toe area of the shoe.   8. In-line skate according to claim 3, characterized in that the flexible rod (2) comprises in the region of the vertical plane passing through the articulation axis (7) a   sufficient flexibility allowing bending of the rod.   9. In-line skate according to claim 1, characterized in that the rigid rear sole portion (63) is a part connected to the flexible upper independent of the   reinforcement structure (6) of the shoe.   10. Inline skate according to claim 9, characterized in that the structure of   reinforcement (6) is located at least partially inside the flexible rod.   11. In-line skate according to claim 10, characterized in that the reinforcement structure (6) comprises a heel counter (60) connected to an element (61) surrounding at least partially the ankle.   12. Inline skate according to any one of claims 3 to 11, characterized   in that the position of the articulation (7) of the rear sole portion (63) is   adjustable longitudinally with respect to the chassis.   13. In-line skate according to any one of claims 3 to 12, characterized   in that the longitudinal position of attachment of the sole base (22) to the chassis   is selectively adjustable according to several predetermined longitudinal positions.