US20060064904A1 - Sports boot in very stiff material - Google Patents
Sports boot in very stiff material Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20060064904A1 US20060064904A1 US11/235,559 US23555905A US2006064904A1 US 20060064904 A1 US20060064904 A1 US 20060064904A1 US 23555905 A US23555905 A US 23555905A US 2006064904 A1 US2006064904 A1 US 2006064904A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- plastics material
- flexible plastics
- sports boot
- subassembly
- injection
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A43—FOOTWEAR
- A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
- A43B5/00—Footwear for sporting purposes
- A43B5/16—Skating boots
- A43B5/1666—Skating boots characterised by the upper
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A43—FOOTWEAR
- A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
- A43B5/00—Footwear for sporting purposes
- A43B5/04—Ski or like boots
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A43—FOOTWEAR
- A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
- A43B5/00—Footwear for sporting purposes
- A43B5/04—Ski or like boots
- A43B5/0427—Ski or like boots characterised by type or construction details
- A43B5/0482—Ski or like boots characterised by type or construction details made from materials with different rigidities
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A43—FOOTWEAR
- A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
- A43B5/00—Footwear for sporting purposes
- A43B5/04—Ski or like boots
- A43B5/0486—Ski or like boots characterized by the material
- A43B5/049—Ski or like boots characterized by the material with an upper made of composite material, e.g. fibers or core embedded in a matrix
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A43—FOOTWEAR
- A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
- A43B5/00—Footwear for sporting purposes
- A43B5/16—Skating boots
- A43B5/1625—Skating boots made from materials with different rigidities
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29D—PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE
- B29D35/00—Producing footwear
- B29D35/12—Producing parts thereof, e.g. soles, heels, uppers, by a moulding technique
- B29D35/14—Multilayered parts
- B29D35/146—Uppers
Definitions
- the invention relates to a sports boot subassembly and also to the sports boot itself, and is particularly suited to the field of boots for boards for gliding, such as skiing or snowboarding, or skating boots, which are subjected to significant stresses during use and for which a particularly robust structure is required.
- the invention relates to subassemblies of the shell or collar type for a ski boot.
- the invention also relates to a manufacturing process.
- a ski boot is a good example of a boot subjected to numerous stresses that has to be very stiff. However, it also has to be sufficiently flexible to guarantee the skier's comfort and to enable him to open the boot in order to put it on and to take it off and to enable him to flex his knees forward.
- a process for manufacturing a ski boot was described in patent EP 1295540, allowing the production of a ski boot with the aid of several carbon-fiber fabrics connected by a resin by means of a technique of polymerization of the resin on molds in order to form two half-shells, prior to the joining of the two half-shells in order, finally, to form the boot.
- This process makes it possible to obtain a very stiff boot but has a first disadvantage of being complex and costly compared to currently used injection-molding techniques, such an injection-molding operation not being applicable in the case of a reinforced material, a second disadvantage of not meeting the requirements of flexibility of such boots, and a third disadvantage of allowing only a basic design for the outer surface of the boot. For these reasons it was quickly abandoned.
- a second disadvantage stems from the fact that the performance levels obtained in terms of stiffness are mediocre, despite the various increased thicknesses used.
- a third disadvantage stems from the fact that such boots are ill-suited to the production of adornments on their outer surfaces. Indeed, the adornment of the outer surface may either be achieved with the aid of specific shapes given to the plastics material placed on the outer surface of the boot, which gives rise to increased thicknesses of plastics for the production of designs, these increased thicknesses generating excess weight and an increase in the boot's stiffness, and thus, ultimately, having a negative impact on the essential characteristics of the boot, or be produced with the aid of marks on the outer surface of the boot, such marks generally lasting only a short time given the numerous aggressive influences to which they are subjected.
- An object of the present invention consists in proposing a sports boot subassembly and a process for manufacturing it that does not present the disadvantages of the prior art.
- a first object of the present invention consists in proposing a sports boot subassembly that makes it possible to achieve satisfactory stiffness while conserving zones of flexibility.
- a second object of the present invention consists in proposing a sports boot subassembly that is light in weight.
- a third object of the present invention consists in proposing a sports boot subassembly that has an attractive esthetic appearance.
- a fourth object of the present invention consists in proposing a process for manufacturing a sports boot subassembly that is relatively simple.
- the wall of a sports boot subassembly astutely combines the use of a very stiff material and a flexible plastics material in such a way as to achieve a good stiffness/flexibility compromise for minimum weight.
- This combination of materials is, furthermore, defined in order to allow implementation of a simple manufacturing process.
- the invention relates to a sports boot subassembly of the shell or collar type, which comprises at least two parts, each comprising a flexible plastics material and a very stiff material partially embedded in the flexible plastics material, and wherein the at least two parts comprise an assembly surface for joining them together.
- the very stiff material occupies at least half the total surface area of the wall of the subassembly.
- the invention also relates specifically to a ski boot shell and to a ski boot.
- the blank in very stiff material may be obtained from a composite sheet composed of a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic or thermosetting matrix or by means of drawing a metal sheet.
- FIG. 1 shows a side view of the outer face of a first part of a ski boot shell according to the invention
- FIG. 2 shows a sectional view on the axis II, of the first part of the ski boot shell of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 3 shows a side view of the inner face of the first part of the ski boot shell of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the two parts of the ski boot shell according to the invention, prior to their assembly.
- FIGS. 1 to 4 illustrate an embodiment of the invention for manufacturing a ski boot shell.
- FIGS. 1 to 3 illustrate a first part 1 of a ski boot shell according to the invention.
- This part 1 has a wall composed of a very stiff material 2 and a flexible plastics material 3 .
- the very stiff material is a reinforced material composed of a carbon-fiber-reinforced polyurethane thermoplastic matrix and the flexible plastics material is a polyurethane of 55 Shore D hardness.
- the outer surface of the wall of the first part 1 comprises a zone 4 in which the reinforced material 2 is not covered and forms the outer surface directly in contact with the outside of the wall, a zone 5 in which the reinforced material is covered by the plastics material, principally as a thin layer, and a zone 6 beyond the periphery 7 of the blank in reinforced material 2 indicated by a dotted line where the wall comprises only plastics material 3 .
- Increased thicknesses 8 in plastics material are produced on the outer surface of the part 1 with a view to reinforcing the zones serving as pole deflectors, for example, to form the rear and front curbs and also to produced special designs in order to create an attractive esthetic effect.
- the plastics material is used in a thinner thickness in order to form a flexible flap 9 over the instep and a flexible upper part 10 at the shin, in the above-mentioned zone 6 .
- the blank in reinforced material 2 is thin and is also incorporated into the sole 11 of the shell.
- FIG. 3 illustrates a view of the inner face of the wall of the part 1 , i.e. that face that will be in contact with a user's foot in the finished shell.
- This face comprises a first zone where the wall is composed of the reinforced material 2 covered by a thin layer of plastics material 3 , this zone corresponding to the zones 4 and 5 defined previously on the outer face, and a second zone in which the wall is composed only of plastics material, which corresponds to the zone 6 defined previously.
- the function of the thin layer of plastics material which covers the reinforced material 2 is to thermally insulate the inside of the shell—a thin layer thus suffices.
- a part of the periphery of the part 1 defines an assembly surface 12 designed to be connected to the assembly surface of a corresponding part, as will be described in connection with FIG. 4 , which has a rib 13 running along its entire length.
- This assembly surface is composed of the plastics material 3 , the reinforced material 2 coming to within a few millimeters of it.
- the zone 5 on the periphery of the blank in reinforced material 2 over which the reinforced material is embedded in the plastics material, i.e. sandwiched by the plastics material, helps to produce a mechanical link between the two materials. Openings 14 are, furthermore, present in the reinforced material 2 in this zone 5 , and these are filled with the plastics material 3 .
- openings 14 have the primary function of producing a mechanical link between the two materials and a secondary function of predefining attachment points for future accessories to be fixed onto the shell. This avoids having to perforate the reinforced material, which could make it more fragile, giving rise to fiber rupture and cracks.
- FIG. 4 illustrates a bottom view of two complementary parts 1 , 21 of a boot shell just prior to their assembly, which consists in joining their two assembly surfaces 12 and 22 by incorporating the rib 13 of the part 1 into the corresponding groove 23 of the part 21 . Assembly is then finalized by welding, bonding or any other equivalent assembly process.
- This link based on a rib 13 makes it possible to ensure satisfactory stiffness and mechanical strength and also provides a good seal at the link.
- Linking elements 24 are fixed under the sole in order to further reinforce the fixing of the two parts 1 and 21 .
- the part 21 is not illustrated in detail as it has a wall that is very similar to the part 1 .
- the shell obtained includes a reinforced material 2 that is present over more than half the total surface area of its wall. Furthermore, except for the zones of the periphery of the blanks in reinforced material 2 and the reinforcement zones 8 , the wall of the shell comprising the reinforced material is very thin as it comprises the thickness of the reinforced material, optionally covered by a thin layer of plastics material.
- the shell is composed of two distinguishable parts 1 , 21 connected by a fixing means that leaves an assembly line visible on the assembly surfaces 12 and 22 .
- the invention also relates to the process for manufacturing such a ski boot shell, which thus comprises the following steps:
- the reinforced material may consist of a polyurethane matrix comprising carbon or glass fibers, and the plastics material may be polyurethane.
- the reinforced material may consist of polypropylene fibers embedded in a polypropylene matrix, the plastics material also being polypropylene.
- the fibers may, according to the applications and characteristics sought, be glass, carbon, Kevlar or polypropylene fibers.
- the blank may be produced by last-molding a fiber-reinforced thermosetting matrix or by drawing a metal sheet.
- This blank may also include reinforcement ribs on its surface.
- the injection-overmolding step may make it possible to form the top part of a shell comprising a flap 9 and a part 10 designed to bear on the shin and also reinforcements and/or front and rear curbs 8 , the assembly surface 12 with the rib 13 and, possibly, shapes of an esthetic nature.
- the injection-overmolding step may comprise two successive steps of injection-molding a different plastics material, for example, allowing the injection-molding of a polyurethane of 65 Shore D hardness in order to form the front and rear curbs of the interface with the ski binding, and the injection-molding of a more flexible polyurethane of 45 Shore D hardness in order to form the flaps.
- the second injection-molding operation may also consist in the injection-molding of a cellular plastics material over the inner surface of the boot in order to exploit the comfort and thermal insulation properties thereof. Assembly may be achieved by any other solution—welding, bonding or mechanical fixing.
- the invention has been described in the case of a ski boot shell, but it could be applied to the collar of a ski boot or to a subassembly of another sports boot.
- the two parts of the shell correspond to two parts obtained by cutting the shell on a vertical plane passing through the center of the front and rear curbs.
- any other cutting plane could be imagined.
- the two complementary parts could also be designed in accordance with a non-planar cut, the assembly surfaces not being planar.
- the concept of the invention could also be applied to the assembly of more than two parts of a boot subassembly.
- the concept of the invention thus consists of the association of a very stiff material with a much more flexible injection-overmolded plastics material, which we will therefore call a flexible plastics material, the term flexible being understood to include any plastics material of which the flexibility is equivalent to that of a polyurethane customarily used for boots, whose hardness is between 30 and 70 Shore D, the expression “very stiff” being understood to be a material of markedly greater stiffness than the flexible plastics materials defined previously.
- the very stiff material may be any fiber-reinforced thermoplastic or thermosetting matrix or any metallic material, such as stainless steel, aluminum or magnesium. Its function is to ensure the stiffness of the boot by its very nature and to guarantee a light weight since it is, by nature, light and a thin layer suffices.
- the injection-overmolded plastics material has the function of providing flexibility in predetermined zones and forming the more complex decorative and functional parts of the boot, while fixing the two materials.
- the flexible plastics material could also totally cover the very stiff material on the outer face, for example, with the aim of protecting a decoration arranged on the surface of the very stiff material and visible from the outside by using a transparent plastics material.
- the blank in very stiff material could also be arranged in the front and/or rear curbs of the shell.
Landscapes
- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Physical Education & Sports Medicine (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Materials Engineering (AREA)
- Composite Materials (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Footwear And Its Accessory, Manufacturing Method And Apparatuses (AREA)
- Injection Moulding Of Plastics Or The Like (AREA)
Abstract
Sports boot subassembly of the shell or collar type, which comprises at least two parts, each comprising a flexible plastics material injection-overmolded over a very stiff material partially embedded in the flexible plastics material, and wherein the at least two parts comprise an assembly surface for joining them together.
Description
- The invention relates to a sports boot subassembly and also to the sports boot itself, and is particularly suited to the field of boots for boards for gliding, such as skiing or snowboarding, or skating boots, which are subjected to significant stresses during use and for which a particularly robust structure is required. For example, the invention relates to subassemblies of the shell or collar type for a ski boot. The invention also relates to a manufacturing process.
- A ski boot is a good example of a boot subjected to numerous stresses that has to be very stiff. However, it also has to be sufficiently flexible to guarantee the skier's comfort and to enable him to open the boot in order to put it on and to take it off and to enable him to flex his knees forward.
- A process for manufacturing a ski boot was described in patent EP 1295540, allowing the production of a ski boot with the aid of several carbon-fiber fabrics connected by a resin by means of a technique of polymerization of the resin on molds in order to form two half-shells, prior to the joining of the two half-shells in order, finally, to form the boot. This process makes it possible to obtain a very stiff boot but has a first disadvantage of being complex and costly compared to currently used injection-molding techniques, such an injection-molding operation not being applicable in the case of a reinforced material, a second disadvantage of not meeting the requirements of flexibility of such boots, and a third disadvantage of allowing only a basic design for the outer surface of the boot. For these reasons it was quickly abandoned.
- In response to the disadvantages mentioned above, the processes for manufacturing ski boots that are most in use nowadays are based on processes of injection-molding of plastics materials of polyurethane, polypropylene, polyethylene or polyamide type. Such a solution is described in patent application EP 0903087, which discloses a boot shell composed of a first layer in a relatively stiff plastics material of polyurethane type partially covered by a second layer in a more flexible plastics material, the relatively stiff layer including thicker zones in order to form reinforcements on certain carefully selected surfaces. A first disadvantage of this solution is that it greatly increases the overall weight of the boot on account of the weight of the materials used and their considerable total thickness. A second disadvantage stems from the fact that the performance levels obtained in terms of stiffness are mediocre, despite the various increased thicknesses used. A third disadvantage stems from the fact that such boots are ill-suited to the production of adornments on their outer surfaces. Indeed, the adornment of the outer surface may either be achieved with the aid of specific shapes given to the plastics material placed on the outer surface of the boot, which gives rise to increased thicknesses of plastics for the production of designs, these increased thicknesses generating excess weight and an increase in the boot's stiffness, and thus, ultimately, having a negative impact on the essential characteristics of the boot, or be produced with the aid of marks on the outer surface of the boot, such marks generally lasting only a short time given the numerous aggressive influences to which they are subjected.
- An object of the present invention consists in proposing a sports boot subassembly and a process for manufacturing it that does not present the disadvantages of the prior art.
- More precisely, a first object of the present invention consists in proposing a sports boot subassembly that makes it possible to achieve satisfactory stiffness while conserving zones of flexibility.
- A second object of the present invention consists in proposing a sports boot subassembly that is light in weight.
- A third object of the present invention consists in proposing a sports boot subassembly that has an attractive esthetic appearance.
- A fourth object of the present invention consists in proposing a process for manufacturing a sports boot subassembly that is relatively simple.
- According to the concept of the invention, the wall of a sports boot subassembly astutely combines the use of a very stiff material and a flexible plastics material in such a way as to achieve a good stiffness/flexibility compromise for minimum weight. This combination of materials is, furthermore, defined in order to allow implementation of a simple manufacturing process.
- More precisely, the invention relates to a sports boot subassembly of the shell or collar type, which comprises at least two parts, each comprising a flexible plastics material and a very stiff material partially embedded in the flexible plastics material, and wherein the at least two parts comprise an assembly surface for joining them together.
- Advantageously, the very stiff material occupies at least half the total surface area of the wall of the subassembly.
- The invention also relates specifically to a ski boot shell and to a ski boot.
- It also relates to a process for manufacturing a sports boot subassembly of the shell or collar type, wherein it is obtained by the assembly of several parts, at least two of these parts being obtained by means of the following steps:
-
- production of a blank in very stiff material;
- injection-overmolding of a flexible plastics material over the very stiff material, linking the very stiff material to the injection-molded flexible plastics material, in order to form part of the sports boot subassembly.
- The blank in very stiff material may be obtained from a composite sheet composed of a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic or thermosetting matrix or by means of drawing a metal sheet.
- These objects, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will be set forth in detail in the following description of a non-limiting particular embodiment with reference to the appended figures, in which:
-
FIG. 1 shows a side view of the outer face of a first part of a ski boot shell according to the invention; -
FIG. 2 shows a sectional view on the axis II, of the first part of the ski boot shell ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 3 shows a side view of the inner face of the first part of the ski boot shell ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the two parts of the ski boot shell according to the invention, prior to their assembly. - FIGS. 1 to 4 illustrate an embodiment of the invention for manufacturing a ski boot shell.
- FIGS. 1 to 3 illustrate a
first part 1 of a ski boot shell according to the invention. - This
part 1 has a wall composed of a verystiff material 2 and aflexible plastics material 3. In this embodiment, the very stiff material is a reinforced material composed of a carbon-fiber-reinforced polyurethane thermoplastic matrix and the flexible plastics material is a polyurethane of 55 Shore D hardness. - As shown in
FIG. 1 , the outer surface of the wall of thefirst part 1 comprises azone 4 in which the reinforcedmaterial 2 is not covered and forms the outer surface directly in contact with the outside of the wall, azone 5 in which the reinforced material is covered by the plastics material, principally as a thin layer, and azone 6 beyond theperiphery 7 of the blank in reinforcedmaterial 2 indicated by a dotted line where the wall comprises onlyplastics material 3. Increasedthicknesses 8 in plastics material are produced on the outer surface of thepart 1 with a view to reinforcing the zones serving as pole deflectors, for example, to form the rear and front curbs and also to produced special designs in order to create an attractive esthetic effect. Furthermore, the plastics material is used in a thinner thickness in order to form aflexible flap 9 over the instep and a flexibleupper part 10 at the shin, in the above-mentionedzone 6. - As illustrated in
FIG. 2 , the blank in reinforcedmaterial 2 is thin and is also incorporated into the sole 11 of the shell. -
FIG. 3 illustrates a view of the inner face of the wall of thepart 1, i.e. that face that will be in contact with a user's foot in the finished shell. This face comprises a first zone where the wall is composed of the reinforcedmaterial 2 covered by a thin layer ofplastics material 3, this zone corresponding to thezones zone 6 defined previously. The function of the thin layer of plastics material which covers the reinforcedmaterial 2 is to thermally insulate the inside of the shell—a thin layer thus suffices. A part of the periphery of thepart 1 defines anassembly surface 12 designed to be connected to the assembly surface of a corresponding part, as will be described in connection withFIG. 4 , which has arib 13 running along its entire length. This assembly surface is composed of theplastics material 3, the reinforcedmaterial 2 coming to within a few millimeters of it. Thezone 5 on the periphery of the blank in reinforcedmaterial 2, over which the reinforced material is embedded in the plastics material, i.e. sandwiched by the plastics material, helps to produce a mechanical link between the two materials.Openings 14 are, furthermore, present in the reinforcedmaterial 2 in thiszone 5, and these are filled with theplastics material 3. Theseopenings 14 have the primary function of producing a mechanical link between the two materials and a secondary function of predefining attachment points for future accessories to be fixed onto the shell. This avoids having to perforate the reinforced material, which could make it more fragile, giving rise to fiber rupture and cracks. -
FIG. 4 illustrates a bottom view of twocomplementary parts assembly surfaces rib 13 of thepart 1 into thecorresponding groove 23 of thepart 21. Assembly is then finalized by welding, bonding or any other equivalent assembly process. This link based on arib 13 makes it possible to ensure satisfactory stiffness and mechanical strength and also provides a good seal at the link. Linkingelements 24 are fixed under the sole in order to further reinforce the fixing of the twoparts part 21 is not illustrated in detail as it has a wall that is very similar to thepart 1. - Lastly, the shell obtained includes a reinforced
material 2 that is present over more than half the total surface area of its wall. Furthermore, except for the zones of the periphery of the blanks in reinforcedmaterial 2 and thereinforcement zones 8, the wall of the shell comprising the reinforced material is very thin as it comprises the thickness of the reinforced material, optionally covered by a thin layer of plastics material. The shell is composed of twodistinguishable parts assembly surfaces - The invention also relates to the process for manufacturing such a ski boot shell, which thus comprises the following steps:
-
- production of a blank in reinforced
material 2 by thermoforming a reinforced thermoplastic matrix; - injection-overmolding a
plastics material 3 in order to form afirst part 1 of the shell; - repeating the above two steps in order to form the
second part 21 of the shell; - assembling the two parts.
- production of a blank in reinforced
- The reinforced material may consist of a polyurethane matrix comprising carbon or glass fibers, and the plastics material may be polyurethane. According to another solution, allowing optimum recycling of the boot, the reinforced material may consist of polypropylene fibers embedded in a polypropylene matrix, the plastics material also being polypropylene. The fibers may, according to the applications and characteristics sought, be glass, carbon, Kevlar or polypropylene fibers.
- As variant embodiments, the blank may be produced by last-molding a fiber-reinforced thermosetting matrix or by drawing a metal sheet. This blank may also include reinforcement ribs on its surface.
- The injection-overmolding step may make it possible to form the top part of a shell comprising a
flap 9 and apart 10 designed to bear on the shin and also reinforcements and/or front andrear curbs 8, theassembly surface 12 with therib 13 and, possibly, shapes of an esthetic nature. - As a variant embodiment, the injection-overmolding step may comprise two successive steps of injection-molding a different plastics material, for example, allowing the injection-molding of a polyurethane of 65 Shore D hardness in order to form the front and rear curbs of the interface with the ski binding, and the injection-molding of a more flexible polyurethane of 45 Shore D hardness in order to form the flaps. The second injection-molding operation may also consist in the injection-molding of a cellular plastics material over the inner surface of the boot in order to exploit the comfort and thermal insulation properties thereof. Assembly may be achieved by any other solution—welding, bonding or mechanical fixing.
- The invention has been described in the case of a ski boot shell, but it could be applied to the collar of a ski boot or to a subassembly of another sports boot.
- In the embodiment described previously, the two parts of the shell correspond to two parts obtained by cutting the shell on a vertical plane passing through the center of the front and rear curbs. However, any other cutting plane could be imagined. The two complementary parts could also be designed in accordance with a non-planar cut, the assembly surfaces not being planar. Lastly, the concept of the invention could also be applied to the assembly of more than two parts of a boot subassembly.
- The concept of the invention thus consists of the association of a very stiff material with a much more flexible injection-overmolded plastics material, which we will therefore call a flexible plastics material, the term flexible being understood to include any plastics material of which the flexibility is equivalent to that of a polyurethane customarily used for boots, whose hardness is between 30 and 70 Shore D, the expression “very stiff” being understood to be a material of markedly greater stiffness than the flexible plastics materials defined previously. The very stiff material may be any fiber-reinforced thermoplastic or thermosetting matrix or any metallic material, such as stainless steel, aluminum or magnesium. Its function is to ensure the stiffness of the boot by its very nature and to guarantee a light weight since it is, by nature, light and a thin layer suffices. The injection-overmolded plastics material has the function of providing flexibility in predetermined zones and forming the more complex decorative and functional parts of the boot, while fixing the two materials.
- The embodiment described previously demonstrates an advantageous combination of a very rigid material with a flexible plastics material to form a wall of a sports boot. This combination could, however, be different without departing from the scope of the invention.
- The flexible plastics material could also totally cover the very stiff material on the outer face, for example, with the aim of protecting a decoration arranged on the surface of the very stiff material and visible from the outside by using a transparent plastics material. The blank in very stiff material could also be arranged in the front and/or rear curbs of the shell. Lastly, the invention relates to any other combination of the very stiff material and the flexible plastics material in accordance with the concept explained above allowing the following objectives to be achieved.
-
- a very stiff boot wall and reduced weight. To that end the blank in very stiff material has to occupy a significant surface area of the wall of the boot since it affords stiffness and reduced weight. This surface area is regarded as large if it is more than half the total surface area of the wall of the boot;
- a boot wall having flexible zones and a reduced weight. To that end, the plastics material has to occupy all zones of the boot requiring flexibility and the total amount present on the other zones where the very stiff material is located must be small or zero. Thus, over the large surface area occupied by the blank in very stiff material, the weight of the plastics material present is markedly less than that customarily needed for prior-art plastics boots;
- the manufacturing process must be simple. To that end, the very stiff material is chosen in accordance with a blank of a shape that is relatively simple to manufacture, and the process of injection-molding the plastics material is used to form the more complex shapes of the wall of the boot. In particular, this plastics material may form a design on the outer surface of the boot. This design gives rise to an acceptable increase in weight, since the boot is lighter overall and its impact on the stiffness is negligible since the stiffness of the boot is principally determined by the blank in very stiff material. Thus, this boot is well suited to the production of a design with the aid of special shapes produced in plastics material on its outer surface. It is also well suited to a decoration produced by marks, since such marks may be arranged on the blank in very stiff material and be covered and protected by an injection-overmolded transparent plastics material.
- Finally, the advantages of the solution are thus as follows:
-
- great stiffness, while conserving a satisfactory compromise between the stiffness and the flexibility required in certain zones, a low weight, as explained above;
- a decoration that can easily be produced without involving major modifications to the functional properties of the boot;
- a simple manufacturing process.
Claims (27)
1. A process for manufacturing a sports boot subassembly of the shell or collar type, wherein it is obtained by the assembly of several parts, at least two of these parts being obtained by means of the following steps:
production of a blank in very stiff material (2);
injection-overmolding of a flexible plastics material (3) over the very stiff material, linking the very stiff material to the injection-molded flexible plastics material, in order to form part of the sports boot subassembly:
2. The process for manufacturing a sports boot subassembly of the shell or collar type as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the step of producing a blank in very stiff material (2) comprises a step of thermoforming a composite sheet composed of a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic matrix.
3. The process for manufacturing a sports boot subassembly of the shell or collar type as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the step of producing a blank in very stiff material (2) comprises a step of last-molding a fiber-reinforced thermosetting matrix.
4. The process for manufacturing a sports boot subassembly of the shell or collar type as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the step of producing a blank in very stiff material (2) comprises a step of drawing a metal sheet.
5. The process for manufacturing a sports boot subassembly as claimed claim 1 , wherein the injection-overmolding step comprises the injection of flexible plastics material on either side of the blank in very stiff material, at least over certain zones of its surface.
6. The process for manufacturing a sports boot subassembly as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the injection-overmolding step comprises the injection-molding of flexible plastics material on either side of the blank in very stiff material, at least over certain zones of its periphery.
7. The process for manufacturing a sports boot subassembly as claimed in claim 6 , which comprises the step consisting in producing at least one hole in the blank in very stiff material and wherein the injection-molding step comprises the passage of the flexible plastics material through the hole in order to traverse the very stiff material and to produce a fixing between the very stiff material and the flexible plastics material.
8. The process for manufacturing a sports boot subassembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the injection-overmolding step comprises the injection-molding of a thin layer of flexible plastics material over the inner face of the very stiff material.
9. The process for manufacturing a sports boot subassembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the injection-overmolding step comprises two successive substeps of injection-molding different flexible plastics materials.
10. The process for manufacturing a sports boot subassembly as claimed in claim 9 , wherein one of the injection-molding substeps consists of the injection-molding of a cellular flexible plastics material over the inner face of the very stiff material.
11. The process for manufacturing a sports boot subassembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the injection-overmolding step comprises the production in flexible plastics material, on each of the at least two parts, of complementary assembly surfaces.
12. The process for manufacturing a sports boot subassembly as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the injection-overmolding step comprises the production of a rib in flexible plastics material on the assembly surface.
13. The process for manufacturing a sports boot subassembly as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the step of assembling two parts comprises the incorporation of a rib of a first part into a corresponding groove of a second part in order to join the two assembly surfaces of the corresponding parts.
14. The process for manufacturing a sports boot subassembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the step of assembling two parts comprises the fixing of holding elements on each part on either side of the assembly line.
15. The process for manufacturing a sports boot subassembly as claimed claim 1 , wherein a decorative element is arranged on the blank in very stiff material and wherein said decorative element is covered by an injection-overmolded transparent flexible plastics material.
16. A sports boot subassembly of the shell or collar type, which comprises at least two parts, each comprising a flexible plastics material and a very stiff material partially embedded in the flexible plastics material, and wherein the at least two parts comprise an assembly surface for fixing them together.
17. The sports boot subassembly as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the very stiff material occupies at least half the total surface area of the wall of the subassembly.
18. The sports boot subassembly as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the flexible plastics material at least partially covers the two inner and outer surfaces of the periphery of the very stiff material.
19. The sports boot subassembly as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the very stiff material has at least one hole filled by the flexible plastics material.
20. The sports boot subassembly as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the very stiff material has a part of its outer surface not covered by flexible plastics material.
21. The sports boot subassembly as claimed in claim 16 , which comprises a part of the surface of its wall that comprises only flexible plastics material.
22. The sports boot subassembly as claimed in claim 16 , which comprises a decoration arranged on the outer surface of the very stiff material and at least partially covered by the transparent flexible plastics material.
23. The sports boot subassembly as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the very stiff material has reinforcement ribs on its outer face.
24. The sports boot subassembly as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the very stiff material is a fiber-reinforced plastics material or a metallic material.
25. A ski boot shell as claimed in claim 16 , which comprises two parts, wherein the flexible plastics material forms two flaps in its top part and wherein the inner surface of the shell is covered at least by a thin layer of flexible plastics material serving as thermal insulation.
26. The ski boot shell as claimed in claim 25 , wherein the flexible plastics material forms reinforcements on the outer surface of the wall.
27. A ski boot, comprising a subassembly as claimed in claim 16.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
EP04425729A EP1642706B1 (en) | 2004-09-29 | 2004-09-29 | Very hard material sports boot |
EP04425729.3 | 2004-09-29 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20060064904A1 true US20060064904A1 (en) | 2006-03-30 |
Family
ID=34932793
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US11/235,559 Abandoned US20060064904A1 (en) | 2004-09-29 | 2005-09-26 | Sports boot in very stiff material |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20060064904A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP1642706B1 (en) |
DE (1) | DE602004003248T2 (en) |
Cited By (15)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20090071036A1 (en) * | 2007-09-13 | 2009-03-19 | Nike, Inc. | Article of Footwear Including a Composite Upper |
US20100180471A1 (en) * | 2009-01-16 | 2010-07-22 | Perfect Storm Sports Technology Llc | Supportive Sport Boot Made of Rigid Materials |
US20110078922A1 (en) * | 2009-10-02 | 2011-04-07 | Nike, Inc. | Thermoforming upper process with reinforcement |
US20110099846A1 (en) * | 2009-06-16 | 2011-05-05 | Bruce Fischer | Alpine ski boot with strap closure |
US20130025160A1 (en) * | 2011-04-07 | 2013-01-31 | Atomic Austria Gmbh | Shell of a sports shoe, in particular a ski boot, and a method of producing such a shell |
EP2777419A1 (en) * | 2013-03-11 | 2014-09-17 | Easton Sports, Inc. | Skate with injected boot form |
US20150113832A1 (en) * | 2013-10-25 | 2015-04-30 | Calzaturificio Dal Bello S.R.L. | Sport Footwear for Practicing Winter Sports |
EP2901878A1 (en) * | 2014-01-31 | 2015-08-05 | Tomaz Avsenek | A shoe made of a composite material |
US9295301B2 (en) | 2011-11-16 | 2016-03-29 | Kelly Rastello | Ski boot system |
US9510639B2 (en) | 2013-03-11 | 2016-12-06 | Bauer Hockey, Inc. | Hockey skate |
US20160360823A1 (en) * | 2015-06-11 | 2016-12-15 | Rossignol Lange S.R.L | Co-injection moulded sports boot |
US9826799B2 (en) | 2013-03-14 | 2017-11-28 | Nike, Inc. | Uppers and articles incorporating same |
US10264845B2 (en) | 2011-11-16 | 2019-04-23 | Kelly Rastello | Ski boot system |
US11503873B2 (en) * | 2016-12-12 | 2022-11-22 | Louis Garneau Sports Inc | Cycling shoe with lateral metatarsal expansion zone |
US11786004B2 (en) * | 2018-10-04 | 2023-10-17 | Calzaturificio Dal Bello S.R.L. | Sports shoe and method of construction thereof |
Families Citing this family (8)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
FR2928523B1 (en) * | 2008-03-12 | 2015-03-06 | Eurl Gignoux | SKI OR MOUNTAIN SHOE IN COMPOSITE MATERIALS |
IT1398588B1 (en) * | 2009-01-30 | 2013-03-01 | Sportiva S P A | METHOD FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A TECHNICAL SPORT SHOE, AS WELL AS THE TECHNICAL SPORT SHOE MADE WITH THIS METHOD |
AT510266B1 (en) * | 2010-11-16 | 2012-03-15 | Atomic Austria Gmbh | METHOD FOR PRODUCING A SHELL PART OF A SPORTS SHOE AND A SHELL THAT MADE ACCORDING TO THIS METHOD AND A SPORTS SHOE EQUIPPED WITH THIS SHOE PART |
EP2620067A1 (en) * | 2012-01-25 | 2013-07-31 | Rossignol Lange S.R.L. | Sports footwear with parts made of a very rigid material |
EP2829188B1 (en) * | 2013-07-25 | 2018-05-09 | Rossignol Lange S.R.L. | Ski boot |
ITTV20130205A1 (en) * | 2013-12-06 | 2015-06-07 | Scarpa Calzaturificio Spa | SKI BOOT |
AT517213B1 (en) * | 2015-09-24 | 2016-12-15 | Fischer Sports Gmbh | shoe |
FR3043893B1 (en) * | 2015-11-23 | 2019-05-31 | Salomon Sas | LOWER HULL FOR SKI SHOE AND SKI SHOE INCLUDING SUCH HULL |
Citations (8)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3374561A (en) * | 1965-10-20 | 1968-03-26 | Rosemount Eng Co Ltd | Hydrostatic pad for ski boot |
US3718994A (en) * | 1970-01-26 | 1973-03-06 | Calzaturificio Tecnica Dei F L | Ski boot construction and method |
US3807062A (en) * | 1971-01-22 | 1974-04-30 | Karku Sport Ab | Athletic boot |
US5595006A (en) * | 1994-01-12 | 1997-01-21 | Salomon S.A. | Reinforced ski boot |
US5647149A (en) * | 1994-02-25 | 1997-07-15 | Daleboot Usa | Sport boot inner liner |
US6021589A (en) * | 1998-03-13 | 2000-02-08 | Lange International S.A. | Down hill ski boot |
US20020108272A1 (en) * | 2001-01-08 | 2002-08-15 | Scarpa Calzaturificio Spa | Ski boot |
US6457265B1 (en) * | 1997-09-09 | 2002-10-01 | Lange International S.A. | Sport boot |
Family Cites Families (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE2159526B2 (en) * | 1971-01-22 | 1977-02-03 | SKI BOOT MADE OF PLASTIC | |
FR2766065A1 (en) * | 1997-07-16 | 1999-01-22 | Salomon Sa | In=line roller skate with moulded boot |
CH695307A5 (en) * | 2001-09-21 | 2006-03-31 | Lange Int Sa | Alpine ski boot. |
ITTV20030017A1 (en) * | 2003-02-05 | 2004-08-06 | Tecnica Spa | FOOTWEAR HAVING A AT LEAST PARTIALLY COMPOSITE STRUCTURE. |
-
2004
- 2004-09-29 EP EP04425729A patent/EP1642706B1/en not_active Not-in-force
- 2004-09-29 DE DE602004003248T patent/DE602004003248T2/en active Active
-
2005
- 2005-09-26 US US11/235,559 patent/US20060064904A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (9)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3374561A (en) * | 1965-10-20 | 1968-03-26 | Rosemount Eng Co Ltd | Hydrostatic pad for ski boot |
US3718994A (en) * | 1970-01-26 | 1973-03-06 | Calzaturificio Tecnica Dei F L | Ski boot construction and method |
US3807062A (en) * | 1971-01-22 | 1974-04-30 | Karku Sport Ab | Athletic boot |
US5595006A (en) * | 1994-01-12 | 1997-01-21 | Salomon S.A. | Reinforced ski boot |
US5647149A (en) * | 1994-02-25 | 1997-07-15 | Daleboot Usa | Sport boot inner liner |
US6457265B1 (en) * | 1997-09-09 | 2002-10-01 | Lange International S.A. | Sport boot |
US6021589A (en) * | 1998-03-13 | 2000-02-08 | Lange International S.A. | Down hill ski boot |
US20020108272A1 (en) * | 2001-01-08 | 2002-08-15 | Scarpa Calzaturificio Spa | Ski boot |
US6665960B2 (en) * | 2001-01-08 | 2003-12-23 | Calzaturificio S.C.A.R.P.A. | Ski boot |
Cited By (25)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20090071036A1 (en) * | 2007-09-13 | 2009-03-19 | Nike, Inc. | Article of Footwear Including a Composite Upper |
US7941942B2 (en) | 2007-09-13 | 2011-05-17 | Nike, Inc. | Article of footwear including a composite upper |
US20110119957A1 (en) * | 2007-09-13 | 2011-05-26 | Nike, Inc. | Article of footwear including a composite upper |
US8464440B2 (en) | 2007-09-13 | 2013-06-18 | Nike, Inc. | Article of footwear including a composite upper |
US8689382B2 (en) | 2007-09-13 | 2014-04-08 | Nike, Inc. | Method of manufacturing an article of footwear including a composite upper |
US20100180471A1 (en) * | 2009-01-16 | 2010-07-22 | Perfect Storm Sports Technology Llc | Supportive Sport Boot Made of Rigid Materials |
US8453352B2 (en) | 2009-01-16 | 2013-06-04 | Perfect Storm Sports Technology, Llc | Supportive sport boot made of rigid materials |
US20110099846A1 (en) * | 2009-06-16 | 2011-05-05 | Bruce Fischer | Alpine ski boot with strap closure |
US20110078922A1 (en) * | 2009-10-02 | 2011-04-07 | Nike, Inc. | Thermoforming upper process with reinforcement |
US20130025160A1 (en) * | 2011-04-07 | 2013-01-31 | Atomic Austria Gmbh | Shell of a sports shoe, in particular a ski boot, and a method of producing such a shell |
US10264845B2 (en) | 2011-11-16 | 2019-04-23 | Kelly Rastello | Ski boot system |
US9295301B2 (en) | 2011-11-16 | 2016-03-29 | Kelly Rastello | Ski boot system |
US9878229B2 (en) | 2013-03-11 | 2018-01-30 | Bauer Hockey, Llc | Skate with injected boot form |
US9510639B2 (en) | 2013-03-11 | 2016-12-06 | Bauer Hockey, Inc. | Hockey skate |
EP2777419A1 (en) * | 2013-03-11 | 2014-09-17 | Easton Sports, Inc. | Skate with injected boot form |
US10413804B2 (en) | 2013-03-11 | 2019-09-17 | Bauer Hockey, Llc | Skate with injected boot form |
US11235225B2 (en) | 2013-03-11 | 2022-02-01 | Bauer Hockey Llc | Skate with injected boot form |
US9826799B2 (en) | 2013-03-14 | 2017-11-28 | Nike, Inc. | Uppers and articles incorporating same |
US20150113832A1 (en) * | 2013-10-25 | 2015-04-30 | Calzaturificio Dal Bello S.R.L. | Sport Footwear for Practicing Winter Sports |
US11019877B2 (en) * | 2013-10-25 | 2021-06-01 | Dalbello S.R.L. | Sport footwear for practicing winter sports |
EP2901878A1 (en) * | 2014-01-31 | 2015-08-05 | Tomaz Avsenek | A shoe made of a composite material |
US20160360823A1 (en) * | 2015-06-11 | 2016-12-15 | Rossignol Lange S.R.L | Co-injection moulded sports boot |
US11219269B2 (en) * | 2015-06-11 | 2022-01-11 | Rossignol Lange S.R.L. | Co-injection moulded sports boot |
US11503873B2 (en) * | 2016-12-12 | 2022-11-22 | Louis Garneau Sports Inc | Cycling shoe with lateral metatarsal expansion zone |
US11786004B2 (en) * | 2018-10-04 | 2023-10-17 | Calzaturificio Dal Bello S.R.L. | Sports shoe and method of construction thereof |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
EP1642706B1 (en) | 2006-11-15 |
EP1642706A1 (en) | 2006-04-05 |
DE602004003248T2 (en) | 2007-05-31 |
DE602004003248D1 (en) | 2006-12-28 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US20060064904A1 (en) | Sports boot in very stiff material | |
US5449425A (en) | Method for manufacturing a ski | |
US6626775B2 (en) | Method of manufacturing blade of hockey stick or the like, and blade of stick and blade core | |
US9833036B2 (en) | Skate | |
US7716854B2 (en) | Two-layer sports boot part with deformation zone | |
US20030004019A1 (en) | Blade core for hockey stick and the like | |
EP2387335B1 (en) | Supportive sport boot made of rigid materials | |
US20020092207A1 (en) | Sole for boot, in particular a sports boot, a method of manufacturing same, and a boot having such a sole | |
CN101991233A (en) | Outsole and sports shoe | |
US9693600B1 (en) | Protective goalie skate boot body with integral blade mounting channel | |
US6457265B1 (en) | Sport boot | |
SK999A3 (en) | Sandwich-type footware stiffening element of rigid or at least semi-rigid behavior, usable as part of the sole unit or insole | |
US5171509A (en) | Process for assembling a ski by duplicate molding and ski obtained by use of this process | |
EP1809463B1 (en) | Article having an integrated structure of composite material and thermoplastic or elastomer material and process for the production of the said article | |
US5248160A (en) | Ski with foam filler | |
EP1462019B1 (en) | Sport shoe for gliding board | |
US20120144703A1 (en) | Method for producing a shell part of a sports shoe and a shell part produced according to this method | |
EP1330296B1 (en) | Ski and method of manufacturing the ski | |
FR2682011A1 (en) | SPORTSHOE, ESPECIALLY CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING COMPRISING MEANS OF TORSIONAL STIFFNESS AND FLEXIBLE SOFTENING. | |
JPH07213650A (en) | Fin for swimming equipped with three material type composite blade part | |
JPH1142103A (en) | Sole for sporting shoe | |
FI92279B (en) | Recessed reinforcement part for the fastening arch of a ski boot for use in a hinged ski binder and method of manufacturing a ski boot sole provided with such a part | |
JP3065675U (en) | Inner shoes | |
CA2925636C (en) | Protective goalie skate boot body with integral blade mounting channel | |
CA2688901A1 (en) | Skate |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: LANGE INTERNATIONAL S.A., SWITZERLAND Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:CONFORTIN, EMANUELE;FREGONI, ANDREA;REEL/FRAME:017123/0116 Effective date: 20050920 |
|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |