Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B13/00—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units
  • A43B13/14—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units characterised by the constructive form
  • A43B13/141—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units characterised by the constructive form with a part of the sole being flexible, e.g. permitting articulation or torsion
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B1/00—Footwear characterised by the material
  • A43B1/0018—Footwear characterised by the material made at least partially of flexible, bellow-like shaped material
• • 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
  • A43B5/0411—Ski or like boots for cross-country
• • 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
  • A43B5/047—Ski or like boots characterised by type or construction details provided with means to improve walking with the skiboot
  • A43B5/0472—Ski or like boots characterised by type or construction details provided with means to improve walking with the skiboot having a flexible toe portion; provided with a hinge at the ball of the foot
• • 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
  • A43B5/0492—Telemark boots

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a highly flexible item of sports footwear.
• footwear used for some specific skiing techniques such as the so-called “telemark” and “cross ⁇ country” techniques, must have particular technical characteristics that ensure optimum longitudinal flexing of the item of footwear and excellent resistance to lateral torsion while allowing even prolonged use of the item of footwear on mixed terrain, uphill and downhill, and maintaining excellent comfort for the user's foot, and must ensure lateral support and precise transmission of movements to the ski.
• the aim of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks described above by providing» a highly flexible item of sports footwear that provides considerable comfort since compressions of the metatarsal region during its flexing are eliminated.
• an important object of the invention is to provide an item of sports footwear that allows to vary the value of its flexibility and tilt according to the user's requirements.
• Another object of the invention is to provide an item of sports footwear that has excellent rear support and enormously facilitates rolling of the foot while the user is walking.
• Another object of the invention is to provide an item of sports footwear that can be advantageously assembled with known processes involving gluing, direct injection or mechanical assembly, with a rigid or partially rigid shell or with a conventional leather upper, preserving the main characteristics of extremely high flexing and tilting.
• Another object of the invention is to provide a highly flexible item of sports footwear having a high degree of industrialization, so as to reduce its production costs and facilitate its sale to the public.
• a highly flexible item of sports footwear characterized in that it comprises, in a front portion, at the axis of natural flexing of the foot, a first unidirectional articulation means for the gradual tilting of at least the upper of the item of footwear with respect to the sole thereof, a first flexible means being furthermore provided between the upper and the sole to vary the value of the flexing of the item of footwear.
• Figures 1 to 4 are schematic lateral elevation views of the item of sports footwear according to the invention.
• Figures 5 to 8 are schematic lateral elevation views of the gradual inclination of the upper of the item of footwear with respect to the so le thereof , according to the invention;
• Figure 9 is a schematic partial view of the front part of the item of footwear, illustrating the first and second means for its articulation;
• Figure 10 is an exploded perspective detail view of the first and second articulation means according to the invention.
• Figures 11 and 12 are schematic views of the part for connecting the front portion of the upper and the sole to allow easy rolling for walking.
• the highly flexible item of sports footwear generally designated by the reference numeral 1
• the highly flexible item of sports footwear comprises, in a front portion, a first unidirectional articulation means, generally designated by the reference numeral 2, which is conveniently arranged at the natural flexing axis of the foot to allow the gradual tilting of the upper 3 with respect to the sole 4 of the item of footwear.
• the first articulation means 2 is formed by a recess in the material in a downward region of the front portion of the upper, so that the upper forms, together with the sole 4, a wedge-shaped space 5 that facilitates the inclination of the front part of the upper and thus the flexing of the item of footwear.
• This solution facilitates ideal support of the skier and provides the fastest possible weight shifting, avoiding compressions of the upper on the metatarsal region of the skier due essentially to the corrugation of the upper.
• a first flexible means is furthermore provided between the upper 3 and the sole 4 and comprises a bellows-like part 6, preferably made of plastics, that is connected to the front portion of the upper 3 at one end and to the sole 4 at the opposite end, so as to sealingly close -.the wedge- * shaped space 5.
• a second unidirectional articulation means which is suitable to cooperate with the first articulation means to vary the flexibility and the tilt of the item of footwear.
• the second articulation means can include, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, one or more easy-flexing regions 7 that are formed on the sole by providing one or more notches.
• the second articulation means comprises a tip 8 which is hinged, by virtue of a hinge 9, to the plantar arch 10 of the sole by virtue of a pivot 11.
• the pivot 11 engages respective holes formed on two wings 12 of the tip 8 and a central expansion 13 which lies between the wings 12 and extends from the plantar arch 10.
• the second articulation means allows high resistance to lateral torsion and considerable precision in transmitting the movements from the shoe to the ski.
• the wings 12 have a retention block 15 that allows the tip 8 to rotate toward the upper 3 of the item of footwear but not in the opposite direction, when the tip is perfectly co-planar with respect to the plantar arch 10.
• the item of footwear can have a second flexible means that includes a block 16 which is accommodated in a corresponding seat 17 formed on the sole 4 and particularly, as shown in Figure 10, in the tip 8.
• the block 16 is also wedge-shaped so as to follow the wedge-like shape of the space 5.
• the block 16 comprises at least two regions 18 and 19 offering different resistance to the compression force that occurs between the front portion of the upper 3 and the sole 4 during the flexing and tilting of the item of footwear.
• the item of footwear furthermore has at least one locking part and particularly two links 20 which are hinged to the tip 8 at one end and to the front portion of the upper 3 at the opposite end.
• the links 20 cooperate with the retention block 15 if the tip 8 is articulated to the plantar arch 10.
• the links 20 allow to lock the front portion of the upper with respect to the sole in a position for the maximum opening of the wedge- like space 5.
• the item of footwear according to the present invention has a part for connecting the front portion of the upper 3 to the sole 4 in a position in which the wedge- shaped space 5 is completely closed, as shown in Figures 11 and 12.
• the connecting part can be formed by a pin 21 that simultaneously engages a hole that passes inside the sole 4 and the holes formed in two wings 22 provided on the upper 3.
• the devised solution allows the flexibility and inclination of the item of footwear and ensures excellent lateral stability and resistance to torsion with exceptional comfort, since the compressions produced by the upper on the metatarsal region during the flexing of the item of footwear are eliminated.
• the item of footwear allows to adjust the value of its flexibility and inclination, of its rear support and of its rolling action for walking.
• An additional advantage provided by the solution is that it can be assembled, with known processes involving gluing, direct injection or mechanical assembly, to any item of footwear obtained from an upper or rigid or partially rigid shell or to a conventional item of footwear while maintaining the above mentioned main characteristics of flexing and inclination.
• the invention thus conceived is susceptible to numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the inventive concept ; all the detai ls may furthermore be replaced with technical ly equivalent elements .
• the materials employed may be any according to the requirements and the state of the art.

Landscapes

• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Physical Education & Sports Medicine (AREA)
• Footwear And Its Accessory, Manufacturing Method And Apparatuses (AREA)

Priority Applications (4)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=11365389

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Cited By (2)

Citations (8)

• 1993
  • 1993-03-17 IT ITMI930512A patent/IT1272104B/it active IP Right Grant
• 1994
  • 1994-03-08 EP EP94910388A patent/EP0647103B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1994-03-08 WO PCT/EP1994/000688 patent/WO1994021148A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 1994-03-08 JP JP52059194A patent/JP3572075B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1994-03-08 DE DE69401560T patent/DE69401560T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1994-03-08 AT AT94910388T patent/ATE147946T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation

Patent Citations (8)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events