Classifications

• • 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
  • A43B5/0496—Ski or like boots boots for touring or hiking skis

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a sports shoe, comprising a shell obtained by a process of molding a plastic material, which comprises flexible parts at the adjustment areas at the foot of the wearer, and rigid parts at the location areas of transmission of impulses and support from the wearer.
• these zones must be relatively rigid so that, on the one hand, they do not give in to certain constraints imposed by the ski bindings, and, on the other hand, to transmit to the skis, without loss of force and almost instantaneously, the support or support reactions of the skier.
• the known shoes thus produced are characterized, among other things, by their overall rigidity and the flexibility-rigidity compromise of their different zones, the compromise being obtained by varying the thickness of the walls. This solution proves to be relatively satisfactory for the use of the skier (boot-heaving, foot-holding, quality of the supports, etc.), but nevertheless has certain drawbacks.
• the shoes thus designed are relatively heavy due to the extra thicknesses of material required at the location of the rigid zones, and pose production problems for their molding and to make their structure homogeneous: these problems are due mainly to variations in thickness of the walls of the shell base and / or of the upper and of their location on these areas of the boot, because they locally induce shrinkage of the mold material and tensions which are repercussions on all of said areas and tend to deform.
• the most frequent deformations relate to the v ⁇ llage of the shell base and / or of the rod, and adversely affect the correct positioning of the closure elements which are situated on them, in particular at the location of the closure flaps of the entry of the foot. .
• these shoes which are made with a single mold material have the disadvantage of having an overall rigidity which, determined at the time of their manufacture, can no longer be adjusted according to the sporting practice envisaged by the sportsman. at a given time such as competition skiing or leisure / relaxation skiing.
• the skier adopts an offensive attitude and needs a very rigid shoe as a whole to ensure the transmission of impulses in the shortest possible time, and without loss of strength, even if this rigidity affects comfort.
• the rigidity allows to reach a maximum gestural precision on the part of the skier and efficiency in his supports, in particular in his lateral supports where he does not have a degree of articular freedom.
• a less rigid shoe that is to say one which is capable of deforming relatively under the effect of the impulses which it receives, is better adapted because by deforming it dampens part of these impulses while giving the skier enough time to react and / or control their progress on skis.
• Document FR 2 310 719 describes a flexible mountain shoe which is provided in its rubber sole with transverse inserts to which it is possible to fix, as desired and from the outside, elongated stiffeners which extend longitudinally in said sole.
• the shoe without the stiffeners thus has the characteristics of a flexible shoe with a flexible sole allowing walking, and with the stiffeners those of a flexible shoe with a rigid sole allowing climbing.
• the stiffening solution taught by this document is located at the sole of the shoe, and therefore the upper retains its own flexibility even if it is relatively prevented from deformation from the sole when the stiffeners are used. Consequently, and in particular for its use for the practice of alpine skiing, the flexible upper of such a boot does not make it possible to transmit to skis, without loss of force and almost instantaneously, the supports or support reactions of the skier.
• Document FR 2 714 800 teaches a shoe which comprises, on its part forming the base of the shell, a flexible envelope which can be formed by injection and with which is associated a rigid element, which is disposed on one of its sides, especially on the inner side of the foot where it substantially affects the shape, up to the level of the sole of the shoe.
• the reinforcement of the wall of a side of the shell base is thus ensured.
• a rigid internal reinforcement in the form of a square having a vertical wall and a horizontal portion serving as a seat for the skier's foot is immobilized in the boot shell base by means of connection fixing it to the outer sole.
• This arrangement makes it possible to use a flexible material and of relatively constant thickness for the wall of the shell base or it extends, because the rigidity required in areas such as the sole and the sidewall, which is usually obtained by extra thicknesses important of the constituent material, is then given by the reinforcement.
• the reinforcement is provided removable and interchangeable in order to modulate the technical characteristics to be given to the shoe from the same shell base and the same upper depending on whether it is for example the practice of competitive or recreational skiing and also the level of the skier.
• Document EP 645 101 teaches a sports boot such as a ski boot obtained by a molding process from an elastic material, the part of which forms the shell base comprises a flexible envelope with which is associated a rigid element which is arranged on one of its sides at least on the inner side of the foot where it substantially affects the shape, this rigid element ensuring the reinforcement of the corresponding wall and of the sole of the shoe.
• the solution proposed in this document consists in associating with the shell of the shoe a rigid element produced from a material which is best suited to the rigidity requirements required in certain places of said shell.
• the rigid element is preferably obtained in the shape of a "V" and is located on the inner side of the foot where it substantially affects the shape of the heel region, the first and fourth metatarsals, and the region malleolar.
• the rigid element thus allows the forces to be transmitted with great efficiency, from the wearer's leg to the sports accessory, namely skiing, since it is parallel to the main guidelines of the efforts to which it is subject.
• a connecting bridge or bar, is mounted longitudinally in the sole of the shoe and connects the free ends of the "V" overturns that the rigid element constitutes, this connecting bridge giving to the sole and on the side or is located the rigid element, greater torsional rigidity.
• the parts forming the shell and the rod are constituted by elements which are flexible and formed by an injection molding process or associated with the rigid element, which can be produced in the form of a single frame. extending in one piece on the two sides of the shell base and on the sole by a rigid transverse bridging.
• the rigid element in the shape of a "V" overturned is simply provided for reliable on one side of the sole of the shoe has a longitudinal bar, and therefore its connection with the latter only generates the reinforcement of the flank of the shoe where it is inserted.
• the rigid element forms a single frame, it is also obvious, as recalled previously, that one cannot modulate its stiffness once it is inserted in the flexible elements forming the shell and / or the upper of the shoe.
• the sports shoe is of the type consisting of a shell obtained by a process of molding a plastic material and comprises flexible parts at the location of the adjustment zones and / or the passage of the foot of the carrier, and rigid parts at the place of the transmission zones of the impulses and the supports of the lower leg and / or the foot of the carrier.
• the shoe comprises on its part forming the base of the shell a flexible envelope which can be formed by injection, and with which is associated a rigid element, which is disposed on one of its sides, in particular on the inner side of the foot, where it substantially affects the shape, up to the level of the sole of the shoe. This rigid element thus ensures the reinforcement of the corresponding wall of the side of the shell base.
• This sports shoe is characterized first of all by the fact that another rigid element, distinct from that located on the inner side of the foot, is arranged and associated with the other flank of the base of the shell of the shoe.
• each flank of the shoe can be obtained by a molding process from a flexible plastic material and designed with a relatively constant wall thickness because the rigidity required in the zones of transmission of the impulses and of the supports of the wearer. is then given by the reinforcement.
• each reinforcement being produced separately from the corresponding flank of the base of the shell and adapted to extend only in areas where great rigidity is required, it in fact constitutes a relatively small framework requiring only a small amount of constituent material. Consequently, each reinforcement can be obtained from highly technical and very light composite materials, without significantly increasing the costs, and makes it possible to limit the total weight of the shoe because it avoids the extra thicknesses of material usually produced at the place where it is placed on both sides of the shoe
• a rigid connecting bridge transverse to the longitudinal axis of the shoe, can be integrated into the sole of the latter by means of adjustable connection means capable of connecting it, more or less firmly and each side, to said sole and to the rigid elements for reinforcing the sides of the hull.
• the rigid elements can thus be assembled from side to side, in an adjustable manner, which has the effect of modulating the overall rigidity of the shoe, and in particular transversely to the longitudinal axis of the latter while preserving the flexibility-rigidity compromise of each side of the shoe
• the rigid connecting bridge is provided removable or even interchangeable with at least one other connecting bridge having a different stiffness, or with two separate pieces arranged side by side in the transverse direction to the longitudinal axis of the shoe , each part cooperating with the connection means located in correspondence.
• FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a ski boot showing, schematically, the connection means used at the level of the sole to connect the rigid elements for reinforcing the sides of the boot, either with a bridge rigid transverse connection constituting a bridging between said sides, either with two separate pieces preserving the independence of the reinforcing elements from one side with respect to the other, at the level of the sole,
• FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view along the line II-II of the shoe from FIG. 1 showing the connecting bridge connected to the rigid elements using the connection means
• FIG. 3 is a view in partial longitudinal section along the line III-III of the shoe of FIG. 1 showing the integration and the fixing of the connecting bridge in the sole,
• FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view along line II-II of the shoe of Figure 1 illustrating the method of connecting the reinforcing elements to separate parts replacing the transverse connecting bridge, these parts preserving independence reinforcing elements from one side compared to the other,
• FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate other modes of connection of the reinforcement elements with a transverse connection bridge
• FIG. 7 to 10 show, schematically, different embodiments of lateral reinforcement elements and the possible situation of their transverse connections relative to the longitudinal axis of the shoe and, in Figures 9 and 10 the mounting of the bridge binding in the heel area
• Figure 1 shows a sports boot such as a ski boot having a shell base 1 provided with a sole 2, and a rod 3 preferably pivotally mounted on the shell base 1 using connecting pivots 4 located in the zone corresponding to the malleoli of the wearer.
• Rigid elements 5, 5, visible in particular in FIG. 2 are associated and fixed to the sides 13, 13 ′, of the shell base 1, and have a structure lightened by recesses 6 at the location of the zones not affected by transmission of impulses and support from the shoe wearer.
• These rigid elements 5, 5 ′ in fact constitute a relatively small framework since they only cover the areas where great rigidity is required.
• each element 5, 5 ′ constitutes a “U” -shaped framework, the branches 7, 7 ′ of which are brought together at the level of the connecting pivot 4 of the rod 3, and the base 8 of which extends at the level of the sole 2 between the heel 11 and the toe 12 thereof.
• Fixing lugs 17, 17 ′, extending the branches 7, 7 ′, and folded back on the side of the sole 2 are intended to allow the attachment of each element 5, 5 ′, with the latter
• the arms 7 ′ which are obliquely oriented towards the end 12 of the sole 2 have holes 44, 44 ′, for mounting the connecting pivots 4 and are therefore more particularly concerned with the stresses occurring in the direction of the flexion of the wearer's ankle;
• the branches 7, they are oriented substantially perpendicular to the pivots 4 towards the heel 11 and are more concerned for the stresses occurring vertically and laterally, as well as rearward between the rod 3 and the shell base 1 in the direction of extension of the wearer's ankle, that is to say "back support”.
• the base 8 of the reinforcement 5, 5 ' sends a bridging ent r e the legs 7, 7', in the longitudinal direction of the shoe and at the sole 2 which it accentuates the longitudinal stiffness, and is concerned with consequently for the requests tending to make it bend.
• the shoe can be obtained by a molding process, from a flexible plastic material constituting the major part of the shell base 1 and the upper 3, with a relatively constant wall thickness because the rigidity required in the zones of transmission of the impulses and of the supports of the carrier is given by the reinforcements 5, 5 '
• the wall of the sides 13, 13 'of the shell base 1 is illustrated with a certain thickness which is constant with respect to the reinforcements 5, 5', and which gradually thins up to l 'location of the opening-closing zone where it forms the transverse flaps 24.
• the variation in thickness of the wall of the sides 13, 13', between the sole 2 and the flaps 24 is thus considerably reduced compared to the shoes of classic skis obtained in a single plastic material because there is no thickening at the level of the sole.
• a characteristic of the shoe resides in the fact that at least the tabs 17 of the branches 7 of the reinforcing elements 5, 5 ', are connectable to each other by means of a rigid connecting bridge 20, transverse to the axis longitudinal 9 of the shoe, and connection means 10 such as screws ensuring the assembly of said lugs 17, provided with cylindrical or oblong holes 41, with the sole 2 and said bridge 20.
• the holes 41 are preferably of more diameter larger than the diameter of the connection means or oblong, so as to allow perfect adjustment of the reinforcing elements 5, 5 ', against the sides 13, 13'.
• the rigid bridge 20, shown outside the shoe in FIG. 1, is insertable into the sole 2 from the inside of the shoe and forms part of the seat surface of the wearer's foot.
• the sole 2 is produced with a housing 22 and an interlocking groove 23, on the side of its end 12, in which the connecting bridge 20 is then positioned immobilized at the using connection means 10.
• the housing 22 is provided, in this construction case, larger than the connecting bridge 20, in the direction of its length, so that the latter can be engaged flat in said housing 22 then moved in translation in the nesting groove 23.
• the connecting bridge 20 is provided removable and interchangeable with at least one other connecting bridge of different rigidity. Also, it is provided for replaceable by two separate pieces 21 arranged side by side in the direction transverse to the longitudinal axis 9 of the shoe, each piece 21 cooperating with the screw 10 located in correspondence which constitutes the connection means.
• the separate parts 21 are provided to cover almost the same surface as the latter.
• they can also cooperate with the nesting groove 23
• connection means 10 make it possible to modulate the overall rigidity of the shoe after integration of the reinforcing elements 5, 5 ′, on the sides 13, 13 ′, of the shoe
• connection means 10 can also be envisaged, for example the arrangement of the operating members 10 ′ of the connection means 10 on the side of the interior of the shell base 1 In this case, obviously the connection means 10 can be operated after having extracted of the shoe, the comfort sole and / or the internal liner, not shown.
• the connecting bridge 20 can be connected to the fixing lugs 17 of the reinforcing elements 5, 5 ′, using a connection means 40 simply ensuring the connection transverse of said elements 5, 5 ′, with said bridge 20 without sandwiching the sole 2.
• This connection means 40 can be constituted, for example, by a headless screw which screws into the connecting bridge 20 and which s freely engages in the through hole 41 of the corresponding fixing lug 17.
• the reinforcing element 5 ′ is then connected firmly and in all directions to the connecting bridge 20 by means of the connection means 10 constitutes by the head screw 10 ′.
• connection of the reinforcing elements 5, 5 ′, with the connection bridge 20 can be provided for example on the side of the sidewall 13 ′ using connection means 50, such as rivets, ensuring permanent assembly and not adjustable in firmness, and on the side of the other flank 13 with adjustable connection means 10 removable and / or interchangeable.
• the reinforcing elements 5, 5 ′, of the shoe described with reference to FIG. 1 can take various forms and be different from one side 13 to the other 13 ′.
• the reinforcing elements 35, 35 ' have tabs 36, 36', which extend to the dorsal region of the shell base 1, shown in thin line, where they overlap end to end in the manner of a tenon-clevis link sliding in translation in the direction of nesting.
• the reinforcing elements 35, 35 ' can be adapted as close as possible to the sides of the shoe on which they apply as much at the level of the sole 2 as at the level of the upper 3 and the connecting pivots 4 located at the location of the holes 44, 44 ', shown.
• the reinforcing elements 45, 45 ′ differ from those 5, 5, and 35, 35 ′, above all by the fact that these are branches 46, 46 ′, substantially vertical located in the corresponding zone of the heel 11 which extend to the level of the connecting pivots 4 of the rod 3 located at the location of the holes 44, 44 ', shown.
• FIG. 9 illustrates another embodiment of reinforcing elements 55, 55 ′, in which the elements 55, 55 ′ are connected by a rigid connecting bridge 19 in the zone corresponding to the heel 11 of and in the zone of the end 12 of the shoe by two curved tabs 47, 47 ′, forming a tunnel corresponding to the zone through which the end of the foot of the shoe wearer passes.
• the rigid connection bridge 20 can take various forms and include more than two fixing holes, for example four, for its assembly with the sole 2 and the fixing lugs. 17 and / or 17 'of the reinforcing elements 45, 45'.
• the reinforcing elements 5-5 ', 35-35', 45-45 ', 55-55', 65-65 ', of the sides of the shoe can be associated with these by any known means such as by overmolding, bonding, riveting, anchoring points, etc., and be attached and fixed to the inside and / or outside of the boot shell base, for example being inserted at least partially into the thickness of the walls on which they extend.

Landscapes

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

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=9488753

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Families Citing this family (7)

Family Cites Families (6)

• 1996
  • 1996-01-30 FR FR9601252A patent/FR2743990B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1996-12-04 WO PCT/FR1996/001928 patent/WO1997027772A1/fr not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1996-12-04 EP EP96941691A patent/EP0817578A1/fr not_active Withdrawn
  • 1996-12-04 JP JP9527341A patent/JPH11503355A/ja active Pending

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events