Claims
- 1. A ski boot comprising:
- (a) a rigid shell base having a longitudinal axis and an upper surface;
- (b) a cuff journalled to said rigid shell base having a lower edge; and
- (c) at least one flexion element mounted transversely to said longitudinal axis of said rigid shell base, and adapted to extend over at least a portion of said rigid shell base, wherein said flexion element is in contact with said lower edge of said cuff; and is separate from said cuff, said flexion element further comprising a space therein; said
- (d) a manipulation lever located within said space at said flexion element and adapted to cooperate with an internal foot-tightening apparatus.
- 2. The ski boot according to claim 1, wherein said flexion element includes an extension portion in which said space is located.
- 3. The ski boot according to claim 2, wherein said flexion element is adapted to extend over an area above the flexion fold of the instep of a skier.
- 4. The ski boot according to claim 3 wherein said flexion element comprises an upper arm and a lower arm, said extension portion being provided on said lower arm.
- 5. The ski boot according to claim 4 wherein said upper surface of said shell base comprises a recess having a support shoulder adapted to receive at least a part of said extension portion.
- 6. The ski boot according to claim 5, wherein said support shoulder comprises a wall of said recess having a maintenance edge, and said extension portion nests in said recess and abuts said maintenance edge.
- 7. The ski boot according to claim 6, wherein said shell base comprises an access opening adapted to be closed by at least a portion of said extension portion.
- 8. The ski boot according to claim 7, further comprising means for linking said flexion element to said shell base.
- 9. The ski boot according to claim 8, wherein said linking means comprises at least one rivet attached to said shell base.
- 10. The ski boot according to claim 8, wherein said linking means comprises attachment means including a male member and a female member positioned cooperatively on one of each of said flexion element and said shell base.
- 11. The ski boot according to claim 10, wherein said male member is a tongue and said female member is an opening, wherein said tongue is adapted to be hooked into said opening.
- 12. A boot comprising;
- (a) a shell base having an upper surface,
- (b) a cuff journalled to said shell base,
- (c) a manipulation lever separate from said cuff, for adjusting the fit of said boot located on an area of said upper surface of said shell base, and
- (d) at least one flexion element mounted to said shell base transversely with respect to a longitudinal axis of said boot and having a space for receiving said manipulation lever.
- 13. A boot according to claim 12, wherein said flexion element is adapted to extend over at least a portion of a periphery of a foot of a wearer through a zone extending along a flexion fold of the instep of said wearer.
- 14. A boot according to claim 12 wherein said manipulation lever is attached to said flexion element.
- 15. A boot according to claim 15 wherein said space in said flexion element comprises a recess.
- 16. A boot according to claim 12 wherein said manipulation lever is attached to said shell base.
- 17. A boot according to claim 16 wherein said space in said flexion element comprises a hollow portion, and said manipulation lever extends through said hollow portion.
- 18. A boot according to claim 13, further comprising linking means for linking said flexion element to said shell base.
- 19. A boot according to claim 18, wherein said linking means is attached to said manipulation lever.
- 20. A boot according to claim 19, wherein said linking means comprises at least one rivet being supported on said shell base.
- 21. A boot according to claim 18, wherein said linking means comprises attachment means on one of said flexion element an said shell base for cooperating with at least one attachment opening on the other of said flexion element and said shell base.
- 22. A boot according to claim 12, wherein said flexion element comprises an extension portion provided with said space.
- 23. A boot according to claim 22, further comprising means for linking said flexion element to said shell base, wherein said manipulation lever fits into said space in said extension portion and is attached to said flexion element.
- 24. A boot according to claim 23, wherein said space is defined by a wall and said linking means comprises an opening in said wall of said space, and a threaded journal attached to said manipulation lever and passing through said opening.
- 25. A boot according to claim 22, wherein said upper surface of said shell base comprises a recess having a support shoulder adapted to receive at least a part of said extension portion.
- 26. A boot according to claim 25, wherein said support shoulder comprises a wall of said recess including a maintenance edge, said extension portion being nested in said recess and abutting said maintenance edge.
- 27. A boot according to claim 12 wherein said cuff comprises a lower edge adapted to cooperate with said upper surface of said shell base by means of said at least one flexion element.
- 28. A boot according to claim 27, wherein said at least one flexion element is in continuous supporting contact with said lower edge of said cuff.
- 29. A boot according to claim 12 wherein said flexion element comprises an upper arm and a lower arm.
- 30. A boot according to claim 29, wherein said upper arm and said lower arm define an intermediate slot.
- 31. A boot according to claim 30, further comprising means for varying the flex of said flexion element adjustably positioned in said slot.
- 32. A boot according to claim 12 wherein said boot comprises an internal foot tightening apparatus for adjusting said fit of said boot connected to said manipulation lever.
- 33. A flexion element adapted to be positioned on an upper surface of a boot having a fit adjustment apparatus controlled by a manipulation lever, said flexion element comprising an elongate member having a space adapted to receive said manipulation lever, and an upper portion and a lower portion defining a slot between said upper portion and said lower portion.
- 34. A flexion element according to claim 33, further comprising means for linking said flexion element to said boot, said linking means being attached to said manipulation lever.
- 35. A flexion element according to claim 34, wherein said space is defined in part by a wall in said elongate member, and said linking means comprises an opening in said wall and a threaded axis attached to said manipulation lever and passing through said opening.
- 36. A flexion element according to claim 33, wherein said elongate member comprises an extension portion, said space being positioned in said extension portion.
- 37. A flexion element according to claim 38, wherein said elongate member comprises an upper arm and a lower arm.
- 38. A flexion element according to claim 37, wherein said upper portion is an upper arm said lower portion is a lower are, and wherein said slot is an intermediate slot which is positioned between said upper arm and said lower arm.
- 39. A flexion element according to claim 38, further comprising means for varying the flex of said flexion element adjustably positioned in said slot.
- 40. A flexion element according to claim 37, wherein said extension portion is attached on said lower arm.
- 41. A boot comprising:
- (a) a shell base;
- (b) a cuff journalled to said shell base;
- (c) a manipulation lever for adjusting the fit of said boot; and
- (d) at least one flexion element mounted to said shell base transversely with respect to a longitudinal axis of said boot and having a first space for enabling flexion of said flexion element, and a second space for receiving said manipulation lever.
Priority Claims (1)
| Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
| 86 09557 |
Jun 1986 |
FRX |
|
RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a Continuation-In-Part application of Ser. No. 870,532, filed June 4, 1986.
The present invention relates to an improvement of a ski boot as disclosed in French Patent Application 85 09179, corresponding to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 870,532, commonly owned with the present application, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference thereto.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to boots, and more particularly to boots which include a molded shell base adapted to surround the foot of a wearer and by an upper which may be molded as one or more portions adapted to surround the lower leg of the wearer, wherein the upper is journalled on the shell base. Specifically, the present invention is directed to an apparatus for adjusting the flexional characteristics of the upper of a boot with respect to the shell base of the boot.
2. Description of Relevant Materials and Prior Art
Attempts have been made to provide conventional rigid ski boots with good flexional properties without compromising their capability of transmitting forces and permitting skiers to control their skis. A representative example of this type of boot construction is disclosed, for example, in French Patent Application No. 2,276,851. In this French application a ski boot is illustrated in which flexion control is achieved by deforming and extending the lower edge of a portion of the upper which cooperates with the upper surface of a rigid shell base during forward flexional movements of the leg of a skier.
Related to this, conventional rear entry boot constructions are designed with uppers which have, located at the bottom of their front zones, a type of slot which is positioned in transverse fashion to the longitudinal axis of the boot so as to define a lower border for the upper which serves as a deformation band which will extend or stretch during forward flexion of the leg of a skier. In such constructions, the band can be provided with predetermined elasticity, dependent upon the nature of the material used to form the upper.
These types of ski boot constructions are commonly referred to as "rear-entry boots" because entry of the foot of the skier is through the rear of the boot. Rear-entry boots include a rigid shell base without any opening on the front of the foot. Although such construction provides good shock absorption characteristics for the upper, such constructions do not permit the necessary elastic return that a skier normally expects from the boot.
Accordingly, attempts have been made to overcome such disadvantages by providing ski boots with an upper having progressively adjustable flexional characteristics, and yet are capable of preventing extreme flexions which would exceed limits provided by the anatomy of the connection between the lower leg and the foot of a skier.
To this end, French Patent No. 2,480,575 discloses a boot having an apparatus for adjusting the flexional characteristics of a ski boot. The flex adjusting apparatus is positioned at the lower periphery of the upper and includes a support surface provided on the upper which is capable of transmitting flexional forces of the leg to a flexion element which is adapted to cooperate with the shell base of the boot via at least one abutment which is slidably mounted within a guide. The flex adjusting apparatus is thus capable of modifying the conditions under which the forces are transmitted as a function of the positions occupied by each of the abutments while they are being guided.
A substantially similar type of construction is disclosed in French Pat. No. 2,484,800, in which the flexion element is spaced from the lower edge of the upper so as to form a transverse slot. The lot is, in turn, interrupted by a supporting abutment which ensures direct contact between the lower edge of the upper and the flexion element during forward flexional movements of the boot.
In both of these cases, the abutments, which may or may not be slidable, are positioned along both sides of the mean longitudinal plane of the boot. Alternately, a single abutment can be provided along one side of the plane of the boot. Such arrangements, however, can lead to unbalanced flexions along either side of the mean longitudinal plane. This tends to pose a problem because expert and other particularly demanding skiers require that the majority of flexion occur along the mean longitudinal plane of the boot.
Accordingly, the present invention overcomes the previously discussed disadvantages of the prior art by causing the forces transmitted from the edge of the upper to the flexion element to occur along the longitudinal axis of the ski boot in addition to permitting an adjustment of the forces which re transmitted.
The present invention is directed to a ski boot provided with a flexion element across the instep of the boot adapted to receive a manipulation lever operably connected to a fit adjusting mechanism associated with the boot.
The flexion element adapted to be attached to the outer shell of a ski boot is a generally elongate member having a length sufficient to extend from an area of the shell base in the vicinity of the arch of the foot over the instep towards the opposite side of the shell base. Preferably the elongate member is provided with a space, as a recess or a hollow area, adapted to receive the manipulation lever associated with the fit adjustment mechanism of the ski boot.
In one embodiment, the flexion element includes means for linking the flexion element to the ski boot which is attached to the manipulation lever, preferably wherein the space in the elongate member is defined in part by a wall and the means for linking includes an opening in the wall to permit the passage of a threaded journal attached to the manipulation lever. Related to this, the elongate member of the flexion element in accordance with the present invention preferably includes an extension portion in which the previously described space is located.
In another embodiment, the elongate member of the flexion element includes an upper arm and a lower arm, preferably defining an intermediate slot adapted to receive means for varying the flex of the flexion element adjustably positioned in the slot.
In each of these embodiments, the flexion element is adapted to be attached at one end, i.e., the end of the elongate member of the flexion element adjacent the arch of the foot, to the ski boot whereas the opposite end may alternatively be free or adapted to be attached to the ski boot. In the latter instance, the means for linking the flexion element to the shell base of the ski boot may be in the form of a rivet capable of being inserted into an appropriate support, i.e., an opening, on the shell base of the boot. Alternatively, the means for linking the flexion element to the shell base includes a male element adapted to be inserted into a female element provided on the shell base of the ski boot, preferably wherein the male element is a tongue extending from the extension portion of the flexion element and th female element is an opening in the shell of the ski boot adapted to receive the tongue.
The previously described flexion element in accordance with the present invention is particularly suitable for use with ski boots composed of a shell base having a longitudinal axis and an exterior surface area, and a cuff journalled to the rigid shell base having a lower edge, and a manipulation lever adapted to cooperate with an internal foot tightening apparatus, wherein the flexion element is mounted transversely to the longitudinal axis of the shell base and is adapted to extend over at least a portion of the shell base in a manner which permits the flexion element to contact the lower edge of the cuff. Preferably, the shell base of the ski boot to which tee flexion element of the present invention is attached includes a recess having a support shoulder adapted to receive at least a part of the extension portion of tee flexion element, preferably wherein the support shoulder includes a wall of the recess which has a maintenance edge, and the extension portion of the flexion element nests in the recess and abuts against the maintenance edge. The shell base of the ski boot may also include an access opening adapted to be closed by at least a portion of the extension portion of the flexion element.
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| Entry |
| U.S. Ser. No. 810,532, 06041986, Morell et al. |
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
| Parent |
870532 |
Jun 1986 |
|
Patent Grant
4910890
