EP0753267A1 - Snowboard boot comprising an internal shell and a rigid articulated dorsal part - Google Patents

Abstract

The boot has a sole (1) to which a relatively supple leg (2) is joined. A rigid shell (4) covers part of the sole and extends upwards, at the back, to cover the heel. A rigid back part (6) is articulated on the back of the shell (42) at the inner side of the boot. The axis of articulation of the back part (O) forms an angle of inclination of 20-45 deg with respect to the median longitudinal plane of the boot. The axis is inclined downwards from the back to the front and its angle is preferably near 30 deg.

Description

The present invention relates to a snowboard boot, in particular of the flexible type particularly suitable for the practice of disciplines such as "free-ride" or "free-style".

Currently, boots of the flexible type are designed essentially as simple rising shoes, waterproof and comfortable but having no real role in the transmission of forces.

They must be adapted to retaining devices in the form of an open shell with a rising rear element and straps in sufficient number to ensure tightening. The rear element must be rigid to favor the rear supports in the so-called "back side" turns. These sets have many disadvantages. They are very bulky due to the presence of the straps and the rear upright support. The adjustment of the straps must be renewed each time the shoe is re-engaged in the shell after each ascent. The tightening of the straps must be sufficient to hold the boot on the board; which very often causes painful constriction points for the foot due to the flexibility of the upper. Finally, these shells poorly transmit bending forces in all directions, including in rear support, due to an often imprecise adaptation of the rear element with the boot.

The surfer who practices the new disciplines is led to take support and adopt a very prone attitude forwards or backwards. He must then flex one of the legs strongly inward in the direction of bringing one knee closer to the board. The other leg also undergoes a less pronounced lateral outward tilt. To facilitate bending the leg inward while maintaining a certain balance, the surfer can bend the knee; which causes the lower leg to flex from back to front.

Document EP-A1-646334 relates to a snowboard boot which comprises a flexible inner part in the form of a boot, an outer part also in the form of a shoe, with a flexible upper, and, is disposed between these two parts, a rigid insert on which is articulated at the level of the articulation of the foot and the lower leg along an axis passing through the longitudinal plane of the shoe, a rigid dorsal part which encloses the calf.

This shoe has the advantage of favoring the taking of back side turns effectively thanks to the rigid dorsal part inserted directly into the shoe while maintaining a certain lateral laxity, either on the interior or exterior side, to allow the surfer to '' adopt more or less bent leg positions. The shoe also retains the comfort of a boot of the type flexible by the presence of an internal liner and an external flexible upper. This comfort is appreciable in particular during the use of the shoe for walking. But such a shoe still uses a binding of the "shell" type with tightening straps, the drawbacks of which have been mentioned above.

In addition, the shoe according to this invention also has drawbacks which are significant dissatisfaction factors and which limit their use. In particular, taking into account the position of the articulation axis in the median longitudinal plane, only the lateral flexion of the leg is actually taken into account. The natural forward bending component of the lower leg is not particularly favored given the rigidity of the insert.

The joint where all the efforts and stresses are concentrated is located along the Achilles tendon; which creates a pain point that is very detrimental to the comfort of the shoe. The tendon is all the more stressed when the surfer is in rear support because the lower part of the rigid dorsal part exerts pressure on the shell towards the inside of the heel under the articulation by leverage.

The problem of comfort generated is accentuated by the choice of an internal construction of the insert and of the rigid dorsal part in the immediate vicinity of the foot.

In addition, the solution according to request EP-A1-646334 does not provide the external lateral support necessary when the surfer is in the position to restart his board or in the skating phase, when one of the rear feet is detached from his board.

The present invention aims to provide a truly satisfactory solution to all of the problems encountered by the solutions of the prior art mentioned above. In particular, the invention aims to propose a boot of the flexible type which retains its qualities of comfort in all conditions of use while ensuring the transmission of essential forces for good control and good control of the board in the disciplines practiced. .

Another object of the invention is to propose a boot which really takes into account the natural movements of internal and external flexions of each leg by an appropriate asymmetrical solution.

Another object of the invention is to provide a boot which integrates the essential tightening means, thus dissociating the tightening functions and the retaining function on the board; so as to avoid the disadvantages of traditional shell systems.

For this, the invention relates to a snowboard boot comprising a sole intended to be attached to the board, a relatively flexible upper, mainly forming the external part of the boot and connected to the sole, a rigid shell partially covering at least the sole. and extending, at the rear of the boot, upwards at the heel, and a rigid dorsal part, articulated on said shell and extending it upwards. The rigid dorsal part is articulated on the internal side of the boot, along a hinge axis forming an angle of inclination between 20 and 45 ° relative to the median longitudinal plane of the boot.

Thus localized, the joint is morphologically located in a hollow place between the internal malleolus and the achilles tendon. During back rests, the dorsal part can deform inward without creating pain.

We can design a smaller range to respond to the most frequently encountered situations, depending on the position of the feet on the board. Thus the angle of inclination of the articulation axis is between 25 and 35 °, preferably close to 30 °, relative to the median longitudinal plane.

According to another characteristic, the articulation axis is oriented from rear to front and from top to bottom, thus taking into account the slightly inclined position towards the front of the leg in the state of rest on the board.

Other complementary characteristics contribute to improving the holding and tightening of the foot inside the boot. This is how the shell can include lateral rims extending upwards intended to border the foot on each side, from a base partially covering at least the sole. Likewise, the boot may also include a kick tightening strap which connects each lateral edge of the shell.

The direct connection of the strap to the shell allows more effective tightening while preserving the comfort of the foot.

• la figure 1 illustre de façon schématique la position d'un surfeur au cours de la pratique courante de la discipline ;
• la figure 1A est une vue de côté de l'articulation du bas de jambe selon l'axe longitudinal de la planche de snowboard ;
• la figure 2 est une vue du côté interne d'une botte de snowboard selon l'invention ;
• la figure 3 est une vue éclatée de dessus de la coque rigide avec la partie dorsale destinée à s'y articuler ;
• la figure 4 est une vue en perspective éclatée de la coque rigide avec la partie dorsale destinée à s'y articuler;
• la figure 5 montre schématiquement en vue de côté la partie de chaussure articulée en position debout du surfeur;
• la figure 6 montre schématiquement en vue de côté la partie de chaussure articulée lors de la flexion naturelle de la jambe vers l'intérieur;
• la figure 7 est similaire à la figure 5 mais en vue arrière ;
• la figure 8 est similaire à la figure 6 mais en vue arrière;
• la figure 9 est une vue du côté externe de la botte de la figure 2;
• la figure 10 est une variante de la figure 9;

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from the description which follows, with reference to the appended drawings which illustrate, by way of nonlimiting example, the implementation of the invention and in which:

• Figure 1 schematically illustrates the position of a surfer during the current practice of the discipline;
• FIG. 1A is a side view of the articulation of the lower leg along the longitudinal axis of the snowboard;
• Figure 2 is a view of the internal side of a snowboard boot according to the invention;
• Figure 3 is an exploded top view of the rigid shell with the dorsal portion intended to articulate therein;
• Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the rigid shell with the dorsal portion intended to articulate therein;
• Figure 5 shows schematically in side view the shoe part hinged in the upright position of the surfer;
• Figure 6 shows schematically in side view the shoe part articulated during the natural bending of the leg inward;
• Figure 7 is similar to Figure 5 but in rear view;
• Figure 8 is similar to Figure 6 but in rear view;
• Figure 9 is a view of the outer side of the boot of Figure 2;
• Figure 10 is a variant of Figure 9;

Figure 1 illustrates the natural bending position frequently adopted by a surfer. The two feet are fixed to the board in a substantially transverse orientation relative to the longitudinal axis of the board. The leg that flexes on the inside (INT) is more inclined than the leg that flexes on the outside (EXT).

The lower leg flexion is done both laterally and forward due to the knee joint. In the maximum flexed position, the lower leg has a first component of lateral inclination α relative to the reference plane P, constituting the median longitudinal plane of the shoe. It also has a second component of inclination before α1 relative to the plane P1, perpendicular to P, and which constitutes the reference plane in which the leg is substantially inscribed in the non-flexed position (FIG. 1A).

Figure 2 shows a first embodiment of the boot of the "flexible" type according to the invention which will be the subject of the following detailed description: in a manner known per se, the boot has an external sole 1, adapted when walking, made of a wear-resistant material such as rubber for example. The sole includes an anchoring member 10 intended to cooperate with a complementary locking member (not shown) integral with the board to form together a device for retaining the boot on the board. In the example of Figure 2, the anchoring member is presented as a pin oriented substantially longitudinally on the side of the sole. For more details on the restraint, see French unpublished application n ° 95 06169 belonging to the plaintiff. Of course, the anchoring member can present itself differently and be located at another location relative to the sole as in the examples contained in application WO 95 26365.

The boot externally comprises a flexible rod 2 which is connected to the sole 1 and which may be made up of different parts made of different materials but all having a certain flexibility. In the example illustrated, the upper 2 is formed by a thin and impermeable lower part 20 made of rubber, for example glued or riveted to the outer sole 1, and an upper part 21 made of fabric or leather, preferably sewn directly. on the lower part 20.

Of course, the upper may also have a tongue and one or more laces which are not shown.

Inside the upper forming the outer part of the boot, is inserted an internal padded liner 3 which can rise more or less high on the calf and protrude from the upper for better comfort as shown in Figure 2. It is made of natural or synthetic textile material, leather, and can be padded with flexible foam, for example.

A rigid internal shell 4 is disposed between the external part formed by the sole 1 and the upper 2, and the internal part constituted by the liner 3. This shell comprises a base 40 in the form of a sole which extends from the heel to the inclined limit of the metatarsals. It is important that the insert does not extend further forward so as not to stiffen the front of the foot by making walking difficult. This base can advantageously replace the first mounting sole in the construction of the upper, for example. The shell has a rigidity which must be greater than the rigidity of the rod 2 in particular. It is preferably made of injected plastic, reinforced or not. Among the plastics which may be suitable, mention may be made, for example, of the use of polyurethanes, polyamides, A.B.S., polypropylenes, etc. The thickness of the shell is preferably between 1 and 5 mm.

Side flanges 41 extend upwards from the base 40 of the shell as shown more clearly in FIGS. 3 and 4. These flanges participate in the setting of the foot inside the shell and thus improve the transmission of efforts with the board. The flanges are extended by two lateral ears 410 to which a kick tightening strap 5 is secured, which is disposed outside the rod 2.

In its rear part 42, the shell 4 extends upwards and has a rounded and enveloping shape at the heel level adapted to the morphology of the heel.

A rigid dorsal part 6 is articulated directly on the rear part 42 of the shell around an axis O inclined relative to the median longitudinal plane P of the boot. The rigid dorsal part covers part of the hull and extends below the articulation 7 to form a rigid rear support necessary for making so-called "back side turns". The dorsal part surrounds, at least in part, the calf. Its rigidity is greater than the rigidity of the rod 2. It can be made of the same material as the shell. Preferably, it will be manufactured by thermoforming or by injection. In the example of FIG. 2, the dorsal part is situated outside the boot, against the flexible external rod 2. In this case, the articulation simply crosses right through the rod. This construction has the advantage of facilitating the assembly operations of the boot. Thus, the back part can be fixed simply at the end of the chain. The adjustment of the dorsal part is also facilitated.

The rear part 42 of the shell must have sufficient rigidity in compression in the substantially vertical direction because the rear support forces during "back side" turns are transformed into compression forces on the rear part 42 due to the connection between the hull and the dorsal part.

The boot according to the mode shown is also provided with a tensile strength means connecting the dorsal part 6 and the shell 4. This means consists of a single shroud 8 passing on the internal side of the boot. The upper end of the shroud is fixed directly to the internal side of the dorsal part by an appropriate fixing means 80. The lower end is fixed through the rod at the front of the shell 4, preferably by a non-removable means 81 of the rivet type or the like. To allow adjustment of the inclination of the dorsal part, the shroud is provided with a length adjustment means, such as, for example, a series of holes 82 made at the upper end. The shroud is thus found to be outside the boot in the preferred embodiment. As a result, the length adjustments become more easily achievable without heaving. The main function of the shroud is to resist traction during external lateral supports exerted on the dorsal part, in the skating phase for example.

Of course, the boot can also be provided with two lateral shrouds: one on the external side, the other on the internal side of the boot, to ensure a more balanced hold in traction, if necessary.

As shown in Figure 3, the dorsal part is articulated on the inner side (INT) of the boot around an axis O which makes an angle of inclination θ relative to the median longitudinal plane P. According to the invention, this angle must necessarily be between 20 and 45 °.

Below 20 °, the lateral bending component is favored to the detriment of the front bending component; which is not the goal. In addition, the joint being located near the achilles tendon, the rear supports can cause pain due to the pressure of the dorsal part below the joint 7.

Beyond 45 °, it is on the contrary the front bending component which is favored whereas the rigidity, in particular at the level of the joint, makes lateral bending difficult, even impossible.

The dorsal part 6 is connected to the shell 4 at the articulation by any appropriate means allowing it to rotate freely around the axis O. Preferably, a rivet or an elastic clip 70 will be used.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the curved shape of the dorsal part is anatomical so as to fit the part of the calf for optimal comfort.

At the level of the overlap zone, the shell and the rigid dorsal part have complementary shapes so as to limit the thickness. The articulation being offset, we understand that this complementarity of the shapes will favor the inward bending (INT) of the boot while it will produce blocking points during outward bending (EXT) from a certain tilt threshold. The retention of the leg outward is advantageous in particular in the recovery phases when the other leg is detached from the board and is used to advance the latter.

Advantageously also, the flexural rigidity of the shell decreases progressively from at least the middle zone, up to its anterior end. This facilitates the unrolled movement of the front part of the foot at the level of the metatarsal joint during walking. Different means can be envisaged to achieve this characteristic. As shown in Figure 4, the side edges 41 have a height which decreases progressively towards the front. Finally, for a comparable result, the base 40 may have localized zones of weakness or have a thickness which decreases progressively towards the front.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the base 40 of the shell can advantageously include a recess 44 at the heel. This recess can be filled with a flexible material, preferably a damping foam for example. This promotes walking comfort when attacking the heel on the ground.

As shown in dotted lines in FIG. 3, the anchoring means 10 of the boot, which has an anchoring plate 100 and a lateral pin 101 which is integral with it and intended to cooperate with a locking means fixed to the board, is directly connected to the shell 4 at three fixed points at least 10a, 10b, 10c. Such a construction allows better transmission of forces and recovery of support by the power circuit thus created.

Figures 5 to 8 illustrate the kinematics of the rigid and articulated assembly formed by the shell 4 and the dorsal part 6. Before bending, the reference line L represents the intersection of the median longitudinal plane P and the reference plane P1 ( Figures 5 and 7). This line L moves at an angle α1 forwards with respect to the plane P1 during the natural flexion movement of the lower leg (FIG. 6). At the same time, the line L moves at an angle α inward (INT) relative to the plane P (Figure 8).

FIG. 9 illustrates the external view of the boot according to the previous embodiment showing only one of the sides of the strap and which comprises in particular a tensioning means 50, known per se, formed by a loop 51, a ratchet with clasp 52 in which slides a notched strip 53.

Of course, other adjustable or non-adjustable tensioning systems could also be used.

On the other side of the boot, the tightening strap 5 is fixed to the rim of the shell through the rod by a fixing means 54, preferably removable. A series of holes 55 are arranged along the end of the strap constituting a means of adjusting the length of the strap (Figure 2).

As shown in the variant of FIG. 10, the dorsal part can also be inserted inside the boot; between the outer rod 2 and the liner 3 for example. In this case, the guy 8 connecting between the dorsal part and the shell is also internal. The dorsal part could also be integrated into the construction and contained in a pocket formed by several folds or thickness of the external rod sewn together for example. In all cases, the articulation between the dorsal part and the shell will be carried out in the same way and will pass through the intermediate separation folds.

The outsole can be molded, glued or simply positioned, leaving the locking means visible.

Of course, the hull can integrate several anchoring means allowing a connection of the boot on the board at several points.

It goes without saying that the examples of construction described and illustrated simply constitute non-limiting preferential modes and that the scope of the claims below also extend to other constructions using any equivalent means.

Claims (12)

Snowboard boot comprising a sole (1) intended to be attached to the board, a rod (2), relatively flexible, mainly forming the external part of the boot and connected to the sole (1), a rigid shell (4) covering at least partly the sole and extending, at the rear of the boot, upwards at the heel, and a rigid dorsal part (6), articulated on said shell and extending it upwards, characterized in that that the rigid dorsal part (6) is articulated on the internal side (INT) of the boot, along an axis of articulation (O) forming an angle of inclination (θ) between 20 and 45 ° relative to the median longitudinal plane (P) of the boot. Snowboard boot according to claim 1, characterized in that the angle of inclination (θ) of the articulation axis (O) is between 25 and 35 °, preferably close to 30 °, relative to the plane longitudinal median (P). Snowboard boot according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the articulation axis (O) is inclined from rear to front and from top to bottom. Snowboard boot according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the rigid dorsal part (6) covers part of the shell and extends below the articulation (7), to form a rigid rear support. Snowboard boot according to claim 4, characterized in that the rigid dorsal part (6) is located outside the boot, against the flexible outer rod (2); the articulation (7) passing right through the flexible external rod (2). Snowboard boot according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the shell (4) comprises lateral flanges (41) extending upwards, intended to border the foot on each side, from a base (40) partially covering at least the sole (1). Snowboard boot according to claim 6, characterized in that it comprises a kick tightening strap (5) which connects each lateral edge of the hull (4). Snowboard boot according to claim 7, characterized in that the strap (5) comprises tensioning means (50) and at least one strap length adjusting means (55). Snowboard boot according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the dorsal part (6) is connected to the front part of the hull (4) by a single guy line (8) resistant to traction passing from the internal side of the boot. Snowboard boot according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the shell (4) extends from the heel to the inclined limit of the metatarsals of the foot. Snowboard boot according to claim 10, characterized in that the flexural rigidity of the shell (4) decreases progressively from at least the middle zone to its anterior end. Snowboard boot according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the shell (4) has a rounded and enveloping rear part (42) adapted to the morphology of the heel.

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