US 4,660,300 AGranted

Traction device for ski boot

AssigneeSalomon S.A.

InventorsJoseph Morell, Louis Benoit, Maurice Bonnet

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An alpine ski boot (1), the rod of which has a front collar (4) and a rear cap (5) arranged about a common axis (6), and the foot accommodating shell (2) of which houses, in its interior, a tarsal support casing (12). The collar (5) and the cap (6), on the one hand, and the casing (12), on the other hand, are respectively kept in position pressing against a skier's leg and against the kick portion of his foot, with a flexible brace (112) cooperating with an element (26) exerting traction by winding, allowing a phase of rapid approach, then a phase for the adjustment of the pressure applied to the skier's foot and leg.

Claims7

Dependent claims

In an alpine ski boot comprising

(a) at least two rigid elements (2, 5, 6) defining a shell (2) receiving a foot and a rod (4) including a front collar (5) and a rear cap (6);
(b) means (8, 9) for the mutual assembly of said elements, defining a mutual articulation of said collar (5) and said cap (6) in a lower zone of said rod (4), about a relative pivoting axis (7) which is substantially horizontal and transversal with respect to a predetermined direction (8) of forward movement, such that said cap (6) and said collar (5) can move between the relative open position of said rod (4) and a relative, variable position of the pressing of said cap (6) and said collar (5) against a leg;
(c) a tarsal support casing (12), located inside said boot and movable with respect to said elements (2, 5, 6), between a retraction position in which it is adjacent to said collar (5), in a lower zone of said rod, and/or to said shell (2) in a front and upper zone thereof, and a position pressing downward towards the rear on a foot, said pressing position being variable and offset towards the rear and downward with respect to said retraction position;
(d) a flexible brace (112), substantially inextensible, having two ends (13, 15) a first (13) of which is solid with one of said elements (2, 5, 6) in immediate proximity to said axis (7), of a first side (10) of said boot and at its interior, said flexible brace (112) having, in addition, successively from said first end (13) to a second end (15), a first section (18) by-passing said tarsal support casing (12) through the front and above, at the interior of said boot, at a first level which is higher than that of said first end (13), a second section (22) passing through said collar (5) in a first lateral zone (21) of said rod (4), from a second side (11) of said boot opposite said first side (10) to a second level which is above that of said first section (18) and that of said relative pivoting axis (7), a third section (24) by-passing said cap (5) through the rear, outside said boot, and a fourth section (25) extending along said collar (5) in a second lateral zone (17) of said rod (4), outside of said boot, from said first side (10) approximately to said second level;
(e) means (20, 23) for guiding said second section (22) of said flexible brace (112) through said collar (5) in said first lateral zone (21) of said rod (4), to said second level;
(f) traction means (26) carried by said collar (5) in said second lateral zone (17) of said rod (4), substantially to said second level, for applying to said fourth section (25) of said flexible brace (112) traction adapted to selectively bring and maintain said cap (6) and said collar (5) in leg pressing position and said tarsal support casing (12) in foot pressing position, and to release said fourth section (25) of said flexible brace (112) and to allow passage of said cap (6) and of said collar (5) into open position and passage of said tarsal support casing (12) into retraction position, the improvement comprising
(g) a winding reel (16) for said fourth section (25) of said flexible brace (112), said second end (15) of which is solid with a zone of said reel (16);
(h) means (40, 62, 31) carried by said collar (5), for defining an axis (32) of rotation of said reel (16) with respect to said collar (5), or first axis;
(i) a control knob (31) for said reel (16) on rotation about said first axis (32), with respect to said collar (5), in at least one predetermined direction (81) for the winding of said fourth section (25) of said flexible brace (112);
(j) means (40, 62) carried by said collar (5) for defining an axis of rotation (32) of said control knob (31) with respect to said collar (5), or second axis;
(k) first means (91) of kinematic connection between said control knob (31) and said reel (16) on rotation about said second and first axes (32), respectively, with respect to said collar (5), said first means (91) of kinematic connection introducing a first relationship of transmission of the rotation of said knob (31) to the rotation of said reel (16);
(l) second means (72, 82) of kinematic connection between said control knob (31) and said reel (16) on rotation about said second and first axs (32), respectively, with respect to said collar (5), said second (72, 82) means of kinematic connection introducing a second relationship of transmission of the rotation of said knob (31) to the rotation of said reel (16), reduced with respect to said first relationship;
(m) means (92, 93, 95) of automatic switching between said first and second means of kinematic connection (91, 72, 82), for automatically actuating said first means (91) of kinematic connection when said flexible brace (112) is subjected to traction stress below a predetermined threshold, and said second means (73, 82) of kinematic connection when said flexible brace (112) is subjected to traction stress above said threshold;
and
(n) means (74, 62) for temporary immobilization of said reel (16) on rotation about said first axis (32), with respect to said collar (5), in a direction opposite to said predetermined winding direction (81).

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

In an alpine ski boot comprising

(a) at least two rigid elements (2, 5, 6) defining a shell (2) receiving a foot and a rod (4) including a front collar (5) and a rear cap (6);
(b) means (8, 9) for the mutual assembly of said elements, defining a mutual articulation of said collar (5) and said cap (6) in a lower zone of said rod (4), about a relative pivoting axis (7) which is substantially horizontal and transversal with respect to a predetermined direction (8) of forward movement, such that said cap (6) and said collar (5) can move between the relative open position of said rod (4) and a relative, variable position of the pressing of said cap (6) and said collar (5) against a leg;
(c) a tarsal support casing (12), located inside said boot and movable with respect to said elements (2, 5, 6), between a retraction position in which it is adjacent to said collar (5), in a lower zone of said rod, and/or to said shell (2) in a front and upper zone thereof, and a position pressing downward towards the rear on a foot, said pressing position being variable and offset towards the rear and downward with respect to said retraction position;
(d) a flexible brace (112), substantially inextensible, having two ends (13, 15) a first (13) of which is solid with one of said elements (2, 5, 6) in immediate proximity to said axis (7), of a first side (10) of said boot and at its interior, said flexible brace (112) having, in addition, successively from said first end (13) to a second end (15), a first section (18) by-passing said tarsal support casing (12) through the front and above, at the interior of said boot, at a first level which is higher than that of said first end (13), a second section (22) passing through said collar (5) in a first lateral zone (21) of said rod (4), from a second side (11) of said boot opposite said first side (10) to a second level which is above that of said first section (18) and that of said relative pivoting axis (7), a third section (24) by-passing said cap (5) through the rear, outside said boot, and a fourth section (25) extending along said collar (5) in a second lateral zone (17) of said rod (4), outside of said boot, from said first side (10) approximately to said second level;
(e) means (20, 23) for guiding said second section (22) of said flexible brace (112) through said collar (5) in said first lateral zone (21) of said rod (4), to said second level;
(f) traction means (26) carried by said collar (5) in said second lateral zone (17) of said rod (4), substantially to said second level, for applying to said fourth section (25) of said flexible brace (112) traction adapted to selectively bring and maintain said cap (6) and said collar (5) in leg pressing position and said tarsal support casing (12) in foot pressing position, and to release said fourth section (25) of said flexible brace (112) and to allow passage of said cap (6) and of said collar (5) into open position and passage of said tarsal support casing (12) into retraction position, the improvement comprising
(g) a winding reel (16) for said fourth section (25) of said flexible brace (112), said second end (15) of which is solid with a zone of said reel (16);
(h) means (40, 62, 31) carried by said collar (5), for defining an axis (32) of rotation of said reel (16) with respect to said collar (5), or first axis;
(i) a control knob (31) for said reel (16) on rotation about said first axis (32), with respect to said collar (5), in at least one predetermined direction (81) for the winding of said fourth section (25) of said flexible brace (112);
(j) means (40, 62) carried by said collar (5) for defining an axis of rotation (32) of said control knob (31) with respect to said collar (5), or second axis;
(k) first means (91) of kinematic connection between said control knob (31) and said reel (16) on rotation about said second and first axes (32), respectively, with respect to said collar (5), said first means (91) of kinematic connection introducing a first relationship of transmission of the rotation of said knob (31) to the rotation of said reel (16);
(l) second means (72, 82) of kinematic connection between said control knob (31) and said reel (16) on rotation about said second and first axs (32), respectively, with respect to said collar (5), said second (72, 82) means of kinematic connection introducing a second relationship of transmission of the rotation of said knob (31) to the rotation of said reel (16), reduced with respect to said first relationship;
(m) means (92, 93, 95) of automatic switching between said first and second means of kinematic connection (91, 72, 82), for automatically actuating said first means (91) of kinematic connection when said flexible brace (112) is subjected to traction stress below a predetermined threshold, and said second means (73, 82) of kinematic connection when said flexible brace (112) is subjected to traction stress above said threshold;
and
(n) means (74, 62) for temporary immobilization of said reel (16) on rotation about said first axis (32), with respect to said collar (5), in a direction opposite to said predetermined winding direction (81).

12 more elements