Alpine ski boot with strap closure

Abstract

An easy entry alpine ski boot includes one or more of a ladder strap closure, flap joint, ratcheting buckle and worm gear buckle.

Description

PRIORITY CLAIM[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Pat. App. No. 61 / 187,380 filed Jun. 16, 2009 and entitled ALPINE SKIP BOOT WITH LADDER STRAP CLOSURE.INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE[0002]Each of U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,659,484, 3,679,031, 3,754,486, 4,240,309, 4,363,390, 5,549,429 and 6,654,987 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and for all purposes. In particular, the ratcheting mechanisms disclosed by these references are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties and for all purposes.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]1. Field of the Invention[0004]The present invention relates to an article of manufacture. In particular, a strap closure is combined with an alpine ski boot for securing the boot to a skier's foot.[0005]2. Discussion of the Related Art[0006]Alpine ski boots typically utilize lever type closures. While providing a mechanical advantage, these levers have nevertheless become increasingly difficult to operate due to, inter alia, ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010]Various embodiments of an alpine ski boot closure include one or more of a ladder strap, a coilable strap, a flap joint, a ratcheting buckle and a worm gear buckle. In an embodiment, a closure for an alpine ski boot comprises a boot outer shell including a plurality of flaps such as two or more sets of flaps. A boot vamp includes a first pair of opposed flaps of the plurality of flaps and a boot throat includes a second pair of opposed flaps of the plurality of flaps. For at least one pair of opposed flaps, a ladder strap is fixed to one flap and a buckle is fixed to the opposed flap. For the at least one pair of opposed flaps, a joint or similar means to ease spreading of the flaps is in at least one of the flaps. The flap joint is operable to reduce the force required to separate the ladder strap flap and the buckle flap of the at least one pair of opposed flaps, thereby easing the entry of a skier's foot into the boot. A ratcheting mechanism integral with the buckle is operable by a lever, or a similar means for increasing mechanical advantage, to advance the ladder strap through the buckle and to cinch the boot around the skier's foot and leg.

Problems solved by technology

While providing a mechanical advantage, these levers have nevertheless become increasingly difficult to operate due to, inter alia, the use of stiffer boot materials that must be conformed to the skier's foot and leg.

It is often the case that a skier's physical capacity is challenged, and sometimes overcome, by the task of “cinching up” a modern, stiff, alpine ski boot.

As before, this lever buckle also uses a rigid rack of limited length, depends on leverage limited by lever length, and has only limited capability to increase the overlap of the flaps.

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