Rear entry sports footwear, more particularly rear entry ski boot

Abstract

The present invention relates to a rear entry sports footwear (1), more particularly to a rear entry ski boot, which includes an outer shell (3) and a front quarter (5) and a rear quarter (7), connected to said shell. In the sports footwear according to the invention the shell (3) is provided with one or more longitudinal slits (11) which extend along said shell, preferably so as to extend, at least partially, on the area of the instep of said shell. Said one or more longitudinal slits (11) are closed at both ends (11a, 11b), i.e. they end before the upper edge of the shell. Advantageously, the presence of said one or more longitudinal slits (11) allows to adapt the inner volume of the sports footwear to the morphology of the user's foot; moreover, thanks to the fact that said slits are closed at both ends, greater stability can be obtained for the front quarter of the sports footwear according to the invention.

Description

Technical Field of the Invention

[0001] The present invention refers to a rear entry sports footwear, more particularly to a rear entry ski boot.

[0002] More specifically, the present invention relates to a rear entry sports footwear, more particularly to a rear entry ski boot, which includes an outer shell made of substantially rigid material and a front quarter and a rear quarter, which are also made of substantially rigid material and are connected to said shell.Prior Art

[0003] Rear entry ski boots are known and have experienced a remarkable diffusion, in particular between the eighties and the nineties of the last century.

[0004] In general - and as also visible in Figure 1a - a rear-entry ski boot 100 of a known type comprises an outer shell 102, made of a substantially rigid material and suitable for accommodating the user's foot.

[0005] A front quarter 106 and a rear quarter 108 are connected to said outer shell 102 and are adapted to receive, respectively, the front and the rear parts of the lower portion of the user's leg.

[0006] In detail, in the example of Figure 1a, the front quarter 106 and the rear quarter 108 are articulated to the outer shell 102 at a pair of articulation points 104 arranged on opposite sides of the shell, typically at the area of the malleoli.

[0007] In this way, the front quarter 106 and the rear quarter 108 can be rotated about the articulation points 104 to be moved away from each other. More particularly, the rear quarter 108 can be rotated backwards to allow the user to insert the foot into the ski boot 100.

[0008] Once the user has put on the ski boot, the front quarter 106 and the rear quarter108 can be rotated about the articulation points 104 to be brought closer to each other and the ski boot 100 includes a tightening system 110 to maintain said front quarter 106 and said rear quarter 108 against each other during use. As illustrated in Figure 1a, said tightening system 110 may comprise, for example, one or more traction cables 112 controlled by an operating lever 114 located on the rear wall of the rear quarter 108.

[0009] A rear entry ski boot of the type described above is illustrated, for example, in European patent application EP 410 091.

[0010] Alternatively, the front quarter may be rigidly connected to or integral with the outer shell and the rear quarter only may be articulated to the outer shell, still at a pair of articulation points arranged on opposite sides of the shell, typically at the area of the malleoli.

[0011] Even with this structure, the front quarter and the rear quarter can be moved away from each other (by rotation of the rear quarter only) to allow the user to insert the foot into the ski boot and extract it therefrom, and they can be brought closer to each other during skiing.

[0012] In order to accommodate the flexion movement of the instep during skiing, rear entry ski boots are also known in which outer shell is provided with a tongue made of a softer material and extending from said shell upwards, so as to cover the area of the instep and shin of the user.

[0013] A rear entry ski boot of this type is disclosed, for example, in European patent application EP 253 306 and is schematically illustrated in Figure 1b.

[0014] As can be seen in Figure 1b (in which the front and rear quarters have been omitted for reasons of clarity), the shell 102' of the ski boot 100' is provided with an elastically deformable tongue 116' which extends at the front portion of the shell, starting from its upper edge.

[0015] To further increase the flexibility of the tongue 116', it may possibly be equipped with a transverse slit 118' at the instep area. If such a transverse slit is provided, the ski boot 100' is also preferably equipped with a covering element 120' that prevents water and snow from penetrating inside the boot itself.

[0016] However, rear entry ski boots have some significant disadvantages.

[0017] In detail, in general, the structure of said ski boots, comprising a front quarter and a rear quarter articulated to the shell, does not allow to adequately adapt the inner volume of the ski boot to the different morphology of the individual users.

[0018] This drawback not only entails poor comfort for the user, but also compromises the technical performance of the ski boot, since the movements of the user's foot are not effectively transmitted to the boot and, from this, to the ski.

[0019] US 4949480 discloses a sports footwear comprising an outer shell, and a front quarter and a rear quarter connected to said shell, said rear quarter and said front quarter being able to be moved away from each other and brought closer to each other. The outer shell is provided at its front portion with a longitudinal slit, which extends up to the upper edge of said outer shell, thus dividing the outer shell into two separate flaps.

[0020] US 2014 / 215855 discloses a sports boot comprising an inner boot and an outer shell. The inner boot is designed to keep the foot warm and to make it possible to walk comfortably in town, at the ski restaurant or in the snow. The outer shell is designed to rigidify this inner boot and to enable it to be introduced into a ski binding or into another piece of sports equipment. The outer shell is made of a rigid synthetic material, and it has a structure that is to a large extent perforated to make it lighter and to allow the inner boot to be seen.

[0021] The main object of the present invention is therefore to overcome this drawback by providing a rear entry sports footwear (in particular, a rear entry ski boot) the inner volume of which can be effectively adapted to the specific morphology of the foot of each individual user.

[0022] Another object of the present invention is to provide a rear entry sports footwear (in particular a rear entry ski boot) with improved structural and functional characteristics with respect to the prior art.

[0023] These and other objects are achieved by a rear entry sports footwear as claimed in claim 1. Preferred embodiments are defined in the appended claims.Summary of the Invention

[0024] The sports footwear according to the invention comprises an outer shell, made of a substantially rigid material, and a front quarter and a rear quarter, also made of a substantially rigid material and connected to said shell, said rear quarter and said front quarter being able to be moved away from each other and brought closer to each other.

[0025] According to the invention, one or more longitudinal slits are provided on the front portion of said outer shell.

[0026] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a single longitudinal slit is provided on the outer shell and said longitudinal slit is preferably located at a central position on said outer shell, i.e. along the longitudinal axis of said front portion of said outer shell.

[0027] In alternative embodiments, in which multiple longitudinal slits are provided, they are preferably arranged symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis of the front portion of the outer shell and equally spaced from one another.

[0028] According to the invention, said one or more longitudinal slits are closed at both ends, i.e. they end before the upper edge of the outer shell.

[0029] Said one or more longitudinal slits are arranged so as to extend, at least partially, over the area of the outer shell which, in use, covers the user's instep.

[0030] Advantageously, the presence of said one or more longitudinal slits allows to adapt the inner volume of the sports footwear to the morphology of the user's foot, improving both the comfort of said sports footwear and its technical performance, in terms of effective transmission of movements from the user's foot to the sports footwear.

[0031] It will be evident to the person skilled in the art that a transverse slit made in the outer shell (of the type shown in Figure 1b) would not be able to achieve the same purpose.

[0032] Furthermore, if said outer shell is made by injecting material inside a mould, the presence of said one or more longitudinal slits entails an additional advantage, since it allows a certain deformation of the outer shell during manufacturing and thus facilitates the extraction of the shell from the corresponding mould.

[0033] Advantageously, thanks to the fact that said one or more longitudinal slits do not open at the upper edge of the outer shell, but end before said upper edge and are closed at both ends, the front quarter of the sports footwear according to the invention can show a greater stability.

[0034] In order to prevent entry of water or snow into the sports footwear according to the invention, it is preferably provided with a covering element that covers said one or more longitudinal slits made on the outer shell.

[0035] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the outer shell of the sports footwear comprises an insert made of a less rigid and more flexible material than the rest of said outer shell and said one or more longitudinal slits are made, at least partially, at said insert.

[0036] Preferably, said insert is made integral with the rest of outer shell, for example by co-injection, although it cannot be excluded that it is made as a separate piece and then coupled to said outer shell.

[0037] Preferably, the rear entry sports footwear according to the invention is a rear entry ski boot.Brief Description of the Drawings

[0038] Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, given by way of nonlimiting example with reference to the attached drawings, in which: Figure 1a schematically shows an example of a known type of rear entry ski boot; Figure 1b schematically shows the shell of a further example of a known type of rear entry ski boot; Figure 2 schematically shows a rear entry ski boot according to the invention; Figure 3 schematically shows the shell of the ski boot of Figure 2. Detailed Description of a Preferred Embodiment of the Invention

[0039] In the preferred embodiment of the invention described below, reference will be made to the application of the invention to a rear entry ski boot.

[0040] This embodiment must not be considered in any way as limiting the scope of the invention and the invention can be applied to any sports footwear comprising a shell and a front quarter and a rear quarter connected to said shell so that they can be moved away from each other, to allow the introduction of the user's foot in the sports footwear and its extraction therefrom, and they can be brought closer to each other during sports practice.

[0041] It is understood that, in the context of the present description, when it is stated that the front quarter and the rear quarter are "connected" to said shell, the term is understood to include the case in which one of the two quarters (in particular the front quarter) is integral with said shell and made in one piece with it.

[0042] With reference to Figure 2, a ski boot 1 according to the invention is schematically shown. Said ski boot comprises an outer shell 3 made of a substantially rigid material and configured to receive the user's foot.

[0043] Said ski boot 1 further comprises a front quarter 5 and a rear quarter 7, also made of a substantially rigid material connected to the shell 3 and configured to accommodate, respectively, the front and the rear parts of the lower portion of the user's leg.

[0044] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the front quarter 5 and the rear quarter 7 are both articulated to the shell 3. More particularly, the front quarter 5 and the rear quarter 7 are preferably articulated to the shell 3 at two articulation points arranged on opposite sides of said shell, preferably at the area of the malleoli.

[0045] In a preferred embodiment of the invention alternative to the previous one, the front quarter 5 is rigidly connected to the shell 3 or is integral with said shell and made in one piece with it and only the rear quarter 7 is articulated to the shell 3.

[0046] In both cases, said front quarter 5 and said rear quarter 7 can be moved away from each other to allow easy introduction of the user's foot into the shell 3 and its easy removal therefrom, and they can be brought closer to each other to tighten the lower part of the user's leg between them during use (i.e. during skiing).

[0047] In a manner known per se, the ski boot 1 is equipped with a tightening system 9 to keep the front quarter 5 and the rear quarter 7 tightened against each other when they are close to each other.

[0048] In a manner known per se, the ski boot 1 could further comprise an inner liner (not shown) made of substantially soft material and fitted inside the shell made of substantially rigid material 3.

[0049] As better visible in Figure 3, in the shown preferred embodiment, the outer shell 3 of the ski boot 1 comprises an insert 3a which extends along the longitudinal axis of the shell and which is arranged so as to extend, at least partially, at the region of said shell which, in use, covers the user's instep.

[0050] If provided, said insert 3a is preferably made of a less rigid and more flexible material than said shell.

[0051] The insert 3a can be integral with the shell 3a and made in one piece with it, for example by means of a co-injection process of a first, more rigid plastic material for manufacturing the shell and of a second, less rigid plastic material for the manufacturing the insert.

[0052] Alternatively, the insert 3a could be made as a separate piece and be subsequently coupled to the shell 3.

[0053] According to the invention, one or more longitudinal slits 11 are formed on the front portion of the outer shell 3, which one or more slits extend in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said outer shell.

[0054] In the preferred embodiment shown in Figure 3, a single longitudinal slit 11 is provided, which is arranged centrally on the shell 3, i.e. substantially overlying the longitudinal axis of the front portion of said shell.

[0055] In alternative embodiments, in multiple longitudinal slits are provided, they would preferably be arranged symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis of said front portion of said outer shell and equally spaced from one another.

[0056] In the preferred embodiment shown in Figure 3, wherein the outer shell 3 comprises an insert 3a made of a less rigid and more flexible material than the rest of said shell, the longitudinal slit 11 extends at said insert 3a.

[0057] Advantageously, the presence of said one or more longitudinal slits 11 confers to the outer shell 3 a certain deformability in the transverse direction and therefore allows said outer shell - and consequently to the ski boot 1 - to adapt to the specific morphology of the individual user.

[0058] Thanks to the fact that the space inside the shell 3 - more particularly at the area of the instep - is more adapted to the morphology of the user's foot, both the comfort and the technical performance of the ski boot 1 are improved compared to those of rear entry ski boots of known type.

[0059] Furthermore, in case the outer shell is made by injecting material into a mould, the deformability conferred to said shell by one or more longitudinal slits 11 advantageously allows to facilitate the operation of extracting the shell from the corresponding mould.

[0060] This advantage is particularly significant in the case in which the shell 3 comprises the insert 3a made of a more flexible material and said one or more longitudinal slits 11 are made along with the shell 3, in the same mould.

[0061] As clearly visible in Figure 3, the longitudinal slot 11 does not open at the upper edge of the outer shell; on the contrary, it ends before said upper edge, so that it has a finite length and is closed at both opposite ends 11a, 11b.

[0062] This arrangement advantageously allows to give stability to the front quarter 5 and further increases the comfort and performance of the ski boot according to the invention.

[0063] Referring back now to Figure 2, the ski boot 1 comprises a covering element 13 which can be superposed on the outer shell 3, and in particular on the longitudinal slit(s) 11 so as to prevent the entry of water or snow inside the boot itself.

[0064] In the shown embodiment, said covering element consist in a flap 13 which is hinged at least at the front on the shell 3 and can rotate with respect to it so as to cover the longitudinal slit(s) 11.

[0065] From the foregoing, it is evident that the invention achieves the aforementioned purpose, since the comfort and technical performance of the user are significantly improved compared to rear entry sports footwear of known type.

[0066] It is also evident that the embodiment described above in detail must not be understood in any way as limiting and that numerous modifications and variations within the reach of those skilled in the art can be made without departing from the scope of protection defined by the appended claims.

[0067] In particular, although the invention has been described and is particularly advantageously applicable to rear-entry ski boots, its application to other types of sports footwear including a shell and a front and rear quarters connected to said shell is not to be excluded.

Claims

1. Rear entry sports footwear (1), comprising an outer shell (3), and a front quarter (5) and a rear quarter (7) connected to said outer shell (3), wherein one or more longitudinal slits (11) are provided in the front portion of said outer shell (3), which slits extend in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said outer shell and end before the upper edge of said outer shell, whereby they have a finite length and they are closed at both opposite ends (11a, 11b), characterized in that said front portion of said outer shell is provided with a single longitudinal slit (11) centrally arranged on said front portion of said outer shell (3), substantially overlying the longitudinal axis of said front portion of said outer shell, or with a plurality of longitudinal slits symmetrically arranged with respect to the longitudinal axis of said front portion of said outer shell, and equally spaced from one another.

2. Rear entry sports footwear (1) according to claim 1, wherein said outer shell comprises an insert (3a), which is made of a material with a lower rigidity than the rest of said outer shell (3), and wherein said one or more longitudinal slits (11) extend, at least partially, in said insert (3a).

3. Rear entry sports footwear (1) according to claim 2, wherein said insert (3a) is made of a less rigid and more flexible material than the material of which said shell is made.

4. Rear entry sports footwear (1) according to any one of the claims 1 - 3, further comprising a covering element (13) which can be superposed to said one or more longitudinal slits.

5. Rear entry sports footwear (1) according to claim 4, wherein said covering element (3a) is made as a flap (13) which is at least frontally articulated to said shell.

6. Rear entry sports footwear (1) according to any one of the claims 1 - 3, wherein said rear entry sports footwear is a rear entry ski boot (1).

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