SKI BOOT, IN PARTICULAR BOOT FOR SKI TOURING

Abstract

A ski boot is provided of the type comprising a substantially soft inner liner, a substantially rigid outer shell and a cuff articulated to the shell, and further comprising a spoiler articulated to the shell and arranged between the inner liner and the cuff. The ski boot comprises a locking device for selectively allowing or preventing rotation of the cuff relative to the shell and, at the same time, for selectively allowing or preventing the movements of the spoiler relative to the cuff, and consequently also relative to the shell.

Claims

1. A ski boot, comprising an inner liner and an outer shell, further comprising a cuff, which is pivotally connected to the outer shell, and further comprising a spoiler, which is pivotally connected to the outer shell and is arranged between the inner liner and the cuff, wherein the ski boot further comprises a locking device comprising a driving element which is switchable between a first position, in which the locking device is in a configuration in which the shell and the cuff are disengaged from each other, and a second position, in which the locking device is in a configuration in which the shell and the cuff are engaged with each other, wherein the locking device is designed so that when the driving element is in the first position, the locking device is in a configuration in which also the cuff and the spoiler are disengaged from each other, and when the driving element is in the second position, the locking device is in a configuration in which also the cuff and the spoiler are engaged with each other.

2. The ski boot of claim 1, wherein the locking device comprises a first engaging element, which is integral with or connected to said shell, and a second engaging element, which is integral with or connected to said cuff and which is designed for cooperating with the first engaging element, and wherein when the driving element is in the first position, the first and second engaging elements are in a first configuration in which they are disengaged from each other, and when the driving element is in the second position, the first and second engaging elements are in a second configuration in which they are engaged with each other.

3. The ski boot of claim 2, wherein the locking device comprises a third engaging element, which is integral with or connected to the cuff, and a fourth engaging element, which is integral with or connected to the spoiler and which is designed for cooperating with the third engaging element, and wherein when the driving element is in the first position, the third and fourth engaging elements are in a first configuration in which they are disengaged from each other, and when the driving element is in the second position, the third and fourth engaging elements are in a second configuration in which they are engaged with each other.

4. The ski boot of claim 3, wherein the locking device comprises a driven element, which is connected to the cuff and carries the third engaging element, the driven element being movable between a first position, in which the third and fourth engaging elements are in the first configuration in which they are disengaged from each other, and a second position, in which the third and fourth engaging elements are in the second configuration in which they are engaged with each other, and wherein when the driving element switches from its first position to its second position, it drives the switching of said the element from its first position to its second position, and vice versa.

5. The ski boot of claim 1, wherein the driving element is in the first position when it is at rest, and it is switchable to the second position against the resistance of a spring element.

6. The ski boot of claim 4, wherein the driving element is a driving lever, which is pivotally connected, at a first one of its ends, to the cuff and which carries, at its second, opposite end, the second engaging element, wherein the driving lever is in said first position when it is at rest, and it is switchable to the second position against the resistance of a spring element.

7. The ski boot of claim 6, wherein the spring element is a spring, a first end of which is connected to the driving lever and a second, opposite end of which is connected to the driven element.

8. The ski boot of claim 2, wherein the first engaging element is a male engaging element, and the second engaging element correspondingly is a female engaging element.

9. The ski boot of claim 2, wherein the first engaging element is a female engaging element, and the second engaging element correspondingly is a male engaging element.

10. The ski boot of claim 3, wherein the third engaging element is a male engaging element, and the fourth engaging element correspondingly is a female engaging element.

11. The ski boot of claim 3, wherein the third engaging element is a female engaging element, and the fourth engaging element correspondingly is a male engaging element.

12. The ski boot of claim 8, wherein the first engaging element is a transverse bar fixed to the shell and the second engaging element is a seat configured to receive and retain the transverse bar.

13. The ski boot of claim 10, wherein the third engaging element is a tooth and the fourth engaging element is a through-hole adapted to receive the tooth.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Further features and advantages of the invention will become more evident from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment, given by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

[0024] FIG. 1 is a perspective view from behind of a ski boot according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, shown in a first configuration or walking configuration; and

[0025] FIG. 2 is a perspective view from behind of the ski boot of FIG. 1, shown in a second configuration or skiing configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The preferred embodiment of the invention described below refers to the application of the invention to a boot for ski touring. However, this embodiment must not be understood in any way as limiting the scope of the invention.

[0027] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a ski boot 1 according to the invention is schematically shown. In a manner known per se, the ski boot 1 comprises an inner element or inner liner made of a substantially soft material (not shown in the Figures for the sake of clarity) and an outer element or outer shell 3 made of a substantially rigid material. The outer shell 3 is shaped to accommodate the user's foot and the ski boot 1 also comprises a cuff 5, which is also made of a substantially rigid material and is articulated to the outer shell 3 by means of rotation pins 7 (only one of which can be seen in the Figures) on the two opposite sides of said outer shell 3, substantially at the area of the malleoli.

[0028] The ski boot 1 further comprises a spoiler 9, which is also made of a substantially rigid material and is articulated to the outer shell 3 by means of a pivot pin 11 at the rear side of said shell, so that said spoiler 9 is arranged between the inner liner and the rear wall of the cuff 5. In this respect, it is to be noted that in the Figures a portion of the cuff has been removed in order to make the spoiler 9 behind it visible.

[0029] The ski boot 1 further comprises a locking device 11 for selectively allowing or preventing rotation of the cuff 5 relative to the shell 3. Said locking device 11 comprises a first engaging element 13, which is integral with the shell or connected thereto. In the shown embodiment, said engaging element is a male engaging element, more particularly a transverse bar 13 fixed to the shell 3.

[0030] Correspondingly, the locking device comprises a second engaging element 15, which is integral with the cuff or connected thereto and which is configured to cooperate with the first engaging element 13. It is evident that, in the shown embodiment, the second engaging element has to be a female engaging element, and specifically it is a seat 15 configured to receive and retain the bar 13.

[0031] The locking device 11 comprises a driving element 17 which is switchable from a first position, in which said first and second engaging elements 13, 15 are in a first configuration in which they are disengaged from each other, to a second position, in which said first and second engaging elements 13, 15 are in a second configuration in which they are engaged with each other, and vice versa.

[0032] More particularly, in the embodiment shown in the Figures, said driving element is a driving lever 17 which, at a first end, is rotatably connected to a base plate 19 fixed to the cuff 5 and, at the second opposite end, carries the seat 15: in the first position of the driving lever 17 (FIG. 1), said first and second engaging elements 13, 15 are disengaged from each other and the cuff 5 is free to rotate relative to the shell 3; in the second position of the driving lever 17 (FIG. 2), said first and second engaging elements 13, 15 are engaged with each other (i.e., the rod 13 is inserted in the seat 15) and the rotation of the cuff 5 relative to the shell 3 is prevented.

[0033] In order to switch from the first to the second position, the driving lever 17 must overcome the elastic resistance of a spring 21, which is configured to stably keep said driving lever in said first position. After the driving lever has been brought to the second position, the engagement between said first and second engaging elements 13, 15 stably maintains said driving lever in said position. In order to bring the driving lever back to the first position, the user must manually disengage the first and second engaging elements 13, 15, and then the spring 21, while returning to its rest configuration, will bring said driving lever 17 to said first position.

[0034] Advantageously, thanks to the mutual engagement of the first and second engaging elements 13, 15, the locking device 11 of the ski boot according to the invention provides for a direct locking between the shell 3 and the cuff 5, which guarantees that the relative rotation of said cuff and said shell is effectively prevented when said first and second engaging elements are in the second configuration.

[0035] According to the invention, the locking device 11 further comprises a third engaging element 23, integral with the cuff or connected thereto, and a fourth engaging element 25, integral with the spoiler or connected thereto, which engaging elements are configured to cooperate with each other to lock said cuff and said spoiler relative to each other, and the locking device 11 is configured so that, when the driving lever 17 is in said first position, said third and fourth engaging elements 23, 25 are in a first configuration in which they are disengaged from each other and, when said driving lever is switched to said second position, it brings said third and fourth engaging elements 23, 25 to a second configuration, in which they are engaged with each other and in which the movements of the spoiler 9 relative to the cuff 5 are prevented.

[0036] In the shown embodiment, the locking device 11 comprises a driven element 27, which can be driven by the driving lever 17 and which is made as an arm which, at a first end, is articulated to the base plate 19 and, at the second end, carries the third engaging element 23.

[0037] In the shown embodiment, said third engaging element is a male engaging element, more particularly a tooth 23 formed at said second end of the driven element 27. Correspondingly, in the shown embodiment the fourth engaging element has to be a female engaging element and specifically it is a through-hole 25 formed in the spoiler 9 and adapted to receive the tooth 23.

[0038] In this respect, it is to be noted that, during skiing, the relative rotation between the spoiler and the cuff is prevented per se by the fact that the spoiler is interposed between the inner liner of the ski boot and the cuff (which is locked relative to the shell during skiing). Accordingly, the third and fourth engaging elements 23, 25 must be shaped to prevent undesired translational movements of the spoiler relative to the cuff and/or to the shell rather than to prevent a relative rotation between the cuff and the spoiler.

[0039] The locking device 11 is configured so that when the driving lever 17 switches from said first position to said second position, it simultaneously controls the movement of the driven element 27 from a first position, in which said third and fourth engaging elements 23, 25 are in the first configuration in which they are disengaged from each other, to a second position, in which said driving lever brings said third and fourth engaging elements 23, 25 to the second configuration in which they are engaged with each other.

[0040] More particularly, in the shown embodiment, the spring 21 has a first end connected to a cross member 17a of the driving lever 17, which cross member is arranged at a certain distance from the end of said driving lever rotatably connected to the base plate 19, and a second opposite end connected to the driven element 27, namely onto a cross member 27a of the driven element 27, which cross member is arranged at a certain distance from the end of said driven element rotatably connected to the base plate 19. When the driving lever 17 switches from the first to the second position by overcoming the elastic resistance of the spring 21, the spring exerts a traction on the cross member 27a of the driven element 27 to which it is connected, thus causing said driven element 27 to rotate relative to the base plate 19 connected to the cuff 5, so as to bring the third and fourth engaging elements 23, 25 to the engaged configuration (in particular, in the shown embodiment, so as to cause the tooth 23 to penetrate into the through-hole 25 of the spoiler).

[0041] In brief, thanks to the structure of the locking device 11 of the ski boot 1 according to the invention, when the driving lever 17 is in the first position, the cuff 5 and the spoiler 9 can freely rotate relative to the shell 3; on the other hand, when the driving lever 17 is brought to the second position, the rotation of the cuff 5 relative to the shell 3 is prevented and, at the same time, the movements of the spoiler 9 relative to the cuff 5 are also prevented, so that the relative positions of the shell, the cuff and the spoiler are fixed.

[0042] It is therefore evident that, when the user wishes to walk (for example when going up a slope when practicing ski touring), he/she will keep the driving lever 17 of the locking device 11 in the first position, while he/she will bring said driving lever to the second position before going down the slope.

[0043] It is therefore evident from the foregoing that the invention achieves the aforementioned objects, as it provides a ski boot provided with a locking device which overcomes the drawbacks of prior art.

[0044] It is also evident that the embodiment described above in detail must in no way be understood in a limiting sense and that several variations and modifications within the reach of the person skilled in the art are possible without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims. In particular, the number, the nature, the structure and the operation of the engaging elements and of the components of said engaging elements may be chosen each time by the person skilled in the art according to his/her knowledge and preferences, without thereby departing from the scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.