DEVICE AND METHOD FOR ADJUSTING THE SHELL OF A SKI BOOT TO A FOOT

Abstract

The invention relates to a device and to a method for producing a shell (2) of a ski boot (1) that in some areas is adapted to a foot, or a leg, of a user, comprising a lower and/or upper shell part (3, 3) made of a plastic material, and a heating element (10) for sectionally heating the lower and/or upper shell part (3, 3) above the softening temperature of the plastic material. The heating element (10) has an outer adhesion-promoting layer (11) for connecting the heating element (10) to one of the shell parts (3, 3) of the ski boot (1).

Claims

1. A device for producing a shell of a ski boot that in some areas is adapted to a foot, or a leg, of a user, comprising a lower and/or upper shell part made of a plastic material, wherein a heating element for sectionally heating the lower and/or upper shell part above the softening temperature of the plastic material is provided, characterized in that the heating element comprises an outer adhesion-promoting layer for an adhesion connection of the heating element to one of the shell parts of the ski boot, wherein as an adhesion-promoting layer there are provided a layer of an adhesive comprising a reglueable pressure-sensitive adhesive, or a silicone layer, or an adhesion-promoting layer based on van der Waals forces.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein as a reglueable pressure-sensitive adhesive an acrylate-based pressure-sensitive adhesive is provided.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the silicone layer consists of an addition cross-linked two-component silicone rubber which is vulcanizable at room temperature.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the heating element comprises a heating film, preferably with a film thickness of less than 3 mm.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the heating element comprises a silicone heater in which a heating conductor layer is accommodated between two silicone layers preferably provided with (glass) fabric inlays.

6. The device according to claim 4, wherein in the heating film or in the silicone heater there is accommodated an etched conducting track, a strand or a wire, preferably made of an alloy containing copper and nickel, as a heating conductor layer.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the heating conductor layer is accommodated between two insulating films preferably made of polyimide.

8. The device according to claim 4, wherein on the side of the heating film or of the silicone heater which side faces away from the adhesion-promoting layer there are provided a covering layer, preferably a textile fabric, and/or an insulating layer.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the heating element comprises a temperature sensor.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the adhesion-promoting layer substantially extends completely over a contact surface of the heating element.

11. A method for producing a shell of a ski boot that is adapted to a foot, or leg, of a user and comprises a prefabricated lower shell partwhich comprises a substantially plate-shaped sole areaand/or an upper shell part made of a plastic material, wherein a shell part is heated at least sectionally, wherein the foot of the user is accommodated in the lower and/or upper shell part in the heated state, characterized in that in a region of one of the shell parts deviating from the sole area a heating element will be attached by means of an adhesion connection between the heating element and the shell part achieved via a reglueable pressure-sensitive adhesive, a silicone layer, or via van der Waals forces, before the shell part will be heated in some areas by means of the heating element.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the foot or the leg of the user is inserted into the lower and/or upper shell part prior to heating the shell part.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the lower and/or upper shell part is heated up to at least 50 C., preferably up to a temperature between 50 C. and 100 C., in particular between 60 C. and 90 C.

Description

[0024] In the following, the invention will be explained in further details by means of preferred embodiments represented in the drawings, without the invention being restricted thereto. In the drawings:

[0025] FIG. 1 shows a lateral side view of a ski boot known per se, with a lower shell part and a hinged collar;

[0026] FIG. 2 shows a medial side view of the ski boot according to FIG. 1;

[0027] FIG. 3 shows a view of the ski boot with an adhering heating element (partially shown);

[0028] FIG. 4 shows a view of a design of a heating conductor layer of a heating film;

[0029] FIG. 5 shows a view of an alternative design of a heating conductor layer of a heating film;

[0030] FIG. 6 shows a schematic sectional view through a heating element according to the invention; and

[0031] FIG. 7 shows a schematic sectional view through an alternative heating element according to the invention.

[0032] FIGS. 1 and 2 each shown a ski boot 1 known per se, with a lower shell or bootleg part 3 consisting of a hard thermoplastic synthetic material, at which shell or bootleg part 3 there is hinged an upper, collar-shaped shell part 3. In the shell parts 3, 3 there is accommodated a comparatively flexible inner shoe 5 which at least sectionally comprises a padding. The lower shell part 3 as well as the upper collar-shaped shell part 3 each have closing elements 4, in particular buckles, in order to enable an easy getting-in of the foot or leg of the user or a sufficient support of the foot or leg of the user in the accommodated position.

[0033] Here, the lower shell part 3 has a plate-shaped sole area 5 for the purpose of connecting the ski boot 1 to a release or safety binding. In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 there are represented by broken lines those neuralgic or sensitive areas in which painful pressure sores can frequently occur when using the ski boot 1. These sensitive areas are the outside 6 of the ankle, the balls 7 of the little toes, the base bumps 8 and, on the inner side of the ski boot 1, the inside 6 of the ankle, the balls 7 of the big toes and the navicular bone (os naviculare) 8. In all said sensitive areas in particular a heating element 10 (see FIG. 3) can be attached by means of an adhesion layer 11.

[0034] In FIG. 3 the heating element 10 is shown in its position substantially adhering in the region of the base bump 8. Hereby it becomes obvious that by means of the represented heating conductor layer 12 (by omission of the layers arranged thereabove, see FIG. 6) the shell part 3 can be heated above the softening temperature of the plastic material precisely and only in a predetermined region by means of a heat transfer, and, consequently, in said regionand exclusively in said regionin which the heating element 10 is provided an adaptation to the foot of the user is carried out.

[0035] As becomes obvious from the sectional view according to FIG. 6, the heating conductor layer 12 which usually only has a thickness of less than 2 mm is accommodated between two insulating films 13 in a liquid-tight manner and, thus, forms a heating film 14 which is insulated in itself and is known per se and which is for instance offered for sale by the company Winkler GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany.

[0036] Above the heating film 14, in the embodiment as shown in FIG. 6 there is arranged a covering layer 15 made of a textile fabric which, advantageously, is provided with a thermocolor so that the color of the textile fabric changes in dependence on the temperature, and, thus, the current temperature of the heating element 10 can be identified in an easy manner for the user. Above, also an insulating layer 16 which, preferably, is transparent is provided in order to minimize the heat emission away from the shell part 3 and in order to prevent burn injuries of the skin in case of a contact, for instance with the hand of the user.

[0037] As is shown in the sectional view according to FIG. 7, as a heating element 10 there can in particular also be provided a silicone heater 14 in which the heating conductor layer 12 is accommodated between two silicone layers 13. Here, the silicone heater 14 consists of the heating conductor layer 12 which is embedded in a manner protected against humidity between two thermally and mechanically stable silicone layers 13 which are reinforced at best with a (glass) fabric inlay 20, respectively. The entire silicone heater element 14 has been vulcanized to form a homogeneous unit, wherein no separate adhesion-promoting layer 11 has to be provided, but the silicone layer 13 simultaneously forms the adhesion-promoting layer 11. A good compromise between the hardness of the silicone layer 13 and the surface tackiness is obtained when for the production of the silicone layer(s) 13 an addition cross-linked two-component silicone rubber is used, wherein the two components A, B preferably consist of polydemthylsiloxane with functional groups and auxiliaries, respectively. In this connection, component A comprises the cross-linking agent, whereas component B comprises a catalyst, in particular a platinum catalyst. Such a two-component silicone rubber is for instance known from the company Wacker Chemie under the name of Wacker SilGel 612 A/B, wherein practical tests have shown that with a mixing ratio of 1.4 to 1.6:1 of the components A:B, in particular of 1.45 to 1.5:1 of the components A:B, an elasticity or hardness of the vulcanizate can be obtained in which a sufficient tackiness is maintained, but that thereby the manipulation capability will be improved in such a way that a permanent usage is guaranteed. It is a matter of course that the silicone heater 14like the heating element 10 according to FIG. 6can be provided with a covering layer 15 and/or an insulating layer 16 on the side facing away from the adhesion-promoting layer 11.

[0038] In FIG. 3 there is further shown that the heating conductor layer 10 comprises electrical connection points 17 for connecting electrically conductive cables for the purpose of a connection with an external energy source, wherein in the shown embodiment two separate heating conductor tracks 18 each comprise their own connection point 17 with two contact points, respectively.

[0039] Thus, the heating element 10 lies substantially completely on the shell part 3 with a lower contact surface 19 so that a heat transfer from the heating element 10 onto the shell part 3 can be carried out in an efficient and precise manner. In this connection, advantageously the entire contact surface 19 is provided with the adhesion-promoting layer 11 so that a large-area contact between the heating element 10 and the shell part 3 is guaranteed by means of the adhesion connection.

[0040] In FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 there are shown even two further preferred embodiments of a heating conductor layer 12. Here it becomes in particular obvious that both conducting tracks 18 are designed such that the heating conductor layer 12 is deformable in a three-dimensional manner, respectively, and that thereby it can be adapted optimally to the three-dimensional form of the shell part 3.

[0041] In order to be able to individually, i.e. separately, adapt the above-mentioned neuralgic or sensitive areas by means of a heating element 10 in which there is provided a heating conductor layer 12as is shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5to the foot of the user, the heating conductor layer 12 shown in FIG. 4 has a diameter between 70 mm and 90 mm, in particular substantially 75 mm; the heating conductor layer 12 has a longitudinal extension between 80 mm and 120 mm, in particular substantially 100 mm, and a width between 40 mm and 80 mm, in particular substantially 60 mm.

[0042] In order to minimize the manipulation expenditure during the adaptation or adjustment, when carrying out the method according to the invention the foot or leg of the user is preferably arranged in the ski boot 1 already before the plastic material of the shell part 3 is heated above its softening temperature by means of a heating element 10 only in the desired region and without changing the basic form of the shell part 3. Hence, the heating element 10 will only be connected to the shell part 3 via the adhesion-promoting layer 11 temporarily for the heating of the shell part 3 above its softening temperature and will be removed again from the shell part after a successful adaptation and heating.