Ski Boot

Abstract

A ski boot, comprising: a rigid ski boot shell; and a sole of the ski boot which comprises a free upper side, which protrudes forwards in the longitudinal direction of the boot and/or laterally beyond the ski boot shell, and a lower side, wherein the ski boot comprises a front attaching region which co-operates with a front part of a ski binding in order to secure the ski boot, and a front region of the ski boot stands upright on a planar base via the front attaching region, wherein the upper side of the sole exhibits a distance, orthogonally with respect to the base, of at least 25 mm at a front end of the sole of the ski boot, and the upper side of the sole has a distance from the lower side of the sole, measured perpendicular to the base, of 19 mm2 mm at a distance from the front end of the sole, measured in the longitudinal direction, of at least 28 mm, and wherein, with the ski boot standing upright on the base, the lower side of the sole has a distance from the base of at least 5 mm throughout, up to a distance of 40 mm10 mm from the front end of the sole, as measured in the longitudinal direction.

Claims

1. A ski boot, comprising: a rigid ski boot shell; and a sole of the ski boot which comprises a free upper side, which protrudes forwards and/or laterally beyond the ski boot shell in the longitudinal direction of the boot, and a lower side, wherein: (a) the ski boot comprises a front attaching region which can be moved into binding engagement with a front part of a ski binding in order to secure the ski boot; (b) with the ski boot standing freely on a planar base, the free upper side of the sole exhibits a distance from the base, orthogonally with respect to the base, of at least 25 mm at a front end of the sole of the ski boot; (c) with the ski boot standing freely on the planar base, the free upper side of the sole has a distance from the lower side of the sole, measured perpendicular to the base, of 19 mm2 mm at a distance from the front end of the sole, measured in the longitudinal direction, of at least 28 mm and at most 34 mm; and (d) with the ski boot standing freely on the base, the lower side of the sole has a distance from the base of at least 5 mm throughout, up to a distance of 40 mm10 mm from the front end of the sole, as measured in the longitudinal direction.

2. The ski boot according to claim 1, wherein at the front end of the sole of the ski boot, with the ski boot standing freely on a planar base the free upper side of the sole has a distance from the base, orthogonally with respect to the base, of 28 mm3 mm and/or the distance, as measured perpendicular to the base, measures in particular 19 mm1 mm at a distance of 32 mm2 mm.

3. The ski boot according to claim 1, wherein the sole of the ski boot or, respectively, a virtual enveloping area which spans the lower side of the sole is formed as at least one straight or slightly curved area, in a region from the front end of the sole of the ski boot up to a point of contact with the base.

4. The ski boot according to claim 1, wherein the sole of the ski boot or, respectively, a virtual enveloping area which spans the sole of the ski boot is formed from at least two straight or slightly curved areas, in a region from the front end of the sole of the ski boot up to a point of contact with the base, wherein the two lines transition into each other in a step.

5. The ski boot according to claim 1, wherein the sole of the ski boot comprises a two-dimensional recess in a region from the front end of the sole of the ski boot up to a point of contact with the base.

6. The ski boot according to claim 5, wherein a point on the sole of the ski boot which exhibits the perpendicular distance of 5 mm from the base lies in the region of the step or in the two-dimensional recess.

7. The ski boot according to claim 5, wherein the two-dimensional recess recoils by 0.3 mm to 2 mm, on at least three sides, relative to the sole of the ski boot which adjoins it.

8. The ski boot according to claim 7, wherein the recoil is smaller in a region of the two-dimensional recess near the front side of the sole than in a region of the two-dimensional recess away from the front side of the sole.

9. The ski boot according to claim 1, wherein the sole of the ski boot comprises regions of different materials in the region from the front end of the sole of the ski boot up to the point of contact with the base.

10. The ski boot according to claim 5, wherein the two-dimensional recess has a length, measured in the longitudinal direction of the ski, of 20 mm or more and a width, measured transverse to the skiing direction, of 20 mm or more.

11. The ski boot according to claim 5, wherein the two-dimensional recess extends transverse to the skiing direction from one side of the ski boot up to an opposite side of the ski boot.

12. The ski boot according to claim 5, wherein the two-dimensional recess forms a region for resting the ski boot on a bearing structure of a downhill binding.

13. The ski boot according to claim 1, wherein the sole of the ski boot is manufactured independently of the ski boot shell and is joined to the ski boot shell.

14. The ski boot according to claim 1, wherein a front attaching region of the sole of the ski boot corresponds to the requirements of the international standards, current on the date of application, for Alpine soles (DIN ISO 5355) and touring soles (DIN ISO 9523).

15. A sole of a ski boot for connecting to a ski boot shell to form a ski boot, wherein the sole of the ski boot is the sole of the ski boot according to claim 1.

Description

[0034] In the following, an example embodiment of the invention is described on the basis of figures. The scope of the invention is not limited to the example embodiment shown. Features or combinations of features essential to the invention which can only be gathered from the figures can advantageously develop the invention and form part of the scope of the disclosure.

[0035] Individually, the figures show:

[0036] FIG. 1 four sketched embodiments of a front attaching region of the sole of the ski boot according to the invention;

[0037] FIG. 2 the sole of the ski boot with a recess, in accordance with FIG. 1a;

[0038] FIG. 3 the front attaching region with a step, in accordance with FIG. 1b;

[0039] FIG. 4 the sole of the ski boot with no recess or step, in accordance with FIG. 1d,

[0040] FIG. 5 a design sketch of a front attaching region of a ski boot with a sole, in accordance with FIG. 1a.

[0041] FIG. 1 shows different embodiments of a front attaching region 7 of a ski boot comprising a sole 1 of the ski boot in accordance with the invention, in a sectional view in each case. Each of the sections transects the ski boot centrally in the longitudinal direction X.

[0042] The sole 1 of the ski boot comprises a free upper side 1a of the sole which protrudes at least forwards beyond the ski boot shell 6 which is only suggested. The sole 1 of the ski boot comprises a front end 1b and a lower side 1c of the sole. During walking in the ski boot with no ski, the lower side 1c of the sole contacts the ground and thus also forms a running surface for the ski boot. In each of FIGS. 1a to 1 d, the ski boot is standing freely on a planar base 3 and contacts the base 3 in a point of contact 4 or, respectively, a line or area of contact.

[0043] FIG. 1a shows a front attaching region 7 of a ski boot comprising a sole 1 of the ski boot, wherein a portion of the sole 1 of the ski boot between the front end 1b and the point of contact 4 comprises a recess 2 which recoils relative to the sole 1 of the ski boot which surrounds it. The shape of the recess 2 can be freely chosen. The recess 2 can be surrounded on all sides by the sole 1 of the ski boot or can be formed such that it is continuous from one side of the ski boot up to the other side of the ski boot, transverse to a longitudinal direction X, and open out into the surrounding environment on both sides. In the sectional view, the regions of the sole of the ski boot in front of and behind the recess 2 in the longitudinal direction X can be straight or slightly curved concave lines.

[0044] FIG. 1b shows a front attaching region 7 of a ski boot comprising a sole 1 of the ski boot, wherein a portion of the sole 1 of the ski boot between the front end 1b and the point of contact 4 is formed from two mutually abutting regions, and a step 5 connects the two regions to each other. In the sectional view, each of the two regions is shaped as a slightly curved concave line, while the step 5 is significantly pronounced.

[0045] FIG. 1c shows a front attaching region 7 of a ski boot comprising a sole 1 of the ski boot, wherein a portion of the sole 1 of the ski boot between the front end 1b and the point of contact 4 is formed from two mutually abutting regions, as in the sole 1 of the ski boot in FIG. 1b. In this case, the two regions are again connected to each other in a step 5, wherein the step 5 is less pronounced than in FIG. 1b.

[0046] FIG. 1d shows a front attaching region 7 of a ski boot comprising a sole 1 of the ski boot, wherein a portion of the sole 1 of the ski boot between the front end 1b and the point of contact 4 is depicted, in the sectional view, as a continuous straight or slightly curved concave line.

[0047] It holds for all of FIGS. 1a to 1 d that a distance Y1 between the upper side 1a of the sole 1 of the ski boot at the front end 1b of the sole 1 of the ski boot and the base 3, as measured orthogonally with respect to the base 3, is greater than or equal to 25 mm and preferably measures 28 mm3 mm. This measurement corresponds to the standard measurement in this point for touring ski boots.

[0048] At a distance X1, measured in the longitudinal direction X, of approximately 30 mm2 mm, a distance Y2 from the upper side 1a of the sole 1 of the ski boot to the lower side 1c of the sole, as measured orthogonally with respect to the base 3, measures approximately 19 mm1 mm and preferably 19 mm0.5 mm. The distance Y1 corresponds to the standard for downhill ski boots, where it is the distance between a free upper side 1a of the sole 1 of the ski boot and a base.

[0049] FIG. 2 is another sectional view, showing the lower part of a ski boot comprising the front attaching region 7, a rear attaching region 8 and the sole 1 of the ski boot. The sole of the ski boot in the front attaching region 7 corresponds substantially to the sole 1 of the ski boot in FIG. 1a. FIG. 2 illustrates how the sole 1 of the ski boot according to the invention, due to its dimensions in the front attaching region 7, is better suited to walking with no skis than the known sole of a downhill ski boot, since the shape of the sole 1 of the ski boot better enables the foot to roll off during walking. The sole 1 of the ski boot can additionally comprise a profile which further facilitates walking with no skis and/or which has an anti-slip effect. A ski boot comprising a sole of the ski boot with such a profile is shown by way of example in FIG. 5.

[0050] FIG. 3 is likewise a sectional view, showing the front attaching region 7 of a ski boot such as is already known from FIG. 1b. In FIG. 3, a test piece 9 is additionally indicated which is shaped as a cuboid with a standardised height of 5 mm throughout. The test piece 9 can be pushed under the ski boot in the longitudinal direction X from the front end 1b of the sole 1 of the ski boot. The shape of the sole 1 of the ski boot causes an upper edge 9a of one end of the test piece 9 to contact the sole of the ski boot in at least one point at a distance X2 of 40 mm10 mm from the front end 1b of the sole 1 of the ski boot, as measured in the longitudinal direction X, i.e. the test piece 9 cannot be pushed any further under the ski boot without then lifting the ski boot off the base 3.

[0051] The sectional view in FIG. 4, like that in FIG. 2, shows the lower part of a ski boot comprising the front attaching region 7, the rear attaching region 8, the sole 1 of the ski boot and a truncated part of the ski boot shell 6. The sole 1 of the ski boot corresponds substantially to the sole 1 of the ski boot in FIG. 1d. The distance Y1 between the upper side 1a of the sole 1 of the ski boot and the base 3, as measured orthogonally with respect to the longitudinal direction X, is at least 25 mm and preferably 28 mm3 mm. At the distance X1 of 30 mm2 mm, as measured in the longitudinal direction X, the distance Y2 from the free upper side 1a of the sole to the lower side 1c of the sole, as measured orthogonally with respect to the longitudinal direction X, measures 19 mm1 mm in a Y direction. When it lies planar on the base 3, the test piece 9 exhibiting a height h of 5 mm throughout can be pushed under the ski boot, starting from the front end 1b of the sole 1 of the ski boot, along the distance X2 of at least 30 mm, preferably 40 mm10 mm, as measured in the longitudinal direction X, before the front upper edge 9a of the test piece 9 contacts the sole 1 of the ski boot.

[0052] FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing an example embodiment of a front attaching region 7 of a ski boot, in a detailed design sketch. In the example embodiment shown, the sole 1 of the ski boot is composed of two parts 11, 12, namely a first part 11 which has been manufactured in one piece with the ski boot shell 6, and a preferably separate second part 12 which has been joined to the first part 11 in order to form the sole 1 of the ski boot. The measurements of the distances X1, X2, Y1 and Y2 correspond to the measurements in FIG. 4. The sole 1 of the ski boot or, respectively, the part 12 of the sole of the ski boot comprises a recess 2 and a profile 10. The profile 10 causes the ski boot to stick more securely to the ground during walking with no skis and simultaneously increases the level of comfort during walking, since the profile 10 makes it easier for the foot to roll off during walking movement.

[0053] The two parts 11, 12 of the sole 1 of the ski boot can be manufactured from different materials. The part 12 of the sole 1 of the ski boot can be placed, as a semi-finished product, into a moulding die for the ski boot and connected to the ski boot shell 6 in a moulding process. Alternatively, the part 12 of the sole 1 of the ski boot can be joined, in a second processing step, to the ski boot shell 6 which is already finished and which comprises the first part 11 of the sole 1 of the ski boot.

[0054] In the example shown, the recess 2 is formed by the part 12 of the sole 1 of the ski boot. Alternatively, the recess 2 can be a separate component which is latterly joined to the sole 1 of the ski boot, irrespective of whether the sole 1 of the ski boot comprises one part or, as in the example embodiment shown, two parts. The recess 2 can in any event exhibit a surface shape or surface quality which for example assists or at least does not impede laterally releasing the downhill ski binding.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0055] 1 sole of the ski boot [0056] 1a free upper side of the sole [0057] 1b front end [0058] 1c lower side of the sole [0059] 2 recess [0060] 3 base [0061] 4 point of contact [0062] 5 step [0063] 6 ski boot shell [0064] 7 front attaching region [0065] 8 rear attaching region [0066] 9 test piece [0067] 9a upper edge [0068] 10 profile [0069] 11 part of the sole of the ski boot [0070] 12 part of the sole of the ski boot [0071] L longitudinal direction [0072] X1 distance [0073] X2 distance [0074] Y1 distance [0075] Y2 distance [0076] h height