EP1803362B1 - Sport shoe with lateral oscillation - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a rigid-shell sports shoe for gliding apparatus, such as ski or skate, comprising a structure particularly adapted to the transmission of the user's efforts to the gliding machine for its effective guidance. It also relates to a method of manufacturing such a shoe.

As is known from the prior art, a sports shoe for gliding gear serves as an interface between the body and the gliding device, this interface being responsible for directing the forces in favorable directions in order to pass on the tension quickly. athlete's muscle to the gliding device effectively to react to changes in situations that occur during a descent.

Almost all existing ski boots have as their principle the maximum hold of the skier's foot and ankle, the guiding of the ski being done by a flexion on the knees and the position of the whole torso to modify the center of the skier. severity of the skier, the foot and ankle remaining stationary on the gliding board to induce a passive transmission of the body's efforts to the gliding board by the rigid shoe.

In this context, the ski boots are based on a rigid stem up to the shin, equipped with a comfort liner to thermally isolate the foot and having both the function of reducing the localized pressures that would be painful and fill the spaces formed between the foot and the hull to reach the maximum holding of the foot mentioned above. To further improve these solutions, it has been proposed to make slippers in-situ by injection of a foam intended to fill as best as possible the spaces between the foot and the shell, so as to get as close as possible to a shoe perfectly matching the individual morphology of the foot.

However, to increase the comfort of these shoes, solutions are proposed in the documents EP0432793 and US5214865 which allow a damping of the vertical and horizontal shocks, by integrating an elastic part in the structure of the sole of the shoe. However, these solutions retain the same approach regarding the guiding function of the gliding board.

The solution proposed in the document CH688636 unlike the previous two, it favors the maximum transmission of the skier's efforts by eliminating any damping. For this, it takes into account the structure of the foot and proposes the addition of rigid elements precisely arranged at the three points of support of the foot, ie the heel, more precisely the posterior tuberosity of the calcaneus, the head of the first metatarsal and the head of the fifth metatarsal. As it is known that in the normal position of rest the weight of the body is distributed about 50% on the heel, 30% on the first metatarsal and 20% on the fifth metatarsal, this solution proposes a better direct transmission efforts of the leg on the gliding board through the foot, ensuring that there will be no deformation of the sole under the forces sustained at these points of support. However, this solution also retains the mechanics of the traditional approach in which the foot remains motionless and passively transmits the efforts of the body to the gliding board.

• la mécanique naturelle du pied n'est pas exploitée puisque l'objectif est son maintien immobile sur l'engin de glisse et le pied n'a donc aucune fonction directe de guidage de l'engin de glisse, la chaussure se contentant de transmettre les efforts musculaires principalement réalisés au niveau de la jambe de l'utilisateur. Par conséquent, l'efficacité de la chaussure n'est finalement pas optimale pour le guidage d'un engin de glisse ;
• ces solutions sont souvent douloureuses pour le pied et donc non confortables puisque les efforts du corps s'appliquent intégralement sur les trois points d'appui de la voûte plantaire.

Finally, the drawbacks of this traditional approach of guiding a gliding apparatus by traditional shoes are the following:

• the natural mechanics of the foot is not exploited since the objective is its immobile support on the gliding machine and the foot therefore has no direct function of guiding the gliding machine, the shoe merely transmitting the muscular efforts mainly performed at the level of the user's leg. Therefore, the effectiveness of the shoe is ultimately not optimal for guiding a gliding machine;
• these solutions are often painful for the foot and therefore not comfortable since the efforts of the body apply integrally on the three points of support of the arch.

• la partie pivotante ajoutée ne correspond pas spécifiquement à la structure du pied explicitée plus haut concernant les trois points d'appui du pied et n'exploite donc pas la mécanique naturelle du pied. Ainsi, cette solution n'est pas satisfaisante au niveau du confort du pied et entraîne une performance non optimisée ;
• la partie pivotante se déplace de manière très libre par rapport à la chaussure et le ski et a globalement peu de contact avec ces derniers.

In addition to the traditional approach described above, it is worth noting a first solution described in the document FR2415977 , which is based on a possible pivoting of the foot within the shoe about a longitudinal axis from the heel and dividing the foot substantially into two halves. This pivoting function is implemented by an insert in the shoe comprising two support points at the heel and forefoot, defining a pivot axis around which it can pivot relative to the rest of the shoe and compared to the gliding machine. The optics of this original solution is to allow guidance of a gliding device by the sole movement of the foot, which is sufficient to cause a shift in weight exerted on the gliding machine. The disadvantages of this solution, however, are as follows:

• the added pivoting part does not correspond specifically to the structure of the foot explained above concerning the three points of support of the foot and therefore does not exploit the natural mechanics of the foot. Thus, this solution is not satisfactory in terms of foot comfort and results in a non-optimized performance;
• the pivoting part moves very freely with respect to the shoe and the ski and overall has little contact with them.

This results in great freedom of the foot relative to the shoe, which brings a gain in the guiding of the ski by the foot but is done to the detriment or replacement of the guide by the usual movement of the rest of the body whose new balance on the skiing becomes very unstable. For example, a customary bending of the knees causing a force of the leg on the collar of the shoe no longer has a direct effect on the guidance of the gliding device because this effort is no longer transmitted by the shoe to the shoe. gliding apparatus, the independent pivoting portion at the level of the foot representing a cut in the chain of transmission of this force from the leg to the gliding apparatus. The overall performance of such a shoe is ultimately very unsatisfactory.

• la chaussure finale est complexe, ce qui la rend fragile et coûteuse;
• elle est inadaptée à la marche ;
• la neige ou tout autre élément peut se loger entre les deux parties de chaussure qui sont détachées l'une de l'autre sur une grande surface, notamment quand leurs surfaces s'écartent dans les courbes ;
• elle induit des mouvements de pivotement trop importants et le gain au niveau du guidage du ski par le pied se fait au détriment ou en remplacement du guidage par le mouvement habituel du reste du corps dont le nouvel équilibre sur le ski devient très instable

Another original solution is described in the document W08102508 which proposes a shoe composed of two distinct parts, a sole linked to the ski on the one hand and a shoe upper with its own sole on the other hand, these two elements being connected by a connecting element on a small longitudinal surface which allows the pivoting of the upper part of the boot relative to the sole linked to the ski. This solution has the same objective as the previous solution. However, it has the following drawbacks:

• the final shoe is complex, which makes it fragile and expensive;
• she is unsuitable for walking;
• the snow or other element can be housed between the two shoe parts which are detached from one another over a large area, especially when their surfaces deviate in the curves;
• it induces excessive pivoting movements and the gain in the guiding of the ski by the foot is at the expense or replacement of the guide by the usual movement of the rest of the body whose new balance on the ski becomes very unstable

Finally, the document US2005 / 172518 describes an approach similar to the two previous ones and includes the same type of disadvantages. These last original approaches all propose solutions based on shoes that move away from the usual forms of ski boots and which imply a guidance of the ski which is no longer possible by the usual movement of the body of the skier.

The document US 2002/0089150 describes a sports shoe fragmented by an elastic band.

A general object of the present invention consists of a sports shoe allowing a finer transmission of the user's efforts to a gliding machine, which thus improves the guidance of a gliding machine with respect to the solutions of the prior art. .

More specifically, a first object of the present invention is a sports shoe for gliding gear which takes into account the foot mechanics to improve the performance of the guidance of the gliding machine.

A second object of the present invention consists of a sports shoe whose manufacturing process is adapted to a wide range of implementation, according to the desired behavior of the shoe according to the intended use, in order to refine and customize the behavior of the shoe.

The invention is based on a sports shoe similar to a traditional shoe but further comprising a mechanical separation of the structure of the two-piece sports shoe by a connecting means having particular mechanical properties and arranged according to a specific geometry on the structure of the shoe so as to be able to allow slight lateral oscillations of a part of the shoe by relative to the other, around an axis of longitudinal rotation parallel to the gliding machine. The result obtained by this function exerted by this connecting element is a guidance of a gliding machine whose traditional practice is enriched by the addition of a slight shift of the weight exerted by the user on the gliding board by exploiting the natural movement of the foot, which improves the passive traditional transmission of the shoe from the efforts of the user to the gliding machine.

The invention is more precisely defined by the claims.

• La figure 1 représente une vue en perspective éclatée d'une chaussure de sport ne faisant pas partie de l'invention ;
• la figure 2 est une vue de côté d'une chaussure;
• la figure 3 est une vue en coupe III-III de cette chaussure;
• la figure 4 est une vue est une vue en coupe IV-IV de cette chaussure;
• la figure 5 représente un détail d'une optionde cette chaussure;
• la figure 6 représente une vue en perspective éclatée d'une chaussure de sport selon une première variante de cette chaussure;
• la figure 7 est une vue en perspective arrière de la chaussure selon la première variante;
• la figure 8 est une vue en coupe transversale de l'avant de la chaussure selon la première variante;
• la figure 9 représente une vue en perspective éclatée d'une chaussure de sport selon une seconde variante;
• la figure 10 est une vue de côté de la chaussure selon la seconde variante;
• la figure 11 est une vue en coupe XI-XI de cette chaussure;
• la figure 12 est une vue est une vue en coupe XII-XII de cette chaussure;
• les figures 13 et 14 sont des vues des deux côtés d'une chaussure de sport selon un mode d'exécution de l'invention ;
• la figure 15 est une vue en perspective de dessous de la chaussure de sport selon le mode d'exécution de l'invention ;
• la figure 16 est une vue arrière de la chaussure de sport selon le mode d'exécution de l'invention.
• la figure 17 est une vue de côté de la chaussure selon une variante du mode d'exécution de l'invention ;
• la figure 18 est une vue est une vue en coupe XVIII-XVIII de la chaussure selon la variante précédente ;
• la figure 19 est une vue de côté de la chaussure selon une seconde variante du mode d'exécution de l'invention ;
• la figure 20 est une vue est une vue en coupe XX-XX de la chaussure selon la variante précédente.

These objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be set forth in detail in the following description of particular embodiments given in a non-limiting manner in relation to the appended figures among which:

• The figure 1 represents an exploded perspective view of a sports shoe not forming part of the invention;
• the figure 2 is a side view of a shoe;
• the figure 3 is a sectional view III-III of this shoe;
• the figure 4 is a view is an IV-IV sectional view of this shoe;
• the figure 5 represents a detail of an option of this shoe;
• the figure 6 represents an exploded perspective view of a sports shoe according to a first variant of this shoe;
• the figure 7 is a rear perspective view of the shoe according to the first variant;
• the figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the front of the shoe according to the first variant;
• the figure 9 represents an exploded perspective view of a sports shoe according to a second variant;
• the figure 10 is a side view of the shoe according to the second variant;
• the figure 11 is a XI-XI sectional view of this shoe;
• the figure 12 is a view is a XII-XII sectional view of this shoe;
• the Figures 13 and 14 are views on both sides of a sports shoe according to an embodiment of the invention;
• the figure 15 is a perspective view from below of the sports shoe according to the embodiment of the invention;
• the figure 16 is a rear view of the sports shoe according to the embodiment of the invention.
• the figure 17 is a side view of the shoe according to a variant of the embodiment of the invention;
• the figure 18 is a view is a sectional view XVIII-XVIII of the shoe according to the previous variant;
• the figure 19 is a side view of the shoe according to a second variant of the embodiment of the invention;
• the figure 20 is a view is a XX-XX sectional view of the shoe according to the previous variant.

A sports shoe not forming part of the invention as well as an embodiment of the invention will be described for a ski boot by way of illustration. The same concept could however be implemented on any sports shoe intended for guiding a gliding board such as a roller skate, ice skate ...

The Figures 1 to 12 , illustrate a ski boot comprising a rigid sole 1 comprising the front and rear sidewalks 4, 5 for a connection with the jaws of a ski binding, a rigid rod 2 intended to receive the foot of a skier, made of plastic material as a polyurethane hardness 60 shd for example, and a connecting element or intermediate element 3 elastomer between these two low and high parts 1, 2 of the shoe.

The sole 1 is made of rigid material so as to withstand the stresses particularly in the front and rear sidewalks 4, 5. It represents the entire floor surface of the shoe and comprises an upper face provided with a central rib 7 defining two substantially equivalent lateral surfaces extending over almost the entire length of the shoe. This upper surface is slightly inclined, sloping from the lowest central point to its higher lateral end 6 at the rear of the shoe, as illustrated in FIG. figure 3 , and is horizontal towards the front of the shoe as shown in figure 4 .

A thin connecting member 3 is housed on the upper surface of the sole 1. It comprises a shape that allows it to fully conform to the shape of the sole 1, with front and rear edges 8, 9 according to the inner shape sidewalks 4, 5, a central opening 10 in which the rib 7 of the sole 1 is housed, and a surface of inclined shape from the center towards the lateral end 11 in its rear part and a horizontal surface to follow the surface of the sole 1 in its front part. These two elements 1, 3 are thus fixed to one another over their entire contact surface by a means of type welding, for example obtained by a double injection of compatible plastic materials, or by any other fastening means such as a bonding. As shown on the figure 4 , the intermediate element 3 is wider than the sole 1 towards the front of the boot and its end 11 projects laterally from the end 6 of the soleplate in order to receive the front part of the shell 12 of the rod 2 of the shoe.

Finally, the upper part 2 of the boot is the boot upper, comprising a shell 12 and a collar 13 made of rigid plastic material, fastening members 14 for closing and tightening the upper on the leg of a shoe. skier, an upper opening 15 in which is housed a comfort liner 16, and comprises in its lower part a horizontal lower portion 17 of small thickness in a rigid material of polyurethane type of 60 shD for example. This lower part 17 has a shape corresponding to the upper surface of the connecting element 3. In its central part, it has a groove 18 on its lower face 17 towards its rear part, in order to cooperate with the rib 7 of the soleplate. 1 which slightly exceeds the upper surface of the intermediate element 3. This facilitates the positioning of the rod 2 and improve the attachment of the three elements 1, 2, 3 between them to obtain the final shoe. The entire surface of the lower portion 17 of the rod 2 is fixed on the intermediate element 3 and on the central rib 7 of the sole 1. Any fastening means may be used, such as a bonding, an overinjection of the rod on the temporary sole consisting of the two lower elements 1, 3.

The result obtained is a ski boot whose final shape, in particular that of the sole uniting the parts 1, 3 and 17, corresponds to the standards of the ski boots. It presents itself with a continuous wall of equivalent shape to the usual shoes. She is able to receive a shell bottom sole then a classic comfort bootie. The advantage of this three-part construction of the shoe is to define two independent low 1 and high 2 parts of the shoe, with relative mobility in lateral rotation relative to each other, as will be detailed thereafter. This mobility is defined by the properties of the intermediate element 3, mainly by the material used and its thickness. The rest of the shoe is in a usual rigid ski boot material to transmit the efforts of the skier to the gliding board.

The intermediate element 3 will preferably be in a deformable material that may be for example a polyurethane foam or any plastic hardness between 25 and 60 shA and will have a small thickness, less than or equal to 4 millimeters. The skilled person will choose these parameters to maintain a good compromise between the overall stiffness of the shoe for a traditional transfer of the efforts of the skier to the gliding board and the possibility of a low lateral oscillation of the shoe adding a complement in this guidance of the gliding board.

Such a deformable material allows a new behavior of the shoe during a particular position of the body of the skier following knee flexion and pressure in the tibia, for the purpose of initiating a turn, for example. Indeed, following this flexion of the knees, the foot has a natural tendency to rotate so as to move the weight of the skier laterally to one of the two heads of the first or fifth metatarsal foot in the direction of the turn. The structure of the shoe will thus allow the realization of this natural movement of the foot since the upper 2 of the shoe can pivot laterally slightly relative to the sole 1, thanks to the deformation of the intermediate element 3, a lateral surface will be compressed while the opposite lateral surface located on the other side of the central rib 7, which serves as a pivot axis, will be biased in tension. This deformation of the intermediate element 3 causes for first effect a movement of the foot, according to a natural movement explained above, and the rod 2 relative to the sole 1 and therefore to the gliding board, inducing for second effect a better location of the effort of the body precisely at a side portion corresponding to the region of one of Ste 1 or 5 ^th metatarsus of the foot. The shoe thus allows by its structure and its new mechanics to improve the transmission of the effort to the ski, taking advantage of the natural mechanics of the foot and the lower leg. As a further advantageous effect, the deformable material of the intermediate element 3 reduces the hard point felt on the foot and improves the comfort of the shoe. Then, this pivoting of the upper part 2 of the shoe in return promotes bending of the skier's leg.

• elle réagit à un effort initial d'un utilisateur exercé sur le collier de la chaussure par la transmission jusqu'à l'engin de glisse de cet effort par les parties rigides de la chaussure, l'effort initial étant réalisé de manière traditionnelle par des flexions des genoux ;
• cette flexion des genoux induit un mouvement naturel du pied, rendu possible par la chaussure, par la partie déformable qui induit un pivotement de la partie haute 2 de la chaussure pour accompagner ce mouvement naturel, permettant ainsi de mieux localiser le poids d'un utilisateur en un point différent de la chaussure, induisant un meilleur effet de guidage de l'engin de glisse ;
• l'effort initial réalisé par l'utilisateur sur la chaussure est amplifié par le pivotement mentionné ci-dessus de la chaussure qui accompagne ainsi ce mouvement qui devient plus facile et plus efficace.

Ce comportement de la chaussure inclut donc principalement les deux améliorations suivantes aux chaussures traditionnelles :

• le pied est mobile par rapport à l'engin de glisse et permet une autre localisation plus efficace du poids du skieur sur l'engin de glisse ;
• le mouvement de flexion des genoux et de guidage traditionnel est facilité et amplifié par la chaussure.

In summary, the shoe thus allows the implementation of the following technical effects, in chronological order:

• it responds to an initial effort of a user exerted on the collar of the shoe by the transmission to the gliding device of this effort by the rigid parts of the shoe, the initial effort being made in a traditional manner by bending of the knees;
• this flexion of the knees induces a natural movement of the foot, made possible by the shoe, by the deformable part which induces a pivoting of the upper part 2 of the shoe to accompany this natural movement, thus making it possible to better locate the weight of a user at a different point of the shoe, inducing a better guiding effect of the gliding apparatus;
• the initial effort made by the user on the shoe is amplified by the pivoting mentioned above of the shoe which thus accompanies this movement which becomes easier and more effective.

This behavior of the shoe therefore mainly includes the following two improvements to traditional shoes:

• the foot is movable relative to the gliding machine and allows another more effective location of the weight of the skier on the gliding machine;
• the knee bending and traditional guiding movement is facilitated and amplified by the shoe.

The shoe is no longer a rigid and passive element but has a behavior in harmony with the body of the skier which amplifies the guiding effect of the skier on his ski. It preserves the advantage of the traditional transmission of the efforts of the skier to the ski by the overall rigidity of its structure while adding a refinement of this transmission thanks to its slight deformation allowing a movement of the type lateral oscillation.

The rigidities and properties of the different materials used in the different parts of the shoe can vary over a wide range. As explained above, the rigid material of the lower 1 and high 2 parts of the shoe may be a plastic material of hardness at least equal to 40 shD, or any other material usually used for ski boots. The deformable material of the intermediate element 3 may be of different types, each of these types participating in the guidance of the ski in a particular manner. For example, a deformable energy-absorbing material such as a polyurethane foam can be used. Such a choice will absorb some of the effort transmitted by the skier and will be better for beginners, for a less precise guidance of the ski, and for a use in relative straight line as the case of a descent in competition. The deformable material may also be an elastic material such as a rubber, allowing a portion of the transmitted energy to be restored. For use in competition in special slalom, a hyper elastic material could be used, to allow a dynamic restitution of the energy for a fast and precise change of direction. Any intermediate elastic material could be used. Finally, an elastic material of variable characteristics according to its conditions of use can be implemented. For example, a viscoelastic material may be absorbent in case of low speed and elastic loads for high speed stresses. Its use will therefore allow the shoe to behave differently depending on the behavior of the skier.

The term "deformable" previously used therefore has a very broad meaning in this invention, integrating in particular all the variants mentioned above. It also includes plastic materials of lower hardness than the stiffer hard material composing the rest of the shoe, less than 60 shD, which will have a deformable character compared to the rest of the shoe. The common point of all these materials is their possibility of deformation relative to the usual conventional shoes, inducing a technical effect of mobility by lateral rotation between the two shoe parts that it separates. These materials will thus be chosen in a manner adapted to the desired use of the shoe, according to the wide choice mentioned above.

As a variant, this same ski boot structure can be exploited with a very rigid non-deformable intermediate element, such as a carbon fiber material or a metal for example, for competitive uses in which the skier no longer seeks a comfortable harmony with his shoe but a very high rigidity for a passive transmission and integral efforts it exercises. Thus, this same shoe structure advantageously allows to build a wide range of ski boots behavior, based on the same manufacturing process, which is therefore well suited to the personalization of shoes according to the needs of users.

We will see later variations. using the same concept to achieve substantially the same result. For a reason of homogeneity and simplicity, we will continue to use the terminologies "lower part" for a part of the shoe including a connection with the ski so as to be substantially immobile vis-à-vis the ski and "part high "for a part of the shoe including the binding with the shin and the lower leg of the skier so as to be substantially immobile with respect to the leg of the skier and accompany his movement, even if the different modes of execution which will be described below will show that these parts are not necessarily completely high and low, and may not coincide in a separation of the sole / stem type. In all cases, the upper part will have a lateral freedom of rotation vis-à-vis the lower part of the shoe.

The figure 5 illustrates an option that is also compatible with embodiments of the invention, which allows for a given shoe to adjust the mobility of the upper part 2 at a given point. This solution rests for example on an adjusting screw 19 whose head is accessible under the lower face of the lower part 1 of the boot and whose end is positioned in the thickness between the two lower parts 1 and 2 high of the shoe, in an opening within the intermediate element 3. This end of the screw 19 therefore represents a stop for the upper part 2 which limits its possibility of descent in the event of compression of the intermediate element 3. Such a solution can be implemented anywhere in the shoe, but will be especially advantageous at the areas of pivoting of greater amplitude.

As has been seen above, the solution allows a lateral pivoting of the upper part 2 of the boot under the effort of the skier, this pivoting having the greatest amplitude in the areas of the shoe receiving the heads of the ^1st and 5th. ^th metatarsal of the foot on which distributes most of the weight of the skier. This weight of the skier oscillates between these two lateral points of support at the front of the foot and the shoe has a structure allowing it to react by following more or less this oscillation movement. The presence of the deformable material of the intermediate element 3 at the heel in the first embodiment therefore has for main function the comfort of the foot on this point of support at the heel.

Following the previous conclusions, it therefore appears that it is not essential for the intermediate element to extend on the rear part of the boot. Thus, Figures 6 to 12 illustrate variants in which the lower part 1 'of the shoe consists of a sole part comprising a front sidewalk 4' and not extending to the rear sidewalk of the shoe which belongs to the upper part 2 'of the shoe . This lower part 1 'extends about two thirds of the length of the shoe.

The geometry of the various elements 1 ', 2', 3 'remains very close to the previous embodiment, in addition to the truncation of the two lower sole portions 1', 3 '. The principle is always based on a classic sole and standardized ski boot generally fragmented into three horizontal superimposed soles and fixed together over their entire contact surface, the intermediate interfacing piece 3 'sandwiched having the possibility, according to its characteristics, to offer lateral mobility between the rod 2 'and the sole 1' fixed on the gliding board.

In the first variant illustrated on the Figures 6 to 8 , a rigid rod 20 is used to strengthen the attachment of the sole 1 '. For this, the rod 20 is inserted longitudinally through an opening in the rear sidewalk of the shoe and extends to the front of the shoe, positioning itself in an opening provided in the rib 7 'of the lower sole 1' . By this means, a binding between the lower 1 'and high 2' parts of the shoe is directly made, which reinforces the fixing by the gluing between the sole 1 'and the interface piece 3' and between the intermediate piece 3 ' and the lower zone 17 'of the upper part 2'.

The second variant illustrated on the Figures 9 to 12 is the same as the previous without the stem 20.

A first sub-variant in relation to Figures 1 to 12 may consist of the removal of the ribs 7, 7 ', the intermediate element then extending over the entire surface of the sole of the shoe to fully separate the lower 1 and high 2 of the shoe. In such an embodiment, this intermediate element will be provided with an additional function of damping vertical shocks exerted on the shoe, while retaining the possibility of lateral rotation, one side being compressible and the other stretched in tension in the case of a transmission of a force laterally offset by the weight of the skier.

A second opposite sub-variant may consist of a wider central rib, however not extending to the two front support points on the skier's foot to allow the implementation of the lateral pivot around this rib. The rib can be made differently, by means of substantially aligned pins, or even two points of support front and rear. Alternatively, the rib can be obtained by a number of substantially aligned screws. The rib may be asymmetrical, offset from the longitudinal axis of symmetry of the shoe, or inclined.

According to the foregoing description, it appears that the shoe can be obtained by the superposition of physically distinct elements. However, according to a third sub-variant, the shoe can be obtained by methods combining several injections of plastic materials. For example, the rod 2 and the sole 1 could be formed during the same injection step, the two shoe parts 1, 2 thus forming a single continuous physical body and being connected at the rib 7 , 7 ', the intermediate element 3, 3' being added thereafter.

According to a fourth sub-variant, the different superposed elements are not fixed to each other over their entire contact surface. Advantageously, they will be fixed on at least a portion of the peripheral zone of the shoe, to prevent their spacing and the entry of dust between the layers of the shoe. Their fixing is done by different means, firstly a first means for fixing the lower part 1 to the connecting element 3 and secondly a second means for fixing the connecting element 3 to the upper part of 2. In these areas of attachment, the connecting element will work in traction on one side and in compression on the other side during lateral rotations of the upper part. 2 relative to the lower part 1. These fixing means can be mechanical means, collages, welds ...

According to a fifth sub-variant, the concept can be simply implemented on existing shoes with removable front and rear heelettes. For this, an intermediate element of small thickness can be positioned between the removable heel and the shoe, the assembly being held in position by screws connecting the heel and the rest of the shoe, these screws being positioned at the central portion. of the heel piece to define a connection equivalent to the preceding rib 7, 7 'and to allow the lateral oscillation function of the boot relative to the removable heel pieces.

The many variants described above all have in common a fragmentation of a portion of the sole of the shoe in horizontal layers. However, it is possible to obtain an equivalent solution with a fragmentation different from the structure of the shoe, based on the distribution on the outer surface of the shoe narrow strips through, ie occupying the entire thickness of the wall of the stem from its outer surface to its inner surface, in a particular material forming a particular geometry, which can not only be positioned at the sole of the shoe but also within the wall of the upper of the shoe , this particular geometry having the function of allowing the mechanical separation between two so-called high and low parts of the boot, provided with a relative mobility of the lateral oscillation type as explained above. The embodiment with reference to Figures 13 to 16 illustrates such an approach.

The concept of the invention consists of the separation of the shoe into two parts, a so-called "low" part linked to the gliding board and a so-called "high" part linked to the skier's leg and having a lateral mobility with respect to this lower part considered as fixed, through a connecting zone which consists of a part of the shoe with special mechanical properties.

In the embodiment of the invention, a ski boot is illustrated in which the front portion of the boot can pivot around the support plate 21 of the sole of the boot. For this, an intermediate element 23 is made in the form of two narrow strips of deformable material forming two inverted side U, which extend on the outer surface of the sole of the shoe. These two inverted U-shaped strips consist on the one hand of parallel and transverse strips 26, distributed on either side of the support plate 21 on the lower horizontal surface of the sole of the boot, and on the other hand strips 28 which then go up on the substantially vertical side wall of the sole of the shoe and which meet to form the top of the inverted U. The horizontal parallel strips 26 of the two inverted U-shaped portions of the intermediate element 23 do not meet under the sole but leave a central portion 27 uncut, which plays a role substantially equivalent to that of the rib 7 described above. The movement of the weight of the skier during an initiation of a curve induces an overpressure on a lateral part of the shoe. The U-band undergoing this overpressure will compress at its portion 28 in the vertical plane while the horizontal portion 26 will be stressed in shear. By these mechanical properties, this inverted U-shaped band will allow the upper part of the boot to pivot laterally, the support plate 21 of the sole of the shoe remaining stationary bearing on the gliding board.

The rear part of the shoe illustrates another possible implementation of the solution in which the lower part 21 'of the boot fixed on the gliding board comprises a rear part of the sole including the rear sidewalk 25. The intermediate element 23' separates this lower part 21 'of the remainder of the shoe by a band of deformable material which divides the wall in two extending along the wall of the shoe from a point 29 at the level of the sole, bypassing the sidewalk 25 in a point 30 positioned in the wall of the upper of the shoe above this sidewalk and then down symmetrically on the other side of the shoe. This band is interrupted in the central part 27 ', around which the upper part 22 of the boot can pivot relative to the lower rear part 21' thanks to the deformable band 23 ', working in compression on one side and in tension the other. This central part has a function similar to that of rib 7 of the first embodiment. This band 23 'also extends on the horizontal wall of the sole in a band similar to one of the strips 26 of the front part. Such a band is not shown because masked by a rear heel 31 of the shoe that covers it.

The same result can be obtained by any other separation of the shoe into two parts, with an intermediate band of shape to isolate sufficiently the two parts so as to allow the oscillation of the upper part relative to the lower part of which a part is held fixed on the gliding board.

The intermediate band may be in a deformable material as explained above or be on the contrary in a very rigid material, depending on the desired behavior of the shoe. It is through to completely cut the wall of the shoe into two parts distinct. Its width or thickness, measured from the interface of the portion 21 towards the interface of the portion 22 in a direction perpendicular to the intermediate band 23 disposed between these interfaces, remains less than 4 millimeters.

In the embodiment described, the lower part of the shoe consists of the meeting of the front support plate 21 and the rear portion 21 'whereas the upper part 22 of the shoe consists of all the rest, including also for example the front sidewalk and the central portion 37 of the sole. This realization illustrates that the concept of "high part" and "low part" must be understood in a very broad sense, since the upper part will tend to follow the movement of the leg of the skier and will thus be equipped with a lateral mobility with respect to the lower part, linked to the gliding board and substantially immobile on this gliding board.

The different solutions envisaged above can be combined with each other to form other embodiments of the shoe. Thus, the lower front part 21 may comprise the front sidewalk 24 for example, similarly to the solution proposed in the rear part in the embodiment described with respect to the Figures 13 to 16 . The rear portion does not necessarily contain an intermediate element 23 'as has been explained before, the lateral pulses of the weight of the skier being distributed mainly in the front part of the shoe. The lower rear portion 21 'may also consist of a support plate of the sole of the shoe.

Finally, the embodiment can consist of an implementation very close to the shoe according to the Figures 1 to 12 as shown on the variants corresponding to the Figures 17 to 20 .

The first variant illustrated on the figure 17 and 18 consists of a solution in which the lower part 31 consists of the sole of the shoe and is separated from the rod 32 by a narrow connecting strip 33 which cuts the wall of the shoe over its entire periphery. As is visible on the figure 18 This solution differs mainly from that illustrated in Figures 1 and 4 in that the rod 32 does not contain a lower part 17 and in that the connecting element does not extend on a horizontal surface but is simply a through-band in the wall of the boot.

The second variant illustrated on the Figures 19 and 20 is the same as previously in which the connecting strip 33 'which separates the lower 31' and high 32 'parts does not extend over the entire periphery of the shoe but only in an anterior area.

Finally, it is possible to use intermediate elements of variable thickness, composed of several different materials, distributed asymmetrically on the shoe, without departing from the concept of the invention.

The invention also relates to the method of manufacturing such a shoe, which may comprise, according to a variant embodiment, two plastic material injection steps, in order to form the intermediate element on the one hand and the rest of the shoe on the other hand. Alternatively, this manufacturing process may comprise more than two injection steps. For example, the upper of the boot can be bi-injected according to a usual method whereas an additional injection step makes it possible to form the intermediate element. In the case where a softer and deformable material would be used for the intermediate element, it can be advantage to use to form the flaps of the shell of the shoe in the same material during the same injection step.

Alternatively, other manufacturing methods may be used as an intermediate element manufactured in situ, for example by casting.

Thus, it therefore appears that the shoe obtained retains a shape generally identical to the shoes of the prior art, its structure being however different since incorporating an intermediate element in a material different from the majority of the shoe, which serves to separate the shoe in two parts mechanically relatively independent. As is apparent from the preceding explanations, this separation of the shoe does not mean a real physical separation of distinct parts: indeed, in the embodiment, it is clear that the high and low parts form a continuous set because linked for example by parts 27, 27 '. This ensures a rigidity and necessary strength of the shoe, while allowing a mechanical mobility of one part of this set relative to the other.

Claims (17)

1. Sports shoe for sliding gear, comprising a lower portion (21; 21'; 31; 31') intended for being fastened on a sliding gear, a upper portion (22; 32; 32') having an opening (15) for receiving a foot, and a connecting element (23; 23'; 33; 33') inserted between the lower (21; 21'; 31; 31') and upper (22; 32; 32') portions, characterised in that the two portions, namely the lower and the upper portion, are made of a plastics material having a hardness of at least equal to 40 ShD, and in that the connecting element (23; 23'; 33; 33') represents a fragmentation of the structure of the shoe and takes the shape of at least one small traversing strip (23; 23'; 33; 33'), namely filling the whole thickness of the wall of the shaft of the shoe from its outer surface until its inner surface, and having a small thickness measured from the interface of the lower portion (21; 21'; 31; 31') to the interface of the upper portion (22; 32; 32') in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the strip and cutting the wall of the shoe in two parts, the connecting element (23; 23'; 33; 33') such being capable of allowing a lateral oscillation of the upper portion (22; 32; 32') of the shoe with respect to its lower portion (21; 21'; 31; 31') .
2. Sports shoe for sliding gear according to claim 1, characterised in that the thickness of the connecting element (23; 23'; 33; 33') is less than 4 millimetres.
3. Sports shoe for sliding gear according to claim 1, characterised in that the connecting element (23; 23'; 33; 33') is fastened to the lower portion (21; 21'; 31; 31') and the upper portion (22; 32; 32') by separate fastening means on at least one part of the peripheral zone of the shoe, in a manner of working by compression on the one hand and by traction on the other hand when the upper portion (22; 32; 32') of the shoe makes an oscillation movement with respect to the lower portion (21; 21'; 31; 31').
4. Sports shoe for sliding gear according to claim 1, characterised in that the connecting element (23; 23'; 33; 33') comprises small traversing strips (26, 28, 29, 30) on the wall of the shoe, on the vertical and/or the horizontal faces of the shoe.
5. Sports shoe for sliding gear according to the preceding claim, characterised in that the lower portion (21) comprises a supporting plate of the shoe sole on the sliding gear, and in that the connecting element (23) comprises at least two lateral parts on a section having the shape of an inverted U, each inverted U presenting two parallel horizontal parts (26) extending in a transverse direction of the shoe under the shoe sole over the entire supporting plate (21), and a part (28) extending in a vertical plane and comprising the link of two U shaped parts.
6. Sports shoe for sliding gear according to the preceding claim, characterised in that the horizontal parallel parts (26) of respectively each lateral inverted U shaped portion of the connecting element (23) are not linked together but leave a central part (27) of the supporting plate (21) not traversed.
7. Sports shoe for sliding gear according to claim 3, characterised in that the lower portion (21') comprises a curb (25) of the shoe sole, the connecting element (23') which takes the shape of a narrow strip extending under the shoe sole in an essentially transverse direction and on the shaft of the shoe, beginning at a point (29) at the level of the sole on a first side of the shoe, going up on the first side wall of the shoe, and passing over the curb (25) before going down on the second side wall of the shaft until a point (29') at the second side of the shoe.
8. Sports shoe for sliding gear according to the preceding claim, characterised in that the connecting element (23') arises until a point (30) above the curb (25) and exhibits an interruption (27') in the region of the central portion of the shoe.
9. Sports shoe for sliding gear, comprising a lower portion and a connecting element according to any one of claims 3 to 7 within its front portion.
10. Sports shoe for sliding gear according to any one of claims 3 to 8, characterised in that it comprises a lower portion and a connecting element according to any one of claims 3 to 7 within its rear portion.
11. Sports shoe for sliding gear according to claim 2, characterised in that the lower portion (31') is a sole extending over only part of the length of the shoe, comprising a front curb (33') to coact with a fixation device mounted on the sliding gear.
12. Sports shoe for sliding gear according to the preceding claim, characterised in that the lower portion (31) is a sole extending over the entire length of the shoe and comprises also a rear curb (33).
13. Sports shoe for sliding gear according to any one of claims 10 to 12, characterised in that the upper portion (22, 32, 32') is a shoe shaft comprising a shell and a hinged collar as well as closing and tightening means.
14. Sports shoe for sliding gear according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the connecting element (23; 23'; 33; 33') is made from a deformable material.
15. Ski boot according to any one of the preceding claims.
16. Process for the manufacture of a sports shoe for sliding gear according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterised in that it comprises a step of injection moulding of the connecting element (23; 23'; 33; 33') from a plastics material, the shoe being manufactured in several injection moulding steps with a plastics material having a hardness of at least equal to 40 ShD such that the connecting element (23; 23'; 33; 33') represents a fragmentation of the shoe structure and takes the shape of at least one narrow traversing strip (23; 23'; 33; 33'), namely occupying the whole thickness of the wall of the shoe shaft from its outer surface to its inner surface, having a small thickness measured between the interface with the lower portion (21; 21'; 31; 31') and the interface with the upper portion (22, 32, 32') in a direction perpendicular to that of the strip which cuts the wall of the shoe in two parts.
17. Process for the manufacture of a sports shoe for sliding gear according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterised in that it comprises a step of mould casting or soldering or cementing of the connecting element (23; 23'; 33; 33') in such a manner that the connecting element (23; 23'; 33; 33') represents a fragmentation of the shoe structure and takes the shape of at least one narrow traversing strip (23; 23'; 33; 33'), namely occupying the whole thickness of the wall of the shoe shaft from its outer surface to its inner surface, having a small thickness measured between the interface with the lower portion (21; 21'; 31; 31') and the interface with the upper portion (22; 32; 32') in a direction perpendicular to that of the strip which cuts the wall of the shoe in two parts.

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