Alpine ski boot with an energy flap journalled on the shell base
First Claim
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1. A ski boot comprising:
- a rigid shell base having a heel zone;
an upper;
means for mounting said upper for at least limited pivotal movement about a transverse axis with respect to said shell base to an open position of the boot to enable insertion of a foot of a skier in said open position;
said upper comprising at least one front portion and at least one rear portion, said rear portion of said upper comprising laterally opposed wings;
a closure assembly for closing said upper on the lower leg of a skier, said closure assembly comprising a tightening system at least partially encircling said upper, said tightening system including a tensioning element fixed on at least one of said front portion of said upper and said rear portion of said upper; and
a flexion control device, for both flexion amplitude of movement and flexion magnitude of force in a forward direction, said flexion control device comprising;
a flexible flap affixed to said shell base in said heel zone;
said flap extending contiguously beneath said rear portion of said upper, said flap comprising laterally opposed wings extending beneath said laterally opposed wings of said rear portion of said upper, said laterally opposed wings of said rear portion of said upper thereby overlapping said laterally opposed wings of said flap, whereby said rear portion of said upper envelopes said flap and whereby said flap comprises an energy source for said flexion control device; and
means for enabling said rear portion of said upper to drive said flap (1) along a free pivotal path in a forward direction generally about a journal axis with respect to said shell base and (2) along a flexion path, said flexion path forwardly following said free pivotal path, wherein said free pivotal path is delimited, at a forwardmost point, by a fixed abutment area of said shell base in cooperation with a complementary movable abutment area of said flap in a closed position of the boot at which said upper is directed against the lower leg of the skier, and wherein said flexion path begins, in said forward direction following said cooperation between said fixed abutment area of said shell base and said movable abutment area of said flap.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A ski boot having a shell surmounted by an upper having a rear opening for passage of the foot, and at least one tightening system of the upper on the lower part of the leg, a flexion control device both of amplitude and force of the upper in the frontward direction being located at the rear of the boot. The flexion control device includes an energy flap affixed to the shell base on which it is journalled via a hinge, the flap including a movable abutment constituted by its edges, capable of cooperating with a fixed abutment of the shell base from a position corresponding to the start of the flexion control.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A ski boot comprising:
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a rigid shell base having a heel zone; an upper; means for mounting said upper for at least limited pivotal movement about a transverse axis with respect to said shell base to an open position of the boot to enable insertion of a foot of a skier in said open position; said upper comprising at least one front portion and at least one rear portion, said rear portion of said upper comprising laterally opposed wings; a closure assembly for closing said upper on the lower leg of a skier, said closure assembly comprising a tightening system at least partially encircling said upper, said tightening system including a tensioning element fixed on at least one of said front portion of said upper and said rear portion of said upper; and a flexion control device, for both flexion amplitude of movement and flexion magnitude of force in a forward direction, said flexion control device comprising; a flexible flap affixed to said shell base in said heel zone; said flap extending contiguously beneath said rear portion of said upper, said flap comprising laterally opposed wings extending beneath said laterally opposed wings of said rear portion of said upper, said laterally opposed wings of said rear portion of said upper thereby overlapping said laterally opposed wings of said flap, whereby said rear portion of said upper envelopes said flap and whereby said flap comprises an energy source for said flexion control device; and means for enabling said rear portion of said upper to drive said flap (1) along a free pivotal path in a forward direction generally about a journal axis with respect to said shell base and (2) along a flexion path, said flexion path forwardly following said free pivotal path, wherein said free pivotal path is delimited, at a forwardmost point, by a fixed abutment area of said shell base in cooperation with a complementary movable abutment area of said flap in a closed position of the boot at which said upper is directed against the lower leg of the skier, and wherein said flexion path begins, in said forward direction following said cooperation between said fixed abutment area of said shell base and said movable abutment area of said flap. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14)
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12. A ski boot comprising:
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a rigid shell base having a heel zone; an upper; means for mounting said upper for at least limited pivotal movement about a transverse axis with respect to said shell base to an open position of the boot to enable insertion of a foot of a skier in said open position; said upper comprising at least one front portion and at least one rear portion, said rear portion of said upper comprising laterally opposed wings; a closure assembly for closing said upper on the lower leg of a skier, said closure assembly comprising a tightening system at least partially encircling said upper, said tightening system including a tensioning element fixed on at least one of said front portion of said upper and said rear portion of said upper; and a flexion control device, for both flexion amplitude of movement and flexion magnitude of force in a forward direction, said flexion control device comprising; a flexible flap affixed to said shell base in said heel zone; said flap extending contiguously beneath said rear portion of said upper, said flap comprising laterally opposed wings extending beneath said laterally opposed wings of said rear portion of said upper, said laterally opposed wings of said rear portion of said upper thereby overlapping said laterally opposed wings of said flap, whereby said rear portion of said upper envelopes said flap and whereby said flap comprises an energy source for said flexion control device, said flap comprising a generally vertically elongated slot in a rear portion of said flap, said slot having a pair of generally vertically extending edges, for facilitating flexion as a least respective portions of said vertically extending edges move relative to each other; and means for enabling said rear portion of said upper to drive said flap (1) along a free pivotal path in a forward direction generally about a journal axis with respect to said shell base and (2) along a flexion path, said flexion path forwardly following said free pivotal path, wherein said free pivotal path is delimited, at a forwardmost point, by a fixed abutment area of said shell base in cooperation with a complementary movable abutment area of said flap in a closed position of the boot at which said upper is directed against the lower leg of the skier, and wherein said flexion path begins, in said forward direction following said cooperation between said fixed abutment area of said shell base and said movable abutment area of said flap. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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15. A ski boot comprising:
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a shell base having a fixed abutment; an upper; means for mounting said upper for rearward pivotal movement about a transverse axis with respect to said shell base to an open position of the boot to enable insertion of the foot in said open position, said means for mounting comprising a pair of laterally opposed connection elements, positioned along said transverse axis, for pivotally mounting said upper to laterally opposed sides of said shell base; said upper comprising at least one front portion and at least one rear portion; and a flexion control device comprising; a flap positioned between said rear portion of said upper and said shell base, said flap having a movable abutment; means for enabling said rear portion of said upper to move said flap pivotally about a journal axis in a forward direction with respect to said shell base along a predetermined path to an end of said predetermined path at which said movable abutment of said flap engages said fixed abutment of said shell base; and means for establishing flexion control of said upper for further forward movement beyond said end of said predetermined path, whereby a forward surface of said rear portion of said upper is in contiguous engagement with a rear surface of said flap for permitting forward controlled flexional movement of said rear portion of said upper against said flap as said flap directs a force opposing said forward movement of said upper. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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Specification