Athletic boot

• US 5,692,321 A
• Filed: 12/12/1995
• Issued: 12/02/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Michael P. Holstine
• Original Assignee: Michael P. Holstine
• Inventors: Holstine, Michael P.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATTERSON, MARIE D
• Application Number:
  US08/570,909
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 36/10, 36/29, 36/55, 36/88, 36/93, 36/115, 36/116, 36/117.1, 36/117.6, 36/72
• US Class Current: 36/93
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/0407 inflatable
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/0409 with means for attaching inner boots or parts thereof to shells of skiboots
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/20 Ankle-joint supports or holders

Abstract

An improved athletic boot, such as a snowboard boot, snow ski boot, and the like, having: an outer boot comprising an outer shell or housing, an inner boot positioned within the outer boot for receipt and cushioning of an athlete'"'"'s foot and ankle, and structure for absorbing and redirecting impact compression force and energy attendant thereto to provide variable support for an athlete'"'"'s foot and/or ankle.

Claims

1. An improved athletic boot for placement upon a foot of an athlete, said improved athletic boot comprising:

(a) an outer boot having an exterior outsole, an opposed interior insole, and attached sidewalls, said sidewalls defining a boot upper for said outer boot, said interior insole and sidewalls of said outer boot defining a first enclosure, said outer boot having an opening into said first enclosure;

(b) an inner boot positioned within said first enclosure, an inner boot having an outsole, an opposed insole, and attached sidewalls, said sidewalls defining a boot upper for said inner boot, said insole and sidewalls of said inner boot defining a second enclosure capable of receiving the foot of the athlete, said inner boot having an opening into said second enclosure;

(c) means for absorbing and redirecting impact compression force exerted upon said outsole of said outer boot to provide additional support for the foot of the athlete, said absorbing and redirecting means having

(i) an inflatable lower bladder positioned between said insole of said inner boot and said outsole of said outer boot, and

(ii) an inflatable upper bladder positioned between an interior surface of said sidewalls of said outer boot and the foot of the athlete when said improved athletic boot is worn, an interior of said lower bladder in communication with an interior of said upper bladder

(d) wherein said outer boot further comprises means for at least partially tightening said opening into said first enclosure;

(e) wherein said inner boot further comprises an elongated cuff which extends above an ankle of the athlete when said improved athletic boot is worn, said cuff of said inner boot extending above said opening into said first enclosure of said outer boot;

(f) wherein said elongated cuff of said inner boot further comprises a flexible portion which permits the athlete to lean forward when wearing the improved athletic boot, said flexible portion of said inner boot positioned at least partially above said opening into said first enclosure of said outer boot when said absorbing and redirecting means is in an unloaded position, said flexible portion of said inner boot positioned at least partially below said opening into said first enclosure of said outer boot when said absorbing and redirecting means is in a loaded position.

2. The improved athletic boot of claim 1, wherein said outer boot comprises a snowboard boot attachable to a snowboard, said outsole of said outer boot having a forwardly projecting and rearwardly projecting sole plate attachable to a binding of the snowboard.

3. The improved athletic boot of claim 1, wherein said opening into said first enclosure of said outer boot is positioned above an ankle of the athlete when said improved athletic boot is worn.

4. The improved athletic boot of claim 1, wherein said inner boot further comprises means for cushioning the foot of the athlete.

5. The improved athletic boot of claim 1, wherein said absorbing and redirecting means is at least partially juxtaposed between said outer boot and said inner boot.

6. The improved athletic boot of claim 1, wherein said inflatable upper bladder is positioned at least partially over an arch of the foot of the athlete.

7. The improved athletic boot of claim 1, wherein said inflatable upper bladder is positioned at least partially over a heel of the foot of the athlete.

8. The improved athletic boot of claim 1, wherein said inflatable upper bladder is positioned at least partially under the ankle of the foot of the athlete.

9. The improved athletic boot of claim 1, wherein said absorbing and redirecting means is at least partially attached to said inner boot.

10. The improved athletic boot of claim 9, wherein said lower bladder is at least partially attached to said inner boot between said insole and said outsole of said inner boot.

11. The improved athletic boot of claim 1, wherein said lower bladder further comprises an internal spring to bias said lower bladder toward an unloaded position when said absorbing and redirecting means is in an unloaded position.

12. The improved athletic boot of claim 1, wherein said absorbing and redirecting means is at least partially formed integrally within said inner boot.

13. The improved athletic boot of claim 1, wherein said lower bladder is at least partially formed integrally within said inner boot between said insole and said outsole of said inner boot.

14. The improved athletic boot of claim 1, wherein said sidewalls of said outer boot are provided with at least one ratchet portion, said inner boot further comprising at least one protrusion, said provision of said inner boot operably engageable with said ratchet portion of said outer boot when said absorbing and redirecting means is in a loaded position thereby restricting movement of said inner boot with respect to said outer boot, said absorbing and redirecting means urging said protrusion of said inner boot into fixed engagement with said ratchet portion of said outer boot when said absorbing and redirecting means is in said loaded position, said protrusion of said inner boot operably disengageable with said ratchet portion of said outer boot when said absorbing and redirecting means is in an unloaded position.

15. The improved athletic boot of claim 1, wherein said sidewalls of said inner boot are provided with at least one ratchet portion, said outer boot further comprising at least one pivotal crank, said pivotal crank of said outer boot operably engageable with said ratchet portion of said inner boot when said absorbing and redirecting means is in a loaded position thereby restricting movement of said inner boot with respect to said outer boot, said absorbing and redirecting means urging said pivotal crank of said outer boot into fixed engagement with said ratchet portion of said inner boot when said absorbing and redirecting means is in said loaded position, said pivotal crank of said outer boot operably disengageable with said ratchet portion of said inner boot when said absorbing and redirecting means is in an unloaded position.

16. The improved athletic boot of claim 1, wherein said sidewalls of said inner boot are provided with a plurality of linearly spaced indentations, said outer boot further comprising at least one pivotal crank, said pivotal crank of said outer boot operably engageable with at least one of said plurality of lineraily spaced indentations of said inner boot when said absorbing and redirecting means is in a loaded position thereby restricting movement of said inner boot with respect to said outer boot, said absorbing and redirecting means urging said pivotal crank of said outer boot into fixed engagement with at least one of said plurality of linerally spaced indentations of said inner boot when said absorbing and redirecting means is in said loaded position, said pivotal crank of said outer boot operably disengageable with said plurality of linerally spaced indentations of said inner boot when said absorbing and redirecting means is in an unloaded position.

17. An improved athletic boot for placement upon a foot of an athlete, said improved athletic boot comprising:

(a) an outer boot having an exterior outsole, an opposed interior insole, and attached sidewalls, said sidewalls defining a boot upper for said outer boot, said interior insole and sidewalls of said outer boot defining a first enclosure, said outer boot having an opening into said first enclosure;

(b) an inner boot positioned within said first enclosure, an inner boot having an outsole, an opposed insole, and attached sidewalls, said sidewalls defining a boot upper for said inner boot, said insole and sidewalls of said inner boot defining a second enclosure capable of receiving the foot of the athlete, said inner boot having an opening into said second enclosure;

(c) means for absorbing and redirecting impact compression force exerted upon said outsole of said outer boot to provide additional support for the foot of the athlete, said absorbing and redirecting means having

(i) an inflatable lower bladder positioned between said insole of said inner boot and said outsole of said outer boot, and

(ii) an inflatable upper bladder positioned between an interior surface of said sidewalls of said outer boot and the foot of the athlete when said improved athletic boot is worn, an interior of said lower bladder in communication with an interior of said upper bladder;

(d) wherein said outer boot further comprises means for at least partially tightening said opening into said first enclosure;

(e) wherein said inner boot further comprises an elongated cuff which extends above an ankle of the athlete when said improved athletic boot is worn, said cuff of said inner boot extending above said opening into said first enclosure of said outer boot;

(f) wherein said sidewalls of said outer boot are provided with at least one channel therein, said inner boot further comprising at least one pin therein, said pin of said inner boot operably engageable with said channel of said outer boot when said absorbing and redirecting means is in a loaded position thereby restricting movement of said inner boot with respect to said outer boot, said pin of said inner boot operably disengageable with said channel of said outer boot when said absorbing and redirecting means is in an unloaded position.

18. The improved athletic boot of claim 17, wherein said outer boot comprises a snowboard boot attachable to a snowboard, said outsole of said outer boot having a forwardly projecting and rearwardly projecting sole plate attachable to a binding of the snowboard.

19. The improved athletic boot of claim 17, wherein said opening into said first enclosure of said outer boot is positioned above an ankle of the athlete when said improved athletic boot is worn.

20. The improved athletic boot of claim 17, wherein said inner boot further comprises means for cushioning the foot of the athlete.

21. The improved athletic boot of claim 17, wherein said absorbing and redirecting means is at least partially juxtaposed between said outer boot and said inner boot.

22. The improved athletic boot of claim 17, wherein said inflatable upper bladder is positioned at least partially over an arch of the foot of the athlete.

23. The improved athletic boot of claim 17, wherein said inflatable upper bladder is positioned at least partially over a heel of the foot of the athlete.

24. The improved athletic boot of claim 17, wherein said inflatable upper bladder is positioned at least partially under the ankle of the foot of the athlete.

25. The improved athletic boot of claim 17, wherein said absorbing and redirecting means is at least partially attached to said inner boot.

26. The improved athletic boot of claim 25, wherein said lower bladder is at least partially attached to said inner boot between said insole and said outsole of said inner boot.

27. The improved athletic boot of claim 17, wherein said lower bladder further comprises an internal spring to bias said lower bladder toward an unloaded position when said absorbing and redirecting means is in an unloaded position.

28. The improved athletic boot of claim 17, wherein said absorbing and redirecting means is at least partially formed integrally within said inner boot.

29. The improved athletic boot of claim 17, wherein said lower bladder is at least partially formed integrally within said inner boot between said insole and said outsole of said inner boot.

30. The improved athletic boot of claim 17, wherein said sidewalls of said outer boot are provided with at least one ratchet portion, said inner boot further comprising at least one protrusion, said provision of said inner boot operably engageable with said ratchet portion of said outer boot when said absorbing and redirecting means is in a loaded position thereby restricting movement of said inner boot with respect to said outer boot, said absorbing and redirecting means urging said protrusion of said inner boot into fixed engagement with said ratchet portion of said outer boot when said absorbing and redirecting means is in said loaded position, said protrusion of said inner boot operably disengageable with said ratchet portion of said outer boot when said absorbing and redirecting means is in an unloaded position.

31. The improved athletic boot of claim 17, wherein said sidewalls of said inner boot are provided with at least one ratchet portion, said outer boot further comprising at least one pivotal crank, said pivotal crank of said outer boot operably engageable with said ratchet portion of said inner boot when said absorbing and redirecting means is in a loaded position thereby restricting movement of said inner boot with respect to said outer boot, said absorbing and redirecting means urging said pivotal crank of said outer boot into fixed engagement with said ratchet portion of said inner boot when said absorbing and redirecting means is in said loaded position, said pivotal crank of said outer boot operably disengageable with said ratchet portion of said inner boot when said absorbing and redirecting means is in an unloaded position.

32. The improved athletic boot of claim 17, wherein said sidewalls of said inner boot are provided with a plurality of linearly spaced indentations, said outer boot further comprising at least one pivotal crank, said pivotal crank of said outer boot operably engageable with at least one of said plurality of linerally spaced indentations of said inner boot when said absorbing and redirecting means is in a loaded position thereby restricting movement of said inner boot with respect to said outer boot, said absorbing and redirecting means urging said pivotal crank of said outer boot into fixed engagement with at least one of said plurality of linerally spaced indentations of said inner boot when said absorbing and redirecting means is in said loaded position, said pivotal crank of said outer boot operably disengageable with said plurality of linerally spaced indentations of said inner boot when said absorbing and redirecting means is in an unloaded position.