Articulated ski boot

• US 6,588,125 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2001
• Issued: 07/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Charles Wesley Sr. Proctor
• Original Assignee: Charles Wesley Sr. Proctor
• Inventors: Proctor, Charles Wesley Sr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stashick, Anthony D.
• Application Number:
  US09/862,625
• Publication Number:
  US 20020174570A1
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 361/171, 361/173, 361/174, 361/176, 361/175, 361/177, 361/179, 361/187, 361/03, 36/29
• US Class Current: 36/117.1
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/0018 made at least partially of flexible, bellow-like shaped material
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/0472 having a flexible toe portion; provided with a hinge at the ball of the foot

Abstract

An articulated ski boot for releasable attachment to a binding mounted on an alpine ski is presented. The ski boot has a sole which preferably is formed of first and second rigid portions with a hinge connecting the two portions such that the first portion is upwardly pivotable when the sole is free from the binding (walking mode). The boot has a substantially rigid boot upper adapted to receive a foot and which is attached to the sole. A truss member is pivotally connected to the boot upper and pivots between the walking mode and a locked skiing mode in which the sole portions are prevented from pivoting. The ski boot also includes means for securing the skier'"'"'s forefoot and heel to the sole to substantially reduce toe and heel lift.

Claims

1. A ski boot for releasable attachment to a binding mounted on an alpine ski, the boot comprising:

a sole having a toe end and a heel end, the toe end having a portion to be releasably captured in the binding and the heel end having a portion to be releasably captured in the binding;

a substantially rigid boot upper adapted to receive a foot, the boot upper including;

a toe upper portion;

a heel upper portion; and

an inner bladder disposed within the toe and heel upper portions; and

an inner bladder assembly to hold the foot on the ski boot sole, the assembly including;

a first adjustable internal member disposed within the boot upper across a front portion of the inner bladder;

a second adjustable internal member disposed within the boot upper across a rear portion of the inner bladder;

a first device operatively connected to the first adjustable internal member for tightening and loosening the first adjustable internal member;

a second device operatively connected to the second adjustable internal member for tightening and loosening the second adjustable internal member;

wherein the first and second devices are disposed on exterior surfaces of the boot upper; and

an articulated truss member having a first end and an opposing second end, the first end being pivotally connected to the toe upper portion such that the second end pivots between the first open position in which the second end is free of engagement with the heel upper portion and a second locked position in which the second end engages the toe heel portion and prevents pivotal movement of the toe upper portion and the first sole portion relative to the heel upper portion and the second sole portion.

2. The ski boot of claim 1, wherein the first end of truss member has a spring loaded hinge which permits the second end of the truss member to pivot open once the second end is released from engagement with the heel upper portion.

3. The ski boot of claim 1, wherein the truss member has retaining features formed on a lower surface thereof which mate with complementary retaining features formed in a truss section of the heel upper portion, the heel upper portion receiving the second end of the truss member when the truss member is lockingly engaged to the truss section in the second position.

4. The ski boot of claim 1, wherein the truss member has an adjustable locking mechanism including a knob operatively connected to one or more locking members which engage the heel upper portion in the second locked position for locking the truss member to the heel upper portion.

5. The ski boot of claim 4, wherein the locking mechanism further includes:

a cam member coupled to the knob; and

the one or more locking members comprises a pair of biased locking flanges at least partially disposed in flange compartments formed in the truss member, the flange compartments being open along lateral faces of the truss member.

6. A ski boot for releasable attachment to a binding mounted on an alpine ski, the boot comprising:

a sole having a toe end and a heel end, the toe end having a portion to be releasably captured in the binding and the heel end having a portion to be releasably captured in the binding;

a substantially rigid boot upper adapted to receive a foot, the boot upper including;

a toe upper portion;

a heel upper portion; and

an inner bladder disposed within the toe and heel upper portions; and

an inner bladder assembly to hold the foot on the ski boot sole, the assembly including;

a first adjustable internal member disposed within the boot upper across a front portion of the inner bladder;

a second adjustable internal member disposed within the boot upper across a rear portion of the inner bladder;

a first device operatively connected to the first adjustable internal member for tightening and loosening the first adjustable internal member;

a second device operatively connected to the second adjustable internal member for tightening and loosening the second adjustable internal member;

wherein the first and second devices are disposed on exterior surfaces of the boot upper; and

wherein the first adjustable internal member is attached to the first device by a pair of spaced first cables which are fitted through openings formed in the toe upper portion, the second adjustable internal member being attached to the second device by a pair of spaced second cables which are fitted through openings formed in the heel upper portion, and wherein each of the first and second devices includes a rotatable member to which at least one cable is attached and a ratchet mechanism operatively connected to the rotatable members for selectively winding or unwinding the at least one cable, thereby causing one of the first and second adjustable internal members to tighten or loosen.

7. The ski boot of claim 6, wherein the sole includes:

a substantially rigid first sole portion extending rearwardly from the toe end to a rear pivot end of the first sole portion;

a substantially rigid second sole portion with a front pivot end adjacent to the rear pivot end of the first sole portion, the second sole portion extending from the front pivot end toward the heel end of the sole; and

a hinge connecting the rear pivot end of the first sole portion to the front pivot end of the second sole portion such that the first sole portion is at least upwardly pivotable from a position in planar alignment with the second sole portion when the sole is free from the binding and the ski boot is in a first open position.

8. The ski boot of claim 6, wherein the toe upper portion and the heel upper portion define between them a clearance in the boot upper permitting pivotal movement of the first sole portion relative to the second sole portion.

9. The ski boot of claim 6, wherein the ratchet mechanism includes a ratchet wheel operatively connected to the rotatable member and an adjustable pawl which engages teeth of the ratchet wheel to hold the ratchet wheel in a given position.

10. The ski boot of claim 9, wherein the pawl has a tip which is biased against the teeth of the ratchet wheel so as to prevent movement of the ratchet wheel.

11. A ski boot for releasable attachment to a binding mounted on an alpine ski, the boot comprising:

a sole having a toe end and a heel end, the toe end having a portion to be releasably captured in the binding and the heel end having a portion to be releasably captured in the binding, the sole including;

a substantially rigid first sole portion extending rearwardly from the toe end to a rear pivot end of the first sole portion;

a substantially rigid second sole portion with a front pivot end adjacent to the rear pivot end of the first sole portion, the second sole portion extending from the front pivot end toward the heel end of the sole; and

a hinge connecting the rear pivot end of the first sole portion to the front pivot end of the second sole portion such that the first sole portion is at least upwardly pivotable from a position in planar alignment with the second sole portion when the sole is free from the binding and the ski boot is in a first walking mode;

a substantially rigid boot upper adapted to receive a foot, the boot upper including;

a toe upper portion supported on the first sole portion; and

a heel upper portion supported on the second sole portion;

wherein the toe upper portion and the heel upper portion define between them a clearance in the boot upper permitting pivotal movement of the first sole portion relative to the second sole portion in the first walking mode;

an articulated truss member pivotally connected to the toe upper portion and pivoting between the first walking mode and a second skiing mode in which the truss member lockingly engages the heel upper portion and prevents pivotal movement of the toe upper portion and the first sole portion relative to the heel upper portion and the second sole portion, thereby locking the first and second sole portions in planar alignment relative to each other;

an inner bladder disposed within the toe and heel upper portions; and

an inner bladder assembly to adjustably hold the foot on the ski boot sole, the assembly including;

a first adjustable internal member disposed within the boot upper across a front portion of the inner bladder for preventing foot lift in said ski boot, thereby increasing ski control;

a second adjustable internal member disposed within the boot upper across a rear portion of the inner bladder for preventing heel lift in said ski boot, thereby increasing ski control;

a first device operatively connected to the first adjustable internal member for tightening and loosening the first adjustable internal member;

a second device operatively connected to the second adjustable internal member for tightening and loosening the second adjustable internal member; and

wherein the first and second devices are disposed on exterior surfaces of the boot upper.

12. The ski boot of claim 11, wherein the heel upper portion has a slot formed in a forward portion thereof, said truss member covering said slot in said second skiing mode, said slot permitting said heel upper portion to be resiliently separated to accommodate foot entry into said ski boot.

13. A ski boot for releasable attachment to a binding mounted on a ski, the boot comprising:

a sole having a toe end and a heel end, the toe end having a portion to be releasably captured in the binding and the heel end having a portion to be releasably captured in the binding;

a substantially rigid boot upper adapted to receive a foot, the boot upper including;

a toe upper portion;

a heel upper portion; and

an inner bladder disposed within the toe and heel upper portions; and

an inner bladder assembly to hold the foot on the ski boot sole, the assembly including;

a first adjustable internal member disposed within the boot upper across a front portion of the inner bladder;

a first device operatively connected to the first adjustable internal member for tightening and loosening the first adjustable internal member;

wherein the first device is disposed on exterior surfaces of the boot upper; and

wherein the first adjustable internal member is attached to the first device by a pair of cables which are fitted through openings formed in the toe upper portion, the first device includes a rotatable member to which at least one cable is attached and a ratchet mechanism operatively connected to the rotatable member for selectively winding or unwinding the at least one cable, thereby causing the first adjustable internal member to tighten or loosen.

14. The ski boot of claim 13, further comprising:

a second adjustable internal member disposed within the boot upper across a rear portion of the inner bladder;

a second device operatively connected to the second adjustable internal member for tightening and loosening the second adjustable internal member;

wherein the second device is disposed on exterior surfaces of the boot upper; and

wherein the second adjustable internal member is attached to the first device by a pair of cables which are fitted through openings formed in the heel upper portion, the second device includes a rotatable member to which at least one cable is attached and a ratchet mechanism operatively connected to the rotatable member for selectively winding or unwinding the at least one cable, thereby causing the second adjustable internal member to tighten or loosen.

15. The ski boot of claim 13, wherein the first adjustable internal member is fixed relative to the ski boot sole at a first side of the ski boot opposite to where the first device is disposed and wherein the second adjustable internal member is fixed relative to the ski boot sole at the first side of the ski boot opposite to where the second device is disposed.

16. The ski boot of claim 14, wherein the ratchet mechanism for each of the first and second devices includes a ratchet wheel operatively connected to the respective rotatable member and an adjustable pawl which engages teeth of the ratchet wheel to hold the ratchet wheel in a given position.