Sports shoe particularly for motocross

• US 6,826,853 B1
• Filed: 07/28/2003
• Issued: 12/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dainese S.p.A.
• Original Assignee: Jolly Scarpe
• Inventors: Zanatta, Ivo
• Primary Examiner(s): PATTERSON, MARIE D
• Application Number:
  US10/627,697
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• Field of Search: 361/31, 36/88, 36/89, 361/171, 361/182, 361/183
• US Class Current: 36/131
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/0052 X-shaped or cross-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/04 Ski or like boots
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/0427 characterised by type or construction details
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/145 Boots for motorcyclists

Abstract

A sports shoe, comprising a soft upper provided with a cuff and with a rear counter which are semirigid and are separately connected to the upper, an additional semirigid element that is associated with the upper or monolithically coupled thereto, in an intermediate region, between the cuff and the counter, the additional semirigid element having, at the rear and/or laterally, at least one first tab and at least one second tab for sliding engagement in first guides formed in the cuff and in the counter.

Claims

1. A sports shoe comprising:

a soft upper that is provided with a cuff and with a rear counter which are semirigid and are separately connected to said upper;

an additional semirigid element that is connected to said upper in an intermediate region between said cuff and said counter; and

first guiding means formed in said cuff and said counter, said additional semirigid element being provided, at the rear of the shoe and laterally thereto, with at least one first tab and at least one second tab for sliding engagement in said first guiding means.

2. The shoe of claim 1, wherein said semirigid cuff is rigidly associated to, or formed monolithically with, said upper and partially wraps around a region of the shoe that corresponds to a lower part of a leg of a user, and said semirigid counter wraps around a heel region of the shoe, said additional semirigid element is coupled to said upper in an intermediate region of the shoe between said counter and said cuff, said additional semirigid element being substantially cross-shaped so as to form first wings, which are arranged approximately vertically to a rear part of said upper and longitudinally thereto, and second wings, which are arranged approximately transversely to said upper, said additional semirigid element further wrapping around an adjacent region of the shoe corresponding to the rear of the leg of a user and laterally around a region of the shoe that corresponds to the malleoli of the user.

3. The shoe of claim 2, wherein said additional semirigid element has, at a rear part thereof, at least one upper said first tab that protrudes approximately vertically toward said overlying cuff.

4. The shoe of claim 2, wherein said additional semirigid element has, at a rear part thereof, at least one lower said second tab that protrudes approximately vertically toward the underlying counter.

5. The shoe of claim 2, wherein said first wings are constituted by said at least one first tab and said at least one second tab.

6. The shoe of claim 5, wherein said at least one first tab and said at least one second tab engage slidingly and freely with said first guiding means formed in said cuff and said counter, said first guiding means being constituted by first and second receptacles that are formed, respectively, at a thickness cross-sectional region of said cuff and said counter.

7. The shoe of claim 5, wherein said additional semirigid element has at least one first reinforcement that is approximately elliptical and is arranged at at least one of first tips of said second wings and at least on a region of the shoe that corresponds to the outer side of the foot of a user to constitute a protection region for the malleoli of the foot, at least one third upper tab being further provided that protrudes from said at least one first reinforcement approximately vertically toward an overlying third lateral region of the cuff.

8. The shoe of claim 7, comprising at least one fourth lower tab that protrudes from said at least one first reinforcement approximately vertically toward an underlying fourth lateral region of said counter.

9. The shoe of claim 8, wherein said third tab protrudes slightly obliquely along an inclined axis that forms an acute angle, considering a counterclockwise rotation as positive, with respect to a vertical axis that is perpendicular to the ground and passes through a first region of the shoe that corresponds to the malleoli of a user.

10. The shoe of claim 8, wherein said fourth tab protrudes slightly obliquely along an inclined axis that forms an acute angle, considering a counterclockwise rotation as positive, with respect to a vertical axis that is perpendicular to the ground and passes through a first region of the shoe that corresponds to the malleoli of a user.

11. The shoe of claim 10, comprising second guiding means constituted at least by third receptacles and fourth receptacles formed respectively at a thickness cross-sectional region of said cuff and said counter, said at least one third tab and said at least one fourth tab engaging slidingly and freely with said second guiding means.