Ski boot with slope adjustment

Boot consisting of a shell (1) onto which is articulated an upper in one or two parts (2, 4), comprising means for holding the upper in a sloping position and for modifying its slope. These means consist of an end stop (5) formed on the shell and of a movable wedge (7) mounted sliding transversely on the inner face of the upper (2) and intended to be inserted between the end stop (5) and the rim (6) of the upper. The end stop may have a number of steps defining different slopes.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a ski boot with a shell made of synthetic 
material consisting of a rigid shell bottom surrounding the foot and the 
heel and of an upper, in one or two parts, articulated onto the shell 
bottom, and comprising means for holding the upper in a sloping position 
and for modifying this slope. 
PRIOR ART 
In boots comprising an articulated upper, in particular rear-entry boots, 
it is judicious and known to provide means enabling the upper of the boot 
to be given a forward slope adapted to the type of skiing which is 
practised and to the skier's technique and abilities. U.S. Pat. No. 
4,601,117 proposes a positioning device consisting of a swing-lever 
mounted on the front part of the upper and extending lengthwise in the 
direction of the front of the boot. This lever has a curved end which 
engages in one of the notches of a rack. A spring, which keeps the lever 
engaged, acts on the other end of the lever. Such a device requires, 
therefore, an articulation pivot and a spring. In addition, the rack is 
exposed to snow and ice and can be easily obstructed. Snow can also enter 
under the lever. 
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,669,203 the adjusting device consists of a transverse 
threaded rod onto which is mounted a kind of pantograph whose other end is 
attached to a projection of the shell bottom. In this case, the adjusting 
device is sheltered, but it is relatively complex, with its rod threaded 
partly with a left-handed pitch and partly with a right-handed pitch and 
it is relatively fragile. 
The objective of the present invention is to produce a device which is as 
simple as possible, requiring a minimum of moving parts and not involving 
either an articulation or a spring. In addition, the device must be well 
protected against snow and ice. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The ski boot according to the invention is distinguished by the fact that 
the means for holding the top in a sloping position and for modifying this 
slope consist of an end stop formed by a projection on the part of the 
shell bottom situated on the instep and overlapped by the corresponding 
part of the front part of the upper, of a transverse projecting part 
provided on the inner face of the front part of the upper overlapping the 
said end stop and interacting with this end stop to limit the upward 
travel of the upper, and of a movable wedge mounted sliding transversely 
on the inner face of the front part of the upper and intended to be 
inserted between the end stop and the projecting part of the upper to 
modify the slope of the upper. 
Since the end stop and the projecting part of the upper originate from 
moulding with the shell bottom and the upper respectively, the only 
additional component consists of the movable wedge. The means for keeping 
the upper in a sloping position and for modifying its slope are therefore 
very simple, robust and well protected.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
The boot shown comprises a shell bottom 1 made of rigid synthetic material 
and intended to surround the foot and the heel, and an upper consisting of 
a front part 2 articulated onto the shell bottom 1 by means of a rivet 3 
and of an opposite rivet situated on the other side of the shell bottom, 
and of a rear part 4, also articulated onto the shell bottom at the same 
points as the front part of the upper or at different points, so that it 
fits into the front part 2. The boot shown is therefore of the rear-entry 
type. 
Formed on the upper edge of the shell bottom 1 there is a projecting part 5 
forming a stepped end stop with two steps 5a and 5b for the rim 6 of the 
front part 2 of the upper capable of straddling the upper part of the 
shell bottom 1 and cranked in the direction of the shell bottom 1 so as to 
be capable of hooking onto the end stop 5 when the intention is to raise 
the upper 2. On the inner face of the front part of the upper is mounted a 
movable wedge 7 extended by a semi-rigid tongue 8 provided with an 
actuating button 9 projecting over the boot through a slot 10 provided in 
the part 2 of the upper. The wedge 7 and the tongue 8 extend transversely 
along the rim 6 of the part 2 of the upper and rest against this rim 6, 
which acts as their means of guidance. The width of the wedge 7 is equal 
to the height of the step 5b relative to the step 5a. The wedge 7, more 
precisely its tongue 8, has a shoulder 11 extending perpendicularly to the 
direction of travel of the wedge and capable of abutting against the outer 
end of the step of the end stop 5 on which the movable wedge 7 rests. This 
shoulder 11 is used as an end stop and for lengthwise positioning of the 
movable wedge, in particular when the movable wedge 7 is on the step 5b, 
with the shoulder 11 then coming to abut against the end of this step 5b. 
In a first position of the wedge 7, shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, this wedge 7 
is engaged on the step 5a of the end stop 5 and the rim 6 of the part 2 of 
the boot upper comes to rest against step 5b and against the wedge 7, 
which is level with the step 5b. The upper 2 slightly slopes. 
When the button 9 is moved to the other end of the slot 10, as shown in 
FIG. 5, after having bent the upper forward, the wedge 7 moves into place 
between the step 5 and the rim 6 as shown in FIG. 6. The upper 2 is held 
in a position which is more sloping than the position shown in FIG. 1. 
It is possible, of course, to increase the number of steps of the end stop 
5 to obtain one or more intermediate positions. The movable wedge 7 can be 
fixed in its outermost positions and in its intermediate positions, 
respectively, by any suitable means. The simplest is a bayonet-type 
system. 
A rigid or elastically deformable material can be envisaged for the 
manufacture of the wedge 7. The wedge may be a component which is added to 
the tongue 8 or an integral part. 
The rim 6 could, of course, be replaced by a transverse rib which is set 
back from the lower edge of the part 2 of the upper.