Ski boot

A ski boot has a shell (1) and a shaft or a cuff (8). The shell contains two overlapping closing quarters bridged by a tongue-shaped instep cover (4). The closing members (3) engage the shell (1) through outer closing quarters (2) and thus close the inner overlapping closing quarters.

TECHANICAL FIELD 
The invention relates to a ski boot comprising a shell, a shaft and closing 
flaps extending over the instep region and overlapping each other, which 
closing flaps are maintained in the closed position by closing elements, 
such as, e.g., buckles capable of being opened. 
BACKGROUND 
With ski boots of the initially defined kind which are also termed "overlap 
boots", insertion of the foot is effected via a widenable shaft. Contrary 
to types of boots termed as "rear-entry boots" and which allow for an 
insertion of the foot into a shell that in most cases is peripherally 
closed in the region of the instep after a rear flap has been tilted away, 
in such boots with central insertion of the foot, which are designed as 
overlap boots, closure in the instep region is only feasible by mutually 
bracing the closing flaps. While with designs having a peripherally closed 
instep region an adaptation to the shape of the foot is possible to a 
limited extent only, overlap boots mostly offer a better adaptability to 
the foot in the instep region. Due to the relatively high rigidity of the 
shell materials for ski boots, however, in such an overlap boot, in which 
the instep region is to be closed by mutual bracing of closing flaps, 
insertion of the foot is comparatively difficult, because the relatively 
rigid closing flaps can be widened only with great strength, particularly 
if the outdoor temperatures are low. Analogous considerations hold for the 
shaft region, which, for a central insertion of the foot also must be 
widenable to a great extent so as to guarantee for a simple insertion of 
the foot, with little strength required. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The invention now aims at further developing a boot of the initially 
defined kind such that insertion of the foot into the boot will be enabled 
with little strength required, while providing for a high adaptability of 
the shell to the shape of the foot, and at the same time improving closure 
and comfort of the boot. To solve this problem, the object according to 
the invention substantially resides in that the closing flaps are passed 
over by a tongue-shaped instep cover and are connected with further 
closing flaps externally of the projection of said instep cover onto said 
closing flaps, and in that the further closing flaps include the bearing 
places for the closing elements. By the fact that a tongue-shaped instep 
cover is provided additionally to the closing flaps and that the closing 
flaps are connected with further closing flaps, which themselves in turn 
carry the closing elements, a configuration is made possible in which the 
shell is substantially thinner walled in the instep region as compared to 
known constructions, and thus can be designed to be substantially more 
flexible. Such a thin-walled and flexible shell can be adapted to the 
shape of the foot in a substantially better and simpler manner, and by the 
fact that further closing flaps are connected to the relatively 
thin-walled and highly flexible closing flaps, the actual closing elements 
exert their tension on the inner closing flaps without causing punctual 
pressure spots. The external closing flaps thus attain the closing forces 
acting in the peripheral direction, as is the case in conventional overlap 
boots, which peripheral closing forces result in an exact and better 
adaptation of the closing flaps to the shape of the foot, and by the fact 
that a tongue-shaped instep cover is arranged between the closing elements 
externally passing thereover and the thin-walled and highly flexible end 
regions of the overlapping closing flaps, also here the reaction forces of 
the closing elements which would act as pressure forces in the middle 
region of the instep are distributed over a wide area, whereby pressure 
spots are avoided. On the whole, this tongue-shaped instep cover and the 
closing elements acting on the external closing flaps allow for the 
tilting down of the tongue when the closing elements have been opened, 
whereby only slight expansion forces are required to deform the 
thin-walled and highly flexible closing flaps for an insertion of the 
foot, thus substantially improving insertion of a foot inso such a boot, 
while simultaneously enabling a more exact adaptation of the fit to the 
respective shape of the foot due to the flexible and thin-walled 
configuration of the closing flaps. 
For a better positioning and possibly an adjustment of the tongue-shaped 
instep cover, advantageously the design is chosen such that the further 
closing flaps at least partially extend over the instep cover, whereby 
simultaneously excessive pressure loads caused by the closing elements 
acting on the tongue-shaped cover are prevented. In any event, for a 
better introduction of forces and for maintaining the desired high 
flexibility and slight widening force, the design is made such that the 
further closing flaps as well as the instep cover have a wall thickness 
greater than the wall thickness of the inwardly arranged closing flaps, 
whereby it is ensured that also high closing forces can be exerted without 
excessively stressing the thin-walled and flexible material of the closing 
flaps. 
To ensure a safe tilting away of the tongue-shaped cover, when the closing 
elements have been opened, and to ensure facilitating insertion of the 
foot, advantageously the design is chosen such that the instep cover is 
connected with the shell at a position in front of the overlapping region 
of the inwardly arranged closing flaps, wherein preferably the instep 
cover is designed as a sealing element at its end connected with the 
shell. In this manner, safe sealing is also attained at the critical 
position at which sealing problems traditionally are likely to occur in 
overlap boots, the sealing element extending over the abutment edge of the 
overlapping closing flaps of the shell, thus effecting safe sealing. 
To further facilitate insertion of the foot into such an overlap boot, 
advantageously the design is made such that the shaft of the shell 
comprises in both, the region of the shin bone as well as the region of 
the calf bone, at least one respective incision extending substantially 
vertically to the sole, capable of being sealingly covered by the instep 
cover or by a pivotable heel flap, respectively. In this manner, a 
respective expandability of the shaft is ensured, wherein such an 
expandable shaft may be pivotably hinged in conventional manner, while at 
the same time a secure fit and a clear limitation of the pivot angle, in 
particular a defined limitation of the forward and rearward positions, can 
be realized in a simple manner. For this purpose, advantageously the 
design is made such that the shaft comprising the vertical incisions is 
connected with the shell so as to be pivotable towards abutments to a 
limited extent. 
As already mentioned, the tongue-shaped instep cover is pivotably connected 
with the shell to allow for an easy insertion of the foot, wherein 
advantageously the design is made such that the instep cover is connected 
with the shell so as to be pivotable about an axis substantially parallel 
to the sole and about an axis crossing the sole. Such an instep cover 
ensures the required rigidity and stability, while on the whole the shell 
is very flexible and comfortable to wear, it being possible to change the 
characteristics of the boot by choosing various materials and wall 
thicknesses of the instep cover. 
To ensure the respective good fit also in the region of the Achilles tendon 
and in the region of the shaft, despite the high flexibility of the shell, 
the heel or rear flap already mentioned before is provided, the design 
advantageously being made such that the heel flap, which can be tilted 
away, is fastened to the shell so as to be pivotable about the pivot axis 
of the shaft. Such a heel flap allows for the provision of a so-called 
"walking-standing mechanism" in a particularly simple manner, the design 
advantageously being made such that the heel flap which can be tilted away 
is pivotable into a first walking or standing position against adjustable 
delimiting abutments or adjustable tensioning elements, and after release 
of the tensioning element or unlocking of the abutment is tiltable into a 
foot insertion position. 
The invention shall now be described in more detail and with reference to 
an exemplary embodiment schematically illustrated in the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
In FIG. 1, the shell of a ski boot is denoted by 1, and outer closing flaps 
2 fixed to the outer side of this shell can be seen which can be braced 
with each other via tensioning elements 3. The outer closing flaps 2 and 
the tensioning elements in the form of buckles 3 in this case extend over 
a tongue-shaped instep cover (or tongue) 4 which is connected to the shell 
1 in region 5. Furthermore, a rear or heel flap 6 is pivotably hinged to 
shell 1, the pivot axis being indicated at 7. A shaft portion 8 is also 
pivotable about the same pivot axis 7, which shaft portion can be closed 
via a buckle 9 in the portion facing the instep. Thus, the shaft 
practically constitutes a type of cuff, the required rigidity being 
ensured by the rear flap 6 in the closing position, which rear flap in 
turn is maintained in this closing position by a tensioning element 10. 
In the illustration according to FIG. 2, the tensioning element 10 is open, 
and the rear flap 6 has been rearwardly pivoted about the pivot axis 7. 
Simultaneously the shaft, or the cuff 8, respectively, in its partial 
region facing the instep in which it is designed to be slit, is open, the 
buckle 9 being illustrated in the open position. Also the buckles 3 
extending over the tongue 4 are illustrated in the open position and it 
can be seen that the tongue 4 is forwardly pivotable, thus resulting in an 
overall large and comfortable opening for insertion of the foot, as is 
clearly visible from the illustration according to FIG. 2. Since the 
tensioning elements 3 engage at the inwardly arranged closing flaps of the 
shell 1 via the closing flaps 2 defined at the outer side of the shell 1 
and thus cause a closing of the shell in the region of the instep, this 
inner partial region of the shell 1 may be designed extremely thin-walled 
and, thus, highly flexible. The configuration of the closing flaps of the 
shell overlapping each other is clearly visible in the section according 
to FIG. 3. There, the instep region is illustrated in the closed position 
of the buckles 3, with the outwardly arranged closing flaps 2 which are 
connected with the thick-walled region of the shell 1 partially 
overlapping the tongue 4. Thus, the tongue 4 acts as a pressure 
distributing plate and prevents an excessive pressure stress in the 
direction of the arrow 11, as would be caused by the tensioning elements 3 
in the middle region. At the same time, this tongue 4 which assumes the 
function of a pressure distributing plate allows for a particularly 
thin-walled design of the closing flaps 12 and 13 overlapping each other, 
whereby high flexibility and a particularly good fit are achieved. As is 
desirable with an overlap boot, only forces acting in the peripheral 
direction are introduced in such closing flaps 12 and 13, thus resulting 
in the particularly suitable adaptation in the sensitive instep region 
without causing an excessive pressure load. Simultaneously, the 
thin-walled and flexible configuration of the overlapping closing flaps 12 
and 13 naturally also make this region more water-proof. 
In the illustration according to FIG. 4, the details provided for a 
particularly wide opening of the shaft are clearly illustrated. In the 
section according to FIG. 4, the tongue 4 again is visible which is 
overlapped by the shaft or cuff 8, respectively, which is provided with a 
slit 14 in the instep region. The cuff 8 carries the closing element 9 
which is illustrated in the closed position in FIG. 4. The padded tongue 
of the inner boot or inner lining is denoted by 15, while the padding of 
the inner boot in the shaft region is represented by 16. 
The shaft 8 also has a slot 17 in the rear region around which a closing 
element 10 engages which cooperates with the rear flap 6. This closing 
element 10 is movable into a first open position which allows for the rear 
flap 6 to be tilted away and which may be brought out of engagement with 
the rear flap 6 by release of the closing element 18, thus enabling 
complete tilting away thereof. In this first position, thus, a walking 
position is achieved, whereas after complete release of the closing 
element 18 a complete tilting away of the rear flap 6 and thus a position 
for a particularly easy insertion of the foot may be assumed. The closing 
element 18 in turn is connected with a tensioning element 19 that 
cooperates with the closing element 9 of the cuff or shaft, respectively, 
and in this manner bridges the slit 14 in the front region of the cuff or 
shaft 8, respectively. 
The pivotability of the shaft as well as of the cuff is more clearly 
visible in the illustration according to FIG. 5. In FIG. 5, the padding or 
inner boot 16, respectively, is again visible, the cuff or shaft 8, 
respectively, being hinged so as to be pivotable about the pivot axis 7. 
The site of enagement of the rear closing element 10 is denoted by 20, and 
the rear flap 6 is additionally pivotably hinged about the pivot axis 7. 
The pivot axis 7 may be conventionally designed as an eccentric so as to 
allow for a canting positioning. Anyway, the design includes screws to 
ensure easy assembly and simple disposal. 
At 21 a region is illustrated in which the closing element 18 engages which 
is not illustrated in the illustration according to FIG. 5.