Boot for motorcyclists provided with means for removing air from the inside

A boot for motorcyclists with means for removing the air from the inside is described. A boot is described for motorcyclists equipped with means for removing air from the inside thereof, comprising one shoe section made of a flexible synthetic material, one leg section made of a stiff synthetic material, the leg section having a vertical lateral slit-shaped overlapping opening, provided with hook-like closing and tensioning elements, and a small inner shoe characterized in that a first circuit for a moving air stream is formed provided with at least one air inlet opening and with at least one discharge opening for moving air, a second circuit for conducted air abutting at one end an air tap and terminating at the other end into the first circuit, said second circuit comprising a portion of the inner chamber of the small shoe, means for hermetically sealing the small shoe with the leg section, and means for discharging water from the boot.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention refers to a boot for motorcyclism, in particular for 
use in motorcross or the like, equipped with means for the removal of air 
from the inside thereof. 
It is already known in the art that, for motorcyclism, and particularly 
motorcross, boots are usually employed having legs cover, more or less, 
the lower part of the wearer's leg, below the knee. The boots are put on 
tightly, and are provided with adjustable closing buckles or hooks, for 
the purpose of a good adhesion to the wearer's leg, so as to facilitate 
and safely protect the motorcyclist during the drives to be executed on 
the motorcycle. 
Furthermore, recently boots made of synthetic material have become known, 
at the inside of which a small shoe is inserted, similar to that used in 
ski-boots, such a shoe being made of a spongy material, that is of a 
lining material, incorporating in the front side thereof a vertical 
insertion in the form of a strip with ribs defining channels and with a 
pierced top, the said small shoe presenting, at the upper part thereof and 
in the part which forms the area of the ankle of the foot, a sector 
pierced with holes on the outside of the small shoe, which correspond with 
the ends of the vertical insertion. Furthermore the boot presents a number 
of openings in its upper front part which correspond to the openings of 
the insertion, wherefore, when the vehicle moves, air enters through the 
openings to be conveyed through the insertion to the front part of the 
foot. 
According to this proposal, the inflowing air ought to displace the 
stagnating air within the boot, to create, in such a way, a continual and 
permanent cycle of ventilation. 
However, with the proposed solution, in practice the air which enters 
initially into the boot stagnates therein, preventing the entrance of 
further air, since the small shoe adherently surrounds the leg of the 
wearer, at least the upper part thereof and as a consequence the air 
contained in the boot has no appreciable ability to be evacuated. 
As initially mentioned, the said shoes are put on adherently, that is 
tightly, resulting in the practice being compromised, and the air 
contained at the inside of the small shoe is not evacuated. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The object of the present invention is to remove, in a safe and continuous 
way, air from the inside of the small shoe of the boot; and at the same 
time to maintain the inside of the small shoe completely dry. 
Within the limits of the foregoing object, the solution according to the 
invention has a further advantage, due to the fact that the solution can 
be attained by utilizing normal procedures and machines to press synthetic 
material and because successive manufacturing or finishing operations are 
absolutly not required. The proposed solution affects only slightly the 
cost and therefore has no adverse influence on the the finished product. 
Starting with a boot, preferably made of synthetic material, formed, by way 
of example, with one shoe-part made of a flexible synthetic material and 
with one part of shoe-leg made of a stiff synthetic material having a 
laterally open vertical split with a superposition and provided with 
tensioning hook-shaped closing means, as well as, preferably, an inner 
small shoe. The object of the present invention is solved in that inside 
of the boot a first circuit is provided for an air circuit due to motion, 
provided with a least one opening for the entrance of the air and with at 
least one discharge opening for the air; and furthermore a second air 
circuit is provided, connected, at one side, with an air tap and at the 
other side leading into the air circuit due to motion, the second circuit 
of conducted air comprising, in the development thereof, a more or less 
large portion of the length of the inner chamber of the small shoe, means 
for hermetically sealing the small shoe and, preferably, discharging means 
for the water of the boot. 
According to the invention, it is preferable for the first circuit for the 
moving the air to be in the upper part of the shoe, whereas, as concerns 
the second circuit of conducted air, the air tap consists of a tubular 
element incorporated in the wall of the small shoe, and one end of the 
element is advantageously accessible to the outer air, means for hindering 
the simultaneous entrance of water is advantageously interposed between 
said one end and the other end which leads into the inside of the small 
shoe. 
According to the invention, the outlet of the conducted air circuit into 
the circuit of the moving air, is realized by means of a duct in the form 
of an insertion, for example in the form of an ankle-shield, incorporated 
into the wall of the small shoe and one end is located next to the foot 
where the corresponding part of the small shoe is pierced, and the other 
end being next to a sector of the moving air circuit, since in this area 
the wall of the small shoe is pierced. 
Advantageously, according to the invention, the said first circuit for the 
moving air, preferably in the upper part of the boot, consists of a 
channel developing peripherally next to the upper edge of the boot, the 
inner part of the channel being open and realized, after the introduction 
of the small shoe into the boot, by means of the corresponding lateral 
surface of the outside of the small shoe presenting at the upper part 
thereof, a peripheral thickness, cooperating in the creation of the 
necessary seal with the upper part of the above mentioned channel, the 
latter being folded, that is curved toward the inside. 
Likewise, the channels for the inlet of the air for ventilating purposes 
and for the conduction thereof into the first circuit for the moving air, 
can be obtained advantageously, according to the invention, as well by a 
channel realized in the part of the boot which is used for this purpose, 
the said channels having their inside open and consisting, after the 
introduction of the small shoe into the boot, of the lateral surface 
outside thereof. 
Further characteristics, advantages and details of the present invention of 
the boot, are explained from the following description referring to the 
annexed drawings, showing the preferred form of an embodiment of a boot as 
claimed according to the present invention and a number of modified 
details, as follows:

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
With reference to the above mentioned Figures, in which like parts show the 
same reference numeral, the boot 1 according to the invention is designed. 
The same includes in the manner known in the art, a shoe part 2, 
preferably made of a flexible synthetic material and one boot part 3 of a 
stiff synthetic material, the boot leg showing a lateral opening in the 
form of a fissure 4 which extends in vertical direction. 5 and 6 indicate 
hook-like adjustable tensioning members for closing the boot. 
At this point the invention intervenes, according to which a first circuit 
8 is provided in the boot for a moving current of air whereby inlet 
opening 9 for the air is provided, situated in the example cited, at the 
inner part of the boot and next to the upper edge thereof, as well as 
outlet openings 10 for the exit of the air are provided at the rear part 
of boot 1. 9a indicate small wings designed to intensify the air flow and 
10a small wings for providing an orientated discharge of the moving air. 
Still according to the present invention a second circuit for the 
conducted air is provided, having an air tap 11, consisting of a tubular 
insertion made of a flexible material, for example of rubber, inserted, 
that is incorporated in the upper edge 7a of the small shoe 7. The said 
circuit for the conducted air continues at the inside of the small shoe 7 
and develops thereafter toward the outside through insertion 12 which may 
be an ankle-saver insertion in the form of a channel and incorporated in 
the thickness of the shoe-wall, the ends of the channel being situated, at 
one side, next to the foot and, at the other side, next to chamber 13 
contained in channel 8 for the moving air. In the upper area of the small 
shoe 7, holes 18 are located which terminate in the ring-shaped channel 8, 
thus establishing a connection between the inside of the shoe and the 
channel 8, in order to bring air into the inside of the shoe and discharge 
air to the outside, through the openings 10. Alternatively at the upper 
part of the small shoe 7, the small shoe is provided with a permeable area 
designed to advantageously utilize the cellular structure of the lining of 
said shoe, thus establishing a pneumatic connection between the channels 
shown by insertion 12 and the ring-shaped channel 8. On the contrary, in 
the internal areas of the small shoe 7 adjacent to the outlets of 
insertion 12, said shoes are pierced with holes for the purpose of 
permitting the free passage of air for ventilation. The areas are 
numbered, for instance, 14 and 15. 
It is pointed out that, for reasons of simplicity, practicality and 
convenience, the inner part to delimit and to define channel 8, consists, 
still according to the invention, of the outer lateral surface adjacent to 
the small shoe 7, the thickened upper edge 7a which guarantees the 
necessary sealing of the said channel 8 in cooperation with the upper edge 
thereof, folded toward the inside. 
Advantageously, according to another aspect of the invention, the circuit 
for the conducted air provides two outlets for the ventilating air, that 
is in addition to the insertion 12 above mentioned, a further insertion 16 
can be provided in the small shoe, for example in the rear part thereof. 
The insertion delivers air at one side to the inner and lower part of the 
small shoe and, at the other side, next to channel 8 in the neighorhood of 
the discharge openings 10. This allows for a particularly efficient 
ventilation, without a compromise to the flexibility of the small shoe 7. 
In case it is desired to omit the incorporation into the small shoe of 
air-conveying inserts, such as above described, the invention permits 
still another solution according to which the channels which are provided 
for the inlet of air and for the discharge of the same, are realized, like 
channel 8 of the moving air, directly in the leg section 3 of the boot, in 
the form of channels, with the inner part thereof opened, and closed by 
means of the outer surface of the small shoe 7, as previously described in 
relation to channel 8. 
In this case it is easily possible to make use of the said channels for 
stiffening purposes, in particular in the front part of the boot, while 
the passageway and the development, as well as the position thereof can be 
selected just as desired. 
For the purpose of guaranteeing the water-proof closure of the small shoe 
7, the invention foresees a stocking 17 shown with dashed lines, at the 
outside and that envelopes the small shoe over the greater part of the 
height thereof. 
The above mentioned water discharging means, which can be present between 
the boot and the shoe, consist of an opening, shown in the drawing as 20, 
provided in the rear and lower part of the boot, near to the sole thereof. 
The said opening is advantageously inclined downwardly. 
The ventilation is realized as follows: 
When the motorcycle moves, an air current penetrates through fissure 9, 
passes through channel 8 and is discharged through fissure 10. This 
current of air forms the moving air and causes a depression inside of the 
small shoe 7, since it has the tendency of forcing air from the inside of 
said small shoe through insertion 12, which is in communication with 
channel 8. The said removed air is substituted with fresh air, from air 
tap 11. In the embodiment with an additional rear insertion, that is with 
a single one, the operation remains unchanged. 
Within the pierced area of the small shoe, a number of outer insertions, 
made of a slightly stabile, that is the form maintaining and flexible 
material, as mentioned in 14 and 15 ensure, at all times, the open 
position of the said pierced holes. It is also possible to use, for the 
same purpose, a foamed material. 
From the foregoing it is clear that, with the solution provided by this 
invention, the problem concerned is entirely solved, the solution being 
attained with the use of a simple means and without a special expenditure 
for raw material and labor. 
The small tube 11 for the intake of air can be incorporated by glueing or 
sewing, when the lining or the like is applied to the small shoe 7. 
In the drawing, 11a shows a spongy tap-like element which allows for the 
free entrance of the air and prevents the entrance of water. 
In practice, numerous modifications and variations are of course possible, 
concerning either the structure of the insertions, that is of the 
corresponding channel used in the boot, and/or the development and 
location thereof; furthermore, it is possible to freely select the 
emplacement of the slits 9 and 10 and the shape of the small wings 
thereof; still further, also the material the boot is made of, as well as 
the structure thereof can be freely selected, without depassing the limits 
of the present invention. 
All of the features mentioned in the text, in the claims and in the 
drawings, are considered essential for the present invention.