Rear entry ski boot

A rear entry ski boot including two flexible tightening elements, one of which tightens the upper of the boot on the lower leg of the skier and the other of which presses the foot downwardly and rearwardly into the boot so as to hold down the foot in the zone of the short perimeter of the heel of the foot. Also provided are two separate and independent manipulation levers, one of which is positioned above the other on the posterior portion of upper. Each lever is journalled around at least one transverse axis and each lever is connected to a different one of the two flexible tightening elements.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
The present invention relates to a ski boot of the rear entry type. 
BACKGROUND ART 
Rear entry ski boots comprise an upper mounted on a shell base. The upper 
comprises an anterior and a posterior portion surrounding the lower leg of 
the skier. The posterior portion of the upper is journalled on the shell 
base around a lower transverse axis so that the posterior portion of the 
upper is adapted to pivot toward the rear, thus creating a sufficiently 
large opening in the upper to allow the skier to place his foot into the 
boot, from the rear thereof. These ski boots are provided with a flexible 
element, such as a cable, to tighten one of the two portions of the upper 
against the other in a manner so as to obtain a firm tightening of the 
upper around the lower leg of the skier. Another flexible tightening 
element is positioned inside the boot and extends above the instep of the 
foot of the skier. When this element is tensioned or stretched it presses 
the foot towards the bottom and towards the rear of the boot. This latter 
flexible element thus assures the tightening of the foot in the zone known 
as the "short perimeter of the heel". 
In the rear entry ski boot described in European Pat. No. 0053 340, the two 
flexible tightening elements for tightening the upper on the lower leg and 
for internally holding down the foot in the boot are connected to a 
manipulation element mounted on the exterior of the boot, at the rear of 
the posterior portion of the upper. Once the foot is engaged in the boot, 
manipulation of the manipulation element exerts a traction simultaneously 
on the two tightening elements. One thus obtains simultaneously, by action 
on a single pivotable lever, the tightening of the upper on the lower leg 
of the skier and an internal tightening of the foot in the boot in the 
zone of the short perimeter of the heel. As a result, this ski boot can be 
used either only totally closed or totally loose. However has become clear 
that it is desirable, in order to increase the comfort of skiers, to 
tighten the upper on the lower leg of the skier while the foot in not held 
down in the boot, and to hold down the foot in the boot while the upper is 
not tightening around the lower leg of the skier. This ski boot cannot 
perform these functions because the tightening of the upper on the lower 
leg of the skier causes the foot to be held down in the boot and vice a 
versa. 
Thus, there is a need for a ski boot in which the upper can be tightened 
around the lower leg of the skier independently of the tightening of the 
foot in the boot. 
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
It is an object of the present invention to provide a ski boot and an 
apparatus to be used with a ski boot that tightens the upper around the 
lower leg of the skier independently of the mechanism for holding down the 
foot in the boot. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a ski boot and an 
apparatus to be used with a ski boot that holds down the foot in the boot 
independently of the tightening of the upper on the lower leg of the 
skier. 
The invention which achieves these objectives comprises a ski boot for 
holding the foot and the lower leg of a skier therein. The ski boot 
comprises means for tightening the boot on the lower leg of the skier 
means for holding the foot of the skier down in the boot, first means for 
actuating the tightening means to tighten the boot on the lower leg of the 
skier, and second means for actuating the holding means to hold down the 
foot of the skier in the boot. The first and second actuating means 
comprise separate levers. 
The tightening means and the holding means comprise, respectively, first 
and second flexible elements and the first and second actuating means 
comprise, respectively, means for exerting a traction force on the first 
and second flexible elements. 
The boot further comprises a shell base, and an upper surrounding the lower 
leg of the skier. The upper, in turn, comprises at least one anterior 
portion and at least one posterior portion. The posterior portion is 
journalled around an axis substantially transverse to the longitudinal 
axis of the boot. The transverse axis passes through a portion of the boot 
substantially corresponding to the malleoli of the skier. In this 
embodiment the tightening means comprises means for tightening the at 
least one anterior and posterior portions of the boot against the lower 
leg of the skier. The at least one posterior portion of the boot comprises 
a rear portion, and the first and second actuting means comprise, 
respectively, first and second manipulation levers journalled on the 
exterior of the boot on the rear portion of the at least one posterior 
portion of the upper. 
The tightening means comprises means for tightening the at least one 
posterior and anterior portions of the boot with respect to each other. 
The tightening means further comprises a first flexible element and the 
holding means further comprises a second flexible element. In addition, in 
this embodiment the first lever comprise means for exerting a traction 
force on the first flexible element and the second lever comprises means 
for exerting a traction force on the second flexible element. The second 
flexible element comprises means for pressing the foot downwardly and 
rearwardly so as to press the heel of the foot downwardly and rearwardly 
in the boot and so as to hold down the foot of the skier in the boot in 
the zone of the short perimeter of the heel of the foot. In addition, the 
second flexible element extends within the boot and over the instep of the 
foot of the skier to press the foot of the skier downwardly and rearwardly 
in response to a traction force exerted by the second lever. 
In one embodiment the first and second actuating means comprise two 
independent manipulation levers, one of which is positioned above the 
other, and both of which are journalled on the at least one posterior 
portion of the upper around an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of 
the boot. The first flexible element is connected to the first 
manipulation lever and the second flexible element is connected to the 
second manipulation lever. 
In one embodiment the first and second levers are journalled around the 
same transverse axis, and in an alternative embodiment the first and 
second levers are journalled around different transverse axes such that 
one of the transverse axes is positioned above the other of the transverse 
axes. 
In addition, the first lever may be positioned below the second lever so 
that the first lever comprises a lower lever and the second lever 
comprises an upper lever. Alternatively, the first lever can be positioned 
above the second lever so that the first lever comprises an upper lever 
and the second lever comprises a lower lever. 
In still another embodiment the first and second manipulation levers are 
journalled around an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the boot 
and the at least one posterior portion of the upper further comprises 
first and second openings. In this embodiment the first flexible element 
extends through the first opening in such a manner that the direction of 
the first flexible element changes as the flexible element extends through 
the first opening, whereby the portion of the posterior portion of the 
boot surrounding the first opening comprises a first direction changing 
element, and the second flexible element extends through the second 
opening in such a manner that the direction of the second flexible element 
changes as the second flexible element extends through the second opening, 
whereby the portion of the posterior portion of the boot surrounding the 
second opening comprises a second direction changing element. In addition, 
the first and second direction changing elements are positioned above the 
transverse axes of the first and second levers. 
In addition, in this embodiment at least one of the first and second 
levers, the transverse axis around which one of the first and second 
levers is journalled, and at least one of the first and second direction 
changing elements together comprise a toggle mechanism comprising means 
for producing first and second stable positions for at least one of the 
first and second levers on either side of a plane passing through the 
transverse axis around which at least one of the first and second levers 
is journalled and passing substantially through one of the first and 
second openings. 
In another embodiment the second lever comprises means for adjusting the 
tension on the second flexible element. In this embodiment the adjusting 
means comprises a threaded shaft extending in longitudinally along the 
second lever. The shaft comprising an exterior end at the opposite end of 
the second lever from the transverse axis around which the second lever is 
journalled. Also provided is a screw and a tension adjustment button. The 
screw engages the threaded shaft and is adapted to be displaced along the 
shaft in response to rotation of the shaft. In addition, the second 
flexible element is attached to the screw. The tension adjustment button 
is positioned at the exterior end of the threaded shaft. 
In still another embodiment the first and second actuating means are each 
adapted to be positioned in an open position and a locked position. In the 
locked position the first and second actuating means actuate the 
tightening and holding means, respectively. In the open position the force 
on the lower leg of the skier from the tightening means and the force on 
the foot from the holding means in substantially reduced. In addition the 
boot can further comprise toggle means for producing stable open and 
closed positions for the first and second actuating means. 
In still another embodiment, the invention relates to an apparatus for 
actuating a hold down means in a ski boot to hold down the foot of a skier 
in the boot and for actuating a tigtening means in a ski boot to tighten 
the boot on the lower leg of the skier. The apparatus comprises first 
actuating means for actuating the hold down mechanism to hold down the 
foot of a skier in the boot, and second actuating means for actuating the 
tightening mechanism to tighten the boot on the lower leg of the skier. 
The first and second actuating means are separate levers. In addition, in 
this embodiment the invention includes all the other features noted in the 
embodiments described above.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
The present invention relates to an improvement in a rear entry ski boot of 
the type previously discussed so as to improve its conditions of use by 
allowing the tensioning of one or the other of the two flexible tightening 
elements depending upon the result that is desired. 
To this end the rear entry ski boot of the present invention comprises an 
upper mounted on a shell base. The upper comprises an anterior and a 
posterior portion surrounding the lower leg of the skier. The posterior 
portion of the upper is journalled on the shell base around a lower 
transverse axis. Also provided is a first flexible tightening element for 
tightening the upper on the lower leg of the skier by tightening one 
portion of the upper against the other. In addition, the boot further 
comprises a second flexible tightening element positioned inside the boot 
for the exerting a force on the foot in the zone of the short perimeter of 
the heel to hold the foot down in the boot. This tightening element is 
positioned within the boot and extends above the instep of the skier's 
foot to press the foot downwardly and rearwardly when tensioned. In 
addition, the boot further comprises means, mounted on the exterior of the 
boot, at the rear of the posterior portion of the upper, to exert a 
traction force on the two flexible tightening elements. This means 
comprises two indepenent manipulation levers positioned one above the 
other on the posterior portion of the upper. Each lever is journalled 
around at least one transverse axis. Each of the two flexible tightening 
elements are connected to a different lever. 
The two manipulation levers can be journalled around a the same single 
transverse axis or they can be journalled respectively around two separate 
axes positioned above one another. 
By virtue of this arrangement it is possible, according to the invention, 
to unlock only the upper pivoting lever and to consequently release only 
the tightening element which is connected to this upper lever; the lower 
lever remains locked in its locked, tightened position in which it exerts 
a traction force on the flexible element to which it is attached. 
The upper and lower pivotable levers can be connected, respectively, to 
flexible elements internally tightening the foot in the zone of the short 
perimeter of the heel and tightening the upper on the lower leg of the 
skier. In this embodiment, the unlocking of the single upper manipulation 
lever serves to release only the mechanism governing the internal 
tightening of the foot in the boot so that a force is no longer exerted on 
the foot to hold the foot down in the boot. This arrangement is 
particularly advantageous because it allows the skier not to tighten his 
foot before actually skiing seriously, which assures proper circulation of 
the blood and provides a feeling of comfort, while at the same time firmly 
holding the boot on the lower leg of the skier by virtue of the traction 
exerted on the tightening element for tightening the upper around the 
lower leg of the skier. 
According to an alternative embodiment, the upper and lower manipulation 
levers are connected, respectively, to flexible elements tightening the 
upper around the lower leg of the skier and internally tightening the foot 
in the zone of the short perimeter of the heel so as to press the foot 
downwardly and rearwardly in the boot. In this embodiment the upper 
manipulation lever only loosens the mechanism for tightening the upper 
around the lower leg of the skier, thereby loosening the upper around the 
lower leg of the skier. The skier can then walk with his boot whose upper 
is open, because the foot is maintained tightly in the interior of the 
boot by virtue of the internal tightening element which is always 
tensioned or stretched so as to firmly press the foot downwardly and 
rearwardly in the boot. 
The ski boot shown in FIGS. 1-3 is of the rear entry type and it comprises, 
in a conventional manner, a shell base 1 and an upper 2. Upper 2 comprises 
two portions: an anterior portion 3 and a posterior portion 4. Posterior 
portion 4 of upper 2 is journalled on shell base 1, around a horizontal 
and lower transverse axis 5. Ski boot 1 also comprises an intermediate 
slipper 6 in which the foot of the skier is inserted so as to assure a 
certain degree of comfort. 
The ski boot shown in FIG. 1 also comprises two flexible tightening 
elements, such as cables. These flexible tightening elements comprise a 
cable 7 for tightening the upper on the lower leg of the skier, and a 
cable 8 for internally holding down the foot in the boot in the zone of 
the short perimeter of the heel of the foot 26 (illustrated in FIG. 6) by 
pressing the foot downwardly and rearwardly at the instep of the foot. 
According to the invention tightening cables 7 and 8 are tensioned, 
respectively, by displacing two pivotable manipulation levers 9 and 10 
from an open or unlocked position to a locked position. In the 
non-limiting embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 cables 7 and 8 are 
journalled around a common horizontal and transverse journal 11 which 
extends transverse to the longitudinal axis of the boot. Journal 11 is 
supported by a bearing 12 attached to the upper zone of a rear surface 4a 
of posterior portion 4 of the upper. If desired, means can be provided for 
adjusting the vertical position of bearing 12 by permitting bearing 12 to 
vertically slide in a vertical slot 13 in rear surface 4a. 
In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 upper lever 9 is connected to cable 
8 while lower lever 10 is connected to cable 7. However, this arrangement 
can well be reversed, as will be seen below. 
Cable 8 for internally holding down the foot in the boot is attached to a 
screw 14 which is slideably mounted along upper lever 9. Screw 14 engages 
a threaded shaft 15 extending longitudinally on lever 9. The external end 
of shaft 15 comprises a tension adjustment button 16. Rotation of button 
16 causes a linear displacement of screw 14, thereby changing the position 
of screw 14 and consequently changing the tension of internal tightening 
cable 8. 
Starting at bolt 14, cable 8 forms a loop 8a which extends through two 
openings or holes 17 provided in the upper zone of surface 4a on both 
sides of slot 13. These holes 17 and/or that portion of posterior portion 
4 immediately surrounding holes 17 comprise direction changing elements 
because the direction of cable 8 changes when cable 8 extends through 
openings 17. Holes 17 are positioned above journal 11. From holes 17 cable 
8 then extends, on each lateral side of the boot, downwardly to the 
interior of posterior portion 4. From this point cable 8 extends toward 
the front and upwardly to extend over the instep of the foot. At the 
instep cable 8 may contact a pressure plate 18 for distributing the 
pressure from cable 8 to the foot. The pressure plate is optional. When 
the pressure plate is not used cable 8 presses directly on the top of the 
foot at or near the instep. 
Cable 7 also forms a loop 7a attached to the lower end of lower pivotable 
lever 10. The two strands of loop 7a extend upwardly between two 
substantially parallel lateral and substantially vertical edges 19 which 
form an integral portion of rear surface 4a and extend substantially the 
length of the zone comprising slot 13 and bearing 12. The two strands of 
loop 7a of cable 7 are then deflected toward the exterior, substantially 
horizontally, by passing through holes 21 provided in vertical edges 19 of 
the boot. Holes 21 and/or the material of the boot immediately surrounding 
holes 21 comprise direction changing elements because cable 7 changes its 
direction as it extends though holes 21. Holes 21 are positioned above the 
journal 11, substantially or almost at the same vertical level as holes 
17. The ends of the two cable ends of cable 7 are integrally attached to 
attachment or hooking elements, whose position is adjustable at the upper 
zone of anterior portion 3 of upper 2. 
Levers 9 and 10 are displaced into their locked position, in which levers 9 
and 10 exert a traction force on cables 7 and 8, by pressing levers 9 and 
10 downwardly against the lower zone of rear surface 4a so that lower 
lever 10 rests against rear surface 4a as is shown in Fig. 2, and upper 
lever 9 is pressed against lower lever 10. In order to achieve this 
result, lower lever 10 is preferably configured so as to comprise a 
central hollow portion in which upper lever 9 can be retractably 
positioned in its locked or total tightening position. In their locked 
position levers 9 and 10 exert a traction force on cables 7 and 8. 
This traction force exerted by levers 9 and 10 on cables 7 and 8 is 
adjustable. The traction on internal holddown cable 8 is adjustable by 
means of button 16 which, as noted above, controls the displacement of 
screw 14. The traction exerted on cable 7 for tightening the upper around 
the lower leg of the skier is adjustable by changing the position of the 
hooking or attaching element to which the end of cable 7 is attached on 
anterior portion 3 of the upper. 
Pivotable levers 9 and 10 are journalled around a common journal or axis 11 
in a manner so as to comprise a type of toggle or elbow joint mechanism. 
This toggle mechanism is formed by upper holes 17 and 21 (which comprise 
direction changing elements for cables 7 and 8) and transverse journal 11 
common to levers 9 and 10. As a result, in its locked position, as 
illustrated in FIG. 2 for lower lever 10, lower end 10a of lever 10 (to 
which cable 7 is connected) is positioned beneath a plane P passing 
through holes 21 and journal 11. Consequently, the return force exerted by 
cable 7, as a result of its tension on the lower end of lever 10 
(illustrated by arrow f in FIG. 2) tends to maintain lever 10 pressed 
against rear surface 4a, i.e., lever 10 is maintained firmly in its locked 
position. Similarly, the return force of cable 8, as a result of its 
tension on the lower end of lever 9 tends to maintain lever 9 pressed 
against lever 10 because in its locked position screw 14, to which cable 8 
is attached, is positioned beneath plane P which passes substantially 
through hole 17 and common journal or axis 11. 
Because holes 17 and 21, which form direction changing elements for cables 
7 and 8, are positioned sufficiently far above common journal or axis 11 
of levers 9 and 10, downward pivoting of levers 9 and 10 from their open 
position results in an increase in the distance between holes 17 and 21 
and the moveable ends of levers 9 and 10. This distance is a maximum when 
the two levers are in plane P. Similarly, downward pivoting of levers 9 
and 10 results in an increase in the traction force exerted on cable 7 and 
8 by levers 9 and 10. This traction force is a maximum when the two levers 
are in plane P. 
To entirely loosen the boot with respect to the foot it suffices to pivot 
levers 9 and 10 in the counterclockwise direction when viewed in FIGS. 1 
and 2 around common journal 11. Once levers 9 and 10 pass the equilibrium 
position defined by plane P, cables 7 and 8 can loosen and cause upward 
pivoting levers 9 and 10. The total tightening of the boot, i.e., both the 
tightening of the upper around the lower leg of the skier as well as the 
internal holding down of the foot in the boot can be achieved by manually 
pivoting levers 9 and 10 downwardly from their open position above plane P 
to their locked position below plane P in which levers 9 and 10 are 
pressed against the lower zone of rear surface 4a. 
As a result of this structure, the ski boot of the present invention has 
the advantage of permitting simultaneous tightening of the upper around 
the lower leg of the skier and internally holding down the foot in the 
boot, while also permitting the lower leg of the skier to be held loosely 
when the foot is held down firmly in the boot. This is illustrated in FIG. 
2, which shows lower lever 10 in its locked position pressed against the 
lower zone of rear surface 4a, while lever 9 has pivoted upwardly in the 
counterclockwise direction into its open unlocked position above plane P 
to loosen the holding down of the foot in the boot. This is a distinct 
advantage for racers because they can maintain their feet loosely, before 
the beginning of a race, to assure proper circulation of the blood and 
proper comfort, while maintaining the upper tightly around their lower 
leg. 
FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative embodiment in which upper lever 9 is 
connected to cable 7, which tightens the upper around the lower leg of the 
skier, while lower lever 10 is connected to cable 8 which exerts a force 
to press the foot downwardly and rearwardly in the boot. This embodiment 
permits only cable 8 to be tightened, while cable 7 is loose. This can be 
accomplished by pressing lower lever 10 into its locked position against 
rear surface 4a, while the upper lever 9 is displaced into its free, 
unlocked open position to give slack to cable 7. In this position upper 2 
is open, which permits the skier to walk without difficulty because the 
boot is always held on the foot because of tightened cable 8. 
FIG. 5 illustrates an alternative embodiment in which upper lever 9 and 
lower lever 10 are respectively journalled around spaced apart distinct 
horizontal and transverse axes 22, 23 positioned one above the other and 
mounted on a support 24 attached to rear surface 4a of posterior portion 4 
of upper 2. In FIG. 5 lower lever 10 is shown in the locked position, in 
which it is maintained against rear surface 4a. In this position it exerts 
a traction force on cable 7 which causes the upper to be tightened around 
the lower leg of the skier. As also illustrated in FIG. 5, upper lever 9 
is in its unlocked position in which it is in an upwardly inclined 
position. In this position cable 8 is released from being tensioned and 
the foot of the skier is not held tightly within the boot. 
Although the invention has been described with respect to particular means, 
methods, and embodiments, it should be understood that the invention is 
not limited thereto but extends to all equivalents within the scope of the 
claims.