Sealing device for ski boots

Abstract: Sealing device, particularly usable for ski boots including a shell (3) provided with a first inner flap (4) and with a second outer flap (5) which can mutually overlap. The sealing device is constituted by a single body including a band (6) which can be arranged below the second flap and from which a wing (11) protrudes upward. The wing is arranged adjacent to the lower surface of the second flap and interacts with the upper surface of the first flap. Since the band and the wing are both resilient, perfect tightness to infiltrations between the flaps is achieved when the first and second flaps are made to overlap.

Description: The present invention relates to a sealing device of the type defined in the preamble of the appended claim 1 and shown in DE-U-83 36 239, which is particularly usable in ski boots comprising a shell provided with overlapping flaps. The need to limit water infiltration inside the ski boot shell during sports practice is strongly felt. It has in fact been observed that the overlap of the flaps is never such as to eliminate water infiltrations inside the boot. The flaps are in fact made of relatively rigid material and are subject, during use, to mutual sliding movements which form small gaps especially along the corners of the flaps. In order to obviate these drawbacks it is known to apply, especially at the transverse edges of the flaps, a pad made of rubber or plastics, the purpose of which is to create a mechanical obstacle to the passage of water from the tip to the flaps during sports practice. Sealing devices are also known which are constituted by two separate inserts separately applied on different edges of the flaps of the shell; one of the two inserts can be arranged at a longitudinal edge of a flap. The second insert is in turn constituted by two parts: one can be inserted at the transverse edges of the flaps of the shell, and the other part is associable transversely to the first part toward the tip of the boot. Even this known solution, described in the Italian patent no. 1,039,942 filed on July 18, 1975, has drawbacks: first of all three components are involved which must be partially assembled together and to the shell, and furthermore the interaction of all of these components with each other and with the flaps does not ensure optimum watertightness between them in any case. U.S. Patent No. 3,597,862 discloses a ski boot having a waterproof bat tongue 57 which is however interacting only with the edges of the flaps. The aim of the present invention is therefore to eliminate the drawbacks described above in known types by providing a sealing device which allows optimum tightness to water infiltrations on ski boots which comprise a shell provided with overlapping flaps. Within the scope of the above aim, an important object is to provide a sealing device which is structurally simple and easy to apply to the boot. Another important object is to provide a sealing device which is reliable and safe in use and does not substantially increase the thicknesses of the boot at the overlapping flaps. This aim, these objects and others which will become apparent hereinafter are achieved by a sealing device in a ski boot as defined in the appended claims. Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description of a particular but not exclusive embodiment, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein: figure 1 is a partial perspective view of a ski boot showing the sealing device at the shell with overlapping flaps, in the condition in which said flaps are open; figure 2 is a perspective detail view of the sealing device; figure 3 is a sectional view, taken along the plane III-III of figure 2, with the sealing device applied at the shell; figure 4 is a sectional view, taken along the plane IV-IV of figure 2; figure 5 is a lateral perspective view of a ski boot having a different arrangement of the band; figure 6 is a sectional view, taken along the plane VI-VI of figure 5; figure 7 is a sectional view, taken along the plane VII-VII of figure 5. With reference to the above figures, the numeral 1 designates the sealing device, which is particularly usable in ski boots 2 which comprise a shell 3 provided with a first inner flap 4 and with a second outer flap 5 which can mutually overlap. The sealing device 1 is constituted by a single body comprising a band 6, made of resilient material, which can be arranged below both the first flap 4 and the second flap 5. The band is substantially rectangular and has such a width as to fit entirely below the flap 4 and partially below the second flap 5. The band 6 is provided with an end 7 which protrudes beyond the transverse perimetric edges 8a and 8b of the first and second flaps toward the tip 9 of the shell 3. The width of the end 7 is equal to the distance between the points where the first and second flaps couple to the shell. The end 7 is therefore wider than the band 6, so that it is partially arranged below the transverse perimetric edges 8a and 8b of the first and second flaps. A wing 11 extends upward from the band 6 at the longitudinal edge 10 partially located below the second flap 5; said wing 11 is also made of resilient material and is associable, for example by glueing, with the lower lateral surface of the overlying second flap 5. Said wing 11 thus interacts at the outer lateral surface of the first flap 4 once the first and second flaps have been made to mutually overlap. The use of the invention is in fact as follows: once the band 6 has been associated below the first and second flaps, so that the end 7 protrudes beyond the transverse perimetric edges 8a and 8b of said first and second flaps, and once the wing 11 has been arranged at the inner lateral surface of the second flap 5, fastening of the flaps produces a seal along the transverse and longitudinal perimetric edges of said flaps. Water penetration is in fact not possible, because the sealing device affects all the regions in which the flaps overlap each other and the shell. It has thus been observed that the invention has achieved the intended aim and objects, a sealing device having been obtained which is structurally very simple, is easy to apply to the shell and allows to achieve optimum tightness against water infiltration. Even any sliding movements of the flaps do not alter this condition, by virtue of the shape of the band 6, of the end 7 and of the wing 11. Figures 5 to 7 illustrate a further embodiment of the sealing device 101, which is constituted by a single body comprising a band 106, made of resilient material, which can be arranged above the first flap 104 and below the second flap 105. Said band 106 is essentially rectangular, with such as width as to fully surmount the first flap 104 and arrange itself partially below the second flap 105. The band 106 has an end 107 which protrudes beyond the transverse perimetric edges 108a and 108b of the first and second flaps toward the tip 109 of the shell 103. The end 107 is wider than the distance between the points where the first and second flaps couple to the shell: it thus fully surmounts the transverse perimetric edge 108b of the first flap 104, from which it blends with the underlying shell 103, and protrudes beyond the point 103 where the second flap 105 couples to the shell, forming a lip 112 which is blended with the shell 103. The wing 111 is instead associated below the second flap 105 and has, at the transverse perimetric edge 108a of said flap, a step-like raised portion 113 which abuts against said flap and is thus suitable to increase watertightness. Naturally, the length of the band, of the wing, of the lip and the height of the step-like raised portion may be the most appropriate according to the specific requirements. The materials and the dimensions which constitute the individual components of the sealing device may naturally also be the most appropriate according to the specific requirements. Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the scope of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims: Sealing device in a ski boot including a shell (3,103) provided with a first inner flap (4,104) and with a second outer flap (5,105) which can mutually overlap, the sealing device comprising a single body constituted by a band (6,106), said band being arranged either below or above said first flap (4,104) and being arranged below said second flap (5,105) and protruding from said flaps toward the tip (9,109) of said boot, characterised in that the sealing device comprises a wing (11,111) protruding upward from said band (6,106) and being arranged adjacent to a lower surface of said second flap and interacting with an upper surface of either said first flap or said band, said band and said wing being resilient, and at least said band (6,106) having an end (7,107) which protrudes beyond transverse perimetric edges (8a,8b,108a,108b) of said first (4,104) and second (5,105) flaps toward the tip (9,109) of said shell (3,103). Sealing device in a ski boot according to claim 1, characterized in that said wing (11,111) protrudes above said band (6,106), at a longitudinal edge (10,110) which is partially arranged below said second flap (5,105), said wing being associated at the lower surface of said overlying second flap (5,105). Sealing device in a ski boot according to claim 2, characterized in that said wing (11,111) interacts with the underlying outer surface of said first flap (4,104). Sealing device in a ski boot according to claim 1, characterized in that said band (6) is arranged below said first flap (4) and partially below said second flap (5). Sealing device in a ski boot according to claim 1, characterized in that said band (106) is arranged above said first flap (104) and below said second flap (105). Sealing device in a ski boot according to any one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said end (7) has a width equal to the distance between the points where said first (4) and second (5) flaps couple to said shell (3). Sealing device in a ski boot according to any one or more of claims 1-6, characterized in that said end is wider than the distance between the points where said first and second flaps couple to said shell. Sealing device in a ski boot according to any one or more of claims 1-6, characterized in that said end (7) is wider than said band (6). Sealing device in a ski boot according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said band (6,106) is rectangular. Sealing device in a ski boot according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said band (106) fully surmounts said transverse perimetric edge (108b) of said first flap (104), from which it blends to said underlying shell (103) and protrudes beyond a point where said second flap (105) couples to said shell (103), forming a lip (112) which is blended with said shell (103). Sealing device in a ski boot according to claim 10, characterized in that said wing (111), which is associated below said second flap (105), has a step-like raised portion (113) at a transverse perimetric edge (108a) of said second flap (105), said raised portion abutting with said edge.

Inventors: ZORZI CLAUDIO, ZORZI, CLAUDIO
Applicants: NORDICA SPA, NORDICA S.P.A
Application year: 1993
Main classification: A43B5
IPC codes: A43B5, A43B7