Inner boot for sports shoes

Abstract: An innerboot particularly for sports shoes which includes a first flap (4) and a second flap (5) in which the tips that are adjacent to the toe region are free and/or cannot mutually overlap. The first (4) and second flaps (5) can therefore mutually overlap in any direction so as to improve user fit.

Description: The present invention relates to an innerboot, particularly for sports shoes such as ski boots, roller skates, ice skates, shoes for climbing or shoes for snowboarding. These conventional shoes comprise a shell made of rigid plastics and require, in order to increase the user's comfort, the insertion of an innerboot made of soft material. For inserting the foot, the innerboot has a slit at the front tibial region of the foot instep and of the metatarsal region. The slit forms two flaps that can be moved apart to insert the foot and are then overlapped to allow to close the shoe. The drawback of these conventional innerboots is essentially that the tips of the flaps are sewn together, usually proximate to the toe region, thus preventing any different mutual arrangement of the flaps that is required, for example, when the innerboot is to be associated with a shoe for snowboarding. Snowboarding in fact uses a board having bindings for the boot, and the boot can be associated with the board with different orientations. Therefore, if the user, for example according to the particular competition he has to take part in, or according to specific individual requirements, wishes to change the orientation of the boot, this could certainly be done, but at the same time the resting condition of the leg and of the foot would be altered, possibly forming localized pressure regions that are uncomfortable for the user due to the single way of overlapping of the innerboot. The stitching, or other applied elements, in fact prevents different mutual overlapping arrangements of the flaps. WO-A-9409663 discloses an innerboot including a combination of technical features as included in the precharacterizing portion of the appended claim 1. The aim of the present invention is therefore to solve the described technical problems, eliminating the drawbacks of the prior art, by providing an innerboot for sports shoes having optimum comfort even if the user changes the normal resting condition of the leg and of the foot during sports practice, according to particular technical or personal requirements, such as the different orientation of the boot in snowboarding. Within the scope of this aim, an important object is to provide an innerboot in which fit can be rapidly and easily adapted according to the specific orientation of the boot chosen by the user. Another important object is to provide an innerboot which the user can customize to the desired comfort, and in a different manner between the foot and leg regions. Another object is to provide an innerboot that has low manufacturing costs and that can be obtained with conventional apparatus. This aim, these objects, and others which will become apparent hereinafter are achieved by an innerboot for sports shoes such as ski boots, roller skates, ice skates, shoes for climbing, shoes for snowboarding, as defined in the appended claims. Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description of some particular but not exclusive embodiments, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein: figure 1 is a view of an innerboot useful for understanding the invention as defined in the appended claims, showing first and second flaps of the innerboot mutually overlapped; figure 2 is a view, similar to the preceding one, of a different overlapping condition of the first and second flaps; figure 3 is a view, similar to figure 1, of another innerboot useful for understanding the invention of the appended claims; figure 4 is a view, similar to figure 2, showing a different flap overlap arrangement; figure 5 is an enlarged top view of the toe region of the innerboot of figures 1-2 where the tips of the first and second flaps join in the condition of figure 1; figure 6 is a view, similar to figure 5, of the innerboot of figures 1-2 with the tips in the condition of figure 2; figure 7 is a detail view, similar to figure 6, of a further arrangement of the flap tips; figure 8 is a view of an innerboot of the present invention according to a first embodiment; figure 9 is a front view of the embodiment of figure 8; figure 10 is a view, similar to figure 8, of a different arrangement of the flaps; figure 11 is a view, similar to figure 9, of the flap arrangement of figure 10; figure 12 is a view, similar to figure 8, of a further arrangement of the flaps; figure 13 is a view, similar to figure 9, of the flap arrangement of figure 12; figure 14 is a view, similar to figure 8, of a further flap arrangement; figure 15 is a view, similar to figure 9, of the flap arrangement of figure 14; figure 16 is a side perspective view of the innerboot according to still a further aspect of the invention; figure 17 is a front view of the innerboot of figure 16. With reference to the above figures, the reference numeral 1 designates an innerboot usable in particular for sports shoes, such as for example ski boots, snowboarding boots, roller skates, ice skates, or climbing shoes. Said innerboot has, preferably in the front tibial region 2 and in the instep-metatarsal region 3, a slit forming a first flap 4 and a second flap 5 that can partially mutually overlap. In figures 1 and 2, said first and second flaps affect both the front tibial region 2 and the instep-metatarsal region 3, whereas in the embodiment shown in figures 3 and 4 the first and second flaps affect only the instep-metatarsal region 3. Said first flap 4 and said second flap 5 have tips, designated by the reference numerals 6a and 6b, that are mutually connected proximate to the toe region 7 without mutually overlapping in any way but so that they are free to allow independent overlapping movements between the first flap and the second flap. As shown in figures 5 and 6, the tips 6a and 6b can be joined approximately at the central longitudinal plane 8 of the innerboot; as shown instead in figure 7, the tips 6a and 6b can be formed in points located approximately symmetrically with respect to said central longitudinal plane 8 at the edge 9 of an adapted slot 10 formed transversely with respect to the toe region 7. This arrangement of the tips 6a and 6b allows to overlap the first flap over the second flaps or, vice versa, to place the second flap over the first one, as shown respectively in figures 1, 4, 5, and 7 and in figures 2, 3, and 6. Accordingly, this allows to reverse the overlap of the first and second flaps, so as to allow the user to preset said overlap according to the orientation that is given for example to a boot in snowboarding. The innerboot 1 for sports shoes, and particularly for snowboarding, allows the user to reverse the overlap of the flaps according to the desired orientation to be given to the boot with respect to the board. This reversal is very easy and quick to perform. Said reversal can also be repeated without altering the characteristics of the innerboot and always allows optimum user comfort. Figures 8 to 15 illustrate one preferred embodiment of an innerboot 101 according to the invention as defined in the appended claims in which the first flap 104 and the second flap 105 are each constituted by a first portion 111a and 111b that is adjacent to a second portion 112a, 112b. The first portions 111a and 111b affect the front tibial region 102, whereas the second portions 112a and 112b affect the instep-metatarsal region 103. The tips 106a and 106b of the second portions 112a and 112b of the first and second flaps do not mutually overlap and are free, as shown in the previous description of the innerboot 1. The first and second portions are mutually separated by means of an adapted recess, designated by the reference numeral 113a and 113b, that is formed transversely in a region that is intermediate between the front tibial region 102 and the instep-metatarsal region 103, preferably at the region affected during the forward flexing of the foot. The particular shape of the first and second flaps, and therefore the forming of the first and second portions interrupted by the recess 113a and 113b, allow to obtain the desired mutual and/or alternating overlap of said first and second portions, as shown in figures 8 to 15, thus offering the user a further choice for comfort. Figures 16-17 show an innerboot 301 according to still a further aspect of the invention. Innerboot 301 is very similar to innerboot 101, as illustrated in figures 14,15 and described above. Innerboot 301 has a first portions 311a and 311b overlapping at the tibial region 302 and recesses 313a and 313b. Innerboot 301 also has second portions 312a and 312b overlapping at the instep region 303. The outer overlapping portion 312b is connected to the body of the innerboot by a transversal stitching 333. The materials and the dimensions that constitute the individual components of the innerboot, as well as the dimensions of the first and second flaps, of the first and second portions, and of the recesses, as well as their location, may of course be the most pertinent 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 interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims: Innerboot for sports shoes such as ski boots, roller skates, ice skates, shoes for climbing, shoes for snowboarding, comprising a first flap (104) and a second flap (105) adapted for mutual overlapping in a closed configuration of the innerboot, at least one end of each flap being free so that the first flap can overlap the second flap and vice versa, characterized in that said first flap and said second flap each comprise: a first flap portion (111a,111b,311a,311b) arranged substantially at the front tibial region (102;302) in the closed configuration; a second flap portion (112a,112b,312a,312b) arranged substantially at the instep-metatarsal region (103;303) in the closed configuration; and a recess (113a,113b,313a,313b) formed transversely in an intermediate region between the first flap portion and the second flap portion so that the first flap portion of the first flap may be arranged over the first flap portion of the second flap in the closed configuration with respect to the inside of the innerboot while the second flap portion of the first flap may be arranged under the second flap portion of the second flap in the closed configuration with respect to the inside of the innerboot, and alternatively so that the first flap portion of the first flap may be arranged under the first flap portion of the second flap in the closed configuration with respect to the inside of the innerboot while the second flap portion of the first flap may be arranged over the second flap portion of the second flap in the closed configuration with respect to the inside of the innerboot. The innerboot of claim 1 comprising a slit positioned in the front tibial region (102;302) and in the instep-metatarsal region (103;303) that forms said first flap and said second flap. The innerboot of any one or more of the preceding claims wherein said first flap portions (111a,111b;311a,311b) and said second flap portions (112a,112b;312a,312b) are mutually contiguous. The innerboot of any one or more of the preceding claims wherein the tips (106a,106b) of said second flap portions (112a,112b) of said first and second flaps do not mutually overlap and are free. The innerboot of any one or more of the preceding claims wherein said recess (113a,113b;313a,313b) is formed at a region affected during forward flexing of the foot. The innerboot of any one or more of the preceding claims wherein one of said second flap portions (312b) is transversely stitched (333) to said innerboot at the proximity of the toe region.

Inventors: BORSOI BRUNO, MARTINAZZO IVAN, BORSOI, BRUNO, MARTINAZZO, IVAN
Applicants: BENETTON SPA, BENETTON GROUP S.P.A.
Application year: 1995
Main classification: A43B5
IPC codes: A43B19, A43B5