NON-RIGID SHOE FOR SPORT USE

Abstract: There is provided a shoe for sport use having a non-rigid structure but without the drawbacks of the totally flexible shoes so that bending and rotation movements are permitted in the area of the ankle but a solid rear abutment of the foot and the transmission of the forces applied by the athlete.

Description: "Non-πgid shoe for sport use ' The present invention relates to a shoe for sport use. for instance for use with a snow board In the following descπption reference shall be made to snow board shoes, without it having to be construed as an undue limitation A particular sporting discipline which takes the name ofthe equipment used to perform it. that is to sa\ . the snow board, has become increasingly widespread in recent years in the field of so called winter sports As is well known to enthusiasts, this sport is performed by means of a so-called board of substantially rectangular shape (but nevertheless having narrowed side portions) similar to a windsurfing board, with which descents and manoeuvres on the snow-covered surfaces are earned out by positioning the board on an axis which is more or less inclined transversely relative to the direction of advance or descent of the athlete The athlete's feet are anchored to two attachments which are provided on the upper surface of the board and which are aligned on a line which is inclined relative to the major axis of the board The mam movements by which the athlete controls the direction of advance of the board, and therefore also the execution of more or less sharp turns and also the stoppmg of the board are those of lifting the rear or front edge of the board (that is to say, the edge arranged at the shoulders or m front of the athlete), these movements are controlled by the athlete's feet which bring about the corresponding change in attitude ofthe board by means ofthe shoe In addition, it must be bome in mind that the normal stance of the athlete provides that his two knees are directed (by bendmg the legs and inclining the lower portions of the legs) towards an axis which is substantially perpendicular to the upper surface of the board and which is substantially halfway between the attachments for the two feet and shifted slightly towards the front edge of the board Finally, in order to carry out particular manoeuvres, it is necessary to move the , however slighth', parallel to the major axis ofthe board It is clear from these brief details that the athlete's feet are anchored to the upper surface of the board in vaπous manners and therefore the features of the shoes and of the attachments have to meet different requirements which sometimes conflict with other more general demands, mcludmg especially the comfort ofthe athlete's foot A bπef list of these features includes (1) the promptness and accuracy of transmission ofthe commands from the athlete and thus from his feet to the board, (n) the ability to bend the lower portion ofthe leg and to bend the ankle It is clear that the first requirement is satisfied by usmg a substantially πgid shoe which is anchored to attachments, which are likewise πgid, in a manner similar to ski boots In order to meet the second requirement, however, it is necessary for at least the upper portion ofthe shoe to be non-πgid SUBSTITUTE SHEET {RULE 26) Hitherto, two types of shoe with associated attachments have been provided, that is to sa\ . non-rigid (soft) svstems and πgid (hard) systems Soft svstems. which are the ones predominantly used at present, compπse a relatively soft shoe with a sole produced from rubber, an upper produced from leather or synthetic mateπal and a closure member, for example, having laces The shoe is anchored to the board by means of πgid attachments, preferably of plastics mateπal, which are secured permanently to the upper surface of the board (analogously to the housings for the feet provided on a windsurfing board) and are composed of a rear support or spoiler and stπps which enclose the foot and/or forefoot and which can in their turn be adjusted by means of fastening levers and racks In this case the only function of the shoe is to hold and protect the foot, while the forces applied to the board are transmitted only by the attachments, with the obvious disadvantage that the play and clearance which inevitably exist between the shoe and the attachment render the transmission of the command from the athlete to the board less prompt and less accurate Hard systems compπse a shoe which has a πgid external shell and a light internal shoe (the shell bemg provided with a tongue and a shaft portion which is also relativelv πgid) and therefore this shoe is comparable in terms of functionality to a ski boot or an alpine ski boot The attachment is in this case limited to metal clips or the like with which raised parts, for example formed in the area ofthe toe and the heel of ti e shoe, interact Thus, the force exerted by the athlete is transmitted directly from the shoe to the board, and therefore the promptness and immediacy of the transmission of the commands are certainly better than in the previous case However, in this case rotation and bending of the ankles are impeded and the user's comfort is decided!} unpaired There are other cases in which the sole is connected (a) to a sport tool or (b) to a structure for sport use, the latter bemg meant a special configuration ofthe sole to carry out a specific sport exercise Examples ofthe type (a) on the in lme roller skates and the ice skates, whereas among those ofthe type (b) football shoes, golf shoes, heavy athletic shoes and the like are mcluded In these cases a like problem exists of providmg a shoe permitting rotation and bending ofthe ankles without impairment ofthe readiness and precision of transmission ofthe commands from the user's foot The mam ami of the present mvention is to provide shoe for sport use m which the defects and problems exhibited by both the previous systems are substandally eliminated while the quality thereof is maintained A more specific aim ofthe present mvention is to provide a shoe for sport use which (a) enables the control forces applied by the athlete or the user to be transmitted both transversely and longitudinally, (b) permits firm rear support without compromising the bending and rotating ofthe ankle forwards. (c) has the comfort features of a conventional non-πgid shoe These and other aims arc achieved using a shoe for sport use, of the type compnsing an upper and a sole, the sole bemg connected to a sport tool or structure, characteπsed m that to the leg portion of the upper a πgid shaft is associated, it being open in the front portion correspondmgly to the fore opening of the upper for the foot entry said shaft bemg extended downwardly towards said sole and bemg anchored to a rear U shaped spoiler which m turn is journalled to a fixed portion ofthe shoe The main aspects and the advantages of the present mvention will become clear from the followmg descπption, given with reference to the drawings, of a preferred embodiment of the shoe according to the mvention In the drawings -Figure 1 is a general side view of a snow board shoe accordmg to the present mvention, - Figure IA is like to fig 1, showing some details ofthe same shoe, -Figure 2 is an exploded view ofthe shoe of Figure 1 shown in its component elements, -Figure 3 is a partially sectional side view ofthe shoe of Figure 1, -Figures 4 and 5 are cross-sections (Figure 4 bemg only a partial view) of the shoe of Figure 1 along the sectional planes IV-IV and V-V of Figure 3, -Figures 5A and 5B are sectional views analogous to Figure 5 which illustrate the freedom of lateral inclination of the shaft portion, and -Figures 6 A and 6B illustrate the freedom of forward inclination ofthe shaft portion - Figure 7 is a view like Figure 1 oa another embodiment ofthe shoe ofthe invention in semp fied form Referring to the drawings, it should first of all be mentioned that as already mentioned, the aesthetic features and some structural aspects of the shoe shown in Figure 1 are not intended to constitute grounds for limiting unduly the scope ofthe present mvention, bemg only an example model which incorporates the features forming the subject- matter ofthe present mvention Thus, the followmg components can be seen clearly in Figure 1 (1) the upper 10 which is provided with a front opening for the introduction of the foot fitted m a light intemal shoe 14, which opening is closed by means of adjustable closure and locking levers or buckles 20, (2) a spoiler 18 which is anchored to the shoe by means of studs 24 m the manner mdicated hereinafter and which has the function explained below, (3) the shaft portion 16 which is secured to the spoiler 18 by means of a stud 22 and which likewise has the function descnbed below Turning now to the structure ofthe shoe, this is shown in Figure 2 in exploded form, although some of the components which will now be descπbed are produced duπng the manufacture of the shoe and not as separate components SUBSTITUTE SHEET {RULE 26) Of the components which are prefabπcated separately, mention should first be made of the reinforcement generally mdicated 26 which is produced from semi-ngid plasdcs matenal (for example b die-forming) and which has a contour and a shape such as to accommodate withm it the lower edge of the upper 10 (especially the area ofthe stitched arch support 1 1 ofthe upper) In other words, the reinforcement 26 has a substantially vertical wall or flank 28 with which the lower sheet of the upper 10 comes mto contact internally, and a substantially hoπzontal wall 30 of greatly reduced width agamst which the external edge ofthe stitched arch support rests and thus finds a firm support It will be readily appreciated from Figure 2 that the reinforcement 26 has a particular shape, with vanous relieved portions in the area of the zones m which the matenal formmg the reinforcement does not have a structural function and it is thus possible to provide for relieved portions without detriment to the functionality ofthe reinforcement The reinforcement 26 also has two tubular projections 32 which are aligned transversely relative to the reinforcement and which are used as seats for securing the studs 24 (for example snap or screw studs) In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2 a metal sheet or plate 33 (Fig 4)ιs provided in the area of the reinforcement 26 and increases the dissipation ofthe release forces actmg on the sole of the shoe A second component of the shoe of Figures 1 and 2 is formed by a mid-sole 36 which is arranged between the upper face ofthe sole 12 and the lower face ofthe reinforcement 26 and of the stitched arch support of the upper 10 in the area ofthe part which is not covered and protected by the reinforcement 26 One portion of the mid-sole 36 is raised to form side walls 38 which in their turn surround the outside of the reinforcement 26 and therefore also the lower sheet ofthe upper 10 Owing to the fact that, as will be descπbed hereinafter, the mid-sole 36 is produced directly by injecting a suitable expanded plastics matenal, such as polyurethane, onto the reinforcement 26 already mounted on the upper 10 and on the associated stitched arch support, it is clear that the expanded polyurethane not only forms an extemal wall for containing the reinforcement 26 and the lower sheet of the upper 10 but also penetrates mto the πdged portions of the reinforcement 26, simultaneously performing a function of direct anchorage to the upper, a reinforcing function and a vibration-damping function As is shown clearly m Figure 2, the mid-sole 36 has shaped portions 40 corresponding to the holes 34 in the reinforcement 26 and therefore the holes 34 remain accessible Likewise, correspondmg cavities 42 are foimed m the upper surface ofthe sole 12 Turning now to the manufacture of the shoe of Figures 1 and 2, this involves the followmg operative stages (a) the upper 10 with the associated stitched arch support is mounted or fitted on a former of πgid matenal such as alumimum, (b) the reinforcement 26 is applied to the upper 10 thus fitted on the former, (c) this assembly (fitted upper and reinforcement) is mtroduced mto a die which the sole 12 is also positioned, and this operation is followed by the mjection of the expanded polyurethane which thus forms the mid-sole 36 and at the same time jo s the sole 12 and the upper 10 with the interposition of the reinforcement 26, (d) the shaft portion 16 is then mounted on the spoiler 18 bv means of the stud 22 which engages m a correspondmg hole the spoiler, and (e) the whole formed by the spoiler 18 and the shaft portion 16 is applied to the shoe resulting from operations (a-c) by means ofthe studs 24 and the projections 32 Referring to Figure 1, it can be seen that this embodiment also provides for a strap 44 which renders the shoe more πgid, although the heel is held more securely, the ankle is left to move freely This solution is not absolutely necessary but does not impair the substantial feature of the shoe of the mvention. that is to say, the fact that the shoe is substantially non-πgid, with the advantages which, as already mentioned, this shoe has from the pomt of view ofthe freedom ofthe ankles to bend and rotate With reference to fig IA an embodiment is shown wherem. differently from fig 1, the spoiler 18 is outwardly mounted w th respect to the shaft portion 16 More particularly reference 144 indicates a fastening nvet by which the front edge portion 17 of the shaft portion 16 is connected to the underlying upper 10 The outer head of the nvet 144 is covered, when the shoe is closed and the buckles 20 are tighened, by the correspondmg buckle 20 whereby it cannot be seen m Owing to the presence of the nvet 144 a connection like a tie-rod is determmed between the front edges of the shaft portion 16 on one side (smce a similar nvet 144 is provided on the opposite side of the shoe) and the πgid sole of the shoe on the other side, (especially if the nvet 144 engages also the inner lmer of the upper 10), this tie-rod bemg not πgid but cooperating in maintaining the shaft portion 16 m the most appropnate position for the carrying out ofthe sport activity Considering now the functionality ofthe shoe accordmg to the present mvention, it will be noted that - the stiffening stmcture ensures the transmission of the force applied by the athlete to the tool or stmcture connected to the sole both transversely and longitudinally, but at the same time it has a low side profile, - the presence ofthe rear shaft portion provides a firm rear support (generally incompatible with a shoe of the non-πgid type) and at the same time the ankle has sufficient freedom to bend forwards and rotate, - instead of the studs (22), it is possible to use toothed components which act as regulators of bending and inclination, by borrowing similar devices already produced and used successfully in ski boots Referring now especially to Figures 5A and 5B, which are to be considered in companson with Figure 5, it will be immediately appreciated that the shaft portion 16 can be inclined laterally (about the stud 22) without affecting the position ofthe spoiler 18 This is demonstrated especially by the mclmation of the axis of symmetry X-X of the shaft portion relative to the axis of symmetry Y-Y which, in Figure 5, comcide, whereas m Figures 5A and 5B thev are inclined relative to one another Likewise, Figures 6A and 6B show how the spoiler 18 can be moved between a support position on the rear strut of the reinforcement 26 (Figure 6A), correspondmg to the support position of the heel agamst the shaft portion and a forwardly mclmed position in which the spoiler 18 and the shaft portion 16 move awa> from the above-mentioned strut by simultaneous rotation about the axes ofthe studs 24 Figure 7 shows, with respect to the mime roller skates, a shoe to be fastened to a supporting frame 60 for the in lme rollers As it can be clearly seen, the shoe, apart from the conventional sole 62 and upper 64. compπses a spoiler 58 and a shaft portion 56, substantially similar to those indicated by the references 18 and 16 in Figure 1 Thus the shaft portion 56 is provided with two side cheeks 57 defining a front opemng correspondmg to the front opening ofthe upper (closed by means ofthe lacmg 65) The stmcture ofthe sole is obviously shaped m accordance with the sport activity' to which it is destined In this manner there is provided a shoe devoid of an excess ngidity (tipically found in the to date embodiments, wherem the shoe compnses an outer ngid shell and an inner lining shoe), but at the same time it is not affected by the specific drawbacks of a fully flexible shoe, such as that conventionally used the past The presence of the assembly consist g of the spoiler 58 and of the shaft portion 56, together with the particular configuration of the shaft portion with two side cheeks and the front opemng affords a certain ngidity, without anyhow limiting the forwardly rotation and bending movements ofthe ankle, but ensuring a solid rear abutment ofthe foot and permitting the transmission ofthe command forces applied by the user both longitudinally and transversely It is worth to notice that in the shoe accordmg to the mvention the shaft portion is not directly journalled to the sole or lower portion of the shoe but the the spoiler which m turn is pivotally fastened to the lower part ofthe shoe The mvention has been descπbed m relation to a preferred embodiment but it will be understood that structurally and mechanically equivalent modifications and vanants are possible and may be provided for without departing from the scope ofthe mvention

Claims: CLAIMS 1 Shoe for sport use, ofthe type compnsing an upper (10, 64) and a sole (12. 62) the sole bemg connected to a tool or stmcture for sport exercise, characteπsed in that a πgid shaft portion (16. 56) is associated to the shaft part of the upper (10. 64), said ngid shaft portion (16, 56) compnsmg two side cheeks (17, 57) and having a front opemng correspondmg to the front wearing opemng formed m said upper, said ngid shaft portion (16, 56) extending downwardly towards said sole and bemg anchored to an U shaped rear spoiler (18. 58), m turn journalled to a fixed portion ofthe shoe 2 Shoe for sport use accordmg to claims 1, charactensed that said spoiler (18, 58) is anchored to said flexed portion ofthe shoe by means of studs (24) positioned substantially at the two ends of said U 3 Shoe for sport use, accordmg to claim 1, characteπsed m that said ngid shaft portion (16. 56) is anchored to said spoiler by means of a pm (22) engaging the central portion of said spoiler 4 Shoe for sport use according to claim 1. charactensed in that said ngid shaft portion (16, 56) is externally superimposed over said spoiler (18,58) at said p (22) 5 Shoe for sprt use, accordmg to claim 1, characteπsed m that said πgid spoiler (18, 58) is externall superimposed to said ngid shaft portion (16. 56) at said pm (22) 6 Shoe for sport use accordmg to claim 1 , charactensed in that said edges or cheeks ( 17, 57) of said πgid shaft portion (16,56) are anchored m a pomt to said upper (10) 7 Shoe for sport use according to claun 6, characteπsed that said anchoring between said cheeks and said upper is provided by means of a nvet (144)

Inventors: MAREGA ANTONELLO, ROFFI PATRIZIO, TEDESCO LUCIANO, MAREGA, ANTONELLO, ROFFI, PATRIZIO, TEDESCO, LUCIANO
Applicants: MAREGA ANTONELLO, ROFFI PATRIZIO, TECNICA SPA, TEDESCO LUCIANO, MAREGA, ANTONELLO, ROFFI, PATRIZIO, TECNICA S.P.A., TEDESCO, LUCIANO
Application year: 1996
Main classification: A43B5
IPC codes: A43B5, A43B13, A43B23