Abstract:
The present invention relates to a rear-entry ski boot having a heel securing device and a shell to which at least one rear quarter is articulated. The peculiarity of the invention resides in that it comprises at least one wedge-like element interposed, at the skier&#39;s heel region, between the rear inner surface of said rear quarter and the skier&#39;s foot. Means actuatable by the skier are furthermore associated with the wedge-like element for its adjustment. The wedge-like element advantageously acts at a flap protruding from said shell or from a shoe internal to said boot.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a rear-entry ski boot with heel securing device. 
     Various devices are currently known which, applied to the boot, allow to secure the heel inside it. 
     For example, in the European patent No. 0158574 and in the German patent No. 2107659, a device is disclosed constituted by a knob rotatably associated rearwardly to the rear quarter of the boot which has, at the end of its threaded stem internal to the boot, a presser interacting with a flap protruding from the shell. 
     Said known type of device, however, has disadvantages: the actuation of the knob in fact leads to the exertion of a pressure on the flap which is concentrated at a very limited region constituted by the extension of the presser and arranged at a distance from the sole which remains substantially constant for any adjustment. 
     This arrangement makes the securing device difficult to adapt to the different anatomical configurations of the heel, possibly furthermore causing pain due to the concentration of pressure on a small area which may not be the optimum one for each individual skier. 
     Also known are devices comprising cables which partially embrace said flap protruding from the shell or from the shoe internal to the boot, such as for example the device disclosed in the U.S. patent application No. 4,620,378 in the name of the same Applicant. 
     However, these known devices also have the same disadvantages described above for the preceding devices. 
     As a partial solution to these disadvantages, U.S. Pat. No. 4,724,625 by this Applicant discloses a ski boot comprising an elongated element which extends transversely with respect to the longitudinal extension of the rear quarter of the ski boot, said elongated element being provided inside said rear quarter and substantially at the heel of the user&#39;s foot and being connected to the opposite longitudinal edges of said rear quarter. 
     Though said device is undoubtedly valid, it has the disadvantage that it yields under stress due to the sliding of the overlapping flaps; this causes a decrease of the degree of securing, especially during the flexing step in which it is most needed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The aim of the present invention is therefore to eliminate the disadvantages described above in known types by providing a ski boot which allows to achieve the optimum securing of the heel inside said boot. 
     Within the above described aim, another important object is to provide a ski boot which allows to continuously regulate the pressure exertable at the heel. 
     Still another important object is to provide a boot wherein said adjustment can be executed in a rapid and simple manner by the user. 
     Not least object is to provide a boot which associates with the preceding characteristics that of being structurally very simple and of having extremely modest costs. 
     The above described aim and objects, as well as others which will become apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a rear-entry ski boot with heel securing device, comprising a shell with which there is articulated at least one rear quarter, characterized in that it comprises at least one wedge-like element interposed, at the skier&#39;s heel region, between the rear inner surface of said rear quarter and the skier&#39;s foot, with said wedge-like element there being associated means, actuatable by the skier, for its translatory motion. 
     Conveniently, the wedge-like element acts at a flap, protruding from said shell or from a shoe internal to said boot. 
     Advantageously, said adjustment of said wedge-like element occurs according to a translatory motion thereof along an axis longitudinal to said rear quarter. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description of some embodiments, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a lateral section view of a boot provided with a device according to the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a view taken along the sectional plane II--II of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a view, similar to FIG. 1, illustrating the means associated with the wedge-like element for its translatory motion with respect to the rear quarter; 
     FIG. 4 is a view taken along the sectional plane IV--IV of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is a partial view, similar to FIG. 1, of a device according to another aspect of the invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a view, similar to that of FIG. 3, of the means associated with the wedge-like element of FIG. 5 for its translatory motion with respect to the rear quarter; 
     FIG. 7 is a partial view, similar to FIG. 1, of a different embodiment of the invention; 
     FIGS. 8 and 9 are sectional views, similar to FIG. 1, of a further embodiment in two different adjustment conditions. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     With reference to the above described figures, the reference numeral 1 indicates a rear-entry ski boot composed of a shell 2 to which a rear quarter 3 is articulated. 
     At the rear region 4 of the heel of the foot 5 of the skier, the shell 2 has a flap 6 which protrudes upwardly from the shell and is elastically deformable and partially embraces said region 4. 
     The device comprises a wedge-like element 7 arrangeable between the inner surface of said rear quarter 3 and said flap 6 at the region 4 of the heel. 
     Said wedge-like element 7 has its apex directed towards the region of the heel 8 of the boot 1. 
     Laterally to the wedge-like element 7 there protrudes a pair of wings, indicated by the reference numerals 9a and 9b, which affect the inner lateral surfaces, respectively 10a and 10b, of the rear quarter 3. 
     From each of said wings there protrudes a pushbutton, indicated by the reference numerals 11a and 11b, which passes through the rear quarter 3 at adapted slots 12a and 12b provided longitudinally thereto. 
     Adjacent to the pushbuttons 11a and 11b there protrude, in the same direction, from said wings, raised portions 13a and 13b having a preferably hemispherical shape. 
     Said raised portions are selectively arrangeable at adapted shaped seats 14 provided at the inner lateral surfaces 10a and 10b of the rear quarter 3. 
     Said seats 14 are thus aligned substantially parallel to the slots 12a and 12b, and are in such a number as to allow a wide choice of positions for the wedge-like element 7. 
     The use of the device is as follows: by pressing the pushbuttons 11a and 11b the user imparts an elastic deformation to the wings 9a and 9b, disengaging the raised portions 13a and 13b from the seats 14, thus allowing the wedge-like element 7 to move along an axis approximately longitudinal to the rear quarter 3 along the slots 12a and 12b. 
     The skier can thus select the desired degree of securing, as the wedge-like element 7 creates a pressure on the flap 6 which is greater as it is lowered towards the region 8 of the heel of the boot. 
     Once the optimum position is chosen, the user releases the pushbuttons 11a and 11b, causing the raised portions 13a and 13b to affect one of the seats 14. 
     It has thus been observed that the invention achieves the abovementioned aim and objects, since the boot allows the skier to achieve the optimum securing of the heel inside the boot as well as the regulation of the pressure exertable thereat; in fact, as the securing degree increases, the region of the flap affected by the wedge-like element also increases, allowing to distribute the pressure exerted thereon on a greater area. 
     The actuation of the device is furthermore very rapid and easy for the skier, a variation of the securing of the heel being thus obtainable according to specific contingent situations. 
     Furthermore the device is structurally very simple, being therefore also economically advantageous. 
     Naturally the invention is susceptible to numerous modifications and variations, all within the scope of the same inventive concept. 
     Thus, for example, FIG. 3 illustrates variated means for the translatory motion of the wedge-like element 107 with respect to the rear quarter 103. 
     With the wedge-like element 107 there is in fact rigidly associated, or possibly articulated, a rod 115 passing at a slot 112 provided longitudinally to the rear quarter 103 at the heel region 104. 
     At the other end, said rod 115 is articulated to an eccentric lever 116 interacting with a set of teeth 117 provided transversely to the quarter 103 laterally to the slot 112. 
     Also in this embodiment it is therefore possible to move the wedge-like element 107 to the required position by acting directly at the eccentric lever 116. 
     In a further embodiment, the wedge-like element 207 interacts, at the surface directed towards the flap 206, provided on the shell and/or on the shoe internal to the boot, with a complementarily shaped tab 218 protruding rearwardly to said flap 206. 
     Said tab 218 thus has a surface inclined similarly to the facing surface of the wedge-like element 207. 
     With the element 207 it is possible to associate means for its translatory motion, such as those illustrated in FIG. 1 or those illustrated in FIG. 6, similar to those associated with the element illustrated in FIG. 3. 
     In said FIG. 6, in fact, with the wedge-like element 207 there is ridigly assocaited, and/or articulated, a rod 215 which protrudes through an adapted slot 212 provided longitudinally to the rear quarter 203 at the region 204 of the heel. 
     With the other end of the rod 215 there is articulated an eccentric lever 216 which affects an adapted set of teeth 217 provided transversely to the rear quarter 203 in a region adjacent to said slot 212. 
     The fact is stressed that by lowering the wedge-like element towards the heel of the boot an increasingly larger area of the flap provided on the shell and/or on the inner shoe is affected, thus improving the distribution of the pressure thereon. 
     This allows to maximally increase the comfort for the user, obtaining the optimum adaptation to the various anatomical configurations of each user. 
     FIG. 7 illustrates a device wherein the rod 315 affects the entire wedge-like element 307, its end passing at a first slot 312a and at a second slot 312b provided respectively longitudinally to the rear quarter 303 and to the flap 306 and facing each other. 
     Said rod is therefore, at the first slot 312a,  articulated to the eccentric lever 316 and, at the second slot 312b, connected to a lug 319 protruding on the opposite side to the wedge-like element. 
     It is thus possible to open the flap when the boot is opened, i.e. when the quarters are spaced apart to extract the foot. 
     This allows a successive easier insertion of the foot without manually moving the flap as occurred previously. 
     According to what is illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9, the means for the translatory motion of the wedge-like element, now indicated by the reference numeral 407, are constituted by a threaded rod 415 which extends longitudinally on the quarter 403 and is rotatably supported by said quarter. 
     A knurled wheel 416, which protrudes partially by means of a port 417 defined by the quarter 403, is rigidly associated with one end of the rod 415. 
     The wedge-like element 407 has a through threaded seat which extends substantially parallel to its side 407a which engages by sliding contact with the inner face of the quarter 403, so as to prevent the possibility of rotation of the wedge-like element which is forced to move, consequently to the rotation of the threaded rod 415 executed by means of the wheel 416, parallel to said rod. 
     Naturally the materials and the dimensions and the individual components of the device may also be the most pertinent according to the specific requirements. reference signs.