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(11) | EP 0 804 102 B1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION |
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| (54) |
SKATE BOOT CONSTRUCTION WITH INTEGRAL PLASTIC INSERT SCHLITTSCHUH MIT EINGEBAUTER KUNSTSTOFFEINLAGE CHAUSSURE DE PATINAGE A PIECE RAPPORTEE MONOBLOC EN MATIERE PLASTIQUE |
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| Note: Within nine months from the publication of the mention of the grant of the European patent, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to the European patent granted. Notice of opposition shall be filed in a written reasoned statement. It shall not be deemed to have been filed until the opposition fee has been paid. (Art. 99(1) European Patent Convention). |
[0001] This invention relates to a boot construction, especially for ice skates or in-line roller skates, but not necessarily limited to same.
[0002] In skate boots, there are somewhat conflicting requirements for rigidity and comfort which, particularly in recent years, have led to increasingly sophisticated boot constructions in the perhaps never-ending quest for the "perfect" skate. In high-end skates such as those worn by professional hockey players, the twin requirements of rigidity and comfort are magnified. Performance must be optimized, and frequent wearing demands comfort, not just for the sake of comfort itself, but also to prevent blistering or other forms of injury to the foot (short term or long term).
[0003] One means which has been used in skates to increase rigidity is to employ plastic ankle inserts and heel counter inserts, sewn in between the layers of various materials which make up the boot. When skates are relatively new, this is fairly effective both in terms of rigidity and comfort. After considerable use of the skate, however, the leather and other materials naturally soften and become less rigid from repeated flexing, with the result that the upper ankle portion of the boot tends to slump down onto or over the heel counter, typically creating a ridge on the inside of the skate. This ridge bears against the Achilles' tendon, and thus creates a pressure point which results in decreased comfort and potential for blistering or other injury.
[0004] One also knows a skate boot comprising, all permanently secured together:
- a non rigid outer configured to form a boot shape including a heel area and an ankle area above said heel area, said heel and ankle areas having rear, lateral and medial areas;
- cushioning means positioned inwardly from said outer;
- an inner lining positioned inwardly from said outer and said cushioning means;
- a plastic insert positioned between said outer and said inner lining for adding rigidity to said skate boot, said plastic insert including an ankle portion extending upwardly from said rear area of said heel area and including forwardly projecting lateral and medial wing portions which cup around said ankle area, along said lateral area and said medial area respectively.
[0005] Document US-A-4,385,456 (upon which the preamble of claim 1 is formed) discloses such a skate boot, in which a preformed lining component reinforces the rigidity of the skate boot at the expense of flexibility and comfort.
[0006] Besides, a ski boot is disclosed in document WO-A-89/09552 which features a reinforcement component having cut-outs on either sides to permit bending of the boot. However, this reinforcement part provides no added comfort to the wearer.
[0007] The present invention is aimed specifically at avoiding the above problems, and generally at providing an improved skate boot.
[0008] To this end, according to the invention, a skate boot of the kind in question is characterized in that said plastic insert is an integral plastic insert made in one piece;
in that said integral plastic insert is positioned between said outer and said cushioning means,
in that said integral plastic insert includes a generally U-shaped heel counter portion which cups within said heel area, running from along said lateral area, across said rear area and along said medial area, said heel counter portion having separate lateral and medial side segments extending partially along each side of said outer and partially underneath an insole of said skate boot, said side segments being joined together at the rear end of said skate boot, thereby forming a structure which is open at the bottom;
in that said lateral and medial winged portions of the ankle portion include dished areas shaped to overlie the skater's malleoli; and
in that said wing portions of the ankle portion and said lateral and medial side segments of said heel counter portion are separated by a pair of slots, whereby said integral plastic insert does not substantially restrict flexing of a person's ankle while wearing the skate boot.
[0010] The concept of the invention, i.e. the use of a one-piece plastic insert where separate pieces have been used before, is quite simple. However, in practice this has been difficult to achieve, and does not appear to have been previously considered, sine conventional boot manufacturing assembly sequences have had to be changed to accommodate insertion of the one-piece insert. It has therefore not been natural to try this approach, due to the process changes involved, and has required a change in approach and thinking.
[0011] Further features of the invention will be described or will become apparent in the course of the following detailed description.
[0012] In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, the preferred embodiment thereof will now be described in detail by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
- Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the skate boot;
- Figure 2 is a perspective view of the skate boot, cut open to show details of the construction;
- Figure 3 is a right side elevation of the skate, in cross-section, after positioning of the insert, but prior to positioning of the cushioning means and lining;
- Figure 4 is a right side elevation view of the skate, in cross-section, after positioning of the insert and the cushioning pack of flowable material, but prior to positioning of the neoprene rubber pad and of the lining, showing the lateral side of the insert ad cushioning pack;
- Figure 5 is a left side elevation view of the skate, in cross-section, corresponding to figure 4, and showing the medial side of the insert and cushioning pack;
- Figure 6 is a right side elevation view of the skate, in cross-section, after positioning of the insert, the cushioning pack of flowable material and the neoprene rubber pad, but prior to positioning of the lining;
- Figure 7 is an elevation view of the cushioning pack laid flat;
- Figure 8 is a plan view of the cushioning pack; and
- Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the cushioning pack, at 9-9 of figure 8.
[0013] All of the drawings are of a left skate. Referring to the drawings, the invention will now be described in greater detail. Figure 1 shows the various components of the skate boot in exploded fashion. From the outside to the inside, the skate boot is made up of:
- a typical skate boot outer 2, conventionally having various layers of leather, plastic, ballistic nylon and/or other materials portions sewn together;
- the plastic insert 4 of the present invention;
- cushioning means such as, preferably, a cushioning pack 6 of flowable gel-like material which will conform to the particular individual's ankle shape, and neoprene rubber pads 8; and
- a soft material lining 10, preferably having a thin foam layer 12 bonded to the outside thereof.
[0014] The essence of the present invention resides in the one-piece plastic ankle/heel counter insert 4. It is made of a suitable plastic such as thermoplastic polyurethane, an is relatively thin (about 2.5 mm at its thickest central portions, thinning near the edges down to zero) so as to not add too much weight to the skate. Because it is fairly thin, it is somewhat flexible, but nevertheless does add a fair amount of rigidity to the overall structure of the boot.
[0015] The insert includes lateral and medial side portions 14 and 16 which extend forward from the heel area 18; a rear ankle portion 20 extending upwardly from the heel area; lateral and medial wing portions 22 and 24 arranged to overlie the malleoli of the skater's ankle; and lateral and medial cuff portions 26 and 28 to wrap partially around the skater's upper ankle.
[0016] Preferably, in order to be as nearly anatomically correct as possible, the lateral and medial wing portions include dished areas 30 and 32 to accommodate the malleoli. The boot outer 2 preferably includes recesses 33 to accommodate these dished areas.
[0017] To permit flexing of the ankle with minimal restriction, slots 35 preferably are provided between the wing portions and the side portions 14 and 16.
[0018] The additional cushioning means preferably includes a cushioning pack 6 of flowable gel-like material which will conform to the particular skater's ankle shape. (One such material is that supplied by ALDEN LABORATORIES, Inc. of Boulder, Colorado under its FLO trademark.) The preferred cushioning pack is shown in greater detail in figures 7-9, and includes lateral and medial gel pouches 34 and 36 defined between thin layers of plastic, preferably but not necessarily connected by an integral neck portion 38. The cushioning pack may include lateral and medial closed areas 40 and 42, which approximate the path followed by the lateral and medial malleoli when the ankle is flexed, for even greater anatomical correctness and hence comfort and performance. The cushioning pack preferably is overlaid by thin pads 8, of 1/8 inch (3,2 mm) neoprene rubber for example. This is followed by the soft material lining 10, such as a synthetic leather, the lining preferably having a thin foam layer 12 bonded to the outside thereof.
[0019] With the integral or one-piece construction of the insert 4, the ankle portion 20 cannot slump down onto the heel portion 18 with time, which is the problem in the prior art which this invention avoids. The blister-causing pressure point which often results once skates have been used for a length of time, is thus avoided.
[0020] It will be appreciated that the above description relates to the preferred embodiment by way of example only. Certain variations on the invention will be obvious to those knowledgeable in the field, and such obvious variations are within the scope of the invention as claimed, whether or not expressly described herein.
[0021] For example, it should be clearly appreciated that the invention is not restricted to the specific configuration of insert as illustrated herein. Many variations in shape could be contemplated which would still employ the principle of this invention.
- a non rigid outer (2) configured to form a boot shape including a heel area (18) and an ankle area above said heel area, said heel and ankle areas having rear, lateral and medial areas;
- cushioning means (6, 8, 12) positioned inwardly from said outer;
- an inner lining (10) positioned inwardly from said outer (2) and said cushioning means (6, 8, 12);
- a plastic insert (4) positioned between said outer (2) and said inner lining (10) for adding rigidity to said skate boot, said plastic insert including an ankle portion (20, 22, 24) extending upwardly from said rear area of said heel area and including forwardly projecting lateral and medial wing portions (22, 24) which cup around said ankle area, along said lateral area and said medial area respectively,
characterized in that said plastic insert (4) is an integral plastic insert made in one piece;in that said integral plastic insert (4) is positioned between said outer (2) and said cushioning means (6, 8, 12),
in that said integral plastic insert (4) includes a generally U-shaped heel counter portion (18, 14, 16) which cups within said heel area, running from along said lateral area, across said rear area and along said medial area, said heel counter portion (18, 14, 16) having separate lateral and medial side segments (14, 16) extending partially along each side of said outer (2) and partially underneath an insole (50) of said skate boot, said side segments (14, 16) being joined together at the rear end of said skate boot, thereby forming a structure which is open at the bottom;
in that said lateral and medial wing portions (22,24) of the ankle portion include dished areas (30,32) shaped to overlie the skater's malleoli; and
in that said wing portions (22, 24) of the ankle portion and said lateral and medial side segments (14, 16) of said heel counter portion are separated by a pair of slots (35), whereby said integral plastic insert does not substantially restrict flexing of a person's ankle while wearing the skate boot.
- einem nachgiebigen Außenschuh (2), der so konfiguriert ist, daß er eine Stiefelform mit einem Absatzbereich (18) und einem Knöchelbereich oberhalb des Absatzbereichs bildet, wobei der Absatz- und Knöchelbereich einen hinteren, lateralen und medialen Bereich haben;
- einer Polstereinrichtung (6, 8, 12), die vom Außenschuh nach innen positioniert ist;
- einem Innenfutter (10), das vom Außenschuh (2) und von der Polstereinrichtung (6, 8, 12) nach innen positioniert ist;
- einer Kunststoffeinlage (4), die zwischen dem Außenschuh (2) und dem Innenfutter (10) positioniert ist, um dem Schlittschuh bzw. Rollschuh zusätzliche Steifigkeit zu verleihen, wobei die Kunststoffeinlage einen Knöchelabschnitt (20, 22, 24) aufweist, der sich vom hinteren Bereich des Absatzbereichs nach oben erstreckt und einen nach vorn vorstehenden lateralen und medialen Flügelbereich (22, 24) aufweist, die den Knöchelbereich entlang dem lateralen Bereich bzw. dem medialen Bereich umfassen,
dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Kunststoffeinlage (4) eine einteilige Kunststoffeinlage ist, die in einem Stück hergestellt ist;daß die einteilige Kunststoffeinlage (4) zwischen dem Außenschuh (2) und der Polstereinrichtung (6, 8, 12) positioniert ist;
daß die einteilige Kunststoffeinlage (4) einen allgemein U-förmigen Absatzsteifenabschnitt (18, 14, 16) aufweist, der sich in den Absatzbereich einpaßt und dabei entlang dem lateralen Bereich, über den hinteren Bereich und entlang dem medialen Bereich verläuft, wobei der Absatzsteifenabschnitt (18, 14, 16) ein gesondertes laterales und mediales Seitensegment (14, 16) hat, die sich teilweise entlang jeder Seite des Außenschuhs (2) und teilweise unterhalb einer Brandsohle (50) des Schlittschuhs bzw. Rollschuhs erstrecken, wobei die Seitensegmente (14, 16) am hinteren Ende des Schlittschuhs bzw. Rollschuhs miteinander verbunden sind, um so eine Struktur zu bilden, die am Boden offen ist;
daß der laterale und mediale Flügelabschnitt (22, 24) des Knöchelabschnitts gewölbte Bereiche (30, 32) aufweisen, die so geformt sind, daß sie über den Knöcheln des Läufers liegen; und
daß die Flügelabschnitte (22, 24) des Knöchelabschnitts sowie das laterale und mediale Seitensegment (14, 16) des Absatzsteifenabschnitts durch ein Paar Schlitze (35) getrennt sind, wodurch die einteilige Kunststoffeinlage die Knöchelbeugung einer Person beim Tragen des Schlittschuhs bzw. Rollschuhs nicht wesentlich einschränkt.
- une partie extérieure non rigide (2) configurée de manière à former une forme de bottine comprenant une zone (18) au niveau du talon et une zone au niveau de la cheville située au-dessus de ladite zone au niveau du talon, ladite zone au niveau du talon et ladite zone au niveau de la cheville possédant des parties arrière, latérales et médiane;
- des moyens de rembourrage (6,8,12) positionnés à l'intérieur de ladite partie extérieure;
- un revêtement intérieur (10) disposé à l'intérieur de ladite partie extérieure (2) et desdits moyens de rembourrage (6,8,12);
- un insert en matière plastique (4) disposé entre ladite partie extérieure (2) et ledit revêtement intérieur (10) pour accroître la rigidité de ladite chaussure de patinage, ledit insert en matière plastique comprenant une partie (20,22,24) au niveau de la cheville s'étendant vers le haut à partir de ladite partie arrière de ladite zone au niveau du talon et comprenant des parties en forme d'ailes latérale et médiane (22,24), qui font saillie vers l'avant et s'étendent respectivement autour de ladite zone au niveau de la cheville, le long de ladite zone latérale et le long de ladite zone médiane,
caractérisée en ce que ledit insert en matière plastique (4) est un insert intégral en matière plastique formé d'un seul tenant;en ce que ledit insert intégral en matière plastique (4) est positionné entre ladite partie extérieure (2) et lesdits moyens de rembourrage (6, 8, 12).
en ce que ledit insert intégral en matière plastique (4) comprend une partie de renfort de talon en forme générale de U (18,14,16), qui s'incurve à l'intérieur de ladite zone au niveau du talon, en s'étendant depuis ladite zone latérale, en travers de ladite zone arrière et le long de ladite zone médiane, ladite partie de renfort de talon (18,14,16) possédant des segments (14,16) situés sur les côtés latéraux et sur le côté médian et s'étendant en partie le long de chaque côté de ladite partie extérieure (2) et en partie au-dessous d'une semelle intérieure (50) de ladite chaussure de patinage, lesdits segments de côté (14,16) étant réunis entre eux au niveau de l'extrémité arrière de ladite chaussure de patinage, en formant de ce fait une structure qui est ouverte au niveau de sa partie inférieure;
en ce que lesdites parties en forme d'ailes latérale et médiane (22,24) de ladite partie au niveau de la cheville incluent des zones bombées (30,32) conformées de manière à recouvrir les malléoles du patineur; et
en ce que lesdites parties formant ailes (22,24) de la partie au niveau de la cheville et desdits segments (14,16) des côtés latéraux et du côté médian de ladite partie de renfort de talon sont séparées par une paire de fentes (35), de sorte que ledit insert intégral en matière plastique ne limite pas sensiblement la flexion de la cheville d'une personne lorsqu'elle porte la chaussure de patinage.