Land vehicles – Skates – Shoe attaching means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-06
2001-09-04
Kavanaugh, Ted (Department: 3728)
Land vehicles
Skates
Shoe attaching means
C280S014210, C036S117100, C036S109000, C036S107000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06283494
ABSTRACT:
This application is also based upon French application No. 96.07261, filed on Jun. 6, 1996, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference thereto in its entirety and priority of which is hereby claimed under 35 USC 119.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a sports boot that is adapted to be associated with a glide board for snowboarding, the boot including an upper that is affixed to sole adapted to cooperate with the board. The invention also includes the combination of such boot and a binding for retaining the boot on a glide board.
2. Description of Background and Relevant Information
Several types of boots exist for practicing the above-mentioned sport. Rigid boots are known to be attached to the board via a system of rear and front stirrups, such system having a latching control located on one of the stirrups and being activated either manually or automatically.
Flexible boots are also known, that are inserted into a shell affixed to the board, the shell including a certain number of straps adapted to affix the boot to the shell.
The main disadvantage of rigid boots lies in the fact that they do not allow for a certain slack or flexibility required for snowboarding. In addition, comfort becomes an arbitrary factor, due to their design and the rigid materials used. Also, the walking function of such boots is not efficient, although it is a function that is particularly necessary and useful for a snowboarder. In the second case, although flexible boots are extremely comfortable while walking, the complementary arrangement of flexible boots with rigid shells is unsatisfactory because of the cumbersome volume of the shells on the board, and also a certain amount of discomfort that is directly linked to the bad retention of the foot and the presence of localized contact between the flexible upper and the rigid parts of the shell.
One solution set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,170 is intended to find a compromise that enables the use of a flexible boot with a less cumbersome shell that is attached to the board.
More specifically, the proposed device provides a relatively rigid rear support member, such as a spoiler, at the rear of the binding device of the boot, the support member being affixed to the board via fastening means, thus enabling the user to take support on it during a rear edge setting.
This provides definite advantages in the practice of this sport, but some disadvantages have become apparent over time.
Indeed, difficulty arises in finding the correct compromise in the radius of curvature in a horizontal sectional plane of the rear support spoiler. More specifically, if this radius is too encompassing with respect to the upper of the boot, then the spoiler can no longer provide adequate lateral flexibility in some snowboarding positions.
If, on the contrary, the corresponding section of the spoiler in question is given a relatively flat shape so as to avoid this disadvantage, then in that case the flexible upper of the boot that takes support against this flat surface will exert very substantial pressure on a small contact surface that corresponds overall to a generatrix of the upper of the boot with a much smaller radius, leading to substantial pressure on the lower portion of the leg, and will become synonymous with discomfort and pain.
It can also be thought that boots, such as cross-country ski boots with journaled rigid collars, could overcome the disadvantages cited hereinabove by eliminating the above-cited rear support spoiler. In fact, such would not be the case at all, because regardless of whether such boots are associated or not to a rigid rear spoiler, the fact remains that the stiffness of the collars of such boots too greatly limits the lateral flexibility that is required for snowboarding. In addition, these boots are a lot less adapted for walking because of the presence of the collar that stiffens the upper of the boot.
It has not been possible to find a compromise solution in order to resolve the problems that have been cited hereinabove.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention achieves a solution by proposing a sports boot that is adapted to be associated with a glide board for snowboarding, via a binding device that includes a relatively stiff rear spoiler, the boot including a relatively flexible upper capable of cooperating with the rear support spoiler, wherein the upper includes an arrangement for distributing the pressure exerted on the lower portion of the leg of the user when the upper takes support on the spoiler, such arrangement being constituted by a relatively rigid plate, attached to a more flexible rear zone of the upper, and isolated from all the rigid parts of the boot, so as to retain the flexibility of the upper.
It is well known that with such a boot, in which the upper has been left with the maximum of flexible zones, the boot retains the freedom to move in all directions, thus enabling complete lateral flexibility while practicing snowboarding, and complete flexibility while walking.
However, all these advantages do not preclude the use of the pressure distribution plate, since the concentration of this pressure at the rear of the boot generally causes pain and discomfort in the calf region of the user.
The present invention is also related to the characteristics that will become apparent from the description that follows, and which should be considered singly or in all their possible technical combinations.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3854743 (1974-12-01), Hansen
patent: 4979760 (1990-12-01), Derrah
patent: 5056509 (1991-10-01), Swearington
patent: 5226875 (1993-07-01), Johnson
patent: 5356170 (1994-10-01), Carpenter et al.
patent: 5379530 (1995-01-01), Bell et al.
patent: 5406721 (1995-04-01), Marcolin
patent: 5435080 (1995-07-01), Meiselman
patent: 5505477 (1996-04-01), Turner et al.
patent: 5606808 (1997-03-01), Gilliard et al.
patent: 5701689 (1997-12-01), Hansen et al.
patent: 5732483 (1998-03-01), Cagliari
patent: 5941554 (1999-08-01), Bourdeau
patent: 0646334 (1995-04-01), None
patent: WO96/36407 (1996-11-01), None
Greenblum & Bernstein P.L.C.
Kavanaugh Ted
Salomon S.A.
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