Shell of a sports shoe, in particular a ski boot, and a method of producing such a shell

Abstract

The invention relates to a shell of a sports shoe, in particular a ski boot, comprising at least one shell part having at least one stiffening part, which has a higher stability than the other components of the shell parts. One or more spacers protrude from an interior surface of the stiffening part. A portion of the shell is formed from a relatively flexible plastic material compared to the stiffening part. Furthermore, a method for producing an above-mentioned shell of a sports shoe is described.

1 . A shell of a sports shoe comprising: one or more three-dimensional shell parts having a certain stability, at least one of the shell parts comprises a stiffening part having a higher stability than the other shell parts including an interior surface and a plurality of spacers protruding from the interior surface and the interior surface is at least partially covered by relatively flexible plastic material, the spacers having outermost end portions extending furthest away from the interior surface arranged substantially flush with the relatively flexible plastic material, but the outermost end portions of the spacers not being covered by the relatively flexible plastic material, such that the outermost end portions of the spacers can be seen at the interior surface of the shell part. 
     
     
         2 . The shell of a sports shoe according to  claim 1 , wherein the stiffening part of a shell part is formed from a plastic material with a plurality of independent carbon fibers, added in a randomized arrangement, which material has a modulus of elasticity of up to 12 GPa. 
     
     
         3 . The shell of a sports shoe according to  claim 2 , wherein the carbon fibers have an average fiber length of 2 mm to 7 mm. 
     
     
         4 . The shell of a sports shoe according to  claim 1 , wherein the stiffening part is arranged to cover a section of the shell, and another section of the shell is formed from a plastic material being relatively flexible compared to the stiffening part and having a modulus of elasticity of 0.1 GPa to 0.8 GPa. 
     
     
         5 . The shell of a sports shoe according to  claim 1 , wherein the stiffening part has a thickness of 2 mm to 3 mm. 
     
     
         6 . The shell of a sports shoe according to  claim 1 , wherein the stiffening part is arranged to cover a section of the shell having an average thickness of 3 mm to 7 mm. 
     
     
         7 . The shell of a sports shoe according to  claim 1 , wherein the stiffening part includes an edge section and at least one connection element arranged at the edge section, the at least one connection element includes exterior surfaces surrounded by relatively flexible plastic material compared to the stiffening part. 
     
     
         8 . The shell of a sports shoe according to  claim 7 , wherein the connection element in the edge section of the stiffening part has apertures between interior and exterior surface in the edge section, which are filled with the relatively flexible plastic material. 
     
     
         9 . The shell of a sports shoe according to  claim 1 , wherein the stiffening part includes an exterior surface, and more than 70% of the exterior surface can be seen from the exterior surface of the shell and is not covered by the relatively flexible plastic material. 
     
     
         10 . The shell of a sports shoe according to  claim 1 , wherein the sports shoe comprises a heel area, an ankle area, an ankle joint area, a sole area, a metatarsus area, a toe area, and a lower leg area, the stiffening part comprises a plurality of stiffening parts and are arranged to at least partially cover the heel area, the ankle area, the ankle joint area, the sole area, the metatarsus area, the toe area and/or the lower area of the lower leg of the sports shoe. 
     
     
         11 . The shell of a sports shoe according to  claim 1 , wherein the shell comprises a rear and lateral region, the stiffening part is arranged to stabilize the rear and lateral regions. 
     
     
         12 . The shell of a sports shoe according to  claim 11 , wherein the stiffening part essentially covers the inner and outer ankle area and that the edge section of the stiffening part underneath the two ankle areas returns in direction of the heel area in a curved way, so that the inner and outer tarsus areas of the stiffening part remain recessed or not covered and thus, the sections of the shell part there are only formed from the plastic material being relatively flexible compared to the stiffening part and that the edge sections of the stiffening part underneath the inner and outer tarsus areas extends diagonally downwards or forwards in the direction towards the middle section of the sole area and towards the toe area of the shell part. 
     
     
         13 . The shell of a sports shoe according to  claim 1 , wherein the stiffening part at least partially covers the rear side and the rear lateral regions of the lower area of the lower leg, with the result that at least in the rear region and in the rear lateral regions of the shell part, a dimensionally stiffened shell formation is provided. 
     
     
         14 . A method for producing a shell of a sports shoe, in particular a ski boot, with the shell being formed from one or more shell parts and at least one shell part being formed from compositing several three-dimensional components, which are each made of a plastic material or metal having a certain stability or elasticity and two of each of the shell parts are connected in an articulated or rigid way in order to form the shell of the sports shoe, characterized in producing at least one stiffening part, which forms a three-dimensional component of a shell part, which stiffening part has a higher stability than the other components of the shell parts and which stiffening part has one or more spacers protruding from the interior surface of the stiffening part, positioning of the at least one stiffening part on a last defining at least a part of the interior of the shell part in such a way that the outermost end portions of the spacers which are furthest away from the interior surface of the stiffening part rest against the surface of the last and thus, a clearance between the interior surface of the stiffening element and the surface of the last is created, injection-overmolding of a region or section of the surface of the last not covered by the at least one stiffening part with a plastic material being relatively flexible compared to the stiffening part and injection-back-molding of the at least one stiffening part with the plastic material being relatively flexible compared to the stiffening part, with the result that the clearance between the interior surface of the stiffening part and the surface of the last are filled by the relatively flexible plastic material and with the end portions of the spacers bearing against the surface of the last not being covered by the relatively flexible plastic material.