Ski boot

Abstract

Ski boot comprising a rigid shell that is shaped so as to accommodate the foot of the user, and a rigid cuff that is shaped to as to surround the ankle of the user, and is pivotally jointed to the shell so as to be able to pivot about a rotation axis substantially perpendicular to the midplane of the boot; the shell comprising a substantially basin-shaped, rigid casing which is shaped so as to be able to accommodate therein the foot of the user, and a transversal stiffening insert which is embedded inside the bottom wall of the casing at the tarsophalangeal region of the sole of the foot, and is structured so as to emerge/surface on the outside of the rigid casing on opposite sides of the midplane of the boot, at the two lateral sides of the tip of the shell; the transversal stiffening insert being provided with two first conjugated coupling ends that surface on the outside of the rigid casing along the two lateral sides of the tip of the shell, on opposite sides of the midplane of the boot, and are structured so as to be engaged and clamped in an axially rotating manner about a transversal reference axis by the toe piece of the ski binding device, and of two second conjugated coupling ends that surface on the outside of the rigid casing along the two lateral sides of the tip of the shell, on opposite sides of the midplane of the boot, spaced beside said first conjugated coupling ends.

1 . Ski boot comprising a rigid shell which is shaped so as to accommodate the foot of the user, and a rigid cuff which is shaped so as to surround the ankle of the user and is pivotally jointed to the shell so as to be able to pivot about a rotation axis (A) substantially perpendicular to a midplane of the boot;
 the shell comprising a substantially basin-shaped, rigid casing which is shaped so as to be able to accommodate therein the foot of the user; and a transversal stiffening insert which is embedded inside the bottom wall of the casing at the tarsophalangeal region of the sole of the foot, and is structured so as to emerge/surface on the outside of the rigid casing on opposite sides of the midplane of the boot, at two lateral sides of the tip of the shell;   the ski boot being characterised in that the transversal stiffening insert is provided with two first conjugated coupling ends that surface on the outside the rigid casing along the two lateral sides of the tip of the shell, on opposite sides of the midplane of the boot, substantially coaxial to a same reference axis (B) substantially perpendicular to the midplane of the boot, and with two second conjugated coupling ends that surface on the outside the rigid casing along the two lateral sides of the tip of the shell, on opposite sides of the midplane of the boot, spaced beside said first conjugated coupling ends;   said first conjugated coupling ends being structured so as to be engaged and clamped in an axially rotating manner about said reference axis (B) by the toe piece of the ski binding device.   
     
     
         2 . Ski boot according to  claim 1 , characterised in that the second conjugated coupling ends are located along the two lateral sides of the tip of the shell, in a rearward position with respect to said first conjugated coupling ends. 
     
     
         3 . Ski boot according to  claim 1 , characterised in that the second conjugated coupling ends are aligned perpendicularly to the midplane of the boot. 
     
     
         4 . Ski boot according to  claim 1 , characterised in that the second conjugated coupling ends are structured so as to be engaged and clamped by the toe piece of the ski binding device to prevent rotation of the shell around said reference axis (B). 
     
     
         5 . Ski boot according to  claim 1 , characterised in that each of the first conjugated coupling ends is provided with a cavity or blind hole which extends coaxial to said reference axis (B) and is dimensioned so as to be engaged in a removable and axially rotatable manner by the distal end of a coupling pin of the toe piece of the ski binding device. 
     
     
         6 . Ski boot according to  claim 1 , characterised in that the shell also comprises a front sole that covers the bottom wall of the casing at least in the area below the tarsophalangeal region of the sole of the foot; said first and second conjugated coupling ends being located along the two lateral sides of the tip of the shell, immediately above said front sole. 
     
     
         7 . Ski boot according to  claim 1 , characterised in that the rigid casing is provided with a substantially U-shaped, projecting ledge or shelf that cantilevered protrudes from the front part of the casing while remaining locally substantially coplanar to the bottom wall of the casing, and surrounds the tarsophalangeal region of the sole of the foot so as to form the tip of the shell;
 said first and second conjugated coupling ends being located along the two lateral sides of said substantially U-shaped projecting ledge or shelf.   
     
     
         8 . Ski boot according to  claim 7 , characterised in that the second conjugated coupling ends emerge/surface on the outside of the rigid casing, at the upper edges of the two lateral sides of said substantially U-shaped projecting ledge or shelf. 
     
     
         9 . Ski boot according to  claim 1 , characterised in that the transversal stiffening insert comprises: a substantially plate-like central portion which extends inside the bottom wall of the casing, straddling and substantially perpendicular to the midplane of the boot; two main lateral appendages that extend cantilevered from the central portion on opposite sides of the midplane of the boot, and are structured so that the related distal ends emerge/surface on the outside of the rigid casing at the two lateral sides of the tip of the shell while remaining locally substantially coaxial to said reference axis (B); and two supplementary lateral appendages that extend cantilevered from the central portion on opposite sides of the midplane of the boot, and are structured so that the related distal ends emerge/surface on the outside of the rigid casing at the two lateral sides of the tip of the shell, spaced beside the main lateral appendages. 
     
     
         10 . Ski boot according to  claim 1 , characterised in that the rigid casing is superiorly provided with a flexible transversal band which is structured so as to elastically deform and extends from the inner side to the outer side of the shell more or less perpendicularly to the midplane of the boot, while passing over the instep substantially straddling the metatarsus. 
     
     
         11 . Ski boot according to  claim 1 , characterised in that the rigid casing is made of plastic or composite material. 
     
     
         12 . Ski boot according to  claim 6 , characterised in that the front sole is made of vulcanized rubber or other elastomeric material with high friction coefficient. 
     
     
         13 . Ski boot according to  claim 1 , characterised in that the transversal stiffening insert is made of metal material.