Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
;2~)~60a~L ON 46915
I~PROVED ACTIVITY BOOT
The present invention relates genera:Lly to activity boots
formed of a substantially stiff, synthetic material such as may be
found on footwear utilized in activities such as in-line roller-
skating, ice-skating, grass or roller skiing, hiking, and the like.
BAC}~GROUND OF THE INVENTION
- Traditionally, one of the factors deterring many people from
enjoying or even trying such sports as in-line roller skating or
ice-skating has been a lack of the ankle strength necessary to
balance properly on the set of in-line wheels or on the narrow ice
skating blade, respectively. Because the novice had difficulty
balancing, he tended to experience falls, and injuries sometimes
; occurred as a result. To increase participation in such sports and
the marketability of equipment therefor, it was incumbent upon
manufacturers to increase the support given to a participant ' 5
ankles. One accepted method has been to employ a relatively stiff
material as the footwear shell rather than a relatively flexible
material such as leather or canvas.
The use of a substantially stiff synthetic material such as
polyurethane as a shell for activity boots of the just described
types serves at least three important functions. First, as noted
above, a relatively stiff shell functions to provide increased
ankle support by resisting side to side flexing in the ankle region
of the footwear. Second, a relatively stiff shell provides
~' ' ' .
' ' . .
:'
,'
'
,
~6~4~ ON 46915
increased foot protection due to the shell hardness, an important
factor when used in sports such as skiing, :Lce-skating and roller-
skating where falls are common, especially for beginners. Third,
such shells are more durable than footwear made of leather or
canvas and can better survive the abrasions suffered when employed
on the asphalt or concrete surfaces typically utilized by in-line
roller skaters.
Such boots are usually constructed to have an overall form
similar to what is commonly known as a high top sneaker. That is,
the boot includes an extended upper portion that reaches above the
ankle, sometimes as high as the mid-calf region of the userr to
provide the desired ankle support. This ankle support portion may
be integral with the remainder of the boot or can be a separate
cuff joined to the boot. Additionally, these boots commonly
possess a closure opening that extends along the top front portion
of the boot between the area near the toe to the top of the ankle
support portion. This opening, as with all such foo~wear openings,
allows a boot to flex open for easy insertion and removal of a
foot. Known closure means, such as eyelets for laces, or a
plurality of buckle means, for example, are disposed on each side
of the closure opening and provide a means to ti~hten the boot onto
the foot. Typically such footwear is sold with a removable liner.
The liner se~ves to protect the foot from chafing caused by the
movement of the foot within the boot, the stiffness of the shell,
. .
~6~ Patent
and from the rivets by which the boot may be attached to a blade or
frame holding a set of roller wheels.
A disadvantage of this stiff type of activity boot, however,
is khat the stiffness provided by these shells prevents a close
fitting of the footwear to the feet of many users. That is, the
stiffness does not allow a boot to conform closely to the shape of
a particular user's foot. For example, while a proper fit may be
obtained in the heel and the length of the boot, a particular
user's low arch may present problems obtaining a completely proper
fit because the stiff shell prevents the boot from being tightened
down upon the midfoot/arch region. This problem has its origin in
the fact that, to be cost effective in the use of a stiff shell,
manufacturers must manufacture them so that each shell fits a
certain prescribed range of foot sizes. Obviously, some feet,
particularly those at the upper end of a particular size range, may
fit a particular boot better than others. Feet vary enough
individually, however, that even larger feet in a particular size
range may not achieve the desired fit because the stiffness of the
material prevents a close conformance to the foot from being
secured in the desired regions.
Because shell stiffness prevents a tight fit from being
readily obtained, there is "slippage" in the boot; that is, the
stiffness allows for motion of the foot relative to the footwear
shell as well as internal motion of the various and plentiful foot
'
'
.' ' ' ,
Patent
2~6~4~ ON 46915
bones relative to each other, particularly in the midfoot region.
"Midfoot" in this context includes the cuneiform, cuboid,
navicular, and metatarsal bones, and the related tissue areas. In
ordinary terminology, the area oî the midfoot extends generally
from the an~le forward to the toes.
The relative motions in the mid-foot can produce user
discomfort as well as an energy loss and a consequent reduction in
muscular efficiency. These motions could be eliminated by
individually molding shells around a foot to completely personalize
1~ the fit of a boot. Such a boot would not be cost e~fective for the
mass mar~et, however. Thus a market need exists to provide an
activity boot comprising a substantlally stiff, synthetic material
that provides the additional ankle support needed by the majority
of users and a better fit across the spectrum of users of a
15 particular size of boot. Such a boot must be flexible enough to
suit the variability of the human foot and still provide the
stiffness in those shell areas where usage creates large forces.
These shell areas include the sole, the heel, the ankle, and the
lateral bone of the mid-foot. Flexibility should be provided in
the side and top of the mid-foot area to hold the foot down against
the inner sole by enabling the boot to be cinched up around the
varying foot heights and widths in this area. Better fitting foot
wear would provide additional comfort, reduce relative motion
between the boot and the foot, thereby transferring more energy
; : .. . . ..
. .
- - ' -:
'
20~GO~ Patent
into motion and thereby reducing user fatigue, provide a usar with
better overall balance, and provide a user with better overall
control over the position of the footwear.
OBJECTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
It is a principle object of the present invention to provide
a new and improved activity boot that is not subject to the
foregoing disadvantages. -
It is another object of the present invention to provide a
better fitting activity boot for use on in-line roller-skates, ice-
skates, ski boots, and the like.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a
better fitting activity boot that provides a user with greater
control, that is more comfortable to the user, and that is less
fatiguing to the user.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention provides an activity boot having an
improved fit and a method of manufacturing the same. ~he boot
includes a substantially stiff shell having an upper shell portion
including a mid-foot section. The mid-foot section includes a
plurality of elongated apertures, each aperture having a
longitudinal axis oriented along a line extending between the boot
closure means and the sole of the boot. In a preferred embodiment
each o-f the plurality of apertures is selectively centrally located
in an area defined in part by adjacent closure means.
,~
Patent
ON 46315
Disclosed also is a method of manufacturing such a`boot
comprising the steps of manufacturing tha shell of the boot,
determining the direction of stress forces along a line connecting
the closure means, and cutting a plurality of elongated apertures
in the boot, each of the apertures being orientated such that the
major axis of each aperture lies parallel to the line of greatest
force in the vicinity of the aperture.
These and other objects of the present invention will become
apparent to those sXilled in the art when the following detailed
description of the invention and claims are read in conjunction
with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification
identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure l is a perspective view of an in-line roller-s~ate
including an activity boot embodying the present invention.
Figure 2 shows a perspective view of an activity boot of the
type shown in Figure l.
Figure 3a is a side elevation view of the boot of Figure 2.
Figure 3b shows in a side elevation an alternative ambodiment
of the present invention.
Figure 4 depicts one method of determin.ing the proper location
and orientation of the fitting apertures of the present invention.
20fl~60~Ll Patent
ON 46915
DET~ILl~D DESCRIPTION OF T~IE PRESENT INVENTION
Figure 1 shows an in-line xoller-skate 10 having a boot 16 of
the type in which the present invention may find application. Boot
16 is manufactured from a substantially s1_iff material such as
polyurethane and is mounted to a frame 12 carrying wheels 14a, 14b,
14c, and 14d respectively. As depicted, the skate includes a brake
assembly 18 that may be used by a skater to stop. Frame 12 ~s
attached to boot sole 20 by known attachment means, such as rivets
22. Thus, frame 12 is attached to boot sole 20 with a front sole
plate 24 at a front sole location 26 and with a rear sole plate 28
at a rear sole location 30. Frame 12 rotatably supports wheels
14a, 14b, 14c, and 14d. While the in-line roller-skate shown in
Figure 1 is typical of those commonly found in today's market, a
more complete description o~ an exemplary boot can be found in U.S.
Patent 4,909,523, assigned to the same assignee as the present
invention.
Referring now to Figure 2, boot 16 includes a boot upper 36
integral with sole 20. Boot upper 36 comprises a lower, protective
band 38 extending upwardly from sole 20 and an upper band 40
extending upwardly from band 38 to the top of the boot. Band 38
provides necessary stiffness and resistance to lateral bending in
the lower portion of boot 16. Band 38 is the area most subject to
stresses arising from the use of boot 16 on an in-line roller skate
' :
; ' , ~
204604~ Patent
o~ 46915
or the like. Additionally, it protects the foot from damaging
; impacts due to falls.
Upper band 40 includes a mid-foot section 42 and an ankle
supporting cuff section 44. Support section 44 is a separate piece
5of material of the same type forming boot 16. Supporting section
44 is pivotally attached to the boot at a pivot 46 disposed
approximately ankle high near the front side of the boot. Midloot
section 42 extends forward from supporting section 44 to the front
of boot 16.
10Boot 16 includes a foot insertion opening is disposed at the
top 47 of the boot. A closure opening 49 extends from foot
insertion opening 45 forwardly to a boot toe 52. Closure opening
49 facilitates insertion and removal of a foot into and out of boot
16 and defines a left side 51 and a right side 53 of boot 16. Boot
1516 includes means for closure such as lace eyelets 58 and bosses 60
whereby boot 16 may be laced tightly around a foot. Other closure
means such as buckles, are known in the art and are equally
functional on a boot employing ths present invention though they
form no part thereof. The lower protective band 38 includes a heel
20portion 48, an arch 50, and a boot toe 52.
Referring now to Figure 3a boot 16 has a plurality of similar,
but not necessarily identical, elongated fitting apertures 70a-70f
formed in the mid-foot region of the boot. Each of the apertures
includes a pair of sides 74 and 76 that symmetrically diverge from
- .
. ~ .
~: : : ; . :
, . :
~ ' ~
~ .: .
': : ~ . ~ .:
;~0~60~ PateTlt
~N 46915
a longitudinal axis 72 of the aperture from the bottom of the foot
towards the closure means. Sides 74 and 76 are joined at their
closast confluence by a lower corner 80 and at their point of
widest divergence by an upper corner 78. Preferably corners 78 and
580 approximate semi-circles wherein upper corner 78 has a diameter
Ud and lower corner 80 has a diameter Ld. The ratio of Ld to Ud
generally should be no greater than 3 to 4.
More generally, each aperture is defined in part by a pair of
lateral sides 74 and 76, each lateral side 74, 76 having top ends
1075, and 77 respectively and bottoms end 79 and 81 respectively.
Bottom ends 79 and 81 are spaced a distance Ld apart while top ends
75 and 77 are spaced a distance Ud apart, where L~ < Ud. ~ateral
sides 74 and 76 are connected by a top side 78 joining top ends 75
and 77 respectively. A bottom side 80 joins bottom ends 79 and 81
15of lateral sides 74, 76 respectively. Top and bottom sides 78 and
80 preferably have a curved confiyuration. Such a curved
configuration need not be of a circular nature but could also be
any curve that provides the upper and lower corners with rounded
rather than angled corners.
20Apertures 70a-70f are shown having the same basic geometrical
shape, but of differing size. It is easily observed that aperture
70a is sliyhtly longer than aperture 70b, that aperture 70b is
slightly longer than aperture 70c, an so on. While the lengths of
-
'
Patent
ON 4~915
the apertures grow shorter from rear to front, the distances Ud and
Ld remain substantially equal from aperture to aperture.
Fitting apertures such as those shown in Figures 3a and 3b are
preferred over other configurations because the limi~ed number of
symmetry axles thereof provides directional properties. Thus,
flexibility can be provided in desired directions rather than in
all directions. Additionally, it is preferred that the fitting
apertures are oriented with their longitudinal axis directed
substantially parallel to the stress forces created within the boot
by the closure means, rather than at an angle thereto to reduce the
likelihood of material failure.
The presence of apertures 70a-70f decreases the overall
stiffness of the material forming boot 16 in the mid-foot region,
thereby providing a tighter fit around the bones of the mid-foot.
That is, removal of the boot material in the locations of the
various apertures enables the boot to flex more readily in the
vicinity of each of the apertures. Each individual aperture then
provides a localized area of extra pliancy in the area surrounding
it as well as increases the overall flexibility in the mid-foot
region. This additional flexure enables a boot user to close a
boot more tightly in this region, thereby restraining both the
relative amount of motion hetween the boot and the foot as well as
between the bones of the mid-foot. While laces are the most
commonly used kind of closure means, buckles further enable a user
- : -
.~ '
2[)~6~
Patent
ON 46915
to obtain a tight but comfortable fit since each buckle is
typically capable of being individually and locally adjusted
whereas laces ultimately draw with a uniform tightness across the
entire foot.
5Thus, with apertures 70 located as shown in Figure 3a closure
means such as lacing through eyelets 58 or buckles (not shown) may
be more tightly drawn, thereby more closely confining individual
feet and hence reducing the amount of relative mOtiQn between both
the foot and the boot and the bones of the mid foot region with
10themselves. Because less energy is lost due to the relative
motions just listed, additional energy is transmitted to the ground
during push-off, the user can skate further and faster for the
expenditure of the same amount of energy, the user is better able
to control the position of his footwear, and in addition, the user
15is provided with better balance. Finally, a boot such as that
depicted in Figure 3a provides a user with a more comfortable fit.
An alternative embodiment of the present invention is shown in
Figure 3b. Contrasting Figures 3a and 3b, it can be seen that each
aperture 70 of Figure 3a is positioned such that its longitudinal
20axis substantially bisects a chord drawn between adjacent enclosure
means, in this case eyelets 58. In Figure 3b however apertures
71a-71f of boot 16a are disposed such that each longitudinal axis
of an aperture is aligned with the center of an eyelet 58. In all
other respects, apertures 71a-71f are similar to apertures 70a-70f.
,~ 11 -.'`
2~0~ Patent
ON 46915
The positioning of the apertures shown in Figure 3b, however, is
not preferred since that particular embodiment results in greater
stresses within the boot than the preferrecl embodiment shown in
Figure 3a.
As noted previously, while the aperture!s shown in Figures 3a
and 3b are shown having curved upper and lower corners, the present
invention contemplates the use of corners of other configuration.
The use of curved corners, particularly those having a
substantially semi-circular configuration, is preferred because
boot crac~ing and failure modes are reduced. Thus while other
shapes may be employed and fall within the scope of the present
invention, such other shapes may increase the likelihood of boot
cracking and de~erioration.
Each boot aperture is configured such that a larger amount of
material is removed from the uppermost portion of the aperture.
Thus, as shown in Figures 3a and 3b, each apertures tapers from a
wider top portion to a narrower bottom portion. Across the length
of the boot, then, from front to back, progressively lesser
material is removed from boot 16 as one progresses from the top of
the boot toward the sole area. Because flexibility is related to
that amount of boot material present in a particular area, this
particular configuration of the apertures retains the rigidity
needed in the sole area of the boot to firmly hold the foot while
allowing flexibility at the top of the boot such that it may be
, - ,
.. ,
: .
;
o~ l
Patent
ON 46915
closely fitted over the top of the foot. Utilization of slots
having a larger width results in more flexible boots than those
boots which have slots of a relatively narrow width. The present
invention contemplates varying the slot widths from top to bottom
to achieve the desired flexibllity and stiffness characteristics
for the particular use in which the boot is found. Care must be
taken to avoid making the fitting apertures too large or having too
many since that would reduce the lateral support that the boot is
intended to provide. Furthermore, apertures which are too small or
too few in number will not provide the desired flexibility to
enable a boot to bee closely conformed to a userls foot.
Preferably, the number of fitting apertures should not exceed n+l,
where n is equal to the number of closure means, i.e., lace eyelets
or buckles.
The size of the apertures will naturally vary with the size of
boot upon which they are placed also, and, therefore, precise
measurements for a particular boot cannot be given. By way of
example, it has been found that the diameter of the upper corner of
a size 13 boot should not exceed 1/2 inch while the diameter of the
lower corner of the same size boot should be not larger than 3/8
inch.
Figure 4 represents in a side view a relative po~itioning of
the eyelets shown in Figures 3a and 3b and depicts a method of
determining the proper orientation of the apertures relative to the
13
~rf,
2 ~ ~ ~ 0~ Patent
ON 46915
boot shown in Figures 3a and 3b. First, a curved line 82 is drawn
through the center of the closure means, here eyelets 58. Second,
a tangent line 34 to curved line 82 is drawn through a point below
which an aperture is to be located. An orientation line 86 is then
drawn perpendicular to tangent line 84 through the same point. A
properly oriented aperture 88 will have its major or longitudinal
axis 89 lying substantially coincident with orientation line 86.
An improperly oriented aperture 90 will have its major axis 91
lying at an angle to orientation line 86. Slight angular
deviations from perfect colinearity are within the scope of the
invention, although such deviations can alter the useful life of
the boot.
The apertures shown have been selectively located in the mid-
foot region of boot 16 only. Because boot flexibility increases
with the proper placement and number of fitting apertures, a
distribution of apertures is not recommended in the areas
immediately adjacent the sole 20 of the boot, such as lower
protective band 38. The boot must remain stiff in this area in
order to support the roller means or skating blade attached to the
sole. Furthermore, the boot must also be stiff at the base and
sides of the heel portion 48 so that the rear portion of the user's
foot does not slip within the boot. In general terms then, adding
apertures in lower portion 38 is not advisable since that results
in reduced stiffness where stiffness is desirable. In addition, it
14
':. ' ' -' .
.
'
Z0~60~1 ON 46915
would be unwise to place apertures in the ankle support portion 44
since the increased ~lexibility that would result would reduce the
ankle support most users find both necessary and comfortable.
While the present invention has been described in relation to
a boot useful in an in-line roller-skating application, it could
also find application in other kinds of activity boots using a
sub~tantially stiff shell to provide additional ankle support and
wherein a tight fit is desirable. Furthermore, while a prefarred
embodiment of the shape of the apertures of the present invention
has been described, apertures having configurations and which are
located along the mid-foot region near the closure means are also
within the scope of the present invention.
As described, the apertures of the present invention will
provide an activity boot having improved flexibility, improved
performance, greater user comfort, and will conform better to the
individual foot. In addition, the presence of the apertures
results in a lighter boot due to removal of the shell material
formed the apertures with little or no extra manufacturing costs.
This weight reduction further results in an improvement in
performance and user efficiency and comfort over and above that
provided by the better ~itting boot that results from the addition
of the apertures thereto. Further all o~ these salutary goals can
be accomplished without a reduction in ankle support that the
beginner and even experienced users find necessary or help~ul in
:
Z O~ ~ ~4~ Patent
ON 4~915
performing certain activities. It is within the scope of the
present invention, however, that the present invention may also
find application on an activity boot excluding ankle supporting
cuff portion 44, thereby providing desirable flexibility in stiff
shell footwear formed for activities where ankle support is not as
necessary as it is in in-line roller skating.
Having thus described the present invention, additional
numerous changes, substitutions, modifications and alterations may
now suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, all of which
fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Accordingly, it is intended that the invention be limited only by
the scope of the appended claims.
What is claimed is:
.
~:' ,,
.
