2. DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART Presently, ski boots for alpine skiing are generally of a construction having a rigid plastic upper and a rigid boot sole. This construction is preferred for several reasons.

For alpine skiing boots, it is believed that a rigid boot sole is advantageous when used with contemporary quick-release bindings, particularly bindings of the type that engage an extension of the toe end of the rigid sole and an extension of the heel end of the rigid sole. Quick-release bindings generally have spring loaded mechanisms that allow a user to easily attach a ski by placing the extension of the toe end of a booted foot into a front part of the automatic binding and then stepping down on the boot heel to engage the extension of the heel end of the boot in a rear part of the binding to lock the boot to the ski in a clamping engagement. The boot is easily releasable from the binding by a trigger mechanism selectively activated by the user with a pole or an opposite foot. Generally, the quick-release bindings are also adapted to release the rigid boot sole automatically at a predetermined setting in extraordinary loading situations, such as during an unplanned or accidental fall, allowing the skier's booted foot to separate from the ski, thus reducing the risk of the ski causing injury to the skier.

The binding firmly clamps the rigid boot sole to the ski, so that, under ordinary skiing conditions, the ski boot, and thus the skier's foot inside the ski boot are held firmly with respect to the ski attached to the binding. The firm hold of the skier's foot with respect to the ski is essential to facilitate the skier's ability to control the orientation of the skis with respect to the surface being traversed, e. g., mountain slopes, and thereby, to safely control the direction and speed of travel on those surfaces.

In alpine skiing, rigid uppers are preferred because they are known to prevent the foot and ankle injuries common to skiers using an earlier style of boot and binding, namely leather boots with flexible uppers received in fixed non-automatic bindings. In an accident, the earlier style of boot and binding afforded little or no support or protection to foot and ankle bones against twisting into unnatural positions due to the lever arm effect of a long ski unyieldingly attached to the foot. Thus, these bones were susceptible to injury or breakage. Rigid uppers substantially eliminate the likelihood of injury to the foot or ankle. These uppers generally extend well above the ankle and are adapted to be tightly fastened about the foot and ankle to restrict movement of the foot and flexibility of the ankle with respect to the ski and the lower leg.

By restricting movement of the foot and flexibility of the ankle with respect to the lower leg, rigid uppers combined with rigid soles are also known to provide a rigid link-up between a skier's foot and leg, which allows the skier to properly shift and direct body weight to the skis and to effect greater control of the orientation and direction of the skis. Turning, which determines both the speed and direction of travel, is easier with rigid uppers and rigid soles. Skis have substantially parallel sides that cause the skis to travel in a straight line, and resist turning. To overcome this bias towards straight line travel, skis generally require a weight shift towards the front of the ski (i. e.,"forward loading") to bend a forward part of the ski sufficiently to induce the ski to carve a turn in the desired direction. It is believed that rigid uppers combined with rigid soles better accomplish this forward loading by restricting movement of the foot and ankle relative to the lower leg, and by holding the foot such that it is pitched or angled forward slightly causing the skier to assume a

posture with knees slightly bent. Thus, boots with rigid soles and rigid uppers exhibit several advantages preferred by alpine skiers.

Boots with rigid uppers and rigid soles also have a significant disadvantage in that they are cumbersome and difficult to walk in when released from the skis. While skiing, a skier wearing a pair of boots each with a rigid sole and rigid upper has significantly enhanced control and maneuverability due to the rigid construction of the boots which firmly position the foot with respect to the ski.

However, once released from the skis, the mobility and maneuverability of the wearer is severely handicapped by the rigid upper and the rigid sole. Maneuvering about a ski area with the skis removed from the boots, such as, for example, maneuvering in the ski lodge, or to and from a locker or a vehicle, requires extra effort and agility on the part of the wearer. Because the toes are not free to flex with respect to the rest of the foot, and because the foot is not free to flex with respect to the leg, the rigid upper and the rigid sole make walking on level, dry surfaces difficult, while traversing slopes and staircases is particularly hazardous. The slippery conditions caused by ice, melting snow and mud commonly found both outside and inside ski facilities compound the maneuverability problems associated with walking in ski boots having rigid uppers and rigid soles, and may result in falls and injuries. It is not uncommon to see skiers of various ages and skill levels flailing their arms in an attempt to regain their balance off the skis because ski boots with rigid uppers and rigid soles do not permit movement of the toes, foot and ankle in a natural manner.

U. S. Patent Nos. 5,026,087,5,020,822 and 4,880,251, all to Wulf et al., disclose a ski boot having a boot upper, i. e., a foot shell formed of two rigid segments attached to a sole. The segments of the foot shell overlap in sliding engagement so that a living hinge is created in the integral sole at approximately the location of the ball of the foot within the boot. To make the sole rigid for use on a ski, the fulcruming of the living hinge is eliminated by locking the overlapping segments of the foot shell together, thus forming what is essentially a rigid upper from the two segments. The sole therefore derives its rigidity from the foot shell. In addition, the boot disclosed by Wulf et al., is attached to a ski by way of a binding connected to a rear portion of the sole only, i. e., the boot is not attached by a toe end of the sole, thus

shortening the length of the portion of the sole attached in the binding and correspondingly reducing the lever arm advantage of the sole in turning the ski.

U. S. Patent No. 5,572,806 to Osawa discloses a flexible ski boot with an upper having a flexible portion behind the toe and a sole having a rigid toe portion connected by a hinge to a rigid heel portion. When the boot is received in a binding, a mechanism incorporated in the sole is activated to extend a bar-like member from a clearance in the toe portion into a hole in the heel portion to lock the toe portion of the sole in alignment with the heel portion of the sole. However, the disclosure indicates that even when the boot is attached to a ski, the boot upper has a degree of flexibility when the ski is subjected to stresses. Since the boot upper is connected to the ski by way of the sole, this would imply that the sole also has a degree of flexibility when attached to the ski. In the disclosure, this is viewed as an advantage because the boot upper is less susceptible to cracking when the ski is on uneven surfaces. However, while a boot with an upper or sole having a small degree of flexibility may be suitable for typical recreational use, it would almost certainly be unsuitable for competitive or extreme recreational use where precise control of the ski is essential. The disclosure also does not address an arrangement typical of contemporary boot and binding combinations, i. e., bindings having a toe pad and heel pad that elevate the bottom surface of the boot sole from the top surface of the ski such that the middle portion of the sole is unsupported.

For a one piece rigid sole, an unsupported middle portion is not a problem. However, with a hinged two-part sole, the unsupported middle portion of the sole tends to flex toward the top surface of the ski, which could in turn cause premature or undesired release of the boot from the binding.

Accordingly, it was previously thought that, in order to properly interact with an alpine ski binding that engages the toe end and the heel end of a sole, for entry and release manually or automatically, a boot sole must be completely rigid from heel to toe; and in order to provide the stiff up-link between a skier's foot and leg preferred for proper control of a ski while skiing, a boot upper and boot sole combination must be substantially rigid from heel to toe and from sole to ankle cuff.

Thus, there is a need for an alpine ski boot that will properly interact with a ski binding that engages a toe end and a heel end of a sole, that provides a rigid

up-link from the skier's foot to the skier's leg, while facilitating comfort, mobility and maneuverability not only on the ski but off the ski as well.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The articulated boot according to the present invention has a segmented boot upper attached to a two part rigid sole. The sole comprises a rigid first portion corresponding to the toe part of a foot, and a rigid second portion corresponding generally to the arch and heel parts of a foot. The first portion is hinged to the second portion at approximately the location of the ball of the foot within the boot. The boot upper has a rigid toe portion connected to the first portion of the sole, and a rigid heel portion connected to the second portion of the sole. A wedge-shaped gap is provided between the toe portion and heel portion of the upper to permit the first portion of the sole to pivot with respect to the second portion. The boot is provided with a stop means such that one portion of the hinged sole may pivot above a plane passing through the other portion, but may not pivot below that plane. When the hinged sole is received in an alpine ski binding which engages an extension of the heel and an extension of the toe of the boot, the two segments are aligned in a single plane and behave as if the sole were a unitary, rigid member. The articulated boot of the present invention takes advantage of the sectional rigid upper and the sectional rigid sole to provide improvements to alpine ski boots in comfort and in maneuverability, without sacrificing on-ski performance. The primary purpose of the boot according to the invention is for use with skis, but it could alternatively be used in conjunction with other sports gear for which it may be desirable to have a rigid segmented sole and a rigid segmented upper with a wedge-shaped gap, such as, for example, snowboards, in-line skates, bicycles, etc.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side view of the articulated alpine ski boot of the present invention secured in an automatic alpine ski binding mounted on a ski.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the alpine ski boot with a weather membrane

removed to show a wedge-shaped gap between the toe portion and heel portion of the upper.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the alpine ski boot showing the removal of a wedge-shape section from the upper.

FIG. 4 is a side view the boot with the heel portion of the sole positioned level and the toe portion of the sole pivoted up.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the boot showing a flexible strap connecting the toe portion of the upper to the heel portion.

FIG. 6 is a partial side view of the boot upper illustrated in Fig. 5 showing the toe portion pivoted above a plane passing than the heel portion.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the hinge.

FIG. 8 is a side view of the hinge illustrated in Fig. 7, with opposite hinge plates in generally the same plane.

FIG 9 is a side view of the hinge illustrated in Figs. 7-8 with one hinge plate angled with respect to the other.

FIG. 10 is a side view of the boot with the two sole portions in one plane and showing an alternative embodiment of the stop means.

FIG. 11 is a view of the boot illustrated in Fig. 10 showing the toe portion flexed relative to the heel portion.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along sectional-line 12-12 in Fig. 10.

FIG. 13 is a side view of an articulated boot showing how the sole section would relatively flex if there were no stop means.

Fig. 14 is a partial partly schematic cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the sole showing an automatically extendable spacer member retracted.

Fig. 15 is a partial partly schematic cross-sectional view of the sole of Fig. 14 with the spacer member extended.

Fig. 16 is a partial partly schematic cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the boot and sole showing a manually operable spacer member extended.

Fig. 17 is a partial side view of of the boot and sole of Fig. 16 showing the manually operable spacer member retracted.

Fig. 18 is a partial side view of of the boot and sole of Fig. 16 showing the manually operable spacer member extended.

Fig. 19 is a side view of the articulated alpine ski boot of the present invention secured in an automatic alpine ski binding mounted on a ski with a two piece spacer member supporting the sole.

Fig. 20 is a side view of the articulated alpine ski boot of the present invention secured in an automatic alpine ski binding mounted on a ski on"racer"type risers.

Fig. 21 is a perspective exploded view of another embodiment of the spacer member.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION An articulated alpine ski boot according to the invention is shown generally at 2 in drawing Figure 1. The boot has a front end 89 and a rear end 93.

The boot 2 is shown attached to a typical alpine ski 101 (partially shown), the ski having a top surface 106, a bottom surface 107 and opposite sides 108. The boot 2 is attached to the ski 101 by way of a conventional representative alpine ski binding mounted on the top surface 106 of the ski 101. The conventional representative binding has a toe binding 102 adapted to receive a part of the toe end 89 of the boot, and a heel binding 103 adapted to receive a part of the heel end 93 of the boot. The conventional binding also typically has a toe pad or riser 109 supporting the toe end of the boot and a heel pad or riser 111 supporting the heel end of the boot such that a portion of the boot sole between the toe end and the heel end is spaced above the top surface 106 of the ski, thus forming an air gap 115 between the bottom surface of the sole and the top surface of the ski in that sole portion. Although the binding shown is a two part binding with separate front and rear parts, it will be understood that other types of bindings would also be suitable for use with the boot of the invention, so long as the binding receives and engages a part of the toe end of the boot and a part of the heel end of the boot as described in greater detail below. The binding has a binding release lever 104, and a release member 105. Generally, the release member 105

pivots upwardly or laterally outwardly to effect release of the boot 2 from the binding in response to the user selectively actuating the release lever 104. Alternatively, the release member 105 effects release of the boot 2 automatically in response to an extreme loading situation, such as, for example, when a skier unintentionally falls or encounters a non-traversable object or surface.

As used herein, forward or front indicates a position or orientation closer to the toe of the boot, and forwardly indicates a direction towards the toe of the boot.

Conversely, rear or behind indicates a position or orientation closer to the heel of the boot, and rearwardly indicates a direction towards the heel of the boot. Top, up, upwardly, bottom, down, downwardly and all other terms not specifically defined will each take on the definition ascribed in their respective conventional usage unless otherwise indicated herein.

Referring to Figs. 1-6 and 10-13, the boot 2 has a sole 10 with a toe end 96 and a heel end 97. A toe binding plate 48 dimensioned to be received in the toe binding 102 extends from the toe end 96. A heel binding plate 54 dimensioned to be received in the heel binding 103 extends from the heel end 97.

The sole 10 has a rigid first sole portion 12 extending from the toe end 96 rearwardly to a rear pivot end 15. The sole 10 has a rigid second sole portion 14 extending forwardly from the heel end 97 to a front pivot end 17 of the second sole portion 14. The front pivot end 17 is positioned adjacent to and aligned with the rear pivot end 15 of the first sole portion.

A flexible connector, preferably in the form of a hinge 52 (see Figs.

2-11), is preferably concealed under a waterproof membrane 118 (Fig. 1) and connects the rear pivot end 15 of the first sole portion 12 to the front pivot end 17 of the second sole portion 14 approximately at a point along the sole 10 corresponding to a point at which the toes of a foot received in the boot would flex upwardly relative to the rest of the foot, i. e., approximately where the ball of the foot would be positioned in the boot. The first sole portion 12 is connected to the second sole portion 14 by the hinge 52 such that when the boot 2 is captured in a ski binding of the general type described above, i. e., with a part of the first sole portion 12 received in a toe binding and a part of the second sole portion 14 received in a heel binding, the first sole portion 12 is

firmly held in planar alignment with the second sole portion 14 to form a continuous rigid sole 10. The first sole portion 12 is also connected to the second sole portion 14 by the hinge 52 such that, when the boot is released from the binding, the first sole portion 12 can pivot relative to the second sole portion 14 to tilt the toe end 96 of the sole 10 above a plane drawn through the second sole portion 14 as seen in Fig. 4.

Although in the preferred embodiment described herein, the boot is received in a representative binding by way of binding plates 48,54 extending longitudinally from the sole 10, it will be understood that other structural arrangements are contemplated which do not depart from the spirit of the invention. In other words, other structural arrangements could be substituted for one or both binding plates 48,54 to engage the boot 2 in a binding. For example, one or both binding plates could be replaced with a member extending in any suitable direction so long as it is of a size and strength such that the first sole portion 12 is firmly held in planar alignment with the second sole portion 14 when the boot is engaged in the binding. Similarly, one or both binding plates 48,54 could be replaced with bores, grooves or recesses adapted to engage a boot in a binding.

As can best be seen in FIG. 2, the hinge 52 is recessed into the sole 10 to minimize the profile of the hinge 52 in the sole construction, to protect the hinge 52 from wear and abrasion and to prevent the hinge 52 from interfering with the wearing surface 62 of the sole 10.

The flexible attachment or hinge 52 between the sole portions 12,14 is preferably a conventional hinge such as, for example, a butt hinge, piano hinge or pin hinge. Other types of flexible connection are contemplated, such as, for example, a flexible cord or cable, a flexible sheet material, a flexible web, a fabric, a membrane, etc. Thus, the flexible connector or hinge 52 can be any construction of suitable strength and dimension to permit the first sole portion to pivot with respect to the second sole portion, and of suitable strength and dimension to permit the first sole portion and second sole portion to be firmly held in planar alignment when the sole is captured in a ski binding as described above. Alternatively, the flexible attachment can be a living hinge, butt hinge, piano hinge or pin hinge formed integrally with and from the materials of the sole portions 12,14.

As best shown in Figs. 2 and 7-9, the hinge 52 is preferably a butt hinge comprised of a first hinge plate 87 adapted to be attached to the first sole portion 12 and a second hinge plate 88 adapted to be attached to the second sole portion 14.

Apertures 85 are provided in each hinge plate to accommodate fasteners such as screws or rivets 81 (Fig. 2) for attaching the hinge plates 87 and 88 to the respective sole portion 12 and 14. Each hinge plate also has lugs 83 oppositely arranged to cooperate in a closely spaced, interposed arrangement. A pin 84 passes through a bore 91 in the lugs 87 (Figs. 7-9).

The boot upper 4 shown in Figs. 1-6 and 10-13 generally has an upwardly directed leg opening 5 defined by a cuff 6 adapted to accommodate entry of the foot into the boot 2. The boot upper 4 is dimensioned to define a foot chamber for receiving a users foot. The boot upper 4 has two main parts, a toe upper portion 9 corresponding to a portion of the boot 2 that would receive the toes of a user's foot, and a heel upper portion 8, defined herein as substantially all of the side, top, and rear walls of the upper behind the toe upper portion 9. Thus, as defined herein, the heel upper portion 8 comprises a substantial part of the sides and rear of the boot upper 4, extending from the heel end 97 of the boot forward towards the toe upper portion 9, and extending upwardly from the sole 10 substantially to the top of the boot 2 to form at least a rear part of the cuff 6 of the boot. The heel upper portion 8 is adapted to substantially enclose the heel, the ankle and the mid part of a wearer's foot, when the foot is positioned in the boot. The toe upper portion 9 and heel upper portion 8 are shaped and sized to closely receive a wearer's foot, and are substantially rigid to firmly seat the wearer's foot in the foot chamber, such that transmission of leverage or loading forces from the wearer's foot and lower leg to the ski attached to the boot is facilitated.

A shin plate 7 forms a front side of the boot cuff 6. The shin plate 7 is pivotally mounted on the heel upper portion 8 and is adapted to move from a first position wherein the cuff 6 is open to accommodate passage of the foot into the foot chamber, to a second position wherein the cuff 6 is closed and clamped about the wearer's lower leg. Clamping of the shin plate 7 in the second position is effected by known fastening means, such as, for example, a ratchet strap system 71 having a strap 68 and ratchet buckle 70. When clamped on the user's foot, the substantially rigid boot upper 4, with

the rigid toe upper portion 9 and rigid heel upper portion 8, provides excellent lateral support and stability and facilitates control of the orientation of a ski attached to the boot.

The toe upper portion 9 of the boot upper 4 is supported on and secured to the first sole portion 12, and is thus dimensioned accordingly. Similarly, the heel upper portion 8 of the boot upper 4 is supported on and secured to the second sole portion 14, and is dimensioned accordingly.

The toe upper portion 9 and the heel upper portion 8 of the boot upper 4 are separated by a clearance 53 (see Figs. 2-6) defined between a rear end of the toe portion 9 and a front end of the heel portion 8. The clearance 53 permits the first sole portion 12 to pivot with respect to the second sole portion 14. The clearance 53 is preferably wedge-shaped. A narrow end of the clearance 53 is directed downwardly to be adjacent to and in alignment with the hinge 52 on the sole 10, and a wide end of the gap is directed upwardly to be positioned at a top side of the boot upper 4 opposite the sole 10. The narrow end of the clearance 53 may extend into the top side of the sole 10, as can best be seen in Fig. 3. The clearance 53 is aligned with the hinge 52 and dimensioned such that when the boot 2 is free of the ski binding, the first sole portion 12 is permitted to pivot with respect to the second sole portion 14, and thus the toe upper portion 9 of the boot upper 4 correspondingly pivots with respect to the heel upper portion 8 of the boot upper 4. With this arrangement, the toe end 89 of the boot pivots relative to the heel end 93 of the boot, making the boot more comfortable for walking once released from the ski binding.

Fig. 3 illustrates one possible method for providing the gap 53 to a boot having a rigid boot upper 4. A wedge-shaped slice 57 is shown removed from the wedge shaped clearance 53. Although Fig. 3 is provided primarily as illustrative of the clearance 53, it is also illustrative of a possible method of manufacturing new boots according to the present invention, or a method of retrofitting existing boot constructions to arrive at the present invention. In either case, the both front entry and rear entry boots can be newly manufactured or retro-fitted to have a flexible toe according to the present invention.

With the sole 10 articulated about the hinge 52, and the clearance 53

provided to the boot upper 4, the first sole portion 12 supporting the toe portion 9 of the boot upper 4 may pivot freely above and below a plane 77 (indicated by broken lines in Figs. 2,4 and 13) drawn through the second sole portion 14. As illustrated in Fig. 13, if the first sole portion 12 pivots below planar alignment with the second sole portion 14, i. e., below plane 77, opposite ends of sole 10 would fold downwardly relative to the hinge and could allow the boot 2 to pull free from the binding, causing the unanticipated release of the ski from the boot. Clearly such unanticipated release is undesirable when traversing a mountain slope.

Accordingly, to ensure that the boot remains secured in the ski binding, means are provided to prevent the first sole portion 12 from pivoting below planar alignment with the second sole portion 14, i. e., below the plane 77. The means may be provided, for example, to the sole 10 or the hinge 52 in the form of a stop member 80 (Fig. 7-9) that limits pivotal movement of the first sole portion 12 with respect second sole portion 14. In the example shown in Figs. 7-9, the member 80 extends in planar alignment from hinge plate 88 to a position below and in abutting engagement with hinge plate 87 when hinge plate 87 is in planar alignment with hinge plate 88 (Fig.

8). Thus, hinge plate 87 can freely pivot above the planar alignment, i. e., plane 77 (Fig. 9), but is prevented from pivoting below the planar alignment (Fig. 8). The equivalent effect would be realized if a stop member 180 (Fig. 4), similar to stop member 80, were provided to the second sole portion 14 at a point adjacent to the hinge 52.

Alternatively, the stop means may be provided to the boot upper 4 in the form of a rigid or flexible member that limits the movement of the toe portion 9 with respect to the heel portion 8. For example, a flexible strap 280 (Figs. 5 and 6) may be provided across the gap 53 to connect the toe upper portion 9 to the heel upper portion 8 such that pivotal movement of the first sole portion 12 below planar alignment with the second sole portion 14 (Fig. 5), i. e., below plane 77, is prevented. The strap could alternatively be rigid or semi-rigid, and have one or both of the ends connected slidably to the upper to permit pivoting of the toe end above the plane 77 to facilitate comfort when walking without the ski, the slidable connection adapted to prevent pivoting of the toe end below the plane 77. In Fig. 6, the strap 280 is illustrated as flexible and,

because the first sole portion 12 is pivoted above planar alignment with the second sole portion 14, the strap 280 is folded upwardly.

In the preferred embodiment shown in Figs. 10-11, the stop means comprises a rod, or rod-like stop member 380 connecting the toe upper portion 9 and the heel upper portion 8 of the boot upper 4. The stop member 380 is connected to the toe upper portion 9 by securing a front end 384 in a front mounting lug 388 extending laterally from a surface of the toe upper portion 9. The front end 384 can be connected to the toe upper portion 9 by, for example, securing it in an aperture in the lug 388 by welding, or by deforming one or both of the front end 384 and the lug 388, or by any other means. In Figs. 10-11, the front end 384 has an expanded head 390 with a dimension larger than the aperture in the lug 388 through which the front end 384 of rod 380 passes. The head 390 is provided by deforming the front end 384 or is provided as a separate fastening component secured to the front end 384. The larger dimension of the head 390 prevents the end 384 from withdrawing rearwardly through the aperture in the lug.

An opposite rear end 372 of the stop member 380 is connected to the heel portion 8 of the boot upper 4. The rear end 372 is secured to a rear mounting lug 374 by slidably supporting the rear end 372 in an aperture in the lug 374. An expanded head 376 is provided on the rear end 372 by, for example, securing a separate head component, or by deforming a portion of the rear end 372. The expanded head 376 is dimensioned to be larger than the aperture in the lug 374, and thus limits the forward movement of the rear end 372 of the stop member in the aperture in lug 374 to a distance such that the toe portion 8 of the boot cannot pivot below a plane 77 drawn though the second sole portion 14 (Fig. 10). When the toe portion 8 is pivoted above the plane 77 (Fig. 11), the rear end 372 slides rearwardly through the aperture in the lug 374 to a point substantially behind the lug 374.

To conceal the rear end of the stop member 380, the rear end of the stop member is supported in a bore 378, which extends rearwardly from the lug 374. A forward end wall of the bore 378 defines the lug 374. The bore 378 is sufficiently long and has a diameter sufficiently large enough to accommodate the length of the rear end 372 and the diameter of the expanded head 376 when the toe end is pivoted above the

plane 77, i. e., when the rear end 372 of the stop member 380 slides rearwardly through the aperture in the lug 374 in response to upward tilting of the toe end 89.

The stop member 380 is preferably a cable made, for example, of metal, such as steel, or reinforced plastic or nylon. It should be apparent that although the member is disclosed as being flexible, it need not be because at least one end (the rear end 372) of the member is free to slide relative to the boot upper 4.

It will be understood that, although the preferred stop means are described above, numerous other structural arrangements would be suitable to serve the same function in the present invention.

In any case, for reasons of aesthetics, and to limit exposure of the stop means to wear and foreign matter, and to prevent the entry of moisture and foreign matter into the foot chamber, all or part of the stop means is preferably concealed beneath a membrane 118. The membrane 118, preferably pleated, is secured to the toe upper portion 9, the heel upper portion 8 and the sole 10 to seal the gap 53. The membrane 118 is flexible to permit free pivoting movement of the toe portion 9 with respect to the heel portion 8 while preventing moisture and/or foreign matter from entering the foot chamber through the gap 53 or the hinge 52. An extension 119 of the membrane 118 attaches to the sole 10 to cover and to keep the sole hinge 52 clean and sealed. The membrane 118 is attached to the boot by conventional means or methods, such as, for example, by welding, bonding or adhering. The membrane 118, if made of a suitable material, or if reinforced with a suitable strap or cable, could also serve as the stop means. In such a case, the front to back stretchability would need to be restricted to the extent necessary to prevent the first sole portion 12 from pivoting below planar alignment with the second sole portion 14.

Although undesired release of the ski boot from a binding due to downward folding of the ends of the sole 10 as shown in Fig. 13 is a significant concern (particularly when the weight of the ski is supported in mid-air solely by the bindings as, for example, when the skier is seated in a chair lift with skis dangling), generally, when used in recreational skiing, undesired release due to downward movement of the middle of the sole 10 is a lesser concern, even if the binding design is such that an air gap 115 (Fig. 1) is formed below the middle of the sole between the

bottom or wearing surface 62 of boot sole 10 and the top surface 106 of the ski 101 because the boot sole 10 is supported above the top surface 106 of the ski on toe pad 109 and heel pad 111. The clamping forces typically applied to a ski boot by a ski boot binding counteract the tendency of the middle of the sole 10 to move downward, and thus the first sole portion 12 is generally held in planar alignment with the second sole portion 14 such that the sole 10 behaves as if it is one unitary rigid member. However, some recreational bindings may provide insufficient clamping forces to support the two sole portions 12,14 in planar alignment, i. e., allowing the middle portion of the sole to fold downward into the air gap 115. In addition, when used in competitive or "extreme recreational"skiing (e. g., back country skiing, skiing of extreme terrain, stunt skiing, etc.), bindings are subject to user applied forces significantly greater than those typically encountered in conventional recreational skiing. Since the boot 2 would be desirable to competitive and extreme recreational skiers as well as to conventional recreational skiers, one or more spacer members 66 are provided between the wearing surface 62 of the sole 10 and the top surface 106 of the ski 101 at a point proximal to the hinge between the toe binding 102 and the heel binding 103, i. e., in the air gap 115, to prevent downward migration of the hinged middle portion of the sole 10. The spacer member 66 is a block of metal, plastic, wood or other material of suitable strength and dimensions to prevent downward movement of the hinged middle of the sole when the boot is locked in the ski binding. The spacer member 66 may be provided to the wearing surface 62 of the sole 10 such that it is removable for walking when the boot is released from the binding. Alternatively, the spacer member 66 may be permanently or removably fixed to the ski 101. Preferably, the spacer member is positioned directly below the hinge 52 to provide the best support for the sole.

Ski bindings from different manufacturers, or from the same manufacturers but having different purposes, may have support pads or risers 109,111 (Figs. 1,19) with different heights. In addition, there is a recent trend amoung competitive, extreme recreational and recreational skiers to raise the boot even higher off the top surface 106 of the ski by placing"racing"risers 509,511 (Fig. 20) under a conventional binding. The racing risers substantially increase the air gap 115 between the top surface 106 of the ski 101 and the bottom surface of the sole 10. The

"racing"risers are believed to increase lateral leverage of the boot with respect to the ski, thus providing significantly improved handling of the ski in the form of better and quicker response to the skier's foot and leg movements. To better accommodate the variations in riser heights for all types of bindings and risers, the spacer member 66 may be provided for installation in stackable sections having a variety of heights.

Referring now to Fig. 21, preferably, at least one base plate 566 is attached to the top surface 106 of the ski 101 by way of screws 550 countersunk in bores 552. The base plate 566 may of course be secured by other suitable fasteners or means. A height adjuster plate 565 is aligned on top of the base plate 566 and preferably secured by, for example, an adhesive layer 561, to a top surface 563 of the base plate 566. In an installation kit provided with the spacer member 66, the adhesive layer 561 may be pre- applied by the manufacturer to the bottom surface of the adjuster plate 565 and covered with a peel-off protective layer 559. The user merely peels off the protective layer 559 from the adhesive layer 561 and secures the adjuster plate 565 to the base plate 566.

To assist in aligning the adjuster plate 565 on the base plate 566, the base plate 566 is provided with pins 557 in bores 555. Corresponding bores 553 in the adjuster plate 565 receive the pins 557 to align the adjuster plate 565 on the base plate 566 as the adjuster plate 565 is being installed. The pins 557 are sufficiently long to accommodate one or more adjuster plates 565. When the proper height has been achieved by installing the base plate 566 and one or more adjuster plates 565, any portion of the alignment pins 557 extending above the top surface 551 of the topmost adjuster plate 565 can be trimmed off. The pins 557 are preferably made from a stiff plastic or rubber material which can easily be cut with a sharp instrument, such as a knife or chisel.

In a preferred embodiment, the spacer member is L-shaped 466 (Figs 14-16), and is pivotally attached to the sole such that it is movable from a first position in which it is retracted in a downwardly opening cavity 407 in the bottom of the sole, to a second position with a free end extending from the cavity to contact the top surface of the ski. Preferably, a mechanism is provided in the sole to automatically extend the spacer member 66,466 from within the cavity when the sole is captured in the binding, as described in greater detail below.

Referring to Fig. 14, a preferred example of an automatically extending spacer member 466 is shown in a partial cross-sectional view of the sole 10 at the hinge point 403 (the hinge is not shown). The L-shaped spacer member 466 is mounted in a cavity 407 in the first sole portion 12 by way of a pivot 405 having opposite ends supported in the walls of the cavity 407. The spacer member 466 has one leg 406 extending from the pivot 405 into a corresponding cavity extension 409 in the second sole portion 14. In Fig. 14, the spacer member 466 is shown in its fully retracted position, with a free end of leg 406 contained within the cavity extension 409.

However, spacer member 466 could be entirely contained within the cavity 407 in the first sole portion 12. The extension of the spacer member 466 into the cavity extension 409 in the second sole portion 14 is preferred because it places the pivot 405, and correspondingly, the spacer member 466 in its second extended position (described below), close to the hinge point 403. This in turn allows the extended spacer member 466 to be in good position for preventing movement of the middle portion of the sole towards the upper ski surface. The other leg 401 of the spacer member extends perpendicularly from the leg 406 at the pivot 405. The free end of the leg 401 is pivotally connected to a rear end of a drive rod 411 supported in a bore 417 in the first sole portion 12. A rear end of the bore 417 is in communication with the cavity 407 and a front end of the bore opens outwardly from the front edge of the toe binding plate 48. The front end of the drive rod 411 is a plunger 413 that extends from the bore 417 at the front edge of the toe binding plate 48. A compression spring 415 is positioned between an annular shoulder 418 extending outwardly from the drive member 411 and an annular shoulder 416 extending inwardly from the sidewall of the bore 417. The spring 415 is provided to bias the mechanism such that the plunger 413 is fully extended from the bore 417 and the spacer member 466 is held in the fully retracted position. With the spacer member 466 in the fully retracted position in cavity 407, the ski boot wearer can freely walk about without interference or discomfort from the spacer member 466. Additionally, the free end of leg 406 of the spacer member is protected from damage and abrasion while the wearer is walking on non-snow covered surfaces.

Referring to Fig. 15, the automatically extending spacer member 466 is

shown in a partial cross-sectional view of the sole at the hinge point 403 with the sole 10 mounted on the ski 101 in the toe binding 102. When the toe binding plate 48 is engaged in the toe binding 102 on the ski 101, the plunger 413 is fully retracted against the bias of spring 415 to move the drive member 411 rearwardly in the bore 417 against the bias of spring 415. The drive member moves the free end of the leg 401 rearwardly about the pivot 405, which in turn moves the free end of leg 406 of the spacer member downwardly and forwardly about the pivot 405 to its fully extended position so that it engages the surface 106 of the ski 101. As long as the boot remains locked in the binding, the spacer member 466 will remain fully extended, and the middle portion of the sole 10, i. e., the portions of the sole 10 near the hinge point 403, will be prevented from moving towards the surface 106 of the ski 101. Thus, when the ski boot is securely fastened in the binding on the ski, the spacer member 466 is fully extended, and the sole 10 is rigid along its entire length with the first sole portion 12 and second sole portion 14 securely held in planar alignment. Conversely, when the ski boot is released from the ski binding, the spacer member 66 is fully retracted in cavity 407, and the first sole portion 12 is free to pivot with respect to the second sole portion 14 above the planar alignment.

In order to prevent dirt, snow and contaminants from entering the cavity 407 and cavity extension 409, a flexible gasket 467 extends over the downwardly directed opening defined by the cavity 407 and cavity extension 409. The peripheral edges of the gasket 467 are attached to the sole portions 12 and 14 by bonding or other suitable means to create a hermetic seal. The gasket 467 is sufficiently flexible to permit the free end of leg 406 of the spacer member 466 to pivot out of the cavity extension 409 and engage the top surface of the ski. The gasket 467 is provided with sufficient elastic memory such that when the spacer member 466 is fully withdrawn, the gasket 467 is substantially flush with the bottom of the boot sole as shown in Fig.

14 so as not to interfere with the user's ability to walk with the boot released from the ski binding.

A gasket 468 (Fig. 14) is provided to the forward end of bore 417 to similarly seal out dirt, snow and other contaminants that could negatively effect the functioning of the mechanism that automatically extends spacer member 466.

Yet another embodiment of the spacer member is shown by designation 366 in Figs. 16-18. This spacer member is manually retracted into and extended from within cavity 407 and cavity extension 409. Fig 16 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the spacer member 366 with a free end 368 extending from cavity 407, and an opposite end 369 secured to an inner portion 471 of a horizontal shaft 472 which extends from the spacer member 366 through the side of the sole 10. A lever 470 (Figs. 17,18) is secured to the outer end 473 of the shaft externally of the boot. To extend or retract the manually actuated spacer member 366, the lever 470 is correspondingly pivoted by user. Fig. 17 shows the lever 470 in a forward position with the spacer member 366 fully retracted. Fig. 18 shows the lever 470 in a rearward position with the spacer member 366 fully extended.

In Fig. 16, the manually actuated spacer member 366 is shown with yet another feature which could also be provided to spacer member 66, or spacer member 466. The free end 368 of spacer member 366 is provided with an adjustment means 475. The adjustment means allows the length of the spacer member 366 to be adjusted to accommodate bindings having different pad heights. In Fig. 16, the adjustment means is shown to be a threaded member mounted in a corresponding threaded bore in the free end 368 of the spacer member 366. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that any suitable adjustment means may be substituted for the threaded member.

The boot upper is secured to the sole portions 12,14 by suitable fastening means known in the art, such as, for example, screws, rivets, welding, adhesives or other bonding means, or combinations thereof. Means (not shown) may be provided for adjusting the forward angle of the boot upper with respect to the sole 10 to adjust forward loading.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to use with the cuff and closure described herein. The boot upper 4 may be closed and secured to a user's foot by any conventional means, such as, for example, laces, straps with buckles, straps with hook and loop fasteners, buckles, etc. or a combination thereof. In addition, it is not intended that the cuff design and closure should limit the scope of the invention since a number of other well known cuff and closure designs would be

suitable for use with the present invention, such as, for example, a rear entry cuff, or a conventional cuff and tongue arrangement closed by laces. The first sole portion 12, the second sole portion 14 and the flexible connector 52 of the sole 10 can be made by known means of any material which provides suitable strength and rigidity to the construction, such as, for example, metal, rigid plastic or rigid nylon. The two sole portions 12,14 may be made together of a single material, a laminate or a composite, formed as an integral unit connected by, for example, an integrally formed living hinge 52. Alternatively, each sole portion 12,14 can be separately made of the same or a different single material, laminate or composite, and subsequently connected by any known hinge means made of a similar or different material. The sole 10 may also be provided with treads 58 (see Figs 10-11), thereby further protecting the bottom of the sole and the hinge 52 from abrasion and wear.

The boot upper 4 shown in Figure 2 may be made from one or more rigid materials, such as, for example, metal or rigid plastic or rigid nylon. The toe upper portion 9 and heel upper portion 8 are preferably made from PVC, but other materials are also suitable. Between the toe upper portion 9 and heel upper portion 8, the gasket 118 is preferably made of rubber or a similar, flexible, waterproof, elastic material. Alternatively, all or portions of the upper may be made from materials such as, for example, those conventionally used in the construction of footwear for outdoor recreation, e. g., leather, rubber, natural or synthetic elastomer, canvas, nylon fabrics, Gore-Tex, plastic, etc. Where the material selected is not sufficiently rigid, it may be reinforced with a sufficiently rigid material or member. Preferably, the material or materials selected for substantial portions of the upper are water resistant or waterproof to shed snow and moisture from sources external to the boot. The inclusion of materials or structures that are breathable, i. e. that transmit vapor, is also contemplated, to provide ventilation to exhaust body moisture and thereby, to keep the wearer's foot dry and comfortable. Preferably, a sufficient enough portion of the toe portion and the heel portion of the upper is made of rigid material, or reinforced with rigid material, to transmit leverage or loading forces from the wearer's foot to the ski attached to the boot 2, thus facilitating control of the ski.

Additional insulation and water protection abilities may be provided to

the boot 2 by a flexible inner liner 18 (a portion of which is shown in the clearance 53 in Figs. 2,3 and 5) having dimensions corresponding to the dimensions of the foot chamber to closely fit the wearer's foot.

With the foregoing arrangement, the boot 2 is flexible for the wearer's comfort in normal walking when released from the ski. To use the boots on skis, the wearer places the toe binding plate 48 into the toe binding 102. The wearer pushes the boot forward to engage the toe binding 102 and then pushes the heel binding plate 54 down into the heel binding 103 to engage the release member 105 over the heel binding plate 54. The ski is thus firmly attached to the ski boot with the sole portions 12,14 locked in rigid planar alignment, and the spacer member 66 supporting the middle portion of the sole 10 against the top surface 106 of the ski 101.

Various changes may be made to the invention without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the following claims.