The invention relates to a ski shoe parti¬ cularly for skating, the ski shoe comprising a foot- receiving portion, an ankle-supporting portion pivotally attached by at least two joints on both sides of the foot-receiving portion to move relative to the trans¬ verse axis of the foot-receiving portion, a resilient element for moving the ankle-supporting portion forward towards the toe section of the foot-receiving portion when the ankle-supporting portion is in the rear position, and binding means for attaching the foot- receiving portion to a ski.

The problem in skiing, particularly in skating, is how to return the ski to the initial position after the kick. The edge of the ski, particularly at the front end, tends to drag along the snow, which makes skiing slower. The skier attempts to compensate for this by lifting the ski from the snow, whereby he has to add an extra movement to the overall series of movements, and this makes skating hard and tires the skier. To solve the problem, supports of various kinds have been arranged in the leg section of the ski shoe to give the ankle support. When the ankle is rigid, the muscles affecting the ankle need not, because of the support, exert so much force through the ski shoe on the ski. A problem with a completely rigid solution, however, is that in other stages of the kick, the ankle must be able to move freely in the ski shoe, and the ankle-supporting portion thus has to yield. In such a rigid solution, the ski also has to be lifted from the snow by using the great thigh muscles.

German Offenlegungsschrift 2,120,242 discloses a ski shoe comprising a foot-receiving portion and a leg portion articulated with each other, the function of the

rigid leg portion being to give the ankle support during skiing. Between the rigid leg portion and the foot- receiving portion is attached a locking device. This device allows the leg to move back and forth relative to the ankle up to a certain point; when turned suffi¬ ciently, it makes the leg bend further relative to the ankle until the locking device is released and the skier is able to straighten his leg. The function of the locking device is thus to teach the skier the desired style, and the locking device controls the bending of the ankle.

U.S. Patent 3,619,914 discloses a ski shoe in which a foot-receiving portion and a rigid foot- encircling portion are pivotally attached to each other and in which the rear end of the foot-receiving portion is connected to the rigid gaiter by a spring element. The spring element comprises two springs whose length, and thereby the angle between the gaiter and the foot- receiving portion, can be adjusted. When the gaiter is moved forward or backward from the middle position, the spring returns the gaiter to the original angle relative to the foot-receiving portion. In cross-country skiing, for example, when the leg moves forward relative to the ankle, the gaiter bends and simultaneously stretches the spring; when the ski returns to the initial position after the kick, the spring turns the toe section of the foot-receiving portion downward relative to the gaiter but in such a way that the spring on the opposite side stops the movement in the middle position. Correspond- ingly, when the gaiter moves backward relative to the foot-receiving portion, the opposite spring is stretched and it turns the toe section of the foot-receiving portion upward when the ski is lifted from the ground. By adjusting the tension of the springs, a desired force can be directed to the toe section of the foot-receiving

portion relative to the gaiter. The spring element unit, however, is a very large unit external to the shoe, and it functions as resistance e.g. when the spring device is used in skating. Further, snow sticks easily in the spring device, which makes it very heavy. Also, a spring device external to the shoe is dangerous, e.g. in a steep descent. Such a spring device may hurt the skier if he falls.

German Offenlegungsschrift 2,650,174 discloses a plastic ski shoe in which the ankle-supporting portion is connected to the foot-receiving portion by means of metal rods that yield towards the foot. In the foot- receiving portion, the metal rods are attached close to the heel piece, on the exterior of the shoe, and in the ankle-supporting portion, onto its rear surface. It has thus been necessary to provide the foot-receiving portion and the ankle-supporting portion with very large surfaces on which the metal rods can lean so as to make the shoe resilient. French Patent Application 9,106,243 discloses a ski shoe particularly for skating in which the rigid ankle-supporting portion is connected to the foot- receiving portion such that is pivots relative to the longitudinal axis of the foot-receiving portion. Further, the ankle-supporting portion and the foot- receiving portion are connected to each other by resilient means so as to make it easier in skating to detach the ski from the snow and lift the front end of the ski at the end of the kick. The resilient means, however, are arranged to control the angle between the ankle-supporting portion and the foot-receiving portion on the exterior of the ski shoe, whereby they produce high resistance especially in skating. Also, they are very easily damaged since they are located on the exterior of the ski shoe.

The object of the present invention is to avoid the above drawbacks and to make it possible to arrange a resilient element in the joint that connects the ankle-supporting portion to the foot-receiving portion. The invention is characterized in that the resilient element is arranged in the joints in such a way that when the ankle-supporting portion is in the rear position, the ankle-supporting portion is subjected to a force that turns it forward towards the toe section of the foot-receiving portion.

A basic idea of the present invention is that the joint connecting the foot-receiving portion to the ankle-supporting portion comprises a resilient element, and the ankle-supporting portion and foot-receiving portion each comprise a counterpart between which resilient means are arranged such that they tend to move the ankle-supporting portion forward towards the toe section of the foot-receiving portion. Another basic idea is that the resilient means is of rubbery material; by varying the material, it is possible to subject the ankle-supporting portion or foot-receiving portion to a force of a desired strength that makes the relevant portion move. Yet another basic idea is that the joint section of the foot-receiving portion is cylindrical and that a counterpart member is arranged to run through the mid-point of the cylinder. The foot-receiving portion thus comprises two spaces with a semicircular cross- section. Also, the resilient means can be arranged in opposite corners in the semicircular spaces. Further, the counterpart members of the ankle-supporting portion are formed when the ankle-supporting portion is in the basic position, i.e. extends from the mouth of the foot- receiving portion, from counterpart members that are transverse to the counterpart member of the foot- receiving portion and settle on both sides of said

counterpart member in such a way that the resilient means are sandwiched between the counterpart members of the ankle-supporting portion and the counterpart member of the foot-receiving portion, whereby the means connecting the ankle-supporting portion to the foot- receiving portion, advantageously a rivet, provides an axle for the resilient element.

An essential advantage of the invention is that the resilient element makes it easier, e.g. in skating, to lift the front end of the ski from the snow at the end of the kick, thereby making skiing less strenuous to the skier. Another essential advantage is that the resilient element is within the shoe, whereby it does not provide resistance, nor hamper skiing. Further, twigs or other material found on the track do not stick thereto. Yet another essential advantage is that force can be controlled by varying the material from which the resilient means are made. Also, since the resilient element is protected by the joint that connects the foot-receiving portion to the ankle-supporting portion, it does not break easily.

The invention is described in greater detail in the attached drawing, wherein fig. 1 shows a ski shoe of the invention for skating, fig. 2 shows the solution of the invention involving a resilient element, and fig. 3 shows a cross-sectional side view of the solution of the invention involving a resilient element. Fig. 1 shows a ski shoe 1 particularly for skating, the ski shoe being attached to a ski 2 by binding means 3 known per se. The manner in which the ski shoe 1 and the binding means 3 are attached to each other is also known per se, and it is not discussed in greater detail herein. The ski shoe 1 comprises a sole

4, a foot-receiving portion 5 attached to the sole 4 by sewing and/or by gluing and heating, and an ankle- supporting portion 6 pivotally attached to the foot- receiving portion 5. The ankle-supporting portion 6 is of rigid material, such as plastic, and ankle pads 7 are attached thereto by either sewing or gluing. The ankle- supporting portion also comprises a velcro tape 8, by which the tightness of the ankle-supporting portion 6 can be adjusted at the ankle and a leg 9. Further, the foot-receiving portion 5 comprises a heel section reinforcement 10 and a flap 12, fastened by a zip 11, that covers the cords by which the ski shoe 1 is tightened. The ankle-supporting portion 6 is articulated with the foot-receiving portion 5 on both sides of the shoe by joints 13a and 13b. Joint 13b is not shown in fig. 1. The function of the joints 13a and 13b is to make it possible for the ankle-supporting portion 6 to move relative to the longitudinal axis of the foot- receiving portion during skiing, whereby the ankle- supporting portion 6 gives both the ankle and the leg 9 support and thereby helps the skier.

Fig. 2 shows the structure of joint 13a in greater detail. Fig. 2 also shows the heel section reinforcement 10 and the ankle-supporting portion 6. To better show the joint 13a, the joint 13a is cut open such that the part of the joint 13a that is on the side of the ankle-supporting portion 6 is detached from the ankle-supporting portion 6 and placed next to said ankle-supporting portion 6. Reference number 14 indicates a part of the joint that is on the side of the ankle-supporting portion 6, and reference number 15 indicates a part of joint 13a attached to the heel section reinforcement 10 of the foot-receiving portion

5. In the simplest solution, both parts 14 and 15 of joint 13a are made from a moulding compound such that

joint part 14 is formed simultaneously as the ankle- supporting portion 6, and joint part 15 is formed separately from the moulding compound. Further, joint part 15 can be attached to the foot-receiving portion 5, especially to the reinforcement 10 of the heal section, by either sewing or gluing. The joint 13a comprises a resilient element 16 that facilitates skiing. The resilient element 16 is formed by means of the joint parts 14 and 15 in such a way that in joint part 15 is provided a cylindrical space 17 in which is provided a counterpart member 18 running through the centre line of the cylindrical space 17 transverse to the walls, whereby two spaces 19a and 19b with a semicircular cross-section are formed in the cylindrical space 17. Further, at the central axis of the cylindrical space 17 there is a hole 20, and a corresponding hole 20' is also found in joint part 14; it is thus possible to connect the joint parts 14 and 15 through said holes 20 and 20' e.g. by means of a rivet or the like by inserting in the holes 20 and 20' an axle on which the joint parts 14 and 15 can pivot. Cylindrical means 21a and 21b made from elastic material are arranged in the semicircular spaces 19a and 19b of joint part 15, said means functioning like a spring when the counterpart members 22a and 22b of joint part 14 of the ankle-supporting portion 6 press against them. For example, when the ski is lifted from the snow at the end of the kick, the resilient means 21a and 21b direct through the leg 9 to the foot-receiving portion 5 a force that makes it easier to lift the front end of the ski 2 from the snow. The joint part 14 of the ankle- supporting portion 6 and the joint part 15 of the foot- receiving portion 5 are designed to interlock, resilient means 21a and 21b being sandwiched between the

counterpart member 18 of joint part 15 and the counterpart members 22a and 22b of joint part 14.

Fig. 3 shows a cross-section of joint 13a and resilient element 16 taken along dotted line A shown in fig. 2. The names and reference numbers used in fig. 3 correspond to those used in fig. 2. Also, fig. 3 shows a connecting means 23 that connects joint parts 14 and 15, and advantageously comprises two rivet-like parts 24a and 24b that - when pressed together - provide an axle which runs through holes 20 and 20' and on which joint parts 14 and 15 can pivot. Fig. 3 also shows a base plate 25 placed between rivet-like part 24b and joint part 14 to reduce fraction on the surface between the rivet-like part 24b and the joint part 14. When the leg 9 moves backward relative to the foot-receiving portion 5, resilient means 21a and 21b press together, and when the ski is then lifted from the snow, the resilient means 21a and 21b tend to return to their original shape, whereby the toe section of the foot- receiving portion 5 moves upward relative to the ankle- supporting portion 6 and thereby lifts the front end of the ski 2 attached to the foot-receiving portion 5.

The drawings and the associated description are to be understood only as illustrating the idea of the invention. The solution of the invention may vary in its details within the scope of the claims. For example, the resilient means 21a and 21b can be replaced with a coil spring arranged about the axle provided by the connecting means 23 so as to affect the joint parts 14 and 15. Also, the resilient means 21a and 21b need not be cylindrical in shape; they may be e.g. sectorial, or they may be perforated resilient means, perforations being used for making resilient means suitably rigid. Further, the connecting means 23 can also be formed by providing an axle, instead of hole 20, in joint part 15

in the moulding step; when the joint part 14 of the supporting portion 6 is superimposed on joint part 15, the. supporting portion is spread 6 so that the hole 20' in joint part 14 and the axle provided in joint part 15 coincide.