Ski boot

Abstract

Ski boot comprising: substantially rigid foot-casing, which is adapted to accommodate the foot of the user; a substantially rigid cuff, which is adapted to surround the lower part of the leg of the user, and is hinged on the foot-casing so as to be able to swing about a transversal rotation axis, which is substantially perpendicular to the boot midplane; an oblong-shaped tongue, which is arranged longitudinally to close the upper part of the foot-casing; and a foot-casing closing assembly, which is adapted to close/tighten the upper part of the foot-casing on the foot of the user and comprises: a first fairlead member, which is located on the hinge that connects the cuff to the foot-casing; a plurality of second fairlead members, which are arranged along a first major longitudinal edge of the tongue, in part integral with the foot-casing and in part integral with the tongue; and a cable winding winch, which is located on the cuff or on the tongue and is provided with a flexible cable, which comes out from the cable winding winch itself, engages in freely slidable manner and in succession said first and said second fairlead members, and has the distal end fastened to the tongue or to the foot-casing.

1 . Ski boot ( 1 ) comprising: a substantially rigid foot-casing ( 2 ) which is adapted to accommodate the foot of the user; a substantially rigid cuff ( 3 ) which is adapted to surround the lower part of the leg of the user, and is hinged on the foot-casing ( 2 ) so as to swing about a first transversal rotation axis (A) that is substantially perpendicular to the midplane of the ski boot; an oblong-shaped tongue ( 15 ) that is arranged longitudinally to close the upper part of the foot-casing ( 2 ); a protective inner-boot ( 14 ) which is located inside the foot-casing ( 2 ) and is shaped/structured so as to accommodate and protect at least the foot of the user; and a foot-casing closing assembly ( 17 ) which is adapted to close/tighten the upper part of the foot-casing ( 2 ) on the foot of the user;
 the ski boot ( 1 ) being characterized in that the foot-casing closing assembly ( 17 ) comprises: a first fairlead member ( 20 ) which is located on the hinge ( 11 ) that connects the cuff ( 3 ) to the foot-casing ( 2 ); a plurality of second fairlead members ( 21 ) which are arranged along a first major longitudinal edge ( 15   a ) of the tongue ( 15 ), in part integral with the foot-casing ( 2 ) and in part integral with the tongue ( 15 ); and a manually-operated cable winding winch ( 22 ) which is located on the cuff ( 3 ) or on the tongue ( 15 ) and is provided with a flexible cable ( 23 ) that comes out from the cable winding winch ( 22 ) itself, engages in freely slidable manner and in succession said first ( 20 ) and said second ( 21 ) fairlead members, and has the distal end fastened to the tongue ( 15 ) or to the foot-casing ( 2 ).   
     
     
         2 . Ski boot according to  claim 1 , wherein said second fairlead members ( 21 ) are arranged alternately on opposite sides of said first major longitudinal edge ( 15   a ) of the tongue ( 15 ) and are rigidly fixed, respectively, to the foot-casing ( 2 ) or to the tongue ( 15 ). 
     
     
         3 . Ski boot according to  claim 1 , wherein the distal end of the flexible cable ( 23 ) is fastened rigidly to the tongue ( 15 ) or to the foot-casing ( 2 ), in proximity of the front end of the tongue ( 15 ). 
     
     
         4 . Ski boot according to  claim 1 , wherein said first fairlead member ( 20 ) comprises an idler pulley ( 24 ) that is pivoted in freely rotatable manner on the hinge ( 11 ) that connects the cuff ( 3 ) to the foot-casing ( 2 ). 
     
     
         5 . Ski boot according to  claim 4 , wherein said idler pulley ( 24 ) is substantially coaxial to said transversal rotation axis (A). 
     
     
         6 . Ski boot according to  claim 1 , wherein said first fairlead member ( 20 ) comprises a movable arm ( 30 ), which is butt-pivoted on the hinge ( 11 ) that connects the cuff ( 3 ) to the foot-casing ( 2 ), and has the distal end structured so as to be engaged in pass-through and freely slidable manner by a section of the flexible cable ( 23 ) that comes out from the cable winding winch ( 22 ). 
     
     
         7 . Ski boot according to  claim 6 , wherein said movable arm ( 30 ) is butt-pivoted on the hinge ( 11 ) that connects the cuff ( 3 ) to the foot-casing ( 2 ), so as to be able to freely swing about said transversal rotation axis (A). 
     
     
         8 . Ski boot according to  claim 1 , wherein said first major longitudinal edge ( 15   a ) of the tongue ( 15 ) is adapted to rest on the outer side of the foot-casing ( 2 ), and wherein said first fairlead member ( 20 ) is located on the hinge ( 11 ) that connects the outer side of the cuff ( 3 ) to the outer side of the foot-casing ( 2 ). 
     
     
         9 . Ski boot according to  claim 8 , wherein the cable winding winch ( 22 ) is located on the outer side of the cuff ( 3 ), spaced above the hinge ( 11 ) that connects the outer side of the cuff ( 3 ) to the outer side of the foot-casing ( 2 ). 
     
     
         10 . Ski boot according to  claim 1 , wherein said ski boot additionally comprises a manually-operated cuff locking mechanism ( 6 ), which is at least partially located on the rear part of the cuff ( 3 ) and is structured so as to selectively rigidly lock the cuff ( 3 ) to the foot-casing ( 2 ) in a given downhill position. 
     
     
         11 . Ski boot according to  claim 10 , wherein the cable winding winch ( 22 ) is located on the rear part of the cuff ( 3 ), above said cuff locking mechanism ( 6 ). 
     
     
         12 . Ski boot according to  claim 1 , wherein the tongue ( 15 ) has the front end firmly fixed onto the anterosuperior part of the foot-casing ( 2 ), with the capability of turning forward. 
     
     
         13 . Ski boot according to  claim 1 , wherein the cable winding winch ( 22 ) is located on the tongue ( 15 ) close to the cuff ( 3 ) and/or straddling the boot vertical midplane.