Lange International S.a.

Battelle Memorial Institute

Givaudan Corporation

Battelle Development Corporation

Officine Savio S.p.a.

Nuova San Giorgio S.p.a.

Skis Dynastar Sa

Guy Courvoisier

Simon Arieh

Jean-Pierre Budliger

Herbert Marxer

Jean-Louis Prost

Pierre Souliere

Valve for aerosol container

Ski boot having an articulated shank comprising means for fixing or releasing the shank for rotation, means for adjusting the inclination of the shank and an elastic element (15), the elasticity of which is adjustable. The adjustable inclination is achieved by means of a shank in two parts, the length of which is adjustable by means of a button (12). The locking or the release for rotation is obtained by means of a sliding locking member (24) interacting with a V-shaped bolt (16) itself interacting with cut-outs (19) in a cradle fixed to the shank (2). The elasticity of the elastic element (15) is ensured by the displacement of a sliding rigid sleeve (19) around the elastic element (15), which displacement is controlled by a button (32).

Ski boot

The boot is equipped at the rear with a cable-type clamping and closing device consisting of a lever (9) mounted on a support piece (10) displaceable on a rack (11). This rack is preferably movable and connected to two cables (23, 24) for clamping the foot, the upper (4) being closed and clamped by a cable (17) attached to the tensioning lever (9) and acting on the rack in a direction opposite to that of the other cables (23, 24).

Rear-fitting shell-type ski boot

The device comprises a base (10) on which is articulated a tension lever (9) acting on cables (6, 7). These cables are attached to a member (16) movable between two positions, namely a tightening position and a relaxation position, and mounted for sliding on the tensioning lever (9). Said movable member is displaceable by means of an auxiliary lever (11) mounted on the tensioning lever (9).

Tensioning device for a ski boot tightening cable

This fastener for closing two portions (2, 4) of a footwear in general and more particularly of a ski boot comprises a toothed strap (8) having ratchet teeth which is attached to one portion (2) of the footwear and has mounted permanently thereon a stirrup (10) provided with a pawl (11) and a tension lever (14) pivoted on the stirrup (10) fulcrumed on the other hand on the other portion (4) of the boot, the length of the toothed strap (8) being sufficient to allow a wide opening of the footwear, the fastener being adapted to keep the footwear closed permanently and being easily operated with one hand by the user.

Footwear fastener and ski boot equipped therewith

The boot consists of a shell having a lower part (1), on which is articulated an upper part (2, 3) which can pivot about a substantially horizontal pivot pin (4). This pivoting is limited by an elastic device (7) mounted between the upper part (2) and the shell (1). This elastic device comprises a rigid base (8), in the extension of which is mounted a bar of elastic material (15) having the same cross-section as the base. A tubular slide (19) slides on the base and prevents the elastic material from expanding when axial pressure is exerted on the latter. The elasticity of the device therefore varies according to the position of the slide (19). A means of axial guidance prevents the elastic material (15) from bending or buckling.

An electrical heating element intended to be incorporated in an inner lining of an item of clothing or accessory intended to be placed against a part of the human body, in which the heating element is formed by a ductile metal wire coated with an insulating lacquer, for example a commercially available insulated copper wire, fixed over its entire length to at least one metal sheet, preferably a sheet of aluminium having an adhesive side to which the wire is adhered. The wire can be disposed in meanders. It may be covered by an insulating sheet, and the metal sheet may have cut-outs therein.

Electrical heating element intended to be incorporated in an inner

This ski boot comprises an inner skipper fitted in a rigid outer shell and the skier's heel is caused to fit in the rear portion of the boot by a pressure plate disposed between the shell and the slipper, on the instep. The pressure exerted by this plate is obtained by means of a cable acting in the fashion of a garrot when a rotary control member is actuated so as to twist the cable having its ends attached to the shell in the heel portion thereof.

Rear-access ski boot

This ski boot comprises a fastening and tension device consisting of a cogged strap of which the teeth are cycloidal segments parallel to the strap plane. These teeth cooperate with drive studs carried by a rotary disc coupled to a control knob. The studs are disposed at spaced angular intervals on a circumference so that they describe cycloids corresponding to the teeth with respect to the strap.

The ski boot is closed by a device acting both as a closing and a tightening device. This device comprises a worm-screw mounted in one of the two portions of the boot and cooperating with a cogged strap rigid with the other portion, the cogged strap being kept in meshing engagement with the worm-screw by guide means adapted to be moved away from the strap for releasing same or quickly bringing a selected portion of the strap in front of the worm-screw.

Ski boot closing and tightening apparatus

A ski boot with rear entry including a rigid shell integrally formed with a front part of an upper, opened towards the rear throughout its height and of a sort to be closed by a shield articulated on the boot in such a way as to be provided with at least two degrees of freedom, which permits every movement thereof, albeit limited, both in rotation and in translation in a substantially vertical plane, when the fastening means are in a closed position. It is possible, hence, to ensure the best possible fitting of the shield to the shape of the ankle and of the lower part of the calf. The shield may be articulated on the boot through its lower end in such a way as to permit play.

Ski boot into which the foot is introduced from the rear

This boot comprises an upper pivotable on a lower portion of the boot and adapted to be locked by means of interconnecting means comprising a rack rigid with the upper and a lever fulcrumed to the rack in two guide members in which the pivot pin of the lever is adapted to move parallel to the rack. The lever has an eccentric hub acting as a cam upon a toothed strap, and can be set in three specific position, namely a turn down position in which it engages the boot and the strap is urged against the rack while a male element of the lever engages a female element rigid with the lower portion of the boot, a partially raised position in which the male and female elements are released from each other but the strap is still in engagement with the rack, and a fully raised position in which the strap is released from the rack, the intermediate position being an inoperative or operative position, the third position being an adjustment position.

A ski damper which can be inserted into a hole formed in the ski blade comprises a pair of housing portions which can be joined together from opposite sides of the blade to define a receptacle in which a disk is shiftable between a pair of foam rings. The disk is composed of a material having a specific gravity greater than 10 and has a thickness/diameter ratio between 1/3 and 1/30 and damps primarily vibrations in the frequency range between 100 and 200 Hz.

Ski vibration damper

A ski boot has a cuff pivotally connected to its lower shell member and a latch mechanism for holding the cuff in a predetermined angular orientation with respect to the shell member. The easily operated latch mechanism comprises a toggle linkage whose actuating lever is pivotally connected to the cuff within a window formed within a reinforcing rib along the spine of the cuff and connected to an articulation between a pair of links which can be swung to either side of a metastable position by the lever.

An edge seal for articles such as goggles and earphones comprises two layers of foam of a thermo-formable material between which there is located a heating body whose ends terminate in terminals for connection to a current source so as to heat the foam to its thermo-forming temperature while e.g. the goggles are held tightly on the head of a user by an elastic strap. This enables the seal to be moulded to the shape of the user's face.

Growing community of inventors

Geneva, Switzerland

Guy Courvoisier