Patents by Inventor Gérard Valat

Gérard Valat has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7913426
    Abstract: A footwear article (1), for practicing a sport, in particular, motorcycling, includes a rigid body (2), for housing the foot of a user, running in an extension direction (8), a rigid upper (4), for housing the leg of a user and running essentially in an elevation direction (10), a joint (6), permitting the rotation of the upper with relation to the body in a transverse direction (12), stop elements for limiting the rotation of the upper (4) with relation to the body (2) in the transverse direction (12) within a range of rotation limits over 50 to 70 degrees, damping elements (14), generating a torque which opposes the approach of the first and second stop elements, the damping elements having an inactive state when the upper and the body move relative to each other within a normal rotation range of 30 to 50 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Inventors: Gérard Valat, Cédric Ragot
  • Patent number: 7721351
    Abstract: A protective assembly for a limb, in particular the shaft-forming part of a motorcycle boot, which is designed to protect the tibia of the motorcyclist. The inventive assembly includes: an essentially tubular body (2) including a slit, which extends along a longitudinal axis (6) and which is designed to fit around the limb; a rigid tongue (10) which is designed to cover the front part of the body and which extends along both sides of the slit; and a flange (12) which extends transversely to the longitudinal direction between the edges of the slit, the flange being adjustably-connected to the body on either side of the slit so that the distance between the edges can be adjusted. The aforementioned tongue is mounted to the flange such that it can slide freely and the tongue and the body co-operate in order automatically to align the tongue in relation to the slit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: Random Design
    Inventors: Gerard Valat, Cedric Ragot
  • Patent number: 7430818
    Abstract: An item of footwear, particularly a motorcycle boot (1), includes a rigid shell (4) which defines a body that is designed to surround the foot of the user. The body consists of a lower sole-forming part (20), an upper vamp-forming part (22), an inner lateral part and an outer lateral part, the lateral parts connecting the aforementioned lower and upper parts. The inventive item of footwear includes an opening (16, 18) in one of the four constituent body parts, which passes through the rigid shell and which is sealed by a flexible half-sole (12, 14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: Random Design
    Inventors: Gérard Valat, Cédric Ragot
  • Patent number: 7406782
    Abstract: A footwear designed for a plurality of sports for protecting a user's feet and legs includes a first rigid shell defining a body (2) adapted to receive a user's foot and extending along an elongation direction (8); a second rigid shell defining an upper (4) designed to receive the user's leg and extending substantially along a rising direction (10); an articulation (6), linking the body to the upper, having specific mechanical strength characteristics. A range of articulations having different mechanical strength characteristics can be fixed to the first and second shells to accommodate the physiological differences between the various uses of such footwear articles and/or to the differences between the various sports for which the footwear articles may be used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: Random Design
    Inventors: Gerard Valat, Cedric Ragot
  • Patent number: 7257908
    Abstract: An item of footwear is intended for sports practice and is used to protect the feet and legs of a user. The footwear includes: a first rigid shell defining a body (2) which is designed to receive the foot of the user and which extends in a horizontal direction (8); a second rigid shell defining a shaft (4) which is designed to receive the leg of the user and which extends essentially along a vertical axis (10); and a connection (6) which joins the body and the shaft and which is used to rotate the shaft in relation to the body along two essentially-perpendicular rotation axes (8, 12) and to move the axes of the connections in relation to the body, such that the axes of rotation of the aforementioned connection essentially coincide with the axes of rotation of the foot in relation to the leg of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2007
    Assignee: Random Design
    Inventors: Gerard Valat, Cedric Ragot
  • Publication number: 20060168849
    Abstract: A footwear article (1), for practicing a sport, in particular, motorcycling, includes a rigid body (2), for housing the foot of a user, running in an extension direction (8), a rigid upper (4), for housing the leg of a user and running essentially in an elevation direction (10), a joint (6), permitting the rotation of the upper with relation to the body in a transverse direction (12), stop elements for limiting the rotation of the upper (4) with relation to the body (2) in the transverse direction (12) within a range of rotation limits over 50 to 70 degrees, damping elements (14), generating a torque which opposes the approach of the first and second stop elements, the damping elemnts having an inactive state when the upper and the body move relative to each other within a normal rotation range of 30 to 50 degrees.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2004
    Publication date: August 3, 2006
    Inventors: Gerard Valat, Cedric Ragot
  • Publication number: 20060101672
    Abstract: An item of footwear, particularly a motorcycle boot (1), includes a rigid shell (4) which defines a body that is designed to surround the foot of the user. The body consists of a lower sole-forming part (20), an upper vamp-forming part (22), an inner lateral part and an outer lateral part, the lateral parts connecting the aforementioned lower and upper parts. The inventive item of footwear includes an opening (16, 18) in one of the four constituent body parts, which passes through the rigid shell and which is sealed by a flexible half-sole (12, 14).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2003
    Publication date: May 18, 2006
    Inventors: Gerard Valat, Cedric Ragot
  • Publication number: 20060005430
    Abstract: A footwear designed for a plurality of sports for protecting a user's feet and legs includes a first rigid shell defining a body (2) adapted to receive a user's foot and extending along an elongation direction (8); a second rigid shell defining an upper (4) designed to receive the user's leg and extending substantially along a rising direction (10); an articulation (6), linking the body to the upper, having specific mechanical strength characteristics. A range of articulations having different mechanical strength characteristics can be fixed to the first and second shells to accommodate the physiological differences between the various uses of such footwear articles and/or to the differences between the various sports for which the footwear articles may be used.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2003
    Publication date: January 12, 2006
    Inventors: Gerard Valat, Cedric Ragot
  • Publication number: 20050223599
    Abstract: The invention relates to a protective assembly (1) for a limb, in particular the shaft-forming part of a motorcycle boot, which is designed to protect the tibia of the motorcyclist. The inventive assembly comprises: an essentially tubular body (2) comprising a slit, which extends along a longitudinal axis (6) and which is designed to fit around the limb; a rigid tongue (10) which is designed to cover the front part of the body and which extends along both sides of said slit; and a flange (12) which extends transversely to the longitudinal direction between the edges of the slit, said flange being adjustably-connected to the body on either side of the slit so that the distance between the edges can be adjusted. The aforementioned tongue is mounted to the flange such that it can slide freely and the tongue and the body co-operate in order automatically to align the tongue in relation to the slit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2003
    Publication date: October 13, 2005
    Inventors: Gerard Valat, Cedric Ragot
  • Publication number: 20050217151
    Abstract: An item of footwear is intended for sports practice and is used to protect the feet and legs of a user. The footwear includes: a first rigid shell defining a body (2) which is designed to receive the foot of the user and which extends in a horizontal direction (8); a second rigid shell defining a shaft (4) which is designed to receive the leg of the user and which extends essentially along a vertical axis (10); and a connection (6) which joins the body and the shaft and which is used to rotate the shaft in relation to the body along two essentially-perpendicular rotation axes (8, 12) and to move the axes of the connections in relation to the body, such that the axes of rotation of the aforementioned connection essentially coincide with the axes of rotation of the foot in relation to the leg of the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2003
    Publication date: October 6, 2005
    Inventors: Gerard Valat, Cedric Ragot