Patents by Inventor Helmut Holzer

Helmut Holzer 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: 7992326
    Abstract: The invention relates to a sports shoe (1), in particular an alpine ski shoe (2), with an adjusting means (3) for varying the stiffness of the sole system (4) as and when necessary. This adjusting means (3) comprises at least one profiled tension element (19) which remains essentially dimensionally stable when forces act on it and which is connected at its oppositely lying end portions to a front sole platform (10) on the one hand and to a rear sole platform (11) of the sole system (4) on the other hand, its middle portion extending freely between the front and the rear sole platform (10, 11). The tension element (19) is mounted so as to be relatively displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the sole system (4) in order to apply adjustable positioning forces relative to at least one sole platform (10, 11), and an individually adjustable tensing force can be expended between the front and the rear sole platform (10, 11) via the tension element (19).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: ATOMIC Austria GmbH
    Inventors: Gerhard Trinkaus, Helmut Holzer
  • Patent number: 7988180
    Abstract: The invention describes a ski binding with guide elements for a front and a rear binding piece body oriented in the binding longitudinal direction, which binding piece bodies are designed to retain the front and rear end portion of a sports shoe. This ski binding comprises a first coupling element connected to the front binding piece body and a second coupling element connected to the rear binding piece body. A positioning and fixing mechanism is disposed between the binding piece bodies in order to adjust and retain the binding piece bodies by reference to the binding longitudinal direction. The first and second coupling element can be selectively rigidly coupled with one another and uncoupled from one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Atomic Austria GmbH
    Inventors: Helmut Holzer, Erich Rieger
  • Publication number: 20110180201
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing an outer limiting element for a sliding board body, such as a ski or a snowboard, and a method for producing a sliding board body equipped with said limiting element. The limiting element is formed by a one-piece part component composed of at least one cover layer and at least one part of the strengthening top band. The limiting element is then connected in a subsequent method step to the additional components of the sliding board body, such as its running surface and its strengthening lower band. It is essential in this case that the limiting element prior to connection with the additional components of the sliding board body is connected to at least one strip-like side wall element forming a lateral wall section of the sliding board body, in that the at least one strip-like side wall element is adhered to at least one longitudinal side edge of the cover layer or to the top band arranged on the lower side of the cover layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2011
    Publication date: July 28, 2011
    Applicant: ATOMIC AUSTRIA GMBH
    Inventors: Rupert Huber, Helmut Holzer, Georg Klausner
  • Publication number: 20110181023
    Abstract: A ski or a snowboard is in the form of a board-type gliding device. By reference to the width of the gliding device, at least one recess is provided in its middle portion extending in its depth direction from the top face of the gliding device in the direction towards the running surface facing and disposed in its longitudinal direction essentially parallel with the longitudinal direction of the gliding device with a view to causing a cross-sectional weakening. At least one manually adjustable adjusting device is provided, which is designed to produce an individually adjustable change in the load-dependent deformability of the cross-sectional shape or to produce an individually adjustable limit to the maximum permissible load-dependent cross-sectional deformation of the gliding device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2011
    Publication date: July 28, 2011
    Applicant: ATOMIC Austria GmbH
    Inventors: Helmut Holzer, Bernhard Riepler
  • Patent number: 7946061
    Abstract: The invention relates to a sport shoe (1) with an outer shell (2) made from injection molded plastic, comprising a front foot shell (4) and a shoe cuff (5) adjoining it. At least partially accommodated in the shell (2) is a relatively soft elastic inner shoe (3). In particular, a ski shoe with at least one strap-shaped clamping means (12) disposed at least in a top end portion of the shoe cuff (5) and extending round the top end portion of the shoe cuff (5) is proposed. This strap-shaped clamping means (12) is of a non-stretch design within its entire longitudinal extension and the strap-shaped clamping means (12) is supported on at least one elastically flexible element (15) in the usage or active state, which is disposed between the shoe cuff (5) and the strap-shaped clamping means (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: ATOMIC Austria GmbH
    Inventors: Helmut Holzer, Gerhard Trinkaus, Jason Roe
  • Patent number: 7946608
    Abstract: The invention relates to a ski (2) or a snowboard in the form of a board-type gliding device (1), comprising a multi-layered gliding board body. A force-transmitting element (13) is supported on the top face (7) of the gliding board body, the top face of which is provided as a means of supporting a binding mechanism (3) for a connection to a sports shoe which can be released as and when necessary. The force-transmitting element (13) is of a plate-type design and extends across more than 50% of the length of the gliding board body. Within its longitudinal extension, the plate-type force-transmitting element (14) is supported in at least part-portions on the top face (7) of the gliding board body so as to transmit load and is connected to the gliding board body by means of a plurality of connecting zones (30) disposed in the longitudinal direction of the plate-type force-transmitting element (13).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: ATOMIC Austria GmbH
    Inventors: Bernhard Riepler, Rupert Huber, Helmut Holzer
  • Patent number: 7942436
    Abstract: The invention describes a ski (2) or a snowboard in the form of a board-type gliding device (1). By reference to the width (13) of the gliding device (1), at least one recess (14) is provided in its middle portion extending in its depth direction—arrow (15)—from the top face (7) of the gliding device (1) in the direction towards the running surface facing (10) and disposed in its longitudinal direction essentially parallel with the longitudinal direction of the gliding device (1) with a view to causing a cross-sectional weakening. At least one manually adjustable adjusting means (20) is provided, which is designed to produce an individually adjustable change in the load-dependent deformability of the cross-sectional shape or to produce an individually adjustable limit to the maximum permissible load-dependent cross-sectional deformation of the gliding device (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: ATOMIC Austria GmbH
    Inventors: Helmut Holzer, Bernhard Riepler
  • Publication number: 20110083343
    Abstract: The invention relates to a sports shoe (1) with an outer shell (2) made of injection moulded plastic, in particular a ski shoe with at least one tightening means (12) arranged in the upper end section of the shoe collar (5) running ring-like around the upper end section of the shoe collar (5), and with at least one adjusting means (13) for tightening or limiting the width of the entry opening into the sports shoe (1) as necessary. For this a first and a further tightening element (15, 16) are arranged above one another in vertical direction within a section of the length of the tightening means (12), where the tightening elements (15, 16) run essentially parallel to one another. The first tightening element (15) is designed to bear against the peripheral sections of the comparatively flexible inner shoe (3) or its tongue (17) and the further tightening element (16) is designed to bear against the upper end section of the shoe collar (5) made of a relatively rigid plastic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2010
    Publication date: April 14, 2011
    Applicant: ATOMIC Austria GmbH
    Inventors: Helmut Holzer, Gerhard Trinkaus, Jason Roe
  • Patent number: 7900950
    Abstract: A ski or a snowboard in the form of a board-type gliding device has by reference to the board body width, at least one slot in its middle portion extending in the depth direction from the board body top face towards the running surface facing and in its longitudinal direction essentially parallel with the board body longitudinal direction to cause a cross-sectional weakening and reduce the stiffness of the board body transversely to its longitudinal direction. At least one geometry-influencing device produces a cross-sectional board body shape or contour which is variable manually or as a function of load. The slot is then faced with a bridging element which is elastically stretchable or expandable, at least transversely to the longitudinal extension of the slot to prevent snow from being transferred or getting inside the slot from the running surface facing towards the top face of the gliding board body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: ATOMIC Austria GmbH
    Inventors: Bernhard Riepler, Rupert Huber, Helmut Holzer
  • Publication number: 20110001305
    Abstract: The invention relates to a board-like sliding device in the form of a ski or snowboard. Said board-like sliding device comprises a multilayered sliding board body and at least one elongated force-transmitting element supported on the upper side of the sliding board body for influencing the bending resistance or the vibrational behaviour of the sliding board body as well as a binding device for a potentially detachable connection with a sports shoe. Between the lower side of the force-transmitting element and the upper side of the sliding board body at least one engaging coupling means is formed. The force-transmitting element is designed in this case as a thin-walled shell body with a wall thickness of less than 5 mm, which at least over the main part of its longitudinal extension has a substantially U-shaped cross section. At least part sections of the side arms of the force-transmitting element run at least partly in groove-like depressions on the upper side of the sliding board body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2010
    Publication date: January 6, 2011
    Applicant: Atomic Austria GmbH
    Inventors: Rupert Huber, Helmut Holzer, Georg Klausner
  • Publication number: 20100319220
    Abstract: The invention relates to a sports shoe with an outer shell of injection moulded plastic, comprising a front foot shell for accommodating the front foot and an adjoining shoe cuff for stabilising the lower leg portion of a user, and with a relatively flexible inner shoe at least partially accommodated in the shell. Disposed in the outer shell is at least one elastically flexible portion which is provided as a means of reducing pressure points from the inner shoe on a user's foot when subjected to compression stress. The elastically flexible portion is provided in the form of at least one membrane element which is designed to vary the volume or width which the shell can accommodate as a function of compression stress due to its slackness or ability to deflect relative to the surrounding part-portions of the shell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2010
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Applicant: ATOMIC AUSTRIA GMBH
    Inventors: Helmut Holzer, Gerhard Trinkaus, Jason Roe
  • Publication number: 20100156067
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of producing a top layer (10) constituting a layer (6) of a gliding device (1), which top layer (10) comprises an external face (18) and an internal face (24) directed towards a core (9) of the gliding device (1). The top layer (10) is provided with at least one hole (20) extending between the external face (18) and the internal face (24). Prior to making the hole (20) through the top layer (10), an adhesive layer (23) is applied to it on the internal face (24) facing away from the external face (18), at least in the region where the hole (20) is to be made, and the hole (20) is made jointly both through the top layer (10) and through the adhesive layer (23).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2009
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Applicant: ATOMIC AUSTRIA GMBH
    Inventors: Helmut Holzer, Georg Klausner
  • Publication number: 20100148457
    Abstract: The invention relates to a ski or a snowboard in the form of a board-like sliding device (1), comprising a multi-layered sliding board body and at least one board-like force-transmitting element (13) supported on the top side (7) of the sliding board body, the upper side of which force-transmitting element is provided for supporting a binding device (3) for a potentially releasable connection with a sports shoe. In at least one of the two lateral upper edge sections (21, 22) of the sliding board body running in the longitudinal direction of the sliding board body at least one interlocking coupling means (17, 18) is formed. Said at least one interlocking coupling means (17, 18) is formed by at least one physically independent strip or profile-like coupling element (19, 20), which is arranged between the board-like force-transmitting element (13) and the sliding board body and is provided for forming an interlocking connection between the board-like force-transmitting element (13) and the sliding board body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2009
    Publication date: June 17, 2010
    Applicant: ATOMIC AUSTRIA GMBH
    Inventors: Helmut Holzer, Rupert Huber
  • Publication number: 20100109290
    Abstract: The invention describes a ski binding with guide elements for a front and a rear binding piece body oriented in the binding longitudinal direction, which binding piece bodies are designed to retain the front respectively rear end portion of a sports shoe. This ski binding comprises a first coupling element connected to the front binding piece body and a second coupling element connected to the rear binding piece body, and mutually facing end portions of these coupling elements co-operate with a positioning and fixing mechanism disposed between the binding piece bodies in order to adjust and retain the binding piece bodies by reference to the binding longitudinal direction. The positioning elements of the first and second coupling elements are respectively disposed on the left-hand and/or right-hand side faces of the two coupling elements lying one above the other by reference to the standing plane and by reference to the binding longitudinal direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2009
    Publication date: May 6, 2010
    Applicant: ATOMIC AUSTRIA GMBH
    Inventors: Helmut Holzer, Erich Rieger
  • Patent number: 7707694
    Abstract: The invention relates to a positioning mechanism (1) for releasably fixing at least one position of a positioning means (3) which can be displaced more or less linearly relative to positioning means (2) fixedly connected to a structure (45), e.g. a shoe, which provides a mount for at least one displaceable coupling means (9) which engages under the action of a spring system (39) in a female coupling part (20) of the positioning means (2) connected to the structure (45) in a position which fixes the position of the positioning means (2, 3) relative to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: ATOMIC Austria GmbH
    Inventors: Helmut Holzer, Gerhard Trinkaus, Jason Roe
  • Publication number: 20100015418
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of producing a flat facing material (6) with a gliding surface (5) for a running sole of a winter sports device, whereby a base structure (7) is produced from a continuously open-pored plastic material (8) with an initial thickness (10). At least one additive (13) is introduced into the pores (9) of the base structure (7). The base structure (7) together with the additive (13) is then reduced from its initial thickness (10) by am amount within a lower limit of 20% and an upper limit of 90% in a hot pressing operation. The invention further relates to a facing material (6) produced by the method and a winter sports device with such a facing material (6).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2009
    Publication date: January 21, 2010
    Applicant: Atomic Austria GmbH
    Inventors: Helmut Holzer, Georg Bauer
  • Publication number: 20090283988
    Abstract: The invention relates to a toe binding (1) of a safety ski binding. The toe binding (1) comprises a housing (2) for mounting at least partly at least one release spring determining the safely release values and at least one sole holder (5) loaded directly or indirectly by the force of the release spring, which when an upper force threshold is exceeded releases the front section of a boot secured by the safety ski binding at least in lateral direction relative to the boot longitudinal axis (32).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2009
    Publication date: November 19, 2009
    Applicant: ATOMIC AUSTRIA GMBH
    Inventors: Helmut Holzer, Erich Rieger
  • Publication number: 20090261544
    Abstract: The invention relates to an end piece (2, 2?) for the front or rear end of a ski (1) or snow-board, which end piece (2, 2?) has at least a first and a second portion (6, 7). A distance (10, 10?) between mutually adjacent zones (8, 9) of the first and second portion (6, 7) or a width or length measurement of at least one of the zones (8, 9) can be varied. Alternatively, the first and second portion (6, 7) are connected to one another in the mutually adjacent zones (8, 9) by means of an articulated joint and/or an elastically stretchable and rebounding bridging element and/or an elastically deformable middle portion (12) and the zones of the first and second portion (6, 7) remote from the mutually adjacent zones (8, 9) can be respectively connected to oppositely lying side edges of a ski (1) or snowboard by articulated joints and/or with an interconnected elastic deformation zone. This positively influences the performance of a ski (1) or snowboard with a variable geometry or size.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Publication date: October 22, 2009
    Applicant: ATOMIC AUSTRIA GMBH
    Inventor: Helmut Holzer
  • Publication number: 20090194956
    Abstract: The invention relates to a binding mechanism (1) for board-type gliding devices, in particular a snowboard binding, provided with a retaining plate (12) for a base plate (11) for securing it to a gliding board body. A setting and fixing device (23) is provided, which can be switched into at least three selectively assumable operating modes and is designed so that (i) in a first operating mode, an anti-rotation lock and an anti-lift lock for the base plate (11) are activated, (ii) in a second operating mode, the anti-rotation lock is inactive and the anti-lift lock is active, and (iii) in a third operating mode, the anti-rotation lock and the anti-lift lock are inactive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2008
    Publication date: August 6, 2009
    Inventor: Helmut Holzer
  • Patent number: 7556280
    Abstract: The invention describes a binding mechanism (1) for providing a pivotably moving connection of a sports shoe (2) to a board-type gliding device (3), in particular to a ski (4). The binding mechanism (1) comprises a first or front retaining element (5) for retaining the front toe-end portion of a sports shoe (2), a second or rear retaining element (6) for retaining the rear heel-end portion of a sports shoe (2) and an elongate connecting element (9) of variable shape between the first and the second retaining element (5, 6). This connecting element (9) extends underneath the sole (10) of a sports shoe (2) inserted in the binding mechanism (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: ATOMIC Austria GmbH
    Inventor: Helmut Holzer