EP0672437A1 - Device for altering pressure distribution over the sliding surface of a ski - Google Patents

Abstract

The interface has mobile plates (12, 13) under the heel and toe of the boot. The vertical movements of these are transformed into horizontal forces by a rocket (22). A base plate (15), under the front binding, is articulated (21) on the vertical branch of the rocket (23) and on a bearing (17) joined to the ski. The lower end of the vertical branch of the rocker (23) is articulated on a transversal axle (19) carried by a traction bar (26) fixed to a back base plate (27). The horizontal branch of the rocker (24) rests against a stud (25) joined to the ski.

Description

The invention relates to an interface device between a boot and a ski, aiming to modify the natural distribution of a ski on its sliding surface. The invention also relates to a ski equipped with the interface device.

The skis which are used for the practice of alpine skiing consist of relatively long boards, on which the skier's shoes are retained by front and rear fastening elements. The boots and binding elements are located approximately in the middle area of the ski. The skis have in themselves, at rest, a natural camber, by which the middle zone is raised naturally with respect to the front end of the ski, or tip, and the rear end of the ski, or heel. In addition, the skis have a flexibility which is due to their internal structure. During skiing, the ski deforms elastically in response to the various stresses to which it is subjected on the part of the skier, but also on the part of the terrain on which it slides.

There are interface devices which are interposed between the binding elements and the ski. Such interfaces are for example known from patent applications published under the numbers WO 83/03360, EP 492 658, EP 409 749. These devices modify the flexibility of the ski beam, by stiffening it, or else with a damping effect. However, these devices act passively, that is to say that they only react to a determined flexion of the ski.

Also known from the European patent application published under the number EP 530 449 in the name of the applicant an interface device which dynamically modifies the pressure distribution of the ski on the snow, as a function of the vertical stresses which the skier exerts on his skis. This device comprises a vertically movable feeler which transmits to the base of the fastening element before the vertical stresses which it picks up from the shoe. These stresses are transmitted by means of a rocker, and in one of the embodiments by means of a substantially horizontal connection plate articulated on one side to the rocker and on the other to the base. fixing.

This device gives good results because of its dynamic nature, but it is not suitable for all situations or all types of skiing. In particular, it lacks efficiency in initiating turns.

We know from the French patent application published under number 2 654 636 a device which exerts an action on the camber of the ski by a pulling effect on a link which connects the front and rear binding elements. This device also has a means for selecting the regime according to which it acts on the camber of the ski. Its action is however limited to a passive modification of the camber of the ski.

One of the objects of the invention is to propose an interface device which has a dynamic action on the distribution of the ski on snow and which improves the ability of a ski to turn, in particular at the time of the initiation of the turn.

Another object of the invention is to propose an interface device which is adaptable to a standard ski.

Another object of the invention is to propose an interface device which is relatively simple to construct.

These aims, and other aims which will appear in the description which follows, are achieved by the device according to the invention which comprises a feeler capable of picking up the vertical stresses of the shoe, a return rocker which transforms the vertical stresses picked up by the feeler in at least one horizontal force, and a connecting member for transmitting this horizontal force to an element intended to be secured to the ski. The return rocker is arranged to transform a vertical downward stress picked up by the feeler into a horizontal traction force transmitted by the binding member to the ski.

According to a preferred characteristic of the invention, the mobile feeler is located under the front of the shoe, and therefore it is more sensitive to pressure variations from the front of the shoe on its support. Such a variation occurs significantly when the skier gives an impulse to initiate his turn.

The invention will be better understood by referring to the description below and to the accompanying drawings which form an integral part thereof.

Figure 1 shows a side view of an interface device according to a first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 represents in top view the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a partial exploded perspective view of the connection between the probe and the various traction members for the device of FIG. 1.

Figure 4 shows a side view of the device of Figure 1 subjected to a vertical stress directed on the probe.

FIGS. 5 to 10 show a side view of alternative embodiments of the invention, FIG. 8 being a top view of the device in FIG. 7.

FIG. 1 represents a ski 1, seen from the side in its middle zone. Fastening elements 3 and 4 are mounted on the ski in this middle zone.

The fastening elements 3 and 4 are of any suitable type. The front fastening element 3 has in known manner a jaw 5 for retaining the front end of the shoe. The jaw is carried by a body 6, and the body is itself mounted on a base plate 7 by which the binding element is assembled to the ski.

Similarly, the rear fastening element 4 has a jaw 8 carried by a body 9. The body 9 is slidably mounted along a base 10 shaped as a slide oriented in the longitudinal direction of the ski, and a spring, called recoil spring, resiliently pushes the body forward.

Each fastening element 3, 4 is also associated with a support plate 12, 13, on which the shoe sole rests.

The interface device which is the subject of the present invention is located in the middle area of the ski.

The device comprises a probe movable in a substantially vertical direction. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1, the probe is formed by the support plate 12 on which rests the front end of the shoe sole.

In known manner, the support plate 12 extends rearwardly the base 7 of the fixing element, and the assembly formed by the base and the support plate is mounted on a base plate 15 which is articulated in its front part around a transverse axis 16 carried by a bearing 17 connected integrally to the ski.

As can be seen in FIG. 2, the base plate 15 is presented as a generally rectangular plate which extends approximately in a horizontal plane, and it has on its upper surface a mounting area 18 on which is assembled the front fixing element. The base plate has an inextensible nature so as to transmit to the ski via the axis 16 and the bearing 17 the tensile stresses which are applied at its rear end.

The articulation axis 16 is preferably raised relative to the upper surface of the ski, and the base plate 15 is itself raised relative to the upper surface of the ski.

Optionally, a damping means such as a block 20 of elastically deformable material is interposed between the upper surface of the ski and the base plate. The material can have damping or viscoelastic properties. The block 20 contributes to maintaining the base plate in a horizontal position, and it elastically opposes its rotation around the axis 16.

Naturally, any other articulation means other than an axis is suitable for ensuring the substantially vertical movement of the rear end of the base plate and of the probe.

The rear part of the base plate is connected by an articulation around a transverse axis 21 to a rocker 22.

The function of the rocker is to return the vertical forces applied to the probe 12 to the base plate in a horizontal direction.

The rocker 22 has two approximately perpendicular branches, an approximately vertical branch 23 and an approximately horizontal branch 24.

In the position where the rocker is shown, the hinge pin 21 with the base plate 15 is located at the top of the vertical branch 23. The horizontal branch 24 extends forward, and its front end is in support against a stud 25 which is integrally connected to the ski. Preferably, the support of the rocker on the stud 25 is advantageously embodied by a transverse pin 24a situated at the front end of the branch 24. This pin facilitates the rotation of the rocker by pressing on the stud 25.

The lower end of the vertical branch 23 of the rocker is retained in a horizontal direction by an elongate traction member 26 which comes from the rear of the ski.

In the illustrated embodiment, the traction member 26 is connected to the rocker 22 around an axis 19. The traction member 26 has an inextensible nature. It is connected rearwards to a rear base plate 27 which is located under the base 10 of the rear binding element, and which is secured to the ski. Its rear end penetrates into a housing 28 of the base plate 27, and it is assembled to the base plate by a pin 29.

Naturally any other suitable connection means is suitable. In particular, since the traction member 26 works essentially in traction, it is possible to produce it in the form of an inextensible but deformable ribbon or cable. The articulation connections of the member 26 to the rocker and to the base plate 27 could be replaced by securing the ends of the ribbon or cable respectively to the rocker and to the base plate, the relative movement between these elements necessary for operation of the device resulting from the deformation of the ribbon or cable.

Also, it should be noted that the rear end of the traction member 26 could be secured not to the rear base plate 27, but directly to the ski in front of the base plate, or to the base 10 of the fixing element. The important thing is that the traction member 26 is connected to a fixed point on the ski. The height at which the traction member 26 is connected to the ski determines the lift arm with which a force conveyed by the traction member will be transmitted to the ski.

Thus, a vertical stress exerted on the feeler, for example during a forward press in the turn initiation phase, forces the rocker to tilt relative to the stud 25 around the end of its horizontal branch 24. Like the axis 19 of articulation to the traction member 26 is retained from the rear, the articulation axis 21 is forced to move back, which induces in the base plate 15 a traction stress which is transmitted to the ski by the bearing 17. By reaction, the traction member 26 transmits towards the rear of the ski a traction stress which in turn induces on the rear end of the ski a bending moment which tends to raise the end in question. Block 20 is also compressed.

FIG. 3 illustrates such an operation of the device.

As the articulation of the base plate 15 to the bearing 17 is raised relative to the upper surface of the ski, this tensile stress induces in the ski a bending moment which tends to raise the tip and if necessary the rear end ski. The ski is therefore more pivoting.

The bending moments induced on the front and rear of the ski are more or less strong depending on the attitude of the axis 16 and the pin 29, respectively, relative to the upper surface of the ski. In particular, if the rear end of the member 26 is fixed directly to the upper surface of the ski, the bending moment induced on the rear of the ski is negligible, and only the front end of the ski is biased upwards .

One could also adopt a reverse position of the rocker, that is to say orient the horizontal branch 24 rearward, and reverse the position of the articulations to the base plate and to the traction member. However, it is preferred to place the articulation as high as possible on the base plate 15, so that the tensile stress has a vertical component which contributes to raising the tip of the ski.

FIG. 5 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the device which has just been described. According to this variant, the base 15 is connected to a rocker 30 by a transverse axis 31 in the same way as in the previous case. The rocker 30 is however articulated here at its base around a transverse axis 32 carried by a bearing 33 secured to the upper surface of the ski in front of the vertical line of the axis 31. The axis 32 is located below the attitude of the front axle 16.

In this way, a vertical downward bias exerted on the support plate 12 tends to crush the assembly formed by the base plate 15 and the rocker 30. This induces a tensile stress which is transmitted to the ski by the plate base 15, axis 16 and bearing 17. This stress induces a bending moment which tends to raise the front end of the ski. By reaction, another stress is transmitted to the ski by the rocker 30, the axis 32 and the bearing 33, but since the axis 32 is close to the upper surface of the ski, this reaction has no effect. important on the flexion of the ski.

As in the previous case, preferably, the axis 31 is higher than the axis 16 so that the stress applied by the base plate 15 to the axis 16 has a vertical component upwards.

It goes without saying that for this variant, the rocker 30 and the axes 31 and 32 can be offset more or less far behind the front fixing element 3, which influences the nature and the intensity of the bending moment. applied to the front end of the ski.

The rear binding element could be assembled to the ski according to the same connection method to generate on the rear of the ski a bending moment tending to raise this end.

Figure 6 illustrates another alternative embodiment. According to this variant, the interface device is of the same type as that which has been described in relation to FIG. 1, with a front base plate 15, a rocker 22 of which one branch is in abutment against a stud 25, and a traction member 26 coming from the back.

The main difference is in the mounting of the rear fixing element.

Usually, the body 9 of the rear fastening element 4 is slidably mounted along a base shaped as a slide, and a recoil spring shown diagrammatically at 35 housed in the body 9 pushes the body forward, elastically. , taking support from a fixed point on the ski. A lock shown diagrammatically at 36, or another means also makes it possible to adjust the longitudinal position of the body as well as the intensity of this push back as a function of the length of the shoe. It is the lock which makes the connection between the body and the ski.

The main function of the recoil spring is to produce an elastic pinch of the shoe sole between the front and rear fastening elements. This spring is also subjected to compression when the ski flexes, to absorb the differences in length between the ski which forms an arc, and the boot which forms the string of the arc.

However, when the binding element is secured to the ski by its base, this recoil thrust generates in the ski a reaction which tends to oppose the bending of the ski. The intensity of this reaction increases with the compression of the recoil spring, that is to say with the flexural curvature of the ski.

According to the variant of FIG. 6, this reaction is channeled by an inextensible blade 38 which extends between the lock 36 and a fixed point on the ski situated on the front, for example the stud 25, or else in front of that -this. As can be seen in FIG. 6, the blade 38 has in its rear part a series of notches 39, and the latch 36 has teeth which penetrate into part of these notches. This blade brings back the reaction of recoil to the front. It preferably brings this reaction back to the zone where the recoil stress has another component of opposite direction, that is to say in the zone of the front fixing element. Overall, the backward constraints therefore follow a circuit which hardly affects skiing.

The slide 40 along which the body is slidably mounted is fixedly attached to the ski. In the illustrated embodiment, the slide has on the front the support plate 13 on which the shoe sole rests. The backing plate could however be linked to the body.

As for the traction member 26, it is connected by the pin 26 to the front part 41 of the slide 40, that is to say to a fixed element on the ski.

The device operates similarly to that of FIG. 1, with the difference that when the ski flexes due to the tensile stresses, the recoil spring does not tend to compress and to oppose this bending. In fact, when the ski flexes forming an arc, the body of the rear element can move back because it is connected to the front of the middle zone of the ski by the blade 38 which forms the string of the arc in parallel with the sole of a shoe. When bending the ski, the approximation of the rear binding element towards the front binding element is less than in the case of FIG. 1. The flexing effect of the ski is therefore improved by the fact that the spring recoil is not frankly opposed to this bending.

The variant shown in Figures 7 and 8 also incorporates the influence of the recoil spring on the flexion of the ski.

According to this variant, the base 7 of the front fixing element 3 is integrally connected to the ski. Likewise, the base 10 of the rear binding element is integrally connected to the ski. In the illustrated embodiment, the base 10 surmounts a base plate 47. The base 10 forms the slide along which the body 9 is slidably mounted, under the action of the recoil spring 35 which pushes it elastically towards the front. The spring 35 bears against the latch 36.

The feeler is here formed by the front support plate 42 on which the front end of the shoe rests. The front support plate is mounted articulated in rotation about a transverse axis located towards the front of the plate. This axis can be materialized by an axis or a pin. It can also be fictitious.

The rear part of the support plate 42 rests on the horizontal branch 43 of a rocker 44. The rocker 44 also has a vertical branch 45 which is articulated at its base around a transverse axis carried by a fixed bearing on ski. The bearing is for example formed by the rear part of the base 7.

An inextensible blade 46 connects the top of the vertical branch 45 to the latch 36 of the rear fixing element. Like the blade 38, the blade 46 has notches in its rear part for the teeth of the lock. The lock is therefore connected integrally to the rear end of the blade 46.

A stopper is used to block the lock backwards. For example, this stop is formed by the cooperation of two lateral cutouts of the blade 49 and 50 with two lateral studs 51 and 52 which rise from the base plate 47. The cutouts have a length greater than that of the studs, to allow the blade to move forward relative to the studs.

This device works as follows. In the presence of the boot and in nominal mode, the recoil spring 35 exerts a forward thrust on the body, the reaction of which keeps the lock against its stop, that is to say that the cutouts 49 and 50 of the blade are in abutment against the pads 51 and 52. The blade is however stretched, so as to keep the support of the support plate suspended 42 on branch 43 of the rocker. Thus, the reaction of the recoil is transmitted to the ski mainly by the base plate 47 of the rear binding element. This reaction creates a bending moment which tends to increase the camber of the ski, that is to say to press the ends of the ski on the snow. This is known to those skilled in the art.

If a high intensity vertical stress is applied to the support plate 42, this stress is returned by the rocker 44 in the blade 46 in the form of a stress towards the front. If this stress has sufficient intensity, it can move the blade 46 forwards by compressing the spring 35 additionally. In doing so, the bolt leaves its retaining stop, that is to say that the cutouts 49 and 50 are released from the studs 51 and 52. The reaction of the recoil is no longer transmitted to the base plate 47, but it is completely channeled by the blade 46 towards the base 7. The effect of the recoil on the flexion of the ski disappears, that is to say that the ski is less stressed upon flexion and therefore becomes more pivoting because its front and rear ends are relieved.

If the stress decreases in intensity, the blade releases its traction on the bolt, and the reaction of the recoil is gradually retransmitted to the ski by the base plate 47. The ends of the ski are again flexed against the snow.

According to the variant shown in Figure 9, the two effects described above are combined. The front part of the device is similar to that of FIG. 6, with a base plate 15 articulated around an axis 16 to a bearing 17. The rear of the base plate 15 is connected to a rocker.

The rear part of the device is similar to what has been described in connection with FIGS. 7 and 8, with the body 9 slidingly mounted along a slide 10 secured to the ski, a blade 53 on which the lock 36 is engaged , and the stop formed by the cutouts of the blade 53 cooperating with the studs 51, 52 of the base plate 47.

According to this variant, the blade 53 is connected forwards to the base of the vertical branch of the rocker. As the base plate is connected to the top of this vertical branch, and the horizontal branch of the rocker is in abutment against the stud 25, a vertical stress on the feeler causes both a stress which is transmitted to the bearing 17 and to the ski in the form of a bending moment tending to raise the tip, and at the same time a transfer of the backward reaction towards the front of the middle zone of the ski, which improves the ability of the ski to flex in the direction d 'a raising of its extremities.

The probe which picks up the stresses on the shoe can also be located on the rear of the shoe. To illustrate this, FIG. 10 represents an interface device associated with a front fixing element 3 mounted on a base plate 55 connected integrally to the upper surface of the ski. In addition, the slide 10 of the rear fastening element is mounted articulated around a transverse axis 57 carried by a base plate 56 secured to the ski. Optionally, a spring 58 or other elastic means elastically opposes the downward tilting of the slide 100.

The front part of the base, which includes the support plate 113, is kept raised, and it rests on the horizontal branch of a rocker 59. The rocker is articulated at its base relative to the ski, for example around 'an axis 60 carried by the base plate 56.

A traction member 61 also connects the rocker 57 and the base plate 55, so as to transform the vertical stresses picked up by the support plate 113 into rearward tension stresses exerted on the base 55. In as a variant, the traction member could be connected to an element integral with the ski and distinct from the base 7 or from the base plate 55, for example a bearing such as the bearing 17.

The invention is not limited to the various embodiments which have been described, it encompasses the equivalents, variants and generalizations included in the claims below.

Claims (10)

Interface device between a ski boot and a ski for modifying the natural distribution of pressure of the ski on snow, the device being intended to be associated with a ski, in its median zone, and with a front binding element and a rear attachment, comprising:
a movable feeler (12, 42, 113) capable of sensing the vertical stresses of the shoe,
a bearing (17, 47, 55) intended to be secured to the ski towards one end of the ski, the bearing having a connection zone situated above the upper surface of the ski,
characterized by the fact that it includes:
a return rocker (22, 30, 44, 57) arranged to transform the vertical stresses picked up by the probe into a horizontal traction force,
an inextensible link element connecting the rocker (15, 46, 61) returning to the bearing connection zone to transmit to the ski via the bearing the horizontal traction force. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the feeler is the support plate (12, 42) situated at the front of the middle zone, on which the front part of the shoe sole rests. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises at the front a base plate (15) having on its upper surface a mounting zone (18) for the front fixing element, the base plate being articulated at the front around a transverse direction (16) defined by a bearing (17) secured to the ski, and being articulated at the rear around a transverse axis (21, 31) carried by the rocker (22, 30). Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the rocker (21) is also articulated around a transverse axis (27) carried by a traction member (26) connected to a fixed point of the ski situated towards the rear , and that the rocker (22) has a branch (24) the end of which is in abutment against a stud (25) secured to the ski (fig 1). Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is associated with front and rear fixing elements where the body (9) of the rear fixing element (4) is connected by an inextensible blade ( 38) at a fixed point on the ski situated in front of the middle zone of the ski, and where the body (9) is slidably mounted along a slide (10) intended to be integrally connected to the ski (fig 6). Device according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it is associated with front and rear fixing elements where the body (9) of the rear fixing element (4) is connected by a blade inextensible (46, 53) to the rocker (22, 44), and where the body (9) is slidably mounted along a slide (10) intended to be integrally connected to the ski (figs 7 and 9). Device according to claim 6, characterized in that a stop (49, 50, 51, 52) retains the blade (36, 53) towards the rear. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the feeler is the support plate (113) on which the rear end of the shoe sole rests. Device according to claim 8, characterized in that the rear support plate is movable, that it is supported on the free branch of a rocker (59) and that a traction member 61 connects the rocker (59 ) to an element (55) intended to be secured to the ski in front of the middle zone. Interface device between a boot and a ski for modifying the natural distribution of pressure of the ski on snow, the device being intended to be associated with a ski and with a binding element characterized in that it comprises a first bearing (17 ) intended to be secured to the ski, a second bearing (33) distant from the first bearing intended to be secured to the ski, a base (15) articulated at the first bearing having on its upper surface an assembly area (18) provided for the retaining element, and a link rocker (30) articulated at one end to the base (15) and at the other end to the second bearing (33) (fig 5).

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