EP0740945A1 - Snowboard with blocks for raising the bindings - Google Patents

Abstract

The snow board (1) has a maximum thickness (E) and a width (L) in the central zone. Its lengthwise axis (2) corresponds with its direction of travel. Each boot has front and rear fixings (8,9) on a plate of thickness (F), set at an angle to the board's lengthwise axis and mounted on top of a wedge (14) with a height (H) above the surface of the board. At least one boot/fixing assembly projects over the edge of the board by a distance D. The height H of the wedge is equal to or greater than D-(E+F), and is more than 30 mm. The wedges can be made from wood, a metal alloy, a composition material or a plastic, and can have a vibration damping layer of a viscoelastic material. Their upper surfaces can lie parallel to the surface of the board or inclined downwards towards the toe of the boot.

Description

Technical area

The invention constitutes an improvement of the gliding boards used in a unique manner, and more specifically relates to the shims for raising the bindings mounted on such boards.

Prior art

Snowboarding techniques are being developed. After a period during which we used surfing mainly in powder snow and making relatively wide turns, the practice of slalom in groomed snow, with close and fast turns attracts more and more surfers. The edges are therefore more frequently put into action, with greater angles of inclination of the board.

For this mode of use, with regard to the shape of the surfboards, the current trend is therefore to make the median zone of the board more and more narrow. This makes it possible to reduce the rocking time from one edge to another, to increase the ability to chain tight turns and therefore to accelerate speed in slalom. In addition, this increases the catching power of the edge.

However, the width of the surf is mainly conditioned by the length of the surfer's shoe. The disadvantage observed on existing surfboards is that if the ends of the shoe overflow, during the inclination of the board, they risk touching the snow, therefore causing the surfer to fall.

To use high performance boards which are therefore relatively narrow, some surfers are forced to modify their feet position, in particular the angle of the binding with the longitudinal axis of the board, so as to prevent the ends of the shoes from touching the snow. This adaptation leads to a position which is not natural for the surfer and which therefore does not allow optimal practice.

To give an order of magnitude, traditional surfboards have a central area of about 260 mm wide, while high-performance surfboards have a narrow area of around 160 mm wide.

Furthermore, another sliding practice is also known using a single board in which the feet are arranged one behind the other on a narrow board, such as in particular illustrated in US Pat. No. 4,867,470. The position of the feet arranged substantially one behind the other makes it possible to use narrower boards, with a width generally between 100 and 200 millimeters, for which the risks of contact of the boot with snow are all the more more important.

Statement of the invention

The objective of the invention is to allow the use of a single gliding board with a narrow median zone while avoiding the attachment of the bindings or of the boot on the snow, and this either in the case where the feet are substantially arranged across the board or in the case where these are arranged substantially along the longitudinal axis with an even narrower board.

• une planche d'épaisseur maximale (E) et de largeur minimale (L) dans la zone centrale et présentant un axe longitudinal correspondant sensiblement à son axe de déplacement;
• deux fixations respectivement avant et arrière comportant une platine d'épaisseur (F), présentant chacune un axe longitudinal médian qui forment avec l'axe longitudinal de la planche des angles respectifs α et β, ces fixations étant destinées à recevoir les chaussures de l'utilisateur pour former des ensembles chaussures-fixations,
• des cales de rehaussement des fixations par rapport à la planche, de hauteur H.

To solve this problem, the single gliding board according to the invention is of the type comprising

• a board of maximum thickness (E) and minimum width (L) in the central zone and having a longitudinal axis corresponding substantially to its axis of movement;
• two bindings respectively front and rear comprising a thickness plate (F), each having a median longitudinal axis which form with the longitudinal axis of the board respective angles α and β, these bindings being intended to receive the shoes of the user to form shoe-binding assemblies,
• wedges for raising the bindings relative to the board, height H.

dans laquelle D représente la distance entre l'arête de la carre d'une part et la projection dans le plan de la surface inférieure de la planche du point le plus extérieur de l'ensemble chaussure-fixation d'autre part.It is characterized in that at least one shoe-binding assembly overflows, at least on one side of the board by a distance (D), and in that the height H of the wedge satisfies the following formula: $$\text{H ≧ D- (E + F)}$$

in which D represents the distance between the edge of the edge on the one hand and the projection in the plane of the lower surface of the board from the outermost point of the shoe-binding assembly on the other hand.

In this way, the binding is raised by a sufficient height to obtain a maximum hooking angle limiting the risks of contact of the shoe-binding assembly with the snow, that is to say less than the angle of dropout.

Remember that the attachment angle is the angle formed by the plane of the bottom surface of the board and the surface of the snow when the board is tilted around the bottom edge of the edge, so that the the end of the shoe-binding assembly extending beyond the board, touches the snow.

The attachment angle on a gliding board according to the invention is therefore equal to or greater than 45 °.

In the practice of sliding on a narrow board, until now, the user is obliged to minimize the angle made by his foot with the longitudinal axis of the board in order to avoid any lateral overflow, which may be uncomfortable or even unstable.

The use of a wedge according to the invention allows the surfer to find a more natural position of feet, therefore more effective, while maintaining a satisfactory stall angle.

To further improve the stability and the ability to chain turns, we will prefer a hooking angle greater than 60 °, that is to say a wedge whose height H satisfies the following formula: $$\text{H ≧ 1.73.D- (E + F)}$$

In a first embodiment, the upper surface of the wedge is parallel to the upper surface of the board.

In an alternative embodiment, the upper surface of the wedge is inclined towards the front of the shoe relative to the upper face of the board. In other words, the wedge raises the rear more than the front of the shoe to correspond to the natural position of the user. In this case, the height H used in the formulas is, of course, the height of the wedge at the lowest point of the shoe-binding assembly.

In practice, the wedge is made of a material chosen from the group containing wood, metal alloys, composite materials, and plastics.

Advantageously, the wedge also has a layer of viscoelastic material which makes it possible to absorb part of the vibrations generated by the board.

In a variant allowing the weight of the gliding board to be lightened and the heightening to be personalized, the wedge is produced in two distinct parts located respectively in the anterior zone and in the posterior zone of the boot.

In a more sophisticated form of the invention, the wedge has recesses capable of lightening it.

Still with the aim of obtaining a shim as light as possible, this can be composed of two parts, namely a stud of reduced width on which rests a plate of dimensions compatible with the fixing of the binding. In this case, the height H to be taken into account is the distance between the top of the surfboard and the base of the shoe-binding assembly.

Brief description of the drawings

The manner of carrying out the invention as well as the advantages which ensue therefrom will emerge clearly from the description of the embodiment which follows, with the support of the appended figures.

Figure 1 is a schematic top view of a board on which the feet are substantially across the longitudinal axis of the board.

Figure 2 is a top view of a narrower board in which the feet are positioned substantially along the longitudinal axis of the board.

Figure 3 is a section along the longitudinal plane of a shoe, of the board-wedge-binding assembly, showing the characteristic quantities of the invention.

Figure 4 illustrates a variant of the invention shown in Figure 3 having an inclined wedge.

Figures 5 and 6 are sections also along the longitudinal plane of a shoe of the invention for which the wedge is in two parts, respectively juxtaposed and superimposed.

Ways to realize the invention

As seen in Figures 1 and 2, the single gliding board consists of a board (1) of generally elongated shape, symmetrical with respect to a median longitudinal plane (2). Of course, the invention also relates to surfboards having ends and / or asymmetrical dimension lines.

This board has a tightening in its middle zone (3). The width L of this area is an important factor, because as already said, the current trend is to manufacture increasingly narrow surfboards.

In known manner, the board receives two fixings (4,5) which are arranged in an inclined manner with respect to the longitudinal axis of the board. To take into account the natural position of the surfer, these bindings (4,5) are placed across the longitudinal axis (2). Depending on the users and the type of practice, the angles of inclination are different between the front foot and the rear foot. Typically in practice with a board as illustrated in Figure 1, the axis (40) of the front leg (4) is oriented at an angle (α) between 20 ° and 90 ° relative to the axis longitudinal (2), the point of the foot being clearly heard directed towards the front of this position. For its part, the angle (β) formed by the axis (50) of the rear leg (5) with the longitudinal axis (2), is between 45 ° and 110 °, that is to say that the tip of the foot can be slightly directed either towards the front or towards the rear of the board, at the convenience of the user. The most commonly adopted position corresponds to 45 ° for α and 80 ° for β.

In parallel, in practice with a board as illustrated in FIG. 2, in which the feet are substantially one behind the other, and where the board is relatively narrower, the axes (40, 50) of the front feet (4) and rear (5) are oriented at an angle (α, β) between 0 and 20 ° relative to the longitudinal axis (2) of the board.

The shoe (6.7) and the binding itself (8.9) form an assembly (4.5) whose length or width exceeds the width of the board, in particular with the new trend of narrow surfboards.

The difference between the length of the shoe-binding assembly and the width of the board at the location of this binding, makes it possible to determine the portion of the shoe-binding assembly which is overhanging outside the board, and which therefore risks catching on tight turns.

Obviously, on the same board, this overhanging part (D) varies according to the position of the bindings and their orientation relative to the longitudinal plane of the board.

As can be seen in FIG. 3, the invention consists in raising the fixing (8,9) by means of a wedge (14) so as to increase the value of the angle Ω which conditions the limit of inclination of the board before hanging.

This angle Ω is at the top of the edge (10) of the edge (11). It is measured between the plane (12) of the lower surface of the board (1) and the plane (13) tangent to the shoe-binding assembly (4,5). This angle corresponds to the inclination limit that the board can take during tight turns, without the binding touching the snow and therefore causing the fall.

• E : correspond à l'épaisseur de la planche au niveau des axes (40,50) des ensembles chaussure-fixation (4,5).
• F : est l'épaisseur de la platine de fixation, c'est-à-dire la distance entre la base de la semelle de la chaussure et la base de la fixation.
• D : mesure la partie de l'ensemble chaussure-fixation débordant de la largeur de la planche, c'est-à-dire la distance entre l'arête de la carre et la projection dans le plan de la surface inférieure de la planche du point le plus extérieur de l'ensemble chaussure fixation.

According to the invention, this angle is chosen to be greater than 45 °, and even preferably 60 °, which implies a minimum height at the raising shim (14), this height being determined according to the characteristic parameters E, F and D can be identified in FIG. 3 and the definition of which is recalled below.

• E: corresponds to the thickness of the board at the axes (40.50) of the shoe-binding assemblies (4.5).
• F: is the thickness of the fixing plate, that is to say the distance between the base of the sole of the shoe and the base of the binding.
• D: measures the part of the shoe-binding assembly extending beyond the width of the board, that is to say the distance between the edge of the edge and the projection in the plane of the bottom surface of the board of outermost point of the shoe attachment assembly.

Of course, the magnitudes E, F and D are expressed in the same unit of length, for example in millimeters.

In a variant illustrated in FIG. 4, the shim (14) has an upper face (15) inclined relative to the upper face (16) of the board (1). This inclination corresponds in certain cases to a particular natural position preferred by the surfer because it allows a flexion of the user's leg. In this case, the height H used for the calculation is the distance between the surface (16) and the lowest end of the shoe-binding assembly.

To facilitate manufacture and assembly, it is possible to raise the front (20) and the rear (21) of the binding by means of two independent shims (22,23) (see fig. 5). In this case, an inclination similar to that of the previous variant can be obtained by choosing shims (22, 23) of different heights.

In the same spirit, the wedge can be produced in several parts of different nature and / or dimensions, as illustrated in FIG. 6. The portion (31) in contact with the board is a stud of reduced bearing surface, making it possible to reduce the mass of the whole. Above this stud rests a plate (30) capable of receiving the fixing. In this case, the height H to be taken into account is the cumulative height of the stud (31) and plate (30) assembly.

The characteristic wedges of the invention can be made of any material conventionally used in the field of surfing, in particular wood, metal alloys, composite materials and plastics.

In a more sophisticated form, one can add to the shim (14,31) a layer of viscoelastic material to absorb the vibrations generated by surfing. It will be noted that these vibrations appear more easily in an aggressive practice of surfing, with tight turns.

It is clear from the above description that the surf according to the invention combines the possibility of using a narrow surf (160 mm instead of the 260 mm conventionally used in the narrowest median zone), therefore having a good ability to chain rapid changes of edge while maintaining an optimal foot position, that is to say either the rear foot being practically perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the surf in the case where the feet are side by side, or the feet slightly oriented transversely in the case where these are substantially one behind the other.

Claims (12)

Unique gliding board, of the type comprising: - a board (1) of maximum thickness (E) and width (L) in the central zone and having a longitudinal axis (2) corresponding substantially to its axis of movement; - two fasteners respectively front (8) and rear (9) comprising a thickness plate (F), each having a median longitudinal axis (40.50) which form with the longitudinal axis of the board respective angles α and β , these bindings (8,9) being intended to receive the shoes (6,7) of the user to form shoe-binding assemblies (4,5), - raising shims (14) of the fasteners relative to the board (1), of height H, characterized in that at least one shoe-binding assembly overflows, at least on one side of the board by a distance (D), and in that the height H of the wedge (14) satisfies the following formula: $$\text{H ≧ D- (E + F)}$$

in which D represents the distance between the edge of the edge on the one hand and the projection in the plane of the lower surface of the board at the outermost point (52) of the shoe-binding assembly (4,5) on the other hand. Single gliding board, according to claim 1, characterized in that the height H of the wedge (14) satisfies the following formula: $$\text{H ≧ 1.73.D- (E + F)}$$

Single gliding board according to claim 1, characterized in that the shim (14) has a height (H) greater than 30 mm. Single gliding board, according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the upper face (15) of the wedge (14) is parallel to the upper face (16) of the board (1). Single gliding board, according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the upper surface (15) of the wedge (14) is inclined towards the front of the boot relative to the upper face (16) of the board (1). Single gliding board, according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the shim (14) is made of a material chosen from the group containing wood, metal alloys, composite materials and plastics. Single gliding board, according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the wedge (14) also has a layer of viscoelastic material. Single gliding board, according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the shim (14) is made in two distinct parts (22,23) located respectively in the anterior zone (20) and in the posterior zone ( 21) of the shoe. Single gliding board, according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the shim (14) has recesses capable of lightening it. Single gliding board according to claim 1, characterized in that the shim (14) is composed of several parts, namely a stud (30) of reduced width on which rests a plate (31) of dimensions compatible with the fixing of the binding (8.9). Single gliding board according to one of Claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the width (L) of the board in the central zone is between 240 and 300 millimeters and in that the angle β formed by the axis longitudinal median (50) of the shoe-rear binding assembly (5) with the longitudinal axis (2) of the board is between 45 and 90 °. Single gliding board according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the width (L) in the central zone is between 100 and 200 millimeters, and in that the angles α and β are less than 45 °.

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