EP0778056A1 - Device for retaining a boot on a snowboard, a ski or the like - Google Patents

Abstract

The safety binding consists of a jaw (3) pivoted to a body (2) about a transverse axis so that it can rotate between open and closed positions. The jaw is held in the closed position by an elastic system with a piston (6) which interacts with a sloping surface in the jaw. The piston being urged upwards by at least one retaining link (14b), and preferably by one on each side of the piston. An axial line through the centres of the links' pivots is situated generally vertically. It is angled slightly towards the boot in the closed position of the jaw and slightly away from the vertical in the open position. A lever (11) which releases the binding is articulated to the piston about the transverse axis of the upper link pivot (12).

Description

The invention relates to a device for retaining a boot to a gliding board such as a ski or the like, for example, a monoski, snowboard and the like. Such a device being generally called in the field of skiing "ski binding".

The invention relates more particularly to a device intended to detachably retain the rear of the user's shoe which is more commonly called "heel piece".

We already know very many safety bindings intended to hold a shoe on a ski to allow, on the one hand, the practice of skiing and, on the other hand, the release of said shoe when it appears a dangerous stress for the leg of the skier. Such bindings include a pivoting jaw urged by an elastic system, while a release lever allows the user to open the jaw to allow the voluntary release of his shoe.

We can note, for example, the heel fixings described in French patents No. 2,492,668, No. 2,338,060 or also No. 2,494,591 and No. 2,717,400. In all of these embodiments, there is an elastic system constituted by a movable sliding member, urged by a spring bearing on a release ramp produced inside a retaining jaw, said ramp being extended downwards by a second ramp, called an opening ramp, allowing maintaining said jaw in the open position. These fasteners, although already improved, have a certain number of drawbacks, and in particular that of being unreliable and giving, for a determined spring compression, variable tripping forces, which, in certain cases, can be dangerous for the skier who trusts his equipment completely. These variations in trigger effects are largely due to unwanted unwanted effects such as bending of the movable member and the friction of the latter in its sliding housing during its movement.

The present invention seeks to remedy the drawbacks encountered with traditional fasteners currently known by proposing a new particularly simple and reliable retaining device.

This object is achieved by providing means allowing the downward retention of the end of the movable locking member, these means being constituted by at least one articulated link, on the one hand, on the sliding movable member and, on the other hand, on the body of the binding.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the release lever is articulated on the piston on the same articulation axis of the retaining rod (s).

In an advantageous arrangement, the sliding piston comprises two lateral links extending downwards, while in one of the embodiments, the two links are connected at their upper end by a transverse cross member to form a shaped stirrup from U open down.

Thus, according to the invention, the safety binding is intended to detachably hold a boot for a ski or the like, and is of the type comprising a jaw pivotally mounted on a body around a transverse axis, so as to be movable in rotation between a closed position and an open position and vice versa, said jaw being retained in the closed position by an elastic system, and further comprising a heaving lever movable in pivoting about a transverse axis, so as to be movable between a position in which it extends upwards and an open position in which it extends rearwards, said elastic system comprising a piston moving longitudinally, urged by a spring bearing on a ramp made in the jaw, and is characterized in that the piston is held up by at least one retaining link articulated on the body by its extr lower moth-eaten about a transverse axis.

According to an additional characteristic, the retaining link is articulated by its upper end about a transverse axis on the front part of the piston.

According to a preferred arrangement, the piston comprises two lateral retaining rods arranged laterally on either side thereof, while the general axis of each of the rods joining the centers of the two axes extends substantially vertically, so as to be advantageously in the closed position slightly inclined forwards and upwards to form an acute angle with the vertical, while in the open position, the axis is slightly inclined backwards and upwards, to form an acute angle with said vertical.

According to another advantageous arrangement, the two lateral links are arranged in lateral clearances produced in the lateral walls of the piston.

In an alternative embodiment, the two lateral retaining links are connected by their upper end by a transverse cross member to form a retaining bracket having the shape of a "U" open towards the bottom.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the heaving lever is articulated on the piston around the transverse axis, to which the retaining link (s) are already articulated.

Let us add that the piston comprises a rear part comprising a central hole intended to receive the spring, extended towards the front by a front part comprising a transverse bearing nose intended to cooperate with the ramp of the jaw, while said rear part is substantially parallelepipedal and its lower wall comprises at its end a transverse support projection intended to be in sliding support on the lower support face of the housing in which the piston moves.

It will be understood that thanks to the retaining rods the piston will have a rearward movement without reproach and constant, while the forces exerted on the lever during voluntary heaving will be fully cashed, without risk of deterioration of the piston.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from the description which follows with reference to the appended drawings which are given only by way of nonlimiting examples.

Figures 1 to 14 illustrate a first embodiment of a ski binding according to the invention.

Figures 1 and 2 are exterior side views of the first embodiment.

Figure 1 is a view showing the attachment in the open position ready to be paved.

Figure 2 is a view showing the same binding in the closed position for retaining the boot.

Figure 3 is a top view.

Figure 4 is a rear view.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of Figure 2 along the vertical plane of general symmetry.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view along VI-VI of FIG. 5.

Figure 7 is a partial exploded perspective view showing certain details of execution.

Figure 8 is a perspective view showing a sub-assembly consisting of the piston and its retaining rods and the lever which is mounted on the same axis as the rods.

FIG. 9 shows the locking system with its moving part and its spring, said moving part being shown in longitudinal section, the two elements of the system being separated.

Figures 10a, 10b, 10c are views showing the locking piston, Figure 10a being an external side view, Figures 10b and 10c being end views.

Figure 11 is a plan view of a retaining link.

Figures 12, 13 and 14 are different views in partial section.

Figure 12 shows the attachment with partial removal of one of the side flanks of the jaw showing one of the side walls of the lever.

Figures 13 and 13a are partial views taken along XIII-XIII of Figure 6

FIG. 13 is an illustration of the binding in the carriageway position for retaining the boot, while FIG. 13a represents it in the bare position.

Figure 14 is a partial sectional view taken along the longitudinal plane (P) of general fixing symmetry.

Figures 15 to 20 illustrate an alternative embodiment according to which the retaining rods are connected at their upper part by a retaining crosspiece.

Figure 15 is a view similar to Figure 7.

Figures 16, 17 and 18 are details and execution views of the retaining clip, Figure 16 being a front view, Figure 17 being a side view, while Figure 18 is a sectional view according to AA.

Figures 19 and 20 are partial schematic views illustrating the operation of the binding and more particularly the operation of the retaining bracket.

Figure 21 is an illustration of another alternative embodiment.

Figures 22 and 23 illustrate an alternative embodiment.

FIG. 22 is a view similar to FIGS. 7 or 15.

Figure 23 is a longitudinal sectional view.

Figures 24 and 25 are views illustrating another variant.

Figure 24 shows in perspective the retaining clip.

Figure 25 is a view similar to Figure 23.

Figure 26 illustrates in perspective another possibility of making the retaining links.

We will first describe a first embodiment of a binding bearing the general reference (1) intended to releasably trigger a boot (40) to a ski (50) and which is intended to retain more particularly the rear of the shoe by its heel. This type of binding being more commonly called heel piece (1) and comprises a vertical plane (P) of general symmetry.

Said heel piece (1) comprises a body (2) on which a retaining jaw (3) is articulated. For this purpose, the latter is pivotally mounted on the body about a transverse axis (4) to be pivotally movable between a shoe retaining position as illustrated in Figure 2 and a release position as shown by Figure 1 and vice versa.

The jaw (1) is biased in the shoe retaining position by the action of an elastic system (5) constituted by a movable locking member (6) biased by a spring (7) on a release ramp (8 ) produced inside the jaw (3), said trigger ramp (8) being advantageously extended downwards by a second ramp or opening ramp (9) allowing the jaw to be able to be placed in the release and open position as illustrated in Figure 1.

According to one of the characteristics of the invention, the mobile locking member (6) is constituted by a sliding piston movable in translation along the longitudinal axis (XX ') of the ski, in a central sliding housing (10) produced in the body (2) of the binding (1).

The piston (6) more particularly visible in Figures 7, 9 and 10 comprises a rear part (60) substantially parallelepiped, comprising a longitudinal central hole (61) intended to receive the spring (7), extended by a front part (62) comprising a transverse bearing nose (63) intended to cooperate with the ramps (8, 9) of the jaw. Furthermore, said front part (62) comprises a transverse upper projection (64) traversed transversely by a transverse hole (65) receiving a transverse pivot axis (12) whose function will be explained, as well as two lateral clearances (68a, 68b ). Note also that the lower wall (66) of the rear part (60) comprises at its end a transverse support projection (67).

Furthermore, there is a pivoting release lever (11) which allows the user to be able to release his shoe by pivoting the jaw from its retaining position to its release position. Thus, in the jaw retaining position, said lever extends upwards (HA) so that it can be pivoted backwards and downwards along F1 to force the jaw to open. To this end, the release lever is pivotally mounted on the piston (6) thanks to the transverse pivot axis (12) advantageously, previously designated. Said lever (11) is made, for example, from sheet steel, and comprises at least one transverse wall (13) extended laterally by two vertical side walls (13a, 13b) extending downwards, the front ends are arranged between the lateral flanks (30a, 30b) of the jaw (3) and the corresponding lateral walls (20a, 20b) of the body (2) of the heel piece. Furthermore, each of the front ends of the lateral walls of the lever comprises, on the one hand, at its lower part a release projection (110), and, on the other hand, at its upper part a projection for voluntary footing (111) .

According to the invention, the front end of the sliding piston (6) is retained on the body (2) by at least one retaining link (14a, 14b), said link being articulated on the piston (6) by one of its ends. , around a first transverse axis (MM '), while the other of its ends is articulated on the body (2) around a second transverse axis (NN ').

According to an additional characteristic, the retaining link is articulated on the piston around an axis (12) materializing the first transverse axis (MM ') also serving as an articulation for the heaving lever. According to the first embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 14, the sliding piston (6) comprises two lateral retaining rods (14a, 14b) arranged laterally on either side of said piston (6) between said piston and the interior walls side of the housing (10) made in the body for the displacement of the piston. Thus, the piston comprises a left link (14a) and a right link (14b). Each of the rods is articulated by its upper end (141) on the piston around the axis (12) also allowing the pivoting of the release lever, while its lower end (142) is articulated on the lower front part (21) of the body (2) around a transverse axis (15) materializing the second transverse axis (NN '). Thus each of the rods which is made from a steel sheet comprises at its upper end (141) a first hole (120) intended to receive the transverse axis (12) and at its lower end (142) a second hole (150) intended to receive the lower transverse pivot axis (15). Add that each of the retaining rods is housed in the corresponding lateral clearance (68a, 68b) made in the front part of the piston (6).

The general axis (YY ') of each of the connecting rods joining the centers of the two axes (12, 15) extends substantially vertically, so as to be advantageously in the pavement position of the fixing (FIGS. 2, 5 and 13) slightly inclined towards the front (AV) and upward (HA) to form an acute angle (A) with the vertical, while in the open position (Figures 1 and 13a), the axis (YY ') is slightly inclined towards the 'back (AR) and up (HA), to form an acute angle (B) with said vertical. Advantageously, the angle (A) is substantially equal to the angle (B) so that, upon rotation of the jaw, the pivot axis (12) moves only very slightly height.

When triggered safely, the jaw (3) urged by the heel of the shoe pivots upward along (R1) around its axis (4). During this movement, the release ramp (8) biases the piston according to a force Q which is broken down into two orthogonal forces, a vertical force directed upwards (S) and a horizontal force directed rearwards (R). The action of the ramp on the piston (6) then causes it to slide backwards against the action of the spring (7). During its longitudinal sliding movement, the piston is supported by its projection (67) on the lower face (100) of the sliding housing (10), said projection (67) moving rearward on this lower face of support (100). Furthermore, the rods retain the front of the piston, to ensure its retention upwards and thus collect the vertical force (S) directed upwards applied to said piston by the ramp (8) of the jaw (3).

According to an additional characteristic of the invention, it should be recalled that the release lever (11) is advantageously articulated on the piston (6) around the axis (12) also serving as a pivot axis for the retaining links.

Figures 15 to 20 illustrate an alternative embodiment in which the two lateral retaining links (14a, 14b) are connected by their upper end by a transverse crosspiece (14c) to form a retaining bracket (140) having the form of 'an open U down. In this embodiment, the upper transverse crosspiece (14c) is intended to hold up the piston (6), when the boot is retained on the ski, and during a release in safety by upward biasing of the shoe. To this end, the cross-member (14c) comprises a projection (14d) extending transversely downwards on which the upper face (69) of the front of the piston (6) comes to rest in the positions mentioned above, at namely, when the shoe is retained on the ski and during a heaving in safety. Furthermore, each of the lateral links (14a, 14b) comprises a slightly oblong hole (120 ') allowing, on the one hand, the passage of the axis (12) of the lever (11) and, on the other hand, the relative vertical movement of said axis, during the operation of the binding (as illustrated in Figures 19 and 20). FIG. 19 schematically and partially illustrates the fixing during a safety trip. During this movement, the jaw (3) is urged upwards by the shoe and pivots along (R1) about its axis (4). During this pivoting movement, the release ramp (8) urges the nose (63) of the piston upwards, which causes a slight lifting of the front of the piston which lifts until it is in contact with the crosspiece (14c) by its upper face (69). We also find ourselves in this situation when the binding is in its road position for retaining the shoe.

FIG. 20 diagrammatically and partially illustrates the binding in the position corresponding to that in which the jaw (3) is open, ready to be fitted, also corresponding substantially to that of the binding during an automatic fitting by pressing the shoe on the pedal (300). During this movement, the lower ramp (9) then biases the nose of the piston downwards, which causes a slight downward movement of the front of the piston, which moves until the axis (12 ) or resting on the lower peripheral edge of the hole (120 ').

Figure 21 is a perspective illustration showing another alternative embodiment according to which the piston (6) comprises only a single retaining link (14).

We have previously seen that each of the rods (14a, 14b, 14) or the like, such as the stirrup (140) is articulated and pivotally retained on the body (2) around an axis (15) which is engaged in a hole corresponding transverse (152) produced in the lower front part of the body. However, all other types of rod retaining arrangement could be adapted such as, for example, those illustrated in FIGS. 22, 23, 24 and 25. These figures illustrate two alternative embodiments according to which the two lateral retaining rods are connected by their lower end (142) by a lower retaining and pivoting crosspiece (14e) which constitutes a cylindrical profile intended to be engaged in a transverse housing (210) produced in the lower front part (21) of the body forming a sort of hook retaining and pivoting, the cooperation between the lower cross member (14e) and the transverse housing (210) thus creating the second transverse axis (NN ').

Figures 22 and 23 illustrate a first variant according to which the two lateral links are not connected by their ends upper, while FIGS. 21 and 24 illustrate a second variant according to which the piston is retained by a stirrup (140 ′) of the type of that of the embodiment in FIGS. 15 to 20.

Figure 26 is a perspective illustration of another possible embodiment for performing the pivoting of the rods. According to this variant, each of the links comprises a lower projection (15 ′) intended to be engaged in a hole made in the wall of the body, thus creating the second transverse axis (NN ′) of rotation of said links (14a, 14b).

Note that, as is known per se, the body (2) of the binding is slidably mounted in a slide (51) fixed to the ski to allow, on the one hand, a precise adjustment of its position as a function of the length of the user's shoe and, on the other hand, its movement against the action of one or more spring (s) (52). Furthermore, the binding according to the invention advantageously comprises a retractable ski brake (70).

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described and shown by way of examples, but it also includes all the technical equivalents and their combinations.

Claims (11)

Safety binding intended to detachably hold a boot (40) to a ski (50) or the like, of the type comprising a jaw (3) pivotally mounted on a body (2) around a transverse axis (4), so as to be movable in rotation between a closed position and an open position and vice versa, said jaw (3) being retained in closed position by an elastic system (5), said attachment further comprising a release lever (11 ) movable in pivoting about a transverse axis, so as to be movable between a position according to which it extends upwards, corresponding to the closed position of the jaw, and an open position according to which it extends rearward, corresponding to the open position of the jaw, said elastic system comprising a piston (6) movable in longitudinal displacement urged to bear on a ramp (8, 9) produced in the jaw (3) by the u action n spring (7), characterized in that the piston (6) is retained at least upwards by at least one retaining link (14, 14a, 14b, 140, 140 ') articulated on the body (2) by its lower end (142) around a transverse axis (NN ', 15). Safety binding according to claim 1, characterized in that the retaining link (14, 14a, 14b, 140, 140 ') is articulated by its upper end (141) around a transverse axis (MM', 12) on the front part (62) of the piston (6). Safety binding according to claim 2, characterized in that the piston (6) comprises two lateral retaining links (14a, 14b) arranged laterally on either side thereof. Safety binding according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the general axis (YY ') of each of the connecting rods joining the centers of the two axes (12, 15) extends substantially vertically, to be advantageously in the closing position of the binding slightly inclined forwards (AV) and upwards (HA) to form an acute angle (A) with the vertical, while in position opening axis (YY ') is slightly inclined rearward (AR) and upward (HA), to form an acute angle (B) with said vertical. Safety binding according to claim 4, characterized in that the two lateral links are arranged in lateral clearances (68a, 68b) produced in the lateral walls of the piston. Safety binding according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the two lateral retaining links (14a, 14b) are connected at their upper end by a transverse crosspiece (14c) to form a retaining bracket (140, 140 ') having the shape of a "U" open towards the bottom. Safety binding according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the release lever (11) is articulated on the piston around the transverse axis (12), to which the link (s) of restraint (14, 14a, 14b, 140, 140 '). Safety binding according to any one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that the upper end (141) of the retaining link (s) (14, 14a, 14b) comprises an oblong hole (120 ') intended for the passage of the transverse axis (12). Safety binding according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the piston comprises a rear part (60) comprising a central hole (61) intended to receive the spring (7), extended forward by a front part (62) comprising a transverse bearing nose (63) intended to cooperate with the ramp (8, 9) of the jaw (3). Safety binding according to claim 9, characterized in that the front part (62) of the piston comprises a transverse upper projection (64) pierced with a transverse hole (65) intended to receive the axis (12) of articulation of the links (14a, 14a, 14b, 140). Safety binding according to any one of claims 9 to 10, characterized in that the rear part (60) is substantially rectangular and its lower wall (66) comprises at its end a transverse support projection (67) intended to be in sliding support on the lower support face (100) of the housing (10) in which the piston moves.

Images