EP1131139B1 - Safety binding for ski boot - Google Patents

Abstract

A safety binding for a ski boot having a sole clamp divided into two sole clamps (3, 4) each mounted pivoting about a particular more or less vertical axis. The sole clamps (3, 4) form two levers of a first type with two diverging arms designed to retain the boot laterally and two substantially converging arms perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. Each sole clamp is provided with a descending arm (9, 10) which bears against two adjacent points on the end of a piston (13). The piston is axially mounted in the body (1) of the binding and extends beneath the boot. A spring is biased against the piston. The descending arms (9, 10) simultaneously control the elastic tilting of the sole clamp in a vertical plane.

Description

The present invention relates to a safety binding for a ski boot, the sole of which has a sidewalk, comprising a binding body of which a horizontal part, intended for the vertical support of the boot and extending under the boot, contains a movable element axially stressed by an elastic means, the body carrying a sole clamp for retaining the boot by its sidewalk, this sole clamp being mounted pivoting around at least one axis at least approximately vertical and pivoting at a limited angle in a vertical plane around an axis, real or virtual, located at the level of the retention of the shoe by the sole clamp, this sole clamp being provided with two descending arms rigidly linked to the sole clamp and whose ends take support against said movable element.

The invention relates both to a front stop and a heel piece. The term "sole clamp" is understood to mean an attachment part coming from the sidewalk of the shoe through at least one face. All direction indications are made relative to the upper face of a ski placed horizontally.

Such a fixing is known, in the form of a stop, from patent CH 686 707. This fixing has the advantage of controlling, by means of a single spring, both the pivoting of the sole clamp around an axis vertical in the event of a fall than the tilting of the sole clamp in a vertical plane, whether for maintain a certain vertical pressure on the sidewalk of the shoe and ensure the elastic adaptation of the height of the sole clamp to the variations in height which are encountered in standard sidewalks or which are due to the presence of a wedge of snow on the binding or under the shoe or to facilitate the release of the shoe, in particular in the event of a fall forward. This tilting possibility also makes it possible to better control the release of the shoe in rear fall. In addition, the arrangement of the spring and of the piston under the bearing surface of the shoe on the binding makes it possible to have a favorable relationship between the resistant couples exerted on the shoe in the horizontal plane and in the vertical plane. More specifically, the active lever arms are of the same order of magnitude.

In a fixing stop, it is of paramount importance that the sole clamp has a good capacity to return to the initial position. It is in particular essential that in the event of a succession of lateral shocks to the shoe, as this frequently occurs, especially in competition, this succession of shocks does not result in the addition of small displacements of the sole clamp likely to cause a untimely triggering of the binding, but resulting in all cases in a misalignment of the boot relative to the axis of the ski due to an incomplete return of the stopper to the initial position, such a defect causing the fall by defect of control ski. It is therefore essential that after each from these side shocks, the sole clamp returns to the initial position and brings the shoe back to the correct position. In this respect, the attachment described in patent CH 686 707 is not satisfactory. Indeed, if we consider Figure 2 of this document, we see that the thrust exerted by the sole clamp on the piston creates a significant torque on the piston in a horizontal plane, this torque generating lateral reaction pressures resulting in frictional forces opposing the sliding of the piston. However, we know that, in a safety binding, the control of friction is essential if we want the binding to trigger regularly for determined forces.

The present invention aims precisely to overcome the defects of the abovementioned stop.

The binding according to the invention is characterized in that the sole clamp is divided into two independent sole clamps each mounted to pivot about an at least approximately vertical own axis, these sole clamps constituting two levers of the first kind having two arms divergent lever intended to laterally retain the boot and two converging arms, at least approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the binding and bearing respectively on the end of the movable element by means of an arm descending in two points close to each other.

The two support points of the descending arms of the sole clamp being close to each other, they are also close to the axis of the movable element. They will even advantageously be as close as possible to this axis. The torque exerted on the movable element by the sole clamp is thus very low, so that the frictional forces generated by this couple are insignificant.

In addition, the friction of the sole clamps on the sidewalk of the shoe is less important than in a fixing with a single sole clamp.

On the other hand, the fact of having two independent sole clamps favors the refocusing of the sole clamps and the escape of the binding in the event of a fall as has already been explained in document EP 0 295 372. Front stops comprising two sole clamps are also known in particular from documents DE 27 56 895, EP 0241 360, FR 2 464 727 or more recently from document FR 2 758 732. In the fasteners described in these documents, the spring is located at the front sole clamps, at the height of these and acts on a tie rod at one end of which are attached the arms of the sole clamps. The kinematics of these stops is therefore very different from that of the fixing according to the invention.

The mobile element advantageously consists of a piston.

So as to have a harmonious relationship between the resistant couples of lateral retention and tilting in a vertical plane, the distance between the virtual axis of rotation of the sole clamps. in a vertical plane and the end of the support points of the descending arms on the piston is advantageously substantially equal to the length of the divergent lever arms of the arms of the sole clamps.

The limited tilting of the sole clamps in a vertical plane can be achieved in various ways.

According to one embodiment, the pivot axes of the sole clamps about an approximately vertical axis have two axial stops retaining the sole clamps vertically and the sole clamps have, between these stops, an angular play towards the front, allowing limited tilting of the sole clamps.

According to another embodiment, the pivot axes of the sole clamps about an approximately vertical axis are connected without play to the sole clamps and rigidly between them in their upper part by a horizontal part so as to form a single piece U-shaped pivotally mounted on the body, between two stops, around its horizontal part. The stops are advantageously constituted by the ends of two slots formed in the fixing body and crossed by the pivot axes.

The branches of the U-shaped piece are advantageously slightly divergent so that the pivot axes are slightly inclined, so that the trajectory of the sole clamps, when they are opened, is slightly ascending, which favors the escape of the shoe, because the sole clamp thus departs vertically from the sidewalk of the shoe.

The amplitude of the tilting of the sole clamps in a vertical plane can be increased to release the shoe during a fall backward in the case of a front stop or to release the shoe in front fall in the case of a heel piece .

In the case of a stop, as for the fixing according to patent CH 686 707, the fixing body of the stop can be articulated in a stirrup to achieve a trekking fixing.

The accompanying drawing shows, by way of example, some embodiments of the binding according to the invention.

Figure 1 is a side view of a stop according to a first embodiment.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same stop.

Figure 3 is a bottom view of the same stop, but without the fixing body or the support plate.

Figure 4 is a perspective view from below of the sole clamps of the jaw of the same stop.

Figure 5 is a bottom view similar to Figure 3, but with a piston in one piece and which shows, in phantom, the movement of one of the sole clamps and the piston.

FIG. 6 is a detailed view of FIG. 5.

Figure 7 is a sectional view along VII-VII of Figure 5.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the piston and its spring.

Figure 9 is a top plan view of the same stopper in the lateral release position.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view along X-X of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view along XI-XI of FIG. 2.

FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of a detail of FIG. 11.

Figure 13 is a sectional view similar to Figure 11, showing the sole clamp tilted under the effect of a force F _v .

Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view, from rear to front, at the pivot axes of the sole clamp, of a second embodiment.

FIG. 15 represents an alternative embodiment of this second embodiment.

FIG. 16 represents a second variant of the second embodiment.

Figure 17 is a front perspective view of a third embodiment.

Figure 18 is a view similar to Figure 17, but without the right arm of the sole clamp.

Figure 19 shows, in the same perspective, the support of the sole clamp with one of the arms thereof.

Figure 20 shows the support of the sole clamp.

FIG. 21 is a view in axial section of the embodiment shown in FIG. 17.

Figure 22 is a side view of the same stopper in two different positions of the sole clamp in the vertical plane.

FIG. 23 is a view from the rear towards the front of the sole clamp, in which the sole clamp is moved away from its rest position.

FIG. 24 is a front view of the support of the sole clamp according to FIGS. 19 and 20.

FIG. 25 is a top view of the sole clamp as shown in FIG. 23.

Figure 26 is a top view, in perspective, of a variant of the third embodiment, without the sole clamp.

Figure 27 is a top view of the same variant, also without the sole clamp.

Figure 28 is a sectional view along XXVIII-XXVIII of Figure 27.

FIG. 29 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the embodiment according to FIGS. 11 to 13.

Figure 30 is a perspective view of a stop according to the invention covered with a protective cover.

Figure 31 is a side view of a touring binding equipped with a stopper according to the invention, in the descent position.

Figure 32 shows the same trekking binding in the walking position.

The stop represented in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a fixing body 1 fixed here on a ski 30 and carrying a sole clamp 2 intended to retain a shoe 27 by its sole 15 which for this purpose has a front sidewalk 15a of standardized height. The fastening body 1 further carries a sliding plate 7 on which the sole of the shoe rests. The sole clamp 2 consists of two sole clamps 3 and 4 articulated respectively around a vertical axis 5, 6 on the body 1.

The terms front, rear, as well as left, right are used when looking towards the tip or tip of the ski.

As can be seen in FIG. 3, each of the sole clamps 3 and 4 is in the form of a lever of the first kind whose longest lever arms are divergent, while the shortest lever arms are convergent and practically perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the stop. The converging lever arms of the sole clamps 3 and 4 are each provided with a substantially vertically descending arm 9, respectively 10, bearing on two parallel pistons 11 and 12 or, preferably, a single common piston 13 (FIG. 5) subjected to the thrust of a precompressed spring 14. In known manner, the sole clamps 3 and 4 have vertical faces 18 and 19 intended to bear laterally against the sole 15 of the shoe, on each side thereof and two horizontal faces 16, respectively 17 intended to rest on the sidewalk 15a of the shoe.

The descending arms 9 and 10 have at their lower end a boss 37, respectively 38 by which these arms 9 and 10 bear against the end of the piston 13, respectively of the pistons 11 and 12. Subsequently, reference will be made only to the piston 13. It is noted that the points of support of the bosses 37 and 38 on the piston are close to each other and close to the longitudinal axis of the piston. In the embodiment shown in Figures 4 to 6, the piston 13 has a central front projection 13a forming two lateral bearing surfaces 44 and 45 against which the descending arms 9 and 10 are supported by two lateral surfaces of support 37 and 38. In the example shown, the front support surfaces 20 and 21 of the piston are connected respectively to the lateral support surfaces 44 and 45 by a rounded shape and the same is true of the lateral support faces 42 and 43 of the sole clamp which are connected to the support bosses 37 and 38. The sole clamps being mounted tilting in a vertical plane, this conformation of the supports against the piston prevents an undesirable tilting of the jaw arms in a vertical plane oblique relative to the axis of the ski, which could happen in particular if you walk on a stop not paved.

As shown in Figure 7, the piston 13 advantageously has a bore 48 in which engages the spring 14 which is supported not on the bottom of the bore, but on the disc 8a integral in translation with a screw 8 passing through the bottom of the bore and allowing the regulation of the precompression of the spring 14 and, consequently , the hardness of the fixation.

Figure 9 shows the front stop being triggered on the left. The sole 15 of the shoe exerts a lateral thrust on the sole clamp 3. This thrust is transmitted to the piston by the kinematic chain formed by the sole clamp 3, the descending arm 9 and the boss 37. In this case, the arm descending 9 therefore has only the sole function of applying the shortest lever arm of the sole clamp 3 against the piston. As soon as the shoe has left the stop, the spring 14, by means of the piston 13, returns the sole clamp 3 to its initial position.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 11 to 13, as well as in its variants shown in Figures 14 to 16, the height of the sole clamps relative to the fixing body 1 can be changed. This is necessary when the stopper is used in a hiking binding, the shoes used in hiking having soles not all having the same thickness.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 11 to 13, each of the axes 5 and 6 of pivoting of the sole clamps has a threaded portion 22 engaged in a tapped hole 49 of the body 1 and the upper end of the axis is provided with a screw head 23. This head 23 also constitutes a first axial retaining stop of the sole clamp, the axes 5 and 6 having a second stop consisting of a bearing 24 of the axis, bearing on which the sole clamp rests. In addition, the passage 25 of the axis through the sole clamp has a section which becomes more and more ovalized forward, descending in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the binding, so as to create an angular play 26 in a vertical plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the binding. A clearance is also provided in the sole clamps in front of and behind the span 24 and the upper face of this span 24 is inclined on its front part and on its rear part so as to allow the tilting of the sole clamp in a vertical plane. The length of the part 25 of the pivot axis, between the stops 23 and 24, is preferably at least twice the diameter of this part 25. This ratio proves to be particularly favorable for limiting the necessary freedom of tilting of the sole clamps at the desired value.

In order to have a harmonious relationship between the resistant couples of lateral restraint and tilting in a vertical plane, the distance 11 (figure 11) between the virtual axis of rotation of the sole clamps in a vertical plane and the end of the points the support of the descending arms on the piston is advantageously substantially equal to the length 12 (FIG. 5) of the divergent lever arms of the sole clamps.

FIG. 13 illustrates the tilting of one of the sole clamps under the effect of a force F _v directed upwards, for example in the event of a front fall or a rear fall. We see that the sole clamp can tilt elastically on its pivot axis thanks to the clearance 26 and the piston 13.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 14, the two axes 5 and 6 threaded along 22 are replaced by two axes 5 and 6 mounted sliding in the body 1 and interconnected by a cross member 35 whose grooved ends are engaged with bearing surfaces or flanges 31 and 32 of axes 5 and 6. The cross-member 35 is itself carried by a screw 36 screwed into the body 1 and allowing the height of the sole clamps to be adjusted relative to the body 1.

In the variant shown in Figure 15, the screw 36 is replaced by a screw 36 'whose thread is engaged with a threaded hole in the cross 35, while the lower end 36'a of this screw 36' simply a widening by which the screw is retained axially in the body 1 while being able to rotate with a great friction therein.

In the variant shown in Figure 16, the sole clamps 3 and 4 are directly interconnected by a sort of tenon-mortise assembly 50, 51 playing the role of the crosspiece of Figures 14 and 15. The height adjustment is done by means of axis 5 threaded as previously, while the axis 6 is simply sliding in the fixing body.

As can be seen in FIGS. 7, 8 and 10, the front face of the piston 13 is vertical, that is to say perpendicular to the plane of the fixing, so that the lever ratios are the same for all height adjustment levels of the sole clamps, which guarantees uniform trigger conditions over the entire height adjustment range.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 17 to 25, the pivot axes 5 and 6 are interconnected by a crosspiece 40 so as to form a sole holder 41 in a single U-shaped piece whose branches are slightly divergent as this is particularly visible in Figure 24. The axes 5 and 6 form an angle of a few degrees between them. The sole holder 41 is supported by a front part 1a of the fixing body so as to pivot about an axis constituted by the horizontal part 40 of the sole holder. The only degree of freedom of the sole clamps 3 and 4 on the sole holder 41 is a rotational movement around the axes 5 and 6. When the sole clamps tilt in a vertical plane, the sole holder 41 is therefore drawn into this movement.

Due to the obliquity of the pivot axes 5 and 6, when one of the sole clamps pivots under the effect of the lateral thrust of the shoe, the sole clamp, for example, the sole clamp 4, figures 23 and 25, rotates in an ascending oblique plane, which has the effect of facilitating the escape of the shoe by spreading the bearing face 17 of the sole. This elevation of the sole clamp is represented by e in FIG. 23.

An improvement of the latter embodiment is shown in Figures 26 to 28. We find the sole holder 41 pivotally mounted about a horizontal axis by its transverse part on a base la 'of the fixing body 1. The ends lower axes 5 and 6 are respectively engaged in slots 56, 57 formed in the fixing body 1. These slots 56 and 57 are oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the binding and have the effect of limiting the tilting of the greenhouse holder -sole 41 and, therefore, limit the tilting of the sole holder in a vertical plane, as well as to prevent parasitic lateral movement.

Contrary to what happens in embodiments 11 to 16, where the sole clamps 3 and 4 can tilt independently of one another in a vertical plane, in the embodiments with sole holder 41, the tilting of one of the sole clamps causes the tilting of the other sole clamp.

It would of course be possible to have a possibility of height adjustment by mounting the sole holder 41 on a piece adjustable in height.

FIG. 29 illustrates another solution for reducing the friction of the sole clamps on the shoe when the stop is released. To this end, the binding body 1 has, on the shoe side, two vertical guide surfaces 52 and 53 symmetrical relative to the axis of the stop. These guide surfaces act as cams against which two vertical fingers 54 and 55 of the sole clamps 3 and 4 respectively bear, the surfaces 52 and 53 being shaped so that when a sole clamp pivots in its release direction, it switches simultaneously in a vertical plane so as to move away from the sidewalk of the shoe. The fingers 54 and 55 could be replaced by any other sliding surface. This improvement has been shown for an embodiment according to FIGS. 11 to 13, but it could also be used in the embodiment according to 17 to 28, whether with oblique pivot axes or vertical pivot axes. .

The stop may advantageously be provided with a cover 47 (FIG. 30) at least partially covering the sole clamps 3 and 4, so that the stop is protected against the penetration of snow and ice.

Finally, the body 1 of the stop can be articulated around a transverse axis 28 on a stirrup 29, as shown in Figures 31 and 32, in a touring binding. In this case, the fastening body 1 is secured to a plate or a bar carrying, at the rear, a heel piece for maintaining the heel of the shoe, as is known, for example, from US Pat. No. 5,735,541.

As already mentioned, the binding according to the invention could be a heel piece, that is to say intended to fix the rear of the shoe.

Instead of a piston pushed by a spring or two springs of smaller diameter to reduce the height of the support plate, one could use any other device consisting of a movable element resiliently biased by a spring or any other elastic means , possibly pneumatic. The movable member need not necessarily move axially, but it could be rotatable.

Claims (16)

1. A safety binding for a ski boot, of which the sole has a curb (15a) comprising a binding body (1) of which a horizontal part for the boot to rest on vertically and extending under the boot, contains a moving element (13) urged by an elastic means (14), the body (1) carrying a sole clamp (2) for holding the boot by its curb, this sole clamp being mounted to pivot about at least one at least approximately vertical axle to release the boot and pivoting through a limited angle in a vertical plane about a real or imaginary axis located in the region where the boot is held by the sole clamp, this sole clamp being equipped with two descending arms (9, 10) rigidly connected to the jaw and the ends of which bear against said moving element (13),
   characterized in that the sole clamp (2) is split into two independent sole clamps (3, 4) each mounted to pivot about its own at least approximately vertical axle (5, 6), these sole clamps constituting two levers of the first kind having two divergent lever arms intended to retain the boot laterally and two converging arms at least approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the binding and bearing respectively against the end of the moving element via a descending arm (9, 10) at two closely spaced points.
2. The binding as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the distance between the axis of rotation of the sole clamp in a vertical plane and the points (37, 38) at which the descending arms bear on the moving element is approximately equal to the length of the diverging lever arms of the arms (3, 4) of the jaw.
3. The binding as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the pivot axles (5, 6) of the sole clamps about a vertical axis have two axial stops (23, 24) retaining the sole clamps vertically and in that the sole clamps have, between these stops, forward angular clearance (26) allowing the sole clamps to tilt in a vertical plane.
4. The binding as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the pivot axles (5, 6) are produced in the form of screws (22) screwed into the stop body (1) for heightwise adjustment of the sole clamps.
5. The binding as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the pivot axles (5, 6) are mounted to slide in the stop body and are connected together at their upper part by a cross member (35) supported at its central part by a threaded rod (36, 36') for adjusting the height of the cross member.
6. The binding as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the sole clamps (3, 4) are secured (50, 51) together in terms of vertical movement and in that one of the axles (5) is in the form of a screw screwed into the body and the other axle (6) can slide in the body.
7. The binding as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the pivot axles of the sole clamps (3, 4) about an approximately vertical axis are connected without clearance to the sole clamps and are connected together rigidly at their upper part by a horizontal part (40) so as to form a single U-shaped component (41) mounted to pivot, between two stops, about its horizontal transverse part.
8. The binding as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the binding body (1) has two slots (56, 57) through which the pivot axles (5, 6) pass, the ends of these slots constituting said stops.
9. The binding as claimed in claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the branches of the U-shaped component (41) diverge slightly so that the pivot axles are inclined slightly sideways so that the path of the sole clamps, as they open, is slightly upward.
10. The binding as claimed in one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the moving element is a piston (13) having a frontal projection (13a) forming two lateral bearing surfaces (44, 45) for the ends of the descending arms (9, 10).
11. The binding as claimed in one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the binding body (1) has guide surfaces (52, 53) against which the gliding surfaces (54, 55) of the sole clamps bear, these guide surfaces having a shape such that they cause the sole clamps to tilt gradually as they pivot.
12. The binding as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that the gliding surfaces (54, 55) are the surfaces of two vertical fingers.
13. The binding as claimed in one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the moving element (13) is equipped with an adjusting screw (8) for adjusting the precompression of the elastic means (14).
14. The binding as claimed in one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that it is a stop, the body (1) of which is mounted to pivot about a transverse horizontal axle (28) in a stirrup (29).
15. The binding as claimed in one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the moving element is split into two pistons (11, 12) one pressing respectively on each of the two sole clamps (3, 4).
16. The binding as claimed in one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the angle of pivoting of the sole clamps in a vertical plane is great enough to release the boot in a backward fall or to produce a heel piece.