EP1151766A1 - Toe binding for a ski boot - Google Patents

Abstract

The boot retaining element comprises a body (2) and a retaining jaw (3). The jaw is returned by a return spring (20) housed in the body. The spring is connected to the jaw by an anchor (24) having two branches, a central tie rod and a central fork with two teeth. The spring holds the anchor branches supported against two retaining pins (32,33) integral with the body. The jaw has a median pin (35) engaged between the two fork teeth.

Description

The invention relates to a retaining element on the front of a shoe on a ski.

More specifically, the invention relates to an element of restraint with asymmetric triggering, i.e. with shoe release parameters are different depending on the direction in which the shoe biases the jaw detention.

In known manner, a front retaining element comprises a retaining jaw which is held in a centered position on the ski by an elastic return device. In response to the stresses exerted by the shoe, the jaw is likely to move sideways on either side from this aligned position until the release of the shoe.

We also know that a skier's knee can withstand a higher torsional stress on the leg if the foot is driven outwards, against the knee is more fragile if the foot is dragged towards the other foot. These torsional stresses result in lateral force exerted by the front of the shoe on the jaw.

To take this into account, we proposed constructions front retainer with asymmetric release. Of such constructions have been disclosed particularly in patent applications FR 1 503 847, FR 1 503 848, FR 1 503 849, or also EP 785 002, EP 785 003, EP 807 454.

An object of the invention is to propose a new mode of construction of a retainer on the front of a shoe which exhibits asymmetric tripping operation lateral.

This new mode is applied to a stop construction which is said to anchor. In the language of the invention, such anchor is a movable connecting element located between the jaw and its return spring which is held in abutment against two retaining stops located on either side of the line of action of the spring, and that the jaw drives in movement relative to one or the other of these two stops in function of its direction of movement.

An anchor return mechanism is for example described in patent application EP 271 694, or DE 196 35 681.

The retaining element according to the invention comprises a body and a generally symmetrical retaining jaw with respect to a median longitudinal and vertical plane, the jaw being laterally movable on either side of a central position to which it is returned by a return spring housed in the body, the return spring being connected to the jaw by an anchor having two lateral branches and a tie central and a central fork with two teeth, the spring being connected to the central tie, keeping elastically the branches of the anchor resting against two retaining studs integral with the body, the jaw having a center pin engaged between the two teeth of the fork which drives the fork during its lateral displacement.

It is characterized by the fact that at least one of the elements of the anchor that are the branches, the tie and the fork is asymmetrical with respect to the longitudinal plane and vertical median defined by the body and the jaw.

The invention will be better understood by referring to the description and attached drawings.

Figure 1 is a top view in partial section of a front retainer according to a first embodiment.

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the anchor of Figure 1.

Figures 3, 4 and 5 show variants of realization of the anchor.

Figure 6 is a side view and in section a cartridge of elastic return according to an implementation variant of the invention.

Figure 7 is a top view in partial section of the cartridge of figure 3.

Figures 8 and 9 similarly represent a reminder cartridge according to another alternative embodiment.

Figure 1 shows by way of illustration of the invention a retaining cartridge 1 which is known for the main part of the patent application EP 271 694 already cited.

This element comprises a body 2 and a jaw 3 which are symmetrical with respect to a median vertical plane which we have represented in 4 the trace in the plane of Figure 1.

The retaining element is extended rearward by a support plate 6 which is designed to receive the shoe.

The jaw 3 mainly comprises two lateral wings 8 and 9. The wings are mounted at the end of arms 10 and 11 articulated on the front of the body around axes 12 and 13 substantially vertical. The wings are themselves mounted articulated around axes 14 and 15, carried by the arms 10 and 11, and kept at a distance by a cross member 17 which extends between the wings. The whole formed by the body in its part located between axes 12 and 13, the two arms 10 and 11 and the crosspiece 17 forms a deformable quadrilateral which can be deform following a displacement of the jaw on the part and else from a centered position that is aligned with the plane vertical median previously defined.

Each wing is also locked relative to the crosses by a cam mechanism which releases the wing beyond of a determined deformation of the quadrilateral. This mechanism is not shown in the figures.

An elastic return device is provided to bring the jaw in its centered position.

According to Figure 1, this mechanism includes a spring traction 20. The front end of the spring is hooked to a nut 21 screwed onto a screw 22 which is retained in the body 2. The other end of the spring is hooked to an anchor 24 which liaises with the jaw.

The anchor 24 is more particularly visible in FIG. 2. It includes two lateral branches 25 and 26, a tie central 27 oriented towards the spring, and a central fork 28 oriented on the other side towards the jaw.

As can be seen in Figure 1, the spring 20 is attached to a housing 30 of the anchor located in the tie rod central. Under the effect of the spring tension, the two branches 25 and 26 are pressed against two retaining studs 32, 33 connected integrally to the body. Finally, a pin 35 integral with the crosspiece 17 is engaged between the two teeth of the fork 28.

The anchor 24 is made of any suitable material, especially metal.

The operation is as follows. When a wing of the jaw is subjected to a lateral stress, the cross member 17 shifts laterally, its movement being controlled by arms 10 and 11. The cross member carries with it the anchor in forcing one of the branches to wrap around its stud detention. The other branch, on the other hand, leaves the support of its stud. When the solicitation stops, or when the shoe is released, the spring returns the jaw to its position centered.

The retaining element 1 has an asymmetrical operation, that is, the jaw must overcome a restoring force exerted by the spring which is stronger on one side than the other.

To achieve this effect, one of the elements of the anchor is asymmetrical rendering.

According to a first embodiment illustrated in the Figures 1 and 2, the two branches 25 and 26 of the anchor are asymmetrical and the two retaining studs have positions not symmetrical with respect to the vertical and longitudinal plane median, so that the anchor exerts its traction on the spring with different lever arms depending on the stud around which it rolls up.

Figures 1 and 2 show for this purpose arms 25 and 26 and pads 32 and 33 which are located at a different distance of the vertical and longitudinal median plane.

In the variant shown in Figure 3, the branches 25 'and 26' from the anchor are offset in one direction longitudinal. The retaining studs are offset on the body correspondingly. By doing so, we play mainly on the lever arm with which the crosspiece of the jaw drives the anchor.

We could also combine a lateral offset with a oblique offset.

Given these differences in leverage, the jaw carries the anchor more easily on one side than the other.

According to an alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 3, one of the fork teeth has a shape that is not symmetrical to the other tooth. Thus, according to Figure 4, the tooth 28a has a base further from the median longitudinal plane than its end. In the centered position of the jaw, the pin 35 stresses the end of the tooth. Gradually as the anchor wraps around a stud, the pin requests the base of the tooth.

According to this variant, for the same amplitude of displacement of the jaw on one side and the other of the plane median, we get different amplitudes of winding anchor around one or the other of the studs, hence a variation of the restoring force exerted by the spring.

According to the variant illustrated in Figure 5, we play on the shape of the spring hooking notch. The 30 'notch is there represented in the form of a slot which extends along a general direction transverse to the median longitudinal plane. The end of the spring moves in the slot as measurement of the rotation of the anchor. The two parts 30'a and 30'b of the slit are not symmetrical with respect to the median plane so that the spring stretches differently depending on the direction displacement of the jaw.

Of course, we could combine two or more of the different variants which have been described.

Figures 6 and 7 show a reminder cartridge 40 which finds an interesting application in the context of the present invention.

This cartridge includes a cage 41 which is for example made of sheet metal shaped by folding. The cage has two sides upper and lower. The pads 42 and 43 are assembled at these faces, for example they are crimped by their ends. The spring 44, the hooking nut 45 and the screw 46 are mounted at inside the cage. The anchor 48 is attracted in support by the spring against the two studs 42 and 43.

The cartridge thus produced is asymmetrical, the anchor and the studs being produced according to one of the variants previously described.

This cartridge forms an autonomous subset, that is to say that it is performed independently of the rest of the element of detention. It is intended to be housed in the body and for receive the cross pin between the teeth of the fork at the time of complete assembly of the element.

The advantage of this device is that it is reversible. With a single cartridge of this type, produced with the same parts, two different models of retaining elements can be made designed to be combined with shoes respectively right and left. To reverse the asymmetry of operation of this cartridge, you just need to go up one way or another so as to reverse the relative positions of the upper and lower faces of the cage.

Advantageously, a slot is provided on each of the faces. 49, 50. The position of the hanging nut is made visible from the outside through the slot in the face which is located above, and a suitable body window. So it is possible to check the initial stretch state spring for its two mounting methods.

Figures 8 and 9 relate to another mode of realization of the anchor.

The return spring is a compression spring, which is resting at one end against a nut 53 screwed on a screw 54 whose head rests against the wall of a cage 56, or else directly against the body. The other end of the spring presses a piston 55 which pushes the anchor 56 against two retaining studs 57 and 58.

The piston is connected to the anchor around a pivot 60 which crosses an anchor hole.

As in the previous case, the anchor has two branches 63 and 64 which are in abutment against the pads 57 and 58, and which are able to wrap around one or the other. As the spring is a thrust spring, the branches of the anchor are oriented in the other direction. The tie is formed by the part center 65 of the forward anchor, which is crossed by pivot 60. Forward, the anchor has a fork, with two teeth, intended to receive a pin from the jaw or another equivalent element.

As in the previous case, the functioning of the subset thus formed is made asymmetrical by building the anchor asymmetrically at the level of its branches or the fork.

As in the previous embodiment, the subset can be mounted in a cage 68 so as to form a autonomous and reversible cartridge.

Naturally, the present description is given only indicative, and we could adopt other layouts work of the invention without departing from the scope of this one.

Claims (6)

Shoe retaining element on a ski comprising a body (2) and a retaining jaw (3) generally symmetrical with respect to a longitudinal and vertical median plane (4), the jaw being movable laterally on either side from a central position towards which it is returned by a return spring (20, 52) housed in the body, the return spring being connected to the jaw by an anchor (24, 56) having two lateral branches (25, 26 , 25 ', 26', 63, 64), a central rod (27, 65) and a central fork (28, 66) with two teeth, the spring being connected to the central rod, and elastically holding the branches of the anchor resting against two retaining studs (32, 33, 57, 58) made integral with the body, the jaw having a central pin (35) engaged between the two teeth of the fork which drives the fork during its lateral displacement, characterized by the fact that at least one of the elements of the anchor are the bran ches (25, 26, 25 ', 26', 63, 64), the tie (27, 65) and the fork (28, 66) is asymmetrical with respect to the median longitudinal and vertical plane defined by the body and the jaw. Retaining element according to claim 1, characterized in that the spring (20, 53), the anchor (24, 56) and the studs (32, 33, 57, 58) are mounted inside a cage having an upper face, a lower face so as to form an autonomous cartridge intended to be mounted in the body in two different positions. Element according to either of the preceding claims, characterized in that the branches (25, 26) of the anchor (24) are offset with respect to each other in a longitudinal direction. Element according to either of Claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the two branches (25 ', 26') are offset in a transverse direction. Element according to either of Claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the teeth (28a, 28b) of the anchor are asymmetrical with respect to the median vertical plane. Element according to either of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the tie rod (30) has a notch (30 ') for hooking the spring which extends transversely, on either side of the vertical median plane, of which the two parts (30'a and 30'b) are asymmetrical relative to this plane.

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