EP1325768B1 - Cross-country ski binding - Google Patents

Abstract

The boot fastening, comprising a recess (20) for a clamp (22) and a lock (26) that can be moved between open and closed positions, has a sliding handle (28) with a rod (30) connecting it to the lock, with the handle, rod and lock all able to move within a fixed housing (21) of the fastening. The handle and lock both move by sliding, but in non-parallel directions, and the rod is connected to both of thenm by articulated joints with their axes perpendicular to the sliding directions.

Description

The invention relates to a device for attaching a shoe to a sports article. It will be more particularly implemented in devices in which the shoe is attached to the sports article by its front part but in which the heel remains free to lift relative to the sporting article. Such a type of attachment device is for example used in cross-country skiing.

The invention will be more particularly described in its application to a fixing device of the type described for example in documents FR-2.645.758, FR-2.645.759, FR-2.645.760, FR-2.645.761, documents to which will be useful for a detailed description of these devices. It will also apply to cross-country ski binding devices of the type marketed by the applicant under the trade names "SNS Profil" and "SNS Pilot".

In these systems, the boot comprises a fastening member, for example a transverse rod, and the fastening device comprises a housing in which the fastening member can be received, the housing being open or closed depending on the position. a lock. This latch moves in fact between an open position in which the latching member can be introduced or released from the housing, and a closed position in which the latch prevents the release of the latching member. This displacement is for example a longitudinal sliding. The passage from the open position to the closed position is, in the example to be described below, according to a movement of advance of the lock, but it can be expected that this movement is a recoil movement (with respect to a direction front / rear of the sports article on which the fixing device is mounted).

In the devices known until now, the movement of the lock between its open and closed positions is controlled by an operating system which generally uses a lever articulated about a transverse axis. Optionally, the operating system may include a toggle mechanism interposed between the operating lever and the latch to ensure locking in the closed position of the lock. Such a control system, relatively sophisticated, works perfectly but has the disadvantage of being relatively expensive to manufacture. When the fixing device is intended for use in which the forces imposed on the device are low, for example for fasteners specifically intended for children, such a construction may be too expensive compared to the performance required. Such a device is described in FR-A-2578168.

The object of the invention is to propose a fastening device that is particularly simple both in terms of manufacture, and therefore of costs, and in terms of use.

For this purpose, the invention proposes a device for attaching a boot to a sports article, of the type comprising a housing which is intended to receive a fastening member of the boot, and which is provided with a movable lock. capable of moving between an open position, in which the attachment member can be introduced or disengaged from the housing, and a closed position in which the latch prevents the release of the latching member, and of the type in which the movement of the lock is controlled by an operating system, characterized in that the operating system comprises a gripping member which is slidably movable in a direction not parallel to the direction of movement of the lock.

• la figure 1 est une vue schématique en coupe longitudinale d'un dispositif de fixation conforme aux enseignements de l'invention, illustré en position ouverte ;
• la figure 2 est une vue similaire à celle de la figure 1 dans laquelle le dispositif est illustré en position fermée ;
• les figures 3 et 4 sont des vues schématiques en section selon les lignes 3-3 et 4-4 des figures 1 et 2 illustrant plus particulièrement les moyens de blocage du système de manoeuvre en position d'ouverture et en position de fermeture ; et
• la figure 5 est une vue schématique en section selon la ligne 5-5 de la figure 2 illustrant plus particulièrement un mode de réalisation de la bielle.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the detailed description which follows, as well as in view of the appended drawings in which:

• Figure 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a fastener according to the teachings of the invention, shown in the open position;
• Figure 2 is a view similar to that of Figure 1 wherein the device is illustrated in the closed position;
• Figures 3 and 4 are schematic sectional views along lines 3-3 and 4-4 of Figures 1 and 2 illustrating more particularly the locking means of the operating system in the open position and in the closed position; and
• Figure 5 is a schematic sectional view along line 5-5 of Figure 2 illustrating more particularly an embodiment of the rod.

FIGS. 1 to 5 show a device 10 for attaching a boot 12 to a cross-country ski 14. The device 10 is fixed on an upper face of the ski 14. The geometrical notions of high, low, front and rear etc., relate to the arrangement of objects in normal use as illustrated in the figures, and the corresponding terms used below should not be considered as restrictions to the scope of the invention.

The boot 12 comprises, at the front end of its sole 16, a transverse fastening member 18 in the form of a rod. This rod 18 is cylindrical and when it is enclosed in a corresponding housing 20 delimited in a fixed body 21 of the device 10, it is intended to form a hinge axis of the boot on the ski 14, which allows in particular at the heel of the shoe to lift off the ski. In known manner, this housing 20 is arranged in front of a guide means incorporated in the device 10, which guide means comprises for example at least one edge 22. The edge 22 extends in relief on the ski 14, longitudinally rearward, and the sole 16 of the shoe has a groove 24 of complementary shape, open downwards to overlap the edge 22 and to participate in the transverse guidance of the boot relative to the ski 14. The fastener 10 illustrated in the figures also comprises an elastic buffer 23 which is integral with the fixed body 21 and which is intended to cooperate with an abutment surface formed in front of the sole 16 of the boot 12.

The rod 18 extends across the groove 24 at the front end thereof. The housing 20 is open transversely on both sides and it is also open upwards to allow the engagement of the rod 18 from top to bottom in the housing 20. It is intended to be closed upwards by a lock 26 which is movable between an open position shown in Figure 1 and a closed position shown in Figure 2. In the closed position of the lock 26, the rod 18 can not leave the housing 20, which ensures a reliable attachment of the boot 12 on the ski 14. In the example illustrated, the lock 26 slides longitudinally (in a horizontal plane) from front to rear of its open position towards its closed position. To control the movement of the lock 26, the fixing device 10 comprises an operating system allowing easy handling by the user.

According to the invention, the maneuvering system essentially comprises a gripping member 28 which is movable in sliding (that is to say in translation) relative to the fixed body 21, and a connecting rod 30 which is connected by its two ends on the one hand to the lock 26 and on the other hand to the gripping member 28. In this case, the gripping member slides in a direction not parallel to the direction of movement of the lock 26, and the connecting rod 30 is connected to the lock 26 and to the gripping member 28 by transverse axis joints.

In the illustrated example, the gripping member 28 is arranged at the front of the fixing device 10 and has the shape of a mushroom whose foot 29 is mounted to move in the fixed body 21 of the fixing device according to a direction of sliding inclined, upwards and forwards, an angle of about 45 degrees to the horizontal. The foot 29 has the shape of a cylinder (possibly of revolution) which is guided in a bore of corresponding section formed in the fixed body 21, which can of course be formed of several parts. The foot 29 is surmounted for example by a half-ball 31 provided with sockets 33 for easy gripping.

To open the housing 20, it is necessary to pull the gripping member 28 upwards and forwards (in a longitudinal and vertical plane). To close it, it is sufficient to exert the opposite maneuver, namely to push the gripping member 28 downwards and backwards. Thus, if only by the position of the half ball 31, the user and the people around can see very easily whether the lock is open or closed.

As can be seen in particular in FIG. 5, the connecting rod 30 is in the form of a metal frame of substantially rectangular contour comprising two longitudinal lateral strands 32 and two transverse end strands 34 by which it is articulated with a side on the gripping member and the other side on the lock 26. In the closed position of the operating system, the rod 30 extends substantially in a horizontal plane, in the extension of the sliding direction of the lock 26 In this case, the connecting rod 30 extends forwardly with respect to the lock 26 so that it is articulated by its rear end on the lock 26 and by its front end on the foot 29 of the locking member. gripping. In the open position, the front end of the connecting rod 30 is raised relative to its rear end. Indeed, while the rear end of the connecting rod moves only in the horizontal direction, as the lock, the front end of the rod moves in a path that includes a horizontal component and a vertical component. This of course results from the inclination of the sliding direction of the gripping member. The connecting rod 30, and in particular its longitudinal strands 32, is dimensioned to be able to work both in tension (during opening) and in compression (during closing).

According to another aspect of the invention, there are provided means for ensuring that the lock is either in the open position or in the closed position, and not in an intermediate position. In the example shown, these means consist of elements which allow the operating system to occupy only two stable positions, the two open and closed positions corresponding to the open and closed positions of the lock 26.

As can be seen for example in Figure 5, the rod 30 extends into a compartment 36 defined inside the fixed body 21. This compartment 36 is defined in particular transversely by two longitudinal outer partitions 38 along which move the two longitudinal strands 32 of the rod 30 when manipulating the operating system between its open position and its closed position. Each of these external partitions 38 has a lug 40 that extends transversely inwards so as to be located across the vertical component of the trajectory of the connecting rod 30. Of course, these lugs 40 are arranged so as to cooperate with each other. with the forward end of the rod 30. As can be seen in Figures 3 and 4, the upper and lower edges of the lugs 40 are chamfered. When the system is operated, the connecting rod 30 passes above or below the lugs 40 by elastic deformation of the longitudinal strands 32 which, because of the profiles of the lugs, can not remain in equilibrium on the lugs. Thus, the longitudinal strands 32 necessarily pivot on one side or the other of these lugs, thus bringing the latch to its open position or to its closed position. This system could also work with a single lug.

Of course, other means can be provided to ensure the locking of the operating system in one or other of its open or closed positions, or, as described above, in the one and the other of these positions.

Claims (7)

1. Device for binding a boot on a sports apparatus, of the type comprising a housing (20) adapted to receive a hooking member (22) of the boot (12), and provided with a movable lock (26) capable of slidably moving between an open position, in which the hooking member (18) can be inserted or disengaged from the housing (20), and a closed position in which the lock (26) prevents the hooking member (18) from disengaging, and of the type in which displacement of the lock (26) is controlled by an operating mechanism comprising a prehension member (28) and a connecting rod (30) connected by its two ends (34) to the lock (26), on the one hand, and to the prehension member (28), on the other hand, characterized in that the prehension member is slidably movable along a direction that is non-parallel to the displacement of the lock (26) displacement.
2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the prehension member (28), the connecting rod (30), and the lock (26) are movably mounted in a fixed body (21) of the binding device.
3. Device according to any of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the connecting rod (30) is mounted so as to be articulated, by its two ends (34), on the lock (26), on the one hand, and on the prehension member (28), on the other hand.
4. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the connecting rod (30) is articulated on the lock (26) and the prehension member (28) about two transverse axes, each of which is perpendicular to the plane defined by the two sliding directions of the lock (26) and prehension member (28).
5. Device according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that the operating mechanism comprises blocking means (32, 40) in the closed and/or open positions.
6. Device according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that the connecting rod (30) comprises two parallel longitudinal arms (32), each of which is articulated by its ends (34), on the lock (26) on the one hand, and on the prehension member (28), on the other hand.
7. Device according to claims 5 and 6 combined, characterized in that it comprises at least one transverse protuberance (40) projecting with respect to the trajectory of one of the arms (32) of the connecting rod (30) between its opening and closing positions, so that the connecting rod (30) is elastically deformed in order to pass through the obstacle formed by the protuberance (40), and in that the opening and closing positions are determined by the support of the arm (32) on one or the other side of the protuberance (40).

Images