EP1488831B1 - Binding with a pivot arm - Google Patents

Abstract

The device has a fastening arm (24) of fixed length articulated in two points. A shoe (14) includes anchorage units (16,18) that is arranged at front of the shoe and situated in back of the unit (16), respectively. The arm is fixed on a base plate (A1) that is connected to sports good and on the unit (18). The unit (16) is slidingly guided on a hook and a groove of the device.

Description

The invention relates to the field of devices for attaching a shoe to a sports article, of the type allowing a lifting of the heel of the shoe with respect to the sports article.

Such fastening devices are for example used in the field of cross-country skiing, ski touring, Telemark skiing, snowshoeing, ice skating or roller skating.

In the field of cross-country skiing, it is known devices in which the shoe has, at its front end, a hinge pin which is received in a jaw of the binding. The shoe then describes, with respect to the sliding member to which it thus coupled, a simple rotational movement. These systems generally comprise a fixed elastic buffer against which the front end of the shoe crushes when the heel is lifted, so as to push the shoe to a low position. Such a system is described for example in the document FR-2650192 .

Other systems have been proposed in which the boot has a second attachment area in addition to the first front hinge area. This second zone is generally connected to an elastic return system of the shoe. In the document FR-2739788 , there is described a device in which a link of fixed length is articulated on the one hand on the second binding zone of the shoe (in this case an axis) and on the other hand on a sliding carriage which compresses a spring of recall. In the document EP-1106218 the link is articulated at two fixed points but it is of variable length, again to provide a return function. In both cases, the rod does not condition in any way the trajectory of the shoe relative to the connecting member, which trajectory is an arc around the binding area located at the front of the shoe.

In the document FR-2727060 , there is described a fixing device provided with a flexible rod whose one end is fixed, linked by fitting to the base of the fastener, and whose second end is attached to an axis arranged behind the front end of the shoe. The front end of the boot has a longitudinal groove which cooperates with a complementary rib of the binding to participate in the transverse guidance of the boot relative to the binding.

In the document WO-01/93963 , there is described a system comprising a link of fixed length which is linked at its two ends respectively to the base of the binding and to a rear bar of the shoe. The device comprises a second link which is linked on the one hand to a sliding carriage of the base and on the other hand to a front bar. This system has the disadvantage of not ensuring a good resistance of the shoe in torsion around a vertical axis. Indeed, during such a solicitation (particularly present during the practice of a rotating step or a skating step in cross-country skiing), the shoe will cause a displacement of the sliding carriage on which is articulated the second link. The return force of the spring acting on this carriage will be insufficient to allow a good maintenance in torsion of the shoe. Furthermore, this system allows no restraint of the front of the shoe if the user is unbalanced backwards, the front of the shoe then being free to lift.

The invention therefore aims to provide a fastening device which, while simple, reliable and inexpensive to manufacture, allows a relative movement of the shoe with respect to the sports article that is closest to the movement of natural walking of the foot when walking.

For this purpose, the invention proposes a device for attaching a shoe to a sporting article for lifting the heel of the boot relative to the sports article, of the type in which the boot has a first binding zone arranged at the front of the boot and a second connecting zone located behind the first connection zone, characterized in that the device comprises a fixed-length attachment arm which is articulated at two fixed points on the one hand on a base connected to the sports article and secondly on the second binding zone of the boot, and in that the first binding zone of the boot is slidably guided on the device.

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 the Figures 1 to 3 are diagrammatic views in section through a longitudinal and vertical plane of a device according to the teachings of the invention, which is illustrated in three different positions.

The invention will be described here in an embodiment in which the fixing device is more particularly intended for cross-country skiing. The fixing device 10 illustrated on the figures 1 and 2 thus comprises a base 12 which is intended to be fixed on a sports article 11, but which could also be directly integrated in the latter. The base 12 could also be made of several parts, some or not of these parts being integrated in the sport article 11.

According to the invention, the device is intended to ensure the attachment of a shoe having two connecting zones. In the example shown, the shoe 14 comprises two anchoring members 16, 18 which are arranged in the sole of the boot so as to be flush with it below. Anchoring members 16, 18 of this type are described in the patent applications EP-A-913102 and EP-A-913103 which will be usefully referred to for more details. Thus, it is here two cylindrical bars of revolution arranged across a longitudinal groove in the underside of the sole. The front bar 16 is for example located at the front end of the sole and the rear bar 18 is shifted rearwardly to be arranged at or in front of a shoe zone corresponding to the metatarsal flexion zone. -phalangeal foot of the user. This arrangement of the binding areas is particularly appreciated in cross-country skiing because it allows, with a soft sole shoe, to maintain a flexion of the corresponding shoe. to that of the foot. However, the invention could be implemented with anchoring members having another geometry. Each of the connecting members is therefore, with the corresponding portion of the groove of the sole, an embodiment of a binding zone of the shoe.

The fastening device according to the invention comprises first, at the front of the base 12, a fixed hook 20 which delimits a groove 22 open longitudinally upwards and / or backwards, and which is provided to receive the cylindrical bar before 16 of the shoe. The groove 22 has a height that is substantially identical to or slightly greater than the diameter of the front bar so that the front bar is received in the groove with a minimum of play in the vertical direction. As can be seen in the figures, the groove 22 does not necessarily have an elongated profile along a rectilinear path. In contrast, in the example shown, the groove 22 has a curved profile plunging forward and downward. Thus, when the front bar 16 of the shoe moves longitudinally in the groove 22, which it is free to do, it is guided vertically along a path determined by the profile of the groove.

The hook 20 is arranged above the upper face of the base 12. This hook is intended to be received in the longitudinal groove of the boot in such a way that, by cooperation of shapes, it participates in the guiding of the boot. translation in a transverse direction (perpendicular to the plane of the figures) and in rotation along a vertical axis. In this way, the hook 20 has substantially the same width as the corresponding section of the groove of the boot, and the groove 22 is open transversely in the two lateral faces of the hook 20.

In accordance with the teachings of the invention, the fixing device 10 comprises a hooking arm 24 of fixed length which is articulated at two fixed points on the one hand on the base 12 and on the other hand on the second connection zone. of the boot, namely in this case the rear bar 18. The arm 24 is articulated on the base 12, at its front end, about a transverse axis A1 which is arranged behind the hook 20.

The attachment arm 24 also has, on its rear part, an automatic lock 26 which is provided to receive the rear cylindrical bar 18 of the shoe. According to this example, the automatic lock 26 comprises a fixed jaw which consists of an upwardly open groove, and a movable sliding jaw 28 which is provided with elastic return means 30 for pushing it backwards into its position. closure shown in the figures. In this position, the two jaws define a housing of section corresponding to that of the rear bar 18 of the shoe 14. The movable jaw 28 comprises an inclined ramp 32 which is arranged such that, when the bar 18 exerts on the ramp 32 a substantially vertical force from top to bottom, it pushes forward the movable jaw 28 to an open position in which it allows access to the throat. When the bar 18 has penetrated into the groove, the return means 30 of the movable jaw 28 bring it to its closed position. The bar 18 is then trapped and locked in the housing defined by the lock 26, while allowing a relative rotational movement of the bar 18 relative to the latching arm 24, about the axis of the cylindrical bar 18.

As can be seen in the figures, the attachment arm is preferably also received in the groove of the sole and its dimensions are preferably provided so that the arm also participates in the transverse guidance of the shoe.

In its low position illustrated at figure 1 at rest, the attachment arm is oriented substantially horizontally. In this position, it is possible to hang the shoe very simply on the device. For this, simply engage the front bar 16 of the shoe in the groove 22, then by rotation around the front bar, to lower the shoe to come lock the rear bar 18 on the hook arm 24. On note that the latch 26 which receives the rear bar of the boot is arranged behind the axis A1 of articulation of the arm 24 on the device 10.

Once the shoe and locked, we see that it is the hooking arm 24 which will control the relative movement of the shoe relative to the articule sport. With the arrangement of the invention, the rear bar of the shoe describes, when the user raises the heel of the shoe relative to the sports article, an arcuate trajectory about the axis A1 of articulation arm 24 on the base. Indeed, once the rear bar 18 locked on the arm 24, it remains at a constant distance from the axis A1. During this perfectly determined movement of the rear bar 18, that is to say of an area of the shoe that corresponds substantially to the metatarsophalangeal articulation of the user's foot, the front bar 16 is free longitudinally and moves in the groove 22, in this case towards the front thereof. While moving longitudinally, this front bar is perfectly guided along a path defined by the profile of the groove 22. In the example shown, the groove 22 controls a downward movement of the front bar 16 when the heel of the shoe rise up. This diving movement is particularly sensitive at the end of the movement.

The overall kinematics of the device according to the invention is therefore mainly given by the locking arm 24, but it is also influenced by the geometry of the guide groove 22. This may have a profile different from that illustrated here.

Moreover, it can be seen that when the shoe is in the lower position as illustrated in FIG. figure 1 , the front end of the shoe can not lift vertically upwards, thanks to the front bar which is blocked in this direction in the groove 22.

The fastening device 10 also comprises a system for elastic return of the latching arm 14 to its lower position.

Advantageously, the elastic return system comprises at least one elastic member 34 which is connected to the sport article 11, and a flexible link 36 which connects the elastic member 34 to the attachment arm 24 and which cooperates with at least one referral organ 52.

In the example shown, the fastening device 10 comprises a guide edge 38 which is formed of a section of parallelepipedal section and extends longitudinally rearwardly behind the hook arm 24. In a known manner , this guide edge 38 is provided to cooperate with the complementary section groove arranged in the sole of the shoe to ensure lateral guidance of the shoe / fastening assembly. This guide edge 38 therefore extends the hook 20 and the attachment arm 24 rearwardly. Advantageously, the elastic member 34 is integrated inside a housing 40 formed inside this edge 38. In the example illustrated, the elastic member 34 is a compression spring which is arranged horizontally and longitudinally in the housing 40. The front end of the spring 34 bears against a front face 42 of the housing 40. This front end of the spring is therefore fixed. The rear end of the spring bears against a movable carriage 44 which can slide longitudinally relative to the base 12 and to the edge 38. More specifically, the carriage 44 has a front end 46 which moves at the level of a front opening 48 of the housing 40, and a rear end 50 which moves in the housing 40 and on which the rear end of the spring 34 is based.

Such an arrangement of an elastic member and a movable carriage is similar to that found in the device described in the document EP-768 103 and in some of the cross-country ski binding devices marketed by the Applicant. However, unlike this prior art in which the elastic member is connected to the shoe by a rod, the device shown here comprises a flexible link 36 which connects the elastic member 34 to the latching arm 24.

As can be seen in the figures, the link 36 is not hooked directly on the elastic member 34 but on the front end 46 of the carriage 44. It passes on a return 52 which here consists of a mounted pulley on the base. The return 52 could also consist of a simple sliding surface, preferably curved. The other end of the flexible link 36 is hooked on the hooking arm 24 so that the portion of the flexible link 36 which extends between the return 52 and the hook arm 24 is substantially vertical, so that the the return force exerted on the latching arm 24 is mainly directed downwards, even when the latter is in the up position as illustrated in FIG. figure 3 . On the contrary, the part of the link 36 which goes from the reference 52 to the elastic member 34 extends in a substantially horizontal direction.

As can be seen from the figures, when the latching arm 24 moves from its low position to its high position, the flexible link 36 pulls the movable carriage 44 forwards and causes the compression of the spring 34, which therefore provides a return effort that tends to bring the shoe to a horizontal position relative to the sporting article.

Preferably, the flexible link is substantially inextensible. It may for example be a wire rope or a fiber cable with very low extensibility, for example an aramid fiber cable. It can also be envisaged that this link is made in the form of a band. This traction band may for example be made in the form of a metal strip, or alternatively a bundle of parallel fibers embedded in a polymeric material. Preferably, the link is sufficiently flexible and flexible not to provide a noticeable elastic effect, and especially to support an angle of about 90 degrees.

To the figure 2 there is illustrated a raised intermediate position of the boot in which the front portion of the sole of the shoe abuts against a bearing surface 54. This bearing surface 54 is preferably elastic and is made for example under the form of a buffer 56 mounted at the front of the base 12. This bearing surface 54 is intended to introduce a marker element by which the user can "recognize" or "feel" a reference position .

If the user continues to lift the heel as shown in figure 3 this movement will be done by compressing the elastic pad 56.

The reference position is here determined by a bearing surface 54 connected to the base 12, and thus to the sports article 11, and on which the front end of the sole of the boot rests. However, this bearing surface 54 could cooperate with another portion of the shoe. It can thus be provided that this reference surface is made in the form of a small elastic pad arranged at the front end of the groove 22. In this case, it will cooperate with the front bar 16. In addition, the surface of support 54 illustrated in the figures is fixed, but it could be expected that its longitudinal position is adjustable by the user, especially so that it can adapt the reference position to the length of his stride.

In the example illustrated, it is noted that between the intermediate position of the figure 2 and the extreme position of the figure 3 , the elastic buffer provides a restoring force complementary to that of the main return device which is constituted by the spring 34 and the flexible link 36

To unhook the shoe of the device according to the invention, it is possible for example to provide that a pull (not shown) is connected to the movable jaw 28 to urge it forward against the spring 30, to cause the unlocking of the lock 26. Thus, it will first allow the release of the rear bar 18, vertically upwards, and in a second time the release of the front bar 16, longitudinally rearward and / or upward.

The invention thus makes it possible to obtain a fixing device whose construction is particularly simple but which controls an ergonomic movement of the shoe with respect to the sports article, this movement being close to the natural movement of the foot.

Claims (9)

1. Device for binding a shoe on a sports article enabling the shoe sole (14) to be lifted with respect to the sports article (11), in which the shoe comprises a first connection zone (16) arranged at the front of the shoe and a second connection zone (18) located behind the first connection zone where the device comprises a hooking arm (24) with a fixed length, which is articulated at a fixed point on the second connection zone (18) of the shoe (14), characterized in that the first connection zone (16) of the shoe is slidably guided (20, 22) on the device, and in that the hooking arm (24) is also articulated at a second fixed point on a base (12, A1) connected to the sports article (1).
2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the point (18) for articulating the arm (24) on the shoe (14) is arranged behind the point (A1) for articulating the arm (24) on the binding device (12).
3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the point (A1) for articulating the arm (24) on the binding device (12) is longitudinally arranged between the two connection zones (16, 18) of the shoe (14).
4. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the arm (24) with fixed length is articulated on the shoe by an unlockable mechanism (26).
5. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the arm (24) is elastically returned to a lower position.
6. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first connection zone (16) of the shoe (14) is transversely and vertically guided (20, 22), but is longitudinally free with respect to the device (12) .
7. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second connection zone (18) of the shoe comprises a transverse cylindrical articulation axis hooked beneath the shoe sole.
8. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first connection zone of the shoe comprises a transverse bar (18) that is hooked beneath the shoe sole and is received in a guiding groove (22) of the device.
9. Device according to claim 8, characterized in that the guiding groove (22) is open at one of its longitudinal ends to enable the front bar (16) to be engaged.

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