EP1621237A1 - Binding set for a shoe on a gliding board - Google Patents

Abstract

The set has a skate (20) and binding units (3, 4) mounted on a support (22). Front end of the skate has folds forming fitting tabs that are fitted in housings situated at the level of a front assembling zone (23) of the support. Ends of the skate are placed between the support and bases (7, 13) of the units engaged on their respective slides. The skate and the support are made of metal and fiber reinforced plastic, respectively. The fitting tabs and the housings are oriented to vertically fit along a direction non-parallel to longitudinal direction of the support.

Description

The invention relates to a set of retaining a shoe on a gliding board.

In the usual way in the field of alpine skiing a shoe is retained by two front and rear retention elements which are assembled to the ski. In addition, one or both elements are slidably mounted along a slide so as to adapt the spacing of the elements to the length of the shoe.

The assembly operation which consists in mounting the retaining elements on the ski generally takes place at the retailer.

Indeed, the ski boards are easily stackable when they are bare. Their bulk is mainly in the direction of the length. The storage of skis would be much larger and transport more difficult if the retaining elements were assembled at the manufacturer. In addition, several models of retaining elements are generally suitable for the same type of ski, and it is the retailer, or the customer who ultimately chooses the model of retaining element to ride on a ski. It is therefore usually the retailer who assembles the retaining elements on the boards.

Manufacturers have therefore looked for mounting devices designed to make the assembly operation easier and faster at the retailer.

A first solution consisted in pre-mounting the assembly screws on the retaining element. The patent application FR 2 208 692 describes such a method of construction.

According to another method of assembly, the slide which allows the longitudinal adjustment of the retaining elements is assembled to the ski at the manufacturer. The assembly operation is then simply to engage the retaining elements on their slide. A construction method of this type is described in the patent application FR 2,638,654, in particular the embodiment of FIG. 11.

Another method of assembly is described in patent application EP 1 314 458. The two retaining elements are connected by a blade which is assembled to the ski by a screw located in its central part. The binding of the two elements with a blade is interesting because this blade discharges the ski constraints that the retaining elements exert on their support by reaction to the pinch of the shoe. However, in the case of EP 1 314 458, it is necessary to pre-assemble the retaining elements to the blade before donning the assembly on the slide of the ski.

In view of the existing prior art there is a need for a mounting device that allows a mounting of the retaining elements with recovery of pinching efforts of the shoe and further simplifies assembly operations.

To achieve this purpose the retaining assembly according to the invention comprises two retaining elements, a connecting member provided for connecting to each other the two retaining elements and a support of the retaining elements provided to be assembled to the gliding board, the connecting member having two ends, each of the ends having an element gripper cooperating with a complementary fastening member of a retaining element, at least one pair of complementary fastening members allowing adjustment of the position of the corresponding retaining element, the support having two mounting regions provided for each of the retaining elements which define a horizontal plane and a longitudinal direction and a receiving region of the connecting member, the mounting regions each having a slideway oriented in the longitudinal direction, the retaining elements having each a base and a complementary slide provided to cooperate with the corresponding slide of the support so as to allow the sliding of the retaining elements in a single longitudinal direction, the attachment member to the connecting member being located at the level of 'base. The assembly is characterized in that the connecting member locally has a recess member cooperating with a recess member complementary to the support by simply interlocking in a direction not parallel to the longitudinal direction of the support, and that each end of the connecting member is sandwiched between the support and a base of the retaining elements mounted on the support in their respective mounting area.

For such a construction the assembly operations proceed as follows. At first the connecting member is placed on the support, its ends rest on the mounting areas and locally it is embedded in a housing of the support.

In a second step, the retaining elements are engaged on their respective slide and they are hooked to the ends of the connecting member. Their base covers the ends of the blade, which prevents any dislocation thereof.

Thus the three elements that are the connecting member and the two retaining elements are conditioned and are handled independently of each other during the assembly operation, and the assembly of the blade to the ski requires no tools, nor any screws.

• La figure 1 est une vue de dessus d'un ensemble de retenue selon un premier mode de mise en oeuvre de l'invention.
• La figure 2 montre le support de l'ensemble de retenue monté sur une portion de ski.
• La figure 3 est une vue en perspective de l'organe de liaison de l'ensemble de retenue.
• La figure 4 est une vue en coupe de l'ensemble de retenue au niveau de l'extrémité avant de l'organe de liaison.
• La figure 5 est une vue en coupe de l'ensemble de retenue au niveau du verrou de l'élément de retenue avant.

The invention will be better understood with reference to the description below and the drawings attached thereto.

• Figure 1 is a top view of a retaining assembly according to a first embodiment of the invention.
• Figure 2 shows the support of the retaining assembly mounted on a ski portion.
• Figure 3 is a perspective view of the connecting member of the retainer assembly.
• Figure 4 is a sectional view of the retainer assembly at the front end of the link member.
• Figure 5 is a sectional view of the retainer assembly at the latch of the front retainer.

Figure 1 shows a top view of the central portion 1 of a ski on which is mounted a set 2 retaining a shoe.

The restraint assembly 2 includes front and rear retainers 3 and 4, these elements are of a known type and will not be described in detail. In general, the front element 3 consists of a jaw 5 connected to a body 6 which is carried by a base 7. The base 7 extends towards the rear of the jaw and supports in this area a support plate 8 provided to receive the shoe. According to the illustrated embodiment, the longitudinal position of the base is adjustable along the ski. The means that allow this setting will be described later. These means are controlled by a latch 9 which is mounted in a housing located in the rear part of the base 7. The position of the latch 9 is chosen so that it can be operated with the thumb of a hand whose palm would be placed on the body of the restraint. Other positions may also be appropriate. In particular the lock could be mounted in the front portion or the rear portion of the base. It could also be mounted on the body, as described for example in the patent application FR 2,638,654 in relation to FIGS. 6 and 8.

Similarly, the rear element 4 is formed of a jaw 11 mounted on a body 12, itself carried by a base 13. The base is extended forward by a foot plate 14 provided to receive the l the support of the shoe and which in the illustrated embodiment forms the rotation bearing for the braking device 16. The longitudinal position of the body 12 is adjustable by means which will be described later. According to the illustrated embodiment these means are operated with a latch 18 located on the side of the base, between the body and the braking device. Like the latch 9, the latch 18 is positioned so that an operator having the palm of the hand resting on the body can easily operate the latch with his thumb. Other constructions may also be suitable, the lock may be on the front or rear of the base, it could also be mounted on the body as described for example in the patent application FR 2,672,506.

A connecting member 20 connects the two retaining elements 3 and 4. According to the illustrated embodiment, the connecting member is a longiline metal blade oriented in the longitudinal direction defined by the ski.

The two retaining elements 3 and 4 and the connecting member 20 are mounted on a support 22. According to the illustrated embodiment the support is in two parts 22a and 22b separated by a space. One-piece support may also be appropriate.

The support 22 is intended to be assembled to the ski. According to the illustrated embodiment, the support 20 is assembled using screws located in the front and rear areas of each portion 22a, 22b. Preferably the screws which are located at the front and rear ends of the support 22 retain the support in a vertical direction, but allow a sliding of these areas of the support in a longitudinal direction on a small amplitude.

The support could also be assembled to the ski by any other appropriate means, especially by gluing or by welding according to a technique described for example in the patent application FR 2,659,865. The support could also be an integral part of the structure of the ski, that is to say that the support would be realized during the ski manufacturing cycle.

The support 22 has a front mounting area 23 at the front and a rear mounting area 24 at the rear. Each of these areas receives a front and rear retaining element 3 and 4 for assembly with a possibility of movement according to the longitudinal direction defined by the ski over a determined range of positions.

Referring to Figure 4 which more particularly shows in section the front portion 22a of the support, each of the retaining elements is mounted on its mounting area by a slide system. Thus, in FIG. 4, it can be seen that at the level of the mounting zone before the support 22 has in section a "T" shape which provides two lateral slide rails 23a and 23b. In a complementary manner, the base 7 of the front element 3 comprises in its lower part a plate 27 in the shape of a "C" lying, the rounded returns 27a, 27b engage on the slide rails 23a and 23b and cooperate with the rails to allow movement of the front retainer only in a longitudinal direction. The slide rails and rounded returns extend for a length sufficient to allow movement of the front retainer at least in the different positions of its mounting area. The rear retainer is likewise mounted on the rear mounting area 24 and two slide rails 25a, 25b. Of course we could use other mounting means, in particular we could reverse the mounting of the slide, that is to say have the shape of "C" lying at the support and the rails at the base.

The slide system allows engagement from at least one end of the support, in this case it is preferably the rear end. But we can predict a possible commitment of the elements from each end.

Preferably the rails and the returns have the same spacing on the front and on the back, but this is not limiting, and one could have a different spacing to allow the mounting of the front element only on the zone of front mounting and mounting of the rear element only on the rear mounting area.

Towards the middle of its width the support has a blade receiving zone which is formed by a longitudinal groove 30 in which the blade 20 is housed. For the illustrated embodiment where the support is in two parts, the groove extends continuously along the two parts of the support. The width of the groove is preferably greater than the width of the blade. The groove extends to the upper surface of the carrier at least from the front mounting area to the rear mounting area, and opens at least one side which is preferably the rear side of the carrier.

Figure 3 shows in perspective the blade 20. The length of the blade is such that its front and rear ends are at the front and rear mounting areas when the blade is placed in the groove of the support. According to the illustrated embodiment the blade has two notched zones 33, 34 located respectively forward and rearward, each of these areas having a series of notches which pass through the thickness of the blade. These notches are designed to cooperate with teeth located on the underside of the bolts 9 and 18. Referring to Figure 5 which shows a section at the front latch 9, teeth 9a and 9b penetrate notches of the blade 20, thereby immobilizing the front retainer relative to the longitudinal direction of the blade. The latch 9 is returned to its closed position by a coil spring 10 or by any other suitable means. The construction method is similar for the rear restraint. Thus, it is possible to immobilize the front and rear retention elements to the blade in their respective mounting area in different longitudinal positions according to the notches of the series 33 and 34 which are penetrated by the notches of the locks. Other means could be used to effect the attachment between the retaining elements and the blade.

Optionally, as shown in FIG. 5 for the front retainer, at the height of the latch 9, the plate 27 has two lugs 27c, 27d which are engaged under the body of the blade 20. Therefore, the The body of the blade is sandwiched in this area between the upper part of the plate 27 and the two legs. This prevents the teeth of a lock accidentally release notches of the blade.

The blade is itself immobilized relative to the base. With respect to the support 22, the blade is immobilized by embedding members which operate by interlocking in a direction not parallel to the longitudinal direction defined by the support.

According to the illustrated embodiment, the front end of the blade has two folds 36a, 36b which form mounting tabs oriented in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the blade. These tabs are intended to be nested in housings 38a, 38b whose sectional dimensions are adjusted to the dimensions of the tabs. In the illustrated embodiment, the housings 38a and 38b are located at the front mounting area 23 of the support.

The mounting tabs and the housings are oriented here so as to fit vertically, that is to say in a direction not parallel to the longitudinal direction of the support. An interlocking of the legs in their housing thus hinders any longitudinal movement of the blade relative to the support.

The legs and the housing are also oriented longitudinally, this is a preferred embodiment but not limiting. The legs could also be oriented transversely. The number of legs and housing is not limiting either.

In a longitudinal direction, the length of the legs is substantially equal to the length of the housing.

In a vertical direction the height of the mounting flaps is preferably greater than the depth of the housing so that the body of the blade is raised relative to the bottom of the groove 30, so as to allow the passage and circulation of the legs 27c , 27d under the body of the blade.

Preferably, the blade is also raised on the rear for the same purpose, by any appropriate means and in particular by means of the rear impact device which will now be described.

According to the illustrated embodiment, the blade 20 has a vertically oriented rearward fold 38 which is provided to enter a well-shaped housing 40 located at the rear mounting area 24 of the carrier.

In a longitudinal direction the well has a length greater than the dimension of the fold to allow relative movement of the fold in the well.

In addition, the distance between the front seats 38a, 38b and the rear well 40 is determined with respect to the distance between the mounting tabs 38a, 38b and the rear foldback 38 so that the fold is in contact with the front face of the well. , or very close to this front face when the blade is in position on the support 22 and the ski is at rest. During a ski flexion, the retreat retreats freely into the well. On the other hand, in the event of a shock coming from the rear, for example a rear impact suffered by the rear retention element, the fold comes into abutment against the front face of the well, thus preserving the body of the blade from a stress of buckling.

As for the flush-mounted lugs, the height of the bend is defined relative to the depth of the well to elevate the body of the blade. In a transverse direction the fold is narrower than the body of the blade measured in its width to allow the engagement of the retaining elements and in particular their plate on the body of the blade by this end.

Other means may also be suitable for protecting the blade from a rear impact. For example one could provide a stud 41 projecting from the support which passes through a housing 39 cut in the body of the blade, the rear face of the housing bearing against the stud in case of rear impact.

The installation of the blade on the support is achieved by a simple interlocking of the mounting tabs and the fold in their respective housing.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the mounting tabs have in their lower part a small tooth 42a, 42b which extends forwardly.

These small teeth cooperate with complementary recesses of the housing 38a, 38b located at the bottom of the housing in question and facing forward. Instead of being implemented by interlocking in a vertical direction, the blade 20 is presented obliquely to first engage the legs 36a and 36b in their housing, then it is tilted to put it on the support in any its length. By doing so, the teeth 42a and 42b are engaged in the recesses of the housings 38a, 38b and prevent the front portion of the blade from disengaging the support.

Once the blade is placed on the support is put in place one after the other two retaining elements by engaging and sliding their plate along the support to their respective mounting area and now raised the positioning lock. Once the element is put in place in the desired position the latch is released and if necessary the element is subjected to a small displacement to bring the teeth of the latch into the notches closest to the series of notches 33 or 34 of the blade.

To facilitate the introduction of the retaining elements, it is possible to provide position scales on the body of the blade or on the support.

Once the retainers are positioned in their respective mounting area, the ends of the blade are sandwiched between the bottom of the groove 40 and the plates of the retainers. The plates are held vertically on the support by the sliding system. The blade is thus immobilized relative to the support in all directions. And it is the interlocking of the front end of the blade in the support which fixes the longitudinal position of the blade on the ski.

As the latches of the two retaining elements are hooked to the blade, the reaction to the pinching efforts of the shoe is taken up in the blade and does not pass through the support or the ski. Ski is released from this constraint.

The blade and the support are made of any suitable material. For example, the blade is a piece made of metal by cutting and then folding to form the legs 36a, 36b and the fold 38. The support is made of plastic optionally loaded with fibers. Other materials may also be suitable.

Thus the restraint assembly that has just been described can be assembled to the ski in a simple manner, without the need for special tools, or operation for the prior preparation of an assembly comprising the retaining elements and their connecting device. .

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 3, the blade has a series of holes 48 in front of the notched zone 33. This series of holes is provided to allow the screwing of an assembly screw of the retaining element in his final position. That is, instead of being movable by means of a latch, the front retainer is mounted in a fixed position defined by the screwing of an assembly screw of its platen. in one of the holes in the 48 series of the blade. The blade is immobilized on the support in the same way as previously described because its front end is sandwiched between the support and the plate of the front element.

The restraint assembly of the present invention may be subject to different constructional variants.

For example, as has already been said, the support 22 can be made in one piece. The blade 20 could be replaced by another connecting member, for example a bar or a plate. The liaison body could be hollowed out in places.

The groove in which the blade is housed could be located at the bases instead of the support.

The support could be in two or more distinct parts extending parallel to each other.

The mounting tabs could be located elsewhere than in the front part of the blade, for example in the central part or the rear part. Indeed to immobilize the blade in a vertical direction, it is sufficient that its ends are taken in sandwich between the support and each of the bases of the retaining elements. Other means of immobilizing the blade relative to the support could also be used.

Other variants are still possible without departing from the scope of the invention.

Finally, the invention is not limited to the field of alpine skiing, it can be applied to any gliding or rolling machine where each shoe of the user is held by two retaining elements spaced apart from each other .

Claims (9)

A shoe retainer on a gliding board comprising two retaining members (3, 4), a connecting member (20) for connecting the two retainers and a support (22) to each other. , 22a, 22b), retaining elements provided to be assembled to the gliding board, the connecting member (20) having two ends, each of the ends having a fastening member (33, 34) cooperating with a member complementary fastening means (9, 9a, 9b) of a retaining element, at least one pair of complementary fastening members allowing adjustment of the position of the corresponding retaining element, the support having two mounting regions (23, 24) each provided for one of the retaining members which define a horizontal plane and a longitudinal direction and a receiving region (30) of the connecting member, the mounting regions each having a slide (23a , 23b) oriented in the longitudinal direction, the elements each having a base (7, 13) and a complementary slide (27a, 27b) provided to cooperate with the corresponding slide of the support so as to allow the sliding of the retaining elements in a single longitudinal direction, the body of hook (9, 9a, 9b) to the connecting member being located at the base, characterized in that the connecting member locally has a mounting member (36a, 36b) cooperating with a body member complementary embedding (38a, 38b) of the support by simple interlocking in a direction not parallel to the longitudinal direction of the support, and that each end of the connecting member is sandwiched between the support (22) and a base (7). , 9) retaining elements (3, 4) mounted on the support in their respective mounting area. Assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the embedding member (36a, 36b) of the connecting member (22) is located at the front of the connecting member. Assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that the connecting member (22) is a blade, the mounting member (36a, 36b) of the connecting member comprises two mounting tabs formed by folding in a general direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and that the mounting member of the support comprises two housings (38a, 38b) whose sectional dimensions are adjusted to the sectional dimensions of the tabs. Assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that the height of the mounting lugs (36a, 36b) is greater than the depth of the housing (38a, 38b). Assembly according to Claim 3, characterized in that the tabs are oriented longitudinally. Assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that the mounting tabs have in their lower part a small tooth provided to engage in a complementary recess located at the bottom of each housing. Assembly according to Claim 2, characterized in that a rear impact device (38, 40) is located in the rear part of the connecting member (22). Assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the connecting member has along its length two notched zones (33, 34) which are provided to cooperate with the teeth (9a, 9b) of a lock (9, 18). each of the retainers. Assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that the latches (9, 18) are mounted on the bases (7, 9) of the retaining elements (3, 4) and open on the sides of the bases.

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