FR2627097A1 - Bindings for a snowboard - Google Patents

Abstract

Each binding comprises a plate 6 equipped with a central hole 7 in which engages a central pivot 8 integral with the snowboard. The plate 6 can swivel around the central pivot 8 and be locked in a chosen angular position by slides 11, 12 sliding in the slideways of the central pivot 8 and equipped with notches 10 engaging in corresponding notches 9 made at the periphery of the central hole 7 of the plate. Application to orientable bindings for a snowboard.

Description

SNOWBOARD BINDINGS
The present invention relates to the means for adapting and securing the shoes of a user on a snowboard.

 Snowboards have a single, relatively wide and short pad, the front of which is raised to form a spatula, and the body of which has a lower sliding surface and an upper surface provided with means for receiving and fixing the two boots. an user.

 On a monoski, the bindings are generally arranged so that the user's feet are side by side, arranged in parallel in two substantially longitudinal directions on either side of the median vertical longitudinal plane of the monoski. As a result, the user, when using the monoski, has a substantially symmetrical position, and faces the front of the monoski.

 On the other hand, on a snowboard, the user must take a substantially transverse position, facing left or right of the snowboard, the orientation to the left or to the right being chosen according to tastes of the user, and whether he is right-handed or left-handed.

 It follows that the bindings for adapting the shoes of the user on a snowboard are themselves oriented to the left or to the right of the snowboard.

 also, the feet of the user must be relatively spaced from each other, and have non-parallel orientations relative to each other. Generally, the bindings are placed so that the rear leg is substantially transverse to the median longitudinal axis of the snowboard, while the front leg is oblique.

 The known bindings for snowboards include a plate provided with means for receiving and securing a boot, and means for adapting and fixing the plate on the upper face of the snowboard. The plate is fixed to the snowboard by means of screws passing through holes in the plate and entering the snowboard. When adapting the plate to the snowboard, you choose its orientation and, once the screws are inserted, this orientation is generally no longer changed. A change in orientation requires the removal of the screws, and the drilling of new holes in the snowboard according to the new position of the screws.

 The object of your present invention is in particular to avoid the drawbacks of known bindings by allowing a substantially continuous adjustment of the orientation of the bindings relative to the snowboard, by rotation about an axis perpendicular to the upper surface of the board. snow. According to the invention, the attachment can be oriented at will, and locked in any chosen position. As a result, the user can freely choose the orientation of his feet relative to the snowboard, vary this orientation according to his tastes or according to the nature of the snow or the terrain on which he is moving with the board. snow.

 In particular, the user can give his feet any desired orientation, oblique, transverse, longitudinal. And the snowboard can thus be very easily adapted to different users, such as right-handers and left-handers, beginners or advanced users.

 According to another object of the invention, the means ensuring the adaptation of the plate on the snowboard have a particularly high mechanical resistance, making it possible to withstand without breaking the mechanical forces imparted to the plate when using the board. snow, especially when the user falls.

 According to another object of the invention, the locking means making it possible to lock the plate in a chosen position have great reliability, so that unlocking during use is practically impossible.

 Another object of the present invention is to allow the adaptation, on the same plate, either of flexible boots or shoes, or of rigid ski boots. Soft boots have the advantage of significantly improved comfort, but require fastening means enveloping the boot. Ski boots are more rigid and have the advantage of a more rigid attachment of the foot to the snowboard. The outer shapes of ski boots and flexible boots are very different, and the present invention allows the adaptation of these different shapes on the same plate.

 To achieve these and other objects, the binding according to the present invention comprises - a central pivot to be fixed on the upper face of the snowboard, the central pivot engaging in a central hole in the plate to ensure the attachment of the plate in axial translation while allowing its rotation around an axis IV-IV substantially perpendicular to the upper face of the snowboard, - locking means, actuable by the user, for selectively locking the plate and preventing its rotation around the central pivot, and to unlock the plate at will and allow its adjustment in orientation around the central pivot.

 According to one embodiment, the locking means are produced by respective notches of the pivot and of the plate - the plate comprises, on the periphery of its central hole, locking notches, - the central pivot comprises, on its periphery, complementary notches intended to cooperate with the notches of the plate to ensure the locking in rotation of the plate on the pivot, - means are provided to ensure the relative displacement of the notches of the pivot and of the notches of the plate with respect to the others between a first position in which the notches are nested to ensure locking, and a second position in which the notches are released to unlock the plate and allow its rotation.

 According to a preferred embodiment, the locking is ensured by the following means - the pivot comprises two slides sliding radially in two radially diametrically opposite slideways of the pivot, - the pivot notches are provided at the outer ends of the slides, - the slides are connected to each other by a mechanical operating device for selectively bringing the slides together or apart, the close position of the slides producing the release of the pivot notches and of the platinum notches, the separated position of the slides producing the engagement of the notches pivot in the platinum notches.

 Preferably, the sliders are connected to each other by a toggle device, provide a relatively large locking force, and also ensuring safe unlocking by operating a lever accessible by the user. The toggle is adapted so that, in the locked position, the possible forces of rotation of the plate relative to the snowboard tend to increase the locking force. On the other hand, during unlocking, means ensure the distribution of the displacements of one and the other of the sliders, so that one and the other of the sliders are systematically unlocked, preventing one or the 'other of the slides remains engaged on the platinum notches.

 To allow adaptation on the same plate either of flexible boots or ski boots, the present invention provides a particular form of plate and means modifying the form of the plate: the plate comprises for this purpose side edges and a rear edge for holding a shoe, and a traditional fastening system for securing a shoe on the plate and pressing its sole on the upper surface of the plate and against its rear edge. The rear rim includes a housing in which the rear end of the standard sole of a ski boot can engage, the housing pocketing the heel lift. For the adaptation of a boot, a spoiler is adapted attached and removable rear, comprising means for engaging in the housing of the rear plate rim, and means for latching in housings provided in the lateral plate rims. The spoiler realizes a raised rear wall in the shape of a gutter, in which the rear part of the boot can rest; it has a rear base resting on the upper edge of the rear edge of the plate, to prevent the spoiler from tilting backwards and ensuring the rear support of a boot.

 Other objects, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge from the following description of particular embodiments, given in relation to the attached figures, among which - FIG. 1 is a top view of a snowboard provided with two fasteners - Figure 2 is a top view of a mounting plate according to the present invention - Figures 3 and 4 illustrate, in side view in section, the operation of the plate of Figure 2 during locking and unlocking ;; - Figure 5 illustrates another embodiment of the locking means of the plate - Figure 6 shows a third embodiment of the locking means of the plate - Figure 7 shows a fourth embodiment of the locking means of the plate - Figure 8 is a perspective view of a plate-shaped plate for receiving a ski boot; and - Figure 9 is a perspective view of a plate according to the invention allowing the adaptation of a ski boot or boot.

 As shown in Figure 1, a snowboard includes a pad 1 whose front 2 is raised in the shape of a spatula, and whose upper face 3 receives two fasteners 4 and 5 for the adaptation of the feet of the user. The rear binding 4 is generally arranged in an orientation II-II which is substantially transverse with respect to the mean median longitudinal plane I-I of the snowboard. The front attachment 5 is generally arranged in an oblique III-III orientation, as shown in the figure. The two fasteners 4 and 5 are relatively spaced from each other. The means of the invention make it possible to vary the orientation II-II of the binding 4 and III-III of the binding 5 relative to the median longitudinal plane I-I of the snowboard.

 In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 to 41, the binding according to the invention comprises a plate 6, provided with a circular central hole 7, the plate 6 comprising the means for receiving and securing a shoe. A central pivot 8, which can be fixed on the upper face of the snowboard by means of screws 29, engages in the central hole 7 of the plate and is shaped to secure the plate in perpendicular axial translation to the upper snowboard surface, while allowing the rotation of the plate around an axis IV-IV perpendicular to the snowboard surface. Preferably, the central hole 7 of the plate and the central pivot 8 have a diameter only slightly less than the width of the plate 6.

 Locking means, actuable by the user, selectively allow locking and unlocking of the plate to prohibit or allow its rotation around the central pivot.

 For this, the plate 6 comprises, on the periphery of its central hole 7, locking notches 9 distributed over its entire periphery. For example, the locking notches can be radial teeth with a triangular profile, as shown in FIG. 2. Other forms of notches are however possible, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

The central pivot 8 also comprises, on at least part of its periphery, complementary notches 10 intended to cooperate with the notches 9 of the plate to ensure the locking in rotation of the plate on the pivot. The pivot notches 10 are formed on two slides which are themselves movable relative to the pivot. For this, the pivot 8, in the embodiment shown, comprises two slides 11 and 12 sliding radially in two radial slides 13 and 14 diametrically opposite and formed in the pivot. The respective outer ends 15 and 16 of the sliders comprise the radial pivot notches 10. The sliders 11 and 12 are connected to each other by a mechanical operating device for selectively moving the sliders apart or apart from one another. other, the close position of the slides producing the release of the pivot notches 10 and of the platen notches 9, the separated position of the slides producing the engagement of the pivot notches in the platen notches.

 In FIGS. 2 to 4, the slides 11 and 12 are connected to each other by a toggle device consisting of a first lever 17, articulated at its first end 18 on the first slide 11, and of a second lever 19 articulated at its first end 20 on the second slide 12; the first lever 17 is articulated, at its second end 21, in an intermediate zone of the second lever 19. The second end 22 of the second lever 19 forms an operating member for locking and unlocking the plate.

 Preferably, the slides 13 and 14 in which the slides 11 and 12 slide have radial stops limiting the movement of the slides towards the pivot. In FIGS. 3 and 4, the stops are constituted by the transverse facets 23 and 24 of the pivot, against which the respective interior ends 25 and 26 of the slides are likely to abut.

 The operation of the device is as follows: in the locked position, shown in FIG. 3, the second lever 19 is lowered and kept pressed against the first lever 17; the slides 11 and 12 are then in the most distant position from each other, so that their notches 10 engage in the corresponding notches 9 of the plate, preventing the rotation of the plate on the pivot 8. We note that, in this position, the hinge pin 37 between the first lever 17 and the second lever 19 is slightly below the line joining the respective hinge pins 38 and 39 of each of the levers on the corresponding slide. It follows that any effort tending to bring the two slides closer to each other, effort produced by mechanical constraints of rotation on the plate, tends to lower the second lever 19 against the first lever 17, and therefore to maintain the levers in the locked position.

 In the unlocked position, shown in FIG. 4, the second lever 19 is raised, so that the slides 11 and 12 are brought together. Their ends 15 and 16 then emerge from the notches of the plate 9, allowing the rotation of the plate around the pivot. During the operation of the second lever 19 upwards, if it occurs that one of the two slides remains locked in engagement on the platen notches 9, the corresponding inner end 25 or 26 of the other slide comes to bear against the corresponding facet 23 or 24 of the pivot; the force of the second lever 19 is then applied to the blocked slide, and produces its unlocking and unlocking. This ensures easy and safe unlocking, avoiding blocking for example by freezing or other foreign elements which may have been inserted between the slides and slides.

 To secure the plate in translation along the axis IV-IV, the pivot 8 has a flange 27 which covers an engaging part 28 of the plate, as shown in FIG. 3.

 FIG. 5 shows a second embodiment of the means for locking the plate on the pivot. In this figure, as well as in the following figures representing the other embodiments, the similar elements have been designated by the same reference numerals as in the embodiment of Figures 2 to 4.

Thus, in FIG. 5, the plate 6 also includes notches formed at the periphery of a central hole 7, and two slides II and 12 slide in corresponding slides of the central pivot 8. In this embodiment, the two slides 11 and 12 are connected to each other by compression springs 30 and 31 tending to separate them from each other. The user can operate the two sliders 11 and 12 by inserting his fingers in respective housings 32 and 33 formed on the upper surface of the sliders. The housings 32 and 33 form the operating member. Thus, the user can bring the sliders closer to one another by tightening them against the force exerted by the springs 31 and 32. When the user releases the sliders, the springs bring the sliders back into position distant from each other in a state in which the slide notches 10 engage in the corresponding notches of the central hole of the plate.

 In the embodiment of FIG. 6, the means for locking the plate 6 on the pivot 8 comprise three slides 41, 42 and 43, distributed along three radial axes at 120, each slide being able to slide in a corresponding slide of the pivot. The sliders are maneuvered by an eccentric device, comprising pins such as the pin 44 secured to a central operating member 45 and sliding in an oblique opening 46 of the slider. The light forms a cam, so that the displacement of the pin 44 by maneuvering the member 45 produces the radial displacement of the slide 41 between the locked position and the unlocked position. As in the previous embodiments, the slides 41, 42 and 43 comprise, on their outer face, notches 10 intended to engage in corresponding peripheral notches of the central plate hole 6.

 In the embodiment of Figure 7, the locking means of the plate 6 on the central pivot 8 comprise a slide 50 sliding in a corresponding slide 51 formed in the plate. The slide 50 comprises, on its inner end, notches 52 intended to cooperate by engagement on peripheral notches 53 formed around the entire periphery of the central pivot 8. Means, not shown in the figure, make it possible to maintain the slide 50 either unlocked position, that is to say separated from the central pivot, or in the locked position, that is to say with the slide notches 52 engaged on the pivot notches 53.

 In Figure 8, there is shown an embodiment of the plate allowing the adaptation of a ski boot. In this embodiment, the plate 6, swiveling on a central pivot 8 according to one of the preceding embodiments, is in the form of a plate and comprises an anterior arch 60 and a posterior arch 61 shaped to adapt and retain the front end and rear end of a standardized ski boot sole.

 In the embodiment of FIG. 9, the plate 6 makes it possible to receive and fix either a ski boot of standardized shape, or a flexible boot. In this embodiment, the plate 6 comprises two lateral flanges 71 and 72, intended to limit the lateral displacement of the lateral edges of a shoe sole, and a rear flange 73 intended to limit the rearward displacement of a sole of a shoe. The rear rim 73 comprises a lower housing 74, for example in the form of a lumen as shown in FIG. 9, in which the rear end projecting from a standardized ski boot sole can engage. By engagement, the sole of the ski boot is locked in pivoting upwards by the upper face of the housing 74. Straps 75 and 76, schematically represented in FIG. 9 in dotted lines, hold the boot plate in the tone ae The plate to and against the rear edge 73.

 For the adaptation of a flexible boot, a spoiler 77 is provided attached to the plate 6. The spoiler 77 is intended to form a substantially vertical gutter forming the rear wall of the binding, in which the rear part of the boot can rest. of the user.

Means are provided for securing the spoiler to the plate 6, so that the spoiler can constitute a relatively rigid bearing surface. For this, the rear base of the spoiler is shaped to engage in the housing 74 of the rear flange 73 of the plate, preventing pivoting up of the spoiler when it is in place; in addition, the rear part of the spoiler is shaped to present a bearing face which comes to bear on the upper edge of the rear edge 73, so that the spoiler cannot move downwards, and thus produces a face of fixed and rigid support for the rear support of the boot.

In addition, the spoiler comprises lateral faces 78 and 79, the base of which has snap-in lugs penetrating into housings such as the housing 80 provided in the lateral edges 72 and 71 do platinum. Thus, the spoiler 77 is removable, and can be adapted on the plate 6 to promote the maintenance of a flexible boot.

 The present invention is not limited to the embodiments which have been explicitly described, but it includes the various variants and generalizations thereof contained in the field of claims below.

Claims (13)

 1 - Snowboard binding, comprising a plate (6) provided with means (60, 61, 71, 72, 73, 75, 76) for receiving and securing a shoe, and comprising means (29) for adapting and fix the plate on the upper face of a snowboard, characterized in that it comprises - a central pivot (8) to be fixed on the upper face of the snowboard, the central pivot engaging in a central hole ( 7) of the plate (6) to secure the plate in axial translation while allowing its rotation about an axis (IV-IY) sensiblemont perpendicular to the upper face of the snowboard, - locking means ( 11, 12), operable by the user, to selectively lock the plate (6) and prohibit its rotation around the central pivot (8), and to unlock the plate at will and allow its adjustment in orientation around the central pivot.  2 - Snowboard binding according to claim 1, characterized in that - the plate (6 ') comprises, on the periphery of its central hole (7), locking notches (9), - the central pivot (8 ) comprises, on its periphery, complementary notches (10) intended to cooperate with the notches of the plate to ensure the locking in rotation of the plate on the pivot, - means (17, 19, 32, 33) are provided for ensure the relative displacement of the pivot notches and the notches of the plate with respect to each other between a first position in which the notches are nested to ensure locking, and a second position in which the notches are released to unlock the plate and allow His rotation.  3 - Attachment according to claim 2, characterized in that the means for ensuring the relative displacement of the platinum notches and pivot notches comprise - with care a pivot part (11, 12), which comprises the pivot notches ( 10), and which can be moved radially relative to the pivot body (8) to engage or disengage the pivot notches (10) in the plate notches (9), - means for manually actuating the movable pivot part (11 , 12) and selectively position it in the engagement position or in the disengaging position of the notches in each other, - means for selectively locking the movable pivot part in the engagement position, and prohibiting its untimely disengagement.  4 - Attachment according to claim 3, characterized in that: - the pivot (8) comprises two slides (11, 12) sliding radially in two radial slides (13, 14) diametrically opposite the pivot (8), - the notches pivot (10) are formed at the outer ends (15, 16) of the sliders, - the sliders (11, 12) are connected to each other by a mechanical operating device for selectively moving the spacers apart or apart one from the other, the close position of the slides producing the release of the pivot notches (10) and the platen notches (9). the separated position of the slides producing the engagement of the pivot notches (10) in the platinum notches (9).  5 - binding according to claim 4, characterized in that the slides (11, 12) are connected to each other by a toggle device consisting of a first lever (17) articulated at its first end (18) on the first slide (11) and a second lever (19) articulated at its first end (20) on the second slide (12), the first lever (17) being articulated at its second end (21) in one area intermediate of the second lever (19), the second end (22) of the second lever (19) forming an operating member for locking and unlocking the plate.  6 - Attachment according to claim 5, characterized in that the slides (13, 14), in which the slides slide (11, 12), comprise radial stops (23, 24) limiting the movement of the slides towards the center of the pivot , so that the stops (23, 24) balance the movement of the slides when the plate is unlocked.  7 - binding according to claim 4, characterized in that the slides (11, 12) are connected to each other by compression springs (30, 31) mowing to separate them from each other, and comprise gripping means (32, 33) allowing the user to bring them closer to one another against the force exerted by the springs (30, 31), so that the springs maintain the slides in the position of engagement of the pivot notches (10) and the platen notches (9).  8 - binding according to claim 4, characterized in that the slides (41, 42, 43) are connected to each other by a rotary actuating member (45), actuable by the user, journalling along the axis of the pivot central and provided with eccentric cams (44, 46) for driving the slides in radial movement during the rotation of the rotary member (45).  9 - Attachment according to claim 2, characterized in that the means for ensuring the relative movement of the platen notches (9) and de.pivot notches (10) comprise - at least one part of platinum (50), which comprises the platinum notches (52), and which is radially movable relative to the pivot (8) to engage or disengage the pivot notches (53) and the platen notches (52), - means for manually actuating the movable platinum part (50) and selectively position it in the engagement position or in the release position, - means for selectively locking the movable plate part (50) in the engagement position, and prohibiting its untimely release.  10 - Snowboard binding according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the plate (6) comprises fixing means (60, 61) of a standardized sole of ski boot.  11 - binding according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the plate (6) comprises lateral flanges (71, 72) and a rear flange (73) for holding a shoe, and a system d 'fastener (75, 76) to secure a shoe on the plate and press it against the rear edge (73).  12 - binding according to claim 11, characterized in that the rear flange (73) comprises a housing (74) in which can engage the rear end of the standardized sole of a ski boot, the housing hoping uplift of the shoe.  13 - A binding according to claim 12, characterized in that it further comprises a rear spoiler (77) attached and removable on the plate (6), comprising means for engaging in the housing (74) of the rear edge of the plate , and means for snap-fastening in housings (80) provided in the lateral edges of the plate (71, 72), the spoiler (77) comprising a rear part for bearing on the upper edge of the rear edge of the plate (73) to ensure the back support of a boot.