FR2716119A1 - Interface device to modify the natural distribution of the ski on the snow. - Google Patents

Abstract

The interface has mobile plates (12, 13) under the heel and toe of the boot. The vertical movements of these are transformed into horizontal forces by a rocket (22). A base plate (15), under the front binding, is articulated (21) on the vertical branch of the rocket (23) and on a bearing (17) joined to the ski. The lower end of the vertical branch of the rocker (23) is articulated on a transversal axle (19) carried by a traction bar (26) fixed to a back base plate (27). The horizontal branch of the rocker (24) rests against a stud (25) joined to the ski.

Description

INTERFACE DEVICE FOR ALTERING THE NATURAL DISTRIBUTION OF SKIING ON THE

SNOW

  The invention relates to an interface device between a shoe and a ski, designed to modify the natural distribution of a ski on its sliding surface. The invention also relates to a ski equipped with the interface device.

  The skis that are used for alpine skiing are constituted by relatively long boards, on which the skier's shoes are held by front and rear binding elements. The shoes and fasteners are approximately in the middle area of the ski. The skis in themselves have, at rest, a natural camber, whereby the medial area is raised naturally relative to the ski's front end, or spatula, and the back end of the ski, or heel. In addition, the skis have a flexibility that is due to their internal structure. When skiing, the ski elastically deforms in response to the various demands it is subjected to from the skier, but also from the terrain on which it slides.

  There are interface devices that are interposed between the fasteners and the ski. Such interfaces are for example known from patent applications published under the numbers WO 83/03360, EP 492 658, EP 409 749. These devices modify the flexibility of the beam of the ski, by stiffening it, or with a damping effect. However, these devices act passively, that is to say that they only react to a specific bending of the ski.

  It is also known from the European patent application published under the number EP 530 449 2 0 in the name of the applicant an interface device that dynamically changes the pressure distribution of the ski on the snow, depending on the vertical stresses that the skier practices on his skis.

  This device comprises a vertically movable probe which transmits to the base of the fastener before the vertical stresses it captures from the shoe. These stresses are transmitted by means of a rocker, and in one of the embodiments by means of a substantially horizontal connecting plate articulated on one side to the rocker and the other to the other. base of the fixation.

  This device gives good results because of its dynamic nature, but it is not suitable for all situations or all types of skiing. In particular, it lacks efficiency in turning triggers.

  It is known from French patent application No. 2,654,636 that a device acts on the camber of the ski by a traction effect on a link connecting the front and rear fastening elements. This device also has a means for selecting the speed in which it acts on the camber of the ski. Its action is however limited to a passive modification of the arch of the ski.

  One of the aims of the invention is to propose an interface device which has a dynamic action on the distribution of the ski on the snow and which improves the ability of a ski to turn, especially at the moment of the initiation of the turn.

  Another object of the invention is to provide an interface device that is adaptable to a standard ski.

  Another object of the invention is to provide an interface device that is relatively simple to build.

  These and other objects which will appear in the description which follows, are achieved by the device according to the invention which comprises a feeler adapted to capture the vertical stresses of the shoe, a return rocker which transforms the vertical stresses captured by the probe in at least one horizontal force, and a connecting member for transmitting this horizontal force to an element intended to be secured to the ski. The reversal rocker is arranged to transform a downward vertical bias sensed by the feeler into a horizontal pull force transmitted by the connecting member to the ski.

  According to a preferred feature of the invention, the movable feeler is under the front of the shoe, and therefore, it is more sensitive to the pressure variations of the front of the shoe on its support. Such variation occurs significantly when the skier gives a pulse to trigger his turn.

  The invention will be better understood by reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings which form an integral part thereof.

  FIG. 1 is a side view of an interface device according to a first embodiment of the invention.

  FIG. 2 represents a view from above of the device of FIG.

  FIG. 3 is a partial exploded perspective view of the connection between the feeler and the various traction elements for the device of FIG. 1.

  Figure 4 shows a side view of the device of Figure 1 subjected to a vertical bias directed on the probe.

  FIGS. 5 to 10 show, in side view, alternative embodiments of the invention, FIG. 8 being a view from above of the device of FIG. 7.

  Figure 1 shows a ski 1, viewed from the side in its median area. Fasteners 3 and 4 are mounted on the ski in this median area.

  Fasteners 3 and 4 are of any suitable type. The front fastening element 3 presents, in a known manner, a jaw 5 for retaining the front end of the boot. The jaw is carried by a body 6, and the body is itself mounted on a base plate 7 through which the fastening element is assembled to the ski.

  Similarly, the rear fastening element 4 has a jaw 8 carried by a body 9.

  The body 9 is slidably mounted along a base 10 shaped slider oriented in the longitudinal direction of the ski, and a spring, called recoil spring, elastically pushes the body forward.

  Each fastening element 3, 4 is also associated with a support plate 12, 13 on which the sole of the shoe rests.

  The interface device which is the subject of the present invention is located in the middle zone of the ski.

  The device comprises a probe movable in a substantially vertical direction. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the feeler is formed by the support plate 12 on which the front end of the shoe sole rests.

  In known manner, the support plate 12 extends rearwardly the base 7 of the fixing element, and the assembly formed by the base and the support plate is mounted on a base plate 15 which is articulated in its front part about a transverse axis 16 carried by a bearing 17 integrally connected to the ski.

  As can be seen in FIG. 2, the base plate 15 is a generally rectangular plate which extends approximately in a horizontal plane, and has at its upper surface a mounting area 18 on which is assembled the front fastening element.

  The base plate has an inextensible nature so as to transmit to the ski through the axis 16 and the bearing 17 the tensile stresses which are applied to its rear end.

  The hinge axis 16 is preferably raised relative to the upper surface of the ski, and the base plate 15 is itself raised relative to the upper surface of the ski.

  Optionally, a damping means such as a block 20 of elastically deformable material is interposed between the upper surface of the ski and the base plate. The material may have damping or viscoelastic properties. The block 20 contributes to the maintenance of the base plate in a horizontal position, and it is elastically opposed to its rotation about the axis 16.

  Naturally, any other means of articulation other than an axis is suitable for ensuring the substantially vertical movement of the rear end of the base plate and the probe.

  The rear part of the base plate is connected by a hinge about a transverse axis 21 to a rocker 22.

  The rocker has the function of returning to the base plate in a horizontal direction the vertical forces applied to the probe 12.

  The rocker 22 has two approximately perpendicular branches, an approximately vertical leg 23 and an approximately horizontal leg 24.

  In the position where the rocker is shown, the hinge axis 21 with the base plate 15 is located at the top of the vertical branch 23. The horizontal branch 24 extends forward, and its front end is in bearing against a stud 25 which is integrally connected to the ski. Preferably, the support 30 of the rocker on the stud 25 is advantageously materialized by a transverse pin 24a located at the front end of the branch 24. This pin facilitates the rotation of the rocker by pressing on the stud 25.

  The lower end of the vertical leg 23 of the rocker is retained in a horizontal direction by an elongate traction member 26 which comes from the back of the ski.

  In the illustrated embodiment, the pulling member 26 is connected to the rocker 22 about an axis 19. The pulling member 26 has an inextensible nature. It is connected rearwardly to a rear base plate 27 which is located under the base 10 of the rear fastening element, and which is secured to the ski. Its rear end penetrates into a housing 28 of the base plate 27, and it is assembled to the base plate by a pin 29.

  Of course, any other suitable linking means is suitable. In particular, since the traction member 26 is essentially traction-driven, it can be made in the form of an inextensible but deformable ribbon or cable. The links by articulation of the member 26 to the rocker and to the base plate 27 could be replaced by fastenings of the ends of the ribbon or cable respectively to the rocker and the base plate, the relative movement between these elements necessary for operation the device resulting from the deformation of the ribbon or cable.

  Also, it should be noted that the rear end of the traction member 26 could be secured not to the rear base plate 27, but directly to the ski in front of the base plate, or to the base 10 of the fastener. The important thing is that the traction member 26 is connected to a fixed point on the ski. The height at which the traction member 26 is connected to the ski determines the lever arm with which a force conveyed by the traction member will be transmitted to the ski.

  Thus, a vertical bias exerted on the feeler, for example during a forward support in cornering trip phase, forces the rocker to tilt relative to the stud 25 around the end 1 5 of its horizontal branch 24. As Traction joint hinge pin 26 is retained from the rear, the hinge axis 21 is forced to recoil, which induces in the base plate 15 a tensile stress which is transmitted to the ski by the Bearing 17. By reaction, the traction member 26 transmits towards the rear of the ski a tensile stress which in turn induces on the rear end of the ski a bending moment which tends to lift the end in question. Block 20 is otherwise compressed.

  Figure 3 illustrates such an operation of the device.

  As the articulation of the base plate 15 to the bearing 17 is raised relative to the upper surface of the ski, this tensile stress induces in the ski a bending moment which tends to raise the spatula and if necessary the rear end ski. The ski is therefore more pivoting.

  The bending moments induced on the front and rear of the ski are more or less strong depending on the altitude of the axis 16 and the pin 29, respectively, with respect to the upper surface of the ski. In particular, if the rear end of the member 26 is fixed directly to the upper surface of the ski, the bending moment induced on the back of the ski is negligible, and only the front end of the ski is biased upwards. .

  One could also adopt a reverse position of the rocker, that is to say, orient the horizontal branch 24 rearward, and invert the position of the joints to the base plate and the traction member. However, it is preferred to place the hinge as much as possible on the base plate 15, so that the pulling stress has a vertical component which contributes to raising the ski spatula.

  FIG. 5 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the device which has just been described. According to this variant, the base 15 is connected to a rocker 30 by a transverse axis 31 in the same way as in the previous case. The rocker 30 is articulated here at its base around a transverse axis 32 carried by a bearing 33 secured to the upper surface of the ski ahead of the plumb with the axis 31. The axis 32 is located below the altitude of r'axe before 16.

  In this way, a vertical downward bias exerted on the support plate 12 tends to crush the assembly formed by the base plate 15 and the rocker 30. This induces a tensile stress which is transmitted to the ski by the plate base 15, the axis 16 and the bearing 17. This bias induces a bending moment which tends to raise the front end of the ski. By reaction, another bias is transmitted to the ski by the rocker 30, the axis 32 and the bearing 33, but as the axis 32 is close to the upper surface of the ski, this reaction has no effect important on the bending of the ski.

  As in the previous case, preferably the axis 31 is higher than the axis 16 so that the bias applied by the base plate 15 to the axis 16 has a vertical component upwards.

  1 0 It goes without saying that for this variant, the rocker 30 and the axes 31 and 32 can be deported more or less far behind the front fastening element 3, which influences the nature and intensity of the moment bending applied to the front end of the ski.

  The rear fastening element could be assembled to the ski in the same connection mode to generate on the back of the ski a bending moment tending to raise this end.

  Figure 6 illustrates another alternative embodiment. According to this variant, the interface device is of the same type as that described with reference to FIG. 1, with a front base plate 15, a rocker 22, one leg of which bears against a stud 25, and a traction member Who comes from behind.

  The main difference is in the rear mounting bracket assembly.

  Usually, the body 9 of the rear fastening element 4 is slidably mounted along a slider-shaped base, and a schematized recoil spring 35 housed in the body 9 pushes the body forward, elastically, taking support from a fixed point of the ski. A lock schematized at 36, or other means also makes it possible to adjust the longitudinal position of the body as well as the intensity of this push back depending on the length of the shoe. It is the lock that makes the connection between the body and the ski.

  The primary function of the recoil spring is to elastically pinch the shoe sole between the front and rear fasteners. This spring is also biased to compression when the ski flexes, to absorb the differences in length between the ski that forms an arc, and the shoe that forms the rope of the bow.

  However, when the fastening element is secured to the ski by its base, this push back generates in the ski a reaction that tends to oppose the bending of the ski. The intensity of this reaction increases with the compression of the recoil spring, that is to say with the bending curvature of the ski.

  According to the variant of Figure 6, this reaction is channeled by an inextensible blade 38 which extends between the latch 36 and a fixed point on the ski located on the front, for example the stud 25, or forward of it. As is visible in Figure 6, the blade 38 has in its rear part a series of notches 39, and the latch 36 has teeth that penetrate into a portion of these notches.

  This blade brings back the reaction of the recoil. It returns this reaction preferably in the area where the recoil bias has another component in the opposite direction, that is to say in the area of the front fastening element. Overall, the recoil constraints follow a circuit that does not affect skiing.

  The slide 40 along which the body is slidably mounted is secured to the ski.

  In the illustrated embodiment, the slide presents on the front support plate 13 on which rests the shoe sole. The backplate could however be linked to the body.

  The traction member 26, meanwhile, is connected by the pin 26 to the front portion 41 of the slide 40, that is to say to a fixed element on the ski.

  The device operates in a manner similar to that of FIG. 1, with the difference that when the ski flexes due to tensile stresses, the recoil spring does not tend to compress and oppose this flexion. . Indeed, when the ski flexes forming an arc, the body of the rear element can move back because it is connected to the front of the middle zone of the ski by the blade 38 which forms the rope of the arc in parallel with the sole of a shoe. When flexing the ski, the approximation of the rear fastening element towards the front fastening element is less than in the case of FIG. 1. The bending effect of the ski is therefore improved by the fact that the spring reversing does not oppose this flexion frankly.

  The variant shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 also incorporates the influence of the recoil spring on the bending of the ski.

  According to this variant, the base 7 of the front fastening element 3 is integrally connected to the ski. Similarly, the base 10 of the rear fastening element is integrally connected to the ski. In the illustrated embodiment, the base 10 overcomes a base plate 47. The base 10 forms the slide along which the body 9 is slidably mounted, under the action of the recoil spring 35 which pushes it back. elastically forward. The spring 35 bears against the lock 36.

  The probe is here formed by the front support plate 42 on which rests the front end of the shoe. The front support plate is rotatably mounted about a transverse axis located towards the front of the plate. This axis can be materialized by an axis or a pin. It can also be fictitious.

  The rear portion of the support plate 42 rests on the horizontal leg 43 of a rocker 44. The rocker 44 also has a vertical leg 45 which is articulated at its base about a transverse axis carried by a fixed bearing on ski. The bearing is for example formed by the rear portion of the base 7.

  An inextensible blade 46 connects the top of the vertical leg 45 to the latch 36 of the rear fastener. Like the blade 38, the blade 46 has in its rear part notches for the teeth of the lock. The lock is therefore integrally connected to the rear end of the blade 46.

  An abutment serves to lock the latch backwards. For example, this abutment is formed by the cooperation of two lateral cutouts of the blade 49 and 50 with two lateral studs 51 and 52 which go up from the base plate 47. The cuts have a length greater than that of the studs, for allow the blade to move forward relative to the pads.

  This device works as follows. In the presence of the shoe and in nominal speed, the recoil spring 35 exerts a forward thrust on the body, the reaction of which keeps the latch against its stop, that is to say that the cutouts 49 and 50 of the blade is in abutment against the pads 51 and 52. The blade is however stretched, so as to hold the support of the support plate 42 suspended on the branch 43 of the rocker. Thus, the reaction of the recoil is transmitted to the ski mainly by the base plate 47 of the rear fastening element. This reaction creates a bending moment that tends to increase the camber of the ski, that is to say to flatten the ends of the ski on the snow. This is known to those skilled in the art.

  If a strong vertical bias is applied to the support plate 42, this bias is returned by the rocker 44 in the blade 46 in the form of a bias forward. If this bias is of sufficient intensity, it can move the blade 46 forwardly by compressing the spring 35 additionally. In doing so, the lock leaves its retaining stop, that is to say that the cutouts 49 and 50 emerge from the pads 51 and 52. The recoil reaction is no longer transmitted to the base plate 47, but it is channeled integrally by the blade 46 to the base 7. The effect of the recoil on the flexion of the ski is erased, that is to say that the ski is less biased to bending and thus becomes more pivoting because its front and rear ends are relieved.

  If the bias decreases in intensity, the blade releases its traction on the lock, and the reaction of the recoil is progressively relayed to the ski by the base plate 47. The ends of the ski are again biased in flexion against the snow.

  According to the variant shown in FIG. 9, the two previously described effects are combined. The front portion of the device is similar to that of Figure 6, with a hinged base plate 20 about an axis 16 at a bearing 17. The back of the base plate 15 is connected to a rocker.

  The rear part of the device is similar to that described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, with the body 9 slidably mounted along a slide 10 secured to the ski, a blade 53 on which the lock 36 is engaged , and the stop formed by the cuts of the blade 53 cooperating with the pads 51, 52 of the base plate 47.

  According to this variant, the blade 53 is connected forwardly to the base of the vertical branch of the rocker. As the base plate is connected to the top of this vertical branch, and the horizontal leg of the rocker is in abutment against the stud 25, a vertical bias on the probe causes both a bias that is transmitted to the bearing 17 and the ski in the form of a bending moment tending to lift the spatula, and both a transfer of the forward recoil reaction of the middle zone of the ski, which improves the ability of the ski to flex in the meaning of a raising of its extremities.

  The probe that captures the solicitations of the shoe can also be located on the back of the shoe. To illustrate this, FIG. 10 represents an interface device associated with a front fastening element 3 mounted on a base plate 55 connected in solidarity with the upper surface of the ski. In addition, the slide 10 of the rear fastening element is mounted articulated around a transverse axis 57 carried by a base plate 56 integral with the ski. Optionally, a spring 58 or other resilient means resiliently opposes the downward tilting of the slideway 10.

  The front part of the base, which comprises the support plate 13, is kept raised, and it rests on the horizontal branch of a rocker 59. The rocker is articulated at its base relative to the ski, for example around an axis 60 carried by the base plate 56.

  A traction member 61 also connects the rocker 57 and the base plate 55 so as to transform the vertical stresses sensed by the support plate 13 into rearward pulling stresses exerted on the base 55. Alternatively, the traction member could be connected to an element integral with the ski and distinct from the base 7 or the base plate 55, for example a bearing such as the bearing 17.

  The invention is not limited to the various embodiments which have been described, it encompasses the equivalents, variants and generalizations included in the claims hereinafter.

Claims (9)

  1- Interface device between a ski boot and a ski to modify the natural distribution of the ski on the snow, the device being intended to be associated with a ski, in its central zone, comprising a movable probe (12, 42, 13) adapted to capture the vertical stresses of the shoe, further comprising a return rocker (22, 30, 44, 57) for transforming the vertical stresses sensed by the feeler into a horizontal force, furthermore comprising at least one connecting member ( 15, 46, 61) connecting the return to an element (17, 47, 55) intended to be secured to the ski, at one end of the median zone, to transmit to the ski the horizontal force transformed by the probe, characterized in that the return rocker (22, 30, 44, 57) is arranged to transform the downward vertical stresses sensed by the probe (12, 42, 13) into at least one horizontal pulling load which is applied to the element (17, 47, 55) for the purpose of exerting on the ski a bending moment which tends to take off from its sliding surface at least one of its ends.   2- Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the probe is the support plate (12, 42) located at the front of the central zone, on which rests the front part of the shoe sole.   3- Device according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises at the front a base plate (15) having at its upper surface a mounting zone (18) for the base of the element 20 before fixing, the base plate being hinged at the front around a transverse direction (16) defined by a bearing (17) secured to the ski, and being articulated at the rear about a transverse axis (21, 31 ) carried by the rocker (22, 30).   4- Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the rocker (21) is hinged moreover around a transverse axis (27) carried by a traction member (26) connected to a fixed point of the ski 2 located towards the rear, and that the rocker (22) has a branch (24) whose end is in abutment against a stud (25) secured to the ski (FIG. 1).   5- Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the rocker (30) is articulated about a transverse axis (32) to a bearing (33) secured to the ski (fig 5).   6. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is associated with front and rear fastening elements where the body (9) of the rear fastening element (4) is connected by an inextensible blade (38) at a fixed point of the ski located in front of the middle zone of the ski, and o the body (9) is slidably mounted along a slide (10) intended to be integrally connected to the ski (FIG. 6).   7- Device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it is associated with front and rear fastening elements o the body (9) of the rear fastening element (4) is connected by an inextensible blade (46, 53) to the rocker (22, 44), and o the body (9) is slidably mounted along a slide (10) intended to be integrally connected to the ski (Figs 7 and 9) .   8- Device according to claim 7, characterized in that a stop (49, 50, 51, 52) retains the blade (36, 53) rearwardly.   9- Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the probe is the support plate (13) on which rests the rear end of the shoe sole.   10- Device according to claim 9, characterized in that the rear support plate is movable, it is supported on the free arm of a rocker (59) and a traction member 61 connects the rocker (59) to an element (55) intended to be secured to the ski in front of the median zone.