FR2820333A1 - FIXING SYSTEM FOR A SPORTS MACHINE AND SPORTS MACHINE COMPRISING SUCH A SYSTEM - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention proposes a system for fixing a shoe on a bearing surface of a sports machine, of the type in which the fixing system comprises a rear fixing (18), characterized in that the fixing system is provided with a front binding formed of a hook (32) which is integral with the sports apparatus (10) and which defines a notch (46) open longitudinally towards the rear and transversely on either side to receive a front transverse rod (50) of the shoe (48), and in that the rear binding (18) immobilizes the shoe (48) longitudinally in a position such that the transverse rod (50) of the shoe is held at the inside the notch (46).

Description

FASTENING SYSTEM FOR A SPORTS MACHINE AND SPORTS MACHINE COMPRISING A

SUCH SYSTEM

  The invention relates to a system for attaching a shoe to a sports machine.

  snowshoe comprising means of rapid attachment to the feet of the user.

  The invention may be used for various sports machines such as snowshoes, roller skates, ice skates, short skis, etc. The invention will be more particularly described in the context of its application to snowshoes in which both the forefoot and the heel of the user remain permanently in contact with corresponding bearing surfaces of the racket, unlike

  fastening systems in which the heel remains free.

  There are different devices to secure the rackets to the feet of the user. One of the most widespread devices uses two sets of straps, which cooperate respectively with the front of the foot and with the instep to permanently hold the user's shoe pressed against bearing surfaces. racket matches. Generally, front and rear stop systems are provided which, in combination with these sets of straps, allow longitudinal locking and

  transverse of the shoe on the racket.

  Such devices perfectly fulfill their role but they have the drawback of requiring the installation of two sets of straps at each foot, which can be long and not easy, especially when the user wants to put on or take off his rackets in the cold, with

  2 0 fingers numb or wearing gloves.

  Document US-5,881,477 describes a racket on which is adapted a binding system derived from systems used in cross-country skiing. In this document, the shoe worn by the user comprises, at its front end, a cylindrical transverse rod which comes to lock in cylindrical housing of the same diameter to form a joint. The housing is delimited by a jaw system and it includes an opening and closing mechanism to allow engagement, the release of the front transverse upper of the shoe. When the housing is closed, the rod has only one degree of

  freedom: rotation around its transverse axis.

  This type of binding, derived from cross-country bindings, however has the disadvantage of being relatively complex and expensive for a product such as a snowshoe. Furthermore, the attachment of the shoe being only provided at the front, the support between the shoe and the racket may prove to be insufficient when the racket is used in severe slopes. In fact, unlike a cross-country ski which, thanks to its small width, can be kept almost horizontal by biting in the snow, the snowshoe only sinks very little in the snow and therefore tends to take orientation of this cant. As the user tends to keep his leg in a position close to the vertical, the rear of the foot, not maintained in the example of the cited document, tends to shift relative to the racket, which hinders progression. In addition, this results in significant bending forces at the level of the attachment between the racket and the

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  shoe. We therefore understand that a fixation of the type illustrated in the cited document

  above may not absorb such efforts.

  The invention therefore aims to provide a fastening system for a snowshoe which ensures perfect retention of the shoe on the racket while being very simple to use and inexpensive to manufacture. To this end, the invention provides a system for attaching a shoe to a sports machine, in particular a bearing surface of a snowshoe, of the type in which the binding system comprises a rear binding, characterized in that the fixing system is provided with a front fixing formed by a hook which is integral with the machine and which delimits a notch open longitudinally towards the rear and transversely on either side to receive a front transverse rod of the shoe, and in that the rear binding immobilizes the shoe longitudinally in a position such that the transverse upper of the shoe

  is kept inside the notch.

  A very simple fixing system is thus obtained in which the front of the foot is perfectly locked vertically and transversely without using systems

traditional straps.

  The invention also provides a snowshoe provided with such a fixing system.

  Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the

  detailed description which follows and in view of the attached drawings in which:

  - Figure 1 is a perspective view of a snowshoe provided with a fastening system according to the prior art; - Figure 2 is a similar view of the same racket which is equipped with a fixing system according to the invention; - Figure 3 is a partial sectional view, through a vertical longitudinal plane, illustrating the front attachment of the shoe to the racket; - Figure 4 is a schematic top view illustrating the transverse locking means of the front of the shoe, the sole of the shoe being shown in section. FIG. 1 shows a racket 10 which is equipped with a fastening system designed according to the prior art. The racket itself is, for example, a racket of the type described in document EP-A-882,478. This racket essentially comprises a frame 12 which is made of injected plastic and which forms a screen capable of supporting the weight of the user without the racket being pushed too far into the snow. The racket also includes a plate 14 which is articulated on the frame 12 about a substantially transverse axis Ai. Preferably, the articulation of the plate 14 on the frame 12 will be carried out in accordance with what is described in document EP-A-882,478. The plate 14 is for example constructed of rigid plastic material and it includes fixing means which

  allow to hang the user's shoe on it.

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  In the example illustrated in FIG. 1, the fastening system according to the prior art comprises a rear fastening 16 and a front fastening 18 which are both strap fastenings and which are both anchored on the plate 14 for make the shoe fully

  secured to the articulated plate 14.

  The rear binding 16 includes a rear stop 20 which is substantially complementary in shape to that of the heel of a shoe in order to block the shoe both longitudinally towards the rear and transversely on both sides. The longitudinal position of the rear stop 20 is adjustable. The rear stop 20 includes a set of straps 22, the two strands of which are articulated on the rear stop 20 and extend upwards and forwards so as to be able to grip the instep of the shoe. The two strands of the set of straps 22 are provided with a tightening system 24 which makes it possible to press the rear of the shoe both longitudinally towards the rear, against the rear stop 20, and vertically downwards

  against the rear part of the plate 14 which forms a rear bearing surface for the shoe.

  The front fixing 18 comprises a front stop 26 produced in the form of a shell which extends upwards from the front end of the plate 14 and whose shape is substantially complementary to that of the front end of a classic hiking shoe. The

  function of this stop is essentially to guide the front of the shoe transversely.

  In fact, in this front binding of known type, the vertical retention of the boot on the plate 14 is ensured by a set of straps 28 which is disposed substantially at the level of the axis 20 0 of transverse articulation of the plate 14 on frame 12 and which is intended to come and strap

  the front end of the shoe at the metatarsophalangeal joint.

  In FIG. 2, the same racket 10 is illustrated, equipped with a fixing system in accordance with the teachings of the invention, this system being described in more detail on the

Figures 3 and 4.

  According to the invention, the front attachment 30 according to the invention essentially comprises a hook 32 which is fixed to the front end of the articulated plate 14. As can be seen in FIG. 3, the hook 32 comprises a base 34 which extends substantially in one plane

  horizontal and which has a profile similar to that of the front end of the plate 14.

  The base 34 is designed to be fixed under the front end of the plate 14 by two screws 36 30 offset transversely with respect to each other. In the embodiment illustrated in the figures, the plate 14 carries, at its front end, a claw spike 38 which extends forward and downward relative to the front end of the plate. This crampon 38 is produced in the form of an insert, for example made of metal. Advantageously, it is expected that

  the screws 36 which secure the hook 32 also secure the clamp 38.

  Thus, it can be seen that the base 34 of the hook 32 is sandwiched between the rear of the

  crampon 38 and the underside of the plate 14.

  The base 34 is extended at its front end by a front wall 40 which rises upwards above the front end 42 of the plate 14. From the upper end of the front wall 40, the hook 32 has two teeth 44 which are offset transversely one

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  on the other and which extend longitudinally rearward, above the front end 42

  of the plate 14 and parallel thereto.

  In sectional view through a transverse longitudinal plane, the hook 32 thus delimits, with the upper face of the front end of the plate 14, a notch 46 which is open longitudinally towards the rear and which is closed on its three other sides . The notch thus has substantially the shape of a U open towards the rear. As can be seen in the figure

  2, the notch 46 is however open transversely on both sides, over its entire length.

  According to the invention, this front attachment 30 with hook 32 is provided to cooperate with a shoe 48 whose front end comprises a transverse hooking rod 50. Such shoes are commonly used in cross-country skiing, with jaw fasteners which trap the upper 50. In a known manner, such a shoe comprises a sole 52 whose lower face is notched with a longitudinal groove 54 open downwards. This groove 54 is therefore delimited in the sole 52, upwards, by an upper face 56 and, transversely, by two opposite lateral faces 58 which are substantially parallel to one another. At the front end of this groove 54, the rod 50 extends transversely between the

  two lateral faces 58, below the upper face 56.

  According to the invention, provision is made for the shoe 48 to be engaged on the racket longitudinally from the rear to the front so as to cause the hooking rod 50 to penetrate inside the notch 46. To do this , it is of course necessary that the vertical thickness of the teeth 44 of the hook 32 is less than the distance which vertically separates the attachment rod 50 from the upper wall 56 of the groove 54. Likewise, the height of the notch 46, determined by the height of the teeth 44 above the plate 14, is adapted to the diameter of the attachment rod 50 and to the height of implantation of the rod 50 above

  the underside of the sole 52.

  In this way, when the attachment rod 50 is engaged inside the notch 46, the shoe 48 is blocked vertically upwards by the teeth of the hook 21 which retain the attachment rod 50. Of course, shoe 48 is also held down by the support

of the sole 52 on the plate 14.

  As can be seen in FIG. 4, the transverse width "11" of the hook 32, determined by the spacing of the teeth 44, is substantially identical to the transverse width

  "12" of the groove 54 determined by the spacing of the two opposite lateral faces 58.

  Thus, when the hooking rod 50 is engaged inside the notch 46, the teeth 44 of the hook cooperate with the opposite faces 58 of the groove 54 to block the shoe 48 transversely relative to the plate 14. For facilitate engagement of the hook 5 between the two opposite faces 58 of the groove 54, the outer edges of the ends

  teeth free 44 are provided with ramps 45.

  In the example illustrated, the lower faces of the teeth 44 of the hook 32 and the upper face of the end of the plate 14, faces which vertically delimit the notch 46, are substantially parallel, so that the height of the notch is substantially constant

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  over its entire length. One could however foresee that the height of the notch 46 decreases as it approaches the bottom, which would have the effect of pressing the sole of the shoe vertically downwards in the direction of the plate 14 as the upper is advanced

towards the bottom of the notch.

  With the embodiment described and shown, the attachment rod 50 does not necessarily penetrate forward as far as the bottom of the notch 46. In fact, the longitudinal position of the shoe 48 relative to the plate 14 is determined by the longitudinal position of the rear stop 20. In fact, in this embodiment of the invention, the only tightening means is constituted by the set of straps 22 which tend to make the shoe move back until it comes to bear against the rear stop 20. However, this is in no way a problem since the front binding has only the function of blocking the front of the shoe transversely and vertically and that these functions are ensured as long as the rod 50 is held at the interior of the notch 46. On the contrary, the length of the notch 46 gives an adjustment margin for the longitudinal position of the rear stop. However, if the position of the stopper

  rear is sufficiently advanced, the rod will abut at the bottom of the notch.

  However, the fixing system according to the invention could also use a fixing

  rear which, on the contrary, would tend to push the shoe longitudinally forward.

  In this case, the longitudinal position of the shoe would be determined either by the arrival in abutment of the rod 50 at the bottom of the notch 46, or by the arrival in abutment of the sole 52 of the

  Shoe against the front face 40 of the hook 32.

  In all cases, however, it is still necessary to use a rear fixing system which

  prevents the shoe from moving back, and which therefore prevents the upper 50 from coming out of its notch 46.

  The racket according to the invention therefore makes it possible to ensure a particularly reliable, precise and rapid fixing of the shoe 48 on the racket 10 when the user is wearing shoes provided with a front transverse upper. The user can thus use shoes of the "cross-country ski" type on another machine, for example the racket, and he does not have to buy

specific shoes.

  However, it may be advantageous to provide on the racket 10, in this case on the plate 14, anchoring means 60 making it possible to add a set of front strap as in the prior art. Indeed, as the front hook is removable, the racket 10 can be delivered with an additional part comprising a base identical to that of the hook 32 but having a shape similar to that of the front stop 26 illustrated in FIG. 1. In this way , equipped with this universal front stop and a set of front straps, the snowshoe 10 can also be used with conventional hiking shoes not comprising a front transverse rod. The transition from one fastening system to another is very easy and

cheaper.

  Of course, the hook 32 could be made in a non-removable manner and be

  example obtained from molding with plate 14.

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  As indicated previously, the invention could be used for other sports machines than rackets, in particular, roller skates, ice skates, snowboards.

  snow or short skis that do not need trigger bindings.

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Claims (15)

  1. Attachment system for a shoe on a bearing surface of a sports machine, of the type in which the attachment system comprises a rear attachment (18), characterized in that the attachment system is provided with a front attachment formed by a hook (32) which is integral with the sports machine (10) and which delimits a notch (46) open longitudinally rearward and transversely on either side to receive a transverse rod front (50) of the shoe (48), and in that the rear binding (18) immobilizes the shoe (48) longitudinally in a position such that the transverse rod (50) of the shoe is   held inside the notch (46).   1 0 2. Fastening system according to claim 1, characterized in that the shoe (48) is blocked vertically when its front transverse rod (50) is held inside the notch (46).   3. Fastening system according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that, the   rear binding 18 comprises a rear stop (20) and a tightening device (22, 24) which clamps the boot on the one hand downwards against a rear bearing surface (14) of the sports apparatus   and on the other hand, longitudinally backwards against the rear stop (20).   4. Fastening system according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, when   the transverse rod (50) of the shoe (48) is pushed longitudinally towards the bottom of the notch (46), the shoe (48) is pressed down against a front bearing surface (14) of the sports machine (10).   5. Fastening system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized   in that the hook (32) includes guide means (44) which cooperate with the   shoe (48, 58) to block it transversely.   6. Fastening system according to claim 5, characterized in that the transverse rod 2 5 (50) of the shoe (48) extends between two opposite vertical longitudinal walls (58), in that the hook (32) has a transverse width substantially equal to the transverse spacing of the two walls (58), and in that, when the transverse rod (50) is received in the front notch (46), the hook (32) cooperates with the two walls opposite (58) of the   shoe (48) to block it transversely.   30 7. Fastening system according to claim 6, characterized in that the hook (32) is   received transversely between the two opposite walls (58) of the shoe (48).   8. Fastening system according to claim 7, characterized in that the hook (32) is chamfered (45) to facilitate its longitudinal engagement between the two opposite walls (58) of the shoe (48).   3 5 9. Fastening system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized   in that the hook (32) has a front wall (40) which is mounted at the front end of the front bearing surface (14) of the sports machine (10), and two teeth (44) which extend longitudinally rearward from the front wall (40), the notch (46) being delimited 8 2820333   vertically between the bearing surface (14) of the sports machine (10) and the teeth (44) of the hook   (32), and the bottom of the notch (46) being formed by the front wall (40) of the hook (32).   10. Fastening system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized   in that the hook (32) is removably mounted on the sports machine (10), and in that the sport machine (10) comprises means for allowing the mounting of a universal front fixing device (16) comprising a front stop (26) and a clamping device (28) capable of clamping a shoe (48) down against a front bearing surface (14) of the sports machine.   11. Fastening system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized   in that the hook (32) has a base (34) which extends below the front bearing surface (14) of the sports machine (10) and which is mounted clamped between the bearing surface front (14) of the sports machine and a stud (38) which is fixed under the front bearing surface (14).   12. Fastening system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized   in that the bearing surfaces of the sports machine (10) are formed on a plate (14) which is articulated about a general axis substantially transverse relative to a bearing frame (12) of the machine sports, and in that the front (30) and rear (18) fixing devices are   mounted on the articulated plate (14).   13. Fastening system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized   2 0 in that the sports device is a racket (10).   14. Sports machine, characterized in that it comprises a fixing system in accordance with   any of the preceding claims.   15. Snowshoe, characterized in that it includes a conforming attachment system   to any one of claims 1 to 13.