WO2002064223A1

WO2002064223A1 - Device for fixing a shoe on a sporting good

Info

Publication number: WO2002064223A1
Application number: PCT/FR2001/000392
Authority: WO
Inventors: François Girard
Original assignee: Salomon S.A.
Priority date: 2001-02-09
Filing date: 2001-02-09
Publication date: 2002-08-22

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (1) for fixing a shoe (2) on a sporting good (12, 13), the shoe (2) being of the type with a supple ankle part (3) and a flexible sole (4) which is fitted with a transverse anchoring pin (6) according to a shoe standard intended for sports practice and requiring the flexion of the sole (4). The front of the inventive device comprises a fastener (24) that co-operates with the anchoring pin (6) of the sole (4) and the rear of said device comprises means (16) for locking the heel (9) on a support base (19) and which can be adjusted by means of a guide (18) on which said means can slide freely. Said device (1) can be used to fix a shoe (2) of the standard in question on a sporting good (12, 13) in which the sole (4) must not bend and it enables instantaneous adjustment to shoe (2) size owing to the free sliding movement of the heel (9) locking means (16).

Description

Device for retaining a shoe on a sports machine

The invention relates to a device for retaining a shoe on a sports machine, and, in particular, a shoe with a flexible upper provided with a flexible sole comprising at the front a transverse hooking axis according to a standard. footwear intended for a specific sporting practice requiring flexion of the sole and of the boot, such as cross-country skiing and / or Nordic skiing.

It relates to a retaining device capable of fixing a shoe of such a standard, whether or not the sole has a longitudinal groove, on at least one other sports machine than the one for which it was originally intended, and including a retainer which prevents flexing of the upper and the sole of the shoe.

Devices of this type are known and are fitted to marketed products such as inline skates and inline skates. They implement locking means which cooperate with the transverse attachment axis of the sole and blocking means of the heel of the shoe. The latter are adjustable in position to adjust to different shoe sizes, and are provided with a connecting member which generally closes on the upper of the shoe, and sometimes on the rear edge of the sole of the shoe. The latter can thus be pressed at its rear end, at the level of its heel, on the sports machine, while its front end is retained at the level of the transverse hooking axis of its sole using the locking means.

More specifically, these known devices generally comprise a complete binding, at the front of the shoe, initially intended for a sporting practice where the heel of the shoe must be able to be raised by bending the sole such as a bottom binding of the type described for example in the patents FR 2 666 020, FR 2 739 788, FR 2 650 192 or DE 39 24 915. On the other hand, at the back of the shoe, these devices have a specific fixing to block the heel on the sports gear. By this combination of fastenings, the shoe with flexible upper and flexible sole is linked in a sufficiently firm manner by its ends to allow the driving of a sports machine normally requiring a shoe with rigid sole. This is for example the case of inline skates and inline skates, and also skis, snowboards, ... etc.

The retaining devices thus formed ensure good retention of the flexible shoe for a sporting practice involving the condemnation of the flexibility of its sole, but have the drawback of being complex and tedious handling.

In fact, a complete binding provided at the origin is used at the front for a sporting practice where the sole of the shoe must be free to flex while remaining linked to the sporting apparatus, and at the rear a specific binding blocking the heel. There are therefore two fasteners which imply carrying out two maneuvers which are completely independent of one another, but complementary to retain or release the two ends of the shoe of the sports machine. In addition, the specific fixing for blocking the heel must be adjusted in position according to the shoe size, which also requires maneuvering. extra every time you want to change the shoe size. This maneuver also proves to be very tedious because the known rear fasteners are provided with a mounting plate which is locked in position using fasteners such as bolts. It is therefore almost impossible to be able to adjust them without appropriate tools and to execute such an operation outside, in particular on the ground, when a change of user of the sports machine is desired.

Other devices are also known for retaining a shoe with a flexible upper and a flexible sole provided with a longitudinal groove on a sports machine, and at the front of a transverse fastening axis according to a shoe standard intended to a sporting practice requiring flexion of the sole. These other retaining devices, simpler than those described above, comprise, at the front, a hook-shaped retaining base open downwards intended to cooperate with the transverse axis of the sole, and at the rear, means for blocking the heel of the shoe adjustable in position with respect to the base. This way of fixing the shoe avoids having to use a complete fixation to retain the front of the shoe. Indeed, the transverse axis of the sole easily engages under the hook of the base when the shoe is approximately perpendicular to the latter and is automatically trapped in the hook of the base when the shoe is folded over the base, its maintenance in this position being ensured by the locking means of its heel. However, these retaining devices prove to be just as tedious to adjust according to the size of the shoe. Indeed, the heel blocking means are again provided with a mounting plate which locks in position with the aid of fasteners such as bolts.

Still, certain known retaining devices, as taught by Swedish patent n ° 33255, propose the mounting of a front attachment and heel blocking means on a relatively flexible support plate. These devices, designed to allow a slight deflection of the heel relative to the sports machine, also have the same drawback as the devices with a rigid support plate previously exposed. Indeed, the adjustment of the heel blocking means at the size of the shoe requires tedious manipulations because these are pieces of hardware that must be dismantled / reassembled after having chosen the location most adjusted to the size. It is noted in this connection that all the known heel blocking means mentioned in the above have the disadvantage of not being continuously adjustable. This usually results in an approximate adjustment to the shoe size.

Other retaining devices, as taught by patent application EP 956 886, propose to be able to accept shoes with flexible soles in a given standard and of all sizes thanks to a connection interface which itself presents attachment means adapted to a type of sports machine.

More specifically, the interface consists of a complete retaining attachment acting on four attachment points of the sole of a shoe standard considered. This fixation is controlled using a vertical arm comprising latching means which connect to an attached attachment piece and permanently fixed on the back of the upper of the shoe.

As is obvious, such a link interface has a complex structure and requires fitting the shoe with a specific attachment piece. This latter arrangement is moreover very limiting since few flexible walking shoes can be fitted with such a part on the back of their upper, especially if they have a low upper.

The invention aims to secure a flexible shoe of a given standard comprising a flexible sole, with or without a longitudinal groove, and a transverse hooking axis at the front on a sports machine requiring that the sole does not not flex, or that it forms a body over its entire length with a possibly flexible support plate which is attached to the sporting apparatus.

One aim is to retain and block the front and rear of the shoe of such a standard, whether it has a low or high upper, on the sports machine preferably by a single locking operation. The retention of the shoe is thus carried out in an easy and effective manner because the two ends are linked to the sports machine and / or to the support plate.

Another object is to provide a retaining device capable of accepting all sizes of the shoe of the standard considered by allowing instant manual adjustment requiring no tools but simply the displacement in translation, on a guide piece, of a member which ensures both the setting of the heel of the shoe and the locking of the latter on the retaining device.

Still, the object of the invention is to propose a simplified device, therefore of a reduced weight to the strict minimum and of a lower cost.

An additional advantage provided by the simplicity of the staicture of the retaining device is to allow its easy adaptation on a support plate which can serve as a standard connection interface between the shoe and several types of sports equipment.

To achieve these goals, the device for retaining a shoe on a sports machine, the shoe being of the flexible upper and flexible sole type provided at the front with a transverse fastening axis, according to a shoe standard intended to a sporting practice requiring the flexion of the sole, comprises at the front a fixing intended to cooperate with the transverse axis of the sole, and at the rear, means for blocking the heel of the shoe adjustable in position vis-à-vis fixing screw. The retaining device is characterized in that it has a support plate provided with a rectilinear guide oriented in the direction of the front binding and on which the heel blocking means slide freely between two extreme positions corresponding respectively to the smallest and to the largest shoe size that it is intended to mount and accept on the retainer.

The adjustment of the heel blocking means as a function of the size can thus be carried out precisely and instantly without the need for tools. In addition, the closure of the locking means on the heel of the shoe and / or on the upper of the latter, for example by means of a connecting member, such as a strap, ensures the locking of the boot at its two ends on the support plate because the transverse hooking axis is taken in the front binding.

Of course, the length of the guide in the support plate as well as its position relative to the retaining base is determined according to the number of sizes that the retaining device must accept.

The heel blocking means comprise a slide which cooperates with the guide of the support plate and this slide is provided with a connecting member which is intended to close on the upper of the shoe, for example by means of a loop with barb, of a self-gripping fabric, ... etc. The retention of the shoe can thus be carried out simply by closing this connecting member.

Advantageously, the locking means are provided with a transverse holding piece for the heel of the shoe on the support plate. Thus, by simply closing the connecting member on the upper of the shoe, it is retained in all directions.

In a first mode of construction, it is a part of the connecting member, formed for example by a strap, which constitutes the retaining piece while ensuring at least partial wrapping of the heel of the shoe.

To this end, the strap is made with an enlarged shape, possibly indented, and / or preformed in correspondence with the heel of the shoe. The strap can also be crossed on the heel between the slider and the upper of the shoe to ensure the transverse support of the latter.

In a second method of construction, the slider comprises a transverse support piece in the shape of a stirrup which at least partially fits the heel. The connecting member of the locking means can thus be fixed either on this holding piece or directly on the slide.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the front fixing comprises a retaining base with a hook shape open downwards in which engages the axis of attachment of the sole. The device thus designed makes it possible to retain and block the front and rear of the shoe on the support plate by a single locking operation. Indeed, the simple closing of the heel blocking means on the shoe, using their connecting member, makes the axis of attachment of the sole captive of the hook of the base since the latter is open on the side of the support plate. According to an improvement, the slider of the heel blocking means and the retaining base protrude from the support plate and each have an elongated outer shape adjusted to that of a longitudinal groove with which the sole of the shoe is provided. of a standard considered.

Thus, when the shoe is folded back onto the support plate, after its hooking axis is engaged in the hook of the base, the transverse blocking is obtained simultaneously with the locking of the rear and of the front of the shoe. of the latter relative to the support plate. In a particular construction, the connecting member of the blocking means of the heel of the shoe is a strap which is integral with a ratchet cursor which connects to a vertical tab fixed on the slide, this vertical tab being produced with a succession of notches with which the pawl cooperates.

Thanks to these provisions, it is possible to tighten the strap, closed beforehand on the upper of the shoe, by forcing the cursor to snap as low as possible on the vertical tab. Furthermore, if rapid or momentary release of the boot relative to the support plate is desired, it suffices to erase the pawl of the notches of the vertical tab to unlock the heel and thus the boot from the retaining device.

According to an improvement, the heel blocking means by means of the slider are subjected to the permanent action of an elastic element which recalls them in their position furthest from the front binding, ie in the position corresponding to the most large shoe size for which the device is intended. Conversely, the elastic element can be provided to ensure the return of the slider, therefore of the heel blocking means, in a position closest to the retaining base, or in the position corresponding to the smallest size for which the device is planned.

A preferred construction of this improvement provides for the elastic element to interact between the front binding and the slide of the heel blocking means of the shoe. More specifically, the elastic element constitutes a permanent connection between the front attachment and the slide on the support plate of the retaining device. The assembly thus formed can, moreover, be easily attached and mounted on a sports machine using known fastening elements such as screws, pins, etc.

Of course, the retaining device with its support plate can be incorporated into the structure of the sports machine. For example, the fixing plate may constitute one of the elements making up the structure of the latter.

The invention will moreover be better understood by referring to the description which follows with reference to the appended drawings illustrating, by way of example, some embodiments of the retaining device.

Figure 1 illustrates a first embodiment of the device with which cooperates a shoe with flexible upper and flexible sole provided with a longitudinal groove and a fastening axis according to a given standard known for the practice of cross-country skiing.

Figure 2 shows, schematically, the possible mounting of the retainer of Figure 1 on two different sports equipment, such as an inline skate and an ice skate, always using the same shoe.

FIG. 3 illustrates, seen in vertical and partial section, the means for blocking the heel of the shoe according to another construction method than that of FIGS. 1 and 2.

Figures 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 show another embodiment of the restraint, which is fully incorporated into the structure of a sports machine such as a racket with Figure 4 shows the racket seen from above.

Figure 5 illustrates the relative position of the racket and a shoe during assembly.

6 shows, seen in section along VI-VI of Figure 5, the slide of the heel blocking means of the shoe and its retention on the support plate of the device.

Figures 7 and 8 show the shoe of Figure 5 mounted on the racket respectively at rest and in the on position.

The retaining device 1 shown in FIG. 1 shows how a shoe 2 with a flexible upper 3 and a flexible sole 4, corresponding to a given standard for a sporting practice such as cross-country skiing, is attached to it.

In known manner, the shoe 2 of the standard considered comprises a flexible sole 4 which is provided, at the front 5, with a transverse hooking axis 6, and over its entire length, with a longitudinal groove 7 opening out to the rear 8 in the heel area 9 of the shoe 2.

The retaining device 1, intended to rigidly fix the shoe 2 at its two ends, ie at its heel 9 and at its end 11, is illustrated alone in FIG. 1 and, in FIG. 2, associated with two slides 12, 13, different, respectively an inline skate 12 and an ice skate 13. The retaining device 1 comprises a front attachment 24 consisting of a retaining base 14 with a hook shape 15 open downwards intended to receive the attachment pin 6 of the sole 4, and means 16 for blocking the heel 9 of the shoe 2.

These blocking means 16 of the heel 9 comprise a connecting member 20 intended to connect the upper 3 of the shoe 2 to the support plate 1, and a slide 17 which, cooperating with a guide 18 produced in the support plate 19, makes it possible to adjust them in position with respect to the retaining base 14. For this purpose, the guide 18 is rectilinear in the direction of the retaining base 14, and the slide 17 is mounted above with a functional clearance allowing its free movement in translation. These provisions make it possible to adjust the position of the heel blocking means 16 as a function of the shoe size instantly and without requiring any tools since they can slide freely on the support plate 19. Of course, the useful length of the guide 18 with which the slider 17 cooperates is determined as a function of the smallest and the largest of the sizes of the shoes which it is envisaged to mount on the retaining device. Advantageously, the slide 17 is provided with a finger 29 which, engaged in the guide 18, serves as an end-of-travel stop as much in the direction of its approach to the binding 24 as in the direction of its distance.

In order to ensure good transverse retention of the boot on the blocking means 16 of the heel 9, the slider 17 is dimensioned so as to be projecting from the support plate 19, and its external shape is adjusted to that of the groove longitudinal 7 with which the sole 4 is provided. The latter can thus fit onto the slide 17 when the shoe 2 is folded back on the support plate 19 after engagement of its attachment axis 6 in the hook 15 of the base 14. Of course, the base 14 is also advantageously provided projecting from the support plate 19 and with an elongated shape adjusted to that of the longitudinal groove 7 of the sole 4. The shoe 2 is therefore blocked transversely and vertically on the support plate 19 as soon as its attachment axis 6 is caught in the front binding 24 and that the locking means 16 of its heel 9 are closed on the rod 3.

In order to prevent the sliding of the slide 17 in the guide 18 of the support plate 19, an elastic element 21 is used to ensure its permanent return to one of its extreme positions with respect to the front fixing 24. More specifically, in this example of construction, the elastic element 21 is a tension spring which interacts between the binding 24 and the slide 17 of the heel blocking means 16 9 which it connects together. The extreme return position of the slide 17, and therefore the locking means 16, corresponds in this case to the closest position to the front binding 24, that is to say that of the smallest shoe size for which the device withholding is expected.

In another embodiment shown in Figure 3, the locking means 36 of the heel 39 of the shoe 32, seen in partial section, comprise a slide 37 on which the sole 34 of the shoe rests. This slider 37 is, as previously, slidably mounted in the guide 18 of the support plate 19 on which it is held captive using a plate 38 for example, and its return to position in the latter is also ensured by the with the aid of an elastic element 31. On the other hand, this elastic element 31 is constituted by a compression spring which interacts between the slide 37 and the support plate 19, therefore without direct connection with the front attachment 24.

Furthermore, the connecting member 20, constituted for example by a strap, is made integral with a ratchet cursor 40 which connects to a vertical tab 43 fixed to the slide 37. This vertical tab 43 is produced with a succession notches 44 with which the pawl 41 cooperates. It is thus possible to accentuate the retaining force of the connecting member 20, that is to say after its closure on the upper 33 of the shoe 2, simply by forcing the cursor 40 to snap as low as possible on the tab. vertical 43 as indicated by arrow 45.

The retaining device 1 being intended to allow the mounting of a shoe 2 with flexible upper 3 of a given standard on various sports machines different from that for which it is initially intended, the support plate 19 is provided with means of assembly 49, constituted for example by screws which pass through holes 48, capable of fixing it on the structure of an inline skate 12, on that of an ice skate 13, of a short ski, of an ice crampon, ... etc.

According to another embodiment of the retaining device 50, as illustrated in FIGS. 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, the support plate 59 is part of the basic structure of the sports machine, such as the snowshoe 60, of which it constitutes one of the components.

In this construction shown, the support plate 59 is in particular obtained directly with a front attachment 24 consisting of a retaining base 14 having a hook 15 open downwards as previously described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The elastic element 21 for returning the slider 57 is a tension spring hooked, on one side, under a hollow profile of the retaining base 14, and on the other side to the slider 57. The latter is thus always recalled in a stop position in the guide 18 corresponding to the smallest shoe size allowed by the retaining device 50. Of course, the elastic element 21 can also in another configuration, be implemented to recall the slider 57 in a stop position furthest from the front attachment 24.

As in the example in FIG. 3, the slider 57 projects from the support plate 59 but simply has a flat bearing surface for the sole 64 of the shoe 62 with flexible upper 63. In this case, the blocking means 56 are advantageously provided, in addition to the connecting member 20, with a transverse holding piece 70 forming a stirrup for the heel 69 of the shoe 62. The latter, corresponding to a given standard of shoes where the longitudinal groove 67 of sole 64 extends only under the forefoot, only the retaining base 14 is then produced with an elongated outer shape adjusted to that of groove 67.

The retaining device 50 thus constructed ensures, as before, the locking of the boot 62 at its two ends 69 and 71, respectively the heel 69 and the toe 71.

It is obvious that the retaining device 50 can also be provided with a retaining base whose hook 15 open downwards is located in front of the toe 71 of the shoe 62, in particular for cooperating with a fastening axis 6 of the sole 64 which would come out in front thereof according to another standard for cross-country ski boots.

Again, the retaining base 14 of the binding 24 is simply a very simplified example of construction of the retaining device 1, 50, but can be replaced by a traditional complete binding intended to retain the tip of a cross-country ski boot. .

Claims

1- Device for retaining (1, 50) a shoe (2, 32, 62) on a sports machine

(12, 13, 60), the shoe (2, 32, 52) being of the type with flexible upper (3, 33, 63) and flexible sole (4, 34, 64) provided with a transverse hooking axis ( 6), comprising, at the front, a fixing (24) intended to cooperate with the attachment axis (6) of the sole (4, 34, 64), and at the rear, locking means ( 16, 36, 56) of the heel (9, 39, 69) of the shoe (2, 32, 62) adjustable in position with respect to the front binding (24), characterized in that it has a support plate (19, 59) provided with a straight guide (18) and oriented towards the front binding (24) and on which the blocking means (16, 36, 56) of the heel (9, 39, 69) slide freely between two extreme positions corresponding respectively to the smallest size and the largest shoe size that it is envisaged to mount on the retaining device (1, 50).

2- retaining device according to claim 1, characterized in that the heel locking means (6, 36, 56) comprise, on the one hand a slide (17, 37, 57) which slides in the guide (18) of the support plate (19, 59), and on the other hand, a connecting member (20) which, mounted on the slide (17, 37, 57), closes on the rod (3, 33, 63) of the shoe

(2, 32, 62).

3- retainer according to claim 2, characterized in that the connecting member (20) mounted on the slide (17, 37, 57) is a strap (20) which is buckled on the rod

(3, 33, 63) of the shoe (2, 32, 62).

4- retaining device according to claim 3, characterized in that the strap (20) is integral with a slider (40) ratchet (41) which connects on a vertical tab (43) fixed on the slide (37) , this vertical tab (43) being produced with a succession of notches (44) with which the pawl (41) cooperates.

5- retaining device according to one of claims 2 or 3, characterized in that the slide (17, 37, 57) carries a holding part (70) in the form of a stirrup which fits the heel (69) of the shoe (62).

6- retainer according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the slide (17) is partially projecting from the support plate (19) and in that its external shape is adjusted to that of a longitudinal groove (7) which is provided with the sole (4) of the shoe (2).

7- retaining device according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that the front attachment (24) of the device (1, 50) comprises, located on the support plate (19, 59), a retaining base (14) in the form of a hook (15) open downwards in which engages the attachment pin (6) of the sole (4, 34, 64) of the shoe (2, 32, 52).

8- retaining device according to claim 7, characterized in that the retaining base (14) protrudes from the support plate (19, 59) and in that it has an elongated outer shape adjusted to that of a longitudinal groove (7, 67) with which the sole is provided

(4, 34, 64) of the shoe (2, 32, 52). 9- Restraint device according to any one of claims 2 to 8, characterized in that the locking means (16, 36, 56) of the heel (9, 39, 69), by means of the slide (17) , are subjected to the permanent action of an elastic element (21, 31) which recalls them in a position remote from the front binding (24) corresponding to the largest shoe size (2, 62) for which the device retainer (1, 50) is provided.

10- Restraint device according to any one of claims 2 to 8, characterized in that the locking means (16, 36, 56) of the heel (9, 39, 69), by means of the slide (17) , are subjected to the permanent action of an elastic element (21) which recalls them in a position close to the front binding (24) at the smallest shoe size (2, 32, 52) for which the retaining device (1, 50) is provided.

11- Restraint device according to one of claims 9 or 11, characterized in that the elastic element (21) interacts between the front fixing (24) and the slide (17) of the locking means (16, 56) of the heel (9, 69) which it links together.

12- retainer according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the support plate (19) of the retainer (1) comprises assembly means (49) for mounting on a sports machine (12, 13, 60).

13- Retaining device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the support plate (19, 59) of the retaining device (1, 50) constitutes one of the components of the very structure of the sport (12, 13, 60).