EP0671190B1 - Snowshoe - Google Patents

Abstract

The snowshoe has a fastening system comprising a plate carrying front (9) and rear (10) fasteners. The rear fastener comprises a movable piece connected to the plate by a tensioning belt (13), which slides on the plate so that its tensioning and locking causes movement towards the front. The front fastener is formed in part by fixed elements (19,21,21a,21b,65,66) attached to the front end of the plate and in part by a movable cover (25). The cover pivots about an axis (X,X') on two lateral arms (19,20) fixed to the plate front end. The cover has two lateral pivoting arms (26,27) connected by a fastening wall (28), each having a passage hole (31) for receiving a front belt (33). The tensioning belt median part (135) is engaged around an anchoring part (47) fixed to the plate. The lateral portions (130a,130b) are engaged in a loop (44) on the rear movable piece.

Description

The present invention relates to a snowshoe and more particularly its shoe retainer.

Snowshoes have been known for a long time many years because used for several centuries by Scandinavian people to move on the snow. Until our days, snowshoes were used for utility or military purposes to allow the populations and the alpine troops to move on the snow for their daily necessities. Currently, snowshoes are used more by athletes who go on hikes and walks, or even competitions. But athletes, although practicing for their pleasure, are more and more demanding for the material they use, and it is true that the products currently sold are not entirely satisfactory.

In most cases, the retention of the shoe is not not sufficient which causes inconvenience during progression. Of addition, all shoe retainers are inconvenient to implement for the user who is often awkward in his manipulations.

Snowshoes with the characteristics of the first part of claim 1 are known from documents EP-A-0 156 741, DE-A-3 442 292 and US-A-4 836 571.

The present invention proposes to solve the drawbacks known devices by proposing a device which combines simplicity, convenience, security and reliability.

Thus, the snowshoe comprises a device for retaining the shoe of the type comprising a plate carrying retaining means front and rear retaining means and is, according to the invention, characterized in that said rear retaining means are arranged sliding on said plate and are connected to the plate by means of traction, so that the tension and locking of said means of rear restraint cause them to move forward.

According to additional characteristics, the means of front retainers are partly made up of fixed fixed elements from the front end of the plate and partly by at least one element movable, while the rear retaining means comprise a part movable rear sliding on the plate, said movable member being a cover pivoting about an axis on two lateral arms integral with the front end of the plate, said cover comprising two lateral arms pivot connected by a retaining wall and each comprising a through hole, respectively intended to receive a front belt.

Furthermore, the traction means are advantageously constituted by a rear strap or strap comprising a locking bolt closure whose middle part is engaged around an organ fixed to the plate and the lateral portions of which are engaged in a passer-by of the movable rear part, said means of traction ensuring the immobilization of the heel of the shoe on the piece movable rear.

According to a preferred arrangement, the movable rear part is constituted by a socket wall integral with a rear support sliding, said interlocking wall forming a rear cavity for receive the rear end of the shoe, while the front end of the plate comprises two parallel side walls extending towards the high and extended forward by two converging front walls.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge of the description which will follow with regard to the appended drawings which are not given only by way of nonlimiting examples.

Figures 1 and 2 illustrate an example of a snowshoe equipped of the retaining device according to the invention.

Figure 1 is a top view of the racket equipped with device but without the shoe or the straps.

Figure 2 is a side, with the shoe shown in lines mixed ends in its restrained position.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the retainer alone without the shoe.

Figures 4 to 11 show in different views the elements constituting the restraint other than the belts.

Figures 4 to 6 illustrate the plate alone.

Figure 4 is a side view with partial section on IV-IV.

Figure 5 is a top view.

Figure 6 is a rear view.

Figures 7 to 10 illustrate the rear retaining means of the shoe.

Figure 7 is a side view.

Figure 8 is a top view.

Figure 9 is a sectional view along IX-IX.

Figure 10 is a front view.

Figure 11 shows in a perspective view the cover of front restraint constituting one of the elements of the front retaining means.

Figures 12 and 13 illustrate by side views the operation of the device of the invention.

Figure 14 is a schematic perspective view showing how the traction and closing belt is made.

Figure 15 is a view similar to Figure 14 showing a variant.

The racket intended to be equipped with the device according to this invention can, of course, be of any type and, for example, as this is shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Thus, the racket designated by the general reference (1) is present as illustrated in the form of an openwork plate which comprises an outer frame (2) constituted by a peripheral wall delimiting an interior zone (3) forming the actual screen which includes a set of cross straps (4). Said frame has a generally elongated shape which can be slightly raised at the front to build a front spatula (5).

The user's shoe (6) is retained on the racket proper by a fixing constituting the retaining device according to the invention and bearing the general reference (7).

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the retaining device (7) consists mainly of a plate fixed to the racket so as to be articulated on the frame (2) around a transverse axis (XX ') to be able to pivot in a manner known per se upward as is represented by the arrow "F1".

The shoe retaining device (7) (6) therefore consists of by a plate (8) comprising retaining means for the shoe (6). Namely, front retaining means (9) and retaining means rear (10), said front retaining means being intended to retain the front end (11) of the shoe, while said means of rear retainer (10) are intended to retain the rear end (12). According to a characteristic of the invention, the rear retaining means (10) are arranged sliding on the plate (8) and are connected to the plate (8) by traction means (13) so that the locking of said rear retaining means (10) causes the movement towards the front according to F2 and against the rear of the shoe of said retaining means rear (10), said traction means constituting in part the means rear restraint.

Thus the actual plate (8) carrying the means of restraint is constituted by a horizontal wall (14) bordered laterally by two cylindrical guide profiles (15, 16). The front part of the plate comprising two cylindrical lateral projections (17, 18) of axis (XX ') and carrying the front retaining means (9).

Said front retaining means (9) consist in part of fixed elements integral with the front end of the plate and in part by a mobile element connected to the latter.

Thus the fixed elements integral with the plate are constituted by two parallel upwardly extending side walls (19, 20) forward by two converging front walls (21a, 21b). By elsewhere, the two side walls (19, 20) are connected at their ends respective lower to the plate while their upper end is connected by a curved front wall (65) which includes a tongue center (66) extending rearward and upward. The moving element is meanwhile constituted by a pivoting cover (25) pivotally retained on the two side walls (19, 20) around an axis (X1X'1). So said cover (25) comprises two lateral pivot arms (26, 27) connected transversely by a retaining wall (28). Each of the side arms pivot (26, 27) is articulated on the side wall (19, 20) corresponding around an axis, respectively (29, 30). Otherwise, each of said lateral arms comprises a through hole (31, 32) in which is intended to be engaged a retaining strap (33) comprises locking means such as a loop (330), said belt (33) passing under the plate (8) to form a loop.

The rear (10) or heel retention means are constituted by a rear part (67) movable sliding forward according to F2 and backwards according to F3 on the plate (8). Said movable rear part (67) is mainly formed by an interlocking wall (34) integral a sliding rear support (35). The socket wall (34) is substantially vertical and comprises a rear portion (36) in portion of cylinder extended laterally by two lateral retaining walls rear (37, 38) substantially parallel. In addition, the rear support sliding (35) comprises a horizontal support wall (39) for the shoe and two sliding housings (40, 41), each of these being intended to receive the corresponding cylindrical guide profile (15, 16).

Note that the retention of the heel of the shoe (6) in the cavity rear (42) formed by the support (35) and the socket wall (34) is provided by a rear belt (13) constituting the traction means and which is engaged in a pass (44) integral with the rear wall (36), said belt comprising a closing latch (45). In the position roadway, the rear belt (13) surrounds the kick (46) with the user. There is provided on the plate (8) a hooking member (47) to retain and serve as support for the traction means (13), that is to say to receive the traction strap (13). The attachment member (47) arranged on the plate (8) is formed, for example, by a branch central transverse (47) in which the middle part is engaged (135) of the traction strap (13), the two free portions (130a, 130b) are engaged in the passer-by (44) crossing each other and then making laterally projecting on either side of the foot body (46) of the user.

The two ends (131a, 131b) being secured on top said kick (46) through the locking mouth (45) as this is more particularly illustrated in Figure 13. The reconciliation of two ends (131a, 131b) cause the displacement towards the front according to F2 rear retaining means (10) by pulling the strap traction (13), the shoe being thus urged forward against the stop front, the heel being retained in the heel by the same strap. Note for this purpose that the traction strap (13) which is hung on the plate (8) by the retaining branch (47) is such that its two strands pass from each side of the shoe to meet above the kick and be retained with each other as described above.

Figures 12 and 13 illustrate the operation of the device.

Figure 12 shows the device in its open position. In this position, the rear retaining means (10) being in the position of recoil while the movable retaining cover (25) of the retaining means front (9) is pivoted up around the axis (X1X'1) according to F4 front belt (33) as well as the traction strap (13) being released. In the backward position of the rear retaining means (10) and opening the front cover (25) it is then possible to introduce the shoe (6) between said front retaining means (9) and said means rear retaining (10) until the bottom (60) of the shoe (6) either resting, on the one hand, on the surface (14) of the plate (8) and, on the other part, on the support wall (39).

It is then enough (see Figure 13) for the user to pull on the strands free (131a, 131b) of the traction belt (13) to cause the forward movement along F2 of the rear retaining means (10) and in particular the movable rear part (67), by pulling the means traction (13). The forward movement of the retaining means rear (10) requests the front end of the shoe to rest on all of the front walls of the plate (8). The user then only has to lock the strap (13) on the foot cutter (46) using the buckle lock (45) after surrounding his kick (46) in order to retain the heel of the shoe in the rear movable part, then tighten the front strap (33) which causes the front cover to close (25) on the shoe, and to lock it with the buckle (330), the shoe then being perfectly retained on the pivoting plate (8). The shoe is thus firmly retained.

Note that the position of the pivoting axis (X1, X'1) of the cover (25) can be adjustable and in particular adjustable in height relative to the surface (14) of the plate. It is thus possible to provide several holes (75, 75a, 75b) for the axes (29, 30) as shown in FIG. 12.

FIG. 15 illustrates an alternative embodiment according to which the traction strap (13) consists of two portions of straps independent (13a, 13b).

Claims (6)

1. Snowboot (1) comprising a device (7) for retaining the boot (6), of the type comprising a plate (8) carrying front retaining means (9) and rear retaining means (10), characterised in that the said rear retaining means (10) are disposed sliding on the said plate (8) and are connected to the plate (8) by traction means (13) so that the tension and locking of the said rear retaining means (10) cause the forward movement thereof.
2. Snowboot (1) according to Claim 1, characterised in that the front retaining means (9) consist partly of fixed elements (19, 21, 21a, 21b, 65, 66) secured to the front end of the plate (8) and partly by at least one movable element (25), whilst the rear retaining means (10) comprise a rear piece (67) movable by sliding on the plate (8).
3. Snowboot according to Claim 2, characterised in that the movable element is a cap (25) pivoting about an axis (X1, X'1) on two lateral arms (19, 20) secured to the front end of the plate (8), the said cap (25) comprising two lateral pivoting arms (26, 27) connected by a retaining wall (28) and each comprising a passage hole, respectively (31, 32) designed to receive a front belt (33).
4. Snowboot according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the traction means (13) consist of a rear strap or belt (13), comprising a closure bolt (45), the middle part (135) is engaged around an attachment member (47) secured to the plate (8) and the lateral portions (130a, 130b) of which are engaged in a keeper (44) on the movable rear piece (67), the said traction means (13) ensuring the immobilisation of the heel of the boot on the movable rear piece (10).
5. Snowboot according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the movable rear piece (67) consists of a nesting wall (34) secured to a sliding rear support (35), the said nesting wall forming a rear cavity (42) for receiving the rear end (12) of the boot.
6. Snowboot according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the front end of the plate (8) comprises two parallel lateral walls (19, 20) extending upwards and extended forwards by two convergent front walls (21a, 21b).

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