EP1050325A1 - Device for holding a boot on a snowboard - Google Patents

Abstract

The snowboard binding clasp is formed from a base, a boot retainer, as hoop (4) that is integral with the base and an oversl (19) that is articulated to the base. A stop formed on the oversleeve limits rotation of the oversleeve relative to the base in anti-rearward direction. The stop has teeth (44). A base (29) held on to the oversleeve by a rivet (32) has teeth (31) which mes with the stop teeth in order to wedge the stop on the oversleeve.

Description

The invention relates to the field of shoe retention devices on a sliding board, and particularly relates to a device intended for retain a flexible shoe.

Generally such a device is itself retained by the board, and includes means for releasably retaining the shoe.

In known manner, these means may include a mechanism for locking associated with a base of the device and hooking means associated with the shoe, the locking mechanism cooperating with the means hooking to retain the shoe.

The retaining means may also include one or more links removable, the links holding the shoe on a base of the device or directly on the board.

In all cases, the flexibility of the shoe, in particular at the level of the upper, allows a user to flex or tilt their legs while driving the board. However, it is often necessary for the user to be able to take support with the back of the lower leg. This is why the retainer is generally provided with a cuff which opposes an inclination of the lower leg rearward.

In the case of snowboarding, or snowboarding, support with the back of the bottom leg allows the user to make a turn in which he has his back to the slope. In indeed, the practice of snowboarding is done with both feet oriented substantially in a transverse direction of the board.

In the case of skiing, especially if the length of the ski is reduced compared to the size of the user, pressing with the back of the lower leg allows the user to manage your balance.

The cuff of a device is generally articulated along an axis of articulation oriented in a transverse direction of the device. So the cuff can occupy two positions, a storage position in which it is brought closer to the base or the board, and a driving position in which it opposes a backward tilt of the lower leg.

The driving position is adjusted by means of a stop whose position is adjustable relative to the cuff. To do this, the stop has teeth, and the cuff also has teeth. Reversible clamping means. secures the stopper to the cuff so that the toothing of the stopper is engaged with the toothing of the cuff. Of course, the driving position is adjusted depending on the position of the stop on the cuff. A fine adjustment can be performed if the pitch of the teeth is reduced. This means that the distance which separates each tooth from a weak toothing, and that each tooth has a weak height.

The quest for higher and higher driving performance leads to each user to increase the intensity of the efforts he exerts on the cuff during rear supports.

In snowboarding this phenomenon appears in rear corners with a small radius curvature, for which the board must be tilted strongly.

In skiing, the phenomenon manifests itself especially when receiving jumps, where a rear support prevents a rear fall.

It was therefore necessary to change the structure of the cuffs, to hold account for the forces exerted on them when a lower leg presses backwards.

For this, it has been proposed for example to produce a cuff which has a non-homogeneous structure composed of fibers trapped in a material synthetic. This cuff has very good resistance to bending, thus than a reduced mass. However, it appeared that during the conduct of the board, the stopper does not stay in the desired position. When the user presses towards the back with the lower leg, the stop moves relative to the cuff and the cuff pivots to a limit position different from the position selected by the adjustment of the stop.

This phenomenon is due to a sliding of the toothing of the stop relative to the cuff teeth. Slippage occurs because the fibers contained in the cuff prevent the obtaining of sharp edges to achieve the teeth of the cuff teeth.

It has also been proposed to produce a cuff which has a structure homogeneous composed of a plastic material. For example, the constituent material of the cuff can be chosen because it has good resistance to fatigue. Thus it retains its initial shape over time despite the frequency and intensity efforts exerted by the user.

However, it also appeared that while driving the board, the stopper does not stay in the desired position.

This phenomenon is sometimes due to a deformation of the teeth of the teeth, or sometimes a tooth rupture.

The subject of the invention is in particular a restraint device which comprises a cuff, as well as an adjustable stop whose position relative to the cuff is stable.

According to the invention, a device for retaining a shoe on a board slides includes a base which has a front end and an end rear and which is intended to receive the sole of the shoe, the device extending in a longitudinal direction which passes through the front end and through the rear end of the base, the device further comprising a retaining means shoe on the base, a hoop secured to the base so as to surround the heel of the shoe, and a cuff articulated relative to the base according to a articulation axis oriented in a substantially transverse direction of the device, the cuff being designed to receive a rear part of the upper of the shoe, a stop being secured to the cuff, by a reversible tightening means, for limit rotation of the cuff relative to the base in an anteroposterior direction along the axis of articulation, the stop having teeth.

The device according to the invention is characterized in that a base is attached on the cuff, the base having a toothing which cooperates with the toothing of the stop for setting the stop on the cuff.

The material used to make the base allows obtaining a toothing which offers sufficient mechanical strength and whose teeth have sharp edges. As the edges of the toothing of the stopper are also sharp, the base and the stop keep a fixed position relative to each other when the clamping means acts. It follows that the stop remains in its adjustment position relative to the cuff. The advantage is that the cuff remains in the selected position when the user presses back with the lower leg.

• la figure 1 est une vue en perspective arrière d'un dispositif de retenue selon l'invention,
• la figure 2 est une coupe partielle du dispositif selon II-II de la figure 1,
• la figure 3 est une coupe partielle selon III-III de la figure 2,
• la figure 4 est une coupe partielle selon IV-IV de la figure 2.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will be better understood with the aid of the description which follows, with reference to the appended drawing illustrating, by a nonlimiting example, how the invention can be implemented, and in which:

• FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of a retaining device according to the invention,
• FIG. 2 is a partial section of the device according to II-II of FIG. 1,
• FIG. 3 is a partial section along III-III of FIG. 2,
• FIG. 4 is a partial section on IV-IV of FIG. 2.

An embodiment of the invention is described below using FIGS. 1 to 4, for an application in the snowboard field.

In a known manner as shown in FIG. 1, a retaining device 1 is secured to a board 2 to retain a shoe not shown on the plate 2. The device 1 is represented in a form which associates a base 3 with an arch 4 and links 5, 6. The base 3 has an upper face 7 provided to receive the sole of the shoe, and extends in a longitudinal direction L1 between a front end 8 and a rear end 9.

The arch 4 connects lateral edges 10, 11 of the device 1 projecting relative to the upper face 7. The arch 4 goes around the heel of the shoe when this the latter is retained on the device 1. The links 5, 6 serve to maintain the shoe on device 1 removably.

The structure and operation of links are well known to those skilled in the art. The device 1 is retained on the board 2 by a means shown in the form a disc 12, itself retained on the board 2 for example by screws such as screw 13.

The disc 12 allows to press a lower face 14 of the base 3 on a upper face 15 of the board 2.

The device 1 is oriented substantially in a transverse direction from the board 2. This means that the front end 8 of the base 3 is located substantially at a side edge 16 of the board 2, and that the end rear 9 of the base 3 is located substantially at a lateral edge 17 of the board 2. Of course, the transverse direction of the board 2 extends from the edge 16 at edge 17.

Plate 2 also includes a bottom face or sliding face 18, opposite the upper face 15 with respect to the thickness of the board 2.

The device 1 also comprises a cuff 19 articulated with respect to the base 3 along a hinge axis 20 oriented in a direction substantially transverse of the device 1. The articulation of the cuff 19 is produced by example with two rivets. A rivet 21 located at the side edge 11, and a rivet not visible in Figure 1 located at the side edge 10.

The cuff 19 can pivot relative to the base 3 either in a postero-anterior direction, either in an anteroposterior direction.

The postero-anterior direction is a direction of approach of an extremity upper 22 of the cuff 19 towards the front end 8 of the base 3. When the ends 22 of cuff 19 and 8 of base 3 are close to each other, the device 1 is in a folded position which reduces bulk. This facilitates the transport or storage.

In contrast, the antero-posterior sense is a sense of relative remoteness of ends 22 of cuff 19 and 8 of base 3. When the user rotates the cuff 19 in the anteroposterior direction, it meets a limit defined by the position of a stop 23 on the cuff 19. It is this configuration which is shown in Figure 1. This is a position for using the device 1. In this case, when the shoe is retained on the device 1, the upper of the shoe is in support on a front face or support face 24 of the sleeve 19 at the back of the user's lower leg.

The location of your stop 23 on the cuff 19 is explained below.

As can be better understood using FIG. 2, the cuff 19 has a non-homogeneous structure.

This structure is produced in the form of a sheet of composite material comprising fibers trapped in a synthetic material such as plastic material. The sheet has a face which is the front face 24, as well as a rear face 25 opposite to the front face 24 with respect to the thickness of the sheet.

The synthetic material, which delimits the thickness of the sheet and therefore the thickness of the cuff 19 is preferably a hot-melt material. For example, it can be polypropylene, polycarbonate, polyethylene, polyurethane Or other. The fibers can be made with glass, carbon, polyamide, a metal, a metal alloy, a combination of these materials, or the like. Fibers are trapped in the synthetic material near the front faces 24 and rear 25. A layer 26 of a fabric of fibers is located near the front face 24, and another layer 27 of a fiber fabric is located near the face rear 25.

Each of the layers 26, 27 follows the shape of the face near which she is.

As can be better understood using the enlargement in Figure 1, each layer 26, 27 comprises fibers oriented in a longitudinal direction L2 of the cuff 19 which passes through the upper end 22 and a lower end 28 of the cuff 19. Each layer 26, 27 also comprises fibers oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction longitudinal L2. This arrangement of the fibers gives the cuff 19 good resistance to flexion when stressed in the antero-posterior direction.

The cuff 19 can be produced as follows. First a thickness of synthetic material is obtained for example by calendering. Then the layers fibers are placed on each side of the thickness in contact with the material. The stack of fibers and of the material is then subjected to an elevation of temperature and pressure in a mold or by calendering. The softening of the material allows penetration of the fibers which remain in the material after cooling.

Of course, the cuff 19 could be made with another structure not homogeneous. There are many other methods of using fibers secured by resin, these methods being known to those skilled in the art.

According to the invention, as can be understood with the aid of FIGS. 2 to 4, a base 29 is attached to the cuff 19 on the side of the rear face 25. The base 29 has a bearing face 30 intended to remain in contact with the rear face 25 of the cuff 19, as well as a toothing 31 opposite the face 30 relative to the thickness of the base 29. As can be understood with the aid of FIGS. 2 and 3, the holding the base 29 on the cuff 19 is done using a rivet 32. A notch 33 of the cuff 19 allows the reception of a shoulder 34 of the rivet 32 on the side of the front face 24. A flange 35 of the rivet 32, obtained by deformation after positioning of the base 29 and the rivet 32, retains the base 29 on the cuff 19. A body 36 of the rivet 32, located between the shoulder 34 and the flange 35, passes through holes 37 of the cuff 19, and 38 of the base 29. The body 36 and the holes 37, 38 respectively have a circular shape and have a common axis 39.

Of course, other means than a rivet can be used to hold the base 29 on the cuff 19. For example, we could use screws, proceed to bonding, use a nesting or snapping device, or other.

As can be understood from FIGS. 2 and 4, the base 29 has protrusions 40, 41 housed in cavities 42, 43 of the cuff 19. The protrusions 40, 41 are used to define the orientation of the base 29 relative to the cuff 19. They serve as a key when mounting the base 29 on the cuff 19.

As can be understood from FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the stop 23 has a toothing 44 provided for fitting into the toothing 31 of the base 29. Preferably, each of the teeth 44, 31 has a series of teeth of triangular shape. Each tooth is projecting either relative to a face of the stop, or relative to one side of the base. The projecting part of a tooth is a dihedral with a first half-plane is substantially perpendicular to the face from which it comes, and the second of which half-plane forms with the first an acute angle whose value can be for example between 25 and 65 degrees. Of course, each of the teeth 44, 31 could have square, trapezoidal, or other teeth. Clamping means reversible, represented in the form of a screw 45 associated with a washer 46, allows tighten the stop 23 on the base 29 so that their respective teeth are in take. The screw 45 passes through a slot 47 of the stop 23 and cooperates with an orifice threaded 48 produced along the axis 39 in the rivet body 36.

When the screw 45 is tightened, the stop 23 is in a fixed position relative to the cuff 19. When the screw 45 is loosened, the position of the stop 23 can be modified by modification of the relative position of the teeth 31, 44.

While driving board 2, a rear support socket by the user brings a bearing face 49 of the stop 23 in contact with a stop face 50 of the arch 4, because the cuff 19 is biased in the anteroposterior direction.

Whatever the intensity of the effort applied by the user, the teeth of teeth 31 and 34 of the base 29 and the stop 23 remain in engagement. It comes from the fact that their geometry is precise, because the material which constitutes them presents a homogeneous structure. For example, the stop 23 and the base 29 can each be made with a synthetic material such as a plastic based. polyethylene, polycarbonate, polypropylene, or the like. Stop 23 and base 29 could also be made of metal or with a metal alloy.

The advantage is that the cuff 19 remains in the position selected by user while driving.

Of course, the invention is no longer limited to the embodiment thus described, and includes all technical equivalents that may fall within the scope of claims which will follow.

In particular, other means could be provided for securing the base 29 to the cuff 19. For example, a bonding could be suitable, or else a thermo-welding in case the synthetic material of the cuff is the same as that of the base.

Again, for example, it would be possible to make a cuff whose structure is homogeneous, the material constituting it being a plastic. This subject may have a certain flexibility to absorb the efforts of the user. Through against the base, it has sufficient rigidity so that the teeth of the base and of the stop remain nested while driving the board.

Claims (7)

Device for retaining (1) a shoe on a sliding board (2), the device (1) comprising a base (3) which has a front end (8) and a rear end (9) which is designed to receive the sole of the shoe, the device (1) extending in a longitudinal direction (L1) which passes through the front end (8) and by the rear end (9) of the base (3), the device (1) further comprising a means of retaining the boot on the base (3), a hoop (4) secured to the base (3) so as to surround the heel of the shoe, and a cuff (19) articulated relative to the base (3) along an axis of articulation (20) oriented in a substantially transverse direction of the device (1), the sleeve (19) being designed to receive a rear part of the rod of the shoe, a stop (23) being secured to the cuff (19), by means of reversible tightening, to limit rotation of the cuff (19) relative to the base (3) in an anteroposterior direction along the axis of articulation (20), the stop (23) having a toothing (44), characterized in that a base (29) is secured to the cuff (19), the base (29) having a toothing (31) which cooperates with the toothing (44) of the stop (23) to wedge the stop (23) on the cuff (19), the base (29) being produced with a material different from the material constituting the cuff (19). Retaining device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the base (29) and the toothing (31) form a single piece made with a material which has a homogeneous structure. Retaining device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that that the base (29) and the toothing (31) are made with a plastic material. Retaining device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by fact that the base (29) is held on the cuff (19) using a rivet (32). Retaining device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by causes the base (29) to have a key to define the orientation of the base (29) relative to the cuff (19) when mounted on the cuff (19). Retaining device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by the fact that the cuff (19) has a non-homogeneous structure composed of fibers trapped in a plastic material. Restraint device (1) according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized by the fact that the cuff (19) has a thickness of material, plastic bounded by two faces (24, 25), a layer (26) of a fabric of fibers lying close to one face (24), another layer (27) of a fabric of fibers located near the other side (25).

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