EP0766930B1 - Kit containing a pair of shoes for gliding, especially ski-boots, and a pair of attaching elements for attaching these shoes - Google Patents

Abstract

The system consists of front and rear retaining members (60) which are fitted to the upper surface of each ski and designed to clamp the boot automatically in place when it is pressed down on the ski. At least one of the boots has an offset recess (75) in its toe or heel to engage with a matching catch (71) in the binding mechanism to ensure that the boot is fastened to the correct ski. The two boots and binding mechanisms can have matching recesses and catches which are offset on opposite sides of their centre lines. Both recesses and catches have the same shape and dimensions. Alternatively, the boots can have projections and the catches have recesses.

Description

Set formed by a pair of ski boots, in particular ski boots, and pair of retaining elements provided for retaining these shoes.

The invention relates to an assembly formed by a pair of sliding shoes, in particular ski boots, and a pair of retainers provided for releasably retaining each of the shoes pressing against a gliding board, in particular a pair of skis. The invention also relates to an assembly formed by the preceding assembly and the pair of sliding boards.

It is known that for alpine skiing, a pair of ski boots is used which are respectively releasably retained by a front retainer and a member rear restraint. Currently, the shoes have front toe caps and rear with symmetrical grip areas, i.e. these grip areas are identical, except for manufacturing tolerances, so that each shoe can be indifferently engaged in the retaining element of one or the other ski. Much more, the shoe tips are standardized, so that the shoes are compatible with different retaining elements available on the market.

Skiers who wish have the possibility of personifying the skis of a pair in identifying, for example by a brand or a sticker, a right ski and a left ski, of so that they ski in the same direction every time. However, apart from this marking, there is no material obstacle to putting the skis on in the reverse position.

However in certain circumstances, one can be brought to personify a straight ski and a ski left for a reason related to the function of the shoes or the restraints. Through for example, in this regard, the patent applications published under the numbers 1 503 847, 1 503 848 and 1 503 849, teach that the two front retaining elements of a pair can be provided to release the shoe more easily in one direction than in the other, taking into account the fact that a knee is more fragile in torsion in one direction of rotation than in the other.

It is understood that with such retaining elements, an inversion of the skis can have serious consequences. Indeed, the inversion of the retaining elements results in an opposite effect of the desired one, that is to say that the retaining element more difficultly releases the shoe in the sense that the knee is more fragile in torsion.

The object of the invention is to improve the conditions of use of such retaining elements so as to avoid the possibility of such a reversal.

The set formed by a pair of right and left ski boots and a pair front and rear retaining elements designed to be associated respectively with one and the other of the right and left shoes to releasably hold them in abutment against the ski, each shoe having a sole with a front grip toe and a toe rear socket, each retaining element comprising a base provided for assembly in solidarity with the board, a support plate against which the shoe sole rests, a jaw provided for retaining respectively the front end piece or the rear end piece of a shoe, the jaw of the rear retaining elements being movable between two positions stable, an open position where it is ready to engage the shoe and a position closed where it retains the rear end of the shoe is characterized in that at least one of the shoes in the pair of shoes locally has a keying element in hollow or in relief which differentiates said shoe from the other shoe, and that at least one retaining elements of each pair of retaining elements has a coding in relief or in hollow position, shape and dimensions provided to cooperate with the keying element of the shoe, which differentiates the retaining element from the other pair retaining element, the keying member of the shoe being provided for cooperate with the polarizing element of the retaining element so that at least one shoes is prevented from entraining in the stable closed position the jaw of the element back restraint not associated with it.

The invention will be better understood by referring to the description below and to the drawings in annex which form an integral part thereof.

Figures 1 and 2 show in top view and side view of the retaining elements traditional mounted on a ski.

Figures 3 and 4 show a top view shoe cut above the sole and in side view a traditional shoe.

Figure 5 shows views of the rear two shoes according to a first mode of implementation work of the invention.

Figure 6 shows a top view of two rear retaining elements intended to cooperate with the shoes of figure 5.

Figure 7 shows in perspective a part of the rear of a shoe according to another mode of implementing the invention.

Figure 8 shows a front view of a jaw intended to cooperate with the sole of the figure 7.

FIG. 9 illustrates the mode of cooperation of the means of FIGS. 7 and 8.

Figure 10 shows schematically an alternative embodiment.

FIG. 11 illustrates another embodiment of the invention.

Figure 12 is a top view of a rear retainer according to another embodiment implementation of the invention.

Figure 13 is a top view in section of the rear of a sole intended to cooperate with the element in figure 12.

Figure 14 is a top view of a rear retainer according to another embodiment implementation of the invention.

Figure 15 is a bottom view of the rear of a sole provided to cooperate with the element of figure 14.

Figure 16 shows a top view of the jaw of a rear retainer and the rear end of a shoe according to another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 17 is a side view of the elements shown in FIG. 16.

FIG. 18 illustrates the operation of this embodiment of the invention, and shows fitting the retainer with an appropriate shoe.

Figure 19 shows conversely the fitting of the retaining element with a shoe not appropriate.

FIG. 20 illustrates another embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 shows traditional front and rear retainers 2 and 3 mounted on a ski 4. In known manner, the front binding element has a base 5 designed to be secured to the ski, extended towards the rear by a support plate 6 designed to receive the shoe. The element also has a shoe retaining jaw 7 which, in this case, forms a block with the body of the retainer. The jaw has known means of retaining the front end of the shoe in a vertical upward direction, and in a transverse direction. Jaw and body are laterally movable against restoring force a spring housed in the body. This construction method is well known and will not be described in detail.

The rear retaining element has a base or slide 8 intended to be secured to the ski. A body 9 is mounted sliding along the slide 9. The body carries a jaw 10 movable around a transverse axis 11. The jaw has two stable positions, an open position where it is ready for engagement of the shoe, and a closed position where it retains the rear end of the shoe resting against the ski. Figure 2 shows the jaw in the open position. Of preferably, the jaw has in its lower part a boot tab 13 which is provided to cooperate with the lower edge of the shoe sole during engagement, so as to cause the jaw to drive in the closed position.

The slide 8 is extended forward by a support plate 14 provided to receive the end rear of the shoe sole. Figure 2 further shows a brake 15 with brake arms 16 and an actuating pedal 17. All of these elements are known.

The jaws of the front and rear elements are symmetrical with respect to a vertical plane and longitudinal median of which the trace 12 is represented in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 schematically represents a shoe seen from above, in section, just above the level of the sole. In known manner, the sole has on the front a front end piece 18, and on the rear a rear end piece 19. These end pieces have a standardized shape and dimensions. In addition, they have useful surfaces by which they stress their respective retaining member, in in particular the upper edge 20 of the front end piece, the outline 21 of the end piece, and the outline 22 of the rod in its zone located above the end piece, the upper edge 24 of the rear end piece, and the outline 23. The rear end piece also has a lower edge 25 designed to cooperate with the pedal. boot.

The end pieces 18 and 19 are symmetrical with respect to a vertical and longitudinal median plane, the trace 26 is visible in figure 3.

Figures 5 and 6 illustrate a first embodiment of the invention. According to these figures, the shoe tabs are laterally offset in a different direction. In addition, they are offset beyond the median vertical plane. The retaining elements are thus differentiated from one another. The shoes have recesses at their respective rear toe similarly offset, but inverted, so as to differentiate one from the other the soles of shoe.

Thus, Figure 5 shows views of the rear two right and left shoes, 27, 28, the soles each have a recess 27a, 28b. The two recesses are offset from the longitudinal plane of symmetry of the tips, and they are located beyond this plane.

Figure 6 shows a top view of two rear retaining elements 31 and 32 with jaws 33a. 34b, whose fitting tabs 33 and 34 are also offset from each side of the median planes of symmetry. The recesses 27a and 28b are provided wider than the tabs 33a and 34b. In addition, the position and height of the recesses are provided so that if the shoe 27, for example, is engaged in the retaining element 32, the boot tab 34b enters the recess 28b without causing the drive of the jaw. This training is not possible only if the shoe 27 is present in the element 31. In this case, the boot tongue 33a is driven by the lower edge of the sole. The tabs and the recesses are offset at the beyond the planes of symmetry so as to avoid interference, i.e. to avoid that in the event of bad association between a ski and a shoe, the shoe sole can still train the shoe tab.

This mode of implementation is advantageous because it does not affect the upper edge of the sole, and it does not affect the outline of the rear toe much, so the conditions under which the shoe is retained in the retainer are not changed significantly. In addition, shoes can be used with traditional restraints.

Naturally for this mode of implementation, the direction of offset of the recesses and tabs for the right and left shoes were chosen arbitrarily to facilitate the description of this mode of implementation. This meaning is not limiting.

Figures 7 to 9 relate to another embodiment of the invention. According to this mode, the upper edge of the rear end piece 35 of the sole has a recess 35a offset laterally by relation to the median plane of symmetry in a determined direction. The other shoe is not shown, it would have a similar recess offset in the opposite direction, so as to differentiate the soles one from the other. The jaw 36 of the rear retaining element intended to cooperate with the shoe of Figure 7 is shown in front view in Figure 8. It has in its upper part a tooth 36a located in a position adapted to engage in the recess 35a of the sole. In such a situation, the tooth and the recess do not oppose the closing of the jaw during the engagement of the shoe. On the other hand, if the position of the tooth is not adapted to the position of the recess, the tooth abuts against the upper edge or the contour of the sole, which prevents the closure of the jaw. This situation is illustrated in FIG. 9. Preferably, the tooth 36a has dimensions significantly smaller than those of the recess, and a shape suitable for not not hinder the lateral release of the shoe. The tooth may however be active upon release vertical of the shoe, that is to say transmit the vertical stresses to the jaw.

Also preferably, as can be seen in FIG. 9, the tooth 36b has a depth greater than the depth of the jaw. It may be that if the recoil thrust is incorrectly adjusted, especially too weak, the jaw training occurs in the case of poor combination of a shoe and a retaining element. In this case, in fact, the body of the element retreats sharply, but the thrust of the springs is not sufficient to oppose this decline. The jaw closure may occur under these conditions. But, because of the great depth of the tooth, the jaw is not able to cover the upper edge of the sole, which will have therefore tendency to be released following a weak vertical stress.

Advantageously, the shoes produced according to this embodiment can be used with traditional restraints. However, traditional shoes are not usable with the restraint elements described.

FIG. 10 represents a reverse arrangement of the elements, it is the sole of the shoe which has in the upper part of its rear end piece 39 a tooth 40 offset from the plane of median symmetry The jaw 41, shown schematically in this figure, has a recess 42 located in a position suitable for the tooth 40 to be able to engage therein, and dimensions larger than those of the tooth so as not to hinder the lateral release of the shoe.

FIG. 11 represents another variant according to which the lower edge of the sole which is provided to cooperate with the shoe tongue of the jaw has an oblique notch 43 whose bearing surface of the tip on the boot tongue is oblique. The jaw provided for cooperate with this shoe has an oblique boot tongue 44 of the same value inclination than the notch 43. The engagement of a shoe in the jaw will only be possible if the inclination of the notch is in the same direction as the inclination of the boot tongue. If the inclinations have an opposite direction, the tongue will keep the sole in a higher position than its position intended for correct fitting, and the upper edge of the jaw will not be able to cover the upper edge of the sole. According to this variant, the notches and the footwear tabs are found in the middle areas of the soles and jaws, respectively.

Figures 12 and 13 illustrate an alternative embodiment. According to this variant, the support plate 45 of the rear retaining element laterally has a stud 46, and the shoe sole has as for a recess. This sole is represented in figure 12 seen from above, in section by a horizontal plane. Preferably, the stud is located near the lateral edge of the support plate. and the recess 47 is largely dimensioned, so as not to hinder the release of the shoe.

Figures 14 and 15 show another alternative embodiment. According to this variant, the pedal brake actuation 50 has large parallel ridges in relief 51 which define between them grooves 52. These grooves have a substantially flat upper surface, in addition, their shape, seen from above, is asymmetrical with respect to the median plane of symmetry.

The shoe sole 53 also has streaks of the same shape 54 in its area which is designed to slide along the pedal. The streaks 54 are in relief, and their width is less than that of the grooves 52. The other retaining element and the other shoe have streaks and opposite direction grooves. That is to say that the streaks of the other shoe could engage in the grooves 52 of the element of Figure 14, and the grooves of the shoe of Figure 14 could engage the grooves of the other retainer. In this way, the two soles of shoe and the two retaining elements are differentiated.

An engagement of a shoe in the retaining element of FIG. 13 will only be possible if the shoe streaks have an opposite direction to those of the pedal. In this case, a slip of the sole on the pedal is possible, the streaks sliding against each other. If the streaks of the pedal and sole are in the same direction, the streaks of the shoe penetrate into the grooves 52 of the pedal, thus preventing the sole from sliding on the pedal, and thereby the engagement of the shoe in the retainers.

Figures 16 to 20 illustrate another embodiment of the invention. Figures 16 and 17 show a jaw 60 of a rear retainer, and the rear end 61 of a shoe. he is known to recall the jaw of a rear retaining element by a piston 62, guided in a housing of the body 63 of the retaining element, and pushed back towards the jaw by a return spring 64. The piston can also be replaced by an articulated rocker. In known manner, the piston, or the rocker has a pressure nose 65 which bears against the internal face of the jaw. This face internal has two successive ramps, an elastic race ramp 66 and a ramp 68. These two ramps have in common an edge 69 which produces the maximum recoil of the piston and maximum compression of the spring. This edge corresponds to the element's trigger threshold of restraint. On either side of this edge, the spring decompresses, so as to define two stable position of the jaw, an open position ready to receive the shoe, and a position closed shoe retention during skiing.

According to the present embodiment, the jaw 60 has on its internal face a movable ramp 70 whose width is less than that of the ramps 67 and 68. In the illustrated embodiment, the ramp 70 is carried by a rocker 71 which is housed in a recess 72 located on the internal face of the jaw. The rocker is located on one side of the jaw, i.e. offset from the in the vertical median plane of the jaw. For the two retainers of a pair, the rockers are offset on a different side of the median plane to differentiate the retaining elements.

The ramp 70 is located at the height of the elastic stroke ramp 66.

The rocker 71 which carries the ramp 70 is articulated around an axis carried in the jaw.

It has in its upper part a nose 73 which crosses the jaw to have good contact, if necessary, with the sole of the shoe, and projects from the side of the shoe, preferably near the upper edge of the jaw. Also preferably, in the absence of a shoe, a spring not shown keeps the rocker with the protruding nose, i.e. in the position shown Figure 17. From this position, the rocker and its ramp 70 can be pushed inwards from the jaw until the nose 73 is retracted into the jaw.

In the rest position of Figure 17, the rocker 71 is retracted inside its housing 72, and the ramp 70 is set back relative to the elastic race ramp 66, that is to say that the piston 62 can bear successively on one and the other of the ramps 66 and 68. The nose 73 projects in the jaw under the upper rim.

When the nose is retracted inside the jaw, the ramp 70 projects relative to the elastic travel ramp 66, and it continuously extends the opening ramp 68, for example according to a surface in an arc centered on the axis of rotation of the jaw. At the engagement of the shoe, during the tilting of the jaw from the high position to the low position, the ramp 70. if it protrudes, replaces the ramp 66. Given its shape, it retains the piston in its extreme position, that which corresponds to the triggering threshold, and it prevents the spring decompression. It is then impossible to keep the shoe engaged in the element of detention.

If, on the contrary, the ramp 70 is retracted into the housing 71, the piston 62 can travel through the two ramps 66 and 68 in the usual way. Ramp 70 is inactive.

A shoe intended to cooperate with the retaining element is shown in Figures 16 and 17. This shoe 61 has a recess 75 at the upper part of its rear end. This obviously has a position, a shape and dimensions provided so that the engagement of the shoe, the nose 73 can engage without causing the rocker 71 to move inward of the jaw.

The shape of the nose and the recess must be provided in a complementary manner, it must also be designed to chase away snow that may have accumulated in the recess. For example, the shape of the recess can be flared, and that of the nose 73 can be bevelled.

The recess 75 of the shoe is offset beyond the median vertical plane. It goes without saying that for the other shoe of the pair, the recess is offset in reverse, so as to differentiate the shoe soles.

FIG. 18 illustrates the engagement of the shoe in an appropriate retaining element. AT shoe engagement, nose 73 of rocker 71 enters recess 75, rocker 73 remains retracted in its housing, and the piston traverses the ramp 68 then the ramp 66.

Figure 19 illustrates the engagement of a shoe in an inappropriate retainer. The nose 73 of the rocker 71 is in abutment against the edge of the shoe, and it is forced to retract into jaw. Therefore, the ramp 70 protrudes, it is on this ramp that the piston comes to carry, which maintains the spring in its maximum compression state. In fact the jaw is in a unstable state of balance which prevents proper fitting. In this case, the skier can go easily account for his shoe error, in fact, he will feel that the back of his shoe is not not kept pressed against the ski, in addition, it will not hear the characteristic noise which marks the closure of the jaw.

This embodiment is advantageous because the shoes remain compatible with the elements currently on the market. However, the shoes on the market are not compatible with none of the retaining elements according to the invention without having been modified accordingly.

Naturally, variants are possible. For example, instead of carrying a ramp, the rocker, or other mobile element, could carry a kind of mobile wedge designed to hold the pressure nose of the piston, and preventing the threshold from being crossed. Instead of being articulated, the rocker 71 could be connected to the jaw by an elastically deformable zone which acts as an elastic hinge. In this case, the jaw and the rocker would be in one piece. The recess 72 can pass through the thickness of the jaw right through. Ramp 70 could also be formed by all or part of the elastic travel ramp 66 whose inclination would be made variable so as to mark edge 39, or on the contrary to have two ramps in the extension one from the other.

Other means are also possible to allow the engagement of a shoe of a pair in the retainers of a pair ski, and prevent the engagement of the same shoe in the retaining elements of the other ski. In particular, these means can be located towards the front of the shoe, and at the front retainer.

According to another embodiment of the invention, only one of the two shoes of a pair is made incompatible with the retaining elements of a ski, taking into account the fact that to ski, both boots must be engaged on both skis. If a shoe of a pair cannot be engaged, it is that the association between the shoes and the skis is not correct. To illustrate this, we can refer to Figure 20 where the shoe above its rear end piece 78 a recess 79. The position of the tooth relative to the median plane of symmetry is not limiting. The recess 79 differentiates the shoe of FIG. 20 from the other shoe which is in this traditional case. The jaw 80 provided to cooperate with the end piece 78 has a tooth in projection 81 whose shape and position are provided to enter the recess 79 during the engagement of the shoe. The jaw of the other rear retaining element is traditional.

Under these conditions, the shoe with the toe 78 may be engaged either in one or the other of the rear retainers. On the other hand, the other shoe with its traditional toe does not cannot be engaged in jaw 80, because of tooth 81. It can only be engaged in the retaining element whose jaw is traditional. Overall, the commitment of two shoes is only possible if the association of the toe 78 with the jaw 80 is respected.

The invention finds an advantageous application in the case where the front retaining elements are designed to release a shoe more easily on one side than on the other, as described by example in the patent applications cited in the preamble. The keying means that have been described ensure that when using the skis, the right shoe will be fitted on the right ski.

For this effect to be obtained, it is necessary that during assembly, a correct pairing is respected between the front retainers and the rear retainers, especially if the means of polarization relate to the rear retainer. To facilitate this matching, the elements of retainers will for example bear a marking which, during assembly, will prevent any inversion during their assembly on the skis.

Naturally, this description is given for information only, and we could adopt other implementations of the invention without departing from the scope thereof.

Claims (10)

1. Assembly formed by a pair of right and left ski boots and a pair of front and rear retention elements provided to be associated with both right and left boots, respectively, in order to retain them in a releasable manner against the ski, each boot having a sole with a front gripping tip and a rear gripping tip, each retention element including a base provided to be assembled affixedly to the board, a support plate against which the sole of the boot rests, a jaw provided to retain the front tip or the rear tip, respectively, of a boot, the jaw of the rear retention elements being moveable between two stable positions, an open position in which it is ready to engage the boot and a closed position in which it retains the rear end of the boot, characterized in that at least one of the boots of the pair of boots locally has a hollow or raised locating element (27a, 28b, 35a, 40, 43, 47, 54, 75) which differentiates said boot from the other boot, and in that at least one retention element of each pair of retention elements has a hollow or raised locating member (33a, 34b, 36a, 36b, 42, 46, 52, 73) whose position, shape and size are provided to cooperate with the locating element of the boot, which differentiates the retention element from the other retention element of the pair, the locating member of the boot being provided to cooperate with the locating element for the retention element so that at least one of the boots is prevented from driving the jaw of the rear retention element which is not associated with it into a stable closed position.
2. Assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the two boots of a pair of boots have hollow or raised locating elements which differentiate them from one another, and in that the retention elements of the pair of retention elements have hollow or raised locating elements which differentiate them from one another.
3. Assembly according to claim 2, where the jaws of the rear retention elements have a fitting pedal, characterized in that the locating elements are fitting pedals (33a, 34b) for the rear retention elements that are offset with respect to their respective median plane and, for the boots, recesses (27a, 28b) located laterally with respect to their respective median plane.
4. Assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that the locating elements are, for the boots, a recess (35a) located on the upper edge of the rear tip (35) and offset with respect to the median plane and, for the retention elements, a tooth (36a) located in the upper portion of the jaw (36) of the rear retention element, offset with respect to its median plane.
5. Assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that the locating elements are, for the boots, a projecting tooth (40) on the upper edge of the rear tip (39) and offset with respect to the median plane and, for the retention elements, a recess (42) located in the upper portion of the jaw (41) of the rear retention element, offset with respect to its median plane.
6. Assembly according to claim 2, where the jaws of the rear retention elements have a fitting pedal, characterized in that the locating elements are fitting pedals (44) for the rear retention elements that are inclined and, for the boots, support zones (43) on the fitting pedal, inclined in the same angle as the pedals.
7. Assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that the locating elements are, for the rear retention elements, a pin (46) projecting with respect to the upper surface of the support plate (45), and offset with respect to the median plane of the retention element and, for the boots, a large recess (47) located beneath the sole of the boot, and offset with respect to the median plane.
8. Assembly according to claim 2, where the rear retention elements are equipped with a brake with an actuating pedal, characterized in that the locating elements are, for the rear retention elements, ribs (51) defining therebetween grooves that are asymmetrical with respect to the median plane of the element and, for the boots, ribs (54) complementary to the grooves located on the lower surface of the soles.
9. Assembly according to claim 2, where the retaining jaw of the rear retention elements has a ramp with elastic stroke (66) and an opening ramp (68), against which a pressure nose (73) is maintained in support by a spring (64), characterized in that the jaws respectively have a ramp (70) located at the level of the ramp with elastic stroke in a different position with respect to the median vertical plane, each ramp being movable between a position where it is set-back with respect to the ramp with elastic stroke (66), and a position where it projects with respect to the ramp (66), the displacement of the ramp being controlled by a nose (73) provided to come into contact with the sole of the boot during the engagement of the boot in the jaw, and in that the boots respectively have, at the level of the sole, a recess (75) that has a different position with respect to the median vertical plane, provided so that the nose (73) of a retention element can penetrate therein.
10. Skiing equipment formed by a pair of ski boots, a pair of skis equipped with front and rear retention elements provided to retain either one of the boots in a releasable manner, characterized in that the boots and the retention elements form an assembly according to any one of the preceding claims.

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