Unit for tightening / loosening a binding base relative to a disk attached to a snowboard or water ski

Abstract

The invention relates to a tightening / loosening unit for a binding for a snowboard or water ski (19) comprising a disk (3) and a base (1), the disk (3) being rotationally locked in an axial direction (A) and accommodated in an opening (9) in the base (1), which is movable relative to the disk (3) in the axial direction (A), between a tightened position and a loosened position, the disk (3) opposing a tightening force of a tightening / loosening means (11), the tightening / loosening means being guided by guide means (10) in a helical movement along the axial direction (A) and controlled by a control lever (17), the tightening / loosening means being in two positions, namely a tightening position and a loosening position, respectively determining the tightened and loosened positions of the base (1). According to the invention, the control lever (17) is rotatably mounted relative to the base (1) while the guide means (10) are carried by the opening (9) in the base (1).

Description

Tightening / loosening unit for a mounting base relative to a disc attached to a snowboard or water ski

[0001] The invention relates to a tightening / loosening unit for a snowboard or water ski binding base relative to a disc. The tightening / loosening unit comprises a disc and a base, the disc being fixed against rotation about an axial direction and housed in an opening in the base. The base is movable relative to the disc along the axial direction, between a tightened position and a loosened position. The disc resists a tightening force from a tightening / loosening means, guided by guiding means in a compound movement of rotation and translation, preferably helical, about the axial direction and controlled by a control means, in two tightening and loosening positions, respectively determining the tightened and loosened positions of the base.

[0002] An angular adjustment unit of this type is disclosed in document WO 99 / 25434. The disc is fixed by screws to a snowboard to control the clamping force, while the base is an integral part of the attachment. Reciprocal helical ramps provide rotational guidance for the clamping / loosening means relative to a locking means, which has teeth designed to cooperate, in the clamped position, with teeth formed in the base in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction. Reciprocal splines, parallel to the axial direction, provide translational guidance for the locking means relative to the disc, along said direction.

[0003] Another angular adjustment unit of the type described above is also disclosed in document EP 0 818 221. Here again, the disc is fixed by screws to a snowboard, while the base is an integral part of the attachment. Additional screws, fixed to the disc, are received in slots in the tightening / loosening means, which are equipped with helical ramps to guide the latter relative to the disc. These screws control the clamping force and guide a locking means relative to the disc in translation along the axial direction. The locking means is equipped with teeth designed to cooperate, in the clamped position, with teeth formed in the base. The teeth extend in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction.

[0004] These two documents illustrate a prior art in which the tightening / loosening means is operated, in both tightening and loosening positions, by a tool that engages along the axial direction, to exert a torque along that direction. Furthermore, a locking means is provided with teeth that cooperate, in the tightening position, with teeth formed in the base of the fastener, to lock the fastener against rotation in the tightened position.

[0005] Document EP 0 840 640 discloses a clamping / loosening unit comprising a disc housed in an opening in the base, which is fixed to the disc and movable with it around an axial direction, between a clamped and a loosened position. The disc resists a clamping force from a clamping / loosening means, guided in a translational movement by a bore in the disc, which guides a rod of the clamping / loosening means, and by an annular ramp guiding lugs on the rod, around the axial direction A. The translation of the rod is controlled by a control lever, in two clamping and loosening positions, respectively determining the clamped and loosened positions of the base fixed to the disc. The control lever is mounted for rotation relative to the base fixed to the disc, while the annular ramp is supported by the control lever.

[0006] US patent 6,189,899 discloses a clamping-loosening unit conforming to the preamble of the main claim. It comprises a disc housed in an opening in a base, which is movable relative to the disc along an axial direction between a clamped position and a loosened position. The disc resists a clamping force exerted by a clamping-loosening means, guided in a compound rotational and translational movement, preferably helical, by guiding means, around the axial direction and controlled by a control means, in two clamping and loosening positions, respectively determining the clamped and loosened positions of the base. The control means comprises a lever, mounted for rotation relative to the disc and integrated into the clamping-loosening means, while the guiding means are carried by the disc and the clamping-loosening means itself.

[0007] One of the aims of the invention is to modify this prior art, specifically with regard to the control of the tightening / loosening means. Another aim of the invention lies in locking the base against rotation in the tightened position.

[0008] To this end, the invention relates to a tightening-loosening unit for a snowboard or water ski mounting base relative to a disc, the tightening-loosening unit comprising a disc, locked in rotation around an axial direction and housed in an opening of a base, which is movable relative to the disc along the axial direction, between a tightened position and a loosened position, the disc opposing a tightening force from a tightening-loosening means, guided by guiding means in a movement composed of rotation and translation, preferably helical, around the axial direction and controlled by a control lever, in two tightening and loosening positions, respectively determining the tightened and loosened positions of the base,characterized in that the control lever of the tightening / loosening means is mounted for rotation relative to the base, while the guiding means of this tightening / loosening means are carried by the opening in the base.

[0009] The guiding means are supported by the opening in the base, allowing the lever, mounted for rotation relative to the base, to engage with the tightening / loosening mechanism. The lever provides a multiplication of the force required to move the tightening / loosening mechanism from the loosening position to the tightening position. Preferably, it is mounted for rotation about a second direction, in a position tangent to the opening in the base. It should be noted, however, that the lever is mounted for rotation about the axial direction at the cost of a transmission mounted in a position tangent to the opening in the base. In a first embodiment, the tightening / loosening mechanism and the lever include gear teeth to provide control in both the tightening and loosening positions.According to a second embodiment, the tightening-loosening means and the lever are articulated to each other by a connecting rod, to ensure control in both tightening and loosening positions.

[0010] Advantageously, a locking means cooperates, in the clamping position of the clamping / loosening means, with the opening of the base and with the disc, to lock the base relative to the disc. This arrangement eliminates the need for locking teeth in the base itself, in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction. Preferably, the clamping / loosening means and the locking means are ring-shaped and shouldered relative to each other, with the clamping / loosening means shouldered relative to the opening of the base and the locking means shouldered relative to the disc. This arrangement increases the compactness of the angular adjustment unit, such that the disc and the locking means, in the clamping position, are flush with the base.

[0011] It is worth noting here that, with respect to rotation around the axial direction of the disc, the base can be either mobile or fixed. It can also be integrated into or attached to the snowboard or waterski binding.

[0012] The invention extends to a snowboard or water ski binding, comprising a base, characterized in that the base is specially designed to receive a tightening / loosening unit as described above. The invention further extends to a snowboard or water ski, characterized in that it comprises such a binding and a rail, relative to which the disc is movable in translation between several longitudinal positions or is clamped relative to the rail in one of these positions, respectively when the tightening / loosening means is in the loosening or tightening position.

[0013] Other advantages of the invention are described in the exposition below, illustrated by the following drawings:

[0014] is a perspective view of a snowboard binding, intended to be tightened or loosened relative to a disc, by means of a tightening-loosening unit according to a first embodiment of the invention.

[0015] is a top and perspective view of the tightening-loosening unit.

[0016] is an exploded view of the tightening / loosening unit.

[0017] is a cross-sectional view of a snowboard or water ski board, comprising a binding and a disc, relative to which a base of the binding is tightened or loosened using a tightening-loosening unit according to the first embodiment, the tightening-loosening means being in the tightening position.

[0018] is a cross-sectional view of the snowboard or water ski board, with the tightening / loosening means of the base being in the loosened position.

[0019] is a bottom and perspective view of the tightening-loosening unit.

[0020] is a top and perspective view of the base of the snowboard binding, showing more particularly a locking means, when the tightening-loosening means is in the loosening position.

[0021] is a perspective view of a snowboard mounting base, intended to be tightened or loosened relative to a disc, by means of a tightening-loosening unit according to a second embodiment of the invention.

[0022] is an exploded view of the tightening / loosening unit.

[0023] is a top and perspective view of the base of the snowboard binding, with the tightening / loosening means in the tightening position.

[0024] is a top and perspective view of the base of the snowboard binding, with the tightening / loosening means in the loosened position.

[0025] is a cross-sectional view of a snowboard or water ski board, comprising a binding and a disc, relative to which a base of the binding is tightened or loosened using a tightening-loosening unit according to a third embodiment of the invention, the tightening-loosening means being in the tightening position.

[0026] is a cross-sectional view of the snowboard or water ski board, with the tightening / loosening means in the loosening position.

[0027] is an exploded view of the tightening / loosening unit.

[0028] is an exploded view of a tightening-loosening unit according to a fourth embodiment of the invention.

[0029] is a cross-sectional view of a snowboard or water ski board, comprising a binding and a disc, relative to which a base of the binding is tightened or loosened using a tightening-loosening unit according to the fourth embodiment of the invention, the tightening-loosening means being in the tightening position.

[0030] is a cross-sectional view of the snowboard or water ski board, with the tightening / loosening means in the loosening position.

[0031] is a cross-sectional view of a snowboard or water ski board, comprising a binding and a disc, relative to which a base of the binding is tightened or loosened using a tightening-loosening unit according to any of the preceding embodiments, the tightening-loosening means being in the tightening position.

[0032] With reference to all the embodiments mentioned above, a tightening / loosening unit for tightening and loosening a base 1 relative to a disc 3 is illustrated in a snowboard application. The base 1 is integrated into or attached to a snowboard binding 5, while the disc 3 is connected to a board 19 by the mounting screws 7. The disc 3 is housed in an opening 9 in the base, which is movable relative to the disc 3 along an axial direction A, between a tightened position and a loosened position. The tightened and loosened positions are defined by the tightening and loosening positions of a tightening / loosening means 11, guided in a compound movement of rotation and translation, preferably helical, around the axial direction A.

[0033] The fixing screws 7 can be used with slides 6, which are received in recesses 4 formed in the disc 3 and can be screwed into threaded holes 20 in the snowboard 19. They can also be screwed into T-nuts 24, which are inserted into a rail 26 in the snowboard. This arrangement allows for continuous adjustment of the position of the fixing relative to the snowboard by sliding the T-nuts in the rail 26, for example, in a direction perpendicular to that of the recesses. When the fixing screws 7 are received in threaded holes, these define discrete positions relative to the snowboard. In other words, the disc 3 is prevented from rotating along the axial direction A by the fixing screws 7 in the various ways of attaching it to the snowboard described above.

[0034] According to the invention, the tightening-loosening means is controlled by a lever 17, mounted in rotation relative to the base 1, while the guiding means 10 are carried by the opening 9 of the base 1.

[0035] The guiding means for the clamping / loosening means 11 preferably comprise helical ramps, corresponding in shape to helical ramps 8 formed in the clamping / loosening means 11, in order to present an extended contact surface. However, the helical ramps, formed in the opening 9 of the base 1 or in the clamping / loosening means 11, may also cooperate with a point or linear support formed in the other element. A point or linear support allows, in particular, an irregular ramp shape, in order to vary the helix pitch during the movement of the clamping / loosening means 11.

[0036] Preferably, the lever 17 is mounted to rotate about a second direction D, in a position tangent to the opening 9 of the base 1. This arrangement takes advantage of the fact that the guiding means 10 of the tightening-loosening means are carried by the opening 9 of the base 1. Thus, the lever 17 pivots about the axis of the screw 16 and the sleeve 18, received in a bearing 22 of the periphery 15 of the opening 9.

[0037] In the first embodiment, illustrated more particularly by leset, the tightening / loosening means 11 and the lever 17 comprise gear teeth, 21 and 23 respectively, to provide control in both the tightening and loosening positions. The gear teeth of the lever 17 are supported by a head 14 whose diameter, relative to the diameter of the tightening / loosening means 11, provides the gear reduction effect described above.

[0038] In the second embodiment, illustrated more particularly by leset, the tightening-loosening means 11 and the lever 17 are articulated to each other by a connecting rod 25, to ensure control in both tightening and loosening positions.

[0039] The connecting rod 25 is articulated to the lever 17 by a rivet 35 and articulated to the tightening / loosening mechanism 11 by a pin 37 inserted into a lug 39. The positions of the rivet 35 and the pin 37 produce the multiplication effect. It should be noted that the articulation of the connecting rod 25 must allow movement of the lug 39 along the pin 37 to accommodate the translational component along the axial direction A of the tightening / loosening mechanism between the tightening and loosening positions. This movement is achieved by a double lug 41, but other types of connections are possible.

[0040] The lever 17 is elongated for ergonomic reasons. However, it is planned to use a control means of a different shape, for example circular such as a button, particularly if there is a means of further multiplying the torque exerted by the user, between the control means and the tightening / loosening means 11. For example, a gear train can be provided interposed between the gear head 14 and a control means.

[0041] It should be noted that the tightening / loosening means 11 is the driving element of the tightening / loosening unit according to the invention. The chain of contacts that produces the tightening comprises a support of the base 27 of the fastener 5 on the support surface of the snowboard 19, a support of the tightening / loosening means 11 on the helical ramps 10, a support of the locking means 13 on the tightening / loosening means 11, and a support of the disc 3 on the locking means 13, which can produce this support thanks to the fixing screws 7, which oppose movement along the axial direction A. The fixing screws 7 do not constitute a tightening means in themselves, but only a means of controlling the tightening, depending on whether they are screwed in more or less according to the desired tightening force. In other words, once this adjustment is made, the fixing screws 7 do not interfere with the transition from the tightening position to the loosening position of the tightening / loosening means 11.

[0042] Advantageously, a locking means 13 cooperates, in the clamping position of the clamping-loosening means 11, with the opening 9 of the base 1 and with the disc 3, to lock the base 1 relative to the disc 3. The locking of the base 1 relative to the disc 3 involves splines 43 and 45, formed respectively in a sector 42 of the locking means 13 and in the opening 9 of the base 1, ensuring translational guidance, as well as teeth 27, 29 of the locking means 13 and of the disc 3. The splines 43 and 45 extend parallel to the axial direction A while the teeth 27, 39 are arranged in a plane perpendicular to this direction.

[0043] Preferably, the clamping-loosening means 11 and the locking means 13 are formed into rings and shouldered relative to each other, while the locking means 13 is shouldered relative to the disc 3. Thus, the disc 3 and the locking means 13 comprise two shoulders, respectively 31 and 33, by which their teeth 27 and 29 cooperate in the clamping position of the clamping-loosening means.

[0044] The locking means 13 allows any rotation of the base 1 relative to the disc 3 to be blocked, so that a fixing 5 does not tend to pivot, by a friction effect between the disc 3 and the tightening-loosening means 11, during the movement of the latter.

[0045] The locking means 13 is not essential to the implementation of the invention and can be omitted, for example, for users of lower weight, such as children or young adults. Figures 13 and 14 illustrate an embodiment that differs from the first and second embodiments only in that the tightening / loosening means applies the clamping force to the disc without the intermediary of a locking means. In this application, the fixing screws 7 are sufficient to adjust the clamping in such a way as to lock the base 1 relative to the disc 3.

[0046] In the embodiments described above, the base 1 of the fastener was rotationally movable relative to the disc 3, between several angular positions around the axial direction A. Figures 17 illustrate an embodiment in which the base 1 is guided in rotation by the disc 3, for example by means of lugs 47 received in corresponding housings 49. Thus, the base 1 is no longer rotationally movable relative to the disc 3, but only translationally movable along the axial direction A, to allow movement of the clamping / loosening means 11. In this case, the locking means 13 described above is omitted.

[0047] In a snowboard application, the binding's position along a longitudinal axis, its angular orientation, and its position along a transverse axis are adjusted according to the user's preferences. Thus, the tightening / loosening unit allows, for a given angular position, the adjustment of the disc 3 along a longitudinal direction, supported by the rail 26 in the snowboard 19, and the adjustment of the baseplate 1 of the binding 5 along a transverse direction, supported by the slots 4 in the baseplate 1. It is particularly important to note that the lever 17 allows the position of the binding 5 to be adjusted without removing the boot, that is, without the user having to open the binding 5 to remove the boot. This advantage applies to both the angular adjustment of the baseplate 1 relative to the disc 3 and the longitudinal adjustment of the disc 3 relative to the rail 26 of the snowboard 19.

[0048] In the embodiments described above, the rail 26 was integrated into the snowboard or water ski board. Figure 1 illustrates an embodiment that differs only in that the rail 26 is attached to the board. Preferably, the rail 26 is screwed into inserts 51 with standard positions using screws 53, to make the tightening / loosening unit according to the invention compatible with known snowboards or water ski boards.

[0049] Note that the lever described in relation to the second embodiment applies to the third and fourth embodiments.

[0050] The tightening / loosening unit according to the invention allows for tool-free adjustment, solely through the manipulation of a lever or control element. The component along the axial direction A of the movement of the tightening / loosening means 11 is limited by the disc 3, which is attached to the snowboard 19. This constraint, imposed by the disc 3, clamps the base 1 against the snowboard 19, while allowing some play during loosening.

Claims

A tightening-loosening unit for a snowboard or water ski binding base relative to a disc, comprising a disc (3) and a base (1), the disc being locked against rotation about an axial direction (A) and housed in an opening (9) in the base (1), which is movable relative to the disc (3) along the axial direction (A), between a tightened position and a loosened position, the disc (3) opposing a tightening force from a tightening-loosening means (11), guided by guiding means (10) in a movement composed of rotation and translation, preferably helical, about the axial direction (A) and controlled by a control lever (17), in two tightening and loosening positions, respectively determining the tightened and loosened positions of the base (1),characterized in that the control lever (17) is mounted for rotation relative to the base (1) while the guiding means (10) are carried by the opening (9) of the base (1). Clamping-unclamping unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the lever (17) is mounted in rotation about a second direction (D), in a position tangent to the opening (9) of the base (1). Clamping-loosening unit according to claim 2, characterized in that the clamping-loosening means (11) and the lever (17) comprise gear teeth (21, 23) to ensure control of the clamping-loosening means (11), in the loosening or clamping position. Clamping-loosening unit according to claim 2, characterized in that the clamping-loosening means (11) and the lever (17) are linked by a connecting rod (25), articulated to both, to ensure control of the clamping-loosening means (11), in the loosening or clamping position. Clamping-loosening unit according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a locking means (13), cooperating in the clamping position of the clamping-loosening means (11), with the opening (9) of the base (1) and with the disc (3), to lock the base (1) relative to the disc (3). Clamping-loosening unit according to claim 5, characterized in that the clamping-loosening means (11) and the locking means (13) are formed into rings and shouldered relative to each other, while the locking means (13) is shouldered relative to the disc (3). Snowboard or water ski binding, comprising a base (1), characterized in that the base (1) is specially designed to receive a tightening-loosening unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6. Snowboard or water ski board, characterized in that it comprises a snowboard or water ski binding according to claim 7 and a rail (26), relative to which the disc (3) is movable in translation, between several longitudinal positions or is clamped relative to the rail (26) in one of these positions, respectively when the clamping-loosening means (11) is in the loosening or clamping position. Snowboard or water ski board according to claim 8, characterized in that the rail (26) is integrated or attached to the snowboard or water ski board (19).

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