Device for retaining a boot on a glide board intended for snowboarding

A retention device for a boot on a glide board intended for snowboarding. The device includes at least one anchoring device and at least one retention member that receives the anchoring device in a housing of the retention member, a latching member cooperating with the retention member in order to maintain the anchoring device in the housing, a support member cooperating with the retention member in order to position the latching member with respect to the housing. The device is wherein a surface of the latching member cooperates, by contact, with a surface of the support member, the surfaces being oriented so as to, on the one hand, be displaced with respect to one another when the latching member is displaced in a latching direction, and on the other hand, retain a fixed position with respect to one another when the latching member is biased in an unlatching direction.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The invention is related to a device for retaining a boot on a glide board 
intended for snowboarding, and is specifically related to an automatic 
feeding device. 
2. Description of Background and Relevant Information 
While snowboarding, the user is often called upon to attach and to release 
his/her boots from the board, for example, in order to use the various 
mechanical lift means, or to regain his balance after a fall. 
The term attaching should be understood as being an operation that consists 
of affixing a boot to the board, whereas the term releasing denotes the 
reverse operation. 
Various devices have been created in order to facilitate the attaching and 
releasing operation. 
For example, the document WO 96/05994 discloses an automatic attaching 
device, i.e., a device that enables the user to affix the boot to the 
board simply by the action of his foot, whereas releasing is done with the 
help of the hands. 
The device according to the document WO 96/05894 includes a boot equipped 
with two bale assemblies that are designed to cooperate with respective 
bindings, the bindings having a base affixed to the board. During the 
attaching operation, one of the bales located on one side of the boot 
becomes housed in an open notch of the base, whereas the other located on 
the other side of the boot becomes housed in a notch of the base whose 
access is controlled by a latch. 
When the user presses down with the foot, the bales become immobilized in 
the notches. During the attaching operation, the latch is displaced from 
an unlatching position towards a latching position. Once the attaching 
operation has been undertaken, the latch is maintained in the latching 
position, for example, via the permanent action of an elastic means, by a 
mobile hinge mechanism, or even by a catch system. 
The boot is thus maintained at a fixed distance from the base on the side 
of the open notch, and at a variable distance from the base on the side of 
the latch. 
The device according to the document WO 96/05894 does, however, have a 
certain number of disadvantages. 
Firstly, the contact between the boot and the base is variable over time 
due to the variations in the thickness of the snow or the ice that melts 
or disintegrates while snowboarding. Consequently, the steering of the 
board by the user is disturbed. 
Secondly, the user cannot perceive all the sensory information with the 
front and rear ends of the feet. Indeed, until the that the snow or ice 
melts or disintegrates, the contact between the boot and the base only 
takes place in a central zone of the boot. 
Furthermore, the device does not allow for an easy attaching operation when 
a very substantial thickness of snow or ice is located between the base 
and the boot. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is an object of the invention to overcome the above-mentioned 
disadvantages. 
To the end, the invention proposes a device for retaining a boot on a glide 
board intended for snowboarding, in which the device includes at least one 
anchoring device and at least one retention member receiving the anchoring 
device in a housing of the retention member, a latching member cooperating 
with the retention member so as to maintain the anchoring device in the 
housing, a support cooperating with the retention member so as to position 
the latching member with respect to the housing. 
A surface of the latching member cooperates, by contact, with a surface of 
the support, the surfaces being oriented in such a way as to, on the one 
hand, become displaced with respect to one another when the latching 
member is displaced in a latching direction, and on the other hand, retain 
a fixed position with respect to one another when the latching member is 
biased in an unlatching direction. 
This structure enables the boot to be kept in constant contact with the 
board over time, independently of the variations in thickness of the snow 
or the ice that could have gotten housed between the boot and the board. 
The advantageous result thereof is that the performance of the board is 
stable over time. 
In addition, the contact between the boot and the board occurs over a large 
surface of the sole of the boot, and this allows the user to perceive all 
the sensory information that is useful for steering the board. 
A positioning mechanism that is affixed to the latching member of the 
retention device according to the invention includes a retention device 
and a control means, the retention device retaining the anchoring device 
in the housing when the anchoring device biases the retention device in an 
unlatching direction, the control apparatus biasing the latching member 
towards a latching position when the anchoring device is displaced in the 
housing towards a latching position, the retention device and the control 
apparatus being located at a constant distance from one another and on 
either side of the anchoring device. 
Consequently, the forces extended by the use in the direction of the board 
allow the latching member to be displaced towards the board, especially 
when the snow or ice melts, and thereafter it is unable to become spaced 
from it. In this way, the boot always maitains good contact with the 
board, by the possible intermediary of a layer of snow and/or ice having 
variable thickness. 
The control apparatus limits the displacement of the latching member in the 
latching direction. This characteristic ought to be considered significant 
because when the snow has melted completely and the sole of the boot 
touches the board directly, then the anchoring device is maintained in 
position in the latching direction only by the positioning mechanism, 
without touching the base of the housing. The advantageous result thereof 
is that the control of the position of the anchoring device is precise. 
The housing prevents a translation of the anchoring device in any direction 
with the exception of the latching or unlatching directions, while at the 
same time the positioning mechanism controls the translation of the 
anchoring device only in the latching or unlatching directions. 
This structure enables the dissociation of the guide arrangement from the 
anchoring device. The advantage thereof is that the user has substantial 
freedom of movement for the foot during the attaching operation, and that 
the immobilization, in translation, of the anchoring device is complete in 
all directions after attaching. 
The latching member according to the invention is rotationally removable 
about an axis, and in that the support arrangement is rotationally movable 
about an axis that is different from the rotational axis of the latching 
member. 
The difference in the location of the axes allows the creation of a wedging 
effect between the latching member and the support arrangement. The two 
axes and the contact zone, obtained by the surfaces of the latching member 
and the support means, constitute the three peaks of a triangle deformable 
in the same manner, in light of the orientation of the surfaces. 
Consequently, the functions of the device according to the invention are 
achieved in a very simple manner. 
In addition, the rotationally movable elements are less apt to get blocked 
due to a freeze, when compared to those mechanisms or elements that are 
mobile in translation. 
Further according to the invention, the rotational axis of the support 
arrangement is located on the retention member, substantially between the 
housing and the rotational axis of the latching member. As such, the 
kinematics of the device are exceedingly simple. 
Furthermore, the space requirement of the device is reduced in a direction 
that is spaced with respect to the board, since the housing and the 
rotational axes are close to the board. 
According to a variation, the rotational axis of the support arrangement 
and the rotational axis of the latching member are located on the 
retention member such that each of them is close to the boot when the 
device retains the boot on the board, the rotational axis of the latching 
member being closer to the board than the rotational axis of the support 
arrangement. 
In this case as well, the kinematics of the device remain very simple, 
whereas the space requirement for the device is reduced in the direction 
of its spacing from the boot, because the housing and the rotational axes 
are close to the boot. 
Still further according to the invention, an elastic device permanently 
biases the latching member and the support arrangement with respect to one 
another, in such a direction that the surface of the latching member is in 
contact with the surface of the support arrangement when the latching 
member is in a latching position. 
In this way, the latching of the device is guaranteed in the absence of any 
manual unlatching bias. 
Still further according to the invention, a stop mechanism maintains the 
latching member and the support arrangement in a fixed position with 
respect to one another when the latching member is in an unlatching 
position. As a result, the use carry out the feeding operation without 
using his hands. 
Finally, according to the invention, the anchoring device of the boot is 
located on one side of the boot. 
Consequently, the feeding operation is easy, regardless of the thickness of 
the snow or ice, because the user's foot has a greater freedom of movement 
.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
A first embodiment of the invention will now be described with the aid of 
FIGS. 1 through 8. 
FIGS. 1 through 4 are schematic views of a retention device 1 of a boot 2 
on a glide board 3. In these drawings, the boot 2 is resented in dotted 
and dashed lines and is shown in a direction that can either be a rear 
view or a front view. 
On the one hand, the device 1 comprises an anchoring member 4 affixed to 
the boot 2, and on the other hand, it comprises a retention mechanism or 
member 5 for the anchoring device 4 affixed to the board 3. 
In a complementary manner, although this is not a requirement, a base 9 is 
provided to be interposed between device 1 and board 3, the base 9 being 
capable, for example, of spacing the device 1 from board 3, or of 
adjusting the position of boot 2 with respect to board 3. Base 9 is 
affixed to board 3 by any known means such as a screw/nut assembly. 
The anchoring member 4, represented in the form of a metallic wire or rod, 
is positioned laterally with respect to the boot 2, and is in proximity to 
the sole 6 of boot 2. Wire 4 is located substantially mid-way between a 
non-represented rear end and front end of boot 2, and extends partially in 
a direction that is substantially parallel to sole 6. 
A means for affixing wire 4 to boot 2 is visible, for example, in FIG. 5. 
Wire 4 is shaped like a hook whose ends are connected to a plate 7 by any 
means such as a weld. Plate 7 is affixed to the sole 6 of boot 2, for 
example, via rivets, symbolized by four axis lines 8. Preferably, plate 7 
is fixed beneath the boot 2 in a non-represented recess of sole 6, the 
recess being located in the usual manner between the rear end and the 
front end of boot 2. 
The wire 4 is capable of cooperating with the retention member 5, as bas 
been shown, for example, in a lateral section in FIG. 6, in which the 
device 1 is found to be in a latching position. Sole 6 is in contact with 
base 9, the wire 4 being maintained in the latching position with respect 
to board 3 by the retention member 5. Wire 4 is housed in a notch or 
opening 10 of the retention member 5, and kept in such notch or opening 10 
by a latching member 11 represented in the form of a latch journaled about 
an axis 12 of the retention member 5. Latch 11 is immobilized by a support 
means 13 represented in the form of a lever journaled about an axis 14 of 
the retention member 5. 
Wire 4 is maintained in position as follows. The journal axis 14 of lever 
13 is located substantially between the wire 4 and the journal axis 12 of 
latch 11. An elastic device 15, represented in the form of a spring, 
permanently biases latch 11 and lever 13 with respect to one another so 
that they tend to rotate in opposite directions with respect to one 
another about their respective axes 12, 14. As a matter of fact, one end 
of spring 15 is affixed to a bar 16 of lever 13, whereas the other end of 
spring 15 is affixed to latch 11, by means that have been successively 
represented by a rivet on bar 16 and becoming engaged in a recess of latch 
11. 
Lever 13 and latch 11 are in support against one another by a surface 17 of 
lever 13 and a surface 8 of latch 11. 
Furthermore, latch 11 cooperates with the wire 4 by means of a positioning 
member or fork 19 comprising a retention element arm or means 20, and a 
control element, arm or means 21. When a force exerted on wire 4 by boot 2 
biases latch 11 by means of retention arm 20 in a direction wherein wire 4 
comes out of opening 10, the latch 11 remains immobile because the 
engagement surfaces 17 of lever 13 and 18 of latch 11 are oriented in such 
a direction as to prevent any movement of latch 11 in such circumstances. 
In other words, this means that a user cannot release the boots as a result 
of the forces that are caused by snowboarding. 
The various component elements of the retention member 5 are positioned 
with respect to one another in the manner explained below with respect to 
FIGS. 5, 6, 7, and 8. 
FIG. 5 is a cross section that passes substantially through the axes 12 and 
14 of latch 11 and lever 13, as well as through wire 4. The retention 
member 5 comprises two symmetrical sections 23, 24 that are affixed to the 
base by affixing means represented in the form of screws 25. The sections 
23, 24, obtained for example from pressed and folded steel, define the 
abutments 26, 27 for controlling the position of boot 2 in its lengthwise 
direction. 
Journals, represented in the form of a rivet 28 extending along the 14, and 
a rivet 29 extending along the axis 12, respectively allow the lever 13 
and latch 11 to pivot in a plane that is substantially perpendicular to 
board 3, such plane beings located between the sections 23 and 24 of the 
retention member 5. 
As will be better understood from the drawing of FIG. 8, latch 11 can pivot 
about its axis 12 through a opening 30 of lever 13. 
As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6, boot 2 is retained on the board 3 by a 
single wire 4 located in a lateral position along the boot 2. 
Preferably, a support 31, visible in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7, ensures the 
management of the position of boot 2 with respect to board 2, in a 
rational direction with respect to wire 4. This support 31, clearly 
visible for example in FIG. 7, is a support member comprising two 
extensions 32, 33 that are affixed on the sections 23, 24, by means of 
rivets 34, 35, for example. 
The support member 31 can be made of a relatively rigid material so as to 
prevent or substantially limit the rotation of boot 2 about wire 4 with 
respect to board 3. In this case, a rubber or a flexible plastic material 
would be appropriate. 
The support member 31 can also be made from a relatively flexible material 
so as to tolerate the rotation of boot 2 about wire 4 with respect to the 
board 3. In this case, a rubber or a flexible plastic material would be 
appropriate. 
The device 1 according to the invention operates as follows. The user can 
place the retention member 5 in the open position shown in FIG. 1 by 
manually biasing the lever 13. He needs only to press bar 16 in order to 
make the lever 13 pivot about the axis 14 in the direction wherein bar 16 
is moved towards the board 3. This operation is undertaken against the 
action of the spring 15. When the lever 13 pivots and when the wire 4 does 
not retain the latch 11 in the latching position of FIG. 6 by acting on 
the control arm 21, then latch 11 pivots in the same direction as lever 13 
until the open position is attained. 
The open position is stable because the lever 13 cooperates with a stop 
means 36, represented in the form of a recess on shoulder that partially 
demarcates the surface 18 of latch 11. 
In the open position of the device, spring 15 is in a substantially maximum 
state of tension; the bar 16 of lever 13 is maintained in contact with the 
recess 36; and the fork 19 is in an open position, or in other words, in 
the position that is furthest from board 3. 
The user can thus approach the boot for the attaching operation. 
The attaching operation includes positioning boot 2 with respect to the 
retention member 5 in such a way that the wire 4 enters into the fork 19 
above the opening 10, and then pressing the boot towards board 3 with the 
foot, no other manual action being necessary. The support of the foot 
causes the wire 4 to enter into opening 10, and is in turn causes a 
rotation of latch 11 by acting on the control arm 21 of latch 11. The 
rotation of latch 11 causes the rotation of leer 13 by virtue of the 
tension of spring 15. 
When the wire 4 is sufficiently low in opening 10, the bar 16 of lever 13 
comes out of the recess 36 of latch 11 and the surface 17 of lever 13 
comes into contact with the surface 18 of latch 11. At this moment, the 
device 1 is in a latching position. 
The shapes of surface 17 and 18 enable the gradual, on progressive, 
adjustment of the position of wire 4 in opening 10. The surface 18 of the 
latch 11 has a substantially smooth surface, it being shown as having a 
substantially constant arc of curvature. The device 1 enables the 
limitations linked to the presence of wedges of snow and/or ice to be 
overcome. 
FIG. 2 is an example of a latching position of device 1 in the presence of 
a thick wedge of snow 37. The device 1 is latched because the latch 11 and 
lever 13 are in contact via their respective surfaces 18 and 17. The fork 
19 of latch 11 is in the high latching position. Wire 4, and consequently, 
boot 2, are retained on board 3. 
FIG. 3 corresponds to a latching position of device 1 in the presence of a 
thin wedge of snow 38. The sole 6 is closer to board 3 and the bar 16 of 
lever 13 is further away from board 3 than is the case in FIG. 2. 
Finally, FIG. 4 corresponds to a latching position of device 1 when all the 
snow has melted. Sole 6 takes support directly on base 9, the bar 16 of 
lever 13 is in its furthest position from board 3, and the fork 19 is in 
its latching position that is closest to board 3. 
FIGS. 1 through 4 have enabled the functioning of device 1 to be 
understood. Boot 2 can be displaced towards board 3 as and when the wedge 
of snow melts or disintegrates, but it cannot be raised up unless the user 
undertakes a manual unlatching operation. Because the boot is constantly 
retained firmly in place in the range of latching positions shown, e.g., 
in FIGS. 2 through 4, unlike a retention device that is simply movable 
between one open and one retention position, the retention device of the 
invention can be termed "progressive". 
Consequently, the user advantageously retains a permanent and homogeneous 
support of sole 6 on board 3, independently of the variations in thickness 
of the intermediate portion constituted by a wedge of snow or ice 37, 38. 
A second embodiment of the invention is represented by means of FIGS. 9 and 
10. For the sake of convenience, the same elements have been designated by 
the same 
A retention device 50 for boot 2 on board 3 comprises, on the one hand, a 
wire 4, and on the other hand, a retention member 51. As was the case in 
the first embodiment, base 9 can be interposed between the devices 50 and 
board 3. 
The retention member 51 comprises a latch 52 that is borne by a shaft 53 of 
axis 54. The shaft 53 is guided in translation by a bore 55 of a chassis 
56 of the retention member 51. The orientation of axis 54 enables shaft 53 
and latch 52 to be displaced along a direction that is substantially 
perpendicular to board 3, by cooperating, on the one hand with a spring 
57, and on the other hand, with a support means 58 represented in the 
shape of a wedge. 
Spring 57 permanently biases shaft 53 in a direction that is away from 
board 3 by taking support on a shoulder 59 of shaft 53 and on the base 60 
of bore 55. 
Wedge 58 is translationally mobile in a bore 61 of axis 62 of chassis 56, 
in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the axis 54 of shaft 
53. A spring 63 permanently biases wedge 58 in a direction that brings it 
closer to latch 52 by taking support on the wedge 58 and on the base 64 of 
bore 61. 
Latch 52 and wedge 58 have complementary profiles. Latch 52 comprises a 
substantially rectilinear surface 65 that is inclined with respect to axis 
54 of shaft 53, the surface 65 being demarcated by a recess 66 at one end 
of latch 52 that is opposite the end comprising the fork 19 adapted to 
receive the wire 4. The wedge 59 has a lower inclined surface 67 that is 
substantially parallel to the face 65 of the latch 52, the surface 67 
sectioning one end 68 of wedge 58. 
The device 50 functions as follows. 
Firstly, the user can place the retention member 51 in the open position as 
shown in FIG. 9. 
To this end, he is only required to compress spring 63 by pulling on a knob 
69 that distances wedge 58 from the slit 10 of the retention member 51 by 
means of a bar 70. In the absence of any retention of latch 52 by the 
action of wire 4 in fork 19, the latch 52 becomes spaced from board 3 
until the end 68 of wedge 58 gets housed in the recess 36 of latch 52. At 
this moment, the retention member 51 is in a stable open position. 
For the attaching operation, the use can thus bring boot 2 close to the 
device 50 in such a way that the wire 4 enters into fork 19 of latch 52 
above the slit 10. 
An attaching position is represented in FIG. 10 in which a wedge of snow 
has melted completely. The user has pushed towards the board 3 with his 
foot. Latch 52 is in a low position and the wedge 58 has come closer to 
wire 4 under the action of spring 63. Thereafter, latch 52 and wedge 58 
are in contact by their respective inclined surfaces 65 and 67 because by 
becoming displaced, latch 52 has allowed the end 68 of wedge 58 to come 
out of the recess 66 of latch 52. 
Boot 2 is retained because the wire 4 is repined in the slit 10 by the fork 
19 of latch 52, due to the inclination of the surfaces 65 and 67 and due 
to the friction coefficient of one surface on another. 
The surfaces 65 and 67 of latch 52 and wedge 58 constitute an irreversible 
system. The wedge 58 can slide gradually towards wire 4 under the action 
of spring 63 when the latch 52 approaches the board 3, but the inverse 
phenomenon cannot occur. 
Consequently, the device a according to the second embodiment of the 
invention fulfills the same functions as for the first embodiment. 
A third embodiment of the invention is represented schematically in FIGS. 
11 and 12. For the sake of convenience, the same elements have been 
designated by the same references. 
A retention device 80 comprises a latch 81 journaled about an axis 82, and 
a support member 83 journaled about an axis 84 on a common part of a 
retention member 85. The latch 81 comprises a fork 19 that is designed to 
cooperate with the wire 4 of the boot 2, and a surface 86 is designed to 
cooperate with a surface 87 of the support means 83. A spring 88 
permanently biases the latch 81 and the support member 83 towards one 
another, one end of the spring 88 being affixed to latch 81, whereas the 
other end is affixed to the support member 83. 
FIG. 11 represents the device 80 in an open position. One end 89 of the 
surface 87 of the support means 83 is in support in a recess 90 of latch 
81. 
The spring 88 is substantially extended. The user can undertake the 
attaching operation in a manner that is similar to the operation described 
previously, and bring the device 80 into a latching position as shown in 
FIG. 12. 
The wire 4 is retained in a slit 91 of the retention member 85, the end 89 
of surface 87 of the support member 83 has come out of the recess 90 of 
latch 81, and the surfaces 86 of latch 81 and 87 of the support member 83 
are in contact. 
The third embodiment of the device according to the invention fulfills the 
same functions as the previous embodiments. 
The invention is not limited to the particular embodiments described 
herein, and can comprise all technical equivalents within the scope of the 
claims that follow. 
The first and third embodiments have combined the rotational movements of 
latch 11, 81 and of lever 13, 83. The second embodiment has combined the 
translational movements of latch 52 and wedge 58. 
It is possible to envision other devices combining the rotational or 
translational movements of the elements used to immobilize wire 4 in 
opening 10. 
Furthermore, the various elements could also be configured differently. For 
example, the anchoring device 4 could have a non-circular shape, the axes 
of latch 11 and lever 13 could be arranged otherwise on the retention 
member 5, and the elastic means could have a different structure. 
In addition, several anchoring devices 4 could be provided on the same side 
of boot 2 and these could be respectively associated to several retention 
members 5, 51. 
One can also envision various qualities for the contact surfaces between 
the latch 11, 52, 81 and the support means 13, 58, 83. 
In the examples represented in FIGS. 1 through 12, these contact surfaces 
are substantially smooth and continuous. 
FIG. 13 shows that it is possible to have broke contract surfaces. For 
example, in the first embodiment, a rack 100 on latch 11 cooperates with a 
serration 101 of lever 13.