Patent ID: 7832754

Claim:
A device for binding an article of footwear to a sports article, said device comprising: a locking mechanism adapted to cooperate with a connecting member of an article of footwear to provide an articulated binding of the article of footwear, said locking mechanism comprising a slide constructed and arranged to move in translation between an open position, to allow entry and exit of the connecting member of the article of footwear from said locking mechanism, and a closed position, to lock the article of footwear relative to the sports article; a user-manipulable opening system for controlling movement of said locking mechanism to said open position, said opening system being directly or indirectly manipulable, externally of the article of footwear, and independently according to any of at least two distinct directions of manipulation for controlling said movement of said locking mechanism to said open position; said locking mechanism comprising a movable jaw and a fixed jaw; said movable jaw being structured and arranged to move in translation with said slide between said open and closed positions of the locking mechanism; from the closed position to the open position of the locking mechanism, said movable jaw moves away from said fixed jaw and away from the article of footwear to allow said entry and exit of the connecting member of the article of footwear between said movable jaw and said fixed jaw.