Salomon S.a.

Etablissements Francois Salomon & Fils S.a.

Gerard Graillat

Marc Provence

Jean Hue

Alain Bejean

Georges P Salomon

Michel Mabboux

Didier Rousset

Denis Gasquet

Serge Pradier

Apparatus for connection to a cross-country ski for laterally guiding a ski shoe having a front end attached to the ski at a position forwardly of the rear of the shoe whose heel is vertically movable on the ski in the longitudinal median plane thereof includes a longitudinally extending guide rib adapted to cooperate with a longitudinal groove of complementary shape in the sole of the ski shoe. The groove successively includes, from front to rear, a first region beneath the toes of the foot of the wearer of the shoe, a second region beneath the ball of the foot of the wearer, a third region beneath the arch of the foot of the wearer, and a fourth region beneath the the heel of the foot of the wearer. The rib has opposite lateral sides defining the width of the guide, and a top surface defining the height of the guide. Both the slope of the sides relative to the longitudinal median plane of the ski, and the height of the guide, are nonconstant functions of the length of the guide. The length of the guide rib can be modified to accommodate different shoe lengths. Specifically, the end of the rib is configured to facilitate the breakage of predeterminate section(s) of the rib, depending upon the particular shoe size with which the rib is to be used. Such configuration can include a number of transverse score lines at which point an unneeded end section of the guide rib can be broken off.

Flexible and length adjustable lateral guide apparatus for a

A binding for a cross-country ski shoe in which the shoe is mounted for pivotal movement about an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the ski. An elastic bumper exerts a return force on the shoe when the shoe is lifted from the upper surface of the ski. The elastic bumper is brought into a prestressed condition during the closing of the binding. The prestressing is achieved by either the displacement of the shoe with respect to the elastic bumper or displacement of the elastic bumper with respect to the shoe. This displacement may either be slidable or pivotal movement of a carriage.

Cross-country ski binding

The process consists in embedding two longitudinal ends (23, 24) of an assembly component (21) making up the binding mechanism into stationary parts (16) or parts unitary with the ski (27a). According to one embodiment, the locking system of the ski boot is composed of a locking piece (2) which slides longitudinally, and the assembly component is constituted by this movable locking piece (21). The device also comprises a toggle joint system which draws the locking piece (21) into the boot-locking position, and one of the fulcrum members (27a) of the toggle joint system is anchored on the ski so as to produce the vertically-oriented recessed housing of one end (24) of the assembly component (21).

Integral binding

Apparatus for connection to a cross-country ski for laterally guiding a ski shoe having a front end atached to the ski at a position forwardly of the rear of the shoe whose heel is vertically movable on the ski in the longitudinal median plane thereof includes a longitudinally extending guide rib adapted to cooperate with a longitudinal groove of complementary shape in the sole of the ski shoe. The groove successively includes, from front to rear, a first region beneath the toes of the foot of the wearer of the shoe, a second region beneath the ball of the foot of the wearer, a third region beneath the arch of the foot of the wearer, and a fourth region beneath the heel of the foot of the wearer. The rib has opposite lateral sides defining the width of the guide, and a top surface defining the height of the guide. Both the slope of the sides relative to the longitudinal median plane of the ski, and the height of the guide, are nonconstant functions of the length of the guide.

Lateral guide apparatus for a cross country ski, and a ski shoe

Cross-country ski binding for a shoe or boot having a transverse journal axle. A fixed and movable jaw receive the journal axle and allow pivotal movement of the shoe or boot relative to the ski. A toggle or overcenter linkage both biases and latches the movable jaw in a closed position and guide the movable jaw in its movement relative to the fixed jaw.

Hinge type cross-country ski binding

A binding for keeping the front of a boot (3) positioned on a cross-country ski, comprising a locking slide (6) mounted so as to move longitudinally, when acted upon by a control device, in a slide channel (9) fastened to the upper surface of the ski, the locking slide having a hook (7) at one end extending transversely and unitary with a stem (8) inserted so as to slide in the longitudinal slide channel (9), and a frontal stop (12) extending transversely opposite the hook (7). A portion of the locking slide fits into a corresponding portion of the slide channel (9) or into an element unitary with this slide channel when the binding is locked into position.

Front binding for ski boot

Apparatus for a cross-country ski having a longitudinal median plane for laterally guiding a ski shoe whose toe is attached to the ski on top of the ski and whose heel is vertically movable in the median plane on the ski includes a longitudinally extending guide rib adapted to be attached to the top of the ski. This rib is symmetrically located with respect to the median plane of the ski and has top and lateral side surfaces adapted to cooperate with a longitudinal groove in the sole of the ski shoe. The groove has a bottom and lateral side surfaces for receiving the rib when the sole of the shoe seats on the top of the ski. Finally, a resilient member is interposed between the bottom of the groove in the shoe and the top of the ski for resilient compression in response to the seating of the sole on the top of the ski.

Lateral guide apparatus for cross-country ski, ski shoe operable

A front binding for a cross-country ski boot (3), in which a sliding piece (13) of synthetic material is inserted between a locking slide (6) and a fixed slide (9), on its face subjected to friction resulting from relative movement between the locking slide (6) and the slide (9), the sliding piece (13) has transverse projections (14) of relatively flexible material which are deformed so as to always be applied with a certain pressure against the surface on which they slide plastically or elastically when the locking slide (6) moves longitudinally.

Front binding for cross-country ski boot

A lateral guidance device for a cross-country ski shoe or boot in the form of a rib secured to a cross-country ski. The guidance rib includes cross pieces having ends that are spaced above the upper surface of the ski to permit any water in the guidance rib to be evacuated. Additonal cross pieces permit flexibility of the guidance rib and notches allow the guidance rib to be broken to a predetermined size.

Lateral guidance device for a cross-country ski

A lateral guidance apparatus for a ski boot including a longitudinal guidance element projecting from the ski for engagement with a complementary shaped groove in the sole of the boot. On either lateral side of the groove of the boot is a support surface for engagement with a support surface on the interior side of the guidance element and a support surface on the exterior side of the guidance element. With the boot supported upon the ski, the configuration of the support surfaces of the boot and the ski orient the boot, and the skier's lower leg, toward the interior side of the ski.

Lateral guidance apparatus for a cross-country ski boot

A cross-country ski binding having a linkage element for pivotal mounting relative to a ski about a first axis; a latching element pivotally connected to the linkage element about a second axis between a retention position, for retaining a boot to the binding, and a release position, for permitting the boot to be removed from the binding; a device for biasing the latching element toward the retention position, wherein the biasing device is connected between the latching member and a member fixed with respect to the ski. The biasing device is compressed in a direction that is offset with respect to both the first and second axes. The binding according to the invention omits the use of a stirrup member which is used in particular known ski bindings.

System comprising a cross country ski boot and a device to hold the front of the boot on a ski. The holding device (3) holds the front part (17a) of the sole (17) of the boot (1) flat on the upper part of the ski, in a holding zone extending between the front end of the sole and a rear limit (P, P1) thereof, located substantially under the metatarsal-phalangeal joint (A) of the skier's foot, and the boot (1) is shaped so that in the resting position the rear part (17b) of the sole is released obliquely from the upper part of the ski, i.e., the heel (17c) of the boot is normally raised.

Raised metalon

Device for holding a cross-country ski boot against the upper surface of a ski, while permitting the rear portion of the boot not only to be raised, but simultaneously to pivot about an axis of rotation which progressively shifts from being substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the ski, to extending in an oblique direction which is substantially parallel to the axis of the metatarsal-phalangeal joint of the skier's foot. The arrangement accommodates execution of the so-called 'skater half step.'

Metatarsal slant

A safety binding for a cross-country ski including a longitudinal rib bordered laterally by two longitudinal surfaces which are substantially planar and are adapted to engage a groove in a shoe sole. The rib is independent of and displaceable laterally with respect to the longitudinal surfaces and supports an apparatus defining a transverse journal axis around which the anterior zone of the shoe is adapted to pivot. Also provided is a locking apparatus for immobilizing the rib in a skiing position in which the rib is substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the ski and for permitting lateral displacement of the rib in response to a lateral force on the rib which exceeds a predetermined threshold produced by the locking apparatus. This binding has a mass and a cumbersomeness which is comparable to the mass and cumbersomeness of a conventional binding.

Growing community of inventors

Annecy, France

Gerard Graillat