Ski binding witih boot-center referencing

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for binding an article of footwear, or boot, on a gliding apparatus, such as a ski, the device including a front retaining element or binding, or toe-piece, and a rear retaining element or binding, or heel-piece. The device includes a structure to indicate a reference point determined by a predefined ratio between the distance between a front frame of reference, or reference plane, associated with the toe-piece and the reference plane, on the one hand, and the distance between the reference point and a rear frame of reference, or reference plane, associated with the heel-piece, on the other hand. The present invention also relates to a gliding apparatus that includes the footwear binding device.

1 . A device for binding an article of footwear on a gliding apparatus, the device comprising:
 a front boot-retaining element;   a rear boot-retaining element;   an indication structure for indicating a reference point determined by a predefined ratio between a distance between a front reference plane associated with the front boot-retaining element and the reference point and a distance between the reference point and a rear reference plane associated with the rear boot-retaining element.   
     
     
         2 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the front boot-retaining element and the rear boot-retaining element are guided by a first sliding rack and a second sliding rack, respectively, the first and second sliding racks facilitating movement of the respective front and rear boot-retaining elements along the longitudinal axis of the gliding apparatus;   the device comprises a first adjustment mechanism for adjusting the longitudinal position of the front boot-retaining element and the rear boot-retaining element with respect to the gliding apparatus.   
     
     
         3 . A device according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 the device further comprises a second adjustment mechanism for adjusting, with respect to the gliding apparatus, either (1) the longitudinal position of rear boot-retaining element and the front boot-retaining element, or (2) the longitudinal position of a subassembly comprising the front boot-retaining element and rear boot-retaining element.   
     
     
         4 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the indication structure comprises:
 a first indicating element fixed to the front boot-retaining element; 
 a second indicating element fixed to the rear boot-retaining element; 
 the first and second indicating elements are arranged so as to define, in all relative positions between the front and rear boot-retaining elements, a geometric figure, a singular point of the geometric figure being indicative of said reference point. 
   
     
     
         5 . A device according to  claim 4 , wherein:
 the geometric figure is a triangle, the singular point being a vertex of the triangle.   
     
     
         6 . A device according to  claim 4 , wherein:
 the first indicating element defines a line inclined at a first angle in relation to the longitudinal axis of said gliding apparatus;   the second indicating element defines a line inclined at a second angle in relation to the longitudinal axis of the gliding apparatus.   
     
     
         7 . A device according to  claim 6 , wherein:
 the first and second angles are identical.   
     
     
         8 . A device according to  claim 6 , wherein:
 the first and second indicating elements are formed by superimposed blades, at least one of the blades being is inclined so as to define one of the lines of the first and second indicating elements.   
     
     
         9 . A device according to  claim 4 , wherein:
 at least one of the first and second indicating elements has a graduation to facilitate reading of the reference point indicated by the indication structure.   
     
     
         10 . A device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a base structured and arranged to be affixed to the gliding apparatus, the base comprising a scale structured and arranged to identify a position of the reference point in relation to the base.   
     
     
         11 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the indication structure is only a mechanical structure, the indication structure indicating the reference point without employing any electronic component.   
     
     
         12 . A device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an information arrangement for indicating a relative spacing between the front and rear boot-retaining elements.   
     
     
         13 . A device according to  claim 12 , wherein:
 the information arrangement is integrated with at least one constituent element of the indication structure.   
     
     
         14 . A gliding assembly comprising:
 gliding apparatus;   a binding device for binding an article of footwear onto the gliding apparatus, the device comprising:
 a front boot-retaining element; 
 a rear boot-retaining element; 
 an indication structure for indicating a reference point determined by a predefined ratio between a distance between a front reference plane associated with the front boot-retaining element and the reference point and a distance between the reference point and a rear reference plane associated with the rear boot-retaining element.