1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cross-country ski binding, and more particularly, to improvements in a known binding, adapted to ensure the linkage between the cross-country ski boot and a cross-country ski.
2. Background and Material Information
A known cross-country ski binding includes the following components: at least one support element; a linkage element for connecting the front end portion of the ski boot to the support element, the linkage element being pivotably mounted on the support element around a first transverse axis; an abutment to limit the rotation of the linkage element in a first direction, around the first axis, with respect to the support element, in a manner so as to define a preferred angular position of the linkage element with respect to the support element, the first direction being oriented from front to rear above the first axis; a latching element for connecting the front end portion of the boot to the linkage element, the latching element being pivotably mounted on the linkage element around a second transverse axis between two positions, respectively, for attachment and release of the front end portion of the ski boot with respect to the linkage element, movement from the release position to the attachment position occurring by rotation of the latching element in a second direction, around the second axis, with respect to the linkage element, the second direction being oriented from front to rear above the second axis; and an elastic bias device for directly biasing the latching element in the second direction and for indirectly biasing the linkage element in the first direction.
A binding of this type is described in French patent application No. 85 17775 of Dec. 2, 1985, and includes, for directly biasing the latching element and for indirectly biasing the linkage element, an elastically compressible element acting elastically between the linkage element, by means of the latching element, and a corresponding element which is itself journalled on the support element. The corresponding element ensures a guidance of the elastically compressible element, which rests on the latching element by means of a cam path, which makes it possible to reach the latching position or the release position by pivoting of the assembly formed by the corresponding element and the elastically compressible element and sliding the elastically compressible element on the latching element.
This design which directly biases the latching element and indirectly biases the linkage element is disadvantageous for a number of reasons. For example, the elastically compressible element and the corresponding element constitute, above the ski, an assembly which moves with respect to the ski during each extensional movement of the foot, i.e., continuously during cross-country skiing, and has a substantial mass and inertia which unfavorably influences the dynamics of the binding and of the ski in its entirety.
Another disadvantage is that it is necessary to have a very complicated and exacting arrangement with respect to the support of the elastically compressible element on the latching element, so as to be able to bring the latter into the latching position or into the release position by a simple controlled movement, with respect to the ski, of the assembly formed by the corresponding element and the elastically compressible element. This precision can be obtained without difficulty during manufacture, however it nevertheless results in it being delicate and, consequently, costly. Furthermore, this need of great precision renders the binding particularly vulnerable to the consequences of wear which inevitably occur, particularly with respect to the support of the elastically compressible element on the latching element.