Device For Restoring A Boot On A Ski

Abstract

A device is provided for automatically restoring a boot to a specific position on a ski where it may be locked by a releasable safety binding and includes at least one element connecting the boot to the ski in such a manner that the boot may separate from the ski when the safety binding releases but remains attached thereto by this connecting element. The device is characterized by a centering block fixed to the ski and having an engagement profile receiving a complementary engagement profile fixed to the boot. One end of the connecting element is received in the block while the other end thereof is received in the complementary profile. The connecting element urges engagement of the two profiles with each other.

Description

The present invention relates to a device for automatically restoring a boot to its position on a ski. More particularly, the device according to the invention is intended to be used where a boot can be locked to a ski by at least one releasable safety binding, and where at least one connecting element is provided to connect the boot to the ski, so that when the safety binding is released, the boot may leave the ski, but remain connected thereto by the connecting element. According to one form of the invention, the connecting element may be integral with the automatic restoring device.

Devices for restoring a boot to its position on the ski after a load, for instance a fall, has shifted the boot out of its normal position, are already known.

A first form of known device consists of a plate which fits under the sole of the boot and is held to the ski by adjustable rubber cables connecting each end of the plate to a fixed point on the ski. The rubber cables not only lock the boot to the ski but restore it to its normal position. However, since this system is not a releasable binding, the boot cannot leave the ski at any time, which is a serious disadvantage in the event of a fall, since the resilient cables allow only a small amount of movement of the boot in relation to the ski; if the ski is suddenly halted, the weight of the body thrown forward will apply a considerable load to the bones of the leg.

Another type of known device is used with a heelpiece and a releasable safety stop and consists of a flexible and possibly resilient connection, one end of which is hooked to a fixed point on the ski in the vicinity of the heel, while the other end co-operates with an assembly of straps integral with the rear part of the boot. The purpose of this flexible connection is to prevent the boot from becoming totally separated from the ski in the event of a release of the safety bindings, and also to restore the boot to, and centre it on, the ski. This device, however, requires a considerable number of parts needing careful adjustment and a great deal of time to set them up, in view of the straps to be fastened to the boot.

A final type of known device, intended for use in conjunction with a releasable safety binding, consists of a long cable wound on to a drum, a spring keeping the cable wound on to the drum; the cable comprises a connecting element designed to engage with a complementary connecting element attached to the boot, when the latter is held by the safety binding. When a safety release occurs, the boot separates from the ski but remains connected thereto by the cable unwinding from the drum against the action of the spring. A device of this kind, however, is heavy and takes up a considerable amount of space; it has many parts, especially rotating parts which may be frozen by snow or ice, which seriously affects their operation.

In contrast to this, this invention proposes a device which overcomes the disadvantages of known devices.

To this end, the device according to the invention comprises a centering block arranged integrally with the ski and exhibiting an engaging section which is urged towards a complementary engaging section by a connecting element, one end of which is accommodated in the fixed centering block, while the other end is held in the section integral with the boot, the action of the connecting element tending to keep the two profiles engaged with each other.

It is desirable that the connecting element be resilient and consist of at least one cable, one end of which is attached to one of the two engaging sections, while the other end is mounted movably in the other section, under the action of a spring. However, the cable itself could be resilient. The engaging sections preferably run parallel with the longitudinal axis of the ski, in the case of the centering-block section and parallel with the longitudinal axis of the boot, in the case of the complementary section.

For the purpose of ensuring engagement, one of the sections is hollow and has the shape of a cone or a truncated pyramid, the second section being shaped to fit. In order that these sections may disengage when the boot is raised, the upper wall at least of the hollow section will be rounded off, as will be the lower edge of the projecting section.

According to a preferred form of the invention, the hollow section is located in the centering block, while the projecting section is located axially at the end of a plate integral with the sole of the boot. In this case, one end of the connecting-element cable is attached to the projecting element of the plate, the cable then sliding through the hollow section on the centering block, in which its other end is subjected to the action of an axial spring.

However, one end of the cable might equally well be attached to the hollow section on the centering block, while the other end could be accommodated in the plate, where it would be subjected to the action of a system of springs.

According to another preferred embodiment, the spring system applies two successive tension phases to the cable, one being applied by a single resilient element, such as a spring, while the second phase is applied by means of a hinged element which, by moving, relays the load produced by the spring.

This system is particularly suitable for assisting in fitting the boot to the ski by applying to the said boot an adequate restoring force regardless of the relative positions of the engaging sections. Actually, it has been found that when a single spring is used to ensure resilient restoration, the restoring force is proportional to the tension of the spring, and thus to the distance between the two engaging sections. It will therefore be understood that the restoring force decreases with decreasing distance between the sections and is therefore relatively weak when the sections engage, which is a disadvantage, since the sections may not receive adequate guidance.

The complementary system according to the invention makes it possible to overcome this disadvantage in a simple way by arranging that the restoring force be increased, just prior to the engagement, in order to facilitate the said engagement, this increase being produced not by acting upon the tension of the spring, but by the hinged element which may consist of a device attached both to the cable and to the restoring spring and capable of sudden movement to produce a change in the lever arm by means of which the spring acts upon the cable.

This spring system may, of course, be mounted equally well in the plate integral with the sole of the boot, or in the centering block.

Preferred forms of the present invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section through a first form of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to that in FIG. 1, but illustrating a safety release in the event of a forward fall;

FIG. 3 is a detail, to an enlarged scale, of the engaging sections;

FIG. 4 is a plan view, in part section, of a second embodiment, comprising a spring system and rod;

FIG. 5 is a detail, to an enlarged scale, of the spring system in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a section taken along the line VI-VI in FIG. 5.

In the following description, similar elements bear the same reference numerals.

The simplest embodiment will be explained first of all, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

In these figures, 1 indicates a ski, 2 a boot, and 3 a detachable plate designed to be attached to the sole of the boot to enable the ski to be worn.

The front end of plate 3 carries a jaw 4 adjustable in height by such known means as teeth, the jaw being locked in position by means of screws. This makes it possible to adapt the jaw to soles of different thickness. At the rear, the boot is attached to the plate by means of a conventional lever system 5 mounted to pivot about one arm 5' of a yoke 6, ends 7 of which fit into holes in a series of holes 8 arranged in the sides of the plate to allow for adapting to the length of the sole of the boot. In the position shown in the drawings, the lever system is closed and its lower nose 10 is pressed against the sole of the boot. Pressure on head 9 releases the system by causing it to pivot backwards.

The rear end of the plate has a part 11 designed to co-operate with a safety binding having a multi-directional release, the part having a V-shaped ramp 12 engaging with the projecting end of a piston 13 which belongs to the binding and which slides in a housing 14 attached to the ski, the piston being spring-loaded towards ramp 12 by means of a spring 15 acting upon a flange 16 on the piston; a threaded plug 17, through which the piston passes, serves to adjust the load on spring 15.

The plate carries axially at its front end an elongated male profile 20 which may have the shape of a truncated cone, or better still a truncated pyramid (as shown in FIG. 3). The lower front edge of this male profile is rounded off, as shown at 21.

The male profile is designed to fit into a female profile 23 similar in shape in a centering block 22 attached to ski 1. Upper edge 24 at the entrance to this female profile is also rounded off. Rounded-off edges 21 and 24 facilitate engagement of these profiles and also allow the rear of the plate to lift when it escapes from the safety binding.

One end of a cable 25 is sealed into male profile 20 and passed through an opening 26 in the centering block and through a passage 27 designed to allow head 28 of the cable to slide freely therein. The part of the cable in passage 27 is surrounded by a spring 29, one end of which rests against head 28 while the other end rests against the bottom of the passage. It is desirable that the front end of the passage open towards the outside in order to provide access to the cable; a cover 30, attached by screws for example, is provided to prevent the entry of snow or foreign bodies. It will be noted that in the position shown in FIG. 1, spring 29 still exerts tension on cable 25.

With the arrangement shown in FIG. 1, in which the distance 31 to which the male profile enters, the female profile is greater than the distance 32 between part 11 and housing 14. It will be understood that all safety releases, be they vertical, lateral, or composite, take place to the rear, since the binding cannot release to the front. This arrangement, however, is not mandatory; at least one release could be effected by the male profile escaping in a forward direction from the female profile against the action of restoring spring 29 and locking spring 15.

It will also be noted, and this applies to all arrangements described herein, that the cable, or restoring link, may be accommodated with its resilient element (if the link itself is not resilient) in the binding housing. Also conceivable is the reverse of the case illustrated, i.e., the boot connected to the ski by the heel and releasing in the forward direction. It will also be understood that the connection between the boot and the ski may be arranged at any other convenient location, for example under the plate, when the plate is in its normal position. Moreover two links or cables might be provided instead of one, preferably arranged symmetrically in relation to the longitudinal axis of the ski.

Finally, in order to prevent the cable from corkscrewing after a safety release, and to avoid having to turn the ski by hand in order to return the cable to its correct position, an anti-corkscrewing device, such as swivel 33 shown in FIG. 2, may be provided.

A second example of embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6, in which the restoring device is a two-shot arrangement.

In this example, the female profile is also arranged in the centering block, whereas male profile 20 pertains to plate 3. One end of cable 25 is attached to centering block 22 and passes slidingly through the front end of plate 3, to extend into chamber 37 in the interior of the plate. End 38 of the cable is mounted in a fork 39 which pivots about an axis 40 integral with the end of one arm 40 of an elbow part 41. Arm 40' of part 40 has an elongated slot 42 moving on a fixed axis 43 integral with the walls of plate 3. It should be noted that axis 43 is assembled into the slot in such a manner that the two elements rub against each other. The free end of the second arm of part 41 is connected to the end of a spring 45, the other end of which is hooked to a fixed point 46 on plate 3.

This system operates as follows: when profile 20 is fitted into centering block 22 as shown in FIG. 4, i.e. when the boot is held to the ski, the restoring system is in the position shown in full lines in FIG. 5. After a safety release has occurred and the boot separates from the ski, the cable remaining motionless, elbow part 41 first of all pivots about axis 43 in the direction of arrow F, exerting a pull on spring 45. Simultaneously, part 41 slides on axis 43, finally assuming the position shown in dotted lines, with spring 45 stretched to its maximum. In order to put the boot back into place on the ski, the tension in spring 45 urges plate 3 back again towards the centering block, and elbow part 41 pivots about axis 43. At this moment, male profile 20 is about to enter the centering block, but spring 45 is at an almost minimal position of tension, and therefore no longer urges plate 3 forwards. On the other hand, elbow part 41, being in the position shown in fine lines in FIG. 5, may slide abruptly along axis 43, to return to the position shown in full lines, this sudden movement producing a pull on end 38 of the cable, and thus facilitating the engagement of the profiles. It will be observed that even in the position shown in full lines in FIG. 5, spring 45 is under tension, so that the device may function correctly.

The invention, having now been disclosed in relation to two specific forms, should not be limited in interpretation except by the terms of the following claims.

Claims

What I claim is:

1. A device for automatically restoring a boot to a specific position on a ski where it may be locked by a releasable safety binding, said device being arranged to cooperate with one extremity of the boot and said releasable safety binding being arranged to cooperate with the other extremity of the boot, comprising a centering block integrally fixed to the ski and having an engagement profile; a complementary engagement profile rigidly fixed to the boot; at least one element connecting said block and said complementary profile, one end of said connecting element being received in said block and the other end thereof being received in said complementary profile; and resilient means for tensioning said connecting element and urging said profiles into engagement with each other.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the connecting element consists of a cable, one end of which is attached to a first of said two engagement profiles, while the other end is mounted to move within a second of said engagement profiles and is spring-loaded by said resilient means in a position spaced from said first profile.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the engagement profile in the centering block runs parallel with the longitudinal axis of the ski, while the engagement profile integral with the boot runs parallel with the longitudinal axis of the boot so that the profiles engage each other through a motion of the boot substantially parallel to the ski.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein the centering block exhibits a hollow profile extending in the longitudinal axis of the ski, whereas the complementary profile is a projecting profile located axially of the end of a plate fixed to the sole of the boot.

5. A device according to claim 4, wherein the upper wall at least of the hollow profile is rounded off at the edge pointing towards the ski.

6. A device according to claim 4, wherein at least the lower front edge of the projecting profile is rounded off.

7. A device according to claim 5, wherein said connecting element is a cable one end of said cable being attached to the projecting profile on the plate through which it passes axially, said cable passing slidingly through the hollow profile in the centering block, in which its other end is subjected to the action of a resilient element.

8. A device according to claim 4, wherein said connecting element is a cable one end of said cable being attached in the hollow profile in the centering block, said cable passing slidingly through the projecting profile in the plate in which its other end is subjected to the action of a resilient element.

9. A device according to claim 8, wherein the sliding end of the cable is loaded by means of a system of springs comprising an element, one end of which is hinged to the end of the cable, while the other end is hinged to the restoring spring, said hinged element being adapted to assume two positions, one position in which the spring is in an operative position corresponding to the separation of the boot from the ski, and another position in which the spring is inoperative, corresponding to the restoration of the boot to the ski, for which the cable undergoes additional traction.

10. A device for maintaining and centering boot means in a specific position on a ski, said device being arranged to cooperate with one extremity of the boot means, the other extremity of the boot means being locked by a resilient releasable safety binding member mounted in a housing fixed on the ski, said binding member insuring the release of said boot means upon occurrence of a predetermined force on the boot means, said device comprising: a centering block intregally attached to the ski and having an engagement profile receiving a complementary engagement profile on said boot means; the penetration distance of one profile into the other profile being greater than the distance, in the plane of the ski, separating the housing of said binding member from said boot means adjacent said binding member so that safety releases first take place at the binding member.

11. A device as defined in claim 10 wherein the engagement profile of said centering block runs parallel with the longitudinal axis of the ski; the engagement profile of the boot means running parallel with the longitudinal axis of the sole of the boot.

12. A device as defined in claim 10 wherein said centering block exhibits a hollow profile extending in the longitudinal axis of the ski; said complementary profile being a projecting profile located axially on the end on a plate fixed to the sole of the boot.

13. A device as defined in claim 12 wherein the upper wall at least of the hollow profile is rounded off at the edge pointing towards the ski.

14. A device as defined in claim 12 wherein at least the lower front edge of the projecting profile is rounded off.

15. A device as defined in claim 10 wherein both profiles diverge, in the plane of the ski, from a point situated forward of the front end of the boot means in a direction towards the rear end of the boot means.

16. A device as defined in claim 10 wherein both profiles diverge, in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the ski and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the ski, from a point situated forward of the front end of the boot means in a direction towards the rear end of the boot means.

17. A device as defined in claim 10 wherein both profiles are engaged with each other by means of a resilient connecting element urging the profiles with each other and preventing complete separation of the boot means from the ski.

18. A device for connecting a boot to a ski and for restoring the boot to a specific position on the ski where it may be locked by a releasable safety binding, the device allowing the boot to separate from the ski while remaining attached thereto when the safety binding releases, said device comprising: at least one cable extending between two parts including the boot and one member fixed to the ski, one of the ends of the cable being fixedly secured in one of said two parts, the other end being slidably received in the other part; said cable being tensioned between said ends thereof in a substantially straight line substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the ski; and resilient means for tensioning said cable said resilent means disposed between the slidable end of said cable and a bearing point for said resilient means provided on said part in which the slidable end of the cable is received, said bearing point being substantially alined with said cable.

19. A device as defined in claim 18 wherein said resilient means include an helicoidal rectilinear spring.

20. A device as defined in claim 18 wherein said cable comprises a device for preventing corkscrewing.

21. A device as defined in claim 18 further comprising two parallel restoring cables for preventing the ski from turning in relation to the boot.

22. A device as defined in claim 18 wherein said spring is mounted on a portion of the cable located between the slidable end thereof and a bearing zone on the part in which said slidable end is located.

23. A device as defined in claim 22 wherein the part in which said slidable end is located is constituted by a structure integral to the ski.

24. A device as defined in claim 18 wherein said resilient means include a helicoidal spring, having one end attached to said bearing point, and an elbow member hingedly connected at one end thereof to said spring and, at the other end thereof, to the slidable end of said cable; said elbow member being adapted to take two positions, one position in which said spring is in a working position corresponding to the separation of the boot from the ski, and another position in which said spring is inoperative, corresponding to the restoration of the boot to the ski, and for which the cable undergoes additional tension.

25. A device as defined in claim 24 wherein said elbow member cooperates with a sliding member having a fixed axis, the displacement of said sliding member on said fixed axis causing the displacement of the elbow member from one of said positions to the other of said positions by a combined pivotal and translation movement.