Ski Safety Strap Latch

Abstract

A latch for a ski safety strap in which a base formed with a hook and secured to one end of the safety strap slidably supports a cover for movement between a first position at which it closes the hook to retain a ring carried by the other end of the strap within the hook and a second position at which the hook is open to permit the ring to fall away from the hook. A spring housed by the cover and base biases the cover to its hook closing position.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the sport of skiing releasable bindings are employed securely to hold the skis attached to the skiers' boots during normal skiing activity while automatically releasing the skis from the boots in response to abnormal strains which otherwise might result in injury to the skier. While these bindings satisfactorily achieve their purpose of protecting the skier from injury the skis often run away from the skier when the bindings are released automatically or are intentionally disengaged.

Various expedients have been resorted to in the prior art in an effort to overcome the problem of runaway skis. For the most part these arrangements are complicated and cumbersome and are extremely inconvenient to operate particularly for a person wearing ski mittens.

I have invented a ski safety strap latch which overcomes the defects of arrangements of the prior art intended to overcome the problem of runaway skis. My latch effectively prevents skis from running away when the safety ski bindings are automatically or intentionally released. My latch is easy to operate even for a person wearing ski mittens. It lies flat against the wearer's boot. It is simple in construction and easy to manufacture. It is reliable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One object of my invention is to provide a ski safety strap latch which is simple to operate even for a person wearing ski mittens.

Another object of my invention is to provide a ski safety strap latch which is simple in construction and which is inexpensive to manufacture.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a ski safety strap latch which lies flat against the wearer's boot.

A further object of my invention is to provide a ski safety latch which is rugged and reliable.

Other and further object of my invention will appear in the following description:

In general my invention contemplates the provision of a latch for use with a ski safety strap having a loop connected to the ski and having an auxiliary resilient length fastened between portions of the strap extending from the loop and adapted to wrap around the rear of ski boot when the ends of the strap are joined. One end of the strap carries the latch base which is formed with a hook and which slidably carries a cover for movement between a position at which it covers the hook to retain a loop or ring on the other end of the strap within the hook and another position at which the took is open to permit the ring to fall away from the hook. A spring housed by the base and the cover biases the cover to its hook-closing position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings which form part of the instant specification and which are to be read in conjunction therewith and in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the various views:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a ski safety strap incorporating my latch.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a portion of the strap shown in FIG. 1 illustrating details of my latch.

FIG. 3 is a plan view with parts broken away of my ski safety strap latch.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the relative positions of the parts in the closed condition of my latch.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the relative positions of the parts of my ski safety strap latch with the hook open.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of my ski safety strap latch illustrating the manner in which the ring falls away from the hook when the latch is open.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings my ski safety strap latch indicated generally by the reference character 10 is used on a ski safety strap 12 adapted to prevent a ski 14 from running away from a ski boot 16 upon release of the bindings (not shown) which normally secure the boot to the ski 14.

The major portion of the strap 12 may be formed of any suitable material of relatively high tensile strength such for example as nylon webbing or the like. Rivet 18 or the like passing through the strap 12 forms the loop 20 which may be attached to the ski 14 by any suitable fastening device such for example as a snap hook 22 mounted on the ski 14. A pair of rivets 24 and 26 or other appropriate fasteners secure a length of resilient material 28 between the lengths of the webbing 12 outside the loop 20. In use of the safety strap 12 as will be more fully apparent from the description hereinafter the ends of the webbing 12 are joined by the latch 10 to draw the resilient length 28 around the back of the boot 16.

My latch 10 includes a base 30 having respective sides 32 and 34 and an end wall 36 at the front of the base. I provide each of the sides 32 and 34 with a recess 38 provided with an inclined surface 40 for a reason which will be explained hereinafter. Recesses 38 together with end wall 36 form a hook. The other principal element of my latch 10 is a cover 42 having sides 44 and 46 disposed outside of the sides 32 and 34 of the base 30 and having an end wall 48.

The sides 30 and 32 of the base 30 carry a first pin 50 which extends outwardly through respective slots 52 and 54 in the sides 44 and 46 of the top 42. Top 42 carries a pin 56 which extends through slots 58 and 60 in the sides 32 and 34 of the base 30. In this manner cover 42 is mounted on the base 30 for sliding movement between a position at which the cover overlies the recesses 38 to close the hook formed thereby and a position at which the recesses are uncovered to open the hook. Each of the base 30 and cover 42 may be simply fabricated from sheet metal.

A spring 62 housed by the cover 42 and base 30 bears between the pins 50 and 56 normally to urge the cover to a limit position, determined by pins 50 and 56 at the ends of slots 52 and 60, at which the cover closes the hook formed by the recesses 38. While I may use any suitable spring preferably the spring 62 is formed by a length of a coil spring which is distorted to a U-shape with the ends of the legs of the U bearing on pin 56 and with the base of the U bearing on pin 50.

I secure the base 30 to one end 64 of the strap 12 by any suitable means known to the art such for example as by rivets 66 and 68. A post 70 carried by the cover 42 receives a strap 72 which may easily be grasped by the user to permit him to pull the cover 42 against the action of spring 62 to a position at which the cover opens the recesses 38.

The other end 74 of the strap 12 receives a ring indicated generally by the reference character 76 having respective end transverse legs 78 and 80 and an intermediate leg 82. In attaching the end 74 to the ring 76 I loop it around the intermediate leg 82 and carry the free end back onto the strap 12 at a point beyond leg 80. I next pass a rivet 84 through the overlapped portions of the strap between the two legs 80 and 82 and then pass another rivet 86 through free end 74 and a portion of the strap 12 outside the ring 76. Owing to this arrangement the ring cannot freely pivot on the strap 12 and the operation of assembling the ring in the hook of the latch 10 is facilitated. It is to be noted further than I provide the ring 76 with a slight bend intermediate its ends to make it conform to the shape of the ankle portion of the boot.

In use a safety strap 12 provided with my latch 10 the loop 20 of the strap is attached to the ski 14 by any means such as by the snap hook 22. The ends 64 and 74 of the strap 12 are brought around to a position adjacent the front or side of the boot 16 and the resilient length 28 accommodates boots of different sizes. The cover 42 is moved against the action of spring 62 to a position at which recesses 38 are open to permit the leg 78 of the ring 76 to be inserted into the recesses. The cover then is released so that spring 62 moves it to a position at which it closes recesses 38 securely to retain leg 78 in recesses 38. This is the position of the parts of my latch illustrated in FIG. 4. It will readily be appreciated that while the spaced pins 50 and 56 and the associated pairs of slots 52 and 54, and 58 and 60 permit relative sliding movement between the base 30 and the cover 42, they prevent any relative pivotal movement therebetween such as might permit leg 78 to escape from recesses 38 even with the cover 42 in closed position.

When the skier wishes to release the safety strap he merely pulls on the tap 72 in the direction indicated thereon to move the housing or cover 42 from the position shown in FIG. 4 to the position shown in FIG. 5 to open the hook formed at the end wall 36. When that has been done tension in the length 28 causes leg 78 to ride up the surfaces 40 and fall away from the latch 10 as shown in FIG. 6.

It will be seen that I have accomplished the objects of my invention. I have provided a latch for a ski safety strap which overcomes the defects of arrangements of the prior art for preventing runaway skis. My latch is easy to operate even for a person wearing ski mittens. It lies flat against the wearer's boot with the cover closed. It is simple in construction and is easy to manufacture. It is rugged in construction and is reliable in use.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of my claims. It is further obvious that various changes may be made in details within the scope of my claims without departing from the spirit of my invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that my invention is not to be limited to the specific details shown and described.

Claims

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A latch including in combination a box-like bottom having a generally flat base extending from the front to the back of the bottom and having side walls and an open top, laterally aligned recesses in said side walls forming a hook adjacent to one end of said base, a cover having a generally flat top and having side walls and having an open bottom, a first cross pin carried by the side walls of one of said bottom and cover adjacent the front thereof, first slots in the side walls of the other of said bottom and cover for receiving said first cross pin, a second cross pin carried by the side walls of said other of the bottom and cover adjacent the back thereof, second slots in said one of the bottom and cover for receiving said second cross pin, said cross pins and said slots mounting said cover on said bottom for linear opening movement parallel to the bottom from a closed position at which a portion of said cover overlies said hook and an open position at which said hook is open while restraining said bottom and said cover against relative rotary movement, and a compression spring housed by said bottom and cover and bearing between said pins for urging said cover to closed position, said recesses having edges adjacent said end inclined in a direction opposite to said opening movement from the bases of the recesses toward said end and extending into said open top.

2. A latch as in claim 1 in which said cover side walls are cut away adjacent said overlying top portion to expose the lower portions of said recesses in the closed position of said cover.

3. A latch as in claim 1 including a flexible pull tab secured to said cover to facilitate operation of said latch.