U.S. patent number 3,822,070 [Application Number 05/235,119] was granted by the patent office on 1974-07-02 for device for restoring a boot on a ski.
Invention is credited to Georges Pierre Joseph Salomon.
United States Patent |
3,822,070 |
Salomon |
July 2, 1974 |
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.
Inventors: |
Salomon; Georges Pierre Joseph
(Haute-Savoie, Annecy, FR) |
Family
ID: |
9074059 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/235,119 |
Filed: |
March 16, 1972 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
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Mar 24, 1971 [FR] |
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71.10381 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
280/637; 280/613;
280/618; 280/623 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63C
9/0847 (20130101); A63C 9/086 (20130101); A63C
9/0846 (20130101); A63C 9/0841 (20130101); A63C
9/08507 (20130101); A63C 9/08564 (20130101); A63C
9/005 (20130101); A63C 9/0805 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A63C
9/086 (20060101); A63C 9/08 (20060101); A63c
009/08 () |
Field of
Search: |
;280/11.35N,11.35K,11.35C,11.35D,11.35A,11.35R,11.35B |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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1,179,625 |
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Dec 1958 |
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FR |
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268,951 |
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Feb 1969 |
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OE |
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Primary Examiner: Schonberg; David
Assistant Examiner: Smith; Milton L.
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.
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.
* * * * *