Safety Binding For Skis

Abstract

The safety binding includes a plate between the ski and the skier's boot, the plate being secured to the boot detachably but positively and secured to the ski at least partly detachably by means of securing elements adapted to yield, beyond a predetermined threshold, to loads applied in the form of torsion in the plane of the ski or in the form of pivoting; it also includes at least one flexible connection secured to the ski and plate on their opposing surfaces and cooperating with at least one resiliently extensible and/or flexible element adapted to apply to the connection a restoring force tending to bring it back into the plane of the ski.

Description

The invention relates to safety bindings for skis.

For some considerable time, designers have been endeavouring to make these more convenient to use. In its most convenient form, the binding is designed in a manner such that all that is required is to engage the boot with the securing elements integral with the ski and to press on the heel in order to secure the ski to the boot automatically by resilient locking means. In order to remove the ski, the skier merely applies pressure with the tip of his stick to a releasing element near the heel of the boot, also known as the rear stop, which then releases the boot. Thus, the skier does not have to bend down either to put his skis on or to take them off.

With the advent of safety bindings, it has become necessary to provide, apart from the actual binding elements between the ski and the boot, an additional connection, generally called a safety strap, the purpose of which is, when the binding opens as the result of a fall, to keep the ski near the skier, while still allowing his legs to be relieved of any stresses communicated to them by the skis.

The need for a safety strap of this kind, to prevent the loss of the ski in the event of a fall, is a limitation which makes it impossible to take full advantage of the automatic safety binding, since the skier has to bend down in any case to secure or release the safety strap whenever he wishes to put his skis on or take them off.

Moreover, in the event of a fall, the strap frequently twists, thus becoming shorter and preventing the foot from being correctly replaced. The skier then has to remove the strap in order to replace it correctly. Moreover, when the skies are put on after being carried, the strap may be in any position and will usually get in the way, in which case it must be replaced manually, an irksome operation.

It is the purpose of the invention to eliminate these disadvantages in safety bindings of this type which comprise, between the ski and the boot, a plate attached immovably but positively to the boot, i.e., the plate cannot leave the boot in the event of a fall; on the other hand, it is at least partially removable from the ski by means of binding elements engaging resiliently and designed to yield, beyond a predetermined threshold, under stresses applied in the form of torsion in a horizontal plane and/or forward pivoting, for example, i.e., stresses such as may occur if the skier should fall.

The binding according to the invention is characterized by at least one flexible connection attached to the ski and the plate on their opposing surfaces and cooperating with at least one resiliently extensible and/or flexible element adapted to apply to the flexible connection a restoring force tending to bring it back into the plane of the ski, preferably in the perimeter of the area normally occupied by the plate on the ski.

In one advantageous configuration, the restoring action of the resiliently extensible and/or flexible element is made use of to urge the ski to move back under the boot, to move the ends of the ski away from the upper part of the skier's body.

Thus, by judicious selection, on the one hand, of anchorage locations on the plate and the ski for one or more units comprising a flexible connection and a resilient restoring element and, on the other hand, of the degree of restoring reaction of this element, possible in relation to others, the process of bringing the ski back under the plate at the heel end of the boot is caused to predominate, thus keeping the blades of the skis away from the skier's head and keeping them pointing forwards.

Where a rigid binding having pivots is provided between the plate and the ski, it is desirable to select anchorage locations on the plate and the ski for the flexible connection or connections, through which the resilient element or elements exert a restoring force on the ski in order to bring it back under the plate, in a manner such that they are as far as possible away from the corresponding anchorage points for the rigid binding.

According to one advantageous embodiment of the invention, the flexible connection (a textile cord or strip, preferably of polyamide or polypropylene), anchored to substantially opposing points, one near the front or rear end of the plate and the other on the ski, passes through at least one annular slide connected, by a resiliently extensible element (a cord or strip of rubber, a tension spring, or the like), to the plate or ski sufficiently far in front of or behind the anchorage point of the flexible connection to cause it to stretch flat in the shape of a V between the plate and the ski.

If two slides are used, they should be joined together by their resiliently extensible elements on each side of the flexible connection, one to the plate and the other to the ski, in order to cause the connection to assume the shape of a Z between the plate and the ski.

It would also be possible to use two resilient elements with a single flexible connection, one connected to the ski and the other to the plate, but on the same side in relation to the anchorage points of the flexible connection. This arrangement has the advantage of preventing the ski from turning in relation to the skier after a safety release.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the flexible connection and the resiliently extensible element are such that one forms a tubular structure around the other and they are attached to each other by their ends.

According to a first form of execution, the tubular structure may be constituted by the flexible connection, by making it surround a helicoidal spring, the turns of which are contiguous, or a meander, a strip, or a rubber cord, the whole tending to shorten by pleating the tubular structure around a straight centre line assumed as its neutral position by the resiliently extensible element.

According to another form of execution, the tubular element may be constituted by the resiliently extensible element, by using for the purpose a rubber tube or a heliocoidal spring with contiguous turns, containing one or more cords, the length of which is greater than that of the said tubular structure in its neutral position, but is at most equal to the length the said structure may attain within the limits of its resiliency.

According to still another form of execution, the flexible connection may be in the form of a tape made of a textile material arranged in the form of accordeon pleating or meanders, traversed in their median plane by one or more rubber cords.

As a result of this, and regardless of the arrangement used to connect the flexible connection and the resiliently extensible or flexible element, it is desirable to provide, in at least one of the adjacent surfaces of the ski and/or the plate, a cavity which may be used as a housing for the connection and resilient element in the orderly position which the latter tends to impart to the former.

The drawing attached hereto, and given by way of example, will make it easier to understand the invention, the characteristics thereof, and the advantages it is capable of providing. In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a ski safety binding according to the invention, in the open position;

FIGS. 2 and 3 show, diagrammatically and in section, the main elements of a binding according to a variant, in the closed and open positions respectively;

FIGS. 4 and 5 show, in a manner resembling FIG. 3, two other variants;

FIGS. 6 and 7 show, diagrammatically and in section, the essential parts of a binding according to another variant, in the closed and open positions respectively;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a binding element according to still another variant;

FIG. 9 is a view, partly in elevation, partly in section of a ski binding according to still another form of execution according to the invention.

The invention relates to saftey bindings for skis comprising, in a manner known per se, between the ski 1 and a boot 2 (FIG. 9), a plate 3,3a attached to boot 2 immovably but positively and attached to ski 1, so that it is at least partially detachable, by means of securing elements adapted to yield, beyond a predetermined threshold, to loads in the form of torsion in the plane of ski 1 and/or pivoting, such as may occur if the skier falls.

In the form of execution illustrated in FIG. 1, the rear of plate 3 has a profiled extension 4 arranged to engage under a clip 5, while the front has an indentation 6 arranged to engage behind and under a spring plunger 7 housed in front stop 8.

The front of plate 3 carries a jaw 9 to hold the boot, while the rear is fitted with an over-dead-centre device 10, the jaw and device being of any type known per se and suitable for the purpose. The whole may be arranged to make it possible to fit the ski merely by introducing the toe of the boot under jaw 9 and pressing the heel on part 11 of the said device, and to remove the ski by applying vertical pressure to the free end of a layer 12, for example with the tip of a stick.

Starting with a safety binding comprising a plate 3 -- regardless of the means known per se used to secure it detachably, on the one hand to the ski by the actual safety-binding elements, i.e., by elements adapted to release the plate before the torsion applied by the ski to the skier's leg become dangerous and, on the other hand, positively to the boot, i.e., so that it can only be removed therefrom intentionally, by carrying out a specific operation -- the binding is complemented, according to the invention, by a flexible connection 13, the ends of which are secured at 14 to ski 1 and at 15 to plate 3, on the opposing surfaces thereof, and cooperating with a resiliently extensible element 16 adapted to apply to flexible connection 13 a restoring force tending to return it into perimeter 17 of the surface normally occupied by plate 3 on ski 1.

In order that it may best perform its function of securing ski 1 to plate 3, flexible connection 13 is made very strong and is unstretchable, while element 16 is combined with said connection 13 to ensure tidy stowage of the connection in the space provided for it between ski and plate 3, with no possibility of being stretched beyond its limits of elasticity, any such stretch being voluntarily limited by flexible connection 13.

There are many ways of combining a plurality of flexible connections 13 with various extensible or flexible elements 16, in order to achieve this result in accordance with the invention.

According to one form of execution, the flexible connection consists of a cord or strap of high-strength, and preferably rot-proof textile material, for example polyamide or polypropylene, secured at 15 to plate 3, near one of the ends thereof, in this case near its rear end, and at 14 to ski 1 at a point which, when plate 3 is attached to ski, is substantially opposite point 15.

Flexible connection 13 carries a slide 18 which resiliently extensible element 16, in the form of a rubber cord or tape, a meander or a helical spring, connects to ski 1 at a point 19, and which, when plate 3 is secured to ski 1, comes to rest under the front end of this plate. It will be observed that, instead of being secured of ski 1 at 19, element 16 could also be secured, according to one variant, to the front portion of the bottom surface of plate 3.

It will be seen that the combination of the flexible connection and resilient element 16, when arranged in this way, fulfills the function of a safety strap and, more particularly, that when plate 3, on the occasion of a fall by the skier, becomes detached from ski 1, and the skier puts it back in its place, the safety strap 13, 16 automatically retracts into the space assigned to it between plate 3 and ski 1, element 16 acting upon flexible connection 13 to stretch it into the form of a V enclosed between the ski and the plate. It will also be seen that the attachment of the free end of spring 16 to connection 13 by means of slide 18 makes it possible to limit the maximal extension of element 16 to the distance between points 19 and 14. Connection 13 may thus be distinctly longer than the maximal resilient extension of element 16, without inducing permanent elongation.

This advantage may be increased still further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, by providing connection 13a with two slides 18a and 18b, each connected by a resiliently extensible element 16a and 16b, on each side of connection 13a, the one, at 19a, to ski 1 and the other, at 19b, to plate 3. Thus when the plate returns to its position on ski 1, resiliently extensible elements 16a, 16b cause connection 13a to flatten in the form of a Z between plate 3 and ski 1.

It will be observed that, in this form of execution, the maximal extension of elements 16a, 16b occurs when plate 3 moves to the left, in relation to ski 1, until connection 13a is extended into a straight line, in which case slide 18a moves to 14a and slide 18b to 15a; thus the extension of elements 16a, 16b is strictly limited to an absolutely predetermined value.

In this form of execution, having two resiliently extensible elements, anchor points 14a, 15a of connection 13a to ski 1 and plate 3 do not come opposite each other when the plate is secured to the ski; on the contrary, they are preferably located close to the opposite ends of plate 3.

In one variant, points 18, 18a, 18b could be fixed to corresponding flexible connections 13, 13a, in which case the maximal resilient travel of element 16, 16a, 16b would be equal to the distance between 19 and 14 increased by the distance between 14 and 18.

According to still another form of execution of the invention, as shown in FIG. 4, provision is made for two flexible connections 13e, 13f, one end of each being connected on the one hand to the ski and on the other hand to the plate, the connections being at a certain distance from each other and preferably parallel. The connections carry two slides 18d, 18c connected by a resiliently extensible element 16f, the length of which is such that, when plate 3 is replaced on ski 1, it tends to flatten connections 13e, 13f onto the ski like opposing pleats of an accordeon.

Thus slides 18d, 18e may be eliminated and resiliently extensible element 16f may be secured directly to connections 13e, 13f.

It will be seen that an arrangement of this kind prevents the ski from rotating in relation to plate 3 when the ski and plate are separated, for instance if the skier falls.

According to still another form of execution of the invention, resiliently extensible elements 16, 16a, 16b could be replaced by elements which are not extensible but are merely resiliently flexible, consisting, for example, of spring blades 16c, the free of which is provided with an aperture 20 through which a tape 13b is threaded, one end of the tape being secured at 14b, under blade 16, to ski 1, while the other end is secured at 15b to plate 3.

In certain cases, when resiliently extensible elements are used, there is no need to provide, between the length of flexible connection 13 and that of resiliently extensible element 16, extended to the limit of its elasticity, a difference in length as great as that in the cases shown in FIGS. 1 to 4. In this case they may be secured to each other by their ends, connection 13 being stretched and element 16 being elongated to slightly less than its elastic limit, in order to make both of them work in the same direction.

According to another variant of the invention, it is desirable, under these circumstances, to arrange the flexible connection or the resiliently extensible element so that one forms a tubular structure enclosing the other, as illustrated diagrammatically in FIGS. 6 and 7.

According to a first form of execution, the tubular sheath may be the resiliently extensible element. This element may consist of a helicoidal spring 16d with contiguous turns surrounding a cord 13c made of polyamide or polypropylene which, when spring 16 is in its neutral, shortened position (FIG. 6), forms, within the spring, folds as shown in FIG. 7 which allow it to be elongated again.

According to one variant, not shown, spring 16 may be replaced by a rubber tube.

According to another form of execution, not shown, the tubular structure may be in the form of an inextensible connection surrounded by a resilient element such as a heliconidal spring, a meander spring, or a cord or strip made of rubber. In this case, the tubular sheath forms accordeon pleats around the resilient element which, in its neutral position, remains substantially linear.

According to still another form of execution of the invention, as shown in FIG. 8, the flexible connection is in the form of a inextensible strip 13d made of textile fibres and arranged in accordeon pleats, through the median plane of which run stretched rubber threads 16e.

The flexible connection and its resiliently extensible element are accommodated between ski 1 and plate 3 in a cavity 21 in the bottom face of the plate, the cavity covering the ski beyond securing points 14 and 19 when the plate is secured to ski 1 between elements 5 and 8.

The binding may comprise a plate 3a (FIG. 9) which remains permanently attached to ski 1 by means of a pivot 24 and a link 22. As may be seen in FIG. 9, when boot 2 is pressed down onto the ski, the end of link 22 projecting beyond pivot 24 engages under a sort of duck-bill 25 which emerges from a guide block 26 under the action of a spring, not shown.

Plate 3a, the front end of which rests freely on a bracket 27 integral with the forward part of link 22, while the rear end rests on a ball 28 adapted to retract resiliently against the action of a spring in block 26, is retained by a finger 29 which projects resiliently from back to front out of guide block 26 in the same direction as duck-bill 25, and enters a vertical groove 30 arranged on the rear face of plate 3. As long as finger 29 remains in engagement with groove 30, boot 2 cannot rotate on pivot 24.

Located on each side of link 22, and attached by one end, at 15b, to plate 3 and, by the other end, at 14b, to ski 1, is a textile fibre cord 13d on which there slides a ring 18c connected by a spring 16e to a point 19c on ski 1.

If, during a fall, the binding opens, ski 1 may move away from plate 3a to the extent to which it is allowed to do so by link 22, pivot 23, hinge 23a, and pivot 24. In order to prevent the skier from being struck in the face by the blade of the ski, and to make it easier for him to put the ski on again, provision is made, on the one hand, for anchor points 15b for connection 13d on plate 3a and 14b on ski 1, towards the rear in relation to pivot 24 and, on the other hand, for anchor points 19c for springs 16c to the rear of pivot 23, the predominant effect being to restore ski 1 to plate 32 at the heel end of boot 2, thus moving the blades of the skis away from the skier's head and pointing them forwards.

It will be realized that it is always possible, even in the absence of a permanent rigid connection between plate 3a and ski 1 (consisting, in the case illustrated in FIG. 9, of a link 22, pivots 23 and 23a, and pivot 24) by making a wise choice, on the one hand, of the anchor points on the plate and the ski for one or more assemblies of flexible connections and resiliently extensible elements and, on the other hand, of the degree of the restoring action of the element or elements, possibly in relation to others, the ensure that the force bringing the ski back under the plate predominates at the heel end of the skier's boot.

As a result of this, and regardless of the form of execution used, the safety binding for skis thus obtained comprises an arrangement serving as a safety strap which retracts completely between the ski and an at least partly detachable plate forming a part of the binding, and relieving the skier of the need to bend down in order to operate it.

It is also to be understood that the foregoing description should not be limited in interpretation except by the terms of the following claims.

Claims

I claim:

1. A safety binding for a ski comprising: a plate adapted to be mounted between the ski and a skier's boot; first securing elements for detachably securing said plate to said boot; second securing elements for detachably securing said plate to said ski, said second securing elements adapted to yield, beyond a predetermined threshold, to release said plate in response to loads applied in the form of torsion in the plane of the ski and in a verticle plane; at least one flexible connection having one end secured to the ski and the other end secured to said plate; resilient means having one end attached to said flexible connection transversely thereof and at an intermediate point between the ends thereof, said resilient means having a sufficient length to allow said plate to fully separate from said ski and being adapted to apply to said connection a restoring force forming at said intermediate point a fold, said restoring force tending to bring the folded parts of said connection back into a plane parallel to that of said ski.

2. A binding according to claim 1, wherein one end of said resilient means is connected to said flexible connection while the other end is secured to said ski.

3. A binding according to claim 2, further comprising slide means for slidably connecting said resilient means to said flexible connection.

4. A binding according to claim 2, wherein said one end of the resilient means is fixedly connected to the flexible connection.

5. A binding according to claim 1, wherein one end of said resilient means is connected to the flexible connection, while the other end is secured to the plate.

6. A binding according to claim 1, wherein the plate is connected to the ski by two flexible connections spaced from each other and connected to each other by said resilient means.

7. A binding according to claim 1, wherein, when the ski and the plate are assembled, said ends of said flexible connection are at least approximately face to face at a certain distance from said intermediate point, whereby said resilient means urges said connection to flatten into overlapped portions between the ski and the plate.

8. A binding according to claim 1, wherein two resilient means, connected at one end to one flexible connection, are secured, on each side of said flexible connection and at a certain distance therefrom, one to the ski and the other to the plate, in a manner such that the said resilient means urge the connection to flatten into a Z shape between the ski and the plate.

9. A binding according to claim 1, comprising, a link fixed at one end to the ski about a pivot having a transverse axis and whose other end is held to the ski by said second securing means, said plate being attached to said link; the anchor points, on the plate and the ski, for the flexible connection or connections, by means of which the resilient means exert on the ski a restoring force tending to bring it back under the plate, being spaced from the pivot for the link.

10. A binding according to claim 1, wherein said plate is provided with a cavity on a surface thereof opposite to said ski, said cavity being adapted to house said flexible connection and said resilient means in a tidy position therein.

11. A binding as defined in claim 1, wherein said flexible connection is a flat band transversely fixed on its entire width, at said ends, to said ski and said plate, respectively.