Security bindings for skis

Abstract

A security device for maintaining a ski to the shoe of a skier after the main safety binding has opened comprises a lash secured in a cavity of a block. The block is attached to the ski and the lash is attached to the shoe of the skier. At least a portion of the lash in the cavity is folded. At least a portion of a member enters between the fold to prevent the lash from leaving the cavity when a tensile stress is applied to the lash.

Parent Case Text

This application is a division of application Ser. No. 95,143 filed Dec. 4, 1970 and now U.S. Pat. No. 3,778,072 issued Dec. 11, 1973.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to security bindings for skis.

The use of safety bindings which open when undue stresses are applied to the ski for protecting the skier against injuries caused by such stresses, necessitates the setting of security lashes connecting the ski to the shoe of the skier in order to prevent the ski being lost downhill when the safety bindings open.

It is known to connect the lashes to the safety bindings, thus avoiding the piercing of further holes in the ski.

Many devices are known which provide such a connection.

One of these known devices consists of a ring or a brickle fixed in any region of the binding or its support plate, the ring being fixed or articulated, the lash being then tightened in the ring by a knot or by a buckle formed by the passing of the lash through a longitudinal slot in that lash.

Another known device consists of a fixed ring integral with the binding, the lash being tightened to that ring by a buckle provided at one extremity of the lash by a fold of that extremity and maintained by a sealed collar.

Such devices necessitate a special metallic ring piece tightened to the binding which is unesthetic and costly and which may be prejudicial to the good mechanical functioning of the lash.

AIMS OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is the provision of a device for securing a ski to the shoe of a wearer which is simple to construct and assemble and is relatively foolproof.

According to the present invention, a device for securing a ski to a shoe of a wearer to prevent the ski from being lost comprises a block adapted to be connected to the ski, said block being formed with a cavity, a lash for connecting the block to the shoe of the wearer, a part of which lash is folded within the cavity to form a loop, and a member, a portion at least of which member extends into the cavity and between the folds of the loop of the lash to maintain the lash in the cavity when a tension is applied to the lash by the attempted separation of the ski from the shoe.

Preferably, the cavity is a through cavity and the member has a boss and a tongue extending from the boss, the member being arranged between the folds of the loop of the lash, the boss wedging the folds of the lash against the opposite sides of the cavity when a tension is applied to the lash.

Alternatively, the member is a pin, a portion of the shank of which pin extends between the folds of the loop of the lash.

The pin may have a portion, which portion is a force fit in an aperture in the block.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, reference being made to the Figures of the accompanying schematic drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a one embodiment of the device according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the embodiment shown on FIG. 1 after setting of the lash;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section on the line III--III of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-section on the line IV--IV of FIG. 5 of a second embodiment of the device according to the invention; and

FIG. 5 is a cross-section on the line V--V of FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS.

As shown in FIGS, 1, 2 and 3, a lashing or lash 1, preferably of rectangular cross-section, and folded on itself to define a loop, passes through a cavity 4 provided in a block or body portion 2 which block is adapted to be connected to a ski (not shown). The cavity 4 comprises a pair of opposed spaced-apart major surfaces defining therebetween a slot, which has an opening 3 visible on the upper surface of the block 2 and which extends through the block 2 to the forward surface of the block 2 to an opening 5. The cavity 4 is limited adjacent the opening 5 in part by lateral edges 9 and 10. The loop formed by the lash 1, after passing the lash 1 through the cavity 4, is easily accessible. Locking means comprising a locking member 6 having a boss section 7 and a tongue or planar section, 8 extending from the boss 7 is set inside the loop formed by the lash 1 to lock the lash to the block 2. When tension is applied to the free ends of the lash 1, the fold with the locking member 6 therebetween enters the cavity 4 via opening 5 and is clamped or locked in this position. The boss 7, increased by the two thicknesses of the lash forming the loop, causes a wedging effect of the loop in the cavity 4. Further, the tongue 8 cooperates with its two faces with the walls of the cavity to guide the lash 1.

The length of tongue 8 is such that when no effort is exerted on the lash 1, the tongue 8 is still prevented from escaping from the loop outside the cavity 4 towards the lower part of the binding.

The member 6 does not suffer high mechanical stresses and can therefore be made of plastic material for example, polyamide which is resistant to climatic conditions. Of course it is not necessary that the two ends of the lash 1 emerging from the opening 3 should be connected to another member or submitted to a stress although the two extremities of the lash are used to make a buckle round the shoe of the wearer.

In a different embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the block 2 is formed with a cavity having an opening 20 in the upper surface of the block, a slot portion 16 having parallel walls and a circular bottom portion 17. A member in the form of a removable pin 18 extends into the bottom portion 17 to define an annular chamber. The portion 16 has a thickness slightly greater than twice the thickness of a lash 1. The portion 17 communicates with an aperture having opposite openings 21, 22 in the block 2.

The lash 1 is folded on itself and introduced into the portion 16 via opening 20. When the folded lash 1 enters the portion 17 the two extremities of the lash 1 diverge because of the elasticity of said lash, this divergence being increased when the extremity of the fold reaches the bottom of cavity portion 17.

The pin 18 is then introduced through the side opening 21 a part of which enters the internal part of the fold of lash 1. It is evident that when a tension is applied to lash 1, the fold will remain in the portion 17 by the anchoring effect caused by pin 18 and by the wedging effect caused by pin 18 in the portion 16.

In order to avoid any possible release of pin 18 from portion 17, for example, when lash 1 is not submitted to tension and when the whole of the device is submitted to various movements, the pin 18 is clamped in the portion 17, for example by force fitting the pin 18 in the opening 21 or by a locking screw (not shown). It should be noted that the anchoring action of pin 18 in the portion 17 does not relate to the wedging effect of lash 1 in portion 16 by pin 18. The anchoring and wedging functions relate to a single piece for simplicity and economic reasons.

In a preferred embodiment, the pin 18 is cylindrical and has a tapered end facilitating the introduction of the pin 18 in the fold. The pin 18 has two portions of different diameter, one cooperating with the fold of the lash 1, and the other a force fit in the block 2. In this embodiment, cavity 17 is also of a cylindrical shape and the pin 18, for example of plastic material, is introduced by force through the opening 21 in to the portion 17.

Of course, a device can be foreseen in which the pin 18 and the cavity portion 17 are not cylindric but, for example, prismatic.

The pin 18 can be driven out of the cavity portion 17 by means of a tool reaching the pin 18 through the aperture 22.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A device for connecting a ski to a skier comprising: a body portion connectable to a ski during use of the device and having means therein defining a bore having a stepped configuration with a smaller cross-sectional portion and a larger cross-sectional portion, and a slot which opens at one end into said bore and at the other end at the surface of said body portion; a lashing connectable to a skier during use of the device and having a folded portion defining a loop received within said bore and extending outwardly therefrom through said slot; and an elongated locking member inserted into the interior of said loop continuously wedging said loop against the bore surface to effect locking of said lashing to said body portion irrespective of whether said lashing is in a tensioned or slackened condition, said locking member comprising a pin having a shank portion extending through the interior of said loop and into said smaller cross-sectional portion, and a head portion force fitted into said larger cross-sectional portion to thereby maintain said lashing locked to said body portion.

2. A device for securing a ski to a shoe of a wearer to prevent the ski from being lost comprising: a block connectable during use of the device to the ski and having means therein defining a cavity, a lash for connecting said block to the shoe of a wearer and having a part folded within said cavity to form a loop, and a locking pin having a first portion extending into the cavity and between the fold of the loop of the lash to maintain said part of said lash in the cavity when a tension is applied to the lash and having a second portion force fitted into an aperture in said block to maintain said first portion of said locking pin and said loop of said lash in said cavity when no tension is applied to said lash.