Field of the invention
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The present invention relates to the sport of skiing
and more precisely relates to a monoski and to the ski-boots
binding system thereof to allow a monoski skiing.
Background of the invention
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Two types of monoski are known, i.e. sport equipment
consisting in a single ski having a couple of ski-boot
bindings so that the skier can go downhill on the snow
with a single ski.
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A first type of monoski provides two parallel
bindings arranged longitudinally on the ski. A second type
of monoski is the snowboard, which provides a couple of
bindings parallel to each other but transversal to the
ski, that consists in a board with larger width than a
normal ski.
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It is an object of the present invention to provide
a monoski with a ski-boot binding system that is different
from the snowboard and from the monoski with parallel
longitudinal bindings.
Summary of the invention
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These and other objects are achieved from the
monoski according to the invention and from the binding
system thereof the ski-boots, whose characteristic is that
the binding means are arranged aligned behind each other
in longitudinal direction with respect to the ski.
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Preferably, the binding means comprise a front
binding and a rear binding. The rear binding has a rear
plate located between ski and boot and with a heel of
predetermined height. This way the rear boot is arranged
with sole inclined in longitudinal direction with respect
to the ski.
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Also the front binding can have a front support
plate that is arranged between the ski and the boot.
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To make easier skiing with stiff ski-boots the rear
plate and the front plate have an inclination on a
transversal direction, so that each boot is inclined
outwardly. In the case wherein binding means are mounted
for skiing with the right boot ahead and left boot behind,
the front plate has left thickness larger than the right
thickness, whereas the rear plate has right thickness
larger than the left thickness. On the other hand, if the
binding means are mounted for skiing with the left boot
ahead and right boot behind, the binding means have front
plate with the right thickness larger than the left
thickness and rear plate with the right thickness shorter
than the left thickness.
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Both binding means comprise a toe piece and a heel
piece. The toe piece of the rear binding and the heel
piece for front binding are as closer as possible to each
other. Advantageously they are integrated in a single
intermediate piece. The intermediate piece can be formed
by the heel piece of the front binding wherein a toe piece
for the rear binding is made.
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The front plate and the rear plate can be formed by
a single plate element connected to the ski. This single
plate element is preferably shaped in order to have a
front plain portion inclined transversally and a rear
portion raised longitudinally and inclined transversally
in direction opposite to the front portion.
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In a possible different embodiment, the intermediate
piece is slidably engaged with respect to the ski, whereby
the locking movement of the rear boot causes also the
front binding heel piece movement, since the intermediate
piece is pushed by the rear boot against the front boot,
which is also engaged with the front binding toe-piece.
The intermediate piece is advantageously slidably engaged
up to a snap-fit locking in the skiing position, whereby
if the rear boot is released the front boot remains
locked.
Brief description of the drawings
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Further characteristics and the advantages of the
monoski and of the ski boots binding system according to
the present invention will be made clearer with the
following description of an embodiment thereof,
exemplifying but not limitative, with reference to
attached drawings, wherein:
- figure 1 shows a perspective view from the top of a
skier on a monoski according to the present invention;
- figure 2 shows an elevational partial view of the
monoski of figure 1 and ski-boots mounted;
- figure 3 shows an elevational partial view of the
monoski of figure 1 and ski-boots removed;
- figure 4 shows a perspective view of a monoski
according to the invention without binding system;
- figure 5 shows a partial top plan view of the monoski
of figure 3;
- figures 6 and 7 show an elevational partial side view
and a top plan partial view respectively from the above of
the monoski of figure 3 with the single support plate for
both the ski-boots (not shown);
- figures 8 and 9 show a cross sectional view of the
front plate and of the rear plate of the binding means of
the monoski of figure 5 and of the front and rear portion
of the binding means plate respectively according to
arrows VIII-VIII and XI-XI of the monoski of figure 7;
- figure 10 shows a different embodiment of the monoski
of figures 5 and 7 with an slidably engaged and lockable
intermediate piece of the binding means.
Description of a preferred embodiment
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With reference to figure 1, a monoski according to
the present invention, indicated with the numeral 1, is
used by a skier 2 that wears a right ski-boot 3 and a left
ski-boot 4. The right boot 3 and the left boot 4 are
connected to the monoski 1 by means of respectively a rear
binding 5 and a front binding 6.
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Binding means 5 and 6 are respectively connected to
the monoski 1 aligned longitudinally in rearward position
towards the tail la and forward position towards the tip
1b, respectively.
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This way, the skier can ski with right boot behind
the left boot so that the ski-boots are aligned, in the
position of figure 1. This position allows an ease skiing
since when making a turn the right knee follows the left
knee.
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Obviously, by reversing the binding means so that the
front binding is for the right boot and the rear binding is
for the left boot, skiing is possible as well. When
practising at the beginning, the skier will choose the
position with the left boot ahead or behind, that fits best
for him/her.
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With reference to figure 2 and to figure 3, rear and
front binding means 5,6 comprise respectively a rear
binding toe piece 25 and a front binding toe piece 26 as
well as a rear binding heel piece 35 and a front binding
heel piece 36 for the ski-boots. The rear binding 5 has
also a rear plate 15 located between ski 1 and rear boot
3. Rear plate 15 has a heel 15a of predetermined height
whereby rear boot 3 is arranged with sole inclined forward
in longitudinal direction with respect to ski 1.
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Also front binding 6 has a front support plate 16
that is arranged between ski 1 and front boot 4.
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As shown in figure 4, ski 1 can be wider than a
standard ski, for example with tail 1a of 12 cm, a central
portion of 10 cm and tip 1b of 15 cm.
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For making easier skiing with stiff ski-boots, rear
plate 15 and front plate 16 have an inclination on a
transversal direction, shown in figures 8 and 9, so that
the boot 3 and 4 are always inclined outwardly. In the
case wherein binding means 5 and 6 are mounted for skiing
with the right boot 3 ahead and left boot 4 behind, front
plate 16 has left thickness 16' larger than right
thickness 16", whereas rear plate 15 has right thickness
15" larger than the left thickness 15'. On the other
hand, if the binding means are mounted for skiing with
left boot 4 ahead and right boot 3 behind, the binding
means have front plate 16 with right thickness 16" larger
than left thickness 16' and rear plate 15 with right
thickness 15" shorter than left thickness 15'.
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With reference to figures 6 and 7, toe piece 25 of
rear binding 15 and heel piece 36 of front binding 16 are
integrated in a single intermediate piece 56. For example,
using a heel piece 36 like that of figures 2,3 and 5, toe
piece 25 of figures 6 and 7 can be inserted in a seat made
in heel piece 36 same. Obviously spring means for a safety
release of the rear boot can be provided that operate by
rotating under stress on toe piece 25 similar to those
provided in front toe piece 26 of known art.
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The front plate and the rear plate can be made, as
shown in figures 6 and 7, by a single plate element 100
connected to the ski and shaped in order to have a front
plain portion 16 inclined transversally like in fig. 8 and
a rear portion 15 raised longitudinally in 15a and
inclined transversally in direction opposite to the front
portion like in fig. 9.
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Alternatively to the above described examples, as
shown in figure 10, intermediate piece 56 can be slidably
engaged with respect to ski 1, whereby the locking
movement for the rear boot 3 causes also the front binding
heel piece 4 to move forward, since the intermediate piece
is pushed by the rear boot 3 against front boot 4, in turn
engaging with front binding tip piece 26. The slidable
intermediate piece 56, once reached the locking position
indicated with a continuous line in figure 10, is locked
automatically by means of a click mechanism not shown, and
that can be unlocked by skier 2 once released the rear
boot 3. If the rear boot is released 3 front boot 4 can
remain locked for running like a scooter.
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The monoski according to the invention is new with
respect to a monoski with parallel bindings and has the
following advantages. First of all skiing with sharp turns
is allowed owing to the advantageous position of the legs
and to the width of the ski. Furthermore, when releasing a
boot the movement like a scooter is allowed in case of
plain snow fields or slight slopes, or for catching ski-lift
means. In fact, the boot that remains fastened to the
ski is centred transversally with respect to the ski and
does not the cause lateral inclination.
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In case of fall it is possible to get up easily even
when both ski-boots are locked. Finally, with respect to
the normal two parallel skis, the advantages of any
monoski are present in case of fall, since not possibility
to sprain the knees because the legs cannot divaricate.
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The foregoing description of a specific embodiment
will so fully reveal the invention according to the
conceptual point of view, so that others, by applying
current knowledge, will be able to modify and/or adapt for
various applications such embodiment without further
research and without parting from the invention, and it is
therefore to be understood that such adaptations and
modifications will have to be considered to the equivalent
to the specific embodiment. The means and the material to
realise the different functions described herein could have
a different nature without, for this reason, departing from
the field of the invention. It is to be understood that the
phraseology or terminology employed herein is for purpose of
description and not of limitation.
