GB2077601A - Ski binding having a brake mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

The binding has a base plate (1) carrying a toe connection means (2), a heel connection means (3) and a brake (20) which functions automatically when a ski boot (4) is released from the binding, the brake comprising a generally V-shaped member of resilient material, the lower part of which provides brake arms (22) extending rearwardly or rearwardly-downwardly respectively at each side of the ski (21) and the upper part of which provides a brake clamp (24) extending forwardly or forwardly-upwardly. The base plate (1) is mounted slightly spaced above the upper surface of the ski (21) and the brake is mounted in a through track (18) at a place between the toe and heel connection means. Two horizontal branches of the brake clamp provide pivot shafts for the brake and extend through the base plate adjacent the rear end of the through track (18). Preferably the track is formed with two portions narrowing towards each other, and the brake clamp (24) is pre-stressed so as to tend to rotate the brake (20) to a downward brake position while sliding along the sides of the rear portion. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Ski binding having a brake mechanism The present invention generally relates to a ski binding comprising a toe connection means and a heel connection means which are mounted on a common base plate and in which at least one ofthe said connection means can be moved in longitudinal direction preferably by being spring biassed for connection of a ski boot to the binding.

A ski binding of this type is known from the Swedish patent 7807010-9. In the said ski binding the toe connection means comprises a spring biassed convexly formed protrusion which co-operates with a concavely formed means at the toe portion of the ski boot, and the heel connection means comprises a rotatably mounted bracket having connection grooves which are directed forwardly and which co-operate with a protrusion on each side of the heel of the ski boot. The only part of the ski binding which is movable in the longitudinal direction is the spring biassed toe protrusion the location of which in longitudinal direction of the ski can be adjusted and the spring biassing force of which can also be adjusted.

Ski bindings of this type are especially used for down hill skiing like slalom skiing and down hill race, and for this purpose the bindings are formed with relase means which are actuated so that the boot is relieved from the binding at any abnormal load as for instance when the skier falls. For eliminating the disadvantages and the risks of having a ski uncontrollable run way out the hill afterthe bindning has released the skis generally are provided with a brake in the form of a pair of arms which are rotatably mounted at the side of the ski and which when the boot is released drop down underthe level ofthe ski thereby providing a brake for the ski. Usually such brakes are formed as a two-armed lever in which the brake arms provide one lever arm and an arm provided outside the ski provides the other lever arm.

On previously known type of ski brake is adapted to be screwed to the ski between the heel connection means and the toe connection means for the boot so that the boot itself keeps the brake up during normal skiing whereas the brake depending on its own weight or by the action of a spring is fold out as soon as the boot is removed from the binding.

The said previously known brakes are disadvantageous in that they can get frozen fast to snow or ice on the ski so that the brake is not fold out when the binding releases. Generally also a cake of snow or ice is formed between the ski and the boot, and such an icecake may make it possible to compeltely step down the upper lever arm and thereby may prevent the brake from being completely fold up, whereby the brake drags in the hill when skiing, especially when turning. Generally the brake is mounted by means of a bracket which is screwed into the ski, and it may happen that the said bracket is damaged or even gets unfixed from the ski in case of careless handling, whereby the brake action may completely cease.

The bases of the invention therefore is the problem to provide a ski brake for the above mentioned type of ski binding which is formed so that it is substantially unsensetive to snow penetrating in between the ski and the boot, which is formed and mounted so that there is no risk that the brake gets frozen to the ski and which is mounted so that it is substantially unsensetive even to careless handling.

According to the invention this is provided by a ski brake formed as a bracket having a special design and formed by a steel material and which is rotatably mounted and inserted in the base plate carrying the toe connection means and the heel connection means and which in non-actuated state takes a brake position, whereby an U-formed portion of the brake projects above the surface of the base plate. When treading the boot into the binding the boot presses the said bracket down into a corresponding recess in the bottom plate, whereby the brake arms are fold up. The base plate is mounted spaced above the ski, and the recess for the brake is formed straight through the base.Snow which may have entered the said recess therefore will be pressed down through the recess of the brake and out through the space between the bottom plate and the ski binding when the boot is tread into the binding. As a consequence the brake is not prevented from being fold up and there is no risk that the brake gets frozen fast.

The brake is made by bending a spring steel material and it is mounted in a guide (preferably a selflubricating plastic guide) in the base plate so as to always become pressed down in the direction towards folding out and breaking depending on its own spring force.

Further characteristics of the invention will be evident from the following detailed specification in which reference will be made to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings figure 1 shows in an perspectively view a ski binding having a brake according to the invention shown in released condition. Figure 2 is a side view of a ski binding having a brake according to the invention and with a boot tread into the binding, and figure 3 shows in a corresponding way a side view of the binding after the binding has released.

The ski binding according to the invention generally comprises a base plate 1 which carries both a toe connection means 2 and a heel connection means 3 for a ski boot 4.

The base plate 1 is formed as a box having a substantially even upper surface 5 and which in cases some vital parts for the actuation of the toe connection means 2. Adjacent the rear end the base plate is formed with a stepped down portion 6 for mounting of the heel connection means 3. The upper surface of the heel connection means extends substantially on level with the upper surface 5 of the base plate.

The toe connection means may be any convexely formed body extending above the upper surface of the base plate, but in the drawings it is shown as a rotatably roller which is mounted on vertical shaft 7 which is mounted in a slide (not illustrated) inside the base plate. The slide is spring biassed in the direc tion towards the heel connection means and is slideable in a guide (not illustrated). The base plate has a forwardly extending pin 8. The toe connection roller has a lower horizontal cylindrical disc 9, a neck 10 which extend upwards from the said disc and which is widened into an upwardly tapered cone 11 against which a concavely formed portion 12 of the ski boot 4 is adepted to slide while treading the boot into the binding.Preferably the toe connection roller is adjustable some distance in the longitudinal direction cf the base plate for adapting the binding to different large ski boots, and likewise the spring force of the toe connection roller can be adjustable for making it possible to provide different strong release forces.

The heel connection means 3 is in the form of a clamp having a bottom 13 and formed with side plates 14 projecting from the side edges of the bottom and formed with a groove 15 opening upwardly-fon,vardly. Side rollers 16 at the heel of the ski boot 4 are adapted to engage the said grooves 15.

Each groove 15 has a horizontal lower edge but an obliquely upwardly directed upper edge so that a release may occur by pulling the ski boot upwards from the heel. The heel connection means is mounted freely rotatable about a central pin 17 which is secured in the base plate 1.

Just in front ofthe steeped down portion 6 the base plate is formed with a double-conical or diabolo-formed vertical through track 18 the rear cone portion of which is preferably lined with a plastic sleeve of suitable material like a self-lubricating plastic sleeve 19. In the track 18 a brake 20 is mounted.

The brake is formed as an angularly bent bar of some resilliant material which provides a two armed level which is rotatably about a shaft extending sideways through the base plate adjacent the rear end of the rear cone portion of the track 18. One lever arm shaft is formed by two arms extending rewardly and/or rewardly-downwardly at the side of the base plate 1 and the ski 21 and which at their outer ends may have brake sleeves 23 of some suitable material like plastic. From the arms 22 the bar is bent angularly and extence through the material ofthe base plate thereby providing a pivote shaft for the brake The other lever arm is formed as a forwardly and/or forwardly-upwardly directed clamp 24 the web 25 portion of which is slightly narrower than the maximum width of the front conically formed portion of the track 18.The brake bar is slightly pre-stressed in the direction outwards so that the bar in the non actuated state is forced in the counter-clockwise direction as shown in figure 1 while sliding along the sides of the plastic sleeve 19. For folding the brake in the clamp 24 must be pressed down what is made by having the branches of the clamp sliding against the narrowest portion of the double conical track 18, so that the clamp is compressed against spring action.

Such a removal ofthe brake action is provided by treading the boot 4 into the binding in that the bottom of the boot thereby forces the clamp 24 down so that the brake arms 22 are lifted. This position is illustrated in figure 2.

The base plate 1 with the toe connection means 2, the heel connection means 3 and the brake 20 are mounted slightly spaced above the upper surface 26 ofthe ski 21 by means of screws 27 and distance sleeves atthe rear portion ofthe binding, for instance at our adjacent the pivot access of the heel connection means 3. At the front end the ski binding is mounted on the ski 21 by means of a front slide support 28 having an inner bore in which the pin 8 is received. The pin 8 is freely slideable in the bore of the slide support 28.The above described mounted of the ski binding makes it possible to bend the ski over an arc both upwards and downwards in relation to the base plate what is of importance in order to have the ski follow the curvature of the hill in the best possible way when down hill skiing, especially for easaly bendable skiis.

Since the track 18 for the brake clamp 24 is through and since the base plate 1 is mounted slightly spaced above the upper surface 26 of the ski any snow appearing in the track 18 when treading the boot into the binding and folding the brake clamp 24 down will be pressed down in the track and out through the space between the base plate 1 and the ski 21. Further since the track 18 is lined with a lining 19 of plastic or any other self-lubricating material snow or ice can not stick to the track.

When using the ski binding according to the invention the ski boot 4 is with the rear side rollers 13 moved into the grooves 15 of the side plates 14 whereafterthe ski boot is tread down with the toe thereof whereby the concavely formed portion of the boot slides along the tapered portion 11 of the toe roller 2 and snaps into the neck portion 10. This is possibly since the toe roller 2 is resiliently mounted and during the treading down of the ski boot moves slightlyforwardly until the concavely formed portion of the boot snaps overthe cone edge to the neck 10.

A release of the binding may follow in different ways, viz. both by lifting the heel, so that the side rollers 16 slide out of the groove 15 or by rotating the boot toe so that the toe moves sideways out from the toe roller 2. In a specific embodiment of the toe roller a release may also follow by pulling the toe straight upwards. As soon as the binding has released and the boot has been removed from the base plate the brake 20 is automatically rotated depending on the spring action thereof so thatthe brake arms 22 stop the movement of the ski.

It is to be understood that the above specification and the embodiments of the invention illustrated in the drawings are only illuminating examples and that many different modifications may be presented within the scope ofthe following claims.

Claims (8)

1. Ski binding comprising a base plate carrying a toe connection means and a heel connection means for the connection of the corresponding portions of q ski boot, characterised in that the base plate at a place between the toe connection means and the heel connection means is formed with a track extending in longitudinal direction of the base plate and in which a ski brake is mounted, which ski brake is formed as a two armed lever, one lever arm of which provides brake arms extending rearwardly or rearwardly downwardly aside of the base plate and the ski respectively, and the second lever arm of which is formed by a forwardly or forwardly upwardly directed brake clamp which when treading the ski boot into the binding is completely or partly pressed down in the said track whereby the brake arms are fold up, whereas the brake then the binding is released is rotated depending on its own spring force so that the brake arms with their ends are rotated down to a level above the bottom surface of the ski.

2. Ski binding according to Claim 1, characterised in that the track for the brake clamp extends through the entire base plate and in that the base plate is mounted slightly above the upper surface of the ski.

3. Ski binding according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, characterised in that the track for the brake clamp is substantially double conically formed with the cone points facing each other, and in that the brake clamp runs into the brake arms over horizontal portions extending through the material of the base plate and providing a pivot access for the brake.

4. Ski binding according to Claim 3, characterised in that the pivot access of the brake clamp are provided at or adjacent the base of the rear cone portion of the track and in that the brake clamp is prestressed so as to tend to resiliently rotate the brake clamp upwards and the brake arms downwards respectively while sliding along the sides of the said rear track cone portion.

5. Ski binding according to Claim 3 or4, characterised in that at least the rear cone portion of the track is lined with a fraction reducing lining sleeve.

6. Ski binding according to any of the preceding Claims, characterised in that the toe connection means of the binding is formed by a roller which is resiliently movable in the longitudinal direction of the base plate, whereas the heel connection means is formed by a clamp which is rotatably about aver- tical pin, and in that the brake of the ski binding is mounted just in front of the heel connection means.

7. Ski binding according to Claim 4, characterised in that the portions of the brake providing the pivot access are mounted slightly rearwardly through the material of the base plate as seen from the track.

8. Ski binding substantially as herein described and shown in the accompanying drawings.