GB2197625A - A waterski binding - Google Patents

Abstract

A waterski binding is provided that may allow dynamic accommodation of differently shaped feet of similar sizes and as such may be usefully employed by several users, wherein comfort and flexibility is assisted whilst adequate support is maintained. The ski binding consists of a resilient and supportive material fixed to the ski, or alternatively, to a base plate 10, itself adapted to be fixed to the ski. The binding is characterised in that, in one or more areas where the said material may impose excessive restriction on movement of the wearer's foot, (for example over the instep, around the ankle bone, or around the heel), there are zones of reduced flexural resistance such that the material in those zones may dynamically adapt to the contours of the foot whilst adequate support is afforded to other areas. The zones are achieved by slits as at 28. <IMAGE>

Description

A WATERS BINDING This invention concerns a waterski binding.

Waterski bindings are constructed from pieces of rubber or neoprene or the like, which are stamped out from sheets of material to a predetermined shape and then fixed to the upper surface of the ski, or alternatively to a baseplate, itself adapted to be fixed to the ski.

The fit of the binding, particularly for competitive use, is critical in ensuring adequate support for the foot and ankle whilst permitting a degree of controlled movement. Therefore in the design of a ski binding there is a compromise between support, comfort and flexibility. A degree of comfort is afforded by laminating the outer less-resilient and less flexible support layer with a softer sponge-like inner lining.

Principally, ski bindings consist of a front piece which passes over the instep and extends upwardly in front of the ankle towards the shin, and a rear piece which surrounds the heel and the rear part of the ankle. This arrangement leaves a substantially unsupported area at each side of the foot in the area of the lateral ankle bones. Thus whilst fore and aft movement of the ankle is largely prevented, free side-to-side movement may be excessive.

The binding is usually completed by a third piece of material of different flexibility and resilience which wraps around the heel and ankle at the rear and crosses over the instep to be secured adjustably on each opposite side of the ski binding, the 'Wrap'.

One proposal for providing additional support at the sides of the ankle has been to provide on the front or rear binding pieces on each side of the foot, an extended portion which would cover the unsupported areas and be held in place by the wrap-around piece. However, owing to the flexural resistance of the material, from which the first and second pieces of the binding are produced, it has been found that these extensions are unacceptable, since they do not conform readily to the shape of the ankle.

For the first and second pieces of the binding to be optimally supportive, their overall flexural resistance must be so great that they do not readily conform to the shape of the foot; support is lost and movement of the ankle is excessively restricted.

It is an object of the present invention to provide the means by which a single ski binding may allow dynamic accommodation of differently shaped feet of similar sizes and as such may be usefully employed by several users, wherein comfort and flexibility is assisted whilst adequate support is maintained.

According to the present invention there is provided a ski binding consisting of a resilient and supportive material fixed to the ski, or alternatively, to a base plate, itself adspted to be fixed to the ski. The binding is characterised in that, in one or more areas where the said material may impose excessive restriction on movement of the wearer's foot, (for example over the instep, around the ankle bone, or around the heel), there are zones of reduced flexural resistance such that the material in those zones may dynamically adapt to the contours of the foot whilst adequate support is afforded to other areas.

Various embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which; Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a conventional ski binding.

Fig. 2 is a front view thereof; Fig. 3 is a front view of the binding with the wrap, part 15, removed for the purpose of illustration, and including a zone of reduced flexural resistance in accordance with the invention.

Figs. 4a to 4d are rear views of a binding showing four different embodiments of the part of the binding surrounding the wearer's heel.

Figs. Sa and 5b are two embodiments of a side part of the binding adapted to conform to the wearer's ankle.

Figs. 6a and 6b are side elevations of a binding in which additional support is afforded to the side of the foot.

Fig. 7 is a side view of a so-called rear toe bridge to receive the users other foot; Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, a waterski binding consists principally of a number of pieces of neoprene or other similar flexible and resilient material, fixedly attached to a base plate 10. This may be attached to the ski, or be constituted by the ski itself. Front and rear pieces, 11 and 12 respectively, of neoprene, are separately fixed to the base plate 10 by screwed peripheral bars, 13 and 14 respectively, of metal or plastic materials. The front piece 11 accommodates the instep whilst the rear piece 12 accommodates the heel and rear portion of the ankle.

A third piece of material 15, the wrap, which is similarly attached by bar 14 to base plate 10 and is of a less rigid nature, wraps around the heel and is crossed over the instep at 16 to be attached to the base plate 10 on opposite sides of the foot by means of rigid bars 17 of metal or plastic material. The free ends of piece 15 have a number of pairs of holes 18 to enable adjustment of the tension applied to the piece 15.

Referring to fig. 3, the piece 11 where it passes over the upper part of the instep contains a number of slits 19 providing a zone of reduced flexural resistance, thus permitting the wearer's ankle to bend forwards whilst maintaining support at the sides of the upper part of the instep.

Referring now to Fig. 4a, a number of similar slits 20 are provided in the region of the heel, so that the material of rear piece 12 may conform closely to the shape of the heel, thus providing increased comfort and support for that region of the foot.

In Fig. 4b a pair of slits 21 are provided, one on each side of the area of the achilles tendon, again permitting the material of rear piece 12 to conform closely to the ankle on each side of the achilles tendon-whilst providing the necessary comfort in the central region. Fig. 4c shows an alternative to the pair of slits illustrated in Fig. 4b. and in this case a number of slits 22 in a generally chevron configuration are provided.

Fig. 4d shows an example of a combination of slits affording reduced flexural resistance in the areas of the heel and achilles tendon. This consists of a plurality of horizontal slits 23 and a single vertical slit 24.

It has been stated that in the side regions of the ski binding, i.e. in the gap between the front piece 11 and rear piece 12, there may be inadequate support preventing side-to-side rocking movement of the ankle. To overcome this, in Fig.Sa there is shown an extended part 25 of rea piece 12 which extends over the side ankle bones and overlaps slightly with the rear edge of front piece 11. To ensure that the extension 25 conforms to the ankle and is not prevented from doing s.o by the inherent rigidity of the material from which pieces 11 and 12 are constructed, a number of vertical slits 26 are provided, providing a further zone of reduced flexural resistence. Fig. 5b shows an alternative to the vertical slits 26 in the form of a single spiral slit 27.

Referring now to Fig. 6a, in this embodiment the front piece 11 of the binding is extended rearwardly at its sides to afford extra support to the side of the foot. Fig. 6b shows an alternative to 6a, the rear piece 12 being extended towards the front. These are shown at 27 and 29, and if required, the side regions can have further slits 28 and 30 to accommodate different profiles in this region.

As well as providing additional support, an extended portion of the rear piece 12 forward, as in fig. 6b, offers considerable advatages in adjustability. Support at the sides and arches of the foot is maintained by the extended portion 29 of the rear piece 12. The instep portion of the front piece 11, now not directly attached to the base plate at 17, has now sufficient freedom of movement, up and down, to allow sensitive tightening and slackening off of the tension around the foot, when adjustments are made to the wrap.

Also in Figs. 6a and 6b the adjacent side edges of the front and rear pieces 11 and 12 are disposed more closely, with the foot in position, than in the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 5a, to give a more complete support to the side of the foot and the ankle region.

Referring now to Fig. 7, there is shown a rear toe bridge of a kind that may be fixed to a ski, behind the main binding and adapted to receive the users other foot for mono and slalom skiing. This consists principally of a piece 31 of material similar to the front and rear pieces 11 and 12 of the main binding, which simply forms a bridge over the base plate 40 to receive the instep region of the foot. In this case, neither the heels or the toes are supported, but in a similar manner to the main binding, slits 32 and 33 may be provided for maximising comfort and support as well as conformity with the profile of the foot.

In all of the embodiments illustrated, the slits may be terminated in circular apertures, to prevent the material from tearing.

It will be appreciated that a ski binding made in accordance with the invention provides an optimum combination of comfort, support and flexibility, particularly for long periods of use, without a compromise in the nature of the support material. Moreover, it can be seen that a single waterski binding allows dynamic accommodation of a variety of differently shaped feet of similar sizes and can therefore be employed by several users.

The slits opening or closing to varying degrees depending on the size and shape of the various parts of the feet.

Additional support may now be provided, for example, by extended portions of the front and rear pieces at the sides and ankle. Where previously this would have been unacceptable due to the nature of the material not conforming readily to the shape of the ankle etc. The zones of reduced flexural resistance in appropriate positions, now allow suitable flexibility in the extended portions of the support material thereby accommodating the shape of the foot/ankle in these regions.

The zones of reduced flexural resistance, whilst preventing discomfort, also ensure that the material of the binding more closely conforms in all areas to the shape of the foot and ankles and Il I adapt to movements of the foot/ankle thus ensuring continuous support.

It is not intended to limit the invention to the above examples only, many variations being possible without departing from the scope of the invention.

For example, the slits provided in pieces 11 and 12 may be replaced by apertures of one or more different shapes.

Claims (1)

1. Claims

   1) A waterski binding consisting of a resilient and supportive material fixed to the ski or alternatively to a base plate, itself adapted to be fixed ts the ski The binding is characterised in that, in one or more areas where the s id material may impose excessive restriction on movement of the wearer's foot, (for example over the instep, around the ankle bone, or around the heel) there are zones of reduced flexural resistance such that the material in those zones may dynamically adapt to the contours of the foot whilst adequate support is afforded to other areas,