US3689097A

US3689097A - Ski binding

Info

Publication number: US3689097A
Application number: US783891A
Authority: US
Inventors: Thomas G Smolka; Johann Zelinka
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1967-12-14
Filing date: 1968-12-16
Publication date: 1972-09-05
Anticipated expiration: 1989-09-05
Also published as: DE1811898A1; FR1599215A; AT288213B; JPS4927139B1; CH488469A

Abstract

A releasable ski binding utilizing a toggle structure wherein one toggle arm constitutes engaging means for the ski boot and the other toggle arm provides resilient resistance for the overcenter action. Same can be utilized for either a toe binding or a heel binding.

Description

United States Patent Smolka et al.

[ 1 Sept. 5, 1972 SKI BINDING Inventors: Thomas G. Smolka, Speisinger Strasse 244, 1238 Wien-Mauer; Johann Zelinka, Troststrasse 8, 1100 Wien, both of Austria Filed: Dec. 16, 1968 Appl. No.: 783,891

Foreign Application Priority Data Dec. 14, 1967 Austria ..A 11285/67 us. (:1 ..2s0/11.3s 1m. (:1 ..A63c 9/00 Field of Search ..2s0/11.3s HA [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,380,749 4/1968 Salomon ..........280/1 1.35 HA 3,442,525 5/1969 Heckl ..280/11.35 HA 3,445,124 5/1969 Heckl ..280/11.35 HA 3,466,057 9/1969 Dobler ..280/l 1.35 HA Primary Examiner-Benjamin Hersh Assistant Examiner-Robert R. Song Attorney-Woodhams, Blanchard & Flynn ABSTRACT A releasable ski binding utilizing a toggle structure wherein one toggle arm constitutes engaging means for the ski boot and the other toggle arm provides resilient resistance for the over-center action. Same can be utilized for either a toe binding or a heel bindmg.

10 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PA'TENTEDsEP smz 6 sum 1 or z SKI BINDING This invention relates to a ski binding (heel tensioning means, front jaw or the like) comprising a pivotable holding part for engaging the sole of the shoe and one ore more resilient devices acting on said holding part.

The purpose of the invention is to construct a ski binding which not only upon the users stepping into same automatically snaps through a predetermined receiving movement but also for the safety release snaps open through a predetermined release path and 'frees the shoe from the holding position.

To attain this purpose, the invention contemplates that resilient means are pivotally mounted, or are mounted on a pivoted restraint element, and a shoe holding part is urged by such resilient means either at one side of a toggle center into the position of use or on the other side of the toggle center into the open or stepin position.

According to a further characteristic, the resilient means is pivoted at one portion thereof to the holding part and acts at another portion thereof on a roller which is guided in a track. The track has at its ends stops for the roller and can be adjustably mounted for changing the prestress of the spring. The prestress of the spring can also be changed by adjusting the pivot point of the resilient means with respect to the holding part.

For opening and closing of the binding by the user, the resilient means is in an effective connection with an operating lever which is arranged preferably for limited movement with respect to the resilient means.

In one special embodiment, two springs are provided and arranged on intersecting axes, said springs acting onto rollers which engage in recesses located on a pivotal jaw. The springs and rollers are arranged on movable threaded means which are provided with nuts for the adjustment of the tension of the resilient means.

According to a further embodiment, a spring is arranged to bear against a pivotal part which in turn has two extensions on which rollers are supported which latter also engage in recesses of a pivotal jaw. The pivotal part is supported on a slide bar on which the spring is also supported.

The subject matter of the invention is shown for illustrative purposes by the several embodiments appearing in the drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1 to 3 illustrate a rear tensioning means constructed according to the invention in three different positions;

FIG. 4 is a device which can be applied to the construction of FIGS. 1 to 3 to adjust the spring tension therein.

FIGS. 5, 6, 7 and 8 illustrate two embodiments of the invention on a front pivotal jaw, each in two positions.

According to FIGS. 1 to 3, the holding part 2 is movably supported at 3 onto the housing 1. A clamp 4 and a projection 5 are provided on said holding part for receiving the heel of the shoe. Furthermore, the clamp 2 carries an extension 6 which forms the pivot point 7 for a sleeve-shaped part 8. An extension 9 of a roller carrier 10 movably engages said sleeve-shaped part 8. The roller carrier 10 carries rollers 11. A resilient device, here a coil spring 12, is supported on one end on the sleeve-shaped part and on the other end on the roller part and urges the roller 11 against a track l3.

Said track 13 is fixedly arranged in the housing 1 and has a slot in its center through which the roller carrier 10 extends, said roller carrier supporting a roller 11 at both sides thereof. Only the front roller is illustrated in the drawings, the rear roller is positioned on the same axis. An operating lever 14 is limitedly pivotably supported on the roller carrier 10.

The spring 12 maintains the holding part 2 in the position illustrated in FIG. 1, namely, in the position of use. If one wants to step out of the binding, the operating lever 14 is pressed downwardly. The rollers 11 slide thereby along the track 13 to the lower stop which results approximately in a position which is illustrated in FIG. 2. The pivot point of the rollers 11 is now positioned below the connecting line between the pivot point 3 of the holder 2 and the pivot point 7 of the sleeve-shaped part 8. The spring can now expand and moves the holding part 2 into the position as illustrated in FIG. 3, thus into the open or step-in position. Thus, in the position of FIG. 2, the toggle effect of the spring arrangement completes the opening operation. Of course, a stop must be provided for the position illustrated in FIG. 3, said stop limiting the upward movement of the holder 2.

Upon stepping into the binding, the toggle effect is also utilized. After a predetermined movement of the holding part 2 downwardly (FIG. 3), the rollers 1 1 again move upwardly along the track 13, the spring pivots downwardly and the binding snaps closed.

The clamp 2 is pivoted upwardly out of the position illustrated in FIG. 1 during the safety'release. After a predetermined amount of such movement the rollers 11 will again move along the track downwardly to the stop which also results in a tilting of the spring and the holding part urges the shoe out, practically with an actual throwing effect.

Thus, the function of the invention is that, when a dead-center position is exceeded, the binding snaps open in one direction or snaps closed in the other direction. This overcomes the danger of the shoe being clamped in a half-open or half-closed position of the binding.

In order to adjust the prestress of the spring, thus the safety release, the track 13, as this is illustrated in FIG. 4, can be pivotably supported and moved 7 into the desired position by means of a screw. By rotating the screw 25, the track 13 pivots about the point 15 toward or away from the spring 12 and thereby compresses or releases said spring.

A front pivoted jaw 16 is pivotable about the axis 3 in the construction of FIGS. 5 and 6. Recesses 17 are provided in said pivoted jaw which recesses are engaged by rollers 11 which are loaded by the springs 12. Both the rollers and the springs 12 are supported on bolts 18 which are movably arranged in a pivoted restraint element, or detent, 19. To change the prestress of the spring 12, nuts are provided on the bolts 18. The exact center position of the pivoted jaws 16 can be adjusted by rotating the nuts.

The pivoted jaw 16 is by a relatively slight rotation moved back into its center position illustrated in FIG. 5 by means of one of the springs 12. Upon a displacement by which the direction of action of a spring 12 swings over the connecting line between the axis 3, the pivoted jaw 16 and the pivot point 7 of the restraint element 19,

the jaw is opened automatically so that the shoe is released from the binding. Two resilient rollers 11 are arranged to use this effect in both pivotal directions of the jaw. As can be noted in FIG. 6, the direction of action of the spring 12 lies exactly on the connecting line between the pivot points 3-7. Depending in which direction a very small force is acting or in which direction the jaw has just been moved, a pivoting either into the position of use of FIG. 5 or a complete release and ejection of the shoe out of the binding takes place.

FIGS. 7 and 8 also illustrate a pivoted jaw 16. Here a pivotal restraint element 21 has extensions 22 which carry the rollers l I. Said rollers engage the recesses 17 of the pivoted jaw. The restraint element 21 is pivotably supported on a slide bar 23. A coil spring 12 is supported at one end on a slide bar 23 and on the other end on a nut 24 and thus urges the rollers into the recess 17 of the pivoted part 16. The prestress, thus the force with which the jaw is maintained in its center position of FIG. 7, can be changed by rotating the nut. Upon displacement of the rotating jaw the pivoted restraint element 21 is also displaced and the slide bar 23 slides against the force of the spring in its guide. At smaller pivotal movement of the jaw 16, the pivoted restraint element 21 returns the jaw into its center position. At a greater pivotal movement of the jaw 16 at which a roller 11 swings over the direction of action of the spring 12, the pivotal restraint element 22 pivots the jaw 16 to its open position and thus ejects the shoe from the binding. The center of the one roller 11 lies in the direction of action of the spring 12 in FIG. 8. Depending in which direction the force occurs, the pivoted jaw may be either opened or closed.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments. For example, it would be possible in the construction of FIGS. 1 to 4 in order to further control the prestress of the spring 12 to make the track 13 horizontally or vertically movable even while inclined in any direction. It is further possible to arrange the pivot point 7 of the spring 12 on the holding part 2 pivotally or movably with respect to the holding part 2. It is also possible to provide other resilient elements in place of the spring, for example, a rubber buffer, a rubber ball, cup springs and the like. The illustrated heel tensioning means could also be stressed by a further spring which causes a movement into the front jaw or the movement is caused by the front jaw. It would also be possible to provide a tension spring, for example, in the embodiment of FIGS. 7 and 8, which tension spring engages the slide bar 23 and, if desired, has its second point of engagement on the axis 3 of the jaw 16. Such a spring obtains the same efl'ect as the spring 12in FIGS. 7 and 8.

The embodiment of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A ski binding, comprising:

means defining a housing attachable to a ski;

a holding part means pivotable with respect to said housing means about a first pivot axis and having a ski boot-engaging portion thereon movable between boot-holding and boot-releasing positions;

spring means, one of whose ends is mounted for pivotal movement with respect to said holding part meansa utasecond ivot axismeans de ing a track attached to said housing means, said spring means being disposed between said second pivot axis and said track means; carriage means movably guided along said track means and coupled to said spring means adjacent the other end thereof, so that pivotal movement of the spring means about said second pivot axis will move said carriage means along said track means from a position on one side of an imaginary line connecting said pivot axes through a dead center position colinear with said imaginary line to'a position on the other side of said imaginary line in order alternatively to releasably hold'said holding part means in said boot-holding and boot-releasing positions. 2. A ski binding according to claim 1, wherein th track means has stops at both of its ends to limit the movement of the carriage means therealong.

3. A ski binding according to claim 1, including means for mounting said track means for movement with respect to said housing means.

4. A ski binding according to claim 1, including means for mounting said track for pivotal movement relative to said housing means.

5. A ski binding according to claim 1, wherein the second pivot axis is movable with the holding part means.

6. A ski binding according to claim 1, wherein said carriage means includes roller means engaging said track means.

7. A ski binding according to claim 1, wherein said track means extends transverse to and passes through said imaginary line connecting said first and second pivot axes.

8. A ski binding according to claim 7, wherein said carriage means includes a carrier member and a guide part pivotally attached to said holding part means, said carrier member being telescoped on said guide part, said spring means comprising a coil spring bearing at one end on said guide part and bearing at the other end on said carrier member.

9. A ski binding according to claim 8, wherein said 1 carrier member includes a roller rotatably secured thereto and said coil spring urges said roller into engagement with said track means.

10. A ski binding according to claim 8, including an operating lever connected to said carrier member for moving said carrier member with respect to said track means.

Claims

1. A ski binding, comprising: means defining a housing attachable to a ski; a holding part means pivotable with respect to said housing means about a first pivot axis and having a ski boot-engaging portion thereon movable between boot-holding and boot-releasing positions; spring means, one of whose ends is mounted for pivotal movement with respect to said holding part means about a second pivot axis; means defining a track attached to said housing means, said spring means being disposed between said second pivot axis and said track means; carriage means movably guided along said track means and coupled to said spring means adjacent the other end thereof, so that pivotal movement of the spring means about said second pivot axis will move said carriage means along said track means from a position on one side of an imaginary line connecting said pivot axes through a dead center position colinear with said imaginary line to a position on the other side of said imaginary line in order alternatively to releasably hold said holding part means in said boot-holding and boot-releasing positions.

2. A ski binding according to claim 1, wherein the track means has stops at both of its ends to limit the movement of the carriage means therealong.

9. A ski binding according to claim 8, wherein said carrier member includes a roller rotatably secured thereto and said coil spring urges said roller into engagement with said track means.