US3823954A

US3823954A - Ski binding

Info

Publication number: US3823954A
Application number: US00293163A
Authority: US
Inventors: W Suhner
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1971-10-01
Filing date: 1972-09-28
Publication date: 1974-07-16
Anticipated expiration: 1991-07-16
Also published as: DE2202197A1; FR2156569A1; CH549395A; FR2156569B1; JPS4842833A; AT316390B

Abstract

A ski binding has a boot-engaging unit a displaceable member of which can be mounted on a ski for turning movement relative to the latter about an upright axis to a release position. A sole engaging member is pivotally mounted on the displacing member and can move relative to the latter to and from a laterally displaced position. A latching arrangement utilizes a pawl which is also pivotable and can be moved to and from a latching position in which its bifurcated end portion embraces a deep end fixedly mounted on the ski.

Description

United States Patent 1191 Suhner July 16, 1974 [5 SKI BINDING 3,326,567 6/1967 Pronzati. 80/11 3 2 9 1 [76] Invent Willy $232322? 9/133? 325122011 280/11.3

5200 Brugg, Sw1tzerland [22] Filed: Sept. 28, 1972 Primary ExaminerRobert R. Song Appl. No.: 293,163

Foreign Application Priority Data Attorney, Agent, or FirmMichael S. Striker [5 7] ABSTRACT A ski binding has a boot-engaging unit a displaceable.

8 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures FMENYEU JUI'. I 6 F374 SHEET 1 OF 3 PATENT En JUL 1 51974 SHEET 2 l1!"v 3 Fig. 5

P TE T JUL 1 s 1914 3,954

sum

3 or 3 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a ski binding, and more particularly to a safety ski binding.

Various types of safety ski bindings are alreadly well known. Their primary purpose is, of course, to release the fixed connection between the boot of the user and the ski in the event that forces come into play, (for instance if the user should fall) which might cause the users ankle or leg to be fractured if the connection were to continue. Such ski bindings use a front boot engaging unit which engages the toe area, and a rear boot engaging unit which engages the heel area. Insofar as front boot engaging units are concerned, it is required that the portion engaging the toe area, the so-called sole holder, will absorb horizontal forces transverse to the longitudinal axis of the ski rigidly up to a magnitude which can be set on the device, and when this magnitude is reached will absorb these forces elastically and release the tip or toe region of the boot as rapidly as possible. The prior art proposes a construction in which the sole holder is springaly connected with a carrier which can be turned about a vertical axis (that is an axis normal to the general plane of the ski) and which is usual operation is connected with fixed components mounted on the ski. When the force which has previously been set, that is the radius force, is reached the detent arrangement which normally fixedly connects the sole holder with the carrier, is disengaged so that the carrier together with the sole holder can so, turn about the upright axis that the toe region of the boot is disengaged. Another prior art proposal utilizes a construction in which the sole holder itself is constructed as a component of a four-bar kinematic chain, the purpose being to avoid the necessity for glide arrangements which guide the sole holder and which inevitably are subject to frictional forces.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is a general object to provide an improved ski binding of the type under discussion.

More particularly it is an object of the invention to provide, in a safety ski binding, an arrangement which permits rapid and near-instantaneous release of the front boot engaging unit when a certain pre-set triggering force has been reached.

Another object of the invention is to provide such an improved ski binding which will not be adversely influenced in its operation by the presence of snow, ice or dirt, and which has an absolute minimum of frictional forces acting on it components during operation.

Still a furtherobject of the invention is to provide such an improved ski binding in which the reengagement of the components after their relase has previously been triggered, can be effected radily and without requiring significant expenditure of energy.

In pursuance of these objects, and of others which will become apparent hereafter, one feature of the invention resides in a ski binding, and more particularly in a combination comprising a boot-engaging unit including a displaceable member adapted to be mounted on a ski for turning movement relative to the latter about an upright axis from a normal position to a release position, and a sole engaging member pivotably mounted on said displaceable member for movement to and from a laterally displaced position. Latching means normally maintains the displaceable member in it's normal position and is releasable in response to movement of the sole engaging member to the laterally displaced position. The latching means comprises, according to the invention, a detent member arranged to be fixed to the ski, and a pawl which is pivotable about a pivot axis from a latching position in which it embraces the detent member to an unlatching position in which it disengages from the detent member.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims.

The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 6 is a top-plan view showing the embodiment of FIG. 1 in the release position thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS:

Discussing the drawing now in detail, and firstly the embodiment which is illustrated in FIGS. 14 and in F IG. 6 which is thought to be self-explanatory, it will be seen that a base plate 1 having a detent portion 2 is mountable by means of screws 3 on a non-illustrated ski. It is hardly necessary to discuss in detail how such mounting is effected, it being understood that the plate 1 will in conventional manner be mounted on the upper surface of the ski. A bolt 4 is provided, having a shoulder 5 and being turnably accommodated in an aperture 6 provided forthis purpose in the plate 1. The bolt 4 is connected, as by riveting, with a member 7 constituting part of a four-bar kinematic chain. The bolt 4 cannot undesirably or unintentionally move out of the aperture 6 due to the presence of the shoulder S.

Arms 9, 9' are pivotable about bolts 8, 8' which are also secured to the member 7, as by riveting or the like, and a sole holder 10 is pivoted to the arms by means of bolts 11, ll Together, the

components

7, 9, 9 and 10 are the major components of the four-bar kinematic chain.

Sole holder 10 is provided with a bifurcated extension portion 12. The kinematic chain is maintained in a normal or center position as shown in FIG. 1, by a spring 15 which abuts against a

glide portions

13 and 14 which can shift relative to one another.

In accordance with the present invention a pawl 17 is provided which is bifurcated and has claws I8, 18'. The pawl 17 is mounted on the member 7, being turnable thereto about a bolt 16 which constitutes a pivot axis for it. In the position shown in FIG. 1 the pawl 17 embraces the detent portion 2 with the claws 18, 18' located at opposite sides of the latter. Pawl 17 has an extension 19 which acts as a lever and is provided with a portion 20 which in turn is engaed by the bifurcated portion 12. It will be appreciated that when the arrangement is located in the position illustrated, particularly in FIG. 1, member 7 is latched to the plate 1 via the claws 18, 18' of th pawl 17.

It will also be appreciated that if the sole holder 10 is pressed upwardly against the force of the spring (for instance in FIG. 1), whose force can be adjusted by appropriately pretensioning the spring 15, the bifun cated portion 12 will pivot the pawl'l7 about the axis of the bolt 16 in counterclockwise direction (that is downwardly) until the claw 18 slides off the detent portion 2, whereupon the member 7 with all components carried by it,- that is the entire kinematic chain, can similarly turn in counterclockwise direction about the bolt 4 and release the toe of the boot.

It is advantageous to construct the contact surfaces 21, 21' of the detent portion 2 to resemble sectors of a cylinder which is concentric with the bolt 16 when the arrangement is in the latched position shown in FIG. 1.

The subsequent restoration of the arrangement to the position of FIG. 1, that is the r'e-engagement, is carried out manually, To avoid the necessity for having to exert great pressure and thus to avoid the necessity of having to overcome the force of the spring 15, the region of the aperture 6 is provided with

inclined surfaces

22 and 23 which permit tilting of the member 7 by a certain amount from the position shown in FIG. 2in clockwise direction against the force of a weak left spring 24. Inclined surfaces 25, and the claws 18, 18' effect this displacement of the member 7, as soon as they move into abutment with the detent portion 2 when the reconnection is being attempted. When the member 7 reaches its center position, the pawl 17 will snap under the influence of the spring 24 over the detent portion 2 with its claws 18, 18' to assme the position illustrated inrFlG. 4.

FIG. 5 shows a further embodiment which achieves the same effect as just described with reference to FIGS. 14, but in a different manner. In FIG. 5 the pawl 17 is mounted on shaft 16 so that it can slide axially thereon against the influence of a biassing-spring 26. However, this is possible only if as shown in FIG. 5, the

shaft 16 extends normal to the upper surface of thenon-illustrated ski. I currently prefer the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. l-4 because this has the advantage that the front boot engaging portion can, when no boot is engaged by the binding, be moved upwardly and outwardly manually and without having to exert any force, for instance during assembly, whereas in actual use the upward movement is prevented by the sole of the ski boot.

Evidently, the frictional force which has to be overcome on disengagment of the arrangement will be the cations and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from he spirit of the present invention.

Withoutfurther analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprhended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is: t

1. In a ski binding, a combination comprising a bootengaging unit including a displaceable member adapted to be mounted on a ski for turning movement member adapted to be mounted on a ski for turning movement relative to the latter about an upright axis from a normal position, and a sole engaging member pivotally mounted on said displaceable' member for movement to and from a laterally displaced position; and latching means normally maintaining said displaceable member in said normal position and being releasable in response to movement of said sole engaging member to said laterally displaced position, said latching means comprising a detent member arranged to be fixed to the ski, a pawl having a bifurcated portion and'being pivotable about a pivot axis which parallels said upright axis and is spaced therefrom lengthwise of said ski from a latching position in which said bifurcated portionembraces said detent member to an unlatching position in which said bifurcated portion disengages from said detent member, and cooperating engaging portions on said pawl and said sole engaging member and being separable in response to pivoting of the latter to said laterally displaced position.

2. A combination as defined in claim 1, said engaging portions comprising an arm connecting said pawl, with said sole engaging member.

3. A combination as defined in claim 1, said bifurcated portion having two claws which are located at opposite sides of said detent member when said pawl is in said latching position.

4. A combination as defined in claim 3, said detent member having surface portions cooperating with said claws and configurated as segments of an imaginary cylinder, said pawl having a pivot axis and said cylinder being concentric with said pivot axis when said pawl is in said latching position.

5. A combination as defined in claim 3, said claws having inclined surfaces arranged to cooperate with said detent member so as to lift said pawl sufficiently on return of said pawl from said unlatching position and upon engage of said inclined surfaces with said segments, for said pawl to move to said latching position in which said claws are located at opposite sides of said detent member.

6. A combination as defined in claim 5, said displaceable member being slightly tiltable relative to said detent member in direction transverse to the general plane of ski on which said unit is mounted.

7. A combination as defined in claim 5, said pawl being displaceable from its normal position in direction longitudinally of said pivot axis in response to cooperation of said inclined surfaces with said detent member; and further comprising biasing means resiliently opposing said displacement.

8. A combination as defined in claim 7, wherein said biasing means comprises a biasing spring.

Claims

1. In a ski binding, a combination comprising a boot-engaging unit including a displaceable member adapted to be mounted on a ski for turning movement member adapted to be mounted on a ski for turning movement relative to the latter about an Upright axis from a normal position, and a sole engaging member pivotally mounted on said displaceable member for movement to and from a laterally displaced position; and latching means normally maintaining said displaceable member in said normal position and being releasable in response to movement of said sole engaging member to said laterally displaced position, said latching means comprising a detent member arranged to be fixed to the ski, a pawl having a bifurcated portion and being pivotable about a pivot axis which parallels said upright axis and is spaced therefrom lengthwise of said ski from a latching position in which said bifurcated portion embraces said detent member to an unlatching position in which said bifurcated portion disengages from said detent member, and cooperating engaging portions on said pawl and said sole engaging member and being separable in response to pivoting of the latter to said laterally displaced position.