US3926451A

US3926451A - Ski binding apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3926451A
Application number: US535345A
Authority: US
Inventors: William H Guild
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1973-04-16
Filing date: 1974-12-23
Publication date: 1975-12-16
Anticipated expiration: 1992-12-16
Also published as: FR2295767A1; FR2295767B1

Abstract

A heel and toe binding mounting plate is slidably received in grooves formed in side walls of a ski, the side walls are integral with the ski and extend above the top surface thereof. The plate can be moved fore or aft to a selected location to optimize the location of the skier relative to the ski. The plate is formed with a transversely extending slot which cooperates with a series of bores in the ski so that when the plate is at its selected location a pin is inserted through the slot into a bore to lock the plate in the selected location.

Description

United States Patent Guild [45] Dec. 16, 1975 [5 SKI BINDING APPARATUS 3,248,124 4/1966 Tiesler 280/1135 c Inventor: William H. d, PO BOX 3 3,355,183 11/1967 Kneissl 280/1 1.13 E

H mgham Mass 02043 Primary Examiner-Robert R. Song [22] Filed: Dec. 23, 1974 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-John A. Haug [21] Appl. No.: 535,345

Related US. Application Data [57] ABSTRACT [63] Continuation of Ser. NO. 351 580 April 16 1973 A h toe bmdmg W plate Slldably abandone ceived 1n grooves formed in side walls of a ski, the slde walls are integral with the ski and extend above the 52 us. on 280/1l.35 c 1 Surface thereof- The Plate can be moved fore or 51 int. C1. A63C 9/08 aft a Selected location to Optimize the location of [58] Field of Search 280/] 1.35 C 1 135 T the skier relative to the ski. The plate is formed with a 280/1113 C H 13 W H 13 H 13 transversely extending slot which cooperates with a series of bores in the ski so that when the plate is at its [56] References Cited selected location a pin is inserted through the slot into UNITED STATES PATENTS a bore to lock the plate in the selected location. 3,198,537 8/1965 Silberman 280/1135 c 7 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures US. Patent Dec. 16, 1975 Sheet 1 of2 3,926,451

US. Patent Dec. 16, 1975 Sheet 2 of2 3,926,451

I IP ,0 H H i my l0 SKI BINDING APPARATUS This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 351,580 filed 4-16-73.

The invention relates generally to ski bindings and more particularly to adjustably mounted bindings.

For many years skiing was engaged in by relatively few and little effort was expended in improving ski equipment. However in recent years the sport has become enormously popular and with this increased popularity ski equipment has been greatly improved in variety, safety and sophistication. Traditionally skis and bindings have been bought separately with the ski manufacturer having little or no control over the positioning of the bindings on the skis other than by suggesting recommendations. The bindings have been installed in a local ski shop by people of varying talents with the result that the bindings are frequently not located at their optimum position for a particular skier. A difference of only a fraction of an inch in the longitudinal location of the bindings from an optimum location for a particular individual can result in significant loss of control in the handling of the skis. It has also normally been the practice to use the toe clamp as the reference point and to vary the position of the heel clamp to fit various styles of boots, however, this does not directly bear on the location of the ball of the foot through which the skiers weight is transferred to the ski. Further, there are instances when it is desirable to shift the center of the skiers weight fore or aft on the ski depending on different types of skiing such as hard pan versus deep powder. In the latter case it may be desirable to move the weight aft to keep the tip of the skis up and prevent them from tunneling into the powder.

Some attempts have been made to provide adjustable mountings to vary the position of the skiers boots with respect to the ski running surface in accordance with skiing conditions or personal preferances, for instance as shown and described in US. Pat. No. 3,514,119; however, such mountings have been relatively complex and expensive and more importantly the ski manufacturer has no control over their use and thus has no assurance that the ski buyer will be able to adjust the position of the bindings to achieve optimum performance.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide apparatus which will enable a ski manufacturer to insure that the skier will be able to realize the full potential of a given pair of skis by permitting him to have the optimum binding location without deleteriously affecting the tuning or designed performance characteristic of the ski.

Another object of this invention is the provision of binding mounting means which will enable optimum location of the skier relative to a given pair of skis regardless of the particular skiers anatomy, type of ski boots or skiing habits.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of adjustable binding mounting means which will permit a skier to easily adjust the position of his bindings to suit his style of skiing and the particular skiing condition.

Another object of this invention is the provision of ski bindings which will give the ski manufacturer as well as the ultimate consumer assurance that the binding can be located in the optimum location regardless of the talents of the ski shop employee who mounts the bindings and without loss in the designed ski performance.

Various additional objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.

Briefly the above objects are realized by providing opposed side walls on the ski extending above the generally flat top surface of the ski, the side walls formed integrally with the ski, and a groove formed in each side wall aligned and facing each other, the grooves slidably receiving a heel and toe binding mounting plate between the fore and aft limits. A transversely extending slot in the plate cooperates with a series of longitudinally and transversely offset bores, and a pin extends through the slot into a selected one of the bores to lock the plate in a selected position.

In the accompanying drawings in which one of the preferred embodiments of the invention is illustrated:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a ski and binding mounting made in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the FIG. 1 ski and binding mounting;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but with the binding mounting plate removed;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a locking pin used in the invention.

Dimensions of certain parts as shown in the drawings may have been modified or exaggerated for the purpose of clarity of illustration.

Referring now to the drawings, numeral 10 indicates a ski made in accordance with the invention on which a toe piece 12 and heel piece 14 are mounted. Ski 10 is formed with two

side walls

16 and 18 which extend above the top of generally flat surface 20 of ski 10. As best seen in FIG. 4, aligned, facing

grooves

22, 24 are formed in

respective walls

16 and 18, the bottom surface of the grooves being coplanar with top surface 20 of the ski. Opposite sides of a heel and toe binding mounting plate 30 are slidably received in the grooves with the sliding movement of the plate limited between fore and aft stops 32, 34 (FIG. 5). The dimensions of the plate and of the grooves is such that the plate can easily be moved longitudinally along the length of the ski within the grooves while the grooves capture the plate and maintain it in contact with surface 20 of the ski and prevent skew movement of the plate relative to the longitudinally axis of the ski.

A transversely extending slot 36 is formed in plate 30 which cooperates with a series of bores 38 in ski 10 in communication with surface 20 of the ski. A pin 40 having a head 42 and shank 44 is received through slot 36 and into one of the bores 38 to lock the plate in a selected adjusted position. Preferably shank 44 is threaded along with bores 38 to prevent dislodgment of the pin. Head 40 may be slotted to receive a tool for turning thereof and also may be knurled to facilitate turning in the event that a tool or coin is not available. In order to provide small movements of longitudinal adjustment bores 38 are preferably located at different points transversely along the width of the ski. That is, an imaginary line running through the center of the bores forms an angle greater than 0 and less than with the longitudinal axis of the ski. The particular number of bores provided is a matter of choice, depending upon the total adjustment range desired as well 3 as the desired incremental lengths (longitudinal distance between adjacent bores). It is, of course, within the purview of the invention to provide other means for locking plate 30 in its selected location if so desired.

A ski made in accordance with the invention may be a conventional ski modified to provide side walls integral with the ski extending above the generally planar top surface of the ski. FIG. 4 shows one such possible construction in which the

side walls

16 and 18 are formed integrally with conventional side walls 1 and 2 as by molding. The remainder of the ski can be of any conventional construction such as the exemplary one shown having a wooden core 3, sandwiched by

metal layers

4 and 5 and

plastic layers

6 and 7 with edges 8 and 9 on opposite sides of plastic layer 7.

Grooves

22 and 24 may extend along the entire length of

side walls

16 and 18 with stops 32, 34 fixedly attached after the plate is mounted or may be molded to extend a selected distance so that the plate would have to be disposed in position when the side walls are fixed to the remainder of the ski body. In either case, once the ski is completed with plate 30 captured in

grooves

22, 24 between fixed limits 32, 34 assurance is had that the ultimate consumer will be able to easily adjust the fore and aft position of the plate and concomitantly the bindings so that optimum location is achieved for the particular individual and the particular ski conditions encountered.

Thus the invention described above enables the ski manufacturer to insure that the ski buyer will be afforded the opportunity of realizing the full potential of the skies by permitting him to have the optimum binding location for his style of skiing and the particular skiing conditions encountered. Forming the plate confining means integrally with the skies also enables the manufacturer to control the design so that the provision of the adjustable bindings does not militate against the theoretical performance designed into the ski which could happen if adjustable binding mounting means of various types were installed on the skis subsequent to manufacture. By incorporating the confining means of the adjustable mounting plate integrally with the ski at the manufacturing level, the designed performance characteristics of the ski will be constant and not subject to change by the addition of layers of material not inherent in the design of the ski, that is, the manufacturer can coordinate the many factors involved in the construction of the ski such as the weight distribution of the component parts, flexivity and so on. It should also be noted that the apparatus of this invention maintains the ski boot in close proximity to the ski for performance optimization.

Although the invention has been described with respect to a specific preferred embodiment thereof, many variations and modifications will immediately become apparent to those skilled in the art. It is therefore the intention that the appended claims be interpreted as broadly as possible in view of the prior art to include all such variations and modifications.

I claim:

1. Ski apparatus comprising a ski composed of a core encased by top, bottom and side walls, each side wall formed of a single element and having a groove, the groove in the two side walls being in alignment with and facing each other, a heel and toe binding mounting plate, the plate slidably received and captured in the grooves, and means to lock the plate in a desired adjusted position.

2. Ski apparatus according to claim 1 in which stops are provided to limit fore and aft sliding movement of the plate.

3. Ski apparatus according to claim 1 in which the bottom surface of each groove is coplanar with the top surface of the ski.

4. Ski apparatus according to claim 1 in which the means for locking the plate in desired adjusted position includes a transversely extending slot formed in the plate and a series of bores perpendicular to the top surface of the ski are formed in the ski along the length of the ski and a headed pin extends through the slot and into a selected bore.

5. Ski apparatus according to claim 4 in which an imaginary line drawn through the centers of the bores forms an angle greater than 0 and less than with the longitudinal axis of the ski thereby permitting small longitudinal increments of adjustment of the plate.

6. Ski apparatus according to claim 4 in which the bores and the pin are threaded.

7. Ski binding apparatus mounted on a ski comprising a heel and toe binding mounting plate, the plate slidably disposed on the ski, means to lock the plate in a desired adjusted position, the ski comprising a core encased by top, bottom and side walls, each side wall formed of a single element and having a groove, the grooves in the two side walls being in alignment with and facing each other, the plate having side edges slidably received and captured in the grooves whereby desired characteristics can be designed into the entire ski including the mounting plate and side walls.

Claims

5. Ski apparatus according to claim 4 in which an imaginary line drawn through the centers of the bores forms an angle greater than 0* and less than 90* with the longitudinal axis of the ski thereby permitting small longitudinal increments of adjustment of the plate.