Land vehicles – Skates – Shoe attaching means
Patent
1984-10-05
1986-11-25
Mitchell, David M.
Land vehicles
Skates
Shoe attaching means
280628, 280632, 280634, A63C 9082, A63C 9088
Patent
active
046244743
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to safety ski bindings. Ski bindings lock or latch to grip a ski boot, generally by gripping the edge of the sole at the heel and the toe, and hold it, and the skier whose leg is in the boot, to a ski. A binding is attached, for example, by screws, to a ski. A safety ski binding is designed to release the grip on a ski boot when the skiing forces on the boot and skier's leg exceed some predetermined threshold which threatens the safety of the skier. It is known in the art that the skiing forces may be detected mechanically or electronically. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,291,894, issued Sept. 29, 1981 to D'Antonio and Bates.
For convenience in use, it is desirable that a safety ski binding be of the "step-in" type. In that type of binding, the skier cocks the release mechanism by stepping into the binding. Other binding types require particular cocking actions by the skier in addition to stepping into the binding. Some bindings require the throwing of a lever before the binding is ready for use. The known electronic safety ski bindings, for example the type shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,130,296 issued Dec. 19, 1978 to D'Antonio and Bates, require a skier to cock the release mechanism manually in order to prepare the binding for use.
It has been found that a latched binding which grips the sole of a boot tightly against the ski results in discomfort and fatigue for the skier during long periods of use. Many bindings are also limited in their latching position to use with a particular thickness of boot sole. A change of boot style or type usually requires a mechanical adjustment or remounting of the binding on the ski to accommodate a change in sole thickness. In the present invention, these difficulties are overcome by providing a yielding heel piece for gripping the sole of a ski boot adjacent the heel of the boot. While in its latching position, the inventive heel piece yields, i.e., moves through a limited range relative to the surface of the ski in response to forces having magnitudes below the predetermined, threatening threshold level. The yielding movement reduces the skier fatigue that is experienced with latched bindings that do not yield with respect to a ski. The yielding movement also permits a large range of sole thicknesses to be accommodated in the latched binding without mechanical adjustment of the binding.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The advantages of the invention in its preferred forms are accomplished through a ski binding heel piece which includes a sole plate to which a housing is connected for movement between latching and releasing positions. The housing includes two generally parallel protrusions for engagement of the sole of a ski boot at the heel portion when the heel piece is moved to its latching position and when it is in its latching position. A linkage mounted within the housing is pivotally connected to the inside of the housing and to the sole plate of the binding. A yielding releasable latching means permits pivoting of the housing in its latching position away from the sole plate, but prevents pivoting beyond a limited range or arc. In the latching position, an axle along a pivotal axis of the linkage is permitted limited movement, but is prevented by a lever or cam from movement beyond that range. The limited range of movement permitted results in yielding of the heel piece and boot for skier comfort and for the accommodation of various thicknesses of boot soles. When forces exceeding the threshold are detected, a cockable release actuator is actuated freeing the axle from the influence of the lever or cam so that the housing can move to its releasing position Upon that movement of the housing, the boot sole and protrusions at the heel piece become disengaged so that the boot is released from the binding.
A cocking means including elements of the linkage and latching means cocks the release actuator when the housing is driven to its latching position from its releasing position. Preferably one of the protrusions on the housing
REFERENCES:
patent: 3871673 (1975-03-01), Murata
patent: 3919563 (1975-11-01), Lautier et al.
patent: 3940156 (1976-02-01), Marker
patent: 4130296 (1978-12-01), D'Antonio et al.
patent: 4457534 (1984-07-01), Richert
Klubitschko Gerd
Stepanek Premak
Camby Richard M.
Hochberg D. Peter
Marker International Company
Mitchell David M.
LandOfFree
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