Battery-charging generator for electronic ski binding

Details Battery-charging generator for electronic ski binding Battery-charging generator for electronic ski binding

1980-12-12

1983-09-06

Peters, Jr., Joseph F.

Land vehicles

Skates

Shoe attaching means

320 61, A63C 908

Patent

active

044025246

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a safety ski binding comprising force pick-ups for generating electric signals in response to forces and/or torques acting on the skier's leg, an electronic integrated circuit for initiating the operation of the releasing mechanism by a tripping signal generated in response to the occurrence of dangerous forces or torques, and a rechargeable battery for feeding the circuit.
Electronic safety ski bindings having a battery-fed circuit are known, e.g. from Opened German Specifications 2,444,949 and 2,519,544. A reliable function of an electronic ski binding system cannot be ensured unless the battery which feeds the electronic circuit has a sufficiently high charge. As a replacement of the battery in regular intervals of time is inconvenient for the skier, the use of rechargeable batteries is desirable. Such batteries can be charged by being connected to any desired source of current. It is known from Opened German Specification 2,519,544 to use solar cell chargers for charging the batteries.
For this reason it is an object of the invention to provide a safety ski binding which is of the kind described first hereinbefore and which requires substantially no maintenance because it is combined with charging means for maintaining the battery in an adequately charged state.
This object is accomplished according to the invention in that the battery is supplied with charging current from a generator, which comprises parts that are movable relative to each other for a generation of electric power and are respectively connected to a member of the ski binding and to the surface of the ski. In the safety ski binding according to the invention, the relative movements effected during skiing between the ski and binding members secured to the ski are utilized for a generation of the electric current which is used to charge the battery. As a result, the skier need no longer pay attention to the charged state of the battery of his electronic safety ski binding so that the latter is almost maintenance-free. As it is ensured in the safety ski binding according to the invention that the battery for feeding the electronic circuit is in an adequately charged state, additional safety risks involved in the battery will be avoided. Relative movements between the ski and the binding members are continually effected during skiing so that there is always adequate kinetic energy for the generation of the charging current. In the known solar cell charger this is not ensured when the solar cells are covered by dirt or snow.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the movable parts consist of a piezoelectric transducer composed of either a singular element or a plurality of piezoelectric wafers, and a member for applying pressure to said transducer. In this embodiment, the considerable pressures which are applied during skiing and which change the distance between the ski and members of the ski binding, are converted by means of the piezoelectric transducer into electric voltages. As the piezoelectric wafer(s) generate high voltages and only small currents in response to an application of pressure, a transformer must be provided to increase the current while reducing the voltage. A rectifier is provided for rectifying the current that has been produced by the piezoelectric generator.
It is known from Opened German Specification 2,244,949 to use piezoelectric elements as force pick-ups.
The piezoelectric transducer may consist of a single or plurality of layers of zirconate-titanate ceramic material (PZT ceramic material). The transducer is suitably secured to the undesirable of a ski binding member which protrudes from the mounting plate of the ski binding, and the pin for applying pressure to said binding member bears or is secured to the surface of the ski.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the relatively movable parts of the generator consist of an induction coil and a permanent magnet which extends through or into the moving coil. In that case, the charging current is generated electrodynami

REFERENCES:
patent: 3534391 (1970-10-01), Bauer
patent: 3762735 (1973-10-01), Smolka
patent: 3808418 (1974-04-01), Conard et al.
patent: 3819199 (1974-06-01), Smolka et al.
patent: 3819963 (1974-06-01), Kondo et al.
patent: 4114305 (1978-09-01), Wohlert et al.
patent: 4239974 (1980-12-01), Swander et al.

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