Front Binding for a Ski Boot

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a front abutment for securing a ski boot on a ski.

2. Description of Background and Relevant Information

Ski bindings of the "front abutment type" are mounted on a ski to retain the front of a boot when skiing, and to release the boot, when the intensity of the force applied to the binding by the boot exceeds a critical predetermined threshold. These "front abutment type" ski bindings comprise a jaw which is moveably mounted on a support affixed to the ski, and which is maintained in the engaged position by an elastic means. In the "front abutment type" ski binding to which the present invention relates, such as described in German Pat. No. A 35 39 969, the jaw is connected to the rear ends of small, front parallel rods of the same length, which are journaled, at their front ends, to two fixed points attached to the ski. These two fixed points constitute, with the two journal points of the small rods on the jaw, the four apices of a deformable parallelogram. The retention jaw of the boot has a dimension extending substantially transverse to the ski, wherein the dimension extends substantially transverse to the ski in all translational positions during release of the retention jaw.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a front abutment type sky binding that substantially reduces friction between the boot and the jaw during release of the binding whereby disengagement of the boot during release of the binding is facilitated.

The present invention achieves this objective by providing a front abutment for binding a ski boot on a ski. The front abutment is provided with support means adapted to be affixed to a ski and retention jaw means for retaining the front of the ski boot. The retention jaw means are moveably attached to the support means, and elastic means are provided for maintaining the retention jaw means in a central, engaged position. Furthermore, movement control means are provided for controlling movement of the retention jaw means between the central, engaged position and a lateral, released position. The movement control means permit the retention jaw means to have a lateral movement that is substantially transverse to the ski in all lateral released positions while displacing an upper portion of the retention jaw means in a frontward direction and a lower portion of the retention jaw means in a rearward direction, whereby there is a progressive upward opening of the retention jaw means during movement of the retention jaw means in the lateral direction.

In one embodiment of the invention, the movement control means include two parallel, front connecting elements and two parallel, rear connecting elements. The two front elements have the same length and are symmetrically positioned, in the engaged position, with respect to a longitudinal axis passing through the abutment. The two front elements each have a front end and a rear end. In this regard, the front elements are adapted to be connected at their front ends to two fixed, journal points on a ski, and are attached at their rear ends to two, moveable journal points on the upper portion of the retention jaw means, whereby the two front elements form two moveable sides of a parallelogram. The two parallel, rear connecting elements have the same length and are symmetrically positioned, in the engaged position, with respect to the longitudinal axis passing through the abutment. The two rear elements each have a front end and a rear end. In a similar manner to the front elements, the rear elements are adapted to be connected at their rear ends to two fixed, journal points on a ski, and are attached at their front ends to two, moveable journal points on the lower portion of the retention jaw means, whereby the two rear elements form two moveable sides of a parallelogram. Preferably, the front and rear elements are rods.

The front connecting elements can have the same length as the rear connecting elements or can have a different length. Furthermore, the front and rear connecting elements can be contained, in the engaged position, within the same vertical and longitudinal planes, or in different vertical and longitudinal planes.

Additionally, the moveable, journal points on the upper and lower portions of the retention jaw means can be vertically aligned, in the engaged position, in an axis passing perpendicular to the longitudinal axis passing through the front abutment. Conversely, the moveable, journal points on the upper and lower portions of the retention jaw means can be slightly horizontally offset.

In one aspect of the invention, the retention jaw means include a central portion having two lateral wings pivotably mounted thereon. A small blocking bar is pivotably mounted at a central location on said central portion between the two lateral wings. The small blocking bar is provided with two end portions against which the lateral wings bear in the engaged position to maintain the lateral wings latched. A recess portion is provided adjacent each end portion. As the retention jaw means moves laterally to the released position, one of the lateral wings pivots into a corresponding recessed portion to unlatch that lateral wing. Preferably, the two lateral wings pivot on journal points that are aligned with the moveable, journal points for the front and rear elements.

In another aspect of the invention, a foot-rest plate is journaled to each of the two rear elements. The footrest plate is mounted so that it is substantially parallel to the retention jaw means for lateral movement towards the released position in a direction that is substantially transverse to a ski.

To further reduce friction, the foot-rest plate can be provided with an endless band surrounding the plate which is adapted to roll on the ski. In another embodiment, a slide plate can be mounted on the ski for the foot-rest plate to slide upon.

Moreover, an anti-friction plate, which includes an upper surface and a columnar portion, can be provided on the ski. The sole of the boot can rest on the upper surface of the anti-friction plate while the rear elements freely pass below the upper surface.

In another embodiment of the invention, the movement control means include a pair of upper ramps and a pair of lower ramps on the support. The pair of upper ramps is symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axis passing through the abutment, and the pair of lower ramps is symmetrical with the same axis. Each ramp has substantially the shape of an obtuse angle, with each upper ramp being frontwardly open and each lower ramp being rearwardly open. Two projections are provided on the upper portion of the retention jaw means. These two projections are symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axis passing through the abutment and are spaced apart a distance that is equal to the spacing between the apices of the upper ramps. Similarly, two projections are provided on the lower portion of the retention jaw means. These two lower projections are symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axis passing through the abutment and are spaced apart a distance that is equal to the spacing between the apices of the lower ramps. Accordingly, as the retention jaw means moves towards the released position, the upper ramps and projections displace the upper portion of the retention jaw means in a frontward direction and the lower ramps and projections displace the lower portion of the retention jaw means in a rearward direction.

The present invention will now be described with reference to non-limiting examples demonstrating various embodiments thereof, with reference to the annexed drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic elevational view of a front abutment according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic planar view of the upper and lower portions of the jaw in the engaged position;

FIG. 3 is a planar schematic view of the upper and lower portions of the jaw in the released position;

FIG. 4 is a schematic elevational view of one embodiment of the front abutment according to the invention, in the engaged position;

FIG. 5 is a schematic planar view of the front abutment of FIG. 4, in the engaged position;

FIG. 6 is a schematic elevational view of the front abutment of FIG. 4, in the released position;

FIG. 7 is a schematic planar view of the front abutment of FIG. 6, in the released position;

FIG. 8 is a planar view of a front abutment whose jaw comprises a central portion on which are mounted two wings which are normally latched, in the engaged position;

FIG. 9 is a planar view of the front abutment of FIG. 8 in the released position;

FIG. 10-13 are planar schematic views of alternative embodiments of the front abutment; and

FIG. 14 is a planar schematic view of an alternative embodiment of the means adapted to displace the upper and lower portions of the jaw respectively frontwardly and rearwardly during release.

The present invention relates to improvements to a front abutment type ski binding to substantially reduce the friction between the boot and the jaw during release of the binding 1, and thereby facilitate the disengagement of the boot during release of the safety binding.

To achieve this object, the front abutment for binding a boot onto a ski includes a support affixed to the ski. To this support is moveably mounted a retention jaw for retaining the front of the boot. Elastic means are provided to normally maintain the jaw on its support in a central, engaged position. Furthermore, linkage means, positioned between the jaw and its support, control a translational movement of the jaw in a direction that is substantially transverse to the ski during release of the binding. Specifically, the linkage means include means for frontwardly displacing the upper portion of the jaw and means for rearwardly displacing the lower portion of the jaw, to effect, during the transverse movement of the jaw, a simultaneous rocking movement of the jaw frontwardly with the resulting progressive opening of the jaw upwardly.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the moveable jaw is connected to its support by means of two front, small rods. The front rods are the same length, and are symmetrical, in the engaged position, with respect to the longitudinal axis of the abutment. Furthermore, the front rods are journaled, at their front ends, on two fixed points on the ski, and at their rear ends, on two moveable journal points on an upper portion of the jaw, such that the jaw and the two front rods constitute a deformable parallelogram. At the lower portion of the jaw are journaled the front ends of two rear, small rods. These two rear rods extent from the jaw towards the rear. As with the front rods, the rear rods are parallel to each other, have the same length, and are symmetrical, in the engaged position, with respect to the longitudinal axis of the abutment. The rear ends of the two rear rods are journaled on the ski, at two fixed points, in a manner such that the jaw and the two rear rods constitute a second deformable parallelogram.

The front abutment according to the invention offers the advantage that transverse movement of the jaw, during release of the binding, is accompanied by a rocking movement of the jaw frontwardly. This rocking of the jaw occurs progressively as the jaw is laterally shifted. The resulting upward opening of the jaw makes it possible to substantially reduce the friction between the jaw and the front of the boot.

In the embodiment of the invention which is shown schematically in FIGS. 1-3, the front abutment is affixed on a ski 1 to retain the front of a boot 2 (shown in dashed lines in FIG. 1). The front abutment comprises a support 3 affixed to the ski and on which is mounted a jaw 4 adapted to assure the retention of boot 2. This jaw 4 is mounted for transverse movement on support 3, in a manner so as to allow for the freeing of boot 2 when the front abutment is in a releasing position. Jaw 4 is normally maintained in a central, engaged position by elastic means 5 of any appropriate type and in opposition to which the release of the front abutment occurs.

The moveable jaw 4 is mounted on the support 3 so as to be capable of achieving a translational movement in the transverse direction, while remaining substantially transverse to the ski. In accordance with the invention, the front abutment comprises means 6 which intervene, during transverse movement of jaw 4 during the release, to displace frontwardly, by a distance "a" (FIG. 3), the upper portion 4a of jaw 4, as is indicated by arrows f.sub.1. The front abutment also comprises means 7 which are provided to displace towards the rear, by a distance "b" (FIG. 3), the lower portion 4b of jaw 4, in the direction of arrows f.sub.2 during the release of the front abutment. The distance "b" can be equal to or different from the distance "a". Consequently, while in the engaged position as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, jaw 4 extends along a vertical, transverse plane P. During lateral release movement of the jaw, the jaw progressively rotates, as illustrated in FIG. 3 and in dashed lines in FIG. 1, to a position which, in addition to being laterally offset, is frontwardly pivoted. Otherwise stated, jaw 4 is oriented in the released position, along a plane P.sub.1 that is inclined towards the front of the ski. This progressive inclination of the jaw 4 during release translates into a progressive opening of the jaw upwardly, thereby substantially reducing friction between the jaw 4 and boot 2. Accordingly, the front abutment according to the present invention practically eliminates interference caused by friction between the boot 2 and jaw 4.

Various means can be provided for causing the rocking of jaw 4 during its lateral release. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4-7, means 6 and 7 are utilized to achieve the frontward and rearward displacement, respectively. Specifically, the means 6, which cause the frontward displacement of the upper portion 4a of jaw 4, are constituted by two front, small rods 8 and 9, which are parallel to one another and of the same length. Also, the front rods are parallel to the longitudinal axis xy of the abutment in the engaged position (FIGS. 4 and 5), and are therefore symmetrical with respect to this axis. The front rods 8 and 9 are respectively journaled, at their front ends, on ski 1 at two fixed points 11 and 12 which are symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axis xy. They are also journaled, at their rear ends, on the upper portion 4a of jaw 4, at two moveable upper, journaled points 33 and 14. These points 13 and 14 are symmetrical to one another with respect to the longitudinal axis xy and spaced by the same distance as the two fixed points 11 and 12. The four journal points 11, 12, 13, 14 constitute the four apices of an upper, deformable parallelogram whose two parallel, moveable sides are formed by the front rods 8 and 9.

The means 7 causing the rearward displacement of the lower portion 4b of jaw 4, during its transverse release movement, are constructed in the same manner as described above for means 6, having two rear small rods 15 and 16 which are parallel to one another and of the same length. These two rear rods extend parallel to the longitudinal axis xy in the engaged position, and are therefore symmetrical with respect to this axis. The two connecting rods 15 and 16 are respectively journaled at their rear ends, on ski 1, at fixed points 17 and 18. These fixed points are symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axis xy. The rear rods are also journaled, at their front ends, on the lower portion 4b of jaw 4, at lower moveable journal points 19 and 21 that are symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axis xy and spaced by the same distance as the two fixed points 11 and 12, and 17 and 18. The four journal points 17, 18, 19, 21 constitute the four apices of a lower deformable parallelogram whose two parallel, moveable sides are formed by the rear rods 15 and 16.

When jaw 4 is transversely displaced during a lateral release movement, the journal points 13 and 14, on the upper portion 4a of jaw 4, are displaced laterally and slightly towards the front, by virtue of the rigid linkages established by the front rods 8 and 9 with the fixed journal points 11 and 12. Simultaneously, the journal points 19 and 21 of the rear rods 15 and 16, on the lower portion 4b of jaw 4, are displaced laterally and slightly towards the rear, by virtue of the rigid linkages established by the rear rods 15 and 16 with the fixed journal points 17 and 18. As a result, in the released position (FIGS. 6 and 7), not only is jaw 4 laterally offset, but is slightly pivoted towards the front, i.e., open upwardly, thereby facilitating disengagement of the boot.

The rear rods 15 and 16 can have the same length as the front, small rods 8 and 9 and can be situated, in the engaged position, in the same longitudinal planes. However, this structure is not mandatory. For example, the rear rods 15 and 16 can have a different length than front rods 8 and 9, and can be situated, in the engaged position, in different longitudinal planes than front rods 8 and 9.

Furthermore, in the engaged position, the upper moveable journal points 13 and 14 can be vertically aligned with lower moveable journal points 19 and 21, or can be slightly horizontally offset.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 4-7, jaw 4 comprises lateral wings 4c which form an integral portion of the jaw and which are adapted to cap the edge of the sole of the boot. In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the two lateral wings 4c are journaled on the central portion 4d of jaw 4. The elastic means 5 includes a roller or wheel 20 which engages the central portion 4d. The wings 4c are maintained latched on the central portion 4d, in the engaged position, by bearing against side 4g on a small blocking bar 4e. Small blocking bar 4e is pivotably mounted on the central portion 4d or jaw 4, on a vertical and central axis 4f. During disengagement of the front abutment, the small blocking bar 4e pivots around its axis 4f sufficiently to liberate a lateral wing 4c to a position where it bears against the recessed side portion 4h of the small blocking bar 4e where the release occurs, as is shown in FIG. 9. Preferably, each lateral wing 4c is journaled, on the central portion 4d of jaw 4, on an axis aligned with the journaled points of the front and rear rods of jaw 4.

At the location where the front portion of the sole of the boot rests on the ski, the front abutment can be associated with a foot-rest plate or anti-friction plate. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4-7, the front abutment is connected with a foot-rest plate 22 which is carried by the rear rods 15 and 16. The rods 15 and 16 pass under the foot-rest plate 22 or extend through it and there are journaled on this plate at two points 23 and 24. The points 23 and 24 are positioned so that foot rest plate 22 is substantially parallel to jaw 4 in the transverse direction. In this way, the foot-rest plate 22 can be displaced laterally as the rear rods 15 and 16 pivot, but nevertheless remains substantially transverse to the ski in all lateral released positions.

As can be seen in the drawing, the foot-rest plate 22 is preferably of the type comprising an endless band 25 wound around the plate and rolling on the ski. In this case, when the boot moves the jaw laterally, it also causes the band to rotate, and this band, while rolling on the ski, facilitates the lateral movement of the jaw by diminishing friction.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the front abutment is associated with an anti-friction plate 26 which is affixed to the ski 1. As can be seen in FIGS. 10 and 11, the anti-friction plate 26 includes an upper surface 37 on which the sole of a ski boot rests, and a columnar portion 38 for attaching the anti-friction plate 26 to the ski. The rear rods 15 and 16 freely pass below this upper surface 37.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the front abutment is connected to an anti-friction plate 27 positioned above the two rear rods 15 and 16. The rear rods 15 and 16 are journaled, at points 23 and 24, to the anti-friction plate 27. The anti-friction plate 27 and the two rear rods 15 and 16 are displaced above a lower slide plate 30 which is affixed to the ski and which can be formed, for example, out of "TEFLON" material polytetrafluoroethylene.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 14, the means causing the displacement of the upper and lower portions 4a and 4b of the jaw 4 towards the front and towards the rear, respectively, during the transverse release movement, are constituted by upper ramps 28 and 29 and lower ramps 31 and 32 provided on the support of the jaw 4. The upper ramps 28 and 29 are symmetrical to one another with respect to the longitudinal axis xy of the abutment and they are each substantially in the shape of an obtuse angle, open towards the front. The lower ramps 31 and 32 are likewise symmetrical to one another with respect to the longitudinal axis xy, and they are each substantially in the shape of an obtuse angle open towards the rear. Cooperating with the upper ramps 28 and 29 are two projections 33 and 34, respectively. These projections 33 and 34 are carried by the upper portion 4a of the jaw 4 and are symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axis xy, and are spaced from one another by the distance between the apices of the two ramps 28 and 29. Cooperating with the lower ramps 31 and 32 are two projections 35 and 36, respectively. These projections 35 and 36 are carried by the lower portion 4b of jaw 4, are symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axis xy, and are spaced from one another by the distance between the apices of the two ramps 31 and 32. Consequently, when jaw 4 is displaced transversely during a release of the front abutment, the projections 33-36 slide respectively on the associated ramps 28, 29, 31, 32, with the upper projections 33, 34 being displaced towards the front while the lower projections 35 and 36 are displaced towards the rear. Accordingly, the same rocking movement of jaw 4 towards the front is obtained as in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 4-7. Moreover, this embodiment of the invention permits, by the appropriate choice of the values of the angles formed by ramps 31-34, a variation of the rocking movement and resulting progressive opening of the jaw 4.

Finally, although the invention has been described with reference to particular means, materials and embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the particulars disclosed and extends to all equivalents within the scope of the claims.