[0001] The present invention relates to a ski binding for use in racing and cross country
skiing. More specifically the invention relates to a ski binding with a keeper means
and means for pulling a ski boot into said keeper means and to retain it therein by
means of a clamping device, which is preferably adjustable.
[0002] There is related a number of problems to the new boot sole standards of lighter ski
boots. This is primarily the case of the 50 mm "Nordic Racing Norm". Said standard
implies very small binding with small contact faces for the boot and such binding
is therefore dependent on very small tolerances. It is therefore an object of the
invention to provide a solution where these tolerance requirements may be reduced
in that the boot, as in previously known ski bindings, is pulled or pushed into a
substantially plow shaped keeper means. This has also the advantage that wear on the
front sole portion and on the vertical contact faces of the binding is compensated
by pulling the boot into the binding.
[0003] In Norwegian Patent 132.576 there is arranged two pins which are fixed relative to
the longitudinal direction of the ski but movable in vertical direction through a
tiltable mounting about a mounting point.
[0004] In Norwegian Patent 47.867 the boot is pulled into a binding either by means of a
hook connected to the front- most end of the boot or by means attached to the heel.
[0005] Norwegian Patent 107.796 is to some extent comparable with what is shown in Norwegian
Patent 47.867. A bracket is attached to the boot and a clamping device can by means
of an adjustable intermediate piece be brought in engagement with a hook on said bracket,
so that the boot may be pulled into and retained in the ski binding. However it is
not advantageous to have such brackets on boots, both because these increase the cost
of the boot itself and because a binding consisting of several separate parts requires
a very accurate and thus time consuming installation.
[0006] Norwegian Patent 78.181 relates to a ski binding intended for slalom and down hill
racing with means for releasable blocking of the swing action of the boot heel up
from the ski by means of a rigid, possibly somewhat resilient, arm or plate extending
in a rearward direction relative to the keeper means and intended to enter into a
channel, an indentation or the like in the heel portion of the boot for thereby to
cause locking of the heel to the ski. The said arm or plate is formed by an extension
of the bottom plate of the keeper means or is fixedly attached to the keeper means
or the upper face of the ski.
[0007] Norwegian Patent 47.051 relates to a ski binding without any rear strap, comprising
tabs known per se with inwardly directed projections bearing against the upper edge
of the sole. A plate known per se and shiftable in the direction of the ski has on
its upper face suitable means (e.g. spikes) which can be brought in engagement with
the lower side of the sole, blocking devices being arranged to prevent the plate when
moved in between said tabs to be pulled out again, so that the boot when arranged
on the plate and moved therewith in between, said tabs will be firmly locked to the
ski in coaction with said devices on the upper side of the shiftable plate, the blocking
device and said inwardly bent projections on said tabs. Thus the boot is moved in
the longitudinal direction of the ski during the clamping process. The clamping itself
is provided by means of a resilient plate upon which a knob is placed being coactable
with holes in said plate. If the boot should be of a form to most suitably be clamped
by hole number two of the holes, it may so happen that this is not possible and that
clamping therefore must take place by the first hole, whereby the risk is that the
boot will not fit properly in the binding. The solution is therefore not particularly
advantageous in practice.
[0008] Norwegian Patent 63.959 relates to a binding consisting of two separate and on-screwable
parts, one part consisting of a clamping device with an adjustable intermediate piece
and where a rear strap loop is intended to grip about the heel of the boot.
[0009] Norwegian Patent 84.786 relates to a pretensionar for a ski binding where a tensioning
device fixed to the ski is connected with the front end of a helical spring, the other
end of which for regulation purposes is in thread engagement with a screw spindle
connected to the rear strap. The screw spindle extends through the means supporting
the front portion of the straps, and on the rear side thereof is provided with a service
button for regulation of the connection and the tensioning is transferred to the rear
strap. It is here the case of two separate main parts.
[0010] In Norwegian Patent 130.563 there are fixed pins which are brought in engagement
with corresponding holes in the toe part of the boot and where strap means may be
clamped by means of a clamping device over the top of the front sole edge, thus to
keep the boot retained in the keeping means of the binding.
[0011] The present invention has an object to provide a ski binding which overcomes the
many disadvantages of the known bindings and which is simple and cheap to manufacture
and advantageous upon installation on the ski.
[0012] The ski binding according to the invention is characterised in that the said means
consist of a preferably U-shaped fixing strap arranged in guides on the keeper means,
the free upwardly extending ends of the strap being coactable with holes in the front
sole portion of the boot, and that the substantially transverse portion of the fixing
strap is engagable with said clamping device, so that the free ends of the strap upon
depression of a tensioning arm of said clamping device pull the ski boot forwardly
in the longitudinal direction of the ski and into said keeper means of the binding.
[0013] According to a further feature of the ski binding the clamping means comprises an
intermediate piece into one end of which said transverse portion of the fixing strap
may be snapped and the other end of which is hinged to a middle portion of the tensioning
arm, one end of which is hinge-connected to the front, preferably upper, portion of
said keeper means and the other end of which upon said depression causes forward pushing
of the fixing strap.
[0014] According to another feature the intermediate piece may be adjustable in length by
letting it consist of two parts, one being screw shaped and the other threaded internally.
[0015] According to another feature the forwardly directed end portion of the intermediate
piece is preferably shaped to form contact face for an acting means, e.g. a ski pole
point, said binding being releasable by depression of said end portion when it tilts
about a portion raised above the top surface of the ski. i
[0016] According to still another feature of the present invention the fixing strap compasses
substantially most of the clamping device.
[0017] The invention is now to be described further with reference to the enclosed drawings
illustrating the present invention as examples thereof.
Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of the binding, seen from above, according to the
invention.
Figure 2 shows a longitudinal vertical central section through the binding in Figure
1.
Figure 3 is a side view of the binding in Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a second embodiment of the binding, seen from above, according to the
invention.
Figure 5 is a longitudinal vertical central section through the binding in Figure
4.
Figure 6 is a side view of the binding in Figure 4.
Figure 7 shows a cross section of the binding according to Figures 1 and 4, section
VII-VII.
[0018] The binding has a keeper means 1 known per se for the front sole portion of the ski
boot. The ski boot is provided with grooves or recesses 3 providing free passage for
a movable, substantially U-shaped strap 2, e.g. of metal wire, with upwardly protruding
end portions 4 coactable with holes in the front sole portion of the boot, which holes
may be arranged in accordance with accepted standards.
[0019] The strap 2 is freely movable in the longitudinal direction of the ski and may thereby
together with the boot be pulled forwardly and into the binding. The advantage of
using a strap with the said configuration is based both on produc- tional reasons
and use. As regards production the number of parts are reduced because the upwardly
projecting end portions coact with the boot. The advantage in use is the free movement
of the strap in the spacy grooves or recesses 3. The movability of the strap is not
barred by collection of snow or formation of ice, a problem that may be encountered
with some of the known solutions.
[0020] As illustrated in Figures 1-3 the binding has a tensioning mechanism 7, 8 consisting
of a tensioning arm 7 and an intermediate piece 8. The tensioning arm is hinge-connected
5 to the keeper means 1 and the intermediate piece 8 is at one end hinged 6 to substantially
a middle portion of the tensioning arm 7 and at its other end snapped onto the transverse
portion 9 of the strap 2. Upon depression of the tensioning arm 7, the upwardly extending
ends 4 of the strap will be pulled into the keeper means 1 together with the boot.
At the lower position of the tensioning arm 7, the hinge 6 forms a dead point so that
the movement of the tensioning device in said position is locked.
[0021] The reference numerals 13 indicate holes for attaching the binding to the ski by
means of screws (not shown). Three holes will normally be sufficient for the installation.
[0022] In Figures 4 to 6 the intermediate piece 8 is provided with a longitudinal hole for
introduction of a threaded bolt 10 adapted to be hinge-connected 6 to the middle portion
of the tensioning arm. If the intermediate piece is made of e.g. plastics, the bolt
itself may provide the necessary internal threads in the intermediate piece, and expensive
tools for casting the required threads or making threads through machining are unnecessary.
However, it may still be suitable to make the length adjustable piece from e.g. brass
or other suitable metal. A construction with a clamping mechanism being locked through
a dead point is known, but since this function is acting conversely, so that the strap
in a new manner lies around the structure, the components will be subjected to compression
instead of tensioning. One may thereby consider a slimmer dimensioning than for the
known solutions and thereby also reduction of weight. It is however important that
by turning the construction one obtains an intermediate piece 8 at the front in such
a manner that the binding may be released by a ski pole pin by letting the wide end
portion 12 at one end of the intermediate piece in snap engagement with the strap
branch 9 tilt about a front portion 11 of the keeper means when said end portion 12
is acted upon by said ski pole pin, whereby the hinged point 6 is brought above the
dead point such that the binding is released.
[0023] There is thus provided a ski binding which is more compact in that the clamping mechanism
lays within the conture of the strap. The keeper means 1 and the tensioning arm 7
are preferably made from a suitable plastics material. The intermediate piece 8 with
its integral end piece 12 may be made from e.g. reinforced plastic material or a metal.
Thus, there is provided a binding which is small and light and which represents substantial
technical advantages relative to the prior art bindings.
1. A ski binding with a keeper means and means for pulling a ski boot into the keeper
means and to retain it therein by means of a clamping device, which is preferably
adjustable, characterized in that said means consist of a preferably U-shaped fixing
strap arranged in guides on said keeper means, the free upwardly extending ends of
said strap being coactable with holes in the front sole portion of the boot, and that
the substantially transverse portion of the fixing strap is engagable with said clamping
device, so that the free ends of the strap upon depression of a tensioning arm of
said clamping device pull the ski boot forwardly in the longitudinal direction and
into the keeper means of the binding.
2. A ski binding as claimed in claim l, characterized in that the clamping device
is constituted by an intermediate piece into one end of which said transverse portion
of the fixing strap may be snapped and the other end of which is hinged to a middle
portion of the tensioning arm, one end of which is hinge-connected to the front, preferably
upper, portion of the said keeper means and the other end of which upon said depression
causes forward pushing of the fixing strap.
3. A ski binding as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the intermediate piece
is adjustable in length, said intermediate piece being in two parts, one of which
is screw shaped and the other is internally threaded.
4. A ski binding as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the forwardly directed
end portion of the intermediate piece is shaped to form contact face for an acting
means, e.g. a ski pole pin, the binding being releasable by depression of said end
portion when it tilts about a section above the top surface of the ski.
5. A ski binding as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the fixing strap encompasses
substantially the complete clamping device.