Flexor unit and binding containing it

Abstract

 The present invention relates to a flexor device for a ski, and defines a flexor unit (10) for a ski binding (2), in particular a ski binding (2) for a cross country or touring ski (1), for interacting with the ski boot or shoe (3) of the user of the ski (1). The flexor unit (10) comprises a rotatably mountable transmission element (20) for contacting the front and/or sole portion of the ski boot or shoe (3); the rotatably mountable transmission element (20) further comprising a holding portion (27) which is sized and shaped to receive a pivot axis (4) of the ski boot or shoe (3). This pivot axis (4) being used to pivotally attach the ski boot or shoe (3) to the ski (1), so as to allow the heel of the ski boot or shoe (3) to be lifted. Biasing means (30) are also provided for acting on the transmission element (20) so as to rotate the transmission element (20) in a direction such that it would act against the ski boot or shoe (3), so as to force the heel of the ski boot or shoe (3) around into contact with the ski (1). The axis of rotation (21) of the rotatably mountable transmission element (20) is provided by the ski boot or shoe (3) holding portion (27) and advantageously coincides with the axis of rotation of the ski boot or shoe (3) provided by the pivot axis (4), such that when in use, no relative translational motion between the front and/or sole portion of the ski boot or shoe (3) and the rotatably mountable transmission element (20) would occur.

Description

[0001] Cross country or touring skiing is both very popular as a pastime and a competitive sport. In such skiing, the sports' practitioner walks or skis along the flat or slightly sloped course in skis. Several techniques are known in this regard, from simply moving the skis forward whilst maintaining them parallel with each other, or using a technique more similar to ice skating, wherein the skis are pushed out to the side and angled, such that the sports' practitioner is moved forward.

[0002] In order to allow the sports' practitioner to move efficiently whilst cross-country skiing, it is typical for the ski boot or shoe of the practitioner to be held in a rotatable manner. Most commonly, the ski boot or shoe of the practitioner is provided with a fixing means, often a holding bar or pin forming part of the front or sole of the ski boot or shoe, which is clipped into part of the ski binding. In this way, the ski boot or shoe is held only in one place by means of this holding bar or pin, and can thus rotate around the fixing portion provided on the ski binding. In general, the fixing point is provided at the front of the ski boot or shoe, and the heel of the ski boot or shoe can be lifted off the surface of the ski.

[0003] When skiing, the sports' practitioner will typically rotate the boot or shoe relative to the ski, as they propel themselves forward in one of' the above standard techniques. It is important, however, that some form of biasing is provided in order to try and reposition the ski boot or shoe such that the heel of the ski boot or shoe (or toe if the rotation point is provided by the heel) is returned into contact with the ski. During the skiing motion, when the ski boot or shoe is rotated around the fixing point, and the other section of the ski boot or shoe is not in contact with the ski, the ski is typically about to the lifted from the ground by the sports' practitioner. This is by virtue of the action used for the actual ski steps, wherein the boot or shoe is usually rotated around the fixing point and used to push the sports' practitioner forward in so doing, at which point the sports' practitioner must lift the ski up and place this in front of him or herself, prior to making the next ski step. At this point it is clear, that the ski needs to have some sort of biasing to stop the ski from rotating freely when no weight is positioned on it by the sports' practitioner.

[0004] The biasing for stopping free rotation of the ski, is usually provided by means of a compressible flexor. Such a compressible flexor is positioned near the rotation point of the ski boot or shoe with the ski binding, in such a position that when the ski boot or shoe rotates in the binding, it compresses the flexor. The flexor will only allow compression so far, before it is completely compressed at which point the ski boot or shoe cannot be rotated further. Typically, the maximum compression of the flexor is greater than the typical rotation of the ski boot or shoe, however it is clear that when the flexor is compressed and the ski is removed from the snow and no weight is being used to maintain the rotation, the flexor will begin to bias the ski back into contact with the full sole of the ski boot or shoe. In this way, the sports' practitioner can continue with the next step of the skiing, and position the first ski back on the ground in a satisfactory manner, without losing control of the ski from free rotation.

[0005] Significant drawbacks arise from using a compressible flexor as described in the art. Firstly, the compression of the flexor tends to lead to movement between the ski boot or shoe and the flexor unit, which actually leads to a minor energy loss by means of friction. Whilst this may seem a very minor consideration, in the world of professional sports, even a minor loss of energy over a long race is significant. Secondly, it is also clear that the rotation point of the ski boot or shoe will constantly lead to some part of the sports' practitioner's foot interacting with the flexor, albeit through the sole of the ski boot or shoe. The compression of the flexor is necessarily difficult, otherwise the control of the ski through limited rotation would not be affected. As such, over a long period of time, the sports' practitioner experiences a significant amount of pain and discomfort in the section of the foot used to compress the flexor, normally the toes Again, over a long course or several days of ski touring, this discomfort becomes a significant issue, and can lead to a reduction in performance.

[0006] It is an object of the present disclosure to overcome the two drawbacks of a standard flexor as described above.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The present invention provides a flexor unit in accordance with independent claim 1. Further preferred embodiments are given in the dependent claims.

[0008] The claimed invention can be better understood in view of the embodiments of' the removable flexor described hereinafter. In general, the described embodiments describe preferred embodiments of the invention. The attentive reader will note, however, that some aspects of the described embodiments extend beyond the scope of' the claims. To the respect that the described embodiments indeed extend beyond the scope of the claims, the described embodiments are to be considered supplementary background information and do not constitute definitions of the invention per se. This also holds for the subsequent "Brief Description of the Drawings" as well as the "Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments."

[0009] In particular, the present disclosure relates to providing a flexor unit which can be mounted in a removable manner to the ski binding of a cross country or touring ski or form an integral part of' the binding. It is anticipated that the ski binding is essentially a normal ski binding, except that it interacts with the flexor unit of the present disclosure. Further, the removable flexor unit will be positioned at a point so as to interact with the ski boot or shoe of the sports' practitioner when the ski boot or shoe is mounted to the ski binding. The removable flexor unit comprises a transmission element which is mountable within the flexor unit in a rotatable manner. The transmission element is provided to contact the front and/or sole portion of the ski boot or shoe when the ski boot or shoe is held in the ski binding. This transmission element is also provided with a section sized and shaped to receive the mounting portion defining the rotation axis of the ski boot or shoe when the ski boot or shoe is held in the ski binding.

[0010] With the rotatable transmission element held within the ski binding, the axis of rotation thereof is advantageously provided at a point which will coincide with the axis of rotation of the ski boot or shoe in the ski binding. That is, the holding portion for the mounting means of the ski boot or shoe will define the axis of rotation of the rotatably mountable transmission element, so that when the ski boot or shoe is held in the ski binding the axis of rotation of the transmission element and the ski boot or shoe will coincide. This coincidence in the axis of rotation is a particularly useful addition option, as this means that no translational motion between the ski boot or shoe and transmission element will occur when the ski boot or shoe is rotated in the ski binding. That is, the transmission element and the ski boot or shoe will be rotating around the same axis point, and thus will rotate as if joined together. In order to avoid the undesirable free rotation of the ski when in use, the rotatably mountable transmission element is provided with some form of biasing means to counteract the rotation. In particular, the biasing will act so as to rotate the transmission element in such a direction that the ski boot or shoe is returned to full contact with the ski binding and ski. In other words, the biasing rotates the transmission element such that it would rotate the ski boot or shoe around its fixing point and axis of rotation to return the non-fixed part of the ski boot or shoe, usually the heel, into contact with the ski binding.

[0011] As a preferable feature of the transmission element, this can be structured by means of an extended portion or lever structure. This extended portion would extend away from the axis of rotation of the transmission element, and provide the general surface against which the ski boot or shoe of' the practitioner will act. Clearly by providing a longer lever, a greater portion of' the ski boot or shoe is brought in to contact with the lever, and the action of rotation is made easier by simple mechanics. The transmission element is intended to interact with the section of the ski boot or shoe near to the mounting portion of the ski boot or shoe, i.e. the toes or heel of the practitioner.

[0012] A further advantageous feature is the provision of a guide slot within the flexor unit which interacts with a protrusion on the rotatable transmission element. With such a protrusion and slot configuration, the rotation of the transmission element is guided and thus improved. In particular, with a well fitting protrusion in a guide slot, any wobble or transverse motion of the transmission element is obviated.

[0013] A further advantage of providing a protrusion and slot configuration to the transmission element and flexor unit, is that the amount of rotation of the flexor can be limited. If the slot is provided with a defined length, the protrusion will strike the ends of the slot and rotation will be stopped. This could be used to specifically define the amount of rotation of transmission element in the flexor unit, and could be used to improve the rotation of the ski boot or shoe relative to the ski binding.

[0014] One possible way of providing the holding section in a transmission element into which the fixing portion of the ski boot or shoe is placed, is by means of a lip or curved lips.. Such a curved lip could generally position the fixing and mounting pin of the ski boot or shoe relative to the transmission element and fixing portion of the ski binding. Additionally, if a curve is provided on the curved lip which matches the curve of the pin mounting the ski boot or shoe onto the ski binding, additional translational motion between the transmission element and ski boot or shoe can be avoided.

[0015] It is possible to provide the biasing means by either a compression means which act to push against the transmission element and rotates this in the appropriate direction, or by a means under tension, which are stretched with this rotation. If a compression means is provided, then such compression means could act against an appropriate bearing surface of the transmission element, and thus lead to the rotation of the transmission element in order to reposition the ski boot or shoe in contact with the ski binding.

[0016] A variety of different options exists for the compressive element, and could be provided by means of a spring; a foam or rubber compression element; or a compressible fluid cylinder. Each of these act in the same way, in that after compression, by means of the bearing surface pushing against the biasing means and compressing them, a restorative force in the biasing means will be generated to push against the rotation. In order to ensure that the biasing means are appropriately held within the flexor unit, it is preferable that they be positioned within an extended orifice in the flexor unit. This will allow the accurate positioning of the biasing means, whilst also avoiding unwanted motion thereof.

[0017] Rather than having the biasing means directly acting against the transmission element, it is possible to use a force transmission piece between the biasing means and the rotatable transmission element. For example, if this transmission piece or block is provided by a rubber bung or block, a slight damping and cushioning of the motion of the transmission elements during rotation would be achieved. In particular, this would improve the comfort to the user by avoiding sudden jolts transmitted from the biasing means through the transmission elements to the ski boot or shoe.

[0018] Should the biasing means be provided by a compressible spring, a further option is to provide a compressible rubber or foam block within the hollow central portion of the spring. When the transmission element is rotated more fully, the biasing means will be shortened to the length of the cushioning block, and the cushioning block will lead to an increase in the restorative force acting against the rotation. Careful choice of the material of this cushioning block will also lead to a general cushioning effect, such that a type of damping in the motion of the transmission element during rotation would be achieved.

[0019] It is possible to provide the orifice in which compressible biasing means are provided with an adjustable length. By adjusting the length of the orifice, perhaps by means of a rotatable screw thread cap acting within the interior of the orifice, the base and normal compressive force acting on the biasing means can be changed. By shortening the length of the orifice, the biasing means will be maintained under higher compressive pressure, thus leading to a change in the characteristics of the restorative force by means of these biasing means. This could be advantageous if a variety of different users require use of the flexor unit, and need different biasing forces to act against the rotation of the transmission elements. As touched on above, it is possible that this adjustable length orifice could be provided by means of a moveable cap at one end of the orifice, which has a screw thread interacting within an interior screw thread of the orifice. Rotation of the cap will lead to a movement of the cap within the orifice, such that the length of the orifice would be adjusted to be either longer or shorter.

[0020] As has been discussed above, it is possible to tune the maximum rotation of the transmission element, and it is conceived that rotations up to 45° can be achieved. This rotation would be from the points of' the transmission element at rest, i.e. when the ski boot or shoe is in full contact with the ski binding and no rotation has occurred, and the maximum rotation either determined by total compression of the biasing means, or the protrusion in the guide slot.

[0021] In addition to the flexor unit, it is possible to provide a ski binding to interact with such a flexor unit. Advantageously, the flexor unit can be positioned in a removable manner into a ski binding, perhaps by means of some snap fit connection. That is, a section of the ski binding is provided with a deformable clip, which is deformed as the flexor unit is positioned into the ski binding and then snaps closed and stops the disengagement of the flexor unit until the bendable member is re-bent by hand.

[0022] As is clear from the above, the ski binding would advantageously have a standard fixing mechanism for holding the axis of rotation of the ski boot or shoe.. That is, the ski binding will normally have a clip of some sort for holding the mounting and holding the pin of the ski boot or shoe. The ski binding would advantageously be structured such that this holding element interacted with the flexor unit, such that the axis of rotation of the mounting pin of the ski boot or shoe and thus of these holding means on the ski binding coincides with the axis of rotation of the transmission element of the flexor unit. As such, the ski binding will hold the ski boot or shoe at the appropriate point on the transmission element, and the transmission element and ski boot and shoe can rotate as one..

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] 

Figure 1: This figure shows a sectional view through part of a ski binding holding a flexor unit of the present disclosure.

Figure 2: This figure shows a perspective view of a ski binding holding the flexor unit as described in the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] Figure 1 shows a cut-away section through the centre of a flexor unit 10 of the present disclosure, as well as surrounding sections of a ski binding 2. Aside from features relating to the flexor unit 10, the ski binding 2 comprises no specific features particularly different from those generally associated with a ski binding 2 in the art. Figure 2 shows a perspective cut-away drawing of the flexor unit 10 and the ski binding 2. Whilst not shown, the ski binding 2 is oriented upward in Figures 1 and 2, and thus the ski binding 2 would fix on its underside with a ski 1, not shown.

[0025] As is well known in the art, ski boots or shoes 3 for use in cross-country or touring skis are typically provided with some form of fastening means for fastening to the ski binding 2 of the touring or cross-country ski 1. In particular, the mounting section of the ski boot or shoe 3, must allow ready rotation of the ski boot or shoe 3 around the mounting point, whilst also firmly fixing the ski 1 to the ski boot or shoe 3. As is well known in the art, ski boots or shoes 3 suitable for cross-country or touting skiing are generally provided with a mounting and holding pin 5 acting as a pivot axis (4), which is positioned at the front (or sometimes rear) portion of the ski boot or shoe 3 toward or in the lower surface thereof. This mounting and holding pin 5 releasably attaches to the ski binding 2, usually my means of a manually operated holding mechanism 7 of the ski binding 2. It is most common, that the mounting and holding pin 5 on the ski boot or shoe 3 fits into a slot of the holding mechanism 7, and then the user of the ski 1 closes off the end of the slot to stop the dismounting of the mounting and holding 5 out of the slot of the holding mechanism 7. Mounting the ski boot or shoe 3 in such a manner allows the ski boot or shoe 3 to be held in a rotatable manner in the holding mechanism 7, which is vital for the continued operation of the ski 1, as the ski boot or shoe 3 must be able to rotate such that the heel (or toe) of the ski boot or shoe 3 can leave contact with the ski binding 2 or ski 1.

[0026] As can be seen in the figures, the flexor unit 10 is located on the ski binding 2 such that the flexor unit 10 provides the same effects as a standard flexor well known in the art. As is discussed above, in order to bias the ski 1 back into contact with the ski boot or shoe 3, the front (or rear) portion of the ski boot or shoe 3 interacts with a flexor, which tends to oppose the rotational moment of the ski boot or shoe 3. In particular, the flexor will act to rotate the ski around the mounting and holding pin 5 such that the ski 1 will try and rotate back into contact with the non-connected part of the ski boot or shoe 3. In the figures, it is intended that the ski boot or shoe 3 has a mounting and holding pin 5 at the toe end of' the ski boot or shoe 3, although the present disclosure is equally applicable to operation with a ski boot or shoe 3 with its point of rotation at the heel end thereof.

[0027] Rather than providing a compressible flexor as known in the art, the present disclosure is related to providing a biased rotatable alternative. As is evident from the figures, the flexor unit 10 comprises a rotatably mountable transmission element 20, which will be situated near the holding mechanism 7 of the ski binding 2. This rotatably mountable transmission element 20 interacts with the ski boot or shoe 3 when this is engaged in the holding mechanism 7, and will contact the front or rear portion of the ski boot or shoe 3, as required. In particular, the rotatably mountable transmission element 20 of the current disclosure is also advantageously provided with a holding portion 27, which is designed to receive the mounting and holding pin 5 of the ski boot or shoe 3. As seen in the figures, the holding portion 27 is provided by means of a curved lip 25, which provides an appropriately sized and shaped recess for receiving the mounting and holding pin 5 of the ski boot or shoe 3. This is by way of example only, and any shape of holding portion 27 is conceivable, as long as it allows for the mounting and holding pin 5 of the ski boot or shoe 3 to be accepted and appropriately positioned.

[0028] As can be seen best in Figure 1, the holding portion 27 of the rotatably mountable transmission element 20, provides an inner surface which roughly follows the shape of the holding mechanism 7 of the ski binding shoe. When in use, the mounting and holding pin 5 of the ski boot or shoe 3 will fit within the slot of the holding mechanism 7, and then will be appropriately held in place by closing off the slot as discussed above. At this point, the mounting and holding pin 5 of the ski boot or shoe 3 is also held within the holding portion 27 of the rotatably mountable transmission element 20. Additionally, the rotatably mountable transmission element 20 is sized and shaped, such that the front (or rear) portion of the ski boot or shoe 3 rests against the rotatably mountable transmission element 20. When in use, the ski boot or shoe 3 rotates around the mounting and holding pin 5 positioned in the holding mechanism 7, and also causes the rotatably mountable transmission element 20 to rotate. This is a result of the ski boot or shoe 3 being in contact with the rotatably mountable transmission element 20. Advantageously, the axis of rotation of the rotatably mountable transmission element 20 coincides exactly with the axis of rotation 4 of the boot or shoe 3 as defined by the mounting and holding pin 5. By coinciding both the rotatably mountable transmission element 20 axis of rotation 21, and the axis of rotation 4 of the ski boot or shoe 3, rotating the ski boot or shoe 3 when held in the holding mechanism 7, will lead to no translational motion between the ski boot or shoe 3 and the rotatably mountable transmission element 20. Not only is this extremely advantageous for the user of the ski 1, as it will not lead to a crushing of the toes of the user, but also there will be no energy loss in the motion due to friction between the front (or rear) of the ski boot or shoe 3 and a flexor.

[0029] As is required by the flexor in the prior art, the rotatably mountable transmission element 20 must provide some biasing force attempting to reposition the ski boot or shoe 3 back into contact with the ski 1. In the present disclosure, this is achieved by biasing means 30 forming part of the flexor unit 10. The biasing means 30 of the flexor unit 10 are numerous in design. As is shown in the figures, the biasing means 30 are acting to push the rotatable mountable transmission element 20 in the appropriate direction for biasing the ski boot or shoe 3 into contact with the ski 1. Obviously, as the rotatably mountable transmission element 20 is rotating, it is equally possible to provide biasing means 30 which pull the rotatably mountable transmission element 20 to effect rotation in the desired manner.

[0030] A variety of different structures are available for the biasing means 30, and the figures centre more on the pushing options rather than the pulling options. In particular, as is best seen in Figure 1, the lower portion of the rotatably mountable transmission element 20 is provided with a bearing surface 26, upon which the biasing means 30 act. By providing the bearing surface 26 below the rotation axis 21 of the rotatably mountable transmission element 20, the pushing against this bearing surface 26 will rotate the transmission element 20 in the appropriate direction for biasing the ski boot or shoe 3 into contact with ski 1. Likewise, the bearing surface 26 as shown in the figures could be provided by some form of hook, with a tension biasing means 30 attached to such a hook. For example, providing a spring in contact with the hook such that rotation of the rotatably mountable transmission element 20 will lead to an extension of the spring, will then mean that the spring attempts to return to its original length and thus biases the ski boot or shoe 3 into contact with the ski 1.

[0031] In the compression type of biasing means 30, as shown in the figures, a variety of different means 30 are envisaged.. Again, a spring element 32 could be provided, wherein the spring element 32 is compressed by the rotation of the rotatably mountable transmission element 20 acting through the bearing surface 26. Obviously, this will then lead to the spring element 32 attempting to return to its original length, thus pushing against the bearing surface 26 and rotating the rotatably mountable transmission element 20. It is also possible to provide the biasing means 30 by means of a foam or rubber compression element 33. This would also act in the same way as the spring element 32 described above. Finally, another option would be that of a compressible fluid cylinder 34. Again, a rotation of the rotatably mountable transmission element 20 leads to compression of any of the above elements, which will then fight against the compression and lead to the return of the rotatably mountable transmission element 20, so as to reposition the ski boot or shoe 3 into contact with the ski 1. It is preferable for the removable flexor unit 10 to be provided with an extended orifice 13, into which one of the above described biasing means 30 is located. Such an extended orifice 13 will avoid any translational motion of the biasing means 30, thus leading to a reliable system.

[0032] As is seen in Figure 1, between the biasing means 30 and the bearing surface 26, it is possible to provide a force transmission block 41. This could be of any material, although advantageously a material with a little compressive capability is advantageous, as this will tend to lead to a little more play in the system, which will also provide a sort of damping in the motion of the rotatably mountable transmission element 20, and a more comfortable feel to the user. Of course, it is also possible to provide the force transmission block 31 a more resilient material, so as to give a more direct sensation to the user of the ski 1.

[0033] At the end of the extended orifice 13 which is not provided with the rotatable mountable transmission element 20, is located a rotatable plug 14. This rotatable plug 14 can be used to increase or decrease the compression force on the biasing means 30, when a compressive element is being used. By increasing the compression on the biasing means 30, the resistance to rotation of the rotatably mountable transmission element 20 can also be adjusted, thus allowing the user of the ski 1 to determine desirable characteristics of the flexor unit 10. For example, if the rotatable plug 14 were to be provided with a screw thread 15 which matched a screw thread 16 on the interior of the extended orifice 13, rotation of the rotatable plug 14 will lead to it to moving within the extended orifice 13. In such a way, the length of the extended orifice 13 can be adjusted, and the general compression of the biasing means 30 changed. It would also be possible to provide the rotatable plug 14 with a moveable element, which upon rotation of the rotatable plug 14 moved along the interior of the extended orifice 13 thus shortening or lengthening it. In the removable flexor unit 10 of the present disclosure, it is clear that if the rotatable plug 14 could be removed, access to the extended orifice 13 is allowed. At this point, it would be possible then to change the spring element 32, foam or rubber compression element 33 or compressible fluid cylinder 34, thus giving a second mechanism of changing the strength of the biasing force from the biasing means 30.

[0034] If the biasing means 30 are provided by the spring element 32, a further bumper element 35 could be located within the extended orifice 13. Having a bumper element 35 located within the central hollow section 36 of the spring element 32, would lead to a damping of the compression of the spring element 32 with rotation of the rotatably mountable transmission element 20. In such a way, towards the end of the rotation of the rotatably mountable transmission element 20, the motion could be damped and lead to a gentle increase in the biasing force, thus leading to a soft stop to the rotation of the rotatably mountable transmission element 20. Obviously, this damping and provision of a bumper element 35 leads to a cushioning to the final motion of the rotatably mountable transmission element 20, and improved comfort for the user.

[0035] Evident in both of the figures, is that the rotatably mountable transmission element 20 may have an extended portion 22 extending away from the axis of rotation 21 of the rotatably mountable transmission element 20. This extended portion 22 is intended to be the lever on against which the ski boot or shoe 3 pushes, thus affecting the rotation of the rotatably mountable transmission element 20. A contacting surface 23 is provided on the extended portion 22, which will be used by the ski boot or shoe 3 for pressing against the extended portion 22 to give the rotation. It is advantageous if the contacting surface 23 is always in contact with the front of rear portion of the ski boot or shoe 3, and so the extended portion 22 can be designed and angled with this in mind.

[0036] An advantageous element shown in Figure 2 is that of a guide slot 11 provided in the flexor unit 10. This guide slot 11 is designed to interact with a protrusion 23 provided on the rotatable mountable transmission element 20 Such a protrusion 24 and guide slot 11, allows for the rotational movement of the rotatably mountable transmission element 20 to be controlled and improved. Fixing the protrusion 24 within the guide slot 11 will appropriately guide the rotation of the rotatably mountable transmission element 20 around the axis of rotation 21, and will also stop the rotatably mountable transmission element 20 from wobbling from side to side when rotating. Figure 2 shows the cross-section actually through the guide slot 11, and obviously the guide slot 11 has two side walls stopping the wobble of the rotatably mountable transmission element 20. Another advantage of providing the protrusion 24 and guide slot 11, is that the amount of rotation of the rotatably mountable transmission element 20 can be controlled therewith. The protrusion 24 within the guide slot 11 will reach the ends 12 of the guide slot 11, and thus the rotation of the rotatably mountable transmission element 20 can be limited and stopped therewith. This will stop over rotation of the rotatably mountable transmission element 20, whilst also ensuring that under the stresses and strains of the use of the flexor unit 10 the rotatably mountable transmission element 20 does not become disengaged.

[0037] By means of the protrusion 24 and guide slot 11, the maximum amount of rotation of the rotatably mountable transmission element 20 can be fixed. As is shown in Figure 1, however, it is also possible to provide a flexor unit 10 without such a protrusion 24 and guide slot 11. In this case, the back surface of the extended portion 22 will come into contact with a surface provided at the appropriate point of the removal flexor unit 10; this stopping surface 17 literally stops the rotational motion of the rotatably mountable transmission element 20. As is further seen in Figure 2, it is possible to combine both the protrusion 24 and guide slot 11 and the stopping surface 17, in order to limit the rotation of the rotatably mountable transmission element 20.

[0038] It is envisaged that the maximum rotation of the rotatably mountable transmission element 20 be approximately 45° from the normal position, determined by when the ski boot or shoe 3 is not pressing against the extended portion 22 of the rotatably mountable transmission element 20, and the point after rotation wherein the extended portion 22 is resting against the holding portion 27 and/or the protrusion 24 is abutted against the end 12 of the guide slot 11. A rotation angle of 45° is appropriate for a rotatably mountable transmission element 20 of the present disclosure, and is a significant improvement on the current flexor technology. Further, this additional rotation allowance improves the action of the skier, as it is possible to get the rear end of the ski 1 further forward when practising cross-country or touring skiing. Additionally, it is possible to provide biasing means 30 which increase the restorative force on the rotatably mountable transmission element 20 with increased rotation. By contrast, if so desired biasing means 30 with a constant restorative force may be used.

[0039] As has been discussed above, the binding 2 for the ski 1 is generally the same as normal bindings 2 for skis 1. Obviously, however, it is necessary for the binding 2 to be structured to allow the integration of the flexor unit 10. A particularly useful feature of the present disclosure, is that the ski binding 2 may be provided with an appropriate connection point to allow the flexor unit 10 to be removably attached and subsequently removed from the ski binding 2. This advantageously allows for the user of the ski to have a variety of different removable flexor units 10, perhaps with preset biasing forces already chosen, such that it is an easy matter to swap the removable flexor unit 10 as desired. It is a further advantage if the flexor unit 10 fix within the ski binding 2 in a snap fit manner, such that specific tools are not required for changing the removable flexor unit 10. Utilising strong clips or deformable leavers with holding lips or clips so that the removable flexor unit 10 can be slotted and fixed within the ski binding 2 are particularly advantageous, as this readily allows a variety of different removable flexor unit 10 to be used in the same ski binding 2. By contrast, the flexor unit 10 could be simply a part of the ski binding 2. In addition to providing the removable flexor unit 10 as a removably mountable unit, it is also conceived that the rotatably mountable transmission element 20 may be changeable. As is clear, this particular element will suffer from the most wear during use of' the removable flexor unit 10, and thus allowing the rotatably mountable transmission element 20 to be snap fitted into the removable flexor unit 10, will lead to an improvement in the removable flexor unit 10. If, for example, the extended portion 22 were to be damaged, it would be a relatively straightforward matter to interchange the rotatably mountable transmission element 20.

[0040] As can be seen from the above, a great many possibilities are conceived for the flexor unit 10 of the present disclosure. The primary feature of' this unit 10, however, is the provision of the rotatably mountable transmission element 20 to replace the standard flexor of a normal ski binding 2. In particular, that this rotatably mountable transmission element 20 have an axis of rotation which coincides with the axis of rotation of the ski boot or shoe 3, such that the ski boot or shoe 3 does not translationally move relative to the rotatably mountable transmission element 20. This is most easily achieved by providing the holding portion 27 for the mounting and holding pin 5, or other mechanism of fixing on the boot or shoe 3, to coincide with the axis of rotation 4 of the ski boot or shoe 3. Additionally, providing the biasing means 30 will ensure that the required force for rotating the ski 1 back into contact with the ski boot or shoe 3 is obtained.

[0041] The remaining features of the above disclosure are given as further possible optional features, and in particular no specific combination is considered as being a requirement for the overall design. The scope of the protection being determined in the present disclosure by means of the attached claims.

1.

Ski

2.

Ski binding

3.

Boot or shoe of user

4.

Axis of rotation of (3)

5.

Mounting and holding pin

6.

Fixing section of (2)

7.

Holding mechanism

10.

Flexor unit

11.

Guide slot

12.

Ends of (11)

13.

Extended orifice

14.

Rotatable plug

15.

Screw thread on 14

16.

Screw thread in 13

17.

Stopping surface

20.

Rotatably mountable transmission element

21.

Axis of rotation of (20)

22.

Extended portion

23.

Contacting surface

24.

Protrusion

25.

Curved lip

26.

Bearing surface

27.

Holding portion

30.

Biasing means

31.

Force transmission block

32.

Spring element

33.

Foam or rubber compression element

34.

Compressible fluid cylinder

35.

Bumper element

36.

Central hollow section of (32)

Claims

1. A flexor unit (10) for a ski binding (2), in particular a ski binding (2) for a cross country or touring ski (1), for interacting with the ski boot or shoe (3) of the user of the ski (1), the flexor unit (10) comprising:

biasing means mounted in the flexor unit (10) positioned at a part of the flexor unit (10) which lies between the front part or sole of the ski boot or shoe (3) and the ski binding (2), wherein the front part or the sole of the ski boot or shoe (3) will bias against the biasing means when the heel of the ski boot or shoe (3) is lifted;

characterised in that:

the flexor unit (10) is further provided with a rotatably mountable force transmission element (20) between the front part or sole of the ski boot or shoe (3) and the biasing means, wherein the rotatably mountable force transmission element (20) is pivotally mounted around the same axis of rotation around which the ski boot or shoe (3) rotates when the heel of the ski boot or shoe (3) is lifted.

2. A flexor unit (10) for a ski binding (2), in particular a ski binding (2) for a cross country or touring ski (1), for interacting with the ski boot or shoe (3) of the user of the ski (1), the flexor unit (10) comprising:

a rotatably mountable transmission element (20) for contacting the front and/or sole portion of the ski boot or shoe (3), the rotatably mountable transmission element (20) further comprising a holding portion (27) which is sized and shaped to receive a pivot axis (4) of the ski boot or shoe (3) the pivot axis (4) being used to pivotally attach the ski boot or shoe (3) to the ski (1) so as to allow the heel of the ski boot or shoe (3) to be lifted; and

a biasing means (30) acting on the transmission element (20) so as to rotate the transmission element (20) in a direction such that it would act against the ski boot or shoe (3) to force the heel of the ski boot or shoe (3) around into contact with the ski (1), wherein:

the axis of rotation (21) of the rotatably mountable transmission element (20) is provided by the ski boot or shoe (3) holding portion (27) so that it would coincide with the axis of rotation of the ski boot or shoe (3) provided by the pivot axis (4), such that when in use, no relative translational motion between the front and/or sole portion of the ski boot or shoe (3) and the rotatably mountable transmission element (20) would occur.

3. The flexor unit (10) of either of claims 1 or 2, wherein the flexor unit (10) forms an integral part of a ski binding (2), or is a separate unit which is removably attachable to a ski binding (2).

4. The flexor unit (10) of either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the rotatably mountable transmission element (20) is provided with an extended portion (22) designed to provide a contacting surface (23) for the front and/or sole portion of the ski boot or shoe (3).

5. The flexor unit (10) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rotatably mountable transmission element (20) is provided with a protrusion (24) which is sized and positioned to fit within a guide slot (11) of the removable flexor unit (10) for guiding the rotation of the rotatably mountable transmission element (20), and wherein further the rotational movement of' the rotatably mountable transmission element (20) is limited by the ends (12) of' the guide slot (11) stopping movement of the protrusion (23) positioned therein.

6. The flexor unit (10) of' any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the holding portion (27) is provided by a curved lip (25) sized and located such that the curved lip (25) would be in contact with the mounting and holding pin (5) of the ski boot or shoe (3) when the ski boot or shoe (3) is attached to the ski binding (2) so as to further ensure no relative translational movement between the ski boot or shoe (3) and the rotatably mountable transmission element (20).

7. The flexor unit (10) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the biasing means (30) act upon a bearing surface (26) of' the rotatably mountable transmission element (20).

8. The flexor unit (10) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the biasing means (30) are provided by one or more of:

a) a spring element (32)

b) a foam or rubber compression element (33)

c) a compressible fluid cylinder (34)
held in an extended orifice (13) of the flexor unit (10).

9. The flexor unit (10) of either of claims 7 or 8, wherein a force transmission block (31) is connected to the biasing means (30), so as to contact and press against the bearing surface (26) of the rotatably mountable transmission element (20).

10. The flexor unit (10) of claim 9 when dependent upon option a) of claim 8, wherein a bumper element (35) is positioned within the central hollow section (36) of the spring element (32) which interacts with the force transmission block (31) in order to slow down and damp the compression of the spring element (32) and thus the rotational motion of the rotatably mountable transmission element (20), as well as to give a cushioning effect to the end of the rotational motion of the rotatably mountable transmission element (20).

11. The flexor unit (10) of' any one of' claims 8 to 10, wherein the biasing force from the biasing means (30) can be adjusted by shortening the orifice (13) in which the biasing means (30) are located, thus increasing the compressive force acting on the biasing means (30).

12. The flexor unit (10) of claim 11, wherein the shortening of the orifice (13) can be achieved by means of a rotatable plug (14) with a screw thread (15) interacting with a matching screw thread (16) on the inside of the orifice (13), such that rotation of the rotatable plug (14) moves the rotatable plug (14) along the inside of' the orifice (13), thus altering its length.

13. The flexor unit (10) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rotational motion of the rotatably mountable transmission element (20) is approximately 45°.

14. A binding (2) for a ski (1) provided with a fixing section (6) into which the flexor unit (10) of any one of' the preceding claims can be connected in a snap fit manner.

15. The binding (2) according to claim 14, wherein the binding (2) is provided with a holding mechanism (7) for mounting and holding the boot or shoe (3) of the user of the ski (1) in a rotatable manner, wherein
the holding mechanism (7) is located so as to position the axis of rotation (4) of' the ski or boot (4) along the same axis of rotation (21) of the rotatably mountable transmission element (20) of the removable flexor unit (10).

Drawing