An improved toe-piece for a binding for alpine skiing

Abstract

 An improved toe-piece for a binding for alpine skiing comprises at least an appendage (20), in a single body with a fastening plate (2) to a corresponding ski (100), which at least an appendage (20) faces towards a rear part of the ski (100) and is provided with a hole (21) for defining a seating (22), the seating being arranged transversally to the ski (100) and being provided for removably receiving a hinge pin (41) of a tilting crampon (40) to be associated to the toe-piece (1).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to the technical sector of bindings for alpine skiing.

[0002] As is known, alpine skiing is the sporting discipline in which the athlete climbs on foot from a bottom to a determined height before newly descending valleywards, either on a piste or off-piste, and skiing using conventional techniques.

[0003] To enable the skier to rise without slipping backwards, special sealskins are applied below the soles of the skis, while the bindings and ski-boots are specially conformed such as to assume two working positions, respectively for going uphill and for going downhill.

[0004] In the uphill position, each ski-boot is constrained by a hinge, with the front part only, to the relative toe-piece, while the heel-piece of the binding is predisposed such as not to hook with the rear part of the ski-boot; the ski-boot, therefore, can oscillate about a transversal axis of to the ski, such as to enable raising of the heel from the ski body during each step the athlete makes.

[0005] In the downhill position, the heel-pieces block the rear parts of the relative boots, which thus become solid with the skis, enabling the skis to be guided by the athlete.

[0006] In particular conditions of slope or bottom, during the uphill climb, the sealskins can be inadequate for guaranteeing the ski a correct grip, thus making the athlete's action more laborious.

[0007] In these cases, each ski is provided with a tilting grip, of a substantially known type and called, in the jargon, a "crampon", hinged to the toe-piece with a pin having a transversal axis to the ski, parallel to the axis of the connection between the toe-piece and the relative boot, with respect to which the crampon is beneath the respective sole.

[0008] The tilting crampon exhibits an upturned U-shape, such that the wings thereof are orientated downwards, and it is arranged spanning the relative ski; during the advancing of the ski, when the athlete performs a step with the heel raised, the crampon oscillates upwards and the wings slide on the snow without offering appreciable resistance, while when the athlete presses on the boot in order to perform a further step with the other leg, he or she also presses the central part of the crampon, which is made to oscillate downwards in such a way that the wings penetrate into the snow, guaranteeing anchoring of the ski to the snowy surface.

[0009] The above tilting crampons must obviously be removed before beginning the descent.

[0010] In order to enable application of the crampon, the bindings of known type comprise an auxiliary element, in which the seating for the pin of the crampon is afforded, removably connected, for example by means of screws, to the fastening plate of the toe-piece to the ski body.

[0011] A first drawback deriving from a solution as above relates to the fact that the fastening screws, necessarily short, do not guarantee optimal blocking, as they can loosen due to the stresses bearing on the crampon, with possible unexpected detachments thereof, and with consequences that can even be dangerous.

[0012] A further drawback derives from the fact that ski bindings for alpine skiing, especially in the competitive versions, are made with the objective of maximum possible lightness, in order to hamper the skier as little as possible in the uphill stage; in order to enable blocking of the auxiliary element, also as light as possible, the fastening body of the toe-piece must be slimmed down locally and pierced, and therefore is inevitably weakened, with the negative consequences this will bring.

[0013] The aim of the present invention is to provide an improved toe-piece for an alpine skiing binding, conformed such as to enable mounting of the tilting crampons without the sturdiness of the toe-piece being compromised.

[0014] A further aim of the invention relates to the desire to guarantee absolute unremovability of the seating of the hinge pin of the crampon with respect to the toe-piece as well as the ski to which it is fastened.

[0015] A still further aim of the invention consists in obtaining a toe-piece, suitable for mounting the tilting crampon, which is lighter than a corresponding toe-piece with the auxiliary element applied.

[0016] The characteristics of the invention will emerge from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the improved toe-piece of the invention, according to what is set out in the claims and with the aid of the accompanying figures of the drawings, in which:

• figure 1 is a lateral view of a fastening plate of the improved toe-piece and, detached, a relatively tilting crampon;
• figure 2 is a plan view of the elements of figure 1;
• figure 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the plate of figures 1 and 2;
• figure 4 is a lateral view, similar to figure 1, with the crampon connected hingedly to the fastening plate;
• figure 5 is a plant view of the elements of figure 4;
• figure 6 is a perspective view of a complete improved toe-piece, provided with a tilting crampon, associated to a ski.

[0017] With reference to the figures of the drawings, 1 denotes the improved toe-piece of the invention in its entirety.

[0018] The toe-piece, in a known way, comprises a fastening plate 2 for mounting thereof on the upper surface of a corresponding ski 100, using screws.

[0019] Known hooking means 3 are associated to the fastening plate 2, which hooking means 3 are destined to engage the front end of the sole of a ski boot (not illustrated), leaving the ski boot free to oscillate about an axis which is transversal of the ski 100.

[0020] As can be seen in figure 6, the hooking means 3 comprise two opposing jaws 31, provided with pins 32 (of which only one is visible), facing towards one another and destined to engage corresponding holes exhibited in the flank of the sole of the ski-boot.

[0021] The jaws 31 oscillate with respect to fulcra in the fastening plate 2 and are subjected to a lever and spring system destined to define, for the jaws 31, an open position and a closed position, in which the pins 32 are respectively distanced, in order to disengage them from the holes in the boot, and neared, in order to insert them in the holes.

[0022] In the invention, at least an appendage 20 is realised, in a single body, in the fastening plate 2, facing towards the rear part of the ski 100, provided with a hole 21 destined to define a seating 22 arranged transversally to the ski 100, provided such as to removably receive a hinge pin 41 of a tilting crampon 40, of known type cited in the preamble, to be associated to the toe-piece 1.

[0023] In the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying figures, two appendages 20 are provided, arranged symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal median line X of the fastening plate 2, provided with mutually coaxial relative holes 21, destined to define the seating 22.

[0024] In alternative embodiments, not illustrated, an appendage or more than two appendages 20 can be provided.

[0025] A cutaway 23 is provided in the upper part of each of the appendages 20, which radially intersects the hole 21 and interrupts the circular continuity thereof over the whole axial development thereof (see in particular figure 3).

[0026] In the step of introducing the hinge pin 41, from a side of the seating 22, the cutaways 23 enable transit of extending limbs 42A of the central wall 42 of the crampon 40, solidly constrained to the heads of the pin 41; obviously the crampon 40, during the manoeuvre, is maintained in a position in which the limbs 42A are orientated upwards and are practically vertical (figures 1 and 2).

[0027] With the hinge pin 41 engaged in the seating 22 (figures 4, 5, 6), the crampon 40 is stably associated to the fastening plate 2 and can oscillate with respect to the pin 41 in the known ways described in the preamble.

[0028] The special characteristics of the improved toe-piece of the invention emerge clearly from the above description which, thanks to the realising of the fastening plate 2 and the appendages 20 in a single body, in which the seating 22 is afforded, enables mounting the tilting crampons extremely easily and without the sturdiness of the toe-piece being compromised.

[0029] The monolithic construction obviates the problems which might ensue in known solutions due to insufficient locking, because of a wrong fitting or subsequent loosening of the screws which block the auxiliary element to the fastening plate.

[0030] Apart from the above-cited advantageous aspects, the absence of coupling surfaces and connecting means enable a more rational design of the shape such as to be able to obtain high resistance to stress in combination with a maximum lightness possible.

[0031] The improved toe-piece, as described, is realisable with lower production costs with respect to a conventional toe-piece with a removable auxiliary element.

[0032] The foregoing is intended as a non-limiting example, and any eventual modifications in detail which might become necessary for structural, technical or functional reasons are considered to fall within the ambit of protection defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An improved toe-piece for a binding for alpine skiing, characterised in that it provides at least an appendage (20), in a single body with a fastening plate (2) to a corresponding ski (100), which at least an appendage (20) faces towards a rear part of the ski (100) and is provided with a hole (21) for defining a seating (22), the seating being arranged transversally to the ski (100) and being provided for removably receiving a hinge pin (41) of a tilting crampon (40) to be associated to the toe-piece (1).

2. The improved toe-piece of claim 1, characterised in that two appendages (20) are provided, arranged symmetrically with respect to a longitudinal median line (X) of the fastening plate (2), provided with mutually-coaxial relative holes (21), destined to define the seating (22).

3. The improved toe-piece of claim 1 or 2, characterised in that a cutaway (23) is provided in an upper part of each of the appendages (20), which cutaway (23) radially intersects the relative hole (21) and interrupts a circular continuity thereof over an entire axial development thereof, the cutaway (23) being destined to enable transit of limbs (42A) of the central wall (42) of the tilting crampon (40), which limbs (42A) are solidly constrained to heads of the pin
(41), during a stage of introduction of the pin (41) into the seating (22).

Drawing