This application is a national phase entry in the United States of the international application PCT/IB01/00994 and claims the benefit of the German application Number 100 28 359.4 filed Jun. 8, 2000.
The invention relates to an arrangement comprising a ski binding and a ski boot adapted thereto, according to the precharacterizing clause of claim 1.
Ski bindings of this kind are known in diverse designs. Their common feature is that a binding-side first engagement element, which is attached to the ski, can be brought into engagement with a second engagement element provided on the sole of a ski boot, so that the front end of the boot is fixed to the ski during cross-country skiing or downhill skiing in telemark style, whereas the back end (heel) of the boot can be raised substantially freely. Thus the first and the second engagement element together constitute a hinge joint that is basically rigid, in as much as it cannot be displaced in the long direction of the ski, and has an axis of rotation oriented substantially horizontally and perpendicular to the ski's long axis. The hinge joint or axle in question can be disposed either at the front end of the boot or somewhat further back, in the region of the toes or the ball of the foot. As an example in this regard, reference is made to the arrangement according to the patent FR 2 741 543. This construction, having a fixedly positioned hinge joint, is inconsistent with an anatomically optimal movement sequence, i.e. an anatomically optimal execution of the rolling motion made by a foot during locomotion on a flat substrate.
The same applies to a ski binding or arrangement such as is described, for example, in the applicant's patent WO 96/23558. In this design are provided, in addition to the above-mentioned first and second engagement elements in the region of the front end of the boot, a third and a fourth engagement element in the middle region, in particular at the back end of the front part of the boot sole; these serve to fix the boot additionally in this region and apply to it a pretensioning force directed toward the ski, which acts as a restoring force when the heel of the boot is raised.
This binding and similar designs likewise fail to achieve an anatomically optimal movement sequence as the ski boot (and the skier's foot) is rotated substantially as a unit about an axis of rotation near the tips of the toes, when the heel of the boot (and of the skier) is raised. Here, again, the hinge joint is rigid, i.e. cannot be displaced in the long direction of the ski. Such a rigid hinge joint is opposed to the natural movement when the foot is rolled on a substrate, and accordingly does not enable force to be optimally applied to the ski when pushing off.
The objective of the invention is thus to disclose an arrangement of this generic kind that is improved with respect to an anatomically and physiologically optimized movement sequence during skiing, and thus has better service ability properties.
This objective is achieved by an arrangement with the characteristics given in claim 1.
The invention includes the idea that the shapes of ski boot and binding are matched to one another in such a way that when the heel of the skier is raised (specifically for pushing off during cross-country skiing), the ball and toe region of the foot, or the region between toes and ball, makes an anatomically and physiologically correct rolling motion on the ski. It further includes the idea of constructing either the underside of the boot sole in the front region, and/or the surface of the ski or a binding plate that supports the front sole region, with a convex curvature in the long direction of ski or boot. This contour promotes a physiologically correct rolling motion when the heel of the boot, and hence of the skier, is raised. It is also within the scope of the invention that the fixation between binding and ski boot in the region of the front end of the boot is made movable in such a way as to enable a degree of movement of the front end of the boot in the direction opposite to the heel movement, e.g. to move down when the heel is raised and up when the heel is lowered. This is achieved by a special configuration of the first and second engagement elements (which are known per se) on the binding or boot in combination with third and fourth engagement elements in the region of the ball of the foot or base of the toes, the engagement elements being adapted to one another in such a way that the ski boot, specifically the front part of its sole, makes a kind of rocking movement on the ski or binding plate when the boot heel is raised and lowered, that is, the hinge joint between boot and binding is not rigidly fixed. The actual axis of rotation between the boot sole and the ski or binding can shift along the ski while the boot heel is raised or lowered. The result is an anatomically optimal movement sequence that corresponds to the externally unrestricted rolling of the foot during locomotion on a solid substrate.
With regard to structural details and embodiments reference is made to the subordinate claims.
In a first embodiment, in order to achieve the above-mentioned movement sequence while keeping the boot firmly fixed to the binding, on the first and/or second engagement element a first spring member is provided, which tends to force the front end of the boot sole toward the ski or the binding plate mounted thereon. This spring member is then associated with the first engagement element in the region of the slideway.
Preferably there is also associated with a third and/or fourth engagement element, which may be additionally provided, a (second) spring member which tends to force the sole of the boot toward the ski or binding plate. This is in particular constructed as a longitudinally elastic band or cable, which extends beneath the boot sole or runs along its side and provides an elastic connection between the fourth engagement element (and hence also the third engagement element, situated in the boot sole) to a fixation point on the ski or the ski binding. In another embodiment the band or cable is inelastic in itself and is endowed with resilience in the longitudinal direction by an additional spring element in the ski binding, in particular one that acts horizontally.
The engagement elements in the boot sole, i.e. the second and the third engagement element, in an advantageous embodiment that regarding the second engagement element is known per se, are each constructed as an axle that extends transverse to the median plane of the boot, and hence to the long axis of the ski, and in particular are made of steel. This axle is enclosed by the associated first or fourth engagement element, respectively, which extends around the axle like a hook.
To produce a restoring force that tends to drive the boot sole back into the “normal” position, i.e. with the heel of the boot resting on the ski or binding plate, in a manner that is advantageous with respect to movement dynamics, behind the first engagement element on the ski side, or behind the second engagement element on the boot side, an elastically compressible counterpressure element (flexor) is provided. This is disposed in particular between the engagement regions at the front end and in the middle region of the boot sole, and in a simple, economical and durable embodiment is constructed as an elastomer block. So that its function will not be impaired by accumulated snow, it is preferably provided with a ridged or cleated profile. Preferably the part of the boot sole that is in the corresponding position has a corresponding negative profile, which simultaneously achieves a degree of additional guidance between boot sole and ski binding.
As mentioned, in a preferred embodiment of the invention there are also provided a third engagement element, disposed in a middle region of the boot, in particular in the ball or toe-base region of the sole, and a fourth engagement element disposed in a corresponding position on the ski binding. Engagement of these with one another achieves a fixation of the ski boot that inhibits displacement backward on the ski, even if the first and second engagement elements, at the front end of the boot, are so configured that they, would allow such displacement.
In a first preferred embodiment of the first engagement element, it comprises two contact-surface sections, a front one positioned ahead of the second engagement element and an upper one positioned above the second engagement element. These contact-surface sections prevent or limit displacement of the ski boot in the forward and upward directions, respectively. The front contact-surface section in a special design is constructed as a slideway, along which the second engagment element slides downward or upward when the back end of the boot sole is raised or lowered, respectively. In another design the first engagement element is constructed as a hook element with a supplementary, lower contact-surface section that fixes the second engagement element additionally from below. In this latter design the ski binding comprises in its front part a slideway within which the first engagement element as a whole can slide downward and upward.
An especially advantageous embodiment is distinguished by the fact that the first engagement element comprises a catch hook that can be rotated about an axle extending approximately parallel to the upper surface of the ski, and hence to the boot sole, and transverse to the long direction of ski or boot, into which the second engagement element, i.e. the front one on the sole side, can be inserted from behind. This embodiment can in the extreme case be so constructed that the first engagement element is attached to the sole-side second engagement element in such a way that the boot is held to the ski or binding exclusively by these two engagement elements; as a result, the forward rolling motion of the foot described above is made possible, accompanied by corresponding movement of the first and second engagement elements. In this case, of course, measures must be taken to allow the engagement element on the ski or binding side to be released, when necessary, from the second engagement element, on the sole side.
Preferably the first engagement element, constructed as a catch hook, or its axle can be moved forward against the action of an elastic element, in particular a compression spring. Hence the rolling motion of the boot sole on the ski or binding or binding plate can be still more closely matched to the anatomical foot-rolling motion.
In case the first and second engagement elements stabilize the boot only in the forward and upward directions, third and fourth engagement elements must be provided to keep the boot from moving backward and upward; the latter engagement elements preferably act in the region of the ball of the foot or the base of the toes. In a preferred embodiment the fourth engagement element comprises a stopping hook that can rotate about an axle extending approximately parallel to the upper ski surface or boot sole and transverse to the long direction of ski or boot. This stopping hook can be used to pull the third engagement element, on the sole side, forward after it has been displaced backward, so that the boot is kept in position on the binding by the combined action of the two pairs of elements: the first and second engagement elements cooperate to limit the forward movement of the boot, and the third and fourth engagement elements cooperate to limit its backward movement. The engagement elements are of course adapted to one another so that in the region of the front part of the sole, the boot can make the rocking motion described above while resting on the ski, binding or binding case.
Preferably an elastic counterpressure element is provided, which acts in the region in front of the third engagement element so as to apply an upward force to the part of the sole positioned ahead of the third engagement element. This counterpressure element corresponds to the flexor in the first exemplary embodiment described above.
Regarding additional advantages and technical details of the second embodiment, reference is made to claims 20 ff.
In the following, preferred embodiments of the arrangement in accordance with the invention are explained in greater detail with reference the attached drawings, wherein
Comparison of the two movement positions makes clear that during the transition from the first, heel-raised position to the second, heel-lowered position, the front end of the sole and hence the front engagement element 7 is raised from a height h1 to a height h2. At the same time, the area of contact between ski boot and ski is shifted backward, from a first contact area C1 to a second contact area C2. It will be evident that the transition from the second to the first movement position is, correspondingly, combined with a lowering of the front end of the sole and a forward shift of the contact area. This movement sequence corresponds quite closely to an anatomically correct rolling motion of the foot along the ball-toe region.
Here, again, there are disposed in the boot sole 103 a front and a back engagement element 107, 109, each of which has the form of a steel axle oriented transverse to the midplane of the boot and the long axis of the ski. (In the description that follows, and in the claims, these engagement elements on the boot side are also called the second and the third engagement element.)
The ski binding 104 comprises a binding plate 111, a binding-side front (first) engagement element 113, a back (fourth) engagement element 115, an elastomer block 117 that serves as counterpressure element, and fixation/actuation/connection elements associated with the front and back binding-side engagement elements 113, 115. The last of these comprise in particular a sleeve-type slideway 119 for the first engagement element 113, with a helical-spring element 121 that is mounted on the binding plate 111 by way of a first swivelling axle 123, and an actuator lever 129 that is connected both to the slideway 119, by way of an articulated-lever mechanism 125, and to the binding plate 111, by way or a second swivelling axle 127. The fourth engagement element 115, in the form of a hook that encloses the circumference of the third engagement element 109 over ca. 180°, is part of a tensioning band 131 that is constructed or mounted so as to be resilient in its long direction and is attached within the binding plate 111.
Whereas in
It is evident in the figures that the front (first) engagement element 113 on the binding side is constructed as a U-shaped hook, which encloses the front engagement element on the boot side, namely the steel axle 107, by way of an upper, a front and a lower contact-surface section and thus provides fixation with respect to the upward, forward and downward directions. A backward movement of the boot 101 is limited by the interaction of the back engagement elements on the binding side (hook 115) and boot side (axle 109). Furthermore, it can be seen that the above-mentioned vertical movement of the front end of the boot sole 103, and hence of the axle 107 disposed there to serve as second engagement element, is made possible by the sleeve-type slideway 119 and the action of the spring force exerted by the helical-spring element 121, which maintain the engagement of the axle 107 with the hook 113, which serves as first engagement element. A permanent engagement between the back axle 109 and the associated hook 115 is achieved by making the tensioning band 131 longitudinally elastic, or by making it flexible and mounting it so that it can be displaced longitudinally in a resilient manner; as a result of this flexibility and elasticity, when the back axle 109 on the boot sole 103 moves vertically as the heel of the boot is raised, this movement is followed without breaking the engagement. Finally, the drawings also illustrate the elastic deformation of the elastomer block 117 while the heel is being raised and the front end of the sole correspondingly moved in the opposite direction, which causes an elastic restoring force to be imposed against this movement.
In
A first modification consists in the altered construction of the front binding-side engagement element (hook) 213 and the associated connection to the binding plate 211. The hook 213 is connected to the binding plate 211 directly by way of a swivelling axle 223, i.e. with no slideway or spring element. Here the force pressing it against the front axle 207 on the boot sole 203 is exerted by way of the actuator lever 229 and the articulated-lever mechanism 225 and originates from the torsion spring (not shown separately) associated with the swivelling axle 227 of the actuator element 229. The back edge or surface 213a of the hook, which faces the axle 207, forms a slideway for the axle 207, along which the axle slides when the heel of the ski boot 201 is moved downward or upward (cf.
The second substantial difference from the arrangement 100 according to
The substantial difference consists in the construction of the binding plate 311 in the region of the counterpressure element 317, and also in the construction of the latter. The binding plate 311 has a binding-plate profile structure 311a, which is designed to engage with recesses 303a, which have a corresponding negative profile, in the boot sole 303 (for instance, in its edge region). In contrast, the counterpressure element 317, which here again has the form of an elastomer block, is unprofiled and fits into an elongated recess in the middle region of the front end of the boot sole 303. (This recess is in principle also present in the other embodiments and is not specially identified in
In
Accordingly, the arrangement 400 shown in
The catch hook 433 along with its swivelling axle 432, as is especially clearly visible in
Because the ski boot is free to make a rolling motion along the binding plate 411, the second engagement element 407 must necessarily move both in the long direction of the ski and also perpendicular to the upper surface of the ski. These movement components should not be impaired by the catch hook 433.
The fourth engagement element 415 likewise comprises a stopping hook 436 that can swivel about an axle 435 oriented approximately parallel to the upper surface of the ski, and hence to the boot sole 403, and transverse to the long direction of ski and boot. The forward pull exerted by this hook counteracts backward displacement of the third engagement element 409, so that the boot 401 is kept in position on the binding 404 by the cooperative action of the various engagement elements, namely the first and second engagement elements, which limit the forward movement of the boot 401, and also the third and fourth engagement elements, which limit movement of the boot 401 in the backward direction.
In the region ahead or the third engagement element 409 an elastic counterpressure element 437 acts to apply an upward force to the part of the sole situated in front of the third engagement element 409. In this specific case the elastic counterpressure element 437 is associated with the fourth engagement element 415 and is constructed as a compression spring. Instead of a compression spring, an elastomer block can also be provided. As shown in
The fourth engagement element 415, and hence the stopping hook 436 associated therewith, can be displaced in the long direction of the ski, from a boot-release position into a boot-retaining position, as shown in
The longitudinal guidance of the boot 401 on the ski 5 or the binding plate 411 is brought about by longitudinal ribs 440 that correspond to one another and longitudinal grooves on the tread aide of the boot sole 403 and/or the sole-supporting surface 439 of the ski or the binding plate 411.
In the embodiment shown here, the third engagement element 409 is positioned in the front ball region or back toe-base region, whereas the second engagement element 407 is situated at the front end of the sole, but on its underside. Theoretically the second engagement element could also be positioned ahead of the front end of the sole.
The catch and stopping hooks 433 and 436, respectively, thus move freely along with the rolling motion of the boot sole when the heel is raised, while simultaneously fixing the boot 401 in position with respect to both the forward and backward directions and, of course, also the upward direction. Thus the ski boot can make a rolling motion on the binding plate 411 with substantially no restraint, as can clearly be seen by comparing
In the embodiment shown here the longitudinal guide ribs are formed on the upper surface or sole-supporting surface 439 of the binding plate 411. On the lower surface or tread side of the boot sole 403, corresponding longitudinal grooves are provided.
Furthermore, the sole-supporting surface 439 has a convex curvature in the long direction of the ski or boot where it is associated with the front part of the boot sole. This configuration is useful when the front sole region has a substantially flat shape. In the embodiments previously described such a convexly curved sole-supporting surface 439 is not required, because in these embodiments the front region of the boot sole is itself convexly curved in the long direction of ski or boot. Both embodiments permit the boot to make a rolling motion on the substrate, accompanied by longitudinal shifting of the contact line between boot and ski or binding plate, when the heel of the boot is raised or lowered.
In principle it is also conceivable to fix the boot to the ski or binding only by means of the third and fourth engagement elements, in which case of course care must be taken to ensure that the fourth engagement element encloses the third engagement element completely, so that the boot is fixed in position with respect to both forward and backward movement. The mechanical measures that would be required for this purpose can be avoided by a solution such as is described with reference to
The implementation of the invention is not restricted to the examples described above but is also possible in a large number of modifications that are within the competency of those skilled in the art.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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100 28 359 | Jun 2000 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/IB01/00994 | 6/5/2001 | WO | 00 | 5/6/2003 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO01/93963 | 12/13/2001 | WO | A |
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Number | Date | Country |
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93 20 530.9 | Oct 1994 | DE |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20030168830 A1 | Sep 2003 | US |