In the drawing:
FIG. 1 shows a vertical longitudinal section of the boot-retaining unit according to the invention, corresponding to section line I-I in FIG. 2, and of a ski-boot sole which interacts therewith,
FIG. 2 shows a horizontal section corresponding to section line II-II in FIG. 1, and
FIG. 3 shows a sectional illustration which corresponds to FIG. 2 and depicts the ski-boot sole being disengaged sideways.
In the example of FIG. 1, a bearing plate 3 is provided on a ski 1 in order to accommodate a ski boot, of which only the sole 2 is illustrated in FIG. 1, it being possible for the bearing plate to be pivoted upward relative to the ski about a front transverse axis 4. A front boot-retaining unit 5 and a rear boot-retaining unit (not illustrated) are arranged on the bearing plate 3 and secure the sole 2 of the ski boot in a disengageable manner on the bearing plate 3.
In contrast to the embodiment illustrated in the drawing, it should also be possible for the front boot-retaining unit 5 and the rear boot-retaining unit (not illustrated) to be arranged directly on the top side of the ski, in order for the ski boot or its sole 2 to be fixed in a disengageable manner directly on the ski 1.
The bearing plate 3 can be secured in an immovable manner on the top side of the ski, by way of arresting means (not illustrated), when the ski is used for downhill skiing. The capability of the bearing plate 3 to pivot in relation to the transverse axis 4 is utilized predominantly only for cross-country skiing.
The boot-retaining unit 5 has a cylindrical housing 6 which extends in the transverse direction, parallel to the transverse axis 4, and has a non-round, essentially square cross section. Sole holders 7 and 8 are arranged at the open ends of the cylindrical housing 6 such that they can be pivoted about vertical axes 9. The sole holders 7 and 8 are formed such that in the use position, which is illustrated in FIG. 2, they engage around front corner regions of the sole 2 from the front and the side and engage over the same from above.
The sole holders 7 and 8 are each designed as double-armed levers, the respective lever arm which is remote from the sole interacting with a guide-like end side of a piston 10 or 11, respectively, which has a cross section adapted to the square cross section of the cylindrical housing 6 and is guided in a displaceable manner in the housing 6. Within the housing 6, a helical compression spring 12 (only illustrated schematically) is clamped in between the pistons 10 and 11 and biases the pistons 10 and 11 against the sole holders 7 and 8, this causing the latter to seek the use position of FIG. 2. Since the vertical axes 9 are located within the piston cross section, as seen in an axial view of the pistons 10 and 11, and the sole holders 7 and 8 interact in a stop-like manner with housing peripheries 6′ and 6″, the sole holders 7 and 8 also act as end stops for the pistons 10 and 11 when there has been no boot, or no boot sole 2, inserted into the boot-retaining unit 5. In the latter case, too, those positions of the sole holders 7 and 8 which are illustrated in FIG. 2 constitute end positions.
The piston 11, which is at the bottom in FIG. 2, contains an adjusting screw 13 which is mounted axially, by way of a circular disk 13′ integrally formed on it, on the facing side of the head of the piston 11. Arranged on the threaded part of the adjusting screw 13, such that it can be adjusted by screwing action, is a nut 14 which is shaped in adaptation to the square cross section of the piston 11 and is thus secured within the piston 11 such that it cannot be rotated. Rotary adjustment of the adjusting screw 13, which passes through a bore in the head of the piston 11 by way of a head which contains a recess provided for the form-fitting engagement of a screwing tool, allows the nut 14 to be adjusted axially within the piston 11. The stressing of the helical compression spring 12, of which one abutment is formed by the head of the piston 10 and the other abutment is formed by the nut 14, is thus changed correspondingly, this also resulting in a change in the disengaging resistance, counter to which the sole holders 7 and 8 can pivot out of their use position according to FIG. 2 into a release position according to FIG. 3 if the sole 2 is subjected to corresponding sideways forces. The position of the nut 14 within the piston 11, and thus the level of stressing set for the helical compression spring 12, can be seen through slot-like windows 15 and 16 which extend parallel to the transverse axis 4 and are arranged to coincide with one another within the wall of the housing 6 and of the piston 11. The window 15 of the housing 6 may possibly be provided with a scale, from which it is possible to read, from the position of the nut 14 and the disengaging resistance set (so-called Z value), if the sole holders 7 and 8, and thus the pistons 10 and 11, are located in the end positions of FIG. 2.
When one of the sole holders 7 or 8 is pivoted into the position of FIG. 3 upon disengagement of the binding, and accompanying release of the ski-boot sole, in each case one of the pistons 10 or 11 is correspondingly pushed into the cylindrical housing 6, the air which is located in the housing 6 between the pistons 10 and 11 being compressed and some of this air being pushed out into the atmosphere via the windows 15 and 16. In this context, the windows 15 and 16 have a further function, i.e. they predetermine the throttle resistance which has to be overcome as the air is expelled into the atmosphere. The throttle cross section may possibly be limited by transparent “window panes” arranged in the windows 15 and 16, in which case the air displaced toward the atmosphere has to overcome a correspondingly increased throttle resistance. In relation to quick movements of the pistons 10 and 11, this throttle resistance has a damping action which, in the event of the ski boot suddenly being subjected to impact forces, counteracts premature disengagement of the ski boot from the binding. If, in contrast, the ski boot is rotated slowly about a vertical axis and/or is moved sideways relative to the ski 1, for example in the event of a fall from the standing position, the abovementioned damping of the piston movement is more or less absent because, in this case, the air contained in the housing 6 passes through the windows 15 and 16 at a low flow speed and can thus escape, as far as possible, in a resistance-free manner.
As can be seen from FIG. 3 in particular, that side of the head of the piston 10 or 11 which interacts with the piston-side arm of the sole holder 7 or 8, respectively, is designed as a guide 17. The shape of the guide determines the transmission ratio between the change in angle of rotation of the sole holder 7 or 8 and the adjustment of the associated piston 10 or 11. The guide 17 also has a protuberance-like elevation 17′, in which case, in the event of the ski boot or the sole 2 being disengaged from the binding, the respective sole holder 7 or 8 remains in the position which has been reached in FIG. 3 and has to be pivoted back manually in the direction of the use position of FIG. 2. As soon as the piston-side lever arm of the sole holder 7 or 8 comes into contact with the associated piston 10 or 11 on the other side of the elevation 17′, as seen in respect of the position in FIG. 3, the sole holder 7 or 8 is biased into the use position of FIG. 2 by the force of the helical compression spring 12, which is now able to push the piston 7 or 8 outward again within the housing 6.
Patent Application
20080048430
