US3811696A

US3811696A - Ski safety binding element with adjustable release force

Info

Publication number: US3811696A
Application number: US00325247A
Authority: US
Inventors: B Sittmann
Original assignee: Vereinigte Baubeschlag - Fabriken Gretsch and Co GmbH
Current assignee: Vereinigte Baubeschlag - Fabriken Gretsch and Co GmbH
Priority date: 1971-11-03
Filing date: 1973-01-22
Publication date: 1974-05-21
Anticipated expiration: 1991-05-21
Also published as: AT323026B; US3782743A; DE2265077A1; DE2154639A1; CH556675A; FR2169258A1; DE2154639B2; FR2158272B3; FR2158272A1; DE2154639C3; FR2169258B3; DE2203867A1; AT315044B

Abstract

A pivotally mounted toe holder in a ski safety binding is held in its angular operating position by a spherical detent engaging a radial notch in the shaft carrying the toe holder. The detent is biased inward of the recess by a helical compression spring whose stress may be adjusted by a threadedly mounted backing member. An abutment member has an abutment face in the tubular guide member receiving the spring and partly receiving the detent and the backing member, and impedes or prevents excessive tightening of the spring by threaded movement of the backing member inward of the guide member.

Description

Unite 1* States Patent 1191 Sittmann SKI SAFETY BINDING ELEMENT WITH ADJUSTABLE RELEASE FORCE Brigitte Sittmann, Stuttgart, Germany Vereinigte Baubeschlagfabriken Gretsch & Co. (GmbH), Leonberg, Germany Filed: Jan. 22, 1973 Appl. No.1 325,247

Related [1.8. Application Data Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 303,032, Nov. 2, 1972.

lnventor:

Assignee:

Foreign Application Priority Data Jan. 27, 1972 Germany...; 2203867 US. Cl 280/11.35 T Int. Cl A63c 9/08 Field of Search 280/1 1.35 T

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1973 Biermann 280/1135 T 3,027,173 3/1962 Beyl 280/1135 T FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,956,703 11/1969 Germany 280/1135 T Primary Examiner-Robert R. Song Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Hans Berman; Kurt Kelman [57] ABSTRACT A pivotally mounted toe holder in a ski safety binding is held in its angular operating position by a spherical detent engaging a radial notch in the shaft carrying the toe holder. The detent is biased inward of the recess by a helical compression spring whose stress may be adjusted by a threadedly mounted backing member. An abutment member has an abutment face in the tubular guide member receiving the spring and partly receiving the detent and the backing member, and impedes or prevents excessive tightening of the spring by threaded movement of the backing member inward of the guide member.

14 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMAYZI 1am I 3.811.698

sum 1 or 2 SKI SAFETY BINDING ELEMENT WITH ADJUSTABLE RELEASE FORCE This application is a continuation-in-part of the copending application Ser. No. 303,032, filed Nov. 2, 1972.

In the afore-mentioned application, there was disclosed a toe or heel holder for a safety binding pivotally mounted on a stub shaft, and held in its angular position by a spring-loaded, spherical detent guided in a bore of the holder radial relative to the shaft axis toward one of four equiangularly offset notches in the shaft which differ in their depth. The shaft is attached to the top surface of a ski by a square mounting plate and four screws at the corners of the plate so that the detent engages different notches in the shaft, and therefore resists deflection of the holder from its operating position with different force depending on the orientation of the mounting plate on the ski surface.

The device briefly described above has been found very effective in reducing the number of leg injuries resulting from detents set for an excessive releasing force by inexperienced skiers. Tools and a certain amount of mechanical skill are needed for changing the effective depth of the notch engaging the detent member, and thereby varying the effective length and biasing force of the spring which releasably holds the detent in the notch and prevents movement of the toe or heel holder out of its operating position, and this fact normally induces a novice to seek the services of a ski expert more likely to fit the spring tension to the capability of the skier.

It is simple enough to remove the four screws which hold the mounting plate of the earlier device, to turn holder, which combines the advantageous deterrent effect of the aforedescribed device on a novice with the capability of being adjusted by an experienced skier or mechanic as many times as may be desired during a useful life of the ski which remains unaffected by frequently repeated adjustment operations.

With this object and others in view, as will presently become apparent, the safety binding element of the invention includes a shaft formed with at least one radial recess in its outer circumference, and means for fastening the shaft on the longitudinal top surface of a ski in a position in which the axis of the shaft is transverse to the ski surface. A toe or heel holder, generically referred to as a shoe holder, is mounted on the shaft for angular movement about the shaft axis toward and away from an operating position.

Movement away from the operating position is releasably impeded by a detent arrangement including a tubular guide member fixed on or integral with the shoe holder and formed with an elongated bore whose one end portion communicates with the recess in the shaft in the operating position of the shoe holder. A detent member is movably received in the one end portion of the bore, and a backing member is longitudinally adjustable in the other end portion of the bore. A compression spring interposed between the backing member and the detent member in the bore biases the detent member toward engagement with the recess with a force that may be varied by longitudinally adjusting the backing member in the bore.

Excessive compression of the spring by a novice is discouraged by an abutment device which is releasably secured to the guide member and has an abutment face in an intermediate portion of the bore which prevents, or at least impedes, movement of the backing member toward the recess in the shaft.

Other features and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will readily be appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the follow-- ing detailed description of preferred embodiments when considered in connection with the appended 7 drawing in which:

FIG. 1 shows a portion of a ski carrying a safety binding element of the invention in top plan view, the binding element being partly shown in section;

FIG. 2 shows a modified detent arrangement for use in the binding element of FIG. 1 in plan section on a larger scale;

FIG. 3 illustrates yet another modification of the detent arrangement in the apparatus of FIG. 1 in the manner of FIG. 2; and

FIGS. 4 and 5 respectively show halves of further modifications of the detent arrangement in the apparatus of FIG. 1 in plan section.

Referring initially to FIG. 1, there is seen the portion of a ski I to which a safety binding element 2 of the invention is attached by four filister head screws 3. The heads of the screws 3 project above respective corners of a base plate 4 from which a heavy stub shaft 5 extends into a conforming blind bore of a toe holder 6. A spacer ring 7 keeps the toe holder above the heads of the screws 3. Angular movement of the toe holder 6 from the illustrated operating position is limited by an abutment 8 on the underside of the toe holder which engages the heads of adjacent screws 3. Four radial notches 9 are equiangularly spaced about the axis of the shaft 5. The notches differ in size and may each be brought into a position of engagement with a spherical detent 10 by suitably orienting the base plate 4 on the ski l. The detent 10 is biased inward of the engaged notch 9 by a helical compression spring 11. The structure described so far has been disclosed in more detail in the afore-mentioned earlier application.

The spring 11 and the detent 10 are coaxially received in the elongated bore 12 of a guide sleeve 13 integrally fastened to the toe holder 6. The bore 12 is of generally circular cross section. Its diameter is greater than that of the detent 10 except adjacent the shaft 5 where the bore orifice is restricted, as is better seen in FIGS. 2 to 5, to limit outward movement of the detent 10 during assembly. The longitudinal end portion of the bore 12 near the restricted orifice is smoothly cylindrical and offset by a shoulder 14 from the remainder of the bore 12 which is provided with internal threads 15.

The end of the bore 12 remote from the shaft 5 is closed by an externally threaded cup-shaped plug 16 backing the spring 11 whose end is received in the cavity of the plug 16. The outer radial face of the plug 16 is provided with a slot 17 which permits threaded adjustment of the plug in the bore 12 by means of a screw driver. Threaded movement of the plug 16 toward the shaft 5 is limited by a generally cylindrical, tubular, externally threaded abutment member 18 engaging the threads and backed by the annular, radial face of the shoulder 14.

The width of the member 18, as measured in the direction of the common axis of the bore 12 and the spring 11, determines the extent to which a novice armed with a screw driver, but unwilling to disassemble the detent mechanism, can shorten the effective length of the spring 11, and thereby increase the force which prevents release of the skiers foot by the toe holder 6. When fitting the ski to a prospective user in a shop, a person of moderate mechanical skill can quickly remove the plug 16 and the spring 11, and thereafter insert a screw driver into a transverse slot 19 of the member 18 to withdraw the same from the bore 12, thereby permitting the plug 16 to be moved into engagement with the annular face of the shoulder 14, as may be suitable for a strongly built skier, or to replace the member 18 by another one of different axial length. It is also possible, though generally less safe, merely to move the abutment member 18 away from the shoulder 14 so that the annular abutment face of the member 18 is shifted away from the shaft 5. Under unfavorable conditions, however, the member 18 may turn with the plug 16 when the latter is adjusted, and may thus not limit the movement of the plug 16 in the desired, predictable manner.

As is shown in FIG. 2, the threaded abutment member 18 may be replaced by a smoothly cylindrical abutment ring 21 in a structure otherwise identical with that illustrated in FIG. 1, and not fully illustrated in FIG. 2. The ring 21 is inserted and withdrawn even more simply than the member 18, but it tends to produce a clicking noise as it slides freely back and forth in the bore 12. The ring 21 may be inserted in the apparatus of FIG. 1 between the abutment member 18 and the shoulder 14 for shortening the available adjustment stroke of the plug 16, and several rings may be juxtaposed axially in the device of FIG. 2 for the same purpose.

The embodiments of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 5 rely on abutment faces of elements radially projecting from recesses in the guide sleeve into the path of the plug 16 for preventing or at least impeding excessive compression of the spring 11 by the backing p T he guide sleeve 23 shown in FIG. 3 differs from the sleeve 13 by being provided with three transverse, internally threaded bores spaced longitudinally of the elongated bore 12. One of the transverse bores receives a flat-head screw 24 whose reduced, smoothly cylindrical end projects sufficiently into the bore 12 to prevent movement of the plug 16 beyond a position of abutting engagement of the flat, annular end face of the plug 16 with the cylindrical abutment face 25 of the screw 24. The other two transverse bores in the sleeve 23 are closed by plastic plugs 26 to prevent entry of snow and other contaminants, and the positions of the plugs 26 and of the screw 24 may be interchanged to vary the adjusting stroke of the plug 16.

The guide sleeve 27 illustrated in FIG. 4 has two axially spaced, relatively large, radial bores 28 communicating with an intermediate portion of the bore 12. The corresponding portion of the sleeve 27 has a heavier wall which is not unduly weakened by the bores 28.

Each bore 28 has a reduced inner orifice 29, and a wider, outer portion which is internally threaded to receive a partly hollow screw 30. The screw is inserted in one of the two bores 28 and backs a helical compression spring 31 which biases a cup-shaped abutment member 32 out of the recess of the bore 28 and into the bore 12. A flange 32 at the base of the abutment member 32 is dimensioned not to pass through the orifice 29. The abutment member 32 presents a frustoconical abutment face 33 to the plug 16, and thus may impede the threaded movement of the plug 16 toward the detent 10, but yields when greater force is exerted on a non-illustrated screw driver employed for turning the plug 16. The sudden increase in the required operating force of the screw driver is relied upon as a deterrent against excessively stressing the spring 11. A plastic plug 34 closes the bore 28 not receiving the screw.

The detent mechanism illustrated in FIG. 5 is closely similar to that described above with reference to FIG. 4. The restricted orifices 29 of its radial bores 28' are further reduced in diameter immediately adjacent the bore 12 for retaining a spherical detent member 35 which is biased outward of the recess in the bore 28 by the spring 31.

It is a common feature of the mechanisms illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 that the abutment faces impeding the threaded movement of the plug 16 are obliquely inclined relative to the axis of the bore 12, and thus cammingly cooperate with the end face of the plug 16 which shifts them out of the bore 12 when engaging the abutment faces.

To prevent tampering with the coarse spring adjustment as limited by the screws 24, 30 in FIGS. 3 to 5, the screws may be sealed to the guide sleeve 27 by a glob 35 of sealing material, such as solder or plastic cement, as is shown in FIG. 5. The plug 16 may be secured in an analogous manner, but this is not normally necessary as long as threaded plug movement is limited by an abutment face located intermediate the two end portions of the bore 12.

While the invention has been described in connection with the notched shaft of the earlier application, it may be used to advantage with a shaft having but a single notch or similar recess, and a base plate or other mounting element fixedly attached to a ski in but a single operative position.

It should be understood, therefore, that the foregoing disclosure relates only to preferred embodiments of the invention, and that it is intended to cover all changes and variations of the examples of the invention herein chosen for the purpose of the disclosure which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A safety binding element for a ski comprising, in combination:

a. a shaft member having an axis and being formed with a radial recess in the outer circumference thereof;

b. fastening means for fastening said member on the longitudinal top surface of a ski in a position in which said axis is transverse to said surface;

0. a shoe holder member mounted on said shaft member for angular movement about said axis toward and away from an operating position; and

d. detent means for releasably impeding movement of said shoe holder member away from said operating position, said detent means including 1. a detent member,

2. a tubular guide member on said shoe holder member formed with an elongated bore having one end portion communicating with said recess in said operating position and another end portion remote from said recess, said bore movably receiving said detent member,

3. a backing member longitudinally adjustable in said other end portion,

4. a compression spring interposed in said bore between said backing member and said detent member and biasing said detent member toward engagement with said recess with a force that may be varied by longitudinally adjusting said backing member in said bore, and

5. abutment means releasably secured to said guide member-and having an abutment face in a portion of said bore intermediatesaid end portions, said abutment face impeding movement of said backing member from said intermediate po'rtion toward said one end portion.

2. An element as set forth in claim 1, wherein said guide member is threaded in said bore and said backing member carries external threads engaging said guide member for threaded adjusting movement, said guide member having a shoulder in said bore, an annular face of said shoulder being directed toward said other end portion, and said abutment face being interposed between said annular face and said backing member and preventing engagement of said annular face by said backing member.

3. An element as set forth in claim 2, wherein said abutment means include a threaded annular abutment member threadedly engaging the threads in said bore between said backing member and said shoulder.

4. An element as set forth in claim 2, wherein said abutment means include a ring member received in said bore and dimensioned for free longitudinal movement in said bore between said backing member and said shoulder.

5. An element as set forth in claim 2, wherein said guide member is formed with a transverse, threaded bore, and said abutment means include a screw member threadedly movable in said transverse bore inward and outward of said elongated bore.

6. An element as set forth inclaim 5, wherein said guide member is formed with another transverse bore offset from said first-mentioned transverse bore longitudinally of said elongatedbore, said other bore being internally threaded for mating engagement with said screw member.

7. An element as set forth in claim 5, wherein said backing member and said screw member constitute a pair of externally threaded members, and said element further comprises a body of sealing material sealing one member of said pair to said guide member and preventing threaded movement of said one member.

8. An element as set forth in claim 5, wherein said abutment means further include an abutment member carrying said abutment face and partly received in said transverse bore, and yieldably resilient means interposed between said screw member and said abutment member and biasing the abutment member inward of said elongated bore.

9. An element as set forth in claim 8, further comprising engagement means on said backing member engageable with said abutment face for shifting said abutment member outward of said elongated bore against the restraint of said yieldably resilient means when said backing member threadedly moves toward said shoulder.

10. An element as set forth in claim 1, wherein said abutment means include yieldably resilient means biasing said abutment face inward of said bore, and said backing member carries engagement means engage able with said abutment face for shifting said abutment face outward of said bore against the restraint of said yieldably resilient means when said backing member threadedly moves toward said shoulder.

11. An element as set forth in claim 10, wherein said guide member is formed with a recess communicating with said bore, said abutment means including an abutment member carrying said abutment face, said yieldably resilient means biasing said abutment member outward of said recess into said bore, and said engagement means shifting said abutment member inward of said recess when engaging said abutment face during threaded movement of said backing member toward said shoulder.

12. An element as set forth in claim 11, wherein said abutment face is obliquely inclined relative to the direction of elongation of said bore.

13. An element as set forth in claim 11, wherein said recess has a restricted orifice communicating with said bore, and said abutment member has an enlarged base portion dimensioned to prevent passage thereof through said orifice and thereby limiting movement of said abutment member inward of said bore, said yieldably resilient means including a compression spring in said recess engaging said base portion.

14. An element as set forth in claim 11, wherein said abutment face is spherically arcuate.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No.3,811,696 Dated May 21. 197

Inventofls) BRIGI'LTE SIT'I'MANN It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the heading, after line insert Nov. 3, 1.971 Germany P 21 54 639.4

Signed arid sealed this 17th day of September 1974 (SEAL) Attest:

MCCOY M. GIBSON JR. C. MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents FORM PO-lOSO (10-69) USCOMM DC 60376 peg w u.s. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: I969 036633A.

Claims

1. A safety binding element for a ski comprising, in combination: a. a shaft member having an axis and being formed with a radial recess in the outer circumference thereof; b. fastening means for fastening said member on the longitudinal top surface of a ski in a position in which said axis is transverse to said surface; c. a shoe holder member mounted on said shaft member for angular movement about said axis toward and away from an operating position; and d. detent means for releasably impeding movement of said shoe holder member away from said operating position, said detent means including 1. a detent member, 2. a tubular guide member on said shoe holder member formed with an elongated bore having one end portion communicating with said recess in said operating position and another end portion remote from said recess, said bore movably receiving said detent member, 3. a backing member longitudinally adjustable in said other end portion, 4. a compression spring interposed in said bore between said backing member and said detent member and biasing said detent member toward engagement with said recess with a force that may be varied by longitudinally adjusting said backing member in said bore, and 5. abutment means releasably secured to said guide member and having an abutment face in a portion of said bore intermediate said end portions, said abutment face impeding movement of said backing member from said intermediate portion toward said one end portion.

3. a backing member longitudinally adjustable in said other end portion,

5. abutment means releasably secured to said guide member and having an abutment face in a portion of said bore intermediate said end portions, said abutment face impeding movement of said backing member from said intermediate portion toward said one end portion.

6. An element as set forth in claim 5, wherein said guide member is formed with another transverse bore offset from said first-mentioned transverse bore longitudinally of said elongated bore, said other bore being internally threaded for mating engagement with said screw member.

10. An element as set forth in claim 1, wherein said abutment means include yieldably resilient means biasing said abutment face inward of said bore, and said backing member carries engagement means engageable with said abutment face for shifting said abutment face outward of said bore against the restraint of said yieldably resilient means when said backing member threadedly moves toward said shoulder.