US3391944A - Ski boot heel binding device - Google Patents

Description

July 9. 1968 GHCHI SHIMIZU SKI BOOT HEEL BINDING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 14, 1966 INVENTOR.

GIKII H SHIMIZLI July 9, 1968 GHCHI SHIMIZU SKI BOOT HEEL BINDING DEVICE Filed Sept 14/ 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR.

GIICHI SHIMIZU y 1 968 GIICHI SHIMIZU 3,391,944

SKI BOOT HEEL BINDING DEVICE Filed Sept. 14, 1966 s Sheets-Sheet :5 I

lcxcasliv INVENTOR.

GIICHI SHIMIZU United States Patent 3,391,944 SKI BOOT HEEL BINDING DEVECE Giichi Shimizu, Tokyo, .iapan, assiguor to Ever New Inc., Tokyo, Japan Filed Sept. 14, 1966, Ser. No. 579,254 Claims priority, application Japan, Sept. 21, 1965, SO/57,949 6 Claims. (Cl. 28011.35)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A heel receiving clamp is tilted upwards from a ski. Pressing of the heel of a ski boot downwards against the lower jaw of the clamp Widens the clamp for reception of the entire heel thickness. The lower jaw is limitedly movable relative to its support to permit the widening.

The pressing at the same time results in rotation of the entire clamp downwards to hold the heel in place on the ski. Rearwards pressure of the heel on the clamp urges the clamp within the limited range of relative movement of the lower jaw into a pinching hold on the top and bottom of the heel. When the heel contacts the ski, the clamp is locked in place by a stopper member. This locking can be released by pressure of a ski pole on a release lever.

The present invention relates to an improved ski boot heel binding device, and more particularly to a ski boot heel binding device of the type which when the user steps with his boot into the binding device automatically secures the binding device to the heel of the ski boot and which can be opened at will, for example by slight pressure with a ski pole.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a ski boot heel binding device of the type in which the distance between a holding down means which is adapted to engage and hold the upper rear edge of the heel of a ski boot from the top and a spur which is adapted to engage and support the bottom of the ski boot heel from below may vary as the two boot heel engaging elements pivotally move between their operative or heel engaging position and inoperative or heel releasing position. One feature of the present invention is that the distance between the holding down means and spur of the binding device can vary over a much wider range than that in which the distance between the corresponding two elements in any of the prior art ski boot heel binding devices could vary so that the novel binding device can accommodate various different sizes of ski boot heels with greater ease, and the holding down means can positively engage and hold the upper rear edge of the ski boot heel with elastic action.

In a preferred embodiment of ski boot heel binding device according to the present invention, when the binding device is in its inoperative position, that is, when the binding device has no ski boot heel accommodated therein, the distance between one or free ends of both the holding down means and spur is a predetermined maximum span so that the heel of a ski boot can be easily accommodated in the binding device without any interference by the particular ends of the two heel engaging elements, and when the binding device-is in its operative position, that is, when the binding device has the ski boot heel accommodated therein, the distance between the one or free ends of both the holding down means and spur is a predetermined minimum span and the holding down means can positively engage and hold the upper rear edge of the ski boot heel with elastic action so that even the upper rear edge of the ski boot heel is depressed down and deformed by the force of the holding down means, the means can hold the upper rear edge with a predetermined constant force.

The other objects and attendant advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following detailed explanation of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a preferred form of ski boot heel binding device embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plane view of said device as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinally sectional view of said device as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5A is a fragmentary side elevational view of said binding device showing the heel engaging portions thereof in a heel receiving or releasing position;

FIG. 5B is a fragmentary side elevational view of said binding device showing the heel engaging portions thereof in a heel engaging and holding position;

FIG. 6 is a longitudinally sectional view of a modified form of ski boot heel binding device of the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary side elevational view of said binding device of FIG. 6 showing the heel engaging portions thereof in a heel receiving or releasing position.

Description of [he preferred embodiment Referring now to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of ski boot heel binding device according to the present invention, reference numeral 1 indicates an elongated mounting member which is fixedly supported on the top surface of a ski 2 by means of a plurality of set screws 3 (only two set screws are shown in FIG. 2) and which extends in the longitudinal direction of the ski. The mounting member 1 is formed with a substantially rectangular opening 5 in the center portion thereof and the opening also extends in the longitudinal direction of the ski 2. The mounting member 1 is further formed with a pair of integral opposite side brackets 6 and 6 along the opposite side edges of the center opening 5 and the brackets first extend upwardly and then bend inwardly and horizontally toward each other. A foot piece 4 is fixedly mounted on the surface of the ski 2 by means of two set screws 3' and 3' which also secure the fore end of the mounting member 1to the ski 2 and as shown in FIG. 1, the rear end of the foot piece 4 is held beneath the overlaying fore end of the mounting member. The purpose of the foot piece 4 is to maintain the sole of a ski boot at substantially the same level as that of the bottom of the heel of the ski boot when the boot heel is held in position within the binding device. The mounting member 1 is further formed with an integral rear end bracket 8 extending above the rear end of the center opening 5 and the rear bracket also first extends upwardly and then bends inwardly and horizontally. The height of the rear end bracket 8 is greater than that of the pair of side brackets 6 and 6 and the rear bracket is formed with a fore '7 therein for the purpose as will be explained hereinafter. A pair of plate members 9 and 9 are slidably provided on the inside of the respective side brackets 6 and 6 extending along a substantial portion of the respective side brackets 6 and each plate member is formed in such a construction that the upper end portion extends vertically, the longer intermediate portion first bends outwardly in a downwardly slanted fashion and then extends downwardly and vertically, and the lower end portion extends outwardly and hori- 3 zontally into the opening 5 of the mounting member where the lower end portion provides a slidable insert edge 13 which is in slide engagement with the underside of the associated side bracket 6. Each of the plate members 9 is formed with a pair of laterally spaced bores a and b adjacent to the upper edge and each plate member is also formed with a bore c adjacent to the fore and lower edges and a laterally spaced elongated slot d adjacent to the rear and lower edges. The positions of the bores a, b, c and slot 01 in one plate member 9 correspond to those of the identical bores and slot in the other plate member 9. A bored bearing bracket 14 is provided on the outside of each plate member 9 in such a position that its bore is in registration with the fore and lower bore 0 in the associated plate member. The bearing bracket 14 is firmly attached to the associated plate member 9 for movement therewith and its lower edge abuts against the upper surface of the upper horizontal portion of the associated side bracket 6 of the mounting member 1. Another bored bearing bracket 15 is provided on the outside of the associated plate member 9 in such a position that its bore is in registration with the slot d in the same plate member for cooperation with the rear and lower slot d of the same plate member. This bearing bracket 15 also has its lower edge abutting against the upper surface of the associated side bracket 6 of the mounting member 1, but is firmly attached to the mounting member itself. A transverse shaft extends through the bores c in the opposite plate members 9 and the registering bores in the opposite bearing brackets 14 and 14 so as to connect the plate members and bearing brackets together. A stub shaft 16 extends through the slot d in each plate member 9 and the bore in the associated bearing bracket 15. The length of the stub shaft 16 is just sufficient to extend through the plate member slot and the associated bearing bracket bore. Thus, it will be understood that both the plate members 9 and 9 may slidably move in the longitudinal direction of the mounting member 1 by a distance determined by the length of the slots d by virtue of their lower slide edges 13 being inserted beneath and in slide engagement with the horizontal upper portions of the respective side brackets 6 and 6 which serve as guides or tracks along which the plate members 9 and 9 may move back and forth in unison. The cooperating plate members 9 and 9 provide a unitary support mechanism for the fore portion or ski boot heel securing unit 12 of the novel ski boot heel binding device by the present invention. The ski boot heel securing unit 12 generally comprises a rockable support member 19 of U-shape cross section having a ski boot heel holding down means 20 integrally formed with or firmly secured thereto at the front end surface thereof. The U-shaped rockable support member 19 has its rearwardly extending two leg portions being disposed spaced from the inner surfaces of the respective plate members 9 and the leg portions have bores which are in alignment with the associated fore and upper bores a in the opposite plate members 9 and 9. A pivot pin 21 extends through the bores in the respective support member leg portions and the bores a and a in the opposite plate member 9 and 9 whereby the rocking support member 19 may be pivoted upwardly and downwardly about the pivot pin 21 relative to the plate members 9 and 9. The rockable support member 19 is normally urged upwardly or to an inoperative position by means of a spring (not shown). The ski boot heel securing unit 12 also comprises a ski boot heel receiving means which is pivotally supported at the lower end of the leg portions of the rockable support member 19 by means of a pivot pin 34 which extends through bores formed in the opposite leg portions of.

the support member 19. The leg portions of the support member 19 are further formed with aligned arcuate slots 22 and 22 at points above the above-mentioned pivot points 34 of the ski bootheel receiving means 35 and a pin 37 projects from the opposite sides of the receiving means 35 and the opposite ends of the pin are guided within the aligned arcuate slots 22 and 22 in the leg portions of the support member 19. The ski boot receiving means 35 is normally urged upwardly or to the position as shown in FIG. 5A by means of a spring (not shown). The ski boot heel receiving means 35 comprises a pair of laterally spaced integral ski boot heel embracing pieces 36 which extend forwardly and horizontally from the opposite sides of the main body of the receiving means, and an integral spur 23 which extends forwardly and horizontally from the lower end of the main body. If desired, the spur 23 may be formed as a separate piece and firmly secured to the main body by any suitable means.

Thus, since the rockable support member 19 having the holding down means 20 is normally urged upwardly by the spring (not shown) and the ski boot heel receiving means 35 having the spur 23 is also normally urged upwardly and forwardly by means of a spring 18 of which explanation will be made hereinafter, when the ski boot heel binding device is in its non-operative position or when no ski boot heel is held in position within the binding device, both the holding down means 20 and spur 23 are urged upwardly maintaining a predetermined maximum distance therebetween as shown in FIG. 5A, whereby positioning of the ski boot heel in the binding device may be accelerated.

When the user steps with his ski boot 10 into the binding device in the position as shown in FIG. 5A, the spur 23 is pushed down and accordingly, the receiving means 35 is caused to pivot downwardly about the pivot pin 34. As the receiving means 35 pivots downwardly, the rockable support member 19 is also caused to pivot downwardly about the pivot pin 21 in the direction shown with an arrow A in FIG. 5B by the engagement of the arcuate slots 22 with the pin 37 of the spring loaded receiving means 35 against the upwardly force of the spring which normally urges the support member 19 upwardly whereby the holding down means 20 and spur 23 assume the positions as shown in FIG. 5B in which the upper rear edge 11a of the ski boot heel 11 is firmly held down by the holding down means 20 and the rear bottom surface 11b of the heel 11 is in flush engagement with the spur 23. The above-mentioned pivot pin 21 is so positioned that when the spur 23 has been pushed down until the spur has abutted against the surface of the mounting member 1, the pin 21 is positioned at a position above the plane in which the pivot pin 34 lies.

As the rockable support member 19 pivots downwardly in the manner as mentioned above, the holding down means 20 which is integrally formed with or firmly secured to the support member 19 firmly holds the upper rear edge 11a of the heel 11 from above and at the same time the support member itself is slightly pushed backward against the force of the spring 18 because the toe of the ski boot is firmly held on the ski by means of any suitable holding down means (not shown). In other words, the upper rear edge 11a of the heel 11 is held down by the holding down means 20 from the top as the holding down means has reached a predetermined lowest position and at the same time the heel 11 is subjected through the rockable support member to the force of the spring 18.

And since the spur 23 which is integrally formed with or firmly secured to the fore end of the heel receiving means 35 is urged upwardly so as to uphold the bottom 11b of the heel 11 because the latter is pivoted at 34 to the rockable support member 19 and its pin 37 is guided along the slot 22 in the support member. The upward movement direction of the spur 23 is shown with the arrow B in FIG. 5B.

Thus, the ski boot heel is firmly held between the holding down means 20 and spur 23 from above and below respectively as the rockable support member 19 pivots downwardly and, thus the ski boot heel is firmly secured to the ski 2.

Reference numeral 24 indicates a stopper member which serves to maintain the rockable support member 19 and receiving means 35 in the ski boot heel securing position after the holding down means 20, spur 23 and embracing pieces 36 have assumed the position as shown in FIG. 5B. The stopper member 24 is substantially disposed in the space between the opposite leg portions of the rockable support member 19 and the lower end portion of the stopper member is pivotally mounted on the pin 25 which extends through the bores c and c in the opposite plate members 9 and 9 and the bores in the bearing brackets 14 and 14 and which also support the plate members as mentioned hereinabove. The upper end portion of the stopper member is also pivotally supported by one end of a connecting rod 32 which extends in the longitudinal direction of the mounting member 1 between the opposite plate members 9 and 9 and the other end of the connecting rod is connected to a release lever 31 for pivotal movement of the latter.

The stopper member 24 has a detention shoulder or step 30 formed in its rounded fore end surface 24a which is adapted to engage and hold the pin 37 of the ski boot heel receiving means 35 in position when the opposite ends of the pin are positioned in the centers of the cooperating slots 22 in the support member 19. A coiled spring 29 is disposed on connecting rod 32 and is housed in a cylindrical casing 27 which is suitably secured to the casing of the device (not shown) and whose outer peripheral surface is threaded. One end of the coiled spring 29 abuts against the rear surface of the stopper member 24 whilst the other end abuts against the inner surface of the end wall of the cylindrical casing 27 through which the inner end portion of the connecting rod 32 extends.

An annular adjusting member 28 is threaded on the spring casing 27 so as to adjust the position of the casing and accordingly, the force of the spring 29.

Thus, it will be understood that the stopper member 24 is normally urged forwardly by the action of the coiled spring 29. The force of the coiled spring 29 may be adjusted by manually turning the annular adjusting member 28 as mentioned just above. Thus, when the user steps with his ski boot into the binding device, the spur 23 is pushed down by the heel bottom 11b of the ski boot 10 whereby the boot heel receiving means 35 is caused to pivot downwardly about the pivot pin 34 and at the same time the rockable support member19 is caused to pivot downwardly about the pivot pin 21- of the slots 22 whereby the pin 37 of the receiving means is pushed backwardly to the mid point so as to engage in the step 30 formed in the fore end surface 24a of the stopper member 24. Whereupon, the step 30 locks the pin 37 in the mid point of the slots 22 resulting in prevention of the rockable support member 19 from upward rotation which otherwise occurs by the force of the spring. When it is desired to release the pin 37 from the step 30, the user pushes down on the upper surface 31a of the release lever 31 with his ski pole whereby the stopper member 24 is caused to pivot backwardly about the pivot pin 25 against the opposing force of the spring 29 by virtue of the particular connecting arrangement between the lever 31 and stopper member 24,

Reference numeral 33 indicates a spring engaging pro trusion formed at the rear surface of the stopper member 24 adjacent to the lower end thereof and the fore end of the above-mentioned spring 18 fits on the protrusion.

With the above arrangement of the novel ski boot heel binding device according to the present invention, when the binding device is in its inoperative position the holding down means which is adapted to abut against the upper rear edge 11a of the heel 11 of the ski boot from the top 10 and the cooperating spur 23 which is adapted to engage 6 the bottom surface 11!; of the ski boot heel 11 from below are maintained in their turned-up positionsproviding a predetermined maximum opening therebetween, that is, their free ends are apart from each other at a predetermined maximum distance as seen in FIG. 5A. On the other hand, when the binding device is put in its operative position, that is, when the user steps with his ski boot 10 into the binding device, the spur 23 is caused to move downwardly to its predetermined lowest position at which point the spur contacts the mounting member 1 and at the same time the holding down means is caused to move downwardly following the descending spur to a predetermined lowest position in which the means abuts against the upper rear edge 11a of the ski boot heel 11 as shown in ,FIG. 5B. When spur 23 and holding down means 20 are in this position, the distance between the two heel engaging elements is a predetermined shortest span.

Since the upper portion of the rockable support member 19 with which the holding down means 20 is integral is normally urged forwardly by the spring 18 through the intermediate plate members 9 and 9 which are under direct action of the spring, the holding down means 20 can positively and elastically engage and hold down the upper rear edge 11a of the ski boot heel 11. The force of the spring 18 can be varied at will by manually turning the adjusting screw 17, which has a knurled head and a shank which passes through the bore in the rear end bracket 8 of the mounting member 1 and on which the spring 18 is disposed. And accordingly, the novel binding device can accommodate various sizes of ski boot heels without difficulty.

Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7 which illustrate a modified form of ski boot heel binding device according to the present invention. The modified form of ski boot heel binding device is substantially identical with the foregoing first embodiment of binding device except that the modified device comprises a modified ski boot heel securing unit.

The modified ski boot heel securing unit 12 generally comprises a rocking support member 19 of U-shape cross section having a rack screwed thereto at the front end surface of the support member. The rack 40 has a rectangular slot 41 in the center portion. An adjustable holding down means 20 is screwed through the rack 40 to the front end surface of the rocking support member 19' and has an integral toothed pawl 43 which is in thread engagement with the rack 40. An adjusting screw 44 which secures the holding down means 20' to the support member 19' extends through the center slot 41 of the rack 40 and a lock nut 44 provided slidably within the slot hold the screw 44 in position. When it is desired to adjust the position or height of the holding down means 20' relative to the support member 19', the adjusting screw 44 is first loosened and then the holding down means 20' is displaced to a desired position or height within an adjustment range defined by the rack slot 41. After the adjustment operation, the adjusting screw 44 is re-tightened and held in position by the nut 44 the holding down means 20' is set in the adjusted position or height by means of the screw 44 and rack and pawl arrangement 40, 43.

The ski boot heel securing unit 12 also comprises a ski boot receiving means 35 which is pivotally supported at the lower end of the two leg portions of the rocking support member 19 substantially in the same way as in case of the corresponding means 35 of the foregoing first embodiment. The ski boot heel securing means 35' further comprises an integral ski boot heel embracing piece 36' of sector shape and an integral spur 23'. The ski boot heel receiving means 35' of this modified embodiment of ski boot heel binding device has no slots 22 such as found in the ski boot heel receiving means 35 of the first embodiment, but a spring 45 is disposed around a pivot pin 3 which pivotally support the boot heel receiving means 35' on the rocking support member 19, and further around a pin 37' which projects from the opposite sides of the support member 19. The lower end of the spring 45 is held beneath the spur 23' and the other or upper end is partially wound around the periphery of the pin 37 so as to normally urge the boot heel receiving means 35' upwardly. When the ski boot receiving unit 12 has a ski boot heel accommodated therein, the pin 37' which projects from the rocking support member is received within the recess 24a formed in the stopper member 24' and held in position by the stopper member, and accordingly, the receiving means 35' is held in the ski boot holding position.

When the user exerts force with his ski boot heel against the spur 23, the spur 23 is pushed down to a predetermined lowest position against the force of the spring 45 thereby to widen the opening between the holding down means 26 and spur 23' to a predetermined maximum degree as shown by the phantom line in FIG. 7 so that the holding down means 26' and spur 23 is just enough to accommodate the ski boot heel (phantom line) therein and at the same time the holding down means 2'6 is caused to descend to a predetermined lowest position to engage the upper rear edge of the ski boot heel. Thus, the ski boot heel binding device can be firmly secured to the ski boot heel. The details of the arrangement and operation of the other parts of this modified embodiment are the same as those explained in connection with the first embodiment.

While only two preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail it will be understood that the same are for the purpose of illustrationonly and are not to be taken as a definition of the scope of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A ski boot heel binding device comprising a mounting member adapted to be fixedly supported on a ski and extending in the longitudinal direction of said ski; a casing member mounted on said mounting member for sliding movement there along and normally springurged forwardly; a rocking support member mounted pivotally on said casing member for rocking movement and normally spring-urged flowardly with said casing member; a ski boot heel holding down means provided on said rocking support member and extending forwardly therefrom for holding down the upper rear edge of a ski boot heel; a ski boot heel receiving means comprising a main body, a spur adapted to engage the bottom oi a ski boot heel from below and extending forwardly from the lower edge of the main body, and a ski boot heel embracing piece extending forwardly from said main body above said spur and adapted to embrace the ski boot heel, said ski boot heel receiving means being pivotally supported by said rocking support member for pivotal movement relating to said rocking support member and being normally spring-urged upwardly; and means to limit said pivotal movement of said ski boot heel-receiving means within predetermined extent, and, when the bind-' ing device is in its inoperative position, to widenthe opening between said ski boot heel holding down means and said spur to said predetermined extent when-stepping on said spur against the spring force, and, when the; binding device is in its operative position, to urge spur against the bottom of a ski boot heel.

2. A ski boot heel binding device as claimed in claim wherein said means to limit, to widen, and to urge upwarcb' ly includes a pin and an arcuate slot structureprovided between said rocking support member and said ski'boot reel receiving means and above the pivot point of said ski boot heel receiving means. 1

3. A ski boot heel binding device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means to limit, to widen, and to urge upwardly includes a pin provided on said rocking support member above the pivot point of said ski boot heel ree:

ceiving means, a stopper plate provided on-the front end portion of said rocking support member and a' stepped portion formed in said main body of said ski boot-heel receiving means and disposed between the outersurfa'ce of said pin and the rear face of said stopper plate-to.

limit said pivotal movement of said ski boot heel receiving means by a predetermined extent.

4. A ski boot heel binding device as claimed further comprising a locking and releasing mechanism for said rocking support member, and mechanism comprising.

a stopper member pivoted to said casing member at the lower end portion thereof, a detention shoulder formed in said stopper member to engage a pin pivoted on said rocking support member above the pivot point of said ski boot heel receiving means, a spring loaded connecting rod having one end pivotally supporting the upper end portion of said stopper member, and a release lever, the- References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,125,349 3/1964 Schweizer. 3,278,195 10/ 1966 Salomon. 3,332,696 7/ 1967 Salomon.

BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner.

L. D. MORRIS, Assistant Examiner.

said

in claim 1,

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