US3473817A - Heel holder for safety ski bindings - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 21, 1969 s. ADAM 3,473,817

HEEL HOLDER FOR SAFETY SKI BINDINGS Filed July 28, 1967 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 E i l l Oct. 21, 1969 G. ADAM 3,473,817

HEEL HOLDER FOR SAFETY SKI BINDINGS Filed July 28, 1967 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 *1 \Jfi G. ADAM HEEL HOLDER FOR SAFETY SKI BINDINGS Oct. 21,1969

6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 28, 1967 Oct. 21, 1969 G, ADAM 3,473,817

HEEL HOLDER FOR SAFETY SKI BINDINGS Filed July 28, 1967 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Oct. 21, 1969 G. ADAM 3,473,817

HEEL HOLDER FOR SAFETY SKI BINDINGS Filed July 28, 1967 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 III/III" 0ct21, 1969 G. ADAM 3,473,817

HEEL HOLDER FOR SAFETY SKI BINDINGS Filed July 28, 1967 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 flail Q w M United States Patent 3,473,817 HEEL HOLDER FUR SAFETY SKI BINDINGS Gunter Adam, Straubing, Germany, assignor to Hannes Marker, Garmisch-lartenlrirchen, Germany Filed July 28, 1967, Ser. No. 656,887 Claims priority, application Germany, Aug. 2, 1966, 70,435 int. Cl. A63c 9/08 US. Cl. 28011.35 9 Claims ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE A carrier for a sole holder and for a closing pedal is pivoted on an axis disposed beside the heel and is acted upon by a spring element through the intermediary of a toggle joint. The heel holder automatically assumes its locking position when the skiing boot is inserted into the binding. The heel holder is adapted to be arbitrarily opened, e.g., by slight pressure applied with the ski stick, and to be automatically released in response to an excessive upward tensile force, which is approximately vertical. The sole holder carrier is mounted on a part fixed to the ski. The pivotal axis of the sole holder carrier is spaced from the sole holder by a larger distance than from the knee of the toggle joint and is non-coincident with either end of the toggle joint. The toggle joint is mounted only at one end on a heel holder part fixed to the ski. The other end of the toggle joint is pivoted to the carrier for the sole holder and the closing pedal.

The present invention relates to a heel holder for safety ski bindings, which heel holder comprises a carrier for a sole holder and for a closing pedal, which carrier is pivoted on an axis disposed behind the heel and is acted upon by a spring element through the intermediary of a toggle joint, said heel holder automatically assuming its locking position when the skiing boot is inserted into the binding and being adapted to be arbitrarily opened, e.g., by slight pressure applied with the ski stick, and to be automatically released in response to an excessive upward tensile force, which is approximately vertical.

Various types of such heel holder are known. This heel holder has various advantages over other known heel holders having dirTerent principles of operation; These disadvantages are due to the use of a toggle joint and consist, e.g., in an increased resistance to icing and an exact release which is not affected by friction.

Whereas the heel holder of the type described hereinbefore has a desirable principle of operation, it is not capable or not adequately capable of presenting to the force tending to release the sole holder an elastic resistance and a damping effect, which progressively increased until a predetermined, adjustable release position is reached.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a heel holder for safety ski bindings, which heel holder has a carrier for a sole holder and for a closing pedal, which carrier is pivoted on an axis disposed behind the heel and is under the action of a spring element through the intermediary of a toggle joint, said heel holder automatically assuming its locking position when the skiing boot is inserted into the binding and being adapted to be arbitrarily opened, e.g., by slight pressure applied with the ski stick, and to be automatically released in response to an exces sive upward tensile force, which is approximately vertical, which heel holder is designed to reliably avoid the de- 3,473,8l7 Patented Got. 21, 1969 scribed disadvantage and can be manufactured simply and at low cost.

This is accomplished according to the invention in that the sole holder carrier is mounted on a part fixed to the ski and its pivotal axis is spaced from the sole holder by a larger distance than from the knee of the toggle joint and is non-coincident with either end of the toggle joint, and the toggle joint is mounted only at one end on a heel holder part fixed to the ski whereas the other end of the toggle joint is pivoted to the carrier for the sole holder and for the closing pedal.

This design affords a large radius for the pivotal move ment of the sole holder so that the latter moves initially also in an approximately vertical direction under the infiuence of the approximately vertical, upward tensile force. Diiferent from the known design, in which the sole holder is pivotally moved only on a short radius and disengages the sole to release the boot when the heel has been only slightly lifted from the ski, the relatively long movement of the sole holder in a vertical direction afforded by the invention can be utilized as a long damping excursion.

To enable the provision of a heel holder which is as low and slender as possible, the arrangement is such that the plane of action of the spring element is approximately parallel to the tread of the ski.

The spring element acts on the knee of the toggle joint suitably in a direction which is oblique to the toggle arms. Alternatively, the spring element may act on the knee of the toggle joint in the longitudinal direction of one toggle arm.

A particularly desirable design of the heel holder will be enabled if the spring element consists of a helical compression spring.

In a development of the invention, the heel holder is capable of applying pressure to the skiing boot so that the latter is forced against the toe iron as is required with most toe irons on the market. To this end, the heel holder part which carries the sole holder carrier and the toggle joint consists of a slider, which is mounted for a limited sliding movement in the longitudinal direction of the ski on a baseplate, which is fixed to the ski.

In any case, the spring element bears suitably with its end remote from the toggle joint on a part which is fixed to the ski so that the spring element may also provide the forwardly directed pressure and a separate spring element is not required for this purpose.

For an arbitrary opening of the heel holder, a lever is suitably provided, which may be pivoted on the knee axis of the toggle joint or on a pivot which is fixed to the heel holder part which carries the toggle joint.

Embodiments of the invention will be described in detail hereinafter by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which 7 FIG. 1 is a central longitudinal sectional view showing a first embodiment of the novel heel holder in its locking position,

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the heel holder in its open position,

FIGS. 3 and 4 are functional diagrams associated with FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively,

FIG. 5 is a central longitudinal sectional view showing the second embodiment of the heel holder,

FIG. 6 is an elevation showing the heel holder according to FIG. 5 in its open position,

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken on line VIIVII of FIG. 5,

FIG. 8 is a functional diagram associated with FIG.

FIG. 9 is a central longitudinal sectional view showing a third embodiment of the heel holder,

FIG. is an elevation showing the heel holder of FIG. 9 in its open position,

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken on line )fl-X[ of FIG. 9 and FIG. 12 is a functional diagram associated with FIG. 9.

The heel holder according to the invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and illustrated in functional diagrams in FIGS. 3 and 4 has a baseplate 1, which is connected by screws to the ski 2. A housng 3 is secured to the baseplate by means which are not shown. A substantially U-shaped carrier 5 for a sole holder 6 and a closing pedal 7 has limbs which are pivoted on two coaxial pivot pins 4, which are held in the side walls of the housing and extend outwardly. The closing pedal is formed by an angled portion of the carrier. The sole holder 6 is secured to the carrier by a bolt 8, which extends through a slot 9 in the carrier so that the sole holder 6 can be adjusted to soles having different thicknesses. To locate the sole holder in position, interengaging serrations, elevations and depressions or the like, not shown, are provided on the mutually engaging surfaces of the sole holder and the carrier 5.

A free end of a toggle joint consisting of the two arms 11 and 12 is pivoted in the housing 3 on a pivot 10. The other free end of the toggle joint is pivoted in the carrier 5 by a pivot 13. The two arms 11, 12 of the toggle joint are pivotally connected to each other by a pivot 14. A spring abutment 16 is pivoted by a pin to the arm 11 close to the pivot pin 14 and is provided with an extension 17, on which one end of a compression spring 18 is fitted. The other end of the compression spring bears on the housing 3 by a spring abutment 19, which has an extension 20, and by the shank of a finger screw 21. The pressure of the spring 18 can be varied by the abjustment of the finger screw 21. A two-armed lever 22 is pivoted on the pivot pin 14, which forms the knee of the toggle joint. The lever 22 serves for an arbitrary opening of the heel holder. The longer arm of the lever extends out of the housing 3 and has at its free end an engaging portion, e.g., in the form of a bend 23, forming a depression. This portion is adapted to receive the tip of a ski stick. The short arm of the lever 22 has at its free end a driver 24, which engages the arm 21 of the toggle joint from behind.

The mode of operation of the heel holder will now be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. In FIG. 3, just as in FIG. 1, the movable parts of the heel holder are shown in the position which they assume when a skiing boot has been inserted into the binding. This position is described as the locking position. FIG. 4, just as FIG. 2, shows the movable parts of the heel holder in the socalled open position, in which the skiing boot can be moved out of the binding. When the heel holder is in its open position and the boot is stepped into the binding, the heel of the boot acts on the closing pedal 7 to move the carrier 5 to the locking position shown in FIG. 3. The carrier 5 moves pivotally about the point 4. The pivotal movement is opposed by the force of the compression spring 18 until the toggle arm 12 lies in the plane of action of the spring. When the pivotal movement is continued, the force of the spring acts by means of the toggle joint on the carrier 5 to aid the pivotal movement. The carrier 5 is then held in its locking position under the action of the spring force whereas it was previously held in the open position under the action of the spring force.

Under the action of an approximately vertically upwardly directed tensile force, the sole holder 6 can perform an upward pivotal movement about the point 4 against the force of the compression spring 18. As has been mentioned hereinbefore, thet force of the spring 18 is adjustable. When the force acting on the sole holder is reduced, the force of the spring 18 tends to restore the sole holder unless the toggle arm 12 has been swung into the plane of action of the spring. If the force acting on the sole holder is sufiicient to swing the toggle arm 12 beyond the plane of action of the spring, the spring force will act on the sole holder 6 in the opening sense when the toggle arm 12 is passing through the plane of action of the spring so that the sole holder 6 is instantaneously swung to its open position. An immediate release of the heel is thus effected when the sole holder is subjected to an excessive tensile force, which would endanger the skiers leg. The skier can open the heel holder arbitrarily by moving the lever 12 about the pivot pin 14 in the clockwise sense in FIG. 1. To this end, the skier may insert the tip of the ski stick into the depression formed at the free end of the lever 22 protruding from the housing.

The driver 24 provided at the short arm of the lever 22 causes the toggle arm 12 and with it the carrier 5 to follow a pivotal movement of the lever 22. Just as in the case of an automatic release under the influence of an excessive force, the force of the compression spring 18 acts on the carrier 5 in an opening sense when the toggle arm 12 has passed through the plane of action of the spring.

The design of the heel holder according to the invention affords a large radius for the pivotal movement of the sole holder 6. As has been stated hereinbefore, this has the advantage that the sole holder initially moves in an approximately vertical direction under the action of the approximately vertically upwardly directed tensile force.

FIGS. 5 to 8 show a second embodiment of the heel holder according to the invention. This heel holder comprises a baseplate 31, which is secured to the ski 2 by screws 32. The baseplate has a central recess, which extends in the longitudinal direction of the ski and forms at the same time a guideway for a housing 33. The housing is formed on its underside also with a central recess. which extends in the longitudinal direction of the ski and in Which one limb of an angle-shaped pressure member 25 is guided.

A carrier 35 for a sole holder 36 and for a closing pedal 37 is pivoted on two coaxial pivot pins 34, which are held in the side walls of the housing 33 and extend outwardly. The closing pedal and the carrier are integral. Just as in the first embodiment, the sole holder 36 is fixed to the carrier by a screw 38. The slot 39 enables again an adaptation to soles having dilferent thicknesses.

A pivoted member 26 consisting of sheet metal bent in U-shape is mounted by a pivot 40 in the housing 33. A pivot pin 44 is held in the pivoted member 26 and extends parallel to the pivot 40. One arm 41 of a toggle joint is formed by that portion of each of the limbs of the pivoted member 26 which is disposed between the pivot pins 40 and 44. The other arm 42 0f the toggle joint is pivoted by a pin 43 to the carrier 35. Beside the toggle joint 42, a spring abutment 46 is mounted on the pivot pin 44. The spring abutment has an extension 47. on which one end of a compression spring 48 is fitted. The extension has an axial bore 45, in which an extension 50 of a second spring abutment 49 is guided. The other end of the compression spring bears on the spring abutment 49, which bears in turn with a point bearing on the upright limb of the pressure member 25. This pressure member is held by a finger screw '51 for adjustment in the longitudinal direction of the ski. The finger screw is rotatably mounted in a tapped hole of a vertically upwardly angled portion of the baseplate 31.

The Web of the pivoted member 26 forms an opening lever 52 for an arbitrary opening of the heel holder. The web extends beyond the limbs and has a free end portion 53, which is angled upwardly to form a depression for receiving the tip of the ski stick.

The heel holder just described has the same principle of operation as that described with reference to FIGS. 1

to 4. In the embodiment described last, however, the compression spring serves not only for holding down th sole holder but also for forcing the boot against the toe iron, as is required with most safety toe irons.

The principle of this heel holder is shown in FIG. 8. The diagrammatically represented parts have the same reference characters as in FIGS. 5 to 7. FIG. 8 shows the heel holder in locking position. Just as the compression spring of the embodiment described first, the compression spring 48 opposes a force acting in an opening sense on the carrier 35. When the toggle arm 42 passes through the plane of action of the spring, the latter acts in an opening sense to effect a sudden opening of the heel holder.

The heel holder can be opened arbitrarily, e.g., by means of a ski stick when the tip thereof is inserted into the depression at the free end of the opening lever 52 and causes the same to perform a pivotal movement about the pivot 40. The knee 44 is thus moved to the right in the drawing against the force of the compression spring 48 so that the carrier 35 can perform an upward pivotal movement. When the neutral position of the toggle joint has been exceeded, the compression spring acts on the carrier in the opening sense. When the boot is stepped into the binding, the heel of the boot acts on th closing pedal 37 to urge the carrier 35 to its locking position, just as in the embodiment described first. Before the neutral position is reached, the force of the spring opposes the pivotal movement of the carrier. When the neutral position has been reached, the spring force aids the pivotal movement to the locking position.

A third embodiment of the heel holder according to the invention is shown in FIGS. 9-12. A baseplate 61 is secured by screws 62 to the ski 2 and consists in this case of a sheet metal element, which is folded to form two longitudinal guide rails for a housing 63. Just as in the two embodiments described hereinbefore, two outwardly extending, coaxial pivot pins 64 are secured in the side walls of the housing 63. A carrier 65 for a sole holder 66 and for a closing pedal 67 is pivoted on the pivot pins 64. The closing pedal 67 consists of an angled portion of the carrier. The sole holder is held on the carrier by a screw 68, which extends through a slot 69 to enable an adjustment of the sole holder in height.

In the two embodiments described hereinbefore, the compression spring acts on the knee of the toggle joint at an oblique angle to the toggle arms. In the present case the compression spring 78 acts on the knee of the toggle joint in the longitudinal direction of one toggle arm. For this purpose, a spring abutment 76 having an extension 77 forms one arm of the toggle joint. Th other arm 72 of the toggle joint is pivoted at its free end to the carrier 65 by the pivot 73. The knee is formed by a pivot pin 74, which is mounted in slots 71 of the housing 63 for a limited sliding movement in the longitudinal direction of the ski. At its end remote from the knee, th compression spring 78 bears on a spring abutment 79, which is a part of a screw bolt 80, which extends out of the housing 63. The screw bolt is threaded into a finger nut 81, which is rotatably mounted and held against axial displacement in a vertically upwardly angled portion of the baseplate 61.

A U-shaped opening lever 82 is mounted by a pivot 70 in the housing 63. Each limb of the U-shaped lever is formed with a slot 75, which receives one end of the pivot pin 74. The web of the U-shaped lever has an angled extension 83, which forms a depression for receiving the tip of the ski stick.

Just as in the embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 8, the compression spring 78 in this embodiment serves not only for holding down the sole holder but also for forcing the boot against a toe iron.

The finger nut 81 can be actuated to adjust the holdingdown force and the pressure applied to the toe iron in accordance with personal requirements.

FIG. 12 shows the principle of operation of this heel holder. The diagrammatically shown parts have the same reference characters as in FIGS. 9-11. The heel holder is shown in its locking position as in FIG. 9. In spite of the change in design compared to the two embodiments described before, the last embodiment has the same principle of operation. When an approximately vertically upwardly directed tensile force acts on the sole holder 66, the latter can perform an upward pivotal movement about the point 64 against the force of the compression spring 78. When the force acting in an opening sense on the sole holder is reduced, the latter is restored under the action of the compression spring 78. If the force applied is so large that it moves the carrier 65 upwardly until the toggle arm 72 is moved through the plane of action of the spring, the latter acts in an opening sense on the carrier and the sole holder so that the latter is immediately swung to its open position to release the heel of the skiing boot.

In this embodiment of the heel holder, the skier can arbitrarily open the heel holder, e.g., by inserting the tip of the ski stick into the depression at the free end of the lever 82 so that the latter is pivotally moved in a clockwise sense in FIG. 9 about the pivot 70. By the pivotal movement of the lever, the spring 78- is compressed by the pivot 74 forming the knee so that the carrier 65 can be swung upwardly. When the pressure acting on the lever 82 is reduced and the toggle arm 72 has moved through the plane of action of the spring, the latter acts in an opening sense on the carrier and holds the same in its open position. When the boot is stepped into the binding, the heel of the boot acts on the closing pedal 67 to hold the carrier 65 in its locking position. This action is initially opposed by the force of the compression spring 78 and is aided by the same when the carrier has moved beyond the neutral position.

What is claimed is:

1. A heel holder for safety ski bindings comprising a sole holder carrier for a sole holder and for a closing pedal to be pivotally mounted on a ski with its pivotal axis disposed behind the heel of a ski boot to be held thereby, said heel holder automatically assuming its locking position when the skiing boot is inserted into the binding and being adapted to be arbitrarily opened, e.g., by slight pressure applied with the ski stick, and to be automatically released in response to an excessive upward tensile force, which is approximately vertical, a sole holder and a closing pedal mounted on said sole holder carrier, a toggle joint fixed at one end on the ski and having its other end pivotally mounted to the sole holder carrier, and a spring for biasing said toggle joint, the pivotal axis of said sole holder carrier being spaced from said sole holder by a larger distance than the distance from said pivotal axis to the knee of the toggle joint and being non-coincident With either end of the toggle joint.

2. A heel holder for safety ski bindings according to claim 1, wherein the plane of action of the spring element is approximately parallel to the tread of the ski.

3. A heel holder for safety ski bindings according to claim 1, wherein the spring element acts on the knee of the toggle joint at an oblique angle to the toggle arm.

4. A heel holder for safety ski bindings according to claim 1, wherein the spring element acts on the knee of the toggle joint in the longitudinal direction of one toggle arm.

5. A heel holder for safety ski bindings according to claim 1, wherein the spring element consists of a helical compression spring.

6. A heel holder for safety ski bindings according to claim 1, wherein the heel holder part which carries the sole holder carrier and the toggle joint consists of a slider, which is mounted for a limited sliding movement in the longitudinal direction of the ski on a baseplate, which is fixed to the ski.

7. A heel holder for safety ski bindings according to claim 1, wherein the end of the spring element which is remote from the toggle joint bears on a part which is fixed to the ski.

8. A heel holder for safety ski bindings according to claim 1, wherein a lever which is pivotally movable about the knee of the toggle joint is provided for an arbitrary opening of the heel holder.

9. A heel holder for safety ski bindings according to claim 1, wherein a lever which is pivoted on a pivot is secured in the heel holder part which carries the toggle joint serves for an arbitrary opening of the heel holder.

8 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,278,195 10/1966 Salomon.

5 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,299,447 6/1962 France.

BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner 10 J. A. PEKAR, Assistant Examiner

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