Releasable ski binding
United States Patent Smolka et al.  
 RELEASABLE SKI BINDING Primary E.mminerRobert R. Song 175] Inventors: Thomas Gordon Smolka.  
 viennwMaugr; Franz Hrachowitz, gnome Agent, or FrrmWoodhams, Blanchard and Vienna, both of Austria [73] Assignee: Gertsch AG, Zug Switzerland [57] ABSTRACT [22] Flled: 1973 A ski binding is mounted for pivotal. vertical move- [Zll Appl. No: 422,575 ment with respect to a ski, preferably through a base plate, and is normally held in boot-engaging position Apphcauon Data by cam means resiliently urged into holding position. l l Conllnuflllon 0f p I973 An upwardly directed force overcomes the force imabandmedposed by said resiliently urged cam and effects release v The base structure of said binding is also mounted for [30] Appl&#39;camm Dam horizontal pivoting movement with respect to the ski. May 26. l97l Austria 523/ 1 preferably through said base plate if one is used, and is normally held by means including cam means cen- [52] U.S. Cl t. 280/.35 T tered with respect t the ski, Said last-named cam {5 l] Int. CI a A636 9/08 means is arranged to require upward movement of a [58] Field of Search 280/l L35 T portion of said binding in order to permit lateral movement about said last-named pivot. said portion of l l REIelenCBS C t said binding being the same portion which moves up- UNITED STATES PATENTS ward in response to a vertical stress. Hence, upward 3554.57] 1971 Smolka 28U/H35T movement of said portion of said binding releases 31110650 10/197; I 5 T same in both vertical and sideward directions 3.6l4,ll8 lU/l97l ..5T 3,649,037 3/1972 Vouthier i 280/1 1.35 T 7 7 D&#39;awmg F&#39;gmes g l k \I l I 7 l2 2 3 9 l0 RELEASABLE SKI BINDING This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 243,384, filed Apr. 12, 1972, now abandoned.  
  The invention relates to a ski binding which has a sole holder movably arranged on a base member, normally lockable in its position of use and adapted to release the ski boot when the lock is released, wherein the base member is movably mounted on a base plate, arranged l for movement with respect thereto in a plane which is positioned approximately at a right angle to the plane of movement of the sole holder and is releasably lockable with respect to said base plate.  
  A safety ski binding is known which can release the ski boot in two directions. This ski binding has a locking carrier which is loaded by a spring, which locking carrier locks two locking elements. One of these locking elements is used for resisting the movement of the binding in upward direction, the other locking element resists sideward movement of the binding. If an overload occurs in one direction, the locking element associated with said direction presses back the locking carrier against the force of the spring to effect a release in said one direction. Simultaneously, however, such movement of the locking carrier also releases the locking element which blocks the movement in the other direction and a release also occurs in the latter direction. However, in providing one single locking carrier which acts onto two locking elements, the adjustment of both locks is rendered very difficult.  
  A major purpose of the invention is thus to eliminate these disadvantages and to provide a binding in which preferably only one single spring is still used, the tension of which is adjustable, but in which each locking element is separately associated with a locking member. This purpose is attained by providing the sole holder with two locking elements, one of which in a conventional manner engages a locking member which is constructed as a pivotably supported control cam and the other locking element engages a cam member which is arranged on the ski and which is of generally arcuate shape. ln this manner, both locks are separate from one another and an adjustment can take place in a simple and easy manner.  
  With the above-described arrangement, the inventive binding can of course also release during diagonal falls. During pure twisting falls, a release takes place generally through the front binding part. If the construction of the invention is used as a heel binding, it is sufficient if a release occurs in response to a diagonal stress when the force is applied at an angle of approximately 15 or more to the lateral direction. Therefore in one desirable embodiment the curved cam-like locking member has in its center a recess with vertical surfaces, the distance of which from one another corresponds approximately to the diameter of the locking element, and wherein the engagement depth of the locking element into the recess, in one preferred embodiment, is equal to or greater than the radius of the locking element.  
  The subject matter of the invention is illustrated in one exemplary embodiment in the drawings, in which: F IGS. l to 3 are front, top and cross-sectional views of one embodiment of the invention.  
  FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate two positions of the binding of the invention during the release upwardly.  
  FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate also two positions of the associated locking parts during the release in a diagonal di rection.  
  As will be clear from the figures, the sole holder 1 is supported pivotably about the axis 3 on the base member 2 and carries two locking elements or cam surfaces 4, 5 which are preferably rollers. The locking element or cam roller 4 is engaged by a locking member 6 defining a contoured track which is pivotably supported in 0 the base member 2 and is constructed with a suitable cammed edge where it engages the element or cam roller 4. The locking member 6 is urged against the element or cam roller 4 by the spring 8 whose tension can be adjusted as desired. The other locking element 5 defining another contoured track engages a locking member 7 which is connected to the ski, preferably through a base plate 10 and which is of generally arcuate shape. The base member 2 is also pivotable about the axis 9 relative to the ski, particularly relative to the base plate 10 if such is used. The sole holder 1 is thus retained in the illustrated position by the two locks above described.  
  lf now for example a force occurs in upward direction, approximately in the direction of the arrow ll, the locking element or cam roller 4 presses the locking member 6 back against the force of the spring 8, as is illustrated in FlG. 4. If this force is sufficient, the locking element or cam roller 4 drives the locking member 6 back against the spring 8 until, as is shown in FIG. 5, the sole holder 1 can pivot about the axis 3 and release the ski boot. During this movement the locking element or cam roller 5 is also disengaged from the locking cam surface 7 so that a lateral movement of the sole holder 1 together with the base member 2 about the axis 9 is also possible.  
  As can be recognized particularly from FIG. 3, the arcuate locking cam surface 7 has in this embodiment, and preferably so, a recess 12 with vertical edges in its center, the distance between said surfaces corresponding approximately to the diameter of the locking element. Further, the depth of said recess is also sufficient that the engagement of the locking element 5 is slightly deeper than the radius of the locking element itself. This prevents a purely lateral twisting release. More specifically, this requires some upward movement of the forward (leftward in FIG. 1) end of the binding before the roller 5 will escape from the recess 12 sufficiently to effect a sideward release. Thus, while a purely sideward release cannot take place, a diagonal release can take place starting with a certain angle to the lateral direction, which is determined by the depth at which the locking element 5 engages the recess 12. In general one will design the binding in such a manner that a diagonal release is possible starting approximately at 15 forward of the lateral direction.  
  If such a diagonally directed force occurs, the locking element 5 moves up sufficiently to escape from the recess l2 and then moves also in the lateral direction. This is for example illustrated in FIG. 6. Thus, in the same manner as in the case of a strictly vertical stress, the other locking element or cam roller 4 will press back the locking member 6 against the force of the spring 8, as shown in H6. 4. In case of a diagonal force of major magnitude, the locking element or cam roller 5 exits entirely from the recess 12 and moves upwardly and to the side on the arcuate cam-shaped locking surface 7 until, according to FIGS. 7 and 5, the other locking member 6 compresses the spring 8 enough for the locking element 4 to move past the locking member 6. The binding is then freely movable about both axes 3 and 9.  
  The invention is not limited to the illustrated exemplary embodiment. There are a number of further possible embodiments which lie within the scope of the invention. For example the locking element or cam roller could be arranged adjustably on the clamp so that the depth of the engagement of the locking element into the recess 12 is adjustable by the ski shop and/or by the user.  
  Although a particular preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed in detail for illustrative purposes. it will be recognized that variations or modifications of the disclosed apparatus, including the rearrangement of parts. lie within the scope of the present invention.  
  The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property of privilege is claimed are defined as follows:  
  1. In a releasable ski binding having a base plate, a base member pivotally mounted on said base plate for movement about a vertical axis, a sole holder and support means on said base member for supporting said sole holder for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis and for movement with said base member about said vertical axis, the improvement comprising:  
 first and second separate locking means for releasably locking said sole holder to said base plate and said base member; and  
 a single spring acting on said first and second locking means effecting a resistive force for controlling the magnitude of force required to effect a release of said first and second locking means and said ski binding, one of said first and second locking means including blocking means for positively preventing a purely horizontal movement of said sole holder relative to said base plate about said vertical axis when said ski binding is in a closed position while simultaneously permitting a pivoting movement of said sole holder about both of said horizontal and vertical axes in response to a combined horizontal and vertical force being applied to said sole holder which is greater in magnitude than the resistive force of said single spring.  
  2. The improvement according to claim 1, wherein the other of said first and second locking means includes a first cam roller mounted on said sole holder for rotation about a horizontal axis and a first contoured track means on said base member, said first cam roller engaging said first track means so that upon a relative movement between said sole holder and said base member, said first cam roller will move along said first track means and effect a controlled relative movement between said sole holder and said base member about either said horizontal axis or both of said horizontal and perpendicular axes.  
  3. The improvement according to claim 2, wherein said one of said first and second locking means includes a second contoured track means fixedly secured to said base plate; and  
 wherein said blocking means is defined by a recess in said second track means at the central region of movement of said sole holder about said vertical axis and adapted to receive a second cam roller therein to hold said sole holder against said pure horizontal lateral movement.  
  4. The improvement according to claim 3, wherein said recess means in said second track means has a pair of horizontally and laterally spaced vertical walls and a horizontal bottom wall extending therebetween; and  
 wherein said second cam roller has a diameter which is slightly less than said horizontal spacing between said vertical walls and the depth of said recess means to said bottom wall is slightly greater than the radius of said second cam roller.  
  5. The improvement according to claim 2, wherein said first contoured track means includes a lever pivotally secured to said base member about a second horizontal axis parallel to said first-mentioned horizontal axis. said lever having a cam surface thereon, said single spring engaging said lever and urging said lever and said sole holder about said second horizontal axis toward a ski boot holding position, said first cam roller engaging said cam surface and, upon a movement of said sole holder about said first horizontal axis, effecting a pivoting of said lever against said resistive force of said single spring to control the release of said ski binding.  
  6. The improvement according to claim 2, wherein said one of said first and second locking means includes a second contoured track means fixedly secured to said base plate; and  
 wherein said blocking means is defined by a recess in said second track means at the central region of movement of said sole holder about said vertical axis and adapted to receive a second cam roller mounted on said sole holder therein to hold said sole holder against said pure horizontal lateral movement; and  
 wherein said first contoured track means further includes a lever pivotally secured to said base member about a second horizontal axis parallel to said first-mentioned horizontal axis, said lever having a cam surface thereon, said single spring engaging said lever and urging said lever and said sole holder about said second horizontal axis toward a ski boot holding position, said first cam roller engaging said cam surface and, upon a movement of said sole holder about said first horizontal axis, effecting a pivoting of said lever against said resistive force of said single spring to control the release of said skibinding.  
  7. The improvement according to claim 1, wherein said one of said first and second locking means includes a contoured track means fixedly secured to said base plate; and  
 wherein said blocking means is defined by a recess in said contoured track means at the central region of movement of said sole holder about said vertical axis and adapted to receive a cam roller therein to hold said sole holder against said pure horizontal lateral movement.