Description

The present disclosure relates to a ski binding, in particular a ski binding for a cross-country or touring ski, having a binding portion which can be shifted forwards and backwards relative to the ski by activating an actuator coupled to the binding portion.

Skiing and in particular cross-country skiing or touring skiing is a popular winter sport suitable for many people. In the cross-country skiing the arms and legs move parallel to the direction of travel and with the same synchronized rhythm as walking or running. When out walking or running, if every time the skier took a step forward, his/her forward momentum carried twice as far as his/her norma! stride would take him/her. That is classical skiing, Classical skiing depends on kicking and gliding. The kick is like a walking or running step; it is how the skier moves forward. Each kick sends the skier gliding down the trail,

Accordingly, the cross-country skis have two distinct base sections. The tip and tail portion of the base are called the "glide zones". The central portion of the ski is called the "kick zone". The glide zones are completely smooth. The kick zone may have what is called a "Contagrip" pattern, or fish scales milled into the base. As the skiers step forward, all their weight is on the kick zone and the "Contagrip" pattern is pressed into the snow. As an alternative, the kick zone can be covered with a special wax, tne so called "kick wax". When a skier applies his/her weight to the ski, the kick zone comes in contact with the snow, the kick wax sticks to the snow and the skier is able to move forward. Different kick waxes are used for different conditions and there are a wide variety of kick waxes to match the variations in snow type. This is how classical skiers propel themselves forward. As the skier glides, the kick zone doesn't touch the snow because the skier's weight is spread over the smooth glide zones. During the glide phase, both the skis' tips and tails (the glide zones) will transfer the skier's weight to the snow, providing optimum glide. During the kick phase, the middle 1/3 of the kicking ski (the kick zone) will come into contact with the snow as the skier shifts their weight to just one ski, providing optimum kick. For a fast ski, it is therefore required to provide the skier with a smooth, predictable and consistent transition between the kick and glide phases in all snow conditions.

As it is well known, in order to enjoy this sport properly, it is necessary to have appropriate equipment. In particular, the skis and skis bindings for cross-country skiing must provide an appropriate fastening of the skier's boot to the ski, whilst also allowing the heel of the boot to leave the surface of the ski. An important aspect to be taken into account is the position of the bindings relative to the balance point (neutral balance}. Depending on the physiology of the skier and other concomitant factors such as the snow or weather conditions, it could be more convenient to fix the ski behind the neutral point, so that the ski's tip will stay closer to the snow, or to fix the ski in front of the neutral point, so that the ski's tip will rise quicker.

Also, it is known that by properly adjusting the binding forwards and backwards relative to the longitudinal direction of the ski, the skier is able to adapt an individual kick and technique, thus creating a more relaxed and efficient style. In particular, moving the binding forward for classical cross-country skiing gives the skier a better foothold (kick), while moving it backwards gives the skier better glide.

In prior art, there is a variety of arrangements for adjusting front and/or rear jaws of the binding in the longitudinal direction of the ski (see for example DE 39 24 939 A1). However, these arrangements are often complicated in use and difficult to produce.

To find a remedy to this problem, WO 2005/113081 A1 proposes an adjusting device for a cross-country or telemark binding, which is simple to use and does not affect the functional reliability of the binding. In particular, the binding is mounted on the top face of a ski, especially on a mounting plate thereon, so as to be longitudinally displaceable and is !ockable in a plurality of sliding positions by means of a locking device.

Although this system has the advantage of adjusting the position of the binding as needed in a simple way, in order to perform this adjustment the skier must stop skiing and take the skis off. This could be a strong hindrance in terms of time consuming, if the skier needs to slightly shifting the position of the binding relative to the skis, in order to quickly improve/optimize for example the kick performance at a ski slope during a ski running.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a ski binding with improved performances. In particular, to provide a ski binding whose position can be adjusted relative to the longitudinal direction of the ski, while the skier is out skiing. This object is achieved by the ski binding according to claim 1. Further advantageous combinations and designs are given in the dependent claims there from.

In particular, an adjustable ski binding is provided which is suitable for use with a cross-country ski. Such binding can be located on a mounting plate attached to an upper surface of a ski and comprises a first unit and a second unit both longitudinally displaceable on the mounting plate. While the first unit is free to slide along the mounting plate, the second unit is fixable on the mounting plate, in particular, the first unit comprises a binding portion for interacting with the shoe sole of a ski boot or shoe of the user of the ski. According to the invention, the second unit comprises a movable actuator coupled to the first unit and being configured to shift the first unit backwards and forwards relative to the mounting plate, while out skiing.

The mounting plate can be made of light metal or plastic material, especially acrylonitrile butadiene sty- rene (ABS). ft has preferably a flexural behaviour like the upper surface of the body of the ski. it is furthermore advantageous that the mounting plate can be adhesion-bonded or fusion bonded, substantially over its entire area, to the top face of the ski. As a result, the mounting plate behaves like an integral component of the top face of the ski or of the top laminate defining the top face of the ski. The mounting plate does not therefore constitute an external body that is foreign to the ski. In addition, that kind of connection does not give rise to local, especially punctiform, stress locations such as those formed by, for example, screw connections. Accordingly it is also ensured that high tensile forces can be applied to the mounting plate without a destructive effect. The adhesion-bonded or fusion-bonded connection returns to its original state after the loading has ceased (hysteresis). The design is positively "forgiving" of excessive loads. The situation is different in the case of punctiform screw connections. In the case of excessive tension on a screw connection, it becomes loose. Return to the original fixing state is not ensured. Further to the above explanations, reference is made to WO 2004/045728 A2 in respect of the mounting plate.

The mounting plate has an undercut longitudinal guide for the longitudinal positioning and fixing of the two units. In a preferred implementation, the mounting plate is approximately T-shaped or U-shaped in cross-section, wherein in the first case, the transverse land extends spaced from, and parallel to, the top face of the ski, with the result that it is possible for the units to engage beneath the two lateral longitudinal edges of the mounting plate so formed, in the case of a U-shaped mounting p!ate, the two upwardly projecting arms thereof are each drawn inwards in the shape of the hook, with the result that a longitudinal guide rail is formed having longitudinal edges undercut on the inside which engage over a unit. Of course, additional units, such as a heel plate, can also be displaced on the mounting plate in a similar way.

The above described design is simple in its construction, yet effective. By providing the ski binding with a movable actuator able to shift the part of the ski binding comprising the binding portion backwards and forwards relative to the mounting plate, namely relative to the ski, it is possible to simple adjust the position of the binding portion, that is of the ski boot, without the need of taking the skis off. In this way, the skier can modify the binding's position, thereby optimizing his/her skiing technique very quickly just activating the actuator, which can easily be done also during a race.

Advantageously, the first unit is located in the central part of the mounting plate, while the second unit is located between the first unit and one end of the mounting plate. In this way, the functional performances of the ski are barely affected, since the actuator will be located immediately in front or behind the ski boot. Furthermore, the skier can easily activate the actuator by bending over. Alternatively, the second unit can be located close to the first unit and protruding laterally from the mounting plate. In this way, the actuator is accessible to the skier in an easier way.

The actuator can be operable to move between a first position, also called "kick position" and a second position, also called "glide position". In particular, when the actuator is in the first position the first unit, and with it the binding portion, is shifted toward the tip of the ski. When the actuator is in the second position, the first unit is, on the other hand, shifted away from the tip of the ski. If, for example, the skier is running and needs to improve his/her grip action on the snow because of the presence of a challenging slope, he/she can move the actuator to the first position and modify his/her running accordingly. If, on the other hand, the ski run requires a fast glide action, he/she can move the actuator back to the second position, In other words, the actuator acts as a driving gear, which is activated as needed based on the path conditions. In this regard, the actuator can also be operable to move among a plurality of intermediate positions between the first and the second position.

According to one embodiment, the ski binding comprises locking members for fixing the first unit in the kick position, when the actuator is moved in the first position, and for fixing the first unit in the glide position, when the actuator is moved in the second position. In this way, there is no risk that the binding portion inadvertently moves from its position during the running. The locking member can be constituted for example by a hook-and-loop system or similar. In this way, the skier must actively lock the actuator by himself/herself, once it has been moved in the desired position. Of course, the locking members can comprise a means for automatically fixing the positions of the first unit when the actuator is moved from the first to the second position or from the second to the first position, respectively. The ski binding can include for example a system with recesses and pins or the like, such that the movable part (first unit) can automatically be locked/engaged to the fixable part (second unit) once the actuator is activated. In this way, the skier does not worry about locking the first unit to avoid a possible unwanted movement of the binding portion. in a further embodiment, the first unit comprises a connecting means, which interacts with the actuator. By means of this interaction, the movement of the actuator can be transferred to the first unit and then to the binding portion. In particular, the connecting means can be an extension of the first unit, which is inserted in a housing forming the second unit.

In an additional embodiment, the actuator is a lever system having at least one arm coupled to the connecting means of the first unit, which rotate of 180° passing from the first position to the second position. The rotation can occur such that the rotational axis lies in the same plane of the basis of the second unit that is in the same plane of the ski. In this way, during the rotation, the lever will protrude orthogonally from the upper face of the ski. Alternatively, the rotational axis can lie orthogonal to the plane of the ski. In this way, during the rotation, the lever will protrude laterally from the ski.

The actuator can be a one-piece moulded component made of engineering plastic POM (polyoxy- methylene). The choice of using POM for the actuator is due to its wear-resistant, low-friction and lightweight properties. However, alternative materials can be used to construct the actuator, such as other plastics or metals, The actuator can also consist of a plurality of independent parts which together form the lever, rather than forming a one-piece component,

In another embodiment, the connecting means comprises a pair of jaws extending vertically out of the plane of the ski binding and having each a longitudinally extending slot. The actuator has a U-shaped form with two arms such that it is pivotaiiy mounted on the second unit. The housing of the second unit comprises holes adapted to accommodate the two elongated arms of the actuator by two axles. The arms of the actuator are furthermore coupled to the jaws in order to transfer the actuator's movement to the connecting means. In particular, at least one arm of the actuator is provided with at least a pin, which can penetrate in one of the longitudinal slots of the jaws. Advantageously, the jaws are open on the bottom side, thereby assuming an inverse U-shaped form. In this way, the connecting means can easily be mounted on (or removed by) the second unit by engaging (or disengaging) the pins of the actuator's arms with the slots of the jaws. Additionally, the actuator comprises a flat portion at its distal end from the rotational axis in order to facilitate its grip from the user. This can be extremely advantageous especially when the skier needs to activate the actuator while wearing ski gloves. Advantageously, the second unit's housing comprises two transverse slots for allowing the jaws of the connecting means to slide forwards and backwards relative to the second unit when the actuator is activated. The length of these slots will determine the maximum possible shift of the binding portion from the first to the second position and vice versa.

In an alternative embodiment, the actuator is a sliding button located on the upper face of the mounting plate or laterally with respect to it. The sliding button mechanism includes a housing, a button and a connecting element. The connecting element penetrates in the housing and is attached to the button at one end and is coupled to the first unit at the other end. The housing is provided with a longitudinal slot in which the connecting element can slide forwards and backwards, thereby shifting the first unit from the first position to the second position and vice versa.

It will be appreciated that the first unit comprises a mechanism (in the binding portion), by which the ski boot is coupled at the front part of the so!e, in particular at its front end, to engagement elements of the binding comprising insertable, complementary engagement elements to produce a joint-like connection, wherein the sole-sided engagement elements consist of an axle oriented transverse to the long direction of the ski and about parallel to the sole, and the complementary engagement elements on the binding side comprise a retaining element that extends over or under the joint, and that can be moved out of a closed position into a release position by means of a handle disposed on the binding, in particular an actuating lever. Advantageously, either an elastically deformable pressure element or flexor can be provided between the boot and the binding or the ski in the region in front of the joint axle, or an elastically deformable traction element that acts between the boot and the binding or the ski in the region behind the joint axis, in particular the ball region of the sole, the action in either case tending to move the boot back towards the ski when its heel has been raised from the upper surface of the ski.

In order to improve the efficiency of the ski boot binding, the first unit further comprises guide ribs in the longitudinal direction of the ski, such that the tread layer of the shoe sole can be accommodated on the ski binding in a comfortable and efficient way.

To make the second unit fixable to the mounting plate, the second unit preferably comprises at least a pre-stressed, elastic locking element, with locking teeth and the mounting plate comprises a counter- locking element with notches receiving the locking teeth. In such a configuration, step-wise adjustment of the second unit either in forward or in rearward direction is possible, whereas the length of the indi- vidua! steps depends on the aforementioned tooth arrangement, Of course, this type of adjustment will also affect the first unit, the first unit being coupled to the second unit,

An especially simple embodiment of the ski binding is characterized in that the locking elements associated with the second unit are integral components of the unit, especially of a second unit plate. Advantageously the locking elements are in the form of tongues that are integrally formed or connected in articulated manner so as to be flexurally resilient. Alternatively, the second unit comprises at least one recess adapted to releasably engage at least one snap-in flap formed on the mounting plate.

As stated above, the described ski binding is adapted to be mounted on a cross-country ski. However, it will be appreciated that it can advantageously also be mounted for telemark, touring or roller ski.

A preferred embodiment of a cross-country binding in accordance with the invention will be explained herein below in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1a and Fig. 1b show side and top views of the ski binding according to the present disclosure displaced on a mounting plate;

Fig. 2a, Fig. 2b and Fig. 2c show a cross section of the ski binding of Fig. 1, as viewed along the section A-A (Fig. 2a}, a front view of the ski binding of Fig. 1 as viewed along the line B-B (Fig. 2b) and a cross section of the ski binding of Fig. 1, as viewed along the section C-C (Fig. 2c);

Fig. 3a, Fig. 3b, Fig. 3c and Fig, 3d show side and top views of the ski binding according to the present disclosure displaced on a mounting plate, as viewed in the first, kick position and the second, glide position;

Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of the ski binding according to the present disclosure displaced on a mounting plate, as viewed in the first, kick position; and

Fig, 5 shows a perspective view of the ski binding according to the present disclosure displaced on a mounting plate, as viewed in the second, glide position.

Figures 1a and 1b show a side and a top view of a ski binding 1 for cross-country skiing. The ski binding 1 is mounted on a mounting piate 2. The mounting piate 2 is suitable for locating the ski binding 1 at one end and locating a heel plate 5, formed separately there from, at the other end. in order to fix the ski binding 1 and the heel plate 5 on the mounting plate 2, the ski binding 1 and the heel plate 5 are provided with locking members in the form of teeth (not shown in the figures) and the mounting plates 2 with counter locking members 22 in the form of notches. The ski binding 1 comprises a first unit 3 having a first unit plate 31 and a second unit 4 having a second unit plate 41, which are connected to each other through a connecting means 32.

The first unit 3 comprises a binding portion 33 for interacting with the shoe sole of a ski boot. In particular, the pivot axis associated with the shoe sole (not shown in the figures), can be accommodated in the retaining element 34 of the binding portion 33. In the present case, the retaining element 34 has the form of a hook. To accommodate the tread layer of the shoe sole, the first unit 3 furthermore comprises longitudinal guide ribs 35 for the front portion and the heel plate 5 guide ribs 51 for the rear portion. This binding is designed for boots the soles of which each have, at a spacing from the front end of the sole, a sole-associated engagement element which so co-operates with a complementary associated binding portion 33 that the heel of the boot can be lifted up. Between the sole-associated engagement element and the front end of the so!e of the associated boot there is formed, in the sole, a projecting part which can be so brought into contact with a binding associated catch (not shown in the figure) that the boot is held in engagement by means of the binding portion 33 and, at the same time, can carry out a movement upwards and downwards about a notional transverse axis behind the catch. The binding portion 33, and consequently a boot connected thereto, is capable of pivoting upwards about an horizontal axis extending across the longitudinal direction of the boot and the binding, against the action of a resilient element, such as a compression spring. The sole-associated engagement element is a transverse axis arranged inside a sole recess, as is already known for cross-country or telemark ski boots.

The second unit 4 comprises a second unit housing 42 and a movable actuator 43 protruding from the housing 42. The actuator 43 is coupled to the first unit 3 by means of the connecting means 32. The actuator 43 is a lever system having a U-shaped form with two arms and is pivotally mounted on the second unit housing 42 by two axles 44. The connecting means 32 is an extension of the first unit 3 and is inserted in the housing 42 and comprises connecting stripes 38, which are connected to the first unit 3 at one end and to a pair of jaws 36 extending vertically out of the housing 42 and having longitudinally extending slots 37 at the other end. in particular, the arms of the actuator 43 are coupled to the jaws 36 of the connecting means 32 in order to transfer the movement of the actuator 43 to the connecting means 32 and then to the first unit 3. Specifically, the arms of the actuator 43 are provided each with a pin 46 (shown in Fig 2c), which penetrates in each of the slots 37 of the jaws 36. The second unit 4 furthermore comprises two transverse slots 45 in the housing 42 for receiving the jaws 36 of the connecting means 32 and for allowing these jaws 36 to slide forwards and backwards relative to the second unit 4 when the actuator 43 is moved.

Fig. 2a shows the system of Fig. 1 as viewed along the section A-A. Form this section, it is clear that the actuator 43 can be pivotally moved relative to the second unit's housing 42 with respect to the rotational axis 44. Due to the coupling between the jaws 36 and the arms of the actuator 43, the movement of the actuator 43 is transferred to the connecting means 32.

Fig. 2b shows the front view of the system of Fig. 1. The actuator 43 is located in front of the binding portion 33, thereby not affecting the functional performances of the ski.

Fig. 2c illustrates a cross section of the system of Fig,1 as viewed along the section C-C from. This figure in particular shows that the coupling between the jaws 36 and the actuator 43 is performed by means of the engagement between the pins 46 of the arms of the actuator 43 and the slots 37 of the jaws 36, Furthermore, Fig. 2c shows that the mounting piate 2 is T-shaped in cross-section 21 and that the second unit 4 engages beneath the two lateral longitudinal edges of the mounting plate 2.

Fig. 3a, 3b, 3c, and 3d show a comparison between the side and a top view of a ski binding 1 in "kick position" (Fig. 3a and 3b) and in "glide position" (Fig. 3c and 3d). In the kick position, the actuator 43 is moved in the direction of the arrow 101. Accordingiy, the first unit 3 is shifted forwards in the direction of the arrow 102. In the glide position, the actuator 43 is moved in the direction of the arrow 103. Accordingly, the first unit 3 is shifted backwards in the direction of the arrow 104. By moving back the actuator 43 in the direction of the arrow 101, the first unit 3 is shifted to the kick position again. Form the comparison of these figures, it is possible to notice that during the movement from the kick to the glide position and vice versa, only the first unit 3 shifts forwards and backwards of a maximum quantity S with respect to the mounting piate 2. On the other hand, the second unit 4 and the heel plate 5 remain fixed in their positions relative to the mounting plate 2,

Finally, Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 show the comparison between the "kick position" (Fig. 4) and "glide position" (Fig. 5) in a perspective view. Here, the maximum shift S of the first unit 3 with respect to the mounting piate 2 can be better appreciated. Whilst features have been presented in combination of the above description, this is intended solely as an advantageous combination. The above description is not intended to show required combinations of features, rather it represents each of the aspects of the disclosure. Accordingly, it is not intended that any described specific combination of features is necessary for the functioning of the ski binding 1.

List of reference numerals

1 ski binding

2 mounting plate

3 first unit

4 second unit

5 heel plate

21 T-shaped cross-section

22 counter locking members

31 first unit plate

32 connecting means

33 binding portion

34 retaining element

35 guide ribs of the first unit

36 jaws

37 longitudinal slots

38 connecting stripes

41 second unit plate

42 second unit housing

43 actuator

44 rotational axis

45 transverse slots

46 pins

51 guide ribs of the heel plate

101 actuator movement (kick position)

102 first unit shift (kick position)

103 actuator movement (glide position)

104 first unit shift (glide position)

S maximum possible shift of the first unit