FIELD OF THE INVENTION

_p - The present invention relates to a device for clamping a footwear to a ski.

More especially the invention relates to a cross-contry binding of the type in which the toe portion of the footwear _■« is clamped to the ski by means of suitably means allowing for a lifting of the heel during skiing.

PRIOR ART TEACHING

15

There are previously known types of bindings comprising ele¬ ments which can be displaced relative to each other, for thereby being adapted to various sizes of the footwear, for example the width of a boot sole. Further, there are also n known slalom bindings having a front portion and a rear por¬ tion which secure the tip and the heel, respectively, of a slalom boot, said elements being adapted to be displaced re¬ lative to each other for thereby being adapted to various lengths of slalom, boot soles. 5

From US Patent Specification 2.614.858 (W.M. Pierse, Jr.) there is known a ski binding including a unit comprising a base and toe and heel clamps on said base, as well as means for the mounting of said base on a ski, said means including 0 adjustable elements whereby the unit might be secured in position on a ski and thereafter quickly and with little difficulty adjusted longitudinally of the ski and secured in its new position. With the ski binding secured to the ski as described in said US patent specification, the entire bind- 5 ing might be adjusted in the direction of the length of the ski within certain limits, this adjustment being related to down-hill racing. Depending on snow conditions as compared with normal skiing, it might be desired to slightly shift the binding with respect to the transverse centre of the

ski. However, the prior art according to US patent spesifi- cation 2.614.858 only gives instructions for displacing the binding as a whole together with the base or mounting, and in all positions of the base or mounting the binding itself is constructed for having the toe and the heel of the boot securely clamped to said binding so as to allow the user only for down-hill exercises on the skis.

From US patent spesification 3.198.537 (Silber an) there is also known a ski binding plate which can be adjusted in a longitudinal position relative to the ski, but the ski bind¬ ing plate carries toe and heel clamping means for the boot to be used in connection with the ski, so as to allow only for down-hill skiing. It is true that various considerations are made in said US patent spesification 3.198.537 as re¬ gards the relationship between the position of the ball of the foot of the skier and the longitudinal balance point of the ski. However, here again the considerations are made in relation to down-hill skiing, various considerations being given for skiing in abundance of deep snow, skiing in a sla¬ lom race, as well as skiing in a combination race or down¬ hill race, as such. However, all of these down-hill skiing exercises require that the binding includes toe and heel clamping means, but such heel clamping means would not allow the known bindings to be used in cross-country racing or cross-country touring exercises, since modern cross-country exercises require the heel of the boot to be lifted during the use of the skis.

Further, the exercises of cross-country racing or cross¬ country touring might include skiing in various areas of snow, and in various landscape areas, which means that the skier must use his skis along flat areas, up-hills and down¬ hills, as well as on various types of snow, ranging from hard-packed and icy snow to powder snow and wet and heavy old or new snow.

Besides, the binding of a cross-country racing ski should allow for different ski techniques, not only the well-known

diagonal technique and the climbing of hills in a fish-bone pattern, but also for the recently adopted skating-technique in which it is of great importance that the point of gravity of the ski should not be related only to the point of gravi- ty of the skier, but also to the pivoting point of the bind¬ ing itself.

For example during a racing in which skating is allowed, it is of great importance that the ski when lifted from the ground, should have a preferred angle in relation to the boot sole of the user, so as to allow for an easy lifting and a precise and powerfull kick when the ski once again hits the ground.

In conntection with cross-country racing and touring bind¬ ings , in which the front portions of the skiboot is pivot- ably attached for allowing a lifting of the heel, there are on the marked bindings which permanently attached to the ski by means of screws, and such bindings do not allow for a satisfactory degree of freedom as regards a displacement of the pivot point of the binding. In fact, if such a known cross-country binding should be displaced along the ski, it would involve that new holes must be drilled if the binding is to be displaced relative to the original mounting.

BRIEF DISCUSSION OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to arrive at a device i ^{n a} ski binding in which the point of gravity of the user can be easily adjusted relative to the mid-portion of the ski, which is of particular importance for cross-country racers .

Another object of the invention is to give instructions for a binding of the type mentioned, which can be attached ad¬ justably to a ski, preferably without the use of a special tool and without drilling holes in the ski material.

These objects are achieved in a ski binding of the type men¬ tioned in the preamble, which according to the invention is characterized by the features defined in the patent claims .

Since the device according to the invention comprises at¬ tachment means for displaceable adjustment of the footwear securing portion along the ski, the gravity point of the user can be adjusted relative to the mid-portion of the ski, which is of special importance for competition cross-country racers, i.e. in connection with cross-country bindings.

In connection with the developments within the skiing tech¬ nique which have taken place over the last years, especially the transfer to so-called skating technique in connection with cross-country touring and cross-country racing, it might be appropriate to have a binding which by means of a simple hand operation can give the skier a selectable opti¬ mum position on the ski, whether this relates to diagonal technique or to skating technique. A displacement of the point of gravity of the skier on the ski can also be appro¬ priate depending on the existing snow and gliding conditi¬ ons, ranging from loose or powder-like snow to hard ski- tracks, whether the skier is to climb st'ep hills or slope down the mountain side.

Since the device according to the invention comprises an elongated element provided on the ski, along which the foot¬ wear securing portion can be displaced in its realeased position, and since the elongated element is permanently em¬ bedded in or flush mounted relative to the ski surface, the binding itself can easily be snapped on to the elongated element, it can be displaced along the element or the ski itself, and be secured to the element by means of appropri- ate attachment means. The attachment means can in this con¬ nection be arranged so that the binding can be attached to the ski without a special tool, for example by means of a coin or similar, which entails- that the adjustment can take place outside the workshop, for example anywhere on a cross-

country racing area.

Because the elongated element, which preferably can take the form of a structural plate or rail, is permanently embedded in the ski material itself, screw holes for the attachment of the boot securing portion itself can be dispensed with, which means that to screw holes are required at all, let alone another set of screw holes which is the case if prior art bindings are to be displaced along the ski.

BRIEF DISCUSSION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will in the following be further disclosed, reference been had to the enclosed drawings which illustrate embodiments of the device according to the present inven¬ tion.

Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view, partly in section, of an embodiment of the present device.

Fig. 2 is a side view, partly in section, of the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view as seen from the front of the binding illu¬ strated in Fig. 1 and 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

In Fig. 1, 2 and 3 illustrating schematically a plan view, a side view and a front view, respectively, of an embodiment of the present device for clamping a footwear to a ski, re¬ ference numeral 1 designates a ski, in which there is perma- nently embedded or included an elongated foundation, here in the form of a structural plate or rail 2. The structural plate or rail 2 can be included in the ski 1 during the manufacturing thereof, so as to constitute an integral part of the ski, namely an integral part which serves as a found-

ation or base for the displaceable adjustment of the foot wear securing portion of a binding. Preferably, the rail 2 has such a shape that the footwear securing portion or a binding 3 kan be "snapped" in engagement with the rail 2, _p . the binding 3 at its bottom edge being provided with a structural portion 3a which with its side edges 3b fit into corresponding edge portions 2a of the rail 2.

After having put the binding 3 in position on the rail 2, it 0 can be displaced therealong and be attached to the rail 2 by means of appropriate attachment means. Such attachment means can for example be constituted by a means of the type which is illustrated at the rear of the binding 3 in Fig. 1, and which here is generally designated by reference numeral 4. 5 This attachment means comprises a turnable disk 5 which can be turned around a pivot 6 , the disk 5 along one of its edge portions being provided with toothings which can be swung into engagement with corresponding toothings 2b provided in the side edges 2a of the rail 2. Further, the disk 5 com¬ 0 prises an aperture 5b embracing a turning means 6 having an eccentric disk 6a, such that the turning means 6 in a first turning position, for example as illustrated in Fig. 1, brings the turnable disk 5 with its toothings 5a into enga¬ gement with the toothings 2b in the rail 2, whereas the 5 turning means 5 in a second turning position will bring the turnable disk 5 with its toothings 5a out of engangement from the toothings 2b of the rail 2.

Appropriately, the turning means 6 is provided with a track 0 6c for the introduction of a tool, for example a screw¬ driver or a coin.

In addition to the attachment means 4 there might at the front portion of the binding 3 be provided a further attach- 5 ment means 7, for example in the form of a screw, which is provided in a recess 8 in the front portion of the binding 3. The tip of the screw 7a is adapted to come into engage¬ ment with a recesse 9 in the rail 2, there being provided a plurality of such recesses 9 in the center portion of the

rail 2, the distance between said recesses 9 corresponding to the distance between the toothings 5a and 2b on the turn¬ ing disk 5 and the side portion 2a of the rail 2, respec¬ tively.

It is to be understood that both the rail 2 and the above discussed attachment means 4 and 7, respectively, can be implemented in various other manners than those discussed above. For example, the rail 2 might be manufactured as a structured rail which is located on top of the upper surface of the ski, which entails that the lower portion of the binding can be slid into the rail more easily.

As regards the attachment means 4, there might for example be provided such an attachment means on each side of the binding, the rail 2 then being equiped with toothings in both its side portions 2a.

Further, it is to be understood that the attachment means 7 ^a t the front portion of the binding 3 can be replaced by a resilient element which normally will be attached in engage¬ ment with the recesses 9, but which during influence of a force from outside can be released from the one or the same recesses 9.

It is also to be understood that the portions or the members of the binding 3 itself, which fit into the rail 2, can be realized such that they at the same time as being snapping on to the rail can bring forth a locking effect, the por- tions bringing forth the locking effect being influenced from outside to establised another locking position of the binding.

The above device is developed especially in connection with cross-country racing skis or cross-country touring skis, and will find its application especially in connection with ski bindings where the footwear securing portion is adapted for toe-clamping of the footwear. More especially, the device according to the present invention finds it application in

such pivot point bindings which allow the heel to be lifted during the use of the ski, and wherein the connection be¬ tween boot and binding is located immediately at the front of the toes in order to obtain a natural movement of the foot and also maximum efficiency in the kick. Every movement the foot makes is than transferred directly to the ski, and in order to secure a further superior stability and skicon- trol, the displacement of the users point of gravity by means of the present device, can be used with great benefit. It should also be understood that the device according to the present invention is also favourable in connection with such pivot point ski bindings where it is an extremely short distance between the ball of the foot and the pivot point, and in which bindings there might be used exchangeable resi¬ lient means 10 between the front portion 11 of the boot 12 and a supporting surface of the binding 3 itself . The com¬ bination of the resilient means 10 and the adjustability of the ski binding itself, will contribute to keeping the ski parallel to the ground when using the skis for skating and also for keeping the ski in contact with the boot sole or only at a selectable, relative angle from the boot sole, but in all cases avoiding any uncontrolled pendulum swing of the ski during the skating stage of a cross-country race.

However, during the climbing stage of a race, or during the down-hill sloping it might be adventageous to shift the position of the footwear securing portion, so that the binding itself is more favourably adapted to these other types of skiing techniques which are performed during cross- country racing and cross-country touring.