Electronic safety ski binding having oblique, orthogonal transducers
AssigneeMarker International Company
InventorManfred Richert
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electronic ski binding including orthogonal, obliquely mounted transducers for detecting oblique components of skiing forces applied to the binding. The binding may include isolation means for structure the transducers from the effects of ski bending. A means of mechanical compensation for the forces applied to the binding by the leaning of a skier may be included. A pivoted linkage between a sole plate and base plate of the binding may compensate for leaning forces by varying the portion of the force applied to the binding that is transmitted to the transducers depending upon the degree and direction of leaning by a skier.
Claims17
An electronic ski binding for electrically detecting the forces exerted on a skier's leg inserted in a ski boot latched in the binding, for generating electrical signals in response to the detected forces and for releasing a latched ski boot from the binding when the electrical signals exceed a predetermined threshold value, said binding comprising:
- first base plate means for attaching the binding to a ski;
- sole plate means for receiving the sole of a ski boot including a generally planar sole receiving surface;
- interconnection means for movably interconnecting said first base plate means and said sole plate means;
- orthogonal transducing means having first and second pressure axes;
- mounting means associated with said sole plate means for mounting said transducer means to orient said first and second pressure axes perpendicular to each other and at an oblique angle which is substantially displaced from said sole plate means to cause said transducing means to generate electrical signals in the direction of said respective first and second pressure axes in response to the components of forces applied to said transducing means in said directions;
- and latch means mounted on said sole plate for securing said ski boot to said sole plate, said latch means being responsive to said electrical signals for releasing said ski boot.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.