Ski binding
OwnerTimothy C. Broughtoninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A ski binding system is adaptable to both alpine and cross-country/telemark skiing modes. A base plate is pivotably connected about a transverse axis to the boot by an upwardly extendable transduction hinge, at or just to the rear of the ball of a skier's foot, to provide torsional stability with either rigid or flexible-toed boots. The boot heel and point of connection may be freely raised from the binding. The base plate is safety releasable from the ski upon exertion of excess upward or transverse forces by the skier's foot.
Claims23
A ski binding system for alternatively attaching one of a flexible, partially flexible and rigid boot to an elongate ski having a longitudinal axis, comprising:
- a boot with a heel end and a toe end of a sole and upper for closing and supporting the heel, toe and ball of a skier's foot;
- boot attachment means fixed to said sole at one of a location at said ball of a skier's foot and rearward of said ball of said skier's foot;
- a base plate having forward and rear ends, said base plate comprising a boot platform releasably joined to said ski for safety release therefrom by excessive force between said boot and said ski;
- pivotable attachment assembly means mounted to said base plate to secure and release said boot attachment means to said base plate, said attachment assembly means pivotable about a transverse axis and extendable for upward movement of said heel end and said boot attachment means relative to said base plate;
- bail means to substantially restrict the transverse and upward movement of said toe end relative to said base plate;
- and
- means for releasably joining said forward and rear ends of said base plate to said ski whereby said safety release includes transverse release of said base plate forward end and upward release of said base plate rear end.
A system for snow skiing comprising:
- a pair of elongated snow skis, each said ski having a front end and a rear end;
- a pair of ski boots for a skier's feet, each said boot having a sold generally extending between a toe end and a heel end, said sole including an area rearward of said toe end supporting the ball of said skier's foot;
- boot support means configured to be mounted on said skis, said boot support means including base plate means for each said ski, each said base plate means having a forward end and a rear end;
- safety-release mounting means for mounting each said base plate means to said respective ski wherein excessive forces between said skier's foot and said ski disengages said base plate means from said ski;
- toe attachment for attaching said toe end of each said boot to said forward end of said respective base plate means;
- and
- hinge means for pivotal attachment of each said boot to respective said base plate means, each said hinge means having a lower end fixedly pivotably attached to said base plate means and an upper end removably pivotably attached to said boot sole, wherein each said sole area rearward of said toe end may flex freely and is guidably movable upwardly from said base plate means for free-heel skiing.
A ski binding system for attaching a boot to an elongate ski, with longitudinal axis, comprising:
- a base plate having forward and rear ends, said base plate releasably joined to the upper surface of a ski for safety release therefrom by excessive force between said boot and said ski while remaining attached to said boot;
- pivotable attachment assembly means mounted to said base plate and pivotably attachable to said boot at one of a location at said ball of a skier's foot and rearward thereof, forward of the heel of said foot, to selectively secure and release said boot relative to said base plate, said attachment assembly means pivotable about a transverse axis and extendable for downwardly biased upward movement of said boot rearward of the boot toe end relative to said base plate;
- bail means to restrict the transverse and upward movement of said toe end relative to said base plate;
- and
- means for releasably joining said forward and rear ends of said base plate to said ski whereby said base plate forward end is released transversely from said ski and said base plate rear end is released upwardly from said ski.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.