Abstract:
Embodiments of the invention relate to a binding ( 120 ), and in particular to a ski binding ( 120 ), wherein the binding ( 120 ) is directly contacting the ski ( 102 ), but is still capable of sliding longitudinally on the ski ( 102 ) to reduce stiffness. The intimate contact of the binding ( 120 ) with the ski ( 102 ) allows for optimum transfer of power between the ski ( 102 ) and the skier

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/742,647, filed Dec. 6, 2005, the benefit of which is hereby claimed under 35 U.S.C. § 119. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention is related to sports equipment, and specifically, to a binding system for skis. 
         [0003]    BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
         [0004]    Ski bindings are used to connect a ski boot to a ski. A conventional ski binding has a forward engagement member and a rear engagement member connected to one another by a rigid platform against which the boot rests. The platform is typically connected to the ski via mechanical fasteners, such as screws or bolts, on the forward and rear portions of the ski so that the binding is fixed rigidly to the ski. A ski boot will typically have a forward member that engages with the corresponding forward member of the binding system. The ski boot will also have a rear member that engages the corresponding rear member of the ski binding. The skier plants the forward portion of the boot into the forward member of the binding, and places his or her weight on the heel of the boot to clasp with the rear member of the binding. The forward and rear members of the binding system are rigidly fixed to the ski via the platform so as not to move forwards and backwards while skiing. As forces compel the ski to flex or bend, the rigid binding system prevents the ski from bending in the area covered by the ski binding. The conventional binding system, therefore, opposes the natural tendency of the ski to bend, and creates stiffness in the ski, which defeats a design purpose of the ski. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a binding system, wherein the binding is directly contacting the ski surface, but is still capable of sliding longitudinally on the ski to reduce stiffness between the boot and the binding during bending of the ski. The intimate contact of the binding with a side wall of a ski and/or the top of the ski surface allows for optimum transfer of power between the ski and the skier. As the ski bends, portions of the binding system are allowed to slide in relation to the ski so as to not interfere with the bending of the ski. The ski binding in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, therefore, reduces stiffness, as compared to the conventional binding systems. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0006]    The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is a diagrammatical illustration of a cross section of a ski and a binding system in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a diagrammatical illustration of a ski with brackets and a binding with sliding shoes that fit in the brackets in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a diagrammatical illustration of a cross-section of a ski with brackets. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0010]      FIG. 1  is a diagrammatical illustration of a ski binding system  100  in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The ski binding system  100  comprises a ski binding portion  120  that receives a boot and brackets  104  on the ski  102  to which the binding is attached. The binding system  100  is for binding or holding the ski binding portion  120  to the ski  102  and is provided with means for holding the ski binding  120  to the ski  102  that allows the ski  102  to flex or bend in the area of the ski binding  120  and also beneath the ski binding  120  and for further transferring the lateral forces from the ski binding  120  to the ski  102 . The ski binding system  100  includes at least one bracket  104  that projects from the upper surface of the ski  102 . In one embodiment, the bracket  104  has a generally upright standing beam  122  aligned lengthwise on the ski  102  with an overhanging ledge  124  that accepts a structure beneath the ledge  124 . In the particular embodiment shown, the ledge  124  is facing outward. The ski  102  has a second bracket  104   a  on the opposite side of the centerline of the ski  104 , wherein the ledge  124   a  faces in the opposite direction as the ledge  124 . Thus, the beam  122  may prevent side to side or lateral movement, and the ledge  124  may prevent upward or vertical movement. A raised sidewall  112  is provided adjacent to the bracket  104  between the bracket  104  and an upper edge of the ski  104 . The sidewall  112   a  is adjacent to bracket  104   a.  The sidewalls  112  and  112   a  rise above the surface of the ski  102 . Thus, the space between the brackets  104  and  104   a  and the corresponding sidewalls  112  and  112   a  define channels therebetween for receiving sliding shoes  106  and  106   a  that allows movement of the sliding shoes  106  and  106   a  lengthwise along the ski  102 , but are prevented from moving side to side or vertically. The sliding shoes  106  and  106   a  are attached to the binding portion  120  that receives and holds the ski boot. The sliding shoes  106  and  106   a  have block-shaped sections  107  and  107   a  that fit within the channels created by the respective brackets  104 ,  104   a  and sidewalls  112 ,  112   a.  The sliding shoes  106  and  106   a  may not extend to or touch against the standing beams of the brackets  104  and  104   a,  so that any lateral force, such as any force compelling the binding  120  to the outside, is borne by the sides of the sliding shoes  106  or  106   a  hitting, abutting or touching against the sidewalls  112  or  112   a.  Similarly, the sliding shoes  106  and  106   a  may not touch the narrow edges of the ledges  124  and  124   a  so that the ledges  124  and  124   a  may not bear a great majority of the side forces. The brackets  104  and  104   a  primarily bear the upward or vertical forces, while the sidewalls  112  and  112   a  bear all or the majority of the side forces for the ski  102 . The shoes  106  and  106   a  primarily bear the majority of the upward or vertical forces and the side or lateral forces for the binding portion  120 . Although one embodiment of a bracket has been illustrated, it is to be appreciated, that brackets having other configurations may be provided as well. For example, another embodiment is a rail on the centerline of the ski having a beam lengthwise along the ski and having two ledges that project laterally to either side of the centerline from the top of the beam to form a “T” member. 
         [0011]    The sliding shoes  106  and  106   a  are included in the binding system  100 , which is not shown for clarity and brevity. The sliding shoes  106  and  106   a  have a block-shaped section  107  and  107   a  that engages the channel between the brackets  104 ,  104   a  and the sidewalls  112 ,  112   a  at the top surface of the ski  102 . In this manner, the sliding shoes  106 ,  106   a  are captured between the respective sidewall  112  or  112   a  and the bracket  104  or  104   a.  As can be appreciated, the sliding shoes  106  and  106   a  make direct contact with the ski  102  either through the sidewalls  112 ,  112   a  the top layer  108 , or both. This arrangement provides insubstantial lateral and medial side to side movement of the sliding shoes  106  and  106   a  and consequently the ski binding  120  because of direct contact of the binding system via the sliding shoes  106 ,  106   a  with the sidewalls  112  and  112   a,  but provides longitudinal lengthwise movement forwards and backwards of the sliding shoes  106  and  106   a  in relation to the ski  102 , and therefore, the attachment transfers power from the brackets  106 ,  106   a  to the ski  102 , via the brackets  104 ,  104   a  and the sidewalls  112  and  112   a.  Further, the underside of the ledges  124  and  124   a  of brackets  104  and  104   a  are engaged with the top side of the block-shaped sections  107  and  107   a  to prevent insubstantial vertical movement between the binding system  100  and the ski  102 . The inner surface of sidewall  112  abuts against the outer surface of block-shaped section  107  of sliding shoe  106  to provide direct contact and efficient power transfer from the skier to the ski  102 . Similarly, the inner surface of the sidewall  112   a  abuts against the outer surface of the block-shaped section  107  of sliding shoe  106   a . However, other power transfer structures besides a sidewalls  112  and  112   a  can be provided, such as longitudinal channels, rails or ribs along the medial, lateral or centerline of the ski  102 . Additionally, because the interlocking, sliding portions of the brackets  104 ,  104   a  and the sliding shoes  106 ,  106   a  allow movement lengthwise, the ski binding  120  is capable of sliding, at least partially, at one or both ends, when the ski bends allowing longitudinal movement in a forwards and backwards direction during skiing. Stops can be provided that prevent the sliding shoes  106  and  106   a  from completely disengaging from the brackets  104  and  104   a  when run out to the very end. Further, the sliding shoes  106  and  106   a  can be temporarily affixed at one position on the ski  102  and may be adjustable by placing the stops in one of a plurality of adjustment holes. One location of the binding system can be rigidly fixed to the ski  102 , so that the remainder of the binding is free to slide. For example, the binding system  100  can be affixed to the ski  102  at the heel or rear portion. The toe or front portion of the binding  100  is then free to slide as the ski  102  flexes and bends, thus, reducing the stiffness of the ski in comparison to the conventional ski binding. Alternatively, the toe or front portion of the binding system can be fixed to the ski, while the heel or rear portion of the binding system is allowed to slide lengthwise. Such total amount of sliding movement can be designed to have a travel range of about 5 to about 10 mm, or about 6 to about 9 mm, or about 7 to about 8 mm. However, other embodiments can have travel limits outside of these ranges. Generally, the more stiff a ski is, the less sliding travel is needed. One embodiment of a stop device can be a pin that blocks the sliding shoes  106  from moving forwards or backwards in relation to the length of the ski  102 . Such pins can be spring activated to remain in a locked position, and then, be unlocked by a skier to allow the skier to adjust the position of the binding system in relation to the ski. Such adjustments are advantageous when, for example, after completing a particular ski course, the skier may decide that the binding system is too far forwards or backwards for the course, and then, can easily relocate the binding system in relation to the ski for improved performance on the course. 
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is a diagrammatical illustration of the ski  102  including a plurality of brackets  104  and the sidewall  112  in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The ski  102  includes two pairs of forward brackets  104  at about the midpoint the length of the ski  102  and two pairs of rear brackets  104  at about one quarter from the end of the ski  102 . There is a lateral bracket  104  and a medial bracket  104  comprising each pair. However, fewer or more brackets may be used. A sidewall  112  is provided adjacent to both sides of each pair of brackets  104 . Sidewalls  112  function to transfer loads from the binding to the ski  102  as described above. 
         [0013]      FIG. 3  is a diagrammatical illustration of a cross section of the ski  102  in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The ski  102  has been cut to show the details of the attachment of the binding system  100  to the ski  102 , and, in particular, the attachment of the bracket  104  to the ski  102 . In one embodiment, a single piece of metal comprises both lateral  104  and medial  104   a  brackets. A cross member  110  that lies beneath the top surface of the ski  102  connects the lateral bracket  104  to the medial bracket  104   a.  In one embodiment, the brackets  104  and  104   a  are attached to the ski  102  by overlaying a section of the cross member  110  with resin and/or fabric  108  that forms the top layer of the ski  102 . The ski  102  can be constructed having a core, a reinforcement layer, and one or more top sheets. Bracket and sliding shoe materials can include metals, rigid plastics, laminates, carbon fiber composites, resin composites, and the like. 
         [0014]    A series of discrete brackets  104  can be provided along the length of the ski  102 , so that several discrete brackets  104  can be placed along the length of the ski  102 . Alternatively, one continuous rail can be used in place of a series of discrete brackets  104 . One bracket  104  can be located on the lateral or medial side of the centerline of the ski  102 , and a second bracket  104   a  can be placed on the opposite side of the centerline and facing opposite to the first bracket  104 . In the following description, a representative bracket  104  will be described for brevity. It being understood that other brackets have similar structure, but may be placed in the opposite direction depending on which side of the centerline the brackets are located. In one embodiment, the brackets  104  have a substantially upright long beam  122  that extends from the top layer  108  of ski  102 . The upright long beam  122  is substantially perpendicular (when viewed end on) to the top layer  108 . The upright beam  122  is bent at a substantially right angle to the upright beam forming the ledge  124 , so as to define a channel  126  beneath the ledge  124  so that a corresponding member can slide forwards and backwards within the channel  126 . In one embodiment, the ski  102  is provided with two ledges that raised a small amount above the upper surface of the ski  102  and the ledges face outward. In another embodiment, the ledges may be facing inward (i.e., toward the centerline of the ski  102 ). Alternatively, in another embodiment as described above, a single rail can be used that can be located, for example, at the centerline of the ski, such that the single beam has both lateral and medial ledges. Further, as can be seen in  FIG. 3 , the brackets  104  are connected and rigidly attached to the ski  102  via the cross member  110  that spans the medial and lateral brackets. The cross member  110  is embedded within the top layer  108  of the ski  102 . The top layer  108  can be woven or non-woven fiber-reinforced glass or a plastic, and resin. One method of attaching the brackets  104  and  104   a  is through the use of technology known under the designation “MOD.” This technology is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,851,699, Feb. 8, 2005; U.S. Pat. No. 6,612,605, Sep. 2, 2003; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,520,529, Feb. 18, 2003. Alternatively, other methods of connecting brackets  104  to ski  102  can be employed, for example, mechanical fasteners, such as screws, pins, and rivets. 
         [0015]    Embodiments of the invention relate to systems for holding a ski binding to a ski including means for holding the ski binding to the ski and for transferring lateral forces from the binding to the ski while allowing the ski to flex or bend in the area of the ski binding. 
         [0016]    In a first embodiment, the means for holding and for transferring lateral forces comprises one or more brackets on the upper surface of the ski and shoes that fit into the brackets on the lower surface of the ski binding. 
         [0017]    In a second embodiment, the means for holding and for transferring lateral forces comprises a bracket on the upper surface of the ski and a shoe on the lower surface of the ski binding, wherein the bracket and shoe have ledges that slide relative to each other. 
         [0018]    In a third embodiment, the means for holding and for transferring lateral forces comprises a first and second bracket on the upper surface of the ski and a first and second shoe on the lower surface of the ski binding, wherein the first bracket is located on one side of the centerline of the ski and the second bracket is located on the opposite side of the centerline of the ski, and the first shoe is located on one side of the centerline of the ski binding and the second shoe is located on the opposite side of the centerline of the ski. 
         [0019]    In a fourth embodiment, the means for holding and for transferring lateral forces comprises a first bracket and a second bracket on the upper surface of the ski and a first shoe and a second shoe on the lower surface of the ski binding at one end of the binding, wherein the first and second brackets engage, respectively, with the first and second shoes to prevent movement vertically and laterally and allow the ski to move lengthwise at least on one end of the ski binding. 
         [0020]    In a fifth embodiment, the means for holding and for transferring lateral forces comprises a first bracket and a second bracket on the upper surface of the ski and a first shoe and a second shoe on the lower surface of the ski binding, wherein the first and second brackets engage, respectively, with the first and second shoes so that the ski binding is constrained from movement in both the vertical and lateral direction and is free to move lengthwise to allow the ski to bend or flex beneath the ski binding. 
         [0021]    In a sixth embodiment, the means for holding and for transferring lateral forces comprises a first bracket and a second bracket on the upper surface of the ski and a first shoe and a second shoe on the lower surface of the ski binding, wherein the first and second brackets engage, respectively, with the first and second shoes so that the ski binding is constrained from vertical and lateral movement and is free to move lengthwise, wherein the brackets comprise an upright standing beam and a ledge connected lengthwise to the standing beam to allow lengthwise sliding movement. 
         [0022]    In the embodiments above, the means for holding and for transferring lateral forces may further include at least one shoe slidingly received within a bracket or rail affixed to the ski, wherein the shoe transfers lateral forces to the ski by hitting or touching against a portion of the ski. 
         [0023]    In the embodiments above, the means for holding and for transferring lateral forces may further include at least one shoe slidingly received within a bracket or rail affixed to the ski, wherein the shoe transfers lateral forces to the ski by abutting against a raised wall of the ski. 
         [0024]    In the embodiments above, the means for holding and for transferring lateral forces may further include a portion of the ski binding making sliding contact with a portion of the ski to provide for the transfer of lateral forces from the binding to the ski. 
         [0025]    In the embodiments above, the means for holding and for transferring lateral forces may further include a shoe on the ski binding that slides within a bracket or rail affixed to the ski, wherein the shoe resists the lateral and vertical forces. 
         [0026]    In the embodiments above, the means for holding and for transferring lateral forces may further include the front end of the ski binding being fixed relative to the ski and the rear end of the binding being free to move lengthwise relative to the ski. 
         [0027]    In the embodiments above, the means for holding and for transferring lateral forces may further include the rear end of the ski binding being fixed relative to the ski and the front end of the binding being free to move lengthwise relative to the ski. 
         [0028]    In the embodiments above, the means for holding and for transferring lateral forces may further include the ski being free to flex in the area beneath the ski binding. 
         [0029]    In the embodiments above, the means for holding and for transferring lateral forces may further include one end of the ski binding being fixed relative to the ski, and the other end of the binding being free to travel so that the ski is free to bend or flex in the area of the ski binding. 
         [0030]    In the embodiments above, the means for holding and for transferring lateral forces may further include stop means for stopping movement of the ski binding at a predetermined position. 
         [0031]    In the embodiments above, the means for holding and for transferring lateral forces may further include the position of the ski binding being adjustable on the ski. 
         [0032]    In another aspect, a ski is characterized in that it includes any one of the ski binding systems described above. A ski and binding combination includes a ski; a bracket attached to the upper surface of the ski, wherein the ski has a sidewall adjacent to the bracket to define a lengthwise channel between the bracket and the sidewall; a binding; and a shoe connected to the binding, wherein the shoe fits between the bracket and the sidewall in a sliding engagement so that the shoe is prevented from lifting and the shoe side hits or abuts against the sidewall to transfer lateral forces from the binding to the ski. A ski and binding combination can include a first and a second bracket, wherein the first bracket is on one side of the lengthwise centerline of the ski, and the second bracket is on the opposite side of the centerline of the ski. The ski can include a first and second sidewall adjacent to the first and second brackets and the binding includes a first and a second shoe that slidingly engage the first and the second bracket, respectively, between the brackets and the sidewalls to prevent the binding from lifting and to transfer lateral forces from the binding to the ski and to allow the ski to flex or bend in the area of the binding. 
         [0033]    While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.