Patent Publication Number: US-2013241179-A1

Title: Assembly for connecting a boot to a ski, and an adapter to be used in said assembly

Description:
The present invention relates to an assembly for connecting a boot to a ski, and more specifically it relates an assembly as disclosed in the preamble of claim  1 . The invention further relates to an adapter for use in the assembly, as disclosed in the preamble of claim  14 . 
     Different skiers have different individual preferences as regards the positioning of the binding in relation to the ski, and thus the positioning of the skier&#39;s boot and foot during skiing. Such preferences may relate to the height of the skier&#39;s boot above ground level, for example, in order to avoid the boot coming into contact with the ground during skating or when turning. Further preferences may be the heel-toe angle where the skier&#39;s heel and toe lie at different vertical levels, or the edging angle where the external is and the internal long side of the binding lie at different vertical levels. 
     A spacer for use between a cross-country binding and a ski is previously known from EP 2108413 A1, where the cross-country binding is attached to the ski via bolts or screws passed through the ski binding and the spacer. The spacer in EP 2108413 A1 may have a heel-toe angle as can be seen, inter alia, from  FIG. 1 . 
     From WO 2005/113081 A1, which belongs to the Applicant, there is previously known a system for mounting a cross-country or telemark binding directly to a ski without the use of screws or the like, the mounting plate being glued to the ski, where the binding is slide-guided and snapped into place at the desired position on the mounting plate, and where the binding can later easily be removed or adjusted to a different desired position by means of the same slide-guiding and snap-locking principle. The system described in WO 2005/113081 A1 is known as the NIS system, where NIS stands for Nordic Integrated System. 
     A problem with the system described in EP 2108413 A1 is that it is very fiddly to remove the spacer, to adjust the position of the spacer and thus the position of the binding on the ski, or to replace the spacer with another spacer with different user properties/configuration. Drilling new holes for a new position on the ski might also impair the strength of the ski and the use properties of the ski might be altered. 
     The present invention seeks to remedy the aforementioned or other disadvantages or drawbacks by means of an assembly having the features disclosed in the characterising clause of claims  1  and  14 , respectively. An object of the invention is thus to provide an assembly including a binding, an adapter/spacer and a ski, where the user can easily switch between different adapters or use the binding and the ski without the use of an adapter. 
     Advantageous embodiments of the invention are set forth in the dependent claims. 
    
    
     
       In the following description, non-limiting embodiments of the invention are described with reference to the appended drawings, wherein 
         FIGS. 1   a  and  1   b  are two perspective views, obliquely from above and obliquely from below respectively, of a first embodiment of the assembly according to the invention, with two planar adapters for the binding and heel piece respectively; and 
         FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b  are two perspective views, obliquely from above and obliquely from below respectively, of a second embodiment according to the invention, with one wedge-shaped adapter for the binding. 
     
    
    
     With reference to the figures, an assembly  1  is shown for connecting a boot to a ski  2 , including a binding  3  arranged to be connected to the boot, and a section  4  of the top surface  5  of the ski  2  arranged to be connected to an essentially plate-like adapter  6  between the binding  3  and the section  4 , the adapter  6  being arranged to increase the distance between at least a part of the underside  7  of the binding  3  and the top surface  5  of the ski  2 . 
     A first locking device  9  is arranged on the underside  7  of the binding  3  for locking the binding  3  to the adapter  6  via a corresponding second locking device  10  on the top side  11  of the adapter  6 . Furthermore, a third locking device  13  is arranged on the underside  12  of the adapter  6  for locking the adapter  6  to the section  4  via a corresponding fourth locking device  14 . The first locking device  9  on the binding  3  corresponds in addition to the fourth locking device  14  on the section  4  in order to permit direct connection of the binding  3  to the ski  2  without the use of the adapter  6 . 
     The locking devices  9 ,  10 ,  13 ,  14  advantageously include corresponding sliding grooves and locking catches for slide-guiding to a fastening position via said sliding groove, whereafter locking in the sliding direction takes place by snap engagement via said locking catches. 
     The fastening position between the adapter  6  and the section  4  is advantageously adjustable in the longitudinal direction of the ski  2 , a plurality of locking notches being provided along the length of the section  4  for locking in a corresponding number of fastening positions. However, the fastening position between the binding  3  and the adapter  6  is advantageously fixed and cannot be adjusted. 
     In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the assembly  1  advantageously includes a separate adapter  15  for connection between the section  4  and a separately arranged heel piece  16  of the binding  3 , the adapter  6  having an essentially identical thickness along its longitudinal direction. 
     In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b , the adapter  6  advantageously has a steadily diminishing thickness or wedge shape along its longitudinal direction (toe-heel angle), and diminishing from a forward part of the adapter  6  which corresponds to a forward part of the binding  3 , the wedge shape allowing connection of the separately arranged heel piece  16  of the binding directly on the section  4  without the use of adapter  15 . 
     On the underside  12  of the adapter  6  there is advantageously provided at least one weakened portion  17 ,  18  extending transverse to the longitudinal direction of the adapter  6  to facilitate the bending motion of the ski  2  in its longitudinal direction. 
     On each side of the long side of the adapter  6  there is advantageously arranged an edge  19  extending in the longitudinal direction which projects sideways beyond the width of the section  4 , a longitudinal groove being provided in the edge  19  for sliding accommodation of a corresponding longitudinal edge  20  on each of the respective sides of the section  4 . 
     Weight-saving cut-outs are advantageously provided in the adapter  6 , where X-shaped reinforcing ribs  21  are arranged in the cut-outs. Furthermore, the adapter  6  is advantageously made of plastic. 
     The section  4  is advantageously integrally configured with the ski  2 , for example, glued to the top surface of the ski, and of the NIS type as described in WO 2005/113081 A1, belonging to the Applicant, where the different fastening and engaging surfaces between the binding  3  and the section  4  are described in detail. 
     To release the locking of the catches, there is advantageously provided a suitable, separate (non-illustrated) tool with an end for insertion into a depression or a hole  22  arranged in a top surface of each respective locking catch, the locking catch being flipped up from its locking engagement by tilting the tool. Alternatively, an ordinary, suitable screwdriver with a flat head can be used. 
     The present invention is not limited to the embodiments illustrated and described here, but can be varied within the scope of the attached claims.