Abstract:
A release ski binding comprising a sole plate having thereon a rear jaw for a ski shoe, a central part thereof being pivotal relative to the ski about a vertically upright axis and about a transversely extending axis. The sole plate is held in a skiing position by an elastic holding mechanism on the ski. The holding mechanism is responsive to a swivel movement occurring between the sole plate and the ski and upon reaching of a predetermined angle of traverse effects an opening of a release lock on the rear jaw. The sole plate consists of two parts, of which the one part is pivotally supported for movement about a vertical axis of a sleeve and the other part is hingedly connected to the first part through the transverse axis.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a release ski binding having embodied therein a sole plate. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Such release ski bindings are described in German Pat. No. 25 33 337 (corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 4,033,603). In these known ski bindings, the spring of the holding mechanism acts through a piston onto a generally mushroom-shaped holding member swingably supported to all sides in the housing of the holding mechanism. The stem of the mushroom-shaped holding member is received in a recess of a fitting member fixed to the ski. In these known ski bindings, the ski shoe is held at the tip thereof by means of a rigid bar fixed to the sole plate. In the case of a fall of the skier to the rear, the ski shoe is therefore released with difficulty. 
     An embodiment of a similar ski binding is described in German Offenlegungsschrift No. 23 24 078, however, the structure of this binding is complicated and the release mechanism is housed in the space between the base plate and the sole plate. Further, special sealing measures are required to prevent the penetration of snow and dirt into the housing parts. Furthermore, the mounting of this binding onto the ski is complicated and expensive. 
     The purpose of the invention is to overcome the disadvantages of the known designs and to provide a release ski binding in which the vertical axis which, in the known first embodiment, must be relatively long in order to permit a pivotal movement of the sole plate about the transverse axle, is to be short, so that the ski shoe has a smaller distance from the upper side of the ski than in the known construction. 
     The purpose is primarily attained by providing a sole plate composed of two parts pivotally connected to each other. This construction has furthermore the advantage that no relative movement between the shoe sole and the sole plate takes place until the release point of the binding is reached. Consequently also no friction takes place between the mentioned parts and no influence on the release force in the inventive binding occurs. Furthermore, there exists the possibility of providing for all sizes of ski shoes in a conventional manner a constant distance between the working surfaces of the two jaws. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Exemplary embodiments of the subject matter of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the binding taken along the line I--I of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 2 is a top view thereof; 
     FIGS. 3 to 7 illustrates in an enlarged scale details of the first embodiment, namely: 
     FIG. 3 illustrates the rear jaw in a central longitudinal cross section; 
     FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IV--IV of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged top view of a detail of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line V--V of FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 6 illustrates the rear jaw in the open position corresponding with FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 7 illustrates a detail of FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 8 shows a detail of a second embodiment. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The inventive release ski binding has a base plate 1 which, adjacent the front end thereof, is secured by means of screws 2 to the upper side of the ski 3. A vertically upright axle defined by a sleeve 4 is secured to the base plate by means of a screw 5 and the axis thereof is an extension of the axis of the lower leg of the skier. The sleeve 4 is made of a low friction material. A part 6&#39; of a sole plate 6 has the sleeve 4 mounted thereon. The part 6&#39; carries adjacent the front end thereof a transversely extending axle 7 on which is supported a second part 6&#34; of the sole plate 6. A ski shoe 21 is clamped on the sole plate 6 and can thus pivot both about the axis of the sleeve 4 and about the transverse axis of the axle 7. 
     An elongate T-shaped guide bar 8 (see FIGS. 2, 5A and 5) is secured to the ski 3 by means of screws 9 and extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of the ski and is received in an elongate T-shaped groove in the bottom of the base plate 1. The guide bar 8 is used to compensate for change in length as they occur during a bending of the ski relative to the base plate 1. 
     A bolt 10 is mounted on the part 6&#39; adjacent the front end thereof. The bolt 10 extends approximately vertically relative to the upper side of the ski. A front jaw 11 is pivotally supported for movement about the axis of the bolt 10. The front jaw 11 is received in a recess 21a in the bottom surface of the sole of the ski show 21. Laterally and equidistantly spaced from the longtudinal center line of the binding are two control bolts 11a and 11b or control rollers on the front jaw 11, which rollers are guided on a cam surface 12 formed by the transversely extending front end surface of the base plate. However, the cam surface 12 is not continuous, but has in its central region a trapezoidal-shaped or rectangular-shaped recess 12a therein, which in the case of a fall of the skier permits a release of the ski shoe 21 from the front jaw 11. 
     At the rear end of the base plate 1, an approximately Z-shaped holding part 1a is provided. The holding part 1a has a recess 1b (FIG. 3) therein, bordered by control surfaces. The holding part 1a is preferably manufactured of a material which is harder compared with the base plate 1, for example, steel plate. The stem portion 13a of generally mushroom-shaped holding member 13 extends into recess 1b. Further, the enlarged head on the holding member is loaded by a pressure spring 14 the initial tension of which is adjustable. The adjusting mechanism for adjusting the initial tension of the spring is of a conventional design and therefore not illustrated and described in detail. The pressure spring 14 is enclosed in a spring housing 15, which by means of bifurcated attachment arrangement 15a, is connected to the end of the second part 6&#34; or is constructed in one piece therewith. 
     The second part 6&#34; has two axially spaced and coaxial axles 16 adjacent the rear thereof. A rear jaw 17 is pivotally supported on the two axles 16. The rear jaw 17 has a stepping spur 17a (FIG. 3) and has otherwise a generally hookedshaped design. The hook extends into a recess 21b at the rear end of the ski shoe 21. Furthermore, the rear jaw 17 has a control bolt 18 or a control roller, with which it can be guided along a cam surface 19 generally designated in FIG. 1. The cam surface 19 is secured to the part 6&#39; and projects upwardly therefrom. Further, the cam surface 19 consists of a portion which forms two paths 19&#39; and 19&#34; arranged symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal center plane of the binding. Each cam surface path 19&#39; or 19&#34; has a part 19&#39;a or 19&#34;a which extends upwardly in an arc about the transverse axle 7 and a part 19&#39;b or 19&#34;b which extends at an acute angle with respect to the part 19&#39; a or 19&#34;a rearwardly and downwardly in an arc about the axle 16 when the rear jaw 17 is in the open position. The release point of the binding is provided between the two part 19&#39;a and 19&#39;b or 19&#34;a and 19&#34;b. The part 19&#39;b or 19&#34;b ends in a projection 19&#39;c or 19&#34;c, which limits the angle of traverse of the rear jaw 17. The rear jaw 17 is under the influence of a torsion spring (not illustrated in the drawings) which urges the jaw 17 into the open position. 
     A release lever 20 is provided and is hinged to the axles 16. The lever 20 is generally bifurcated and functions like a toggle lever, the lever arm part thereof 20A resting on the upper side of the ski 3 under the influence of a not illustrated torsion spring. 
     During skiing, the release ski binding is in the position illustrated in FIG. 1 and the rear jaw 17 is under the influence of the pressure spring 14 in its position holding the ski shoe. 
     If a voluntary release of the binding is to be started, then the release lever 20 is swung counterclockwise against the force of the pressure spring 14 and its lever arm 20A slides along the upper side of the ski. Through this swinging movement the axles 16 and with them the rear jaw 17 are lifted up. As soon as the control bolt 18 reaches the end of the part 19&#39;a or 19&#34;a of the cam 19&#39; or 19&#34; and thus the release point, the control bolt 18 moves onto the part 19&#39;b or 19&#34;b on which it slides until it reaches the projection 19&#39;c or 19&#34;c. The rear jaw 17 is thus opened. 
     During an automatic release, the plate 6&#34; and with it the rear jaw 17 are pivoted about the transverse axle 7 by a force which is applied by the ski shoe to effect a lifting of the control bolt 18 up along the part 19&#39;a or 19&#34;a, until the release point is reached. The mushroom-shaped holding member 13 is simultaneously pivoted to cause the pressure spring 14 to become compressed. The control bolt 18 thereafter slides on the part 19&#39;b or 19&#34;b, namely, until the projection 19&#39;c or 19&#34;c, functioning as a stop, is reached. In this position of the rear jaw 17, the ski shoe 21 can easily leave the binding. 
     In the case of a twisting fall of the skier, the part 6&#39; is pivoted about the axis of the sleeve 4. The pressure spring 14 is thereby slightly compressed by the inclined position of the mushroomshaped holding member 13. As soon as the front jaw 11 has exceeded a pregiven angle of traverse, the one of the two control bolts 11a or 11b moves into the recess 12a of the base plate 1, which causes the front jaw 11 to be able to swivel and thus to be able to release the ski shoe 21. 
     The embodiment according to FIG. 8 differs from the one according to FIGS. 1 to 7, primarily in the front jaw 11&#39; being constructed in one piece with the part 6&#39; of the sole plate 6. Furthermore, the part 6&#39; grips with a hook-shaped extension 11&#39;a under the base plate 1, so that a lifting off of the part 6&#39; from the base plate 1 is impossible. This measure can suitably also be used in the first embodiment, as can be taken from FIG. 7. 
     In order to assure a release during the occurrence of lateral forces (occurring during twisting falls), the rear jaw, in the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 8, can in a conventional manner be swung both upwardly and also laterally outwardly. Such an embodiment is for example illustrated and described in Austrian Pat. No. 352 599. 
     Of course the invention is by no means to be limited to the exemplary embodiments which are illustrated in the drawings and are described above. Rather various modifications of the same are possible without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, embodiments in which between the underside of the weight arm of the release lever and the upper side of the ski a plate of low friction material can be provided and falls under the scope of the invention. Furthermore, the holding part can be made in one piece with the base plate and can be reinforced in the area of the control surfaces by an insert.