Abstract:
A binding ( 8 ) has a lower surface ( 15 ) has a width (L 5 ) and is mounted on an upper surface of a ski ( 2 ) of width (L 2 ). The width of the lower surface ( 15 ) is less than or equal to the width of the ski ( 2 ). A support body ( 9 ) diverges in width along lateral boarders ( 19, 20 ) from the lower surface ( 15 ) to an upper surface ( 18 ) of width (L 4 ). The upper surface supports an anti-friction plate ( 10 ) that defines a support zone ( 17 ) of width (L 3 ). The width (L 3 ) of the support zone ( 17 ) is greater than width (L 5 ) of the lower surface ( 15 ) and the width (L 2 ) if the ski ( 2 ).

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to improved safety for sporting goods. It finds particular application in conjunction with a frontal binding for supporting and securing the front of a ski boot on a ski and will be described with particular reference thereto. It is to be appreciated that the present invention is also applicable other applications and is not limited to the aforementioned application.  
           [0002]    In general, the boot of a skier is retained on the ski in a detachable fashion by its front end, by a frontal binding commonly called a “thrust restraint”, and by its rear end, specifically its heel, by a rear binding, commonly called a “heel restraint”.  
           [0003]    In cases of significant stress, when the leg or joints of the skier are in danger, the ski boot is released from either the front or the rear of the boot or from both locations at once. To that end, the thrust restraint comprises, for example, a jaw which pivots at least laterally around a vertical axis. The heel restraint typically comprises a jaw which pivots in an upward direction around a transverse axis. The jaws of the thrust and heel restraints are each acted upon by an elastic system including a release spring whose compression is regulated in order to provide the skier with an assured stress value for the release of his adjusted boot.  
           [0004]    Placement of a support device under the front of the boot in order to limit friction of the sole of the boot with the ski is already known. This type of device is typically fixed to the ski and arranged below the front of the boot between the sole and the upper surface of the ski. Thus, the front of the boot does not rest directly on the ski but on said support device which, for example, includes a stationary element such as a small plate made of a material having a low friction coefficient, such as polytetrafluorethylene, or includes a movable element, which accompanies the end of the boot in the instance of a lateral displacement. Devices of this type are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,814,454 and French Patent Application Nos. FR 87 07326 and 96 14339, respectively published under Nos. 2,615,747 and 2,755,868. Such a device, even though providing the skier some improved safety, is not totally satisfactory.  
           [0005]    In fact, with current devices, the width of the support zone of the front of the boot is smaller in width than both the sole of the boot and the ski, which results in poor retention of the front of the boot, providing insufficient control of the ski, mainly when “skiing on the edge of the ski,” such as when executing a sharp turn.  
           [0006]    The present invention provides a new and improved method and apparatus that provides assurance of improved stability and overcomes the above referenced problems and others.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    According to one aspect of the present invention, a device for supporting a ski boot on a ski supports a lower surface of a front end of the boot. The device comprises a support piece disposed in a support zone having a width which is larger than the width of the lower surface of the support piece.  
           [0008]    According to an additional aspect of the present invention, the width of the support zone is beneficially contained between the width of the ski and the width of the front end of the boot, resting on the support device.  
           [0009]    According to another aspect of the present invention, the width of the support zone is greater than or equal to the width of the sole.  
           [0010]    According to another aspect of the present invention, the support zone comprises a fixed support on the upper surface of the ski and thereon is fixed, by any means, a small anti-friction plate which constitutes the support zone for the boot.  
           [0011]    According to an alternate embodiment of the present invention, the support device comprises a support fixed on the upper surface of the ski and on which is transversely mounted a mobile support element which constitutes the support zone for the boot.  
           [0012]    According to a more limited aspect of the present invention, the lateral borders of the support in the region where the support zone is located are inclined so as to converge toward the bottom.  
           [0013]    One advantage of the present invention resides in improved stability.  
           [0014]    Another advantage resides in better control of the ski, particularly when skiing on the edge of the ski.  
           [0015]    Still further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading and understanding of the preferred embodiments.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0016]    The invention may take form in various components and arrangements of components, and in various steps and arrangements of steps. The drawings are only for purposes of illustrating preferred embodiments and are not to be construed as limiting the invention.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 1 is a lateral view of a ski with front and rear boot bindings and support zone in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 2 is a top-down view of FIG. 1 without the boot;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 3 is a top-down view of a front support device in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 4 is a lateral view of the support device of FIG. 3;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the support device through section A-A of FIG. 4;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 6 is an end view of the support device, including the ski and boot;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the support device and ski;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 8 is a schematic view representing the support zone device according to the present invention;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 11 is a transverse sectional view of an alternate support embodiment;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 12 is a transverse sectional view of another alternate support embodiment.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0029]    With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 in the preferred embodiment, a boot  1  of a skier is restrained on a ski  2  in a front-end  3  releasable fashion by a front safety binding  4  commonly called a thrust restraint. The boot  1  is also secured by its rear end, more specifically, by a heel  5  by a rear safety binding  6  called a heel restraint.  
         [0030]    In addition, the boot  1  is supported by a sole  7  on a support device  8  of the preferred embodiment.  
         [0031]    The support device  8  according to the preferred embodiment on which the front of the sole of the boot  1  supports itself comprises a support  9  disposed on the upper surface of the ski and on which is fastened, by any means, a small anti-friction plate  10 .  
         [0032]    The support piece  9  of the preferred embodiment comprises at least one rear section  11  which includes the small anti-friction plate  10  and includes, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, a front portion  12  engaged below a base  13  of the front binding  4 . The support piece  9  is constructed of plastic material, such as an acetal type resin, a polyamide, or the like, and fixed on the ski by being joined with the front binding  4  in the preferred embodiment.  
         [0033]    The anti-friction plate  10  in the preferred embodiment is an elongated plate made of low friction coefficient material or at least with a lower friction coefficient than the one of the material with which the support  9  is made. For example, the small anti-friction plate  10  can be polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE), high density polyethylene, or a material such as polytetrafluorethylene loaded with bronze balls, or the like.  
         [0034]    The front portion  12  of the support  9  comprises a lower wall  14  bordered laterally by a peripheral wall  15  that forms with the lower wall  14  a bowl  16  for receiving the base  13  of the front binding  4 .  
         [0035]    The front portion  12  extends towards the rear by the rear portion  11 . The rear portion  11  receives the anti-friction plate  10 .  
         [0036]    According to the preferred embodiment, a width L 1  of the front portion  12  of the support  9  is less than or equal to a width L 2  of the ski  2 ; whereas, the width of the rear portion  11  of the support  9  is such that a support zone  17  of the front of the boot sole has a width L 3  which is greater than the width L 2  of the ski  2  in the corresponding zone, with the measure of the width being taken transversely, perpendicular to an axis P of general symmetry of the ski. Thus, a width L 3  of the anti-friction plate which constitutes the support zone  17  is greater than the width L 2  of the ski  2 .  
         [0037]    According to the preferred embodiment as illustrated in FIGS.  1  to  7 , the anti-friction plate  10  is partially embedded in the support  9  so as to project slightly in an upward direction. It should be noted that an upper surface  18  of the rear portion  11  of the support  9 , that is, the embedding zone of the plate, has a slightly larger width L 4  than the width L 3  of the anti-friction plate  10 . The width L 4  of the upper surface  18  where said small plate  10  is located is thus greater than the width L 2  of the ski  2 .  
         [0038]    It should also be noted that the rear portion  11  of the support is such that its lower surface  15  is, at least in the portion within the support zone, smaller than the width L 3  of the small anti-friction plate  10  and the width L 4  of the upper surface  18 . Also, the width L 4  of the upper surface  18  as well as the width L 3  of the small anti-friction plate  10  is greater than the width L 5  of the lower surface  15  of said support. It should be noted that lateral borders  19 ,  20  of the support in the zone, where the support zone  17  is located, are inclined so that they converge toward the bottom.  
         [0039]    It is, of course, understood that the invention also concerns an alternate support device a illustrated in FIG. 9, according to which the support  9  does not include any anti-friction element, the boot  1  being directly supported on the upper surface  18  of the rear portion  11  of the support which has a width L 4 , the upper surface being now the support zone  17  for the boot.  
         [0040]    It is understood that the invention concerns any other type of support device for the front end of the boot, such as for example a support device of the type described in French Patent No. 96 14339 and comprising a mobile support element. This type of device is illustrated in FIG. 10 and comprises a stationary support  9  on which a movable support element  21  moves laterally. In this alternate embodiment a width L 7  of the support zone is greater than the width L 2  of the ski.  
         [0041]    It is understood that the width L 3 , L 4 , L 7  of the support zone  17  is as large as possible and greater than the width L 5  of the lower surface  15  of the support, at least in the region where the support zone  17  is located. The support zone  17  is beneficially contained between the width L 2  of the ski and the width L 6  of the sole in the zone of its front end, supporting the support device. Of course, the width L 3 , L 4 , L 7  of the support zone  17  can be greater than the width L 6  of the sole, but the width L 3 , L 4 , L 7  of the support zone  17  is preferably equal to the width L 6  of the sole.  
         [0042]    [0042]FIGS. 11 and 12 are representations illustrating other alternate embodiments of lateral edges  19 ,  20  of the support piece. According to FIG. 11, the lateral edges  19 ,  20  are concave, whereas according to the variation of FIG. 12, these are realized by a succession of non-coplanar surfaces. Of course, according to these two variations, the width of the upper surface  18  of the support is greater than the width L 5  of its lower side  15 .  
         [0043]    The invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment, modifications and alterations will occur to others upon a reading and understanding of the preceding detailed description. It is intended that the invention be construed as including all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.