Releasable heel holddown mechanism for ski bindings

Claim 2

A releasable heel holddown mechanism for ski bindings, comprising a frame means slidably mounted with respect to an attachment plate adapted to be connected to the surface of a ski, spring-loaded holding means pivotably mounted in said frame means for releasably securing the heel of a ski boot down against the ski, spring means for resiliently biasing said frame means in one direction parallel to said attachment plate thereby permitting restrained shifting of said mechanism along the longitudinal axis of the ski, guiding means interrelated between said frame means and said holding means for constraining said holding means to pivotably move through a path of yielding restraint against lifting of the heel of the ski boot away from the ski until reaching a release position, groove means formed in said frame means extending substantially perpendicularly with respect to said attachment plate and cooperating with a guide element for guiding said holding means up to the release position.

Claim 3

A releasable heel holddown mechanism for ski bindings, comprising a frame means mounted with respect to an attachment plate adapted to be connected to the surface of a ski, spring-loaded holding means pivotably mounted in said frame means for releasably securing the heel of a ski boot down against the ski, guiding means interrelated between said frame means and said holding means for constraining said holding means to pivotably move through a path of yielding restraint against lifting of the heel of the ski boot away from the ski until reaching a release position, said interrelated guiding means including slot means formed in said frame means and cooperating shaft means extending from said holding means slidable in said slot means, said slot means having an upwardly inclined return branch portion and a rearwardly directed release branch portion merging with said upwardly inclined return branch portion, said holding means being spring-loaded by a spring enclosed in a two-part housing pivotably mounted in said frame means, a rod defining a single-arm lever extending through said housing substantially in the direction of the geometric axis of said spring, said housing having an upper part fixed to said rod and a lower part displaceably mounted upon said rod under the force of said spring, a closure bracket rotatably mounted in said frame means and operatively connected to said holding means for pivoting said holding means between the release position and a closed position, said rod being rotatable about a shaft eccentrically mounted with respect to the axis of rotation of said closure bracket and being located on opposite sides of the dead-center position of said eccentrically mounted shaft in the closed position and in the release position of said holding means respectively.

Claim 4

A releasable heel holddown mechanism for ski bindings, comprising a frame means mounted with respect to an attachment plate adapted to be connected to the surface of a ski, spring-loaded holding means pivotably mounted in said frame means for releasably securing the heel of a ski boot down against the ski, guiding means interrelated between said frame means and said holding means for constraining said holding means to pivotably move through a path of yielding restraint against lifting of the heel of the ski boot away from the ski until reaching a release position, said interrelated guiding means including slot means formed in said frame means and cooperating shaft means extending from said holding means slidable in said slot means, said slot means having an upwardly inclined return branch portion and a rearwardly directed release branch portion merging with said upwardly inclined return branch portion, said holding means being spring-loaded by a spring enclosed in a two-part housing pivotably mounted in said frame means, a rod defining a single-arm lever extending through said housing substantially in the direction of the geometric axis of said spring, said housing having an upper part fixed to said rod and a lower part displaceably mounted upon said rod under the force of said spring, a closure bracket rotatably mounted in said frame means and operatively connected to said holding means for pivoting said holding means between the release position and a closed position, said rod being rotatable about a shaft eccentrically mounted with respect to the axis of rotation of said closure bracket and being located on opposite sides of the dead-center position of said eccentrically mounted shaft in the closed position and in the release position of said holding means respectively.