Safety ski binding

Claim 2

A safety binding for releasably securing a boot to a ski comprising a sole plate; first mounting means on said sole plate for releasably securing said boot to said sole plate, said first mounting means being adjustable to accommodate boots of a range of sizes, said first mounting means including front and rear boot securing means mounted on said sole plate for securing said boot, said front boot securing means being adjustable longitudinally in incremental steps along said sole plate for selectively accommodating boots of a range of sizes; means for releasably positively interlocking said front boot securing means to said sole plate to prevent relative displacement longitudinally of said sole plate during use of said binding while permitting, when out of interlocking relation, relative displacement longitudinally of said plate to enable said incremental adjustment along the sole plate; and second mounting means for releasably securing said sole plate to said ski including mounting elements spaced longitudinally along said sole plate and ski in a single fixed relation for said range of sizes, said second mounting means being adapted for automatically releasing said sole plate from said ski upon the application of forces of predetermined magnitude and directions thereto.

Claim 3

A safety ski binding for releasably securing a boot to a ski comprising a sole plate; first mounting means on said sole plate for releasably securing said boot to said sole plate, said first mounting means being adjustable to accommodate boots of a range of sizes; and second mounting means for releasably securing said sole plate to said ski including mounting elements spaced longitudinally along said sole plate and ski in a single fixed relation for said range of sizes, said second mounting means being adapted for automatically releasing said sole plate from said ski upon the application of forces of predetermined magnitude and directions thereto, said first mounting means including front and rear boot securing means mounted on said sole plate for securing said boot, said rear boot securing means being adjustable longitudinally along said sole plate for accommodating boots of a range of sizes, said rear boot securing means includes quiCk release engagement means; said sole plate being formed with a plurality of longitudinally spaced laterally extending pairs of opposed apertures in the sides thereof, at least one longitudinally extending channel in a surface thereof positioned to intersect each aperture on each side of said sole plate, and a keyhole slot extending longitudinally in the wall of each of said apertures; said engagement means including a pair of arm portions each formed with a key extending laterally therefrom for receipt in a pair of said apertures and keyhole slots, each of said arm portions being rotatable in the apertures on one side of said sole plate when said key is in alignment with the respective associated channels for the retention thereof in said apertures.

Claim 4

A safety ski binding for releasably securing a boot to a ski comprising a sole plate; first mounting means on said sole plate for releasably securing said boot to said sole plate, said first mounting means being adjustable to accommodate boots of a range of sizes; and second mounting means for releasably securing said sole plate to said ski including mounting elements spaced longitudinally along said sole plate and ski in a single fixed relation for said range of sizes, said second mounting means being adapted for automatically releasing said sole plate from said ski upon the application of forces of predetermined magnitude and directions thereto, said first mounting means including front and rear boot securing means mounted on said sole plate for securing said boot, said rear boot securing means being adjustable longitudinally along said sole plate for accommodating boots of a range of sizes, said rear boot securing means includes quiCk release engagement means; said sole plate being formed with a plurality of longitudinally spaced laterally extending pairs of opposed apertures in the sides thereof, at least one longitudinally extending channel in a surface thereof positioned to intersect each aperture on each side of said sole plate, and a keyhole slot extending longitudinally in the wall of each of said apertures; said engagement means including a pair of arm portions each formed with a key extending laterally therefrom for receipt in a pair of said apertures and keyhole slots, each of said arm portions being rotatable in the apertures on one side of said sole plate when said key is in alignment with the respective associated channels for the retention thereof in said apertures.

Claim 5

A safety binding for releasably securing a boot to a ski comprising a sole plate; first mounting means on said sole plate for releasably securing said boot to said sole plate; and second mounting means for releasably securing said sole plate to said ski including longitudinally displaceable plunger means mounted on said ski rearwardly of said sole plate, socket means on the rear end of said sole plate for receiving one end of said plunger means, means for biasing said plunger end in said socket means while permitting longitudinal displacement thereof out of said socket means upon the application of forces of predetermined magnitude and directions to said sole plate, and at least a pair of coupling means positioned beneath said sole plate forward of said socket means, one of each pair of coupling means being mounted on each of said sole plate and ski, said coupling means being provided with camming surfaces for the relative displacement thereof during release of said sole plate from said ski.

Claim 6

A safety binding for releasably securing a boot to a ski comprising a sole plate; first mounting means on said sole plate for releasably securing said boot to said sole plate; and second mounting means for releasably securing said sole plate to said ski including longitudinally displaceable plunger means mounted on said ski rearwardly of said sole plate, socket means on the rear end of said sole plate for receiving one end of said plunger means, means for biasing said plunger end in said socket means while permitting longitudinal displacement thereof out of said socket means upon the application of forces of predetermined magnitude and directions to said sole plate, and at least a pair of coupling means positioned beneath said sole plate forward of said socket means, one of each pair of coupling means being mounted on each of said sole plate and ski, said coupling means being provided with camming surfaces for the relative displacement thereof during release of said sole plate from said ski.

Claim 7

A safety binding as recited in claim 3, wherein said sole plate is formed with a plurality of longitudinal ridges projecting from the upper surface thereof adapted to support said boot in spaced relation to said sole plate upper surface.

Claim 8

A safety binding as recited in claim 3, wherein the camming surfaces of said pair of coupling means are convexly curved in the lateral direction relative to said ski to provide a substantially line contact therebetween and are formed with substantially mating reentrant inclined surface cross-sections.

Claim 9

A safety binding as recited in claim 3, wherein one of said pair of coupling means defines a socket for receipt of the other of said coupling means, at least a portion of the base of said socket portion of said coupling means being opened to permit the clearing of snow therethrough.

Claim 10

A safety binding as recited in claim 3, wherein said coupling means are positioned substantially beneath said sole plate at a point at or forwardly of the ball of the foot of the wearer of said boot.

Claim 11

A safety binding as recited in claim 3, wherein said first mounting means are adjustable to accommodate boots of a range of sizes, said plunger means and said pair of coupling means being fixed longitudinally along said sole plate and ski in a fixed relation for said range of sizes.

Claim 12

A safety binding as recited in claim 8, including template means for application to said ski for indicating the points for mounting said plunger means and one of said pair of coupling means on said ski in said fixed relation.

Claim 13

A safety binding as recited in claim 8, wherein said first mounting means includes front and rear boot securing means mounted on said pole plate for securing said boot, said front boot securing means being adjustable longitudinally along said sole plate for selectively accommodating boots for a range of sizes.

Claim 14

A safety binding as recited in claim 8, wherein said first mounting means includes first and rear boot securing means mounted on said sole plate for securing said boot, said rear boot securing means being adjustable longitudinally along said sole plate for accommodating boots of a range of sizes.

Claim 15

A safety binding as recited in claim 3, wherein said second mountIng means includes means for selectively adjusting the bias on said plunger means, said second mounting means socket means being formed with a central socket portion for receiving the end of said plunger means, and a plurality of camming surfaces radiating from said central socket portion for guiding said plunger during the release thereof.

Claim 16

A safety binding as recited in claim 3, wherein said plunger means and one of said pair of coupling means project into said ski and are formed integral therewith during the formation of said ski.

Claim 17

A safety binding for releasably securing a boot to a ski having at least on an upper surface thereof a molded portion, comprising a sole plate; first mounting means on said sole plate for releasably securing said boot to said sole plate; and second mounting means for releasably securing said sole plate to said ski including at least two sets of mounting elements spaced longitudinally along said sole plate and ski in a fixed relation, first and second portions of each set of mounting elements being respectively secured to said sole plate and ski, said second mounting means being adapted for automatically releasing said sole plate from said ski by the separation of said first and second portions of said mounting elements upon the application of forces of predetermined magnitude and directions thereto, said second portion of said mounting elements each being integrally formed with a laterally extending flange in a lower region thereof, said second portion of said mounting elements each projecting into said molded portion of said ski and formed integral therewith during the forming process of said ski so that the material of said molded portion overlies said mounting element flanges for retaining same in place.

Claim 18

A safety binding for releasably securing a boot to a ski having at least on an upper surface thereof a molded portion, comprising a sole plate; first mounting means on said sole plate for releasably securing said boot to said sole plate; and second mounting means for releasably securing said sole plate to said ski including at least two sets of mounting elements spaced longitudinally along said sole plate and ski in a fixed relation, first and second portions of each set of mounting elements being respectively secured to said sole plate and ski, said second mounting means being adapted for automatically releasing said sole plate from said ski by the separation of said first and second portions of said mounting elements upon the application of forces of predetermined magnitude and directions thereto, said second portion of said mounting elements each being integrally formed with a laterally extending flange in a lower region thereof, said second portion of said mounting elements each projecting into said molded portion of said ski and formed integral therewith during the forming process of said ski so that the material of said molded portion overlies said mounting element flanges for retaining same in place.