Improvements to or related to ski accessories

Abstract

The present invention relates to gliding with both feet aligned on a single ski (5), and provides an inclined wedge (1) on the ski in a position to support the skier's back foot, eliminating the need for the skier's back foot to rest flat on the surface of the ski (5).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to improvements in or relating to ski accessories, and more particularly to accessories that can be provided on skis to facilitate single-ski gliding, such as squaring, where the skier's feet are substantially aligned on the same ski. The present invention is equally applicable to all types of skiing, but is particularly useful in snow skiing, which may be on natural snow or artificial surfaces, and in water skiing. Recently, in downhill skiing, gliding with only one ski has emerged as an alternative form of skiing known as "squaring," to provide a different skiing sensation. This has become an alternative form of sport. It has also been adopted in water skiing.

[0002] The present invention relates primarily to the field of snow skiing, and in particular to improvements relating to ski bindings, and in particular to improving the experience of a skier with both feet on one ski, one foot behind the other, with both feet substantially aligned and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the ski. [Background technology]

[0003] There are several methods of skiing that allow a skier to attach both feet to one ski. These can be broadly divided into three categories. In one method, both feet are attached to the skis in a substantially side-by-side position, oriented substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the ski. In another method, both feet are attached to wider skis or boards, oriented substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of the ski. This invention relates to a third method, in which both feet are attached to a single ski, oriented substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the ski, with one foot placed in front of the other. This type, in which one foot is placed in a straight line in front of the other, is referred to by the acronym "OFIFOTOIL."

[0004] US 4867470A, US 4008908, US 3404900, EP 1118359 A1, DE 2723864 and FR 2577427 A1 are all related to OFIFOTOIL and the present invention aims to improve the skier's experience when skiing in OFIFOTOIL style.

[0005] In this document, the skier's front foot and leg will be referred to as the leading and / or guiding foot and leg, and the other foot and leg will be referred to as the trailing foot and leg. One of the challenges of skiing with both feet aligned on the same ski is to position the trailing foot and leg behind the leading foot and leg in a way that is comfortable for the skier, does not interfere with the skiing motion, causing the skier to fall or slow down, and can also be used as a guide during skiing, such as when turning a corner. It is also important that the trailing foot can easily land and release from the ski in a position that is aligned and behind the leading foot.

[0006] Ski boots have high, stiff sides designed to encourage forward flexion of the skier's legs at both the ankle and knee. When skiing in the OFIFOTOIL style, forward bending of the front foot is desirable, but this can cause discomfort in the skier's rear foot and leg if the rear foot is flat on the ski. Therefore, tilting the rear foot by providing a rear foot wedge, as described in U.S. Patent No. 3,888,499 A, is advantageous because it allows the skier to adopt a more comfortable and controlled stance. The wedge slope influences the skiing style. A steeper wedge slope can be advantageous for regular on-piste skiing, as it places most of the skier's weight on the front foot, allowing the ski edges to carve more fully. Conversely, a shallower wedge slope can place the skier's weight slightly behind the center of the ski, which can be advantageous when skiing in powder or slushy snow. It would therefore be advantageous if the tilt of the wedge could be adjusted, as in US 53675938 A. Alternatively, the angle of tilt could be adjusted.

[0007] Hybrid ski systems are already known. For example, WO 2022 / 084590 provides a hybrid ski system that can be used both for skiing (such as downhill skiing) and for walking. The system consists of a rear shoe binding and a front shoe binding configured in a manner that allows the skier to change the position of the foot on the ski to suit the chosen skiing method. The system also allows the position of the ski relative to the foot to be changed. However, the system does not relate to skiing with a single ski, nor to the positioning of the rear foot and leg during skiing with a single ski. Special bindings (only) are available for securing the ski boots to the skis during "squatting."

[0008] An additional desirable requirement when skiing with one ski is the ability to apply pressure to the rear part of the ski with the rear foot and leg while skiing in order to influence the direction and speed of the ski. This is particularly useful when turning corners. However, if the rear leg needs to be fully extended to apply the pressure necessary to influence the ski's run, this can be damaging to the leg and can also make it difficult for the skier to control the pressure needed to control the angle of ski lean that may be required to turn a corner. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The present invention addresses these problems.

[0010] The invention therefore provides a removable wedge-shaped element that can be fitted to the upper side of a ski towards the rear end of the ski, characterised in that it provides an upward incline towards the rear end of the ski, so that the skier's rear foot can rest on the upward incline of the wedge-shaped element while skiing with a ski.

[0011] The wedge-shaped element can be easily removed from the ski. This allows the ski to be used for skiing as a pair of skis, enabling the ski to be used for dual skiing activities. This aspect allows one set of skis to be used for both single-ski and dual-ski gliding, with the associated economic benefits. In this embodiment, a mounting plate or other means can be provided on the ski surface to allow the wedge and its binding to be temporarily attached to the upper surface of the ski, preferably at various positions along the rear portion of the ski, so that the position of the wedge-shaped element on the ski can be adjusted to accommodate users, such as users of various heights and / or leg lengths. Preferably, the front end of the wedge-shaped element is provided with a boot toe holder, and the rear end of the wedge-shaped element is provided with a boot heel holder.

[0012] In a further embodiment, the wedge-shaped element may be provided with a binding that attaches the skier's footwear, such as a ski boot, to the individual shape of the wedge-shaped element. This is not required, but may provide the skier with additional balance and safety while skiing. The attachment is preferably lightweight and allows the ski boot to be easily removed from the wedge-shaped element, allowing the rear foot and leg to be removed and repositioned against the surface of the wedge-shaped element without having to reset the binding. It is also preferable that the binding can be easily removed from the ski without the need for special tools, allowing the ski to be used as a pair of skis. Means may also be provided that allow adjustment of the force required to attach and remove the boot from the binding.

[0013] The binding of the present invention may be manufactured from an injection-moldable thermoplastic, and the toe holder at the front end may be lower than the heel end of the wedge-shaped element. Wedge-shaped element bindings are preferably lightweight. The body of the wedge-shaped element binding may be formed with a hexagonal honeycomb structure. The wedge-shaped element must be sufficiently robust to support the skier's weight and withstand the forces exerted during skiing. The heel unit is slidable up and down along the wedge-shaped element and may be fixed in multiple positions to accommodate various sizes of ski boots. The sliding heel unit preferably incorporates a spring-loaded roller catch that applies downward retention pressure to the boot's heel lug. If present, the roller catch is preferably located at the end of a strong arm. The arm is fixed to the rearmost, lowest portion of the sliding heel unit. This has the effect of converting a portion of the spring's lateral force into a downward force toward the top of the heel lug. The binding of the present invention can be designed to hold a standard ski boot. The spring bias can be varied to accommodate skiers of various weights and strength levels. This can be achieved by providing a screw behind the roller catch spring that can increase or decrease the compression of the spring.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the wedge-shaped element is provided at its lower end with an attachment capable of holding the toe lug of a skier's rear footwear, such as a ski boot. Furthermore, the wedge-shaped element may be provided with a heel unit for attaching the rear side of the rear footwear, such as a ski boot, to the wedge-shaped element. In a preferred embodiment, the heel unit is slidable along the wedge-shaped element and can be locked into a position that accommodates various sizes of boots. The main function of the wedge-shaped element is to allow the skier's heel to be raised higher than the toe, and the inclination of the wedge-shaped element can be selected according to the user's requirements. Thus, in a preferred embodiment, the wedge-shaped element allows the ski boot to be lightly secured to its upper surface. However, for safety reasons, it is preferable that the ski boot can be easily inserted and removed from the wedge-shaped element. The wedge-shaped element may be provided with grooves and / or friction strips to help hold the ski boot on the wedge-shaped element.

[0015] The inclination angle of the wedge can be selected depending on the skier's needs, the nature of the terrain being skied, and the skier's experience. For example, when skiing on softer, deeper snow, a skier may want to place their weight further back than when skiing on harder snow. Therefore, it is preferable that the wedge can be removed from the ski and replaced with a wedge of a different inclination as needed. Alternatively, the inclination of the wedge itself can be changed. However, for use in snow skiing, it is preferable that the wedge be angled so that the rear boot does not strike the snow when the ski is used on a typical ski slope, where the ski can be inclined at an angle of about 45° from the horizontal.

[0016] As mentioned above, in one preferred embodiment, the wedge-shaped component is provided with a toe gap at its lower front end, allowing the toe of a ski boot to be held within the gap. Additionally, the wedge-shaped component may be provided with a heel unit at its upper rear end for holding the heel of the ski boot, which may be slidable up and down the wedge-shaped component to accommodate various boot sizes. Both the toe gap and the heel unit are designed to lightly hold the ski boot and allow for easy removal of the boot from the surface of the wedge-shaped component, and a spring or other means may be provided at one or both ends of the wedge-shaped component, preferably a spring-biased retention catch at the heel end. This allows the toe gap and heel unit to be adjustable to provide the desired force for holding, removing, and replacing the ski boot.

[0017] The wedge-shaped part is preferably lightweight, yet strong enough to withstand the pressures exerted on it during skiing. Hard plastic materials, especially fiber-reinforced plastic materials, have been found to be particularly useful for the manufacture of the wedge-shaped part, as they allow the wedge-shaped part to be manufactured, inter alia, by injection molding.

[0018] The wedge element and its binding of the present invention may be supplied separately for attachment to a ski. In this case, it may be supplied together with means for attachment to the ski. Alternatively, the wedge element may be supplied together with the ski. In this case, the ski and wedge element may be provided with means for attaching the wedge element to the ski. For example, attachment points such as one or two screw lugs may be provided on the ski to allow the wedge element to be attached to and removed from the ski. Alternatively, a mounting plate may be provided on the surface of the ski to which the wedge element and its binding can be easily attached and removed.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a rear foot binding that allows for continuous foot engagement and disengagement while using a standard alpine ski boot without the need to reset the binding, without the need for a boot plate as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,944,237 A, and without the need for ski boot modifications as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,936,065 A. Many existing solutions for facilitating OFIFOTOIL skiing include rear foot bindings or holders that are not safety bindings and / or require manual opening and closing, similar to snowboard bindings. The binding of the present invention allows the skier to easily step into the binding, allowing the skier to push off with the unbound foot before attaching the rear foot to the ski, gaining momentum and balance. Similarly, it is advantageous for a skier to be able to lift their rear foot off the ski when slowing or stopping, as this stabilizes the body and makes balancing easier when stationary. It is also important that the binding be able to hold the rear foot securely until a certain force level results in boot release, and that the required force level be adjustable. The ability to remove the rear foot from the ski provides the skier with the possibility of easy and smooth propulsion by using the free rear foot to push (kick) the snow for sliding or skating, even when the ski slope is not steep enough for normal skiing.

[0020] In a further embodiment, the present invention provides a standard alpine binding that allows a ski boot to be attached to a ski behind the ski and easily removed from the ski, thereby enabling the ski to be used as one of a pair of standard alpine skis without adversely affecting the aerodynamics of the ski or causing a weight imbalance with the other ski. Permanently attaching a rear binding to the ski is disadvantageous because the binding has a significant weight, which can cause one ski in the pair to be heavier than the other ski, resulting in imbalance for the skier. Another problem caused by a permanently attached rear binding is that it can increase the ski's aerodynamic drag, resulting in imbalance for the skier. The present invention aims to enable easy removal of the rear foot binding wedge by using a permanently attached sub-binding plate. The sub-binding plate is preferably a small, lightweight, thin plate that is permanently attached to the ski. The sub-binding plate can be positioned a specified distance behind the heel binding of the front foot, and a wedge binding can be slid onto the sub-binding plate, pushing it in until it reaches a forward blocking point where it cannot move any further forward. In a preferred embodiment, the sub-binding plate can hold binding wedges of different sizes. A manual clamping system (part of the injection-molded wedge unit) can be provided to attach the binding wedge to the sub-binding plate. The force required to remove the binding wedge needs to be greater than the force required to lift the rear foot off the binding wedge when the heel lug spring force is at its maximum level.

[0021] Although the present invention is described in an embodiment in which both feet are aligned on the ski, it is equally applicable to systems in which both feet are on the same ski but slightly offset from each other, the latter aspect being useful when the ability to provide slight rotation of the ski is desired.

[0022] The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows a wedge-shaped part according to the invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 shows one way in which a wedge-shaped piece such as that shown in FIG. 1 can be attached to a ski. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows a spring-loaded catch at the heel end of the wedge-shaped piece. [Figure 4] 4 and 5 are plan and side views of a subplate used to position the wedge-shaped components of the present invention. [Figure 5] 4 and 5 are plan and side views of a subplate used to position the wedge-shaped components of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 shows the channels formed in the ski for the attachment of the plates. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a plan view of a rear footrest unit that can be placed on a ski. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 shows the heel unit of the wedge-shaped part. [Figure 9] 9 and 10 are plan views of the heel unit. [Figure 10] 9 and 10 are plan views of the heel unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] FIG. 1 shows a wedge-shaped part according to the invention.

[0025] FIG. 2 shows one way in which a wedge-shaped piece such as that shown in FIG. 1 can be attached to a ski.

[0026] Figure 3 shows a spring-loaded catch at the heel end of the wedge-shaped piece.

[0027] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an angled wedge-shaped element (1) for attachment to a ski, with the upper surface of the ski indicated by the reference numeral (5). The wedge-shaped element is provided with a toe holder (2) for holding the toe of a ski boot (not shown) and a heel holder (3) for holding the heel of the boot. The upper surface (6) of the wedge-shaped element is shaped to support the boot of the skier's (not shown) rear foot. The toe holder (2) and heel holder (3) may be spring-loaded to provide the pressure needed to hold the boot while at the same time allowing easy removal.

[0028] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing how the wedge-shaped piece (1) shown in Figure 1 can be attached to a ski by an attachment (10). The upper surface of the ski is indicated by the reference numeral (5). An attachment (10) is provided on the upper surface (5) and can mate with an attachment (7) provided on the base of the wedge-shaped piece. Figure 2 also shows how a boot (9) can be positioned on the surface (11) of the wedge-shaped piece by means of a toe holder (2) and a heel holder (3).

[0029] Figure 3 shows a spring-loaded catch that can be provided at the heel end (3) of the wedge-shaped element. A post (17) provides a stop for the heel of the ski boot. The catch (14) is provided at the rear end of the wedge-shaped element, and a roller catch (15) is provided in the heel unit (16). When the ski boot is pushed into the heel unit, the roller catch (15) is pushed toward the post (17), allowing the ski boot to pass downward onto the foot plate (18) of the wedge-shaped element. Once the heel of the boot is on the foot plate, the roller catch (15) is pushed back by a spring (19) provided on the roller catch arm (20), clamping the heel of the ski boot within the spring-loaded heel unit.

[0030] 4 and 5 are plan and side views of a subplate used to position the wedge-shaped components of the present invention.

[0031] FIG. 6 shows the channels formed in the ski for the attachment of the plates.

[0032] FIG. 7 is a plan view of a rear footrest unit that can be placed on a ski.

[0033] FIG. 8 shows the heel unit of the wedge-shaped part.

[0034] Figure 4 shows the unit 23 provided with ten locking rod receiving holes 21 and holes 22 for screw attachment to the ski. Figure 6 shows how a channel 24 can be provided for holding the footrest unit.

[0035] Figure 7 shows a rear footrest unit provided with a locking rod (25) that can be placed in the locking rod receiving hole shown in Figure 4. Figure 7 also shows a locking mechanism for retention of a skier's boot. The locking mechanism includes a spring mechanism (26) that can be deflected about a pivot (27) to allow insertion and removal of the ski boot.

[0036] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of a wedge-shaped heel unit 28 equipped with a roller bar catch 29 for retaining a skier's boot. The roller bar catch 29 can be manually operated to release the skier's boot from the wedge. Figures 9 and 10 are top views of the heel unit 28, showing the fixing plate 30 that can attach the heel unit to the wedge, the roller bar catch 29, compression spring 30, and tension adjustment screw 31 that ensure the ski boot is securely held within the heel unit while allowing for easy removal.

Claims

1. A wedge-shaped part that can be removably mounted on the upper side of the ski towards the rear end of the ski, The part provides an upward incline towards the rear end of the ski, so that the skier's rear foot can rest on the upward incline of the wedge-shaped part while skiing. A wedge-shaped part characterized by:

2. removable from said ski 2. The wedge-shaped part according to claim 1 .

3. means for allowing the wedge-shaped part to be temporarily attached to the upper surface of the ski; 3. The wedge-shaped part according to claim 1, further comprising:

4. can be attached to the ski at various locations along the rear portion of the ski 4. A wedge-shaped part according to claim 3.

5. The wedge-shaped part has a boot toe holder at its front end, The rear end of the wedge-shaped part is provided with a heel holder for the heel of the boot.

5. A wedge-shaped part according to claim 1, wherein the wedge-shaped part is made of a tungsten ore.

6. a binding for attaching the skier's footwear, such as ski boots, to the respective shape of the wedge-shaped part; 6. The wedge-shaped part according to claim 1, further comprising:

7. The heel unit is slidable along the wedge-shaped part.

7. A wedge-shaped part according to claim 5 or 6.

8. The heel unit is provided with a spring-loaded catch for securing the heel of the ski boot within the heel unit.

8. A wedge-shaped part according to any one of claims 5 to 7.

9. The upper surface is provided with grooves and / or friction strips to help hold the ski boot on the wedge-shaped part.

9. A wedge-shaped part according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The wedge-shaped part is angled so that the rear boot does not hit the snow when the ski is used on a typical ski slope where the ski can be tilted about 45 degrees from the horizontal.

10. A wedge-shaped part according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. A wedge-shaped part according to any one of claims 1 to 10; means for attaching said wedge-shaped part to said ski; A kit comprising:

12. said means for attaching a plate attached to the ski; a binding removably attached to said plate for receiving said wedge-shaped component; have The kit of claim 11 .

13. The binding can be removed from the plate without the need for tools The kit of claim 12.

14. Skis included 14. The kit according to any one of claims 11 to 13.

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