Toe-piece of a ski binding

Abstract

A toe-piece of a ski binding has a base fixable to a ski, a first jaw, a second jaw, a first pin on the first jaw for inserting in a first lateral hole a ski boot tip, and a second pin on the second jaw for inserting in a second lateral hole opposite the first lateral hole in the ski boot tip. The toe-piece also has a first guide and a second guide on the base, each with a portion extending away from a longitudinal axis of the ski and another second portion extending towards the front of the ski. Two sliding elements on the first jaw engage slidably along the first guide and two sliding elements on the second jaw engage slidably along the second guide.

1 . A toe-piece of a ski binding, comprising:
 a base which is fixable to a ski;   a first jaw;   a second jaw;   a first pin for inserting in a first lateral hole fashioned in the tip of a ski boot, which first pin is borne by the first jaw;   a second pin for inserting in a second lateral hole opposite the first lateral hole fashioned in the tip of the ski boot, which second pin is borne by the second jaw;   a first guide which is borne by the base, which has a first portion which extends away from the longitudinal axis of the ski, when the base is fixed to the ski, and which has a second portion, following the first portion, which extends towards the front part of the ski, when the base is fixed to the ski;   a second guide which is borne by the base, which has a third portion which extends away from the longitudinal axis of the ski, when the base is fixed to the ski, and which has a fourth portion, following the third portion, which extends towards the front part of the ski, when the base is fixed to the ski;   a first couple of sliding elements which is borne by the first jaw and which is formed by a first sliding element and a second sliding element, which first sliding element and second sliding element slidably engage, one following the other, along the first guide;   a second couple of sliding elements which is borne by the second jaw and which is formed by a third sliding element and a fourth sliding element, which third sliding element and fourth sliding element slidably engage, one following the other, along the second guide;   wherein the toe-piece of the ski binding is configured so as to assume:   a first hooked configuration of the ski boot, for hooking the tip of a ski boot, wherein the first pin and the second pin are located away from one another by a first distance, wherein the first sliding element and the second sliding element are located in the first portion of the first guide, wherein the third sliding element and the fourth sliding element are located in the third portion of the second guide;   a first unhooked configuration of the ski boot, for unhooking the tip of a ski boot, which first unhooked configuration of the ski boot is obtained starting from the first hooked configuration of the ski boot after the first couple of sliding elements has carried out a first run along the first guide and the second couple of sliding elements has carried out a second run along the second guide, so that the first pin and the second pin reach a second distance that is greater than the first distance;   a second unhooked configuration of the ski boot, for unhooking the tip of a ski boot, which second unhooked configuration of the ski boot is obtained starting from the first hooked configuration of the ski boot after the at least one from between the first couple of sliding elements and the second couple of sliding elements has carried out a third run and/or a fourth run, longer than the first run and second run, respectively along the first guide and/or the second guide, wherein at least one from between the first sliding element and the second sliding element of the first couple of sliding elements is arranged in the second portion of the first guide and/or wherein at least one from between the third sliding element and the fourth sliding element of the second couple of sliding elements is arranged in the fourth portion of the second guide, so that the first pin and the second pin reach a third distance and so that the first pin and/or the second pin is/are orientated obliquely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the ski, when the base is fixed to the ski, so that the tip of the ski boot can move away transversally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the ski, when the base is fixed to the ski.   
     
     
         2 . The toe-piece of a ski binding of  claim 1 , further comprising stabilizing means which are configured so as to maintain the toe-piece of the ski binding in the first hooked configuration of the ski boot when the toe-piece of the ski binding is in the first hooked configuration of the ski boot;
 the toe-piece of the ski binding being configured in such a way that starting from the first hooked configuration of the ski boot, when a first transversal force directed outwardly, which exceeds a first threshold value, acts on the first jaw then the first couple of sliding elements performs the third run along the first guide and at least one from between the first sliding element and the second sliding element of the first couple of sliding elements is arranged in the second portion of the first guide, so that the toe-piece of the ski binding reaches the second unhooked configuration of the ski boot;   the toe-piece of the ski binding being configured in such a way that starting from the first hooked configuration of the ski boot, when a second transversal force directed outwardly, which exceeds a second threshold value, acts on the second jaw, then the second couple of sliding elements carries out the fourth run along the second guide and wherein at least one from between the third sliding element and the fourth sliding element of the second couple of sliding elements is arranged in the fourth portion of the second guide, so that the toe-piece of the ski binding reaches the second unhooked configuration of the ski boot.   
     
     
         3 . The toe-piece of a ski binding of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the stabilizing means are designed so as to press against the first jaw and against the second jaw at least when the toe-piece of the ski binding is in the first hooked configuration of the ski boot, so that the first jaw assumes a first stable balanced position along the first guide or tends to reach the first stable balanced position after the first transversal force and directed outwardly, smaller than the first threshold value, has urged the first jaw, so that the second jaw assumes a second stable balanced position along the second guide or tends to reach the second stable balanced position after the second transversal force and directed outwardly, smaller than the second threshold value, has urged the second jaw.   
     
     
         4 . The toe-piece of a ski binding of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a first abutting element which is borne by the first jaw; and   a second abutting element which is borne by the second jaw;   the stabilizing means comprising a pusher member so as to press against the first jaw and against the second jaw, which pusher member acts along the longitudinal axis of the ski, when the base is fixed to the ski, and comprises a first seating conformed to receive the first abutting element at least when the toe-piece of the ski binding is in the first hooked configuration of the ski boot, so that the first jaw can assume the first stable balanced position, and a second seating having a shape conformed such as to receive the second abutting element at least when the toe-piece of the ski binding is in the first hooked configuration of the ski boot, so that the second jaw can assume the second stable balanced position.   
     
     
         5 . The toe-piece of a ski binding of  claim 4 , wherein the pusher member comprises:
 a first wall which is adjacent to the first seating, which is more external with respect to the first seating, which is facing outwards and which is inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of the ski, when the base is fixed to the ski, to push the first abutting element and thus draw the first jaw along the third run of the first guide, guaranteeing the reaching of the second unhooked configuration of the ski boot, after a first transversal force and directed outwardly, which exceeds the first threshold value, has urged the first jaw; and   a second wall which is adjacent to the second seating, which is more external with respect to the second seating, which is facing outwards and which is inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of the ski, when the base is fixed to the ski, to push the second abutting element and thus draw the second jaw along the fourth run, guaranteeing the reaching of the second unhooked configuration of the ski boot, after a second transversal force and directed outwardly, which exceeds the second threshold value, has urged the second jaw.   
     
     
         6 . The toe-piece of a ski binding of  claim 5 , wherein the first sliding element is arranged closer to the longitudinal axis of the ski, when the base is fixed to the ski, with respect to the second sliding element, and wherein the third sliding element is arranged closer to the longitudinal axis of the ski, when the base is fixed to the ski, with respect to the fourth sliding element. 
     
     
         7 . The toe-piece of a ski binding of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the first jaw is provided with a first recess for accommodating a first portion of the pusher member which comprises at least the first wall;   the first recess and the second sliding element are arranged at different heights to one another, in order to prevent the second sliding element from obstructing the pusher member;   the second jaw is provided with a second recess for accommodating a second portion of the pusher member which comprises at least the second wall; and   the second recess and the fourth sliding element are arranged at different heights to one another, in order to prevent the fourth sliding element from obstructing the pusher member.   
     
     
         8 . The toe-piece of a ski binding of  claim 4 , wherein the first sliding element comprises the, or is identifiable as the, first abutting element and wherein the third sliding element comprises the, or is identifiable as the, second abutting element. 
     
     
         9 . The toe-piece of a ski binding of  claim 4 , wherein the stabilizing means further comprise elastic means which are interposed between the base and the pusher member to push the pusher member along the longitudinal axis of the ski, when the base is fixed to the ski. 
     
     
         10 . The toe-piece of a ski binding of  claim 4 , comprising activating means which are designed to act on the first jaw and on the second jaw at least so as to induce the toe-piece of the ski binding to pass from the first hooked configuration of the ski boot to the first unhooked configuration of the ski boot and vice versa. 
     
     
         11 . The toe-piece of a ski binding of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a third abutting element which is borne by the first jaw;   a fourth abutting element which is borne by the second jaw;   the activating means comprising a cursor which is mobile along the longitudinal axis of the ski, when the base is fixed to the ski, at least between a first position and a second position, and which comprises a first contact profile for contacting the third abutting element and a second contact profile for contacting the fourth abutting element;   the conformation and availability of the first contact profile of the cursor, of the pusher member and of the third abutting element and the conformation and availability of the second contact profile of the cursor, of the pusher member and of the fourth abutting element being such that the movement of the cursor from the first position to the second position enables the toe-piece of the ski binding to pass respectively from the first unhooked configuration of the ski boot to the first hooked configuration of the ski boot, and the movement of the cursor from the second position to the first position induces the passage of the toe-piece for the ski binding from the first hooked configuration of the ski boot to the first unhooked configuration of the ski boot.   
     
     
         12 . The toe-piece of a ski binding of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the cursor is mobile so as also to reach a third position;   the first contact profile and the second contact profile are conformed in such a way that when the cursor reaches the third position, the first contact profile blocks the movement of the third abutting element, and thus of the first jaw along the first guide, and the second contact profile blocks the movement of the fourth abutting element, and thus of the second jaw along the second guide;   the toe-piece of the ski binding is configured so as to assume a second hooked configuration of the ski boot, for hooking the tip of a ski boot, wherein the first pin and the second pin are located away from one another by the first distance, which second hooked configuration of the ski boot is obtained starting from the first hooked configuration of the ski boot by moving the cursor from the second position to the third position.   
     
     
         13 . The toe-piece of a ski binding of  claim 11 , wherein the first sliding element comprises, or is identifiable as, the third abutting element and wherein the third sliding element comprises, or is identifiable as, the fourth abutting element. 
     
     
         14 . The toe-piece of a ski binding of  claim 10 , wherein the activating means comprise a manual lever which is connected to the cursor in order to move the cursor at least from the first position to the second position, and a button which is connected to the cursor in order to move the cursor from the first position to the second position and which is arranged so as to be pressed by the ski boot. 
     
     
         15 . The toe-piece of a ski binding of  claim 1 , wherein the first guide is a curved guide and the second guide is a curved guide.