Releasable safety ski binding having a self-restoring capability

摘要

A releasable, safety-type ski binding which holds a ski boot in normal skiing relationship on a ski and permits the boot to separate from a ski under the influence of abnormal forces in order to prevent injury, while remaining leashed thereto, and self-restores the boot and ski to skiing relationship once such forces abate. The binding includes a soleplate detachably connected to the ski boot and operatively coupled to the ski by heel and toe connecting units carried by the soleplate and an associated pair of mounting elements secured to the ski. Each connecting unit has an elongated, flexible leash secured at one end to its associated mounting element and arranged for extension and retraction to serve as the force-applying link between the boot and ski, and a spring acting to apply tension to the leash to yieldably resist extension, and, to retract it and draw the boot and ski into, and hold them in, such skiing relationship. The tension force is high when the leash is retracted and progressively reduces during initial extension thereof, yet remains sufficiently high at all times to retract the leash in the absence of abnormal forces applied to the boot or ski.