Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1074357
This invention relates to an item of sports equipment for
practising cross-country skiing, with a footboard, to which a
cross-country ski binding is attached, which moves forward along
the ground.
To permit summer training for cross-country skiing, a
variety of items of sports and training equipment has been
developed. These ski-scooters consist basically of a footboard
with front and rear wheel assemblies having either one or two
wheels. The cross-country ski binding for strapping to a ski
boot is attached firmly to each footboard. Ski sticks are also
generally used. Although known cross-country ski bindings allow
the foot to bend and the heel to be raised, thus permitting long
strides, a natural and free skiing movement still cannot be achieved
because the lower part of the leg, for instance, cannot be freely
swung up to the rear; this is because, firstly, a scooter is
difficult to lift up and, secondly, a raised scooter easily goes
off course. When this happens, the skiing rhythm is disturbed
and the risk of falling is increased. To overcome these shortcom-
ings, there is already known a relatively short four-wheel scooter
equipped with an extra guiding mechanism pointing to the front.
However, an additional mechanism of this kind makes the equipment
complicated and increases the cost. Consequently, only skilled
and fit skiers learn to handle those scooters developed up to now.
Ihe object of this invention is therefore to provide a
cross-country skiing device permitting improved mobility for the
skier but without affecting contact of the device with the
ground.
To solve this problem, the item of sports equipment, of the
kind described above, is characterised in accordance with the
invention in that its binding can be raised from the footboard by
means of a thrust element transmitting the necessary thrust and
- 2 -
1074357
which is movable about a point of attachment located some distance
in front of this binding.
A binding which can be raised from the device allows the
skier to swing each leg upwards in turn, thereby executing a
natural skiing movement, without the equipment itself having to
lift and lose contact with the ground.
In a particularly simple embodiment, the binding is attached
to a rigid pivoting arm in the shape of, for instance, a bar or
strip section which can be swung up about an axis mounted on or in
the footboard~ or about an articulated hinge. This pivoting arm
can be fitted with lateral guide flanges to enable the binding,
when it descends onto the footboard, always to be brought back
into the correct running position.
In another advantageous embodiment, the thrust element is
made of a flat spring rigidly attached at one end to the front of
the footboard, while the other end, with the binding, can be
swung upwards by virtue of its flexible nature.
The connection between the thrust element and the cheeks of
the binding may be effected by riveting, welding or the like.
In a practical construction, the cheek is in one piece with the
thrust element, which is particularly advantageous if plastics is
used in the manufacture.
To ensure gentle and silent setting down of the cheek of
the binding whilst skiing, padded inserts are useful. Front
arching of the thrust element can similarly be helpful.
Further details and features of the invention will be
apparent from the following description of the embodiments shown
in the drawing, wherein:-
Fig. 1 is a side view of a ski scooter, with
pivoting arm binding in the horizontal
position;
10743S7
Fig. 2 is a side view of the same ski scooter
but with the binding in the raised
position;
Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line III-III
in Fig. 1, and
Fig. 4 is a side view of a ski scooter with a
flat spring binding in the raised position.
The ski scooter shown consists of a footboard 1 with a
normal cross-country ski binding 2, a front wheel assembly 3
consisting for example of one running wheel, and a rear assembly
4 with ~win wheels. The wheels can be covered by mudguards 5
and 6. At least one of the two wheel assemblies is fitted with
a back stop (not shown). The scooter is further equipped with a
hinged bracket 8 for the ski sticks for operating a front or rear
brake, of which no further details are shown.
In contrast to the known rigid attachment of a binding cheek
10 to the footboard 1, in the version according to Figures 1 and 2,
the binding cheek 10 is secured to a pivoting arm 12 in the form of
a section of strip. The front end 13 is supported by a rotating
axle 15 on or in the footboard 1, and can swing upwards~ In
place of the rotating axle 15, an articulated hinge could be used.
The pivoting arm 12 has side flanges 16 (Fig. 3) which guide the
strip so that when the strip is moved up and down they always
bring the binding back into the correct starting position. The
side flanges of such a pivoted arm, which is mainly of U-section,
can at the same time be used to form the bearing of the rotating
axle. Its surface serves as a support for the binding 2.
The ability to raise the binding 2, as shown in Fig. 2,
makes long strides possible, because the lower part of the running
leg 20 can be raised backwards with no real impediment, thus
achieving a natural flow of movement. On the other hand, the
1074357
scooter loses neither contact with the ground nor its course.
As in cross-country skiing, diagonal and swing steps can be
achieved in the correct skiing rhythm.
The pivoting arm 12 serves as a thrust element for trans-
mitting from the skier's leg to the footboard the necessary thrust
for the forward movement of the scooter. The thrust element must
therefore possess sufficient rigidity. Such rigidity can be found
in a flexible pivoting element in the form of a flat spring 22, as
shown in Fig. 4. This f at spring requires no specific pivot and
can therefore be fixed to the footboard at 29 without a rotating
axis. A flat spring lmm thick and 20 to 35 cm long, for example,
provides the necessary flexure in this case to raise the foot as
well. The flat spring can also be fitted with lateral extensions
26 projecting downwards. However, in order not to impair flexi-
bility, these will only be at a few spaced points.
By virtue of the thrust element which characterises the
invention, the safety of the skier is not impared; on the contrary,
due to the increased mobility of the binding, the risk of injury
from falls is greatly reduced.
If it is desired, for specific reasons, to prevent the bind-
ing from swinging upwards, this can be achieved by a simple catch
or locking device. For instance, a hole can be drilled in the side
flanges and in the footboard in which a locking pin (not shown)
can be inserted. The same result can be achieved if the footboard
and the laterally overlapping cheek of the binding have eyelets
into which a locking pin can be inserted.
To soften the impact shock when the binding swings back down
onto the footboard, a shock and noise absorbing material such as
rubber, felt, foam or a similar substance is provided on the foot-
board and/or on the underside of the binding or of the pivoting
unit. A gentler setting down of the binding will also be achieved
1074357
if the thrust element is arched upwards towards the binding (as
shown by a broken line in Fig. 4) so that the binding, when not
under load, is slightly raised from the footboard in the starting
posltion. This can be particularly well achieved with a flexible
thrust element.
Finally, to prevent the thrust element, with the binding,
from tipping over forwards when making long strides, a suitable
catch should preferably be provided for limiting the pivoting
movement. A uitable stop can be fitted, for example, at the
fulcrum of the pivoting arm.
As the footboard is usually relatively narrow in comparison
with the cheek of the binding, shock absorbers mounted laterally
on the footboard, apart from serving to absorb noise and shock,
also increase the area of support for the binding.
The invention is not limited to the embodiments described.
For example, the pivoting arm can be made from a rod or even from
a single sectional bar, instead of from a sectional strip. A
further imporvement in foot mobility can be achieved in certain
circumstances by means of an articulated link between the cheek
of the binding and the thrust element.
A useful construction is also achieved if the thrust element
is formed in the shape, for example, of a pivoting strip extension
to the cheek of the binding. This type of constructikn is
particularly easily achieved if made of plastics. In this case
also the thrust element can be arched upwards. As there are
limits to the extent to which a plastics pivoting strip can be
flexed, the front fulcrum consists of a hinge or a rotating axis.
The length of the thrust element should preferably be between 20
and 30 _ .
- 6 -
