Adjustment and locking device, particularly for ski bindings

Abstract

An adjustment and locking device, particularly for ski bindings, comprising a first front plate and a second rear plate for supporting respectively a toe unit and a heel unit, characterized in that a third plate is interposed between said first and second plates and has means, which can be activated by the user, for temporary locking to a mechanism which is suitable to coordinate the mutually opposite manual axial movement of said first and second plates.

1 . An adjustment and locking device, particularly for ski bindings, comprising a first front plate and a second rear plate for supporting respectively a toe unit and a heel unit, characterized in that a third plate is interposed between said first and second plates and has means, which can be activated by the user, for temporary locking to a mechanism which is suitable to coordinate the mutually opposite manual axial movement of said first and second plates.  
     
     
         2 . The device according to  claim 1 , characterized in that said first and second plates have a transverse cross-section shaped like an inverted C, and are slidingly associable at two underlying and complementarily shaped first and second ends of said third plate.  
     
     
         3 . The device according to  claim 2 , characterized in that two wings are provided for the guided mutual connection of said first and second plates and said first and second ends of said third plate, said wings protruding inward and downward with respect to said first and second plates.  
     
     
         4 . The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said third plate has a central box-shaped body interposed between said first and second ends and that can be closed at the top and bottom by means of an upper covering panel and a lower covering panel.  
     
     
         5 . The device according to  claim 4 , characterized in that said mechanism suitable to coordinate the opposite axial movement of said first and second plates is arranged in a compartment formed between said upper covering panel and said lower covering panel.  
     
     
         6 . The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said mechanism suitable to coordinate the opposite axial movement of said first and second plates comprises an upper pinion and a lower pinion that are superimposed and rigidly associated or monolithic with respect to each other.  
     
     
         7 . The device according to  claim 6 , wherein said upper and lower pinions have a rotating connection with respect to a first pivot which passes through a first hole arranged vertically in said central body, characterized in that a third lower end of said first pivot is connected in a complementarily shaped first seat formed in said central body.  
     
     
         8 . The device according to  claim 6 , wherein said lower pinion is suitable to engage first and second elements for connection to said first and second plates, by virtue of a connection between two respective free ends which are laterally rack-shaped, face each other and interact with the teeth of said lower pinion, characterized in that said lower pinion is smaller than said upper pinion.  
     
     
         9 . The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said temporary locking means which can be activated by the user is constituted by a first pawl and a second pawl that are rotatably associated with said central body proximate to said upper pinion.  
     
     
         10 . The device according to  claim 9 , characterized in that said first and second pawls interact, with a combined vise-like movement, with said upper pinion.  
     
     
         11 . The device according to  claim 10 , characterized in that said first and second pawls have a flat shape which is symmetrical with respect to a vertical plane which is arranged longitudinally.  
     
     
         12 . The device according to  claim 11 , characterized in that said first and second pawls are advantageously approximately triangular or teardrop-shaped or cam-shaped.  
     
     
         13 . The device according to  claim 9 , characterized in that said first and second pawls are rotatably associated with said central body by virtue of a second pivot and a third pivot, that are arranged vertically and pass respectively through second and third holes formed approximately centrally in said first and second pawls.  
     
     
         14 . The device according to claims  10  and  13 , characterized in that said first and second pawls are arranged on a horizontal plane, in a mutually mirror-symmetrical position, and can rotate in opposite directions about said second and third pivots.  
     
     
         15 . The device according to  claim 14 , characterized in that the mutual rotation of said first and second pawls is coordinated by the presence of one or more teeth, which protrude radially from each one of said first and second pawls and are arranged side by side in the locking condition.  
     
     
         16 . The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said teeth, by interacting with each other, coordinate and render symmetrical, with respect to a vertical longitudinal plane, the rotary motion imparted to one of said first and second pawls.  
     
     
         17 . The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said third pivot is cylindrical and is shaped complementarily to said third circular hole so as to allow said second pawl to rotate about said third pivot.  
     
     
         18 . The device according to  claim 17 , characterized in that a fourth lower end of said third pivot can be accommodated in a complementarily shaped second seat formed in said central body.  
     
     
         19 . The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that a fifth lower end of said second pivot is cylindrical so that it is rotatably associable in a complementarily shaped third seat formed in said central body.  
     
     
         20 . The device according to  claim 19 , characterized in that above said fifth end said second pivot has a prism-shaped region which is suitable to provide a nonrotating connection to said second hole of said first pawl, said second hole being shaped complementarily.  
     
     
         21 . The device according to  claim 20 , characterized in that a sixth upper end of said second pivot is prism-shaped, so that it can engage in a nonrotating manner in a complementarily shaped fourth seat formed in the lower surface of a lever arranged in an upward region.  
     
     
         22 . The device according to  claim 21 , characterized in that said lever can be accommodated in an opening formed in said upper covering panel, the shape of said opening being suitable, when said adjustment and locking device is assembled, to prevent direct disconnection of said lever from said second pivot.  
     
     
         23 . The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that a tab protrudes laterally from said lever and allows the user to turn said lever, accordingly forcing a rotation of said second pivot and therefore also of said first pawl by means of said nonrotating connection in said prism-shaped region.  
     
     
         24 . The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said one or more teeth that protrude radially from said first and second pawls force said second pawl to perform a rotation which is identical and opposite with respect to the rotation of said first pawl.  
     
     
         25 . The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has, between said first and second pawls, an elastically deformable element, which is preloaded and is suitable to coordinate the action of said first and second pawls.  
     
     
         26 . The device according to  claim 25 , characterized in that said elastically deformable element is constituted by a wire spring which is associated, at its free ends, with a fourth hole and a fifth hole which are shaped complementarily and are respectively formed in said first and second pawls proximate to said second and third holes.  
     
     
         27 . The device according to  claim 26 , characterized in that a rotation of said first and second pawls away from said upper pinion applies an additional load to said elastically deformable element, which is already preloaded.  
     
     
         28 . The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that a first set of teeth and a second set of teeth protrude laterally from said first and second pawls, that are arranged proximate to said upper pinion.  
     
     
         29 . The device according to  claim 27 , characterized in that said first and second sets of teeth, that protrude proximate to a free end of said first and second pawls, are shaped complementarily to the teeth of said upper pinion, so as to be able to interact radially therewith, locking said adjustment device.  
     
     
         30 . The device according to  claim 28 , characterized in that the locking force of said first and second sets of teeth on said upper pinion is constituted by the elastic force produced by the preloading of said elastically deformable element.  
     
     
         31 . The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said locking device, constituted by said first and second pawls, is opened by acting on said lever in contrast with said elastically deformable element, inducing a rotation of said first and second pawls that is suitable to disengage said first and second sets of teeth from said upper pinion.  
     
     
         32 . The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has a first abutment surface and a second abutment surface suitable to delimit the stroke of said first and second plates along said first and second ends of said third plate.  
     
     
         33 . The device according to  claim 32 , characterized in that said first and second abutment surfaces are obtained by tapering said first and second ends with respect to said central body of said third plate.  
     
     
         34 . The device according to  claim 32 , characterized in that said first and second abutment surfaces are formed at the free ends of said upper covering panel.