DE29803460U1 - Connection device between a coupling device for holding a shoe and a sports device - Google Patents

Description

A374/97

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ATOMIC Austria GmbH

Lackengasse A-5541Altenmarkt im Pongau

Connecting device between a coupling device for holding a shoe and a sports equipment

The invention relates to a connecting device for a support and/or guide device, as described in the preamble of claim 1.

Various connecting devices for supporting and/or guiding devices for receiving a coupling device for holding a shoe at a distance from the ends of a piece of sports equipment, in particular a ski, are already known.

Thus, a support and/or guide device formed by a support element according to DE 37 12 807 A1 comprises a bearing device which is arranged approximately centrally between the front sides of the support element which are spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal direction and is fastened in the assembly area of the ski. The support element has two legs which extend from the bearing device in opposite directions and are arranged at a distance above a surface of the ski. In a free space between

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A covering element and/or a support device can be arranged between the surface of the ski and a support surface of the legs facing it. The support device, which can also be arranged so that it can be replaced, can be designed as a vibration damping device. With such a connecting device, the skis can be freely deformed and any desired damping of the movements of the skis relative to the support element is possible. However, the transmission of the dynamic control movements desired by the user of such a piece of sports equipment is not satisfactory in all operating conditions.

An embodiment is also known - according to DE 195 17 417 A1 - in which bellows filled with a fluid are provided as vibration damping devices in the free space between the protruding legs and the surface of the ski. Although this allows the damping properties to be easily adapted to different needs, the transfer of the control movements from the user of such a sports device to the sports device is still not satisfactory.

The use of support elements supported in their end areas by joint arrangements on the sports equipment or support and/or guide devices for coupling devices of shoes - according to DE 21 35 550 A - cannot eliminate these disadvantages any more than if, for example, bellows filled with fluid for vibration damping - as according to DE 37 12 807 A1 - or mechanical vibration damping devices - as according to EP 0 230 989 B1 - are arranged between these joint arrangements.

The present invention is based on the object of creating a connecting device which enables an exact transmission of a wide variety of control movements of the user of such a sports device to the sports device, regardless of the respective deformation states of the ski.

This object of the invention is achieved by the features in claim 1. The advantage of this embodiment is that the arrangement of the connecting device between the support and/or guide device that holds the user's shoe and the sports equipment does not adversely affect the deformation properties of the sports equipment, in particular a ski or snowboard. In addition, however, the joint arrangement in this area in conjunction with the lateral and/or vertical guide device in at least one of the

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Front areas of the support and/or guide device mean that this and therefore also the user assumes a relative position to the top of the sports equipment that adapts to the different deformations in the front or rear ski area, whereby the control movements can be distributed to the individual end areas of the sports equipment depending on these ski deformations. This can, for example, further increase the acceleration effects at the end of a turn. However, it is also possible to guide the ski more precisely when cornering or when running straight ahead with strong vibration loads. In addition, despite the anchoring of the coupling device or the support and/or guide device in the middle or mounting area of a sports equipment, the force is introduced between the center of the sports equipment or the mounting point and the front or rear end of the sports equipment via the joint arrangement, which enables good guidance and optimal power transfer from the sports equipment to the ground.

An embodiment according to claim 2 is advantageous because it always allows a parallel alignment of the support and/or guide device to the mounting area or to the mounting plane on the sports equipment.

Due to the embodiment variant according to claim 3, when a force is applied to the sports equipment, an additional tension load or a curvature force is exerted on the sports equipment, which can advantageously support the control movement.

However, an embodiment according to claim 4 is also advantageous, since it enables any inclination position of the support and/or guide device relative to the mounting surface of the base part in the area of the connecting device to be achieved and thus, depending on the state of deformation in the individual areas of the sports equipment, a balanced position of the support and/or guide device can be achieved, which enables the control forces to be evenly distributed over the length of the sports equipment.

In a further development according to claim 5, an improved, torsion-proof mounting of the support and/or guide device relative to the sports equipment is advantageously achieved and thus higher rotational forces can also be absorbed about axes running perpendicular to the receiving surface of the support and/or guide device.

By a further embodiment according to claim 6, the sports equipment

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The pre-tension forces introduced during control movements can be set universally or a dynamic transition with corresponding smoothing of the force peaks when the force is introduced into the sports equipment can be achieved.

By means of a design according to claim 7, vibrations occurring between the individual fastening points of the base part can be dampened or their transmission into the support and/or guide device can be prevented.

The position of the carrying and/or guiding device relative to the sports equipment, in particular the position of the user backwards or forwards, can be easily changed by the design according to claim 8.

A very good adaptation to different operating conditions and different driving skills or to different movement limits is made possible by the advantageous embodiment according to claim 9.

An additional dynamic limitation of the relative movements of the support and/or guide device with respect to the sports equipment is made possible by the configuration according to claim 10.
20"

A different damping of the movements of the lever arms and/or the longitudinal control arms is achieved by the advantageous development according to claim 11.

However, a further development according to claim 12 or 13 is also advantageous, since it allows the adaptation of the position of the support and/or guide device to different deformation conditions of the sports equipment to be preset or programmed.

An advantageous damping of the relative movements between the support and/or guide device and the base part is achieved by the optional design of the damping devices according to claims 14 and/or 15.

Advantageous damping or end position damping which limits the spring travel and prevents a sudden limitation of the movement can be achieved by the further development according to claim 16 and/or 17.
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An advantageous displacement of the support and/or guide plate parts or the coupling parts depending on the deformation movement of the respective support

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and/or guide plate part or the ski half facing the respective coupling part is achieved by the advantageous development according to claim 18 or 19.

The further embodiment according to claim 20 allows the rest position or fixed position of the coupling device to be set in a universal manner, tailored to the driving behavior of a user of such a sports device, depending on the respective support and/or guide device part to which the coupling device is fixedly attached. This means that, for example, in technical competitions, in particular in a slalom race, by fixing the coupling device to the support and/or guide device part closer to the ski, higher acceleration effects can be achieved when force is applied or the rear ski is deformed.

Even in the case of a multi-part support and/or guide device, the development according to claim 21 allows a rough alignment of the same to be adapted to the totality of the deformations of the sports equipment.

Universal spatial position changes of the ski parts are achieved by the design according to claim 22.

By designing the support and/or guide device according to claim 23, it is also possible to fasten the base part in the area of the front ends of the support and/or guide device without disturbing the free deformability of the sports equipment.

A further advantageous embodiment according to claim 24 is that it smooths out or dampens the impacts on the user of the sports equipment and thus minimizes health impairments of the human joints or supporting structures.

The advantageous design according to claim 25 achieves a targeted, rigid force coupling between the user and the sports equipment during certain control movements and enables good transmission to the individual areas of the sports equipment.

An advantageous design according to claim 26 is possible because it provides a highly stable and yet simple lateral guidance of the support and/or guide element.

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tes towards the sports equipment.

However, a design according to claim 27 is also advantageous, since the bearing bodies are thereby reliably protected in a simple manner, especially against mechanical damage, without additional measures.

The advantageous design according to claim 28 ensures that the damping properties are always available and can be used again and again.

An advantageous further development is described in claim 29, because it allows the damping characteristics of the bearing bodies or the sports equipment to be adapted to the individual needs of the athlete.

A design according to claim 30 is also possible, since this allows the most suitable pressure medium to be selected depending on the desired damping properties.

A design according to claim 31 is also advantageous because it allows different vibration damping values to be assigned to the front and rear sections of the sports equipment in relation to the direction of travel.

According to the advantageous development according to claim 32, the tendency of the sports equipment to vibrate is reduced due to the damping property acting at several positions.
25

An advantageous embodiment is described in claim 33, since this enables a high pressure medium tightness and pressure resistance of the bearing bodies to be achieved.

Furthermore, the design according to claim 34 is advantageous because pressure medium losses in one bearing body cannot have any effect on the pressure conditions of the other bearing bodies.

Due to the advantageous design according to claim 35, the damping behavior of the bearing bodies automatically adapts to the existing conditions. 35

An embodiment according to claim 36 is also advantageous, since the response behavior or the dynamics of the bearing bodies can be easily varied.

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The embodiment according to claim 37 offers further advantages, since the damping effect is different in different areas of the sports equipment.

In the further development according to claim 38, it is advantageous that a more direct introduction of force is possible in the rear area of the sports equipment related to the direction of travel of the sports equipment, or a comparatively more dynamic transmission of force is possible.

A further development according to claim 39 is also advantageous, since the pressure conditions in the bearing bodies can thus be maintained over a longer period of time.

An embodiment according to claim 40 is also advantageous, since the entirety or at least part of the lateral displacement forces can thus be absorbed by the bearing bodies.

Furthermore, the embodiment according to claim 41 is advantageous because it allows high edge pressure forces to be transferred to the sports equipment and counteracts undesirable tilting movements of the support and/or guide element. 20

A further advantageous design of the bearing bodies is characterized in claim 42.

According to the advantageous development according to claim 43, the characteristic curve with respect to the damping behavior of the connecting device can be changed in a simple manner.

The advantage of the embodiment according to claim 44 is that the operating elements are easily accessible and can be operated comfortably. 30

However, the design according to claim 45 is also possible, since this creates a compact assembly which enhances the overall visual impression and allows for a wide range of design variations.

The invention also includes a sports device as described in the preamble of claim 46.

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This sports device is characterized by the features in the characterizing part of claim 46. It is advantageous that the driving performance achievable with the sports device is increased and the driving characteristics of the same can be adapted to the most diverse needs.
5

A design according to claim 47 is advantageous because the overall height of the sports equipment can be kept relatively low and the lateral stability of the coupling device on the sports equipment is increased without additional measures.

Furthermore, the embodiment according to claim 48 or 49 is advantageous because the bearing bodies are at least partially embedded in the sports equipment and thus the overall height of the sports equipment is not significantly increased and, in addition, the positional stability of the bearing bodies is increased.

Furthermore, an embodiment variant according to claim 50 is possible, since this achieves an automatic alignment or centering of the connecting device transverse to the longitudinal direction of the groove-shaped recess, which considerably facilitates the assembly process.

A design according to claim 51 is also advantageous, as this ensures that the forces acting on the base part do not cause damage to the sports equipment.

Finally, an embodiment according to claim 52 is also advantageous because the pressure build-up on the two long side edges of the sports equipment caused by the user can be adjusted differently and thus the two long side edges of the sports equipment can optionally have different dynamics or a different edge grip.

For a better understanding of the invention, it is explained in more detail below with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings.

Show it:

Fig. 1 shows a side view of a piece of sports equipment with a support and/or guide device attached to it via the connecting device according to the invention;

Fig. 2 shows the connecting device according to Fig. 1 on a larger scale and in a simplified, schematic representation, in side view and partially in section;

Fig. 3 shows the connecting device according to the invention in front view, sectioned along the lines III - III in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 the connecting device according to the invention in front view, cut

according to lines IV - IV in Fig. 2;
10

Fig. 5 shows the connecting device according to Figs. 2 to 4 with the ski loaded and bent in the direction of the running surface in a side view;

Fig. 6 shows another embodiment of the connecting device according to the invention in side view and simplified, schematic representation;

Fig. 7 the connecting device on a sports equipment in front view, sectioned along the lines VII - VII in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 the sports equipment with another connecting device according to the invention in side view;

Fig. 9 the sports equipment with a variant of the connecting device according to Fig. 8 in front view, sectioned along the lines IX - IX in Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 the sports equipment with the connecting device in front view, sectioned along the lines X - X in Fig. 8;

Fig. 11 another embodiment of the connecting device, in particular the vertical guide element, in side view and simplified schematic representation;

Fig. 12 the connecting device in front view, sectioned along the lines XII-XII in Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 shows another embodiment of the connecting device with a

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Vertical guide element formed by a knee lever in side view and simplified, schematic representation;

Fig. 14 the connecting device in front view, sectioned along the lines XIV - XIV in Fig. 13;

Fig. 15 shows another embodiment of the vertical guide element of the connecting device according to the invention in a side view;

Fig. 16 the connecting device in front view, sectioned along the lines XVI - XVI in Fig. 15;

Fig. 17 another embodiment of the connecting device with a split support and/or guide device in side view; 15

Fig. 18 the connecting device in front view, sectioned along the lines XVIII - XVIII in Fig. 17;

Fig. 19 the connecting device in front view in an area spaced from the vertical guide element, sectioned along the lines XIX - XIX in Fig. 17;

Fig. 20 shows an embodiment of the connecting device according to the invention with a coupling device for the shoe held centrally to the mounting point in a side view and a highly simplified, schematic representation;

Fig. 21 the connecting device in front view, sectioned along the lines XXI - XXI in Fig. 20;

Fig. 22 shows another embodiment of the connecting device with a split support and/or guide device in side view;

Fig. 23 the connecting device according to Fig. 22, but without the coupling device and the shoe, in plan view;
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Fig. 24 shows another embodiment of the connecting device for holding a shoe on a sports device, in particular on a cross-country ski or a

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a touring ski, in side view and simplified, schematic representation;

Fig. 25 the connecting device according to Fig. 24 with the shoe in the raised position;

Fig. 26 shows another embodiment of the connecting device for holding a shoe on a sports device, in particular on a snowboard, viewed approximately transversely to the longitudinal extension of the sports device; 10

Fig. 27 the connecting device in side view, sectioned along the lines XXVII - XXVII in Fig. 26.

To begin with, it should be noted that in the different embodiments described, the same parts are provided with the same reference symbols or with the same component designations, whereby the disclosures contained in the entire description can be transferred analogously to the same parts with the same reference symbols or the same component designations. Furthermore, individual features from the different embodiments shown can also represent independent, inventive solutions.

In Figs. 1 to 5 a sports device 1, in particular a ski, is shown.

A support and/or guide device 3 is attached to the sports equipment 1 via a connecting device 2. This connecting device 2 consists of a vertical guide element 4, with which the support and/or guide device 3 is held at a distance from one end of the ski 5 in a plane running transversely to a longitudinal direction 6.

At the same time, the vertical guide element 4 serves to maintain a distance and guide the support and/or guide device 3 relative to an upper side 7 of the ski 5.

As can be seen better from Fig. 2 to 5, the vertical guide element 4 of the connecting device 2 according to the invention is formed by a telescopic guide arrangement 8. This telescopic guide arrangement 8 is connected via a base part 9 on the top side 7 of the ski 5 to fastening elements 10 that protrude into the interior of the ski 5.

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attached.

The support and/or guide device 3 is formed by a plate-shaped support element 11, for example by a plate, a hollow profile or another spatial profile with a cross-section transverse to the longitudinal direction 6, for example a U-shaped or C-shaped cross-section. The support element 11 can be formed from any material or any combination of materials, such as aluminum and/or steel and/or fiberglass, reinforced plastic or other compound materials with corresponding reinforcing inserts made of ceramic, glass, Kevlar, graphite or the like.

Furthermore, a joint arrangement 12 is arranged between the support and/or guide device 3 and/or the sports equipment 1 and the vertical guide element 4. This joint arrangement 12 has a pivot axis 13 which is aligned parallel to a receiving surface 14 for a coupling device 15 for holding a shoe 16 on the support and/or guide device 3 and runs transversely to the longitudinal direction 6. In simple terms, this means that the support and/or guide device 3 can be brought into different inclinations around the pivot axis 13 running transversely to the longitudinal direction 6 of the ski 5, for example inclined towards the tip of the ski or towards the end of the ski.

In order to enable a transmission of the control forces during driving operation, especially in a direction perpendicular to a running surface 17 of the sports equipment 1, the support and/or guide device 3 is provided with support surfaces 20, 21 between its front ends 18 and 19 or the vertical guide element 4.

Bearing bodies 22, 23 are arranged between these support surfaces 20, 21 and the top side 7 of the ski 5, which - as indicated by a different density of hatching - can have a different hardness, but do not have to, whereby the bearing body 22 facing the tip of the ski offers a lower resistance to deformation to a relative movement between the ski 5 and the support and/or guide device 3 than the bearing body 23 in the rear area of the support and/or guide device 3 and the sports equipment 1 or the ski 5.

With such a design, it is possible, for example, with the ski 5 according to Fig. 1, to apply higher forces to a ski end 24 for acceleration at the end of curves even with small deformation movements, whereas the front end of the ski 5 or a ski shovel 25 moves with less resistance to the load-bearing

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and/or guide device 3 can deform and thus prevent impacts and a gentle pressure build-up in the area of the ski shovel 25 for steering movements can be achieved.

The bearing bodies 22 and 23 can be made of any material, for example of an elastomeric plastic, of rubber, i.e. natural or synthetic latex, or of mixed materials, optionally also with stiffening inserts or the like, in the form of rubber spring elements.

Of course, it is also possible to design these bearing bodies 22, 23 as bellows and to fill them with a pressure medium or a fluid or gel. However, materials that change into a plastic or soft-plastic state when subjected to rolling or vibration stress due to the frictional heat generated between the molecules can also be used as filling materials.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 2 to 5, these bearing bodies 22 and 23 are designed as air cushions, as can be seen in particular from the illustration in Figs. 3 and especially 4. This air cushion is formed, for example, by welding two film parts 26, 27 together, with a weld seam 28 being indicated schematically. The air filling is indicated schematically in Fig. 4 by small bubbles. In addition, it can be seen from the schematic illustration that the bearing body 23 is connected to a supply line 30 for a pressure medium, in the present case, for example air, via a connection piece 29 inserted, for example, in the film part 26.

This supply line 30 for the bearing body 23 and a further supply line 31 for the bearing body 22 can be arranged in a separate underside 32 of the support and/or guide device 3 or its support element 11 facing the sports equipment 1 or ski 5. These can be web lines made of any material, especially plastic, that are glued on or snapped into a recessed groove or the like. It is also possible to provide hollow strips molded onto the support element 11 to form the supply lines 30, 31.

In order to adapt the damping effect of these bearing bodies 22 and 23 to different applications, for example for amateur skiers or racing skiers or for soft or

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In order to be able to adapt to difficult piste conditions, the supply lines 30, 31 are connected to a control valve 33 and a pressure pump 34. Both the control valve 33 and the pressure pump 34 can be designed for manual operation, but also for automatic operation, if necessary via a remote control device on the athlete's body. For this purpose, a corresponding power supply 35 is provided on the sports equipment 1 or on the ski 5, for example a battery, or a plug connection for external low-voltage supply from the athlete's body.

With the control valve 33, each of the bearing bodies 22, 23 can now be connected either selectively, or if necessary, together, to a pressure outlet 36 of the pressure medium pump 34 and by manually operating or driving the pressure medium pump 34 by an electric motor, the pressure medium can be pressed into an interior 37 of the bearing bodies 22, 23, which in this case are airtight. The hardness of the bearing bodies 22, 23 or the air pressure prevailing in the interior 37 of the bearing bodies 22, 23 can be checked manually or by a display on a pressure gauge 38. The control valve 33 can then be used to interrupt the connection between the pressure medium pump 34 and the supply lines 30, 31 and to seal these supply lines in a pressure-tight manner, so that during operation the pressure of the pressure medium in the interior 37 of the bearing bodies 22, 23 from the outside remains unchanged, apart from the pressure changes caused by temperature changes. A third position of the control valve 33 also makes it possible to subsequently or during operation reduce the pressure in the interior 37 of the individual bearing bodies 22, 23 as desired or to increase it by restarting the pressure medium pump 34.

The pressure prevailing in the interior 37 of the bearing bodies 22, 23 can thus be varied in a simple manner. The respective level of pressure can be visualized via a display device, e.g. formed by the pressure gauge 38 when using air as the pressure medium, whereby several bearing bodies 22, 23 can be set exactly to a certain value or uniform pressure conditions of two pieces of sports equipment 1 of the user can be controlled. The pressure prevailing in the interior 37 of the bearing bodies 22, 23 can assume values from 0 bar to over 5 bar, which can be displayed by any pressure display device with any type of display, e.g. with a bar graph display or a digital display.

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Of course, it is also possible to arrange adjustable pressure relief valves with a corresponding scale in the area around the actuator of these pressure relief valves on the pressure side of the pressure medium pump 34 and thus limit the pressure in the bearing bodies 22, 23 to the respective set value or to be able to fill the bearing bodies 22, 23 to the set target pressure. A pressure built up by the pressure medium pump 34 above the set threshold value can then escape to the outside via these pressure relief valves. The noise generated here signals the presence of the desired, preset pressure in the bearing bodies 22, 23, whereby the bearing bodies 22, 23 of both skis 5 of the athlete or the bearing bodies 22, 23 assigned to the athlete's two feet of each support and/or guide device 3 can be set to exactly the same pressure. After the target pressure in the bearing bodies 22, 23 has been reached, the pressure relief valves can be switched off or effectively short-circuited, for example via the control valve 33, in order to avoid a loss of pressure, e.g. due to the compression of the bearing bodies 22, 23 when the sports equipment 1 is in operation.

The pressure medium pump 34 and the control valve 33 are housed in a housing 39, which is arranged in the area of the rear end 19 of the support element 11 on its receiving surface 14, and are connected to the supply lines 30, 31 running below or on the underside 32 of the support element 11.

Of course, it is also possible to arrange the control valves 33 directly in the area of the connection pieces 29 to the individual bearing bodies 22, 23, whereby losses of pressure medium can be additionally avoided.

In order to prevent snow or ice from entering between the support element 11 or its underside 32 and the top side 7 of the sports equipment 1, covering caps 40 with a deformation zone 41 are arranged between the front and rear end 18, 19 of the support element 11, which are designed in such a way that an undisturbed relative movement between the support element 11 and the sports equipment 1 is possible. It is of course also possible for these covering caps 40 to be provided with adjoining longitudinal covering parts that extend along the long side surfaces 42 of the support element 11 in order to prevent snow and ice from entering between the support element 11 and the sports equipment 1 at the side of the support element 11.

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Furthermore, in the present embodiment, a lateral and/or height guide device 43, 44 is arranged on both sides of the vertical guide element 4.

As can be seen better from Fig. 3 and 4, each side and/or height guide device 43, 44 associated with the bearing bodies 22, 23, for example, comprises guide strips 45, 46. The guide strips 46 are arranged in the area of the two long side surfaces 42 of the support element 11 or are formed on the support element 11 and extend from the support element 11 in the direction of the top side 7 of the sports equipment 1. The guide strips 45 attached to the sports equipment 1 and projecting in the direction of the support element 11 rest against the guide strips 46 with as little play as possible, but allow different relative positions between the support element 11 and the sports equipment 1 in a vertical direction to the running surface 17. In a direction running transversely to the longitudinal direction 6 of the ski 5, the guide strips 45, 46, however, bring about a Maintaining the position of the support element 11 relative to the sports equipment 1. This precise lateral guidance enables the user of such a sports equipment 1 to transfer control or rotational forces to the sports equipment 1 without delay.

Irrespective of this, it is of course also possible to transfer the control or rotation forces of the user to the sports equipment 1 with a certain delay and at the same time damping due to the arrangement of the bearing bodies 22, 23 between the support element 11 and the sports equipment 1, depending on a selected tolerance between the associated guide rails 45, 46.

In addition, the immobility of the support element 11 transversely to the longitudinal direction 6 of the sports equipment 1 means that tilting movements of the support element 11 about axes running parallel to the longitudinal direction 6 can be reliably prevented.

The guide strips 46 can, for example, be molded components of the support element 11 or additional components attached to it. The guide strips 45, which are spaced apart from one another approximately the width of the ski, can each be attached independently of one another to the sports equipment 1 or ski 5, or they can also form parts of a common guide profile, for example with a U-shaped cross section.
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Of course, it is also possible to have the guide rails 45 rest directly on the longitudinal side surfaces 42 of the support element 11, in which case

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Guide rails 46 can be omitted.

As the illustrations in Fig. 4 and 5 also show, the guide strips 45, 46 simultaneously form a protective device against damage to the bearing body 22 or 23 and also prevent snow or ice from entering between the support element 11 and the sports equipment 1. The fastening of such a profile, which forms the guide strips 45, can be carried out, for example, by an adhesive layer between the profile and the sports equipment 1 or by corresponding fastening means 10.

As can best be seen in Fig. 3, the telescopic guide arrangement 8 between the sports equipment 1 and the support element 11 is formed by a base part 9 fastened to the sports equipment 1 via the fastening means 10 and an adjustable guide part 47 guided in this. This guide part 47 is adjustably mounted in the manner of a piston in a e.g. cylindrical recess 48 or bore in the base part 9 perpendicular to the top 7 or running surface 17 of the ski 5. In order to be able to variably limit the adjustment path of the support element 11 relative to the sports equipment 1, the following provisions are made on the base part 9 and on the guide part 47. For example, a lower end stop 49 is formed at the bottom of the recess 48, which can also be implemented by a stop plate, for example. A cap 50 designed in the manner of a union nut can be mounted on the cylindrical guide projection of the base part 9 via a thread at an adjustable height, whereby a variable, upper end stop 51 is formed for the guide part 47. Depending on the setting of this cap 50, a maximum possible adjustment path 52 between the upper side 7 of the sports equipment 1 and a lower edge of the guide part 47 or a maximum possible spring travel for the support and/or guide device 3 or coupling device 15 is specified. This cap 50 therefore serves as a variable end stop 51 for movements of the support element 11 away from the sports equipment 1. In the direction of the sports equipment 1, however, the movement of the support element 11 is limited by the end stop 49.

In order to achieve end position damping of the guide part 47, either the end stop 49 can be made of an elastically deformable material or - as shown schematically - an additional, elastic damping body 53 can be arranged between the end stop 49 and the guide part 47.

Furthermore, as schematically indicated, a circular intermediate layer 54

be arranged between a projection of the guide part 47 and the cap 50 in order to damp the upper limit of the movement of the guide part 47.

Of course, any other design that enables damping of the relative movement between the base part 9 and the guide part 47, or just end position damping, is also conceivable. For example, the two chambers of the recess 48, which are separated from one another by the guide part 47 and lie one above the other, could be filled with a pressure medium that flows from one chamber to the other via corresponding connecting holes in the lower area of the guide part 47 during relative movements between the base part 9 and the guide part 47, thus causing damping.

It may prove advantageous to provide at least the elastic intermediate layer 54, since otherwise movements in the sense of an increase in distance between the sports equipment 1 and the support element 11 would be abruptly terminated depending on the restoring force of the bearing bodies 22, 23, whereas in the case of movements of the support element 11 in the sense of a reduction in distance between it and the sports equipment 1, the damping effect of the bearing bodies 22, 23 is present anyway and thus in the case of deflection movements of the support element 11 in the direction of the sports equipment 1, sufficient damping or absorbing effect is provided anyway.

For secure anchoring of the fastening elements 10 for fastening the base part 9 on the sports equipment 1, reinforcing inserts 55 of any known type can be arranged inside the sports equipment 1 - as indicated schematically .

Fig. 5 shows the relative position that the support element 11 can assume with respect to the sports equipment 1 when the sports equipment 1 is deformed, whereby the deformation of the sports equipment 1 is less in the area of the ski shovel 25 than in the area of the ski end 24.

It is evident that despite the corresponding deformation of the sports equipment 1 due to, for example, the lower pressure in the bearing body 22, the front end 18 of the support element 11 has a smaller distance 56 than the distance 57 between the rear end 19 of the support element 11 and the sports equipment 1. This can also be seen from the fact that the part of the support element 11 protruding in the direction of the front end 18 encloses an angle 58 with the base part 9 fixed immovably on the top 7 of the sports equipment 1, which is less than 90°.

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carries.

Even a significantly greater deformation of the sports equipment 1 in the area of the ski shovel 25 compared to the ski end 24 leads, due to the lower pressure in the front bearing body 22, to the distance 56 in the area of the front end 18 being smaller than the distance 57 in the area of the rear end 19, or to the angle 58 being less than 90°. High-frequency oscillations or vibrations of the front part of the sports equipment 1 can thus be dampened by the bearing body 22, and the normal position of the support element 11 is nevertheless maintained if the bearing bodies 22, 23 are designed accordingly.

The same applies in reverse if the pressure or elasticity ratios of the bearing bodies 22, 23 are reversed and the vibrations on the sports equipment 1 occur in reverse.

Furthermore, it can be seen from these representations, in particular from Fig. 2 and 3, that the coupling devices 15, which can be formed, for example, by a front and a heel jaw of a ski binding, can be connected to form a coupling unit via a tensile but elastically deformable connecting element 59 according to the statements in DE 31 53 702 A or DE 41 35 899 A. The two coupling devices 15 can be moved in the longitudinal direction 6 of the support element 11 or also relative to it in a longitudinal guide 60, which is fastened, for example, to the support element 11 and is formed by a profile with an approximately C-shaped cross section. This allows the position of the user or the user's shoe 16 to be changed in the longitudinal direction 6 relative to the support element 11, whereby the entire coupling unit can be fixed or secured in any relative position relative to the support element 11 by a locking device 61 which has a locking pin 62 which projects into the longitudinal guide 60 or into the support element 11 and can be selectively engaged or disengaged via an actuating element.

This means that the location of the highest force introduction, in relation to the longitudinal direction 6 of the sports equipment 1, can be easily adapted to the different needs of the user or to the existing environmental conditions.

Of course, it is also possible, as will be shown and explained in the following embodiments, to connect the individual coupling devices 15 independently of one another fixedly to the support element 11 or to mount them on this

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ZU and only adjustment options for the contact pressure or release force and/or adjustment options to different sizes of shoes 16 are to be provided. This is especially possible if the support element 11 is designed as a rigid plate which is arranged at a distance above the top 7 of the sports equipment 1 and is supported by elastic elements, such as the bearing bodies 22, 23, since then no tension forces can arise when the sports equipment 1 is used between the coupling devices 15 and thus between these and the shoe 16.

In Figs. 6 and 7, another variant of the connecting device 2 is shown, whereby the arrangement of the bearing bodies 22, 23, their pressure medium supply or the lateral guidance of the support element 11 relative to the sports equipment 1 corresponds to the embodiment as shown or described in Figs. 1 to 5.

However, this embodiment differs significantly in the design of the vertical guide element 4 from the embodiment shown in Figs. 2 to 5.

The vertical guide element 4 is formed by a longitudinal control arm 63. The longitudinal control arm 63 is on the one hand articulated to the support element 11 via the joint arrangement 12 of any design already described for the above embodiment and on the other hand is now also pivotably connected to a base part 9 attached to the sports equipment 1, e.g. to a ski 5, via a further joint arrangement 64. To limit the movement of the longitudinal control arms 63, end stops 65, 66 are provided, the position of which can be adjusted via adjustment devices 67 by shifting them in the longitudinal direction 6 of the support element 11 in order to be able to set different, maximum possible pivot angles 68 for the longitudinal control arm 63. This in turn makes it possible to variably adjust the maximum possible adjustment path 52 or deflection path for the support element 11 relative to the sports equipment 1.

Through the arrangement of these end stops 65, 66 and their adjustment, the maximum height movement of the support element 11 relative to the sports equipment 1 can be easily and quickly adapted to different requirements, or a vertical guide element 4 designed in this way can be used for a wide variety of applications or sports equipment designs with the same basic design.

Of course, it is also possible to cancel the damping effect of the bearing bodies 22, e.g. via the control valve 33 and to adjust the end stops 65, 66 in such a way that

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len that the possible adjustment path 52 or the possible swivel angle 68 for the longitudinal control arm 63 becomes zero or no longer exists. It is therefore optionally possible to transfer the force to the sports equipment 1 directly - without delay or damping effect - and thus enable maximum performance, especially for active skiing. This option of switching off or canceling the damping is of course available for all versions with an adjustable end stop and preferably variable damping characteristics and can therefore also be implemented in the previously described embodiment and most of the following embodiments.

Furthermore, it is possible to switch off the adjustment path 52 of the support element 11 by setting the bearing bodies 22, 23 to the maximum hardness and thus the support element 11 is inevitably pressed with a correspondingly high force against the preferably variable end stop 66.

As can be seen better from Fig. 7, a pivot axis 69 of the joint arrangement 64 is mounted in bearing eyes of the base part 9 and passes through the longitudinal control arm 63 arranged between them.

By selecting the pressure medium or the pressure in the interior 37 of the bearing bodies 22, 23, the damping and displacement behavior of the support element 11 relative to the sports equipment 1 can be preset or changed or adapted to different operating conditions. In this embodiment - as can be seen from Fig. 6 - the coupling devices 15 can be adjusted independently of one another in the longitudinal guides 60 in the longitudinal direction 6 of the sports equipment 1. The rear coupling device 15 - for example a heel piece or a rear piece of a ski binding - can also be adjusted and fixed in position relative to the longitudinal guide 60 via a locking element, for example via the protruding threads of an adjustment screw.

Due to the possibility of independently adjusting the two coupling devices 15 in the longitudinal direction 6, on the one hand the distance between these coupling devices 15 can be adapted to different sizes of shoes 16 and on the other hand the relative position of the entire coupling unit with respect to the sports equipment 1 can be changed.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 8, 9 and 10, the

A374/97 · j .* : :· &igr;;*,*,,'

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Vertical guide element 4 made of two longitudinal control arms, each longitudinal control arm having joint arrangements 12, 64 arranged in the area of its two ends. In particular, the two longitudinal control arms are connected via their joint arrangements 12 to the support and/or guide device 3 and via the joint arrangements 64 to the sports equipment 1, e.g. a ski 5, a snowboard, a set of rollers, ice skating blades, or the like.

The joint arrangements 12 are arranged at a distance 70 from one another that is smaller than a distance 71 between the joint arrangements 64. The joint arrangements 12 comprise pivot axes 13 that connect the support element 11 of the support and/or guide device 3 to end regions of the longitudinal control arms 72, 73. In the region of the joint arrangements 64, these longitudinal control arms 72, 73 are supported via the pivot axes 69 in the base part 9, which is connected to the sports equipment 1 in a movement-proof manner.

While the longitudinal control arm 73 is mounted via the pivot axis 69 in fixed bearing eyes of the base part 9, a bearing block 74, in which the pivot axis 69 of the longitudinal control arm 72 is mounted, is mounted so as to be displaceable in the longitudinal direction 6 in a longitudinal guide track 75, whereby the bearing block 74 is forced by a spring element 76, schematically indicated by a coil spring, in a direction in which the support element 11 is at the greatest distance from the sports equipment 1. This position or force effect is supported by the bearing bodies 22, 23 filled with pressure medium. Furthermore, the movable bearing block 74 is provided with a guide rod 77, on which adjustable end stops 78, 79 are provided, with which in turn the minimum or maximum distance of the support element 11 relative to the sports equipment 1 can be easily and quickly preset and set. This arrangement enables an independent relative displacement of the support element 11 relative to the sports equipment 1 in the vertical direction, whereby the torsional stability of the support element 11 relative to the sports equipment 1 is promoted by the arrangement of the two longitudinal control arms 72, 73.

In order to be able to transfer high torques from the user's shoe 16 to the sports equipment 1, lateral and/or height guide devices 43, 44 are provided both in the front and rear areas of the front ends 18, 19 of the support element 11. With these lateral and/or height guide devices 43, 44, the maximum distance of the support element 11 from the sports equipment 1 can be set via a height-adjustable end stop 80 and an exact lateral guide of the support element can also be achieved.

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tes 11 compared to the sports equipment 1. For this purpose, the lateral and/or vertical guide devices 43, 44 - as shown schematically - are each equipped with at least one guide rail 45, 46 along which the long side surfaces 42 of the support element 11 are guided laterally. It is of course also possible to provide two guide rails 45, 46 each and to assign the two long side surfaces 42 of the support element 11 to these. In the event of strong torsional forces or high edge pressures, the joint arrangements 12 or their pivot axes 13 are thus protected from excessive strain and, in addition, the torsional forces and edge pressures can be introduced into the most favorable areas for achieving optimal control results with the sports equipment 1. The guide rails 45, 46 are dimensioned in such a way that a corresponding compensation path is provided for the front ends 18, 19 of the support element 11 during relative movements of the same to the sports equipment 1.

The spring element 76 can also be used to control the compression and return effect of the bearing bodies 22, 23 or the compression and return movement of the support element 11 relative to the sports equipment 1.

As the illustration in Fig. 9 shows better, the longitudinal guide track 75 can be arranged in a recess between two bead- or tubular elevations 81, 82 of the ski body - i.e. in the middle area of the sports equipment 1 or the ski 5, and in addition the longitudinal guide track 75 of the base part 9 can be anchored or integrated directly inside the body of the sports equipment 1 or the ski 5 via anchoring elements 83. With such an arrangement or design, it is possible, provided that the bearing bodies 22, 23 are not permanently connected to the sports equipment 1 and a locking or securing device 61 is provided for the joint arrangement 64 of the longitudinal control arm 73 or its bearing device, to push the support and/or guide device 3 out of the longitudinal guide track 75 of the base part 9 by displacement in the longitudinal direction 6 and thus to detach it from the sports equipment 1 or the ski 5 after deactivation of the same and after removal or deactivation of the end stops 79, 80.

The bearing bodies 22, 23 can be supplied with pressure medium in any way. Likewise, the arrangement of the coupling devices 15 can be implemented in accordance with the exemplary embodiments described in detail above or in accordance with any designs or arrangements known from the prior art.

It is also essential in this design that in order to prevent the penetration

of snow or dirt between the support element 11 and the sports equipment 1, a flexible or dimensionally variable covering 84 is arranged, which can be made of a fixed cover made of stable plastic or elastic metal and of a zigzag or wave-shaped, bellows-like part made of elastic material, so that the most varied relative positions between the support element 11 and the sports equipment 1 are not hindered, but on the other hand the bearing bodies 22, 23 and the area receiving the longitudinal control arms 72, -73 between the sports equipment 1 and the support element 11 are kept free of snow, ice and dirt.

Of course, it is also possible instead to fill the space between the supporting element 11 and the sports equipment 1 with a highly elastic plastic, for example an elastomer, a latex or a plastic foam, in order to prevent the penetration of snow and ice or other foreign bodies.

Furthermore, it is also possible that - similar to what is shown in Fig. 10 - the joint arrangement 64 assigned to the longitudinal control arm 73 is also slidably mounted in the longitudinal guide track 75 of the base part 9, in which case the previously mentioned compensation paths in the area of the front ends 18, 19 of the support element 11 are eliminated in order to exclude relative movements of the support and/or guide device 3 in the longitudinal direction 6 and to only allow movements directed vertically to the running surface 17.

By arranging the locking or fixing device 61 between the longitudinal guide track 75 and a guide block 85 supporting the pivot axis 69 of the joint arrangement 64, a total displacement of the support element 11 in the longitudinal direction 6 relative to the sports equipment 1 is possible in a simple manner - provided that the front ends 18, 19 are assigned a corresponding compensation clearance or the side and/or height guide devices 43, 44 shown are also adjusted. This allows the point of force introduction or the position of the coupling devices 15 to be changed relative to the sports equipment 1. On the other hand, when the locking device 61 is released, it is possible to pull the vertical guide element 4 completely out of the longitudinal guide track 75 and to mount it, including the bearing bodies 22, 23 and, if applicable, the side and/or height guide devices 43, 44, on another sports equipment 1.

In Fig. 11 and 12, a variant of the connecting device 2 between the support element 11 or the support and/or guide device 3 and a

a374/97 · .·;,·;■ �iacgr;· �iacgr; t ?*.·*

Sports equipment 1, in particular a ski 5, is shown, in which the vertical guide element 4 is formed by a parallelogram lever arrangement 86. The two longitudinal control arms 72, 73 can be pivoted about pivot axes 69 mounted in the base part 9, just as the pivot axes 13 can pivot relative to the support element 11. To limit the vertical lifting movement or adjustment movement to the top 7 of the sports equipment 1, at least one of the longitudinal control arms 72, 73 is assigned end stops 65, 66, which can be adjusted via adjustment devices 67 - as has already been explained with reference to the illustration of the embodiment according to Fig. 6. This allows a maximum pivot angle 68 - in the present case, for example, of the pivot lever 72 - to be preset, and thus a maximum pivot movement or height movement of the support element 11 perpendicular to the top 7 of the sports equipment 1 can be limited.

The parallelogram lever arrangement 86 has the advantage that pivot axes 13 are provided that can be spaced relatively far apart from one another in the longitudinal direction 6, thus enabling better lateral guidance of the support element 11 relative to the sports equipment 1. Furthermore, a constantly parallel position of the support element 11 to the fastening plane of the sports equipment 1 or the base part 9 is achieved without additional measures. As a result, due to the compression of the pressure medium in the bearing bodies 22 and 23, as the sports equipment 1 deforms more and more, a constantly increasing force is applied to counteract these deformation movements both in the front area and in the rear area, so that the restoring effect, assuming that the same pressure medium pressure prevails in the interior 37 of the bearing bodies 22, 23, sets in proportionally to the deformation.

Furthermore, it can be seen in particular from Fig. 12 that in this variant, too, for moving the coupling devices 15, these are connected to one another via the connecting element 59, are arranged so as to be movable in the longitudinal guides 60 and in the area of the front coupling device 15 a locking device 61 for securing the entire coupling unit relative to the support element 11 is provided with a locking element 62. This allows the entire coupling unit to be adjusted relative to the support element 11 in the longitudinal direction 6 in the dashed or dash-dotted lines in order to enable different points of application of the control force on the sports equipment 1.

For this purpose - as can best be seen in Fig. 12 - the support element 11 can be provided with a recess 87 in the middle and in the longitudinal direction 6 for receiving the connecting element 59. Furthermore, it can be seen from this embodiment that

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the bearing bodies 22, 23 have a spatial course adapted to a cross-sectional shape of the sports equipment 1. The bearing bodies 22, 23 can thus be equipped with protruding guide elements 88 which come to lie between the elevations 81, 82 running in the longitudinal direction of the sports equipment 1. If, as in this case, side walls 89 are provided, similar to a vehicle tire with corresponding reinforcing elements 90 or tension belts, so that there is sufficient deflection in a direction running perpendicular to an upper side 7 of the sports equipment 1, but there is also sufficient lateral stability of the bearing bodies 22, 23, the lateral guidance can be taken over by these specially designed side walls 89 of the bearing bodies 22, 23.

Thus, sufficient lateral guidance resistance and lateral guidance positioning of the support element 11 relative to the sports equipment 1 is achieved by this design of the bearing bodies 22, 23.

Of course, in order to increase the lateral stability of the support and/or guide device 3, additional guide rails can be provided, via which the bearing bodies 22, 23 can be supported laterally at least over part of their height in order to enable immediate transmission of the lateral control forces to the sports equipment 1.

However, a support, as will be explained below using the embodiment in Fig. 21, would also be possible.

In Fig. 13 and 14, the connecting device 2 between the support and/or guide device 3 and the sports equipment 1 is formed by at least one - in the present case by two - knee levers 91, 92, wherein one of the lever arms of the knee levers 91, 92 is connected to the support element 11 via the joint arrangement 12 and the other lever arm is connected to the base part 9 via the joint arrangement 64.

In this embodiment, it is further shown as a variant that two bearing bodies 22 and 23 can be provided on both sides of the connecting device 2 for supporting the carrying and/or guiding device 3 on the sports equipment 1.

While the end position facing the sports equipment 1 can be limited by an end stop 65 or a damping body 53, an upper position of the support element 11 or the position furthest from the sports equipment 1 is limited by the side and/or

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Height guide devices 43, 44, as has already been explained in more detail in the embodiment shown in Fig. 8. In addition, additional lateral guidance between the sports equipment 1 and the shoe 16, i.e. the user, is achieved via this lateral and/or height guide device 43, 44 or via the guide strips 45, 46.

In such an embodiment, for example, the coupling device 15 can be fixedly attached to the support element 11, since the intended position of the support element 11 in relation to the longitudinal direction 6 of the sports equipment 1 is always maintained by the toggle levers 91, 92.

Just for the sake of clarity, it should be mentioned that the control of the individual bearing bodies 22, 23 can be carried out separately or for the bearing bodies 22 and the bearing bodies 23 separately or also together for all bearing bodies 22, 23. The appropriate design of the control valve 33 for this purpose is within the skill of the specialist working in this field or a pneumatics or hydraulics specialist.

In the present embodiment, as can be better seen from Fig. 14, separate supply lines 30, 31 are provided for each of the bearing bodies 22, 23.

The pivot axes 69 of the joint arrangement 64 are in turn mounted in the base part 9, which is attached in a suitable form to the sports equipment 1 or to the ski 5, whereas the pivot axes 13 of the joint arrangement 12 are mounted between the support and/or guide device 3 and the lever arms of the toggle levers 91, 92 assigned to it.

The two lever arms of each toggle lever 91, 92 are each connected to one another via a pivot axis 93.

In the design according to Fig. 13, the two knee levers 91, 92 are arranged in mirror image to each other, with the joint arrangements 12 and 64 being spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction by a smaller distance than the pivot axes 93 of the knee joints between the two lever arms of the knee levers 91, 92.

Of course, a mirror-image arrangement of each or just a single toggle lever 91, 92 is also possible. That is, an arrangement in which the swivel

a374/97 · · ,· : :· ; st·..'

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axes 93 of the knee joints have a smaller distance from each other or such that a similar, consecutive arrangement of the knee levers 91, 92 is given.

In the variant shown in Fig. 15 and 16, the connecting device 2 is formed by at least one - in the present case, however, by two cylinder-piston arrangements 94 arranged in mirror images of one another. This cylinder-piston arrangement 94 can be designed as a telescopic cylinder or as a shock absorber or as a so-called gas pressure damper. The design as a telescopic cylinder without a damping effect is possible because the damping effect is ensured by the bearing bodies 22, 23 and, if necessary, an additional bearing body 95, which can be provided in the area of the connecting device 2. Each of the cylinder-piston arrangements 94 is supported on the sports equipment 1, in particular on the ski 5, via its own base part 9. For this purpose, the base part 9 can be integrated into the interior of the sports equipment 1 - as can be seen better from the illustration in Fig. 16 - in order to obtain a high-strength or tear-resistant connection. While it is now possible to arrange the cylinder piston arrangements 94, for example, in the central longitudinal plane, so that only a single pair of such cylinder piston arrangements 94 is provided, it is also possible - as can be seen from Fig. 16 - to arrange the cylinder piston arrangements 94 on both sides, i.e. in the region of the longitudinal side surfaces 42 of the support element 11.

The support element 11 is then supported on the sports equipment 1 via four separate support points, thus providing good lateral and vertical guidance of the support element 11.

In addition, the arrangement of relatively small-volume base parts 9 in the area of the elevations 81, 82 prevents excessive stiffening of the sports equipment 1, in particular of the ski 5.

With such a design, it is then possible for all bearing bodies 22, 23 or the additional bearing body 95 arranged between the cylinder piston arrangements 94 to be arranged in the longitudinal center region of the sports equipment 1, especially in the region of a recess 96 between the elevations 81 and 82.

. {

As indicated in Fig. 15 and 16, the additional bearing body 95 between the two cylinder piston arrangements 94 can also be arranged transversely to the longitudinal direction 6 of the sports vehicle.

a374/97 · ; ,·

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Council 1, so that it also comes into contact with elevations 81 and 82.

Furthermore, as a variant, it is shown that the supply lines 30, 31 for supplying the interior spaces 37 can be part of the bearing bodies 22, 23, 95 and can be arranged, for example, in the lower region of the recess 96.

The limitation of the movement of the support element 11 relative to the sports equipment 1, in particular in the direction perpendicular to the top side 7 of the sports equipment 1, can in turn be achieved by end stops 65 for the smallest possible distance and by the end stops 80 for the maximum distance to the sports equipment 1, which in turn can be integrated into the lateral and/or height guide device .43, 44.

Both the end stops 65 and the end stops 80 can be arranged so that their position can be adjusted by means of appropriate adjustment means.

It is also shown that, for example, the control valve 33 and the pressure medium pump 34 can also be integrated in the block for the lateral and/or height guide device 44, for example in the area of the rear end 19 of the support element 11. However, an arrangement in an area located in the front end 18 of the support element 11, i.e. in the area of the lateral and/or height guide device 43 or integrated into it, would also be possible.

In the case of the bearing body 95, it is now also possible for the part of the bearing body 95 that runs parallel to the longitudinal direction 6 and the parts of the bearing body 95 that extend transversely thereto between the cylinder piston arrangements 94 that are spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal direction 6 to form a uniform cavity that is fluidly connected to one another and that is pressurized with compressed air. Furthermore, the bearing body 95 and/or the other bearing bodies 22, 23 can each have separate cavities that can be inflated to different degrees.

Thus, if the laterally protruding parts of the bearing body 95 can be separately pressurized with compressed air, it is possible to fill them with a higher air pressure in order, for example, to increase the lateral stability of the support element 11 in the middle area between the two cylinder piston arrangements 94 or to exclude tilting movements of the support element 11 about axes oriented in the longitudinal direction 6.

A374/97 · · »·;:*; &iacgr; i'..'

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In Figs. 17 to 19, a further embodiment of the connecting device 2 is shown, whereby with regard to the individual parts already described in detail in the above embodiments, reference is made to the above description parts and the corresponding parts have only been provided with the relevant reference numbers.

In this embodiment, the support element 11 is designed in two parts and consists of support element parts 97, 98. These support element parts 97, 98 can be displaced in their distance from one another in the longitudinal direction 6 via a telescopic arrangement 99, which is formed by cylindrical parts guided into one another, but are guided exactly to one another in the lateral and vertical directions.

Each of the two support element parts 97, 98 is connected to the sports equipment 1 via the connecting device 2. The connecting device 2 comprises two longitudinal links 72, 73 which - as already described above, especially in connection with Fig. 8 - are supported in an articulated manner via pivot axes 69 on a common base part 9, which can optionally be embedded directly in the ski 5 and thus anchored. On the support element parts 97, 98 - as can be seen in particular from Fig. - a recess 100, e.g. a recessed longitudinal groove for receiving the connecting element 59 between the two coupling parts of the coupling device 15 shown in Fig. 17 can optionally be provided.

The arrangement of the coupling device 15 is such that only one of the two parts of the coupling device 15 is connected to one of the two support element parts 97, 98 - in the present case to the support element part 98 - in the longitudinal direction 6 in a movement-proof manner, whereas the rear part of the coupling device 15 is only held at the desired distance via the connecting element 59. This is necessary because, in the event of correspondingly strong deformations of the ski 5 due to the forces applied via the bearing bodies 22, 23, these are moved towards a plane that is transverse to the longitudinal direction 6 and normal to the running surface 17, i.e. in the present embodiment they are pushed towards one another and thus a distance 101 drawn in solid lines in Fig. 17 is reduced by a corresponding amount. In order to prevent the preload forces of the parts of the coupling device 15 from being changed relative to the shoe 16 due to this adjustment movement, the rear part of the coupling device 15, i.e. the rear jaw of the coupling device 15, is freely displaceable relative to the support element part 97 assigned to it in a longitudinal guide 102.

a374/97 · ■· ,· :;.·■; &idigr; i·..·

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This means that longitudinal control arms 72, 73 of fixed length are sufficient and the change in length when the sports equipment 1 bends is absorbed by a relative adjustment of the support element parts 97, 98.

As can be seen better from the illustration in Fig. 18, the base part 9 for accommodating the pivot axes 69 can be at least partially embedded in the body of the sports equipment 1, in particular in the interior of the ski 5, in order to withstand high tear-out forces and to avoid additional holes for fastening the base part 9.

To dampen the movements between the support element 11 and the sports equipment 1, the bearing bodies 22, 23 formed by bellows or the like are provided, which - as already described in detail above - can be inflated or pre-tensioned to different air pressures to achieve different damping values.

In order to achieve sufficient lateral guidance of these bearing bodies 23, it is also possible to form or glue lateral guide projections 103 onto the upper side 7 of the sports equipment 1, in which the supply lines 30, 31 for the pressure medium supply of the individual bearing bodies 22, 23 can preferably be arranged.

As the front view in Fig. 19 then shows, instead of or in combination with the side and/or height guide devices 43, 44 according to Fig. 17 in the end area of the support element 11, the side guide can also be carried out in the area of the bearing bodies 22, 23, by providing them with reinforced side cheeks 104, which can be raised, for example, by inserting corresponding reinforcing elements or by a corresponding shape.

In the area of the bearing bodies 22, 23, however, a corresponding design of the side cheeks 104 in the transition area between the interior 37 of the bearing body 22 and its support on a surface 105 of the sports equipment can also serve as a guide wall 106 for lateral guidance, which can interact with guide legs 107 protruding from the support element 11 or from the support element parts 97, 98 in the direction of the sports equipment 1 to achieve sufficient lateral guidance.

Only for example is it shown here that the inner body of the sports equipment 1,

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for example a ski 5, with a core 108 made of a foamed plastic or for example a die-cast material, or an injection-molded body made of thermoplastic or thermoplastic foams, which can consist of a reinforcing mat, preferably a tube 109 of such a reinforcing element made of knitted fabric, nets, grids, fibers or threads of high strength, such as ceramic, glass, polyamide or graphite.

Furthermore, in this embodiment according to Fig. 19 it is shown that instead of the arrangement of the supply lines 30, 31 in the guide projection 103 - see Fig. 18, these can also be arranged in the transition area between the bearing bodies 22, 23 and the support element parts 97, 98.

Of course, it is also possible in this embodiment variant to guide the base part 9 in a longitudinal guide track as shown in Fig. 10 and that it can further be fixed to the sports equipment 1 by means of a locking device and then released again.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 20 and 21, the difference from the embodiments described in Figs. 17 to 19 is that the coupling device 15 is not fixed by fixing one of the two parts of the coupling device 15 to one of the support element parts 97, 98, but rather the connecting element 59 between the two parts of the coupling device 15 is fixed in a fixed position in relation to the sports equipment 1 via a spacer element 110, which is arranged in the region of one of the front ends 18, 19 of the support element 11. Due to the great length of the spacer element 110, even in the event of height movements or changes in distance between the shoe 16 and the sports equipment 1, hardly any change in position of the pivot axis 111 between the spacer element 110 and the connecting element 59 is triggered, so that the coupling device 15 essentially remains on the intended mounting point or on the center of the sports equipment 1 under all stress conditions and driving conditions. To ensure that the spacer element 110 is always in an extended position, particularly when it is a tensile but flexible element, for example a steel band, the coupling device 15 is connected to the sports equipment 1 via a support element 113 via an additional tensioning device 112, e.g. a helical tension spring.

In this embodiment, both parts, the front jaw and the

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Rear jaws, a coupling device 15, for example a ski binding, freely movable or displaceable relative to the two support element parts 97, 98 in the longitudinal direction 6.

If the spacer element 110 is made of an inherently rigid material whose buckling strength is so high that a fixed distance is created between the two opposite bearing points under all stresses, the arrangement of the clamping device 112 can be dispensed with.

As the front view in Fig. 21 best shows, the lateral guidance between the supporting element 11 or the supporting element parts 97, 98 and the sports equipment 1 or the ski 5 is formed by a lateral guidance device 114 arranged in the area of the bearing bodies 22, 23, which has a groove-shaped guide channel 115 running in the longitudinal direction 6 and a guide strip 116 guided in this and protruding from the supporting element 11 or the supporting element parts 97, 98.

A component 117 of the side guide device 114, which is made for example from a drawn aluminum profile and forms the guide channel 115, is connected to fastening elements 118, for example screws, in a reinforcing insert 119 arranged inside the ski body, in particular the core 108, e.g. a metal strip or another strip made of highly resistant material with high tear resistance.

This leads to a particularly favorable arrangement of the fastening elements 118, since these are fastened in the middle area of the ski 5 in the area of the neutral fiber and thus the lateral elements are not weakened with regard to the hole bearing resistance that occurs when the hole is made. As a result, the necessary tear-out strength of the fastening element 118 in this case cannot be achieved by several fastening elements 118 distributed over the surface, but by several fastening elements 118 in the longitudinal direction 6 in

Distance between the two elevations 81, 82 of the ski cross-section, whereby a further improvement or utilization of the elastic properties inherent in the sports equipment 1, in particular the ski 5, is possible.
35

Furthermore, in this embodiment it is shown that the interior 37 of the bearing bodies 22, 23 can be partially filled with a gel 120 or a gel-like mass,

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which can be relatively stiff when the ski 5 is subjected to low loads or when the vibration load is low and changes into a doughy, pasty or viscous state with increasing vibration load or stress and thus, depending on the stress, provides different damping of the impacts and vibrations acting on the running surface 17 of the sports equipment 1 in the direction of the shoe 16.

The flexibility or the damping characteristics or the damping behavior can be influenced by an air bubble 121 remaining in the interior space 37 between the gel 120 and the rest of the space, so that the damping effect is composed of a mixture of the compression of the air present in the air bubble 121 and a deformation or displacement of the gel 120.

In Figs. 22 and 23, a further embodiment of a support element 11 is shown, which consists of two support element parts 97, 98.

Due to the extensive description of the structure of such support elements 11 and their attachment to the sports equipment 1, the present embodiment variant is only shown schematically in sketch form, whereby the detailed designs can be made in accordance with the extensive arbitrary designs for the above embodiments.

In this embodiment, the two support element parts 97, 98 are designed to overlap one another in their mutually assigned end regions and are connected to one another in an articulated manner in their end regions via a pivot axis 122 that passes through both and runs transversely to the longitudinal direction 6 of the sports equipment 1. This articulated connection can be in the form of a hinge, e.g. in the manner of a piano hinge, although any other design is also possible.

In addition, each of the two support element parts 97, 98, which are lined up in the longitudinal direction 6, is provided with a joint axis that runs parallel to the pivot axis 122 and is spaced from the common pivot axis 122 in the direction of the further end of the support element parts 97, 98 or in the direction of the front ends 18, 19, which is arranged in a base part 9 attached to the sports equipment 1 in an elongated hole that is aligned perpendicularly to the running surface 17 and extends transversely to the longitudinal direction 6. Of course, the reverse principle of this bearing and/or guide arrangement is also possible - as shown in particular in Fig. 22 - in which case

A374/97 · '· _# A ; j ft" J Ji*./

in each support element part 97, 98, at a distance from the pivot axis 122, an elongated hole 123 running transversely to the longitudinal direction 6 is arranged, into which a joint axis 124 of the base parts 9 attached to the sports equipment 1 is inserted and thus each support element part 97, 98 can be pivoted about the central pivot axis 122 via the elongated hole 123.

The base parts 9, together with the elongated holes 123 and the joint axes 124, therefore represent vertical guide elements 4 or height guide elements for the support and/or guide device 3 or the two-part support element 11.

In order to enable the different pivoting movements of the support element parts 97, 98 around the pivot axis 122, it is advantageous if the joint axis 124 has a smaller diameter than the width of the elongated hole 123 or the control track for receiving and guiding the joint axis 124, relative to the longitudinal direction 6. Preferably, however, the two elongated holes 123 are designed in the shape of a circular path, with the radius of this circular path then corresponding to the distance or the shortest connecting section between the pivot axis 122 and the joint axis 124.

Furthermore, it is possible to form an elongated hole for the central pivot axis 122 in only one support element part 97 or 98 or also in both support element parts 97, 98, wherein the width of this elongated hole runs in the longitudinal direction 6 of the sports equipment 1 in order to enable length compensation during pivoting movements of the support element parts 97, 98 about the pivot axis 122.

In order to achieve a damping of the individual relative movements between the support element parts 97, 98 and the sports equipment 1 in this pivot lever system, bearing bodies 22, 23 in the previously described possible design variants are arranged between the joint axes 124 and the front and rear end faces 18, 19 of the two-part support element 11.

In the rest position of the sports equipment 1, support cams 125 arranged in the area of the mutually facing ends of the support element parts 97, 98 and projecting from the underside 32 of the support and/or guide device 3 or the support element parts 97, 98 onto the sports equipment 1 are therefore pre-tensioned or pressed in the direction of the running surface 17 with a force corresponding to the air pressure of the bearing bodies 22, 23 or a force corresponding to the pre-tension by the bearing bodies 22, 23.

A374/97 ·· ··*·!· &diams;* '

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If necessary, a height of these support cams 125 or of the support cam 125 defined perpendicular to the running surface 17 can be changed using an adjustment device 126 shown schematically in dashed lines in Fig. 22. This makes it possible, on the one hand, to adapt the connecting device 2 or the support and/or guide device 3 to sports equipment 1 or skis 5 that are curved to different degrees or have different pre-tensions, and, on the other hand, to adjust the pre-tensioning force exerted by the support cams 125 on the top side 7 or on the running surface 17 of the sports equipment 1.

The support element parts 97, 98 are in the upper end position relative to the sports equipment 1, defined by the preload of the bearing bodies 22, 23.

If the ski 5 now compresses in relation to the two-part support element 11 or if the coupling device 15 exerts a greater force on the support element 11 and thus causes the ski 5 to bend into the position shown in dot-dash lines, the bending of the support element 11 about the pivot axis 122 continues to exert pressure in the direction of the running surface 17 on the sports equipment 1 and thus the contact pressure of the ski 5 on the ground is also generated between the two guide areas or base parts 9 of the connecting device 2, so that a uniform pressure is exerted in the direction of the running surface 17 via the support cams 125, the base parts 9 and the bearing bodies 22, 23 over the entire length of the binding area, e.g. of the skis 5, which leads to an exact guidance of the sports equipment 1 in the extremely sensitive central area and thus to a high guiding force in the edge area, even with bent sports equipment 1 or ski 5.

Due to the pre-tensioning force exerted by the bearing bodies 22, 23 via the support cams 125, the effect of such a connecting device 2 can be adapted to different applications and use cases, for example to comfort skiing, active skiing or racing skiing.

24 and 25 show a variant of the connecting device 2 for holding a shoe 16 on a piece of sports equipment 1, in particular a cross-country ski or a touring ski 128, wherein the joint arrangement 12 connects the sports equipment 1 to the support element 11, in particular formed by a shoe sole 129, via the pivot axis 13 running transversely to the longitudinal direction 6.

A 374/97 »J ₄ · j ··' · J i*«.'

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Preferably, the pivot axis 13 is arranged in the area provided for the user's toes on the shoe 16 and the coupling device 15 designed in the manner of a claw coupling is attached to the sports equipment 1 for releasing or connecting the shoe 16 and the sports equipment 1 as required.

Of course, in order to realize the joint arrangement 12, it is also possible to provide joint sockets on the shoe 16, to which pins or pins mounted on the sports equipment 1 are assigned.
10

The shoe 16 further comprises a pressing device 130 in the toe area, which is formed, for example, by a dimensionally stable extension made of plastic or the like with an enlarged, hard pressing surface 131.

An abutment 132 with a counter-pressure surface 133 corresponding to the pressure surface 131 is arranged at a distance from the pressing device 130 in the longitudinal direction 6, which counter-pressure surface 133 is preferably formed by the housing 39 of the pressure medium pump 34.

Between the abutment 132 and the pressure device 130, at least one elastically deformable bearing body 22, which automatically returns to its original shape, is arranged, in accordance with the embodiments described in detail above, and preferably rests against the pressure surface 131 and the counter-pressure surface 133. The interior 37 of the bearing body 22 can be filled with a pressure medium, e.g. air, via the pressure medium pump 34 and the control valve 33, in accordance with the previous description parts, whereby the hardness or elasticity of the bearing body 22 can be changed depending on the amount of pressure medium pumped or located in the interior 37.

If the shoe 16 now pivots from the rest position shown in Fig. 24 to the position shown in Fig. 25, this pivoting movement is counteracted by a resistance moment due to the interposition of the bearing body 22. Depending on the hardness or elasticity of the bearing body 22 set via the pressure medium pump 34 and/or the control valve 33, the resistance moment counteracting the pivoting movement of the shoe 16 or the cross-country ski 127 or touring ski 128 can be changed in a simple manner or adapted to different conditions.

The bearing body 22 can, for example, have several chambers, at least partially

·■·■&diams;· ·

-38-

be filled with gel, be connected to a display device for pressure control or be designed according to all other previously described variants.

If necessary, an actuating lever 134 of the coupling device 15, indicated in dashed lines, which is in motion connection with at least one bearing half or coupling claw, covers the actuating elements of the pressure medium pump 34 and/or the control valve 33 when the shoe 16 is coupled to the sports equipment 1 in order to protect them from icing or damage.

In Figs. 26 and 27, a further embodiment of the connecting device 2 for holding a shoe 16 on the sports equipment 1, in particular on a snowboard 135, is shown.

The connecting device 2 between the support and/or guide device 3 corresponds essentially to the embodiment of the telescopic guide arrangement 8 shown in Figs. 1 to 5 and described in detail. Of course, it is also possible, independently of this, to provide other embodiments of the connecting device 2, e.g. according to Figs. 6 to 23, for the snowboard 135.

The differences are basically that the guide strips 46 extend over the entire length of the support element 11 and interact with the guide strips 45 of a guide profile 137 mounted on the snowboard 135 via a central fastening device 136. The central fastening device 136 is formed by a central screw, which enables a pivoting movement of the entire connecting device 2 together with the bearing bodies 22, 23 of the coupling device 15 and the other parts about an axis 138 running perpendicular to the top side 7 or the running surface.

A locking device 139 shown schematically in dashed lines in Fig. 27 makes it possible to selectively release and lock this pivoting movement, whereby a user can easily set different angular positions of the support and/or guide device 3 or the feet relative to the longitudinal axis of the snowboard 135. The locking device 139 can be designed according to all designs known from the prior art and can be arranged or provided both in the area of the front ends 18, 19 of the support element 11 and in the area of the central fastening device 136.

A 374/97 · · · * ; * J

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Preferably, the two bearing bodies 22, 23 can be pressurized independently of one another by the pressure medium pump 34. The respective bearing body 22, 23 is preferably selected via the control valve 33. Differently structured pressure conditions in the bearing bodies 22, 23 require, within certain limits, different heights of the bearing bodies 22, 23 and thus a certain angle of inclination of the support element 11 receiving the coupling device 15 relative to the upper side 7 or the running surface 17 of the snowboard 135. This makes it possible for the user of such a connecting device 2 to easily preset different angular positions of the longitudinal edges of the snowboard 135 assigned to the back area or chest area of the user relative to the ground.

In addition, the arrangement of the bearing bodies 22, 23 smoothes out peak loads acting on the shoe 16 and dampens vibrations.

If necessary, as shown in particular in Fig. 26, the support and/or guide device 3 and the guide profile 137 can form a completely enclosed space in which at least the bearing bodies 22, 23 and the vertical guide element 4 are arranged and are thus protected from dirt, icing or damage. This housing-like design is also particularly advantageous if changes in the inclination of the support element 11 relative to the sports equipment 1 are to be kept to a minimum or prevented.

Finally, for the sake of order, it should be noted that in the drawings, individual components and assemblies are shown disproportionately and distorted in scale for a better understanding of the invention.

Individual features of the individual embodiments can also form the subject of independent inventions together with other individual features of other embodiments or each on its own.

Above all, the individual embodiments shown in Figs. 1 to 5; 6, 7; 8, 9, 10; 11, 12; 13, 14: 15, 16; 17, 18, 19; 20, 21; 22, 23; 24, 25; 26, 27 can form the subject of independent solutions according to the invention. The relevant inventive tasks and solutions can be found in the detailed descriptions of these figures.

Claims (52)

A 374/97 ·· · 4... ··· -40- Protection claims 1. Connecting device for a coupling device for holding a shoe at a distance from the ends of a piece of sports equipment, in particular a ski, and/or for a carrying and/or guiding device for receiving a coupling device, with a vertical guide element arranged approximately centrally between the front ends spaced apart from one another in the direction of a longitudinal axis of the carrying and/or guiding device or the coupling device, which is connected to a base part for mounting on the sports equipment and with a joint arrangement between the base part and the carrying and/or guiding device or coupling device, which comprises at least one pivot axis running parallel to a receiving surface of the carrying and/or guiding device or coupling device and oriented transversely to its longitudinal axis, characterized in that between the vertical guide element (4) and the front ends (18, 19) facing away from one another of the carrying and/or guiding device (3) or coupling device, which can be adjusted in their distance perpendicular to a running surface (17) of the sports equipment (1) (15) at least one bearing body (22, 23) and optionally a lateral and/or height guide device (43, 44; 114) is arranged between the support and/or guide device (3) or the coupling device (15) and the sports equipment (1), in particular formed by a mounting plate that can be fixed to the sports equipment (1), and the bearing body (22, 23) is elastically deformable at least when the distance between the support and/or guide device (3) or the coupling device (15) and the sports equipment (1) is reduced, building up a restoring force. 2. Connecting device according to claim 1, characterized in that the vertical guide element (4) is formed by a parallelogram lever arrangement (86) whose pivot axes form the joint arrangement (12). 3. Connecting device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the vertical guide element (4) comprises two longitudinal links (72, 73) which are connected to the support and/or guide device (3) and the base part (9) via joint arrangements (12, 64), wherein a distance (70) in the direction of the longitudinal axis between the joint arrangements (12) associated with the support and/or guide device (3) is smaller than a distance (71) between the joint arrangements (64) associated with the base part (9). -41- 4. Connecting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the vertical guide element (4) is formed by at least one toggle lever (91, 92), wherein one of the lever arms of a toggle lever (91, 92) is connected to the support and/or guide device (3) via the joint arrangement (12) and the other lever arm of the toggle lever (91, 92) is connected to the base part (9) via the joint arrangement (64). 5. Connecting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the vertical guide element (4) is formed by two toggle levers (91, 92) arranged in mirror image to one another, whereby the knee joints and/or pivot axes (93) connecting the two lever arms of each toggle lever (91, 92) have a greater distance in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the support and/or guide device (3) than the joint arrangements (12, 64) assigned to the ends of the lever arms. 6. Connecting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the vertical guide element (4) is formed by at least one cylinder-piston arrangement (94), e.g. a telescopic cylinder or a gas pressure shock absorber, and in that the joint arrangement (12) is arranged at least between the cylinder-piston arrangement (94) and the support and/or guide device (3). 7. Connecting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that one of the lever arms or longitudinal control arms (72, 73) is guided in a longitudinal guide track (75) with, for example, an elastically deformable and resettable spring element (76) or at least one of the lever arms or longitudinal control arms (72, 73) is designed as a telescopic arrangement with shock absorption. 8. Connecting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one of the lever arms and/or at least one of the longitudinal control arms (72, 73) is provided with a length adjustment device, e.g. with a turnbuckle with opposing threads for adjusting the length of the longitudinal control arms (72, 73). 9. Connecting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the vertical guide element (4) and/or A 374/97 * J '&diams;* 5 5*1 I ·*··* -42- whose longitudinal control arms (72, 73) or lever arms and/or the support and/or guide device (3) are preferably assigned adjustable end stops (49, 51; 65, 66; 78, 79; 80) for limiting the adjustment movement between the support and/or guide device (3) or the coupling device (15) and the sports equipment (1). 5 10. Connecting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the vertical guide element (4), in particular between the base part (9) and the support and/or guide device (3), is assigned a damping body (53) and/or an elastic intermediate layer (54). 11. Connecting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the damping body (53) is assigned to the longitudinal control arms (72, 73) and/or the lever arms of the toggle levers (91, 92). 12. Connecting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one longitudinal control arm (72, 73) and/or one lever arm of the vertical guide element (4) is designed as a damping element . 13. Connecting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the damping body (53) is arranged parallel to the longitudinal control arms (72, 73) and/or the lever arms and/or the cylinder piston arrangement (94). 14. Connecting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the damping body (53) is arranged and/or designed to dampen the approach movement between the base part (9) and the support and/or guide device (3). 15. Connecting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the elastic intermediate layer (54) is designed to dampen movements that increase the distance between the base part (9) and the support and/or guide device (3). 16. Connecting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the damping body (53) is arranged between the lever arms and/or longitudinal control arms (72, 73) and/or the cylinder piston arrangement -43- (94) and the supporting and/or guiding device (3). 17. Connecting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the damping body (53) is arranged between the lever arms and/or longitudinal control arms (72, 73) and/or the cylinder piston arrangement (94) and the base part (9) or the sports equipment (1). 18. Connecting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support and/or guide device (3) is designed in several parts and comprises support element parts (97, 98). 19. Connecting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the coupling device (15) is designed in several parts. 20. Connecting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that a part of the coupling device (15), in particular a front jaw or a rear jaw, is fastened to a separate support element part (97, 98) and/or is guided in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the support and/or guide device (3). 21. Connecting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support element parts (97, 98) of the support and/or guide device (3) or the parts of the coupling device (15) are connected to one another via a telescopic guide device. 22. Connecting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that each support element part (97, 98) of the support and/or guide device (3) or each part of the coupling device (15) is connected to the sports equipment (1) via its own vertical guide element (4). 23. Connecting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that a support element part (97, 98) or a part of the support and/or guide device (3) or coupling device (15) coupling the support element parts (97, 98) is fastened via the vertical guide element (4) to the sports equipment (1) in the region of one of the two front ends (18, 19) of the support and/or guide device (3) or coupling device (15). -44- 24. Connecting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one elastically deformable, resettable bearing body (22, 23) is arranged on both sides of the vertical guide element (4) between the underside (32) of the support and/or guide device (3) facing away from the receiving surface (14) for the coupling device (15) and the sports equipment (1). 25. Connecting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that guide parts of the lateral and/or vertical guide device (43, 44) are arranged in the region of the bearing body (22, 23). 26. Connecting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lateral and/or vertical guide device (43, 44) is formed by guide strips (45, 46) arranged on longitudinal side surfaces (42) of the support and/or guide device (3) and/or the sports equipment (1) and engaging in one another in a telescopic manner. 27. Connecting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bearing bodies (22, 23) are arranged within the guide strips (45, 46) of the lateral and/or vertical guide device (43, 44). 28. Connecting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bearing body (22, 23) is made of elastically recoverable deformable plastic. 29. Connecting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the damping property and/or the hardness of the bearing body (22, 23) is adjustable. 30. Connecting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bearing body (22, 23) is formed by a bellows filled with pressure medium, in particular air or liquid or gel (120). 31. Connecting device according to one or more of the preceding Sayings, characterized in that in the area between the vertical guide element (4) and at least one of the front ends (15, 19) of the support and/or guide device (3) or coupling device (15) several bearing bodies (22, 23) designed with independently adjustable damping properties are arranged. 32. Connecting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the region of the vertical guide element (4) between the support and/or guide device (3) or the support element parts (97, 98) and the sports equipment (1) a further bearing body (95) is arranged. 33. Connecting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bearing bodies (22, 23; 95) are formed in one piece. 34. Connecting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that each of the integrally formed bearing bodies (22, 23; 95) is connected to its own supply line (30, 31). 35. Connecting device according to one or more of the preceding Claims, characterized in that the viscosity of the gel (120) decreases under vibration loads between the sports equipment (1) and the support and/or guide device (3) or coupling device (15). 36. Connecting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that a volume of the bearing body (22) or bellows or bellows arranged in the area below a front jaw of the coupling device (15) is preferably smaller than the volume of one or more bearing bodies (23) or bellows in the area below a rear jaw of the coupling device (15). 37. Connecting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that a pressure of the pressure medium in the bearing bodies (22, 23) or in the bellows is different. 38. Connecting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that a pressure in the region of the bellows or -46- Bearing bodies (23) arranged below a rear jaw of the coupling device (15) are higher than in the other bellows. 39. Connecting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that an interior (37) of one or more bearing bodies (22, 23) or bellows is connected to a pressure medium reservoir via a line. 40. Connecting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that a deformation resistance of the bearing bodies (22, 23) or bellows in the direction of the pivot axis (13; 69) of the joint arrangement (12; 64) is greater than in a direction perpendicular to the running surface (17) of the sports equipment (1). 41. Connecting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support and/or guide device (3) and/or the coupling device (15) is supported on the sports equipment (1) via bearing bodies (22, 23) arranged parallel to their longitudinal direction. 42. Connecting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bearing body (22, 23; 95) has an approximately H-shaped or I-shaped base surface in plan view. 43. Connecting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bearing body (22, 23; 95) is divided into two chambers running parallel in the longitudinal direction, preferably arranged one above the other in a direction perpendicular to the running surface (17). 44. Connecting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that a control valve (33) and a pressure medium pump (34) for the pressure medium are arranged on the support and/or guide device (3). 45. Connecting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control valve (33) and the pressure medium pump (34) for the pressure medium is arranged on the sports equipment (1). -47- 46. Sports equipment, in particular skis with a central region for fastening a coupling device for a shoe, characterized in that a base part (9) of a connecting device (2) according to one or more of the preceding claims is connected to the sports equipment (1) in the region of the mounting point of the sports equipment is.
5 47. Sports equipment according to claim 46, characterized in that a longitudinal, groove-shaped recess (96) is provided in the central region of the sports equipment (1) and the base part (9) of the vertical guide element (4) and/or the bearing bodies (22, 23) are formed in a plane running perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (6) of the sports equipment (1) with an opposite cross-sectional shape adapted to the cross-sectional shape of the sports equipment (1). 48. Sports equipment according to claim 46 or 47, characterized in that a supporting surface of the bearing body (22, 23; 95) has a shape adapted to the groove-shaped depression (96) between elevations (81, 82) and to a surface profile in adjoining partial areas of the surface of the sports equipment (1). 49. Sports equipment according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bearing body (22, 23; 95) has an approximately T-shaped cross-sectional shape. 50. Sports equipment according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one base part (9) of the vertical guide element (4) is mounted on a base surface of the groove-shaped recess (96) of the sports equipment (1). Nurture. 51. Sports equipment according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the base part (9) is provided on the base surface with a plurality of fastening elements spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal direction of the groove-shaped recess (96). elements (118). 52. Sports equipment according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that transversely to the longitudinal direction (6) of the sports equipment (1) several bearing bodies (22, 23; 95) or several chambers of a bearing body (22, 23; 95) and preferably each bearing body (22, 23; 95) or each chamber of a bearing body (22, 23; 95) is connected to a separate supply line (30, 31).