Patent Application
20080030001
Bindings are widely used to secure a rider's foot to a gliding board, whether a snowboard, wakeboard, water ski, snow ski, and so on. One such type of binding includes a so-called “baseless” binding in which a rider's foot may be placed directly on the gliding board surface and be secured in place by a binding that partially surrounds the foot. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,641,163 discloses a baseless binding arrangement in which an interface element is positioned between the sole of the rider's boot and the top side of the gliding board. The interface element includes at least one zone that is made of a thermoformable material that is capable of matching the imprint of the sole of the rider's boot, allowing the boot to be immobilized precisely in position with respect to the binding.
In one aspect of the invention, a binding for use with a gliding board includes a footbed constructed and arranged to support a rider's foot, and a base constructed and arranged to be secured to a gliding board and to engage with the footbed portion. As used herein, a “foot” means a bare foot as well as a foot covered by footwear, such as a sock, shoe, sneaker, boot, etc. The base may be constructed and arranged to allow a rider's foot to directly contact the gliding board when secured to the gliding board without the footbed, i.e., may be used as a conventional “baseless” binding. At least one foot engagement member may be secured to the base and constructed and arranged to secure the rider's foot relative to the base. For example, one or more binding straps, step-in binding engagement devices or other suitable arrangements may be used to secure a rider's boot to the base. A highback may be secured to the base and constructed and arranged to support a rider's leg. The footbed may include an adjustment indicator that allows for determination of a longitudinal position, heel-to-toe position and/or an angular position when the base is secured to a gliding board. According to this aspect of the invention, a footbed that is removable from a binding base may provide indicator features that may help a rider accurately position the binding on a board during mounting.
In another aspect of the invention, a binding for use with a gliding board includes a footbed constructed and arranged to support a rider's foot and that has a heel portion and a toe portion that are attached to each other (either directly or indirectly via an intermediate member or members). The binding base may be constructed and arranged to be secured to a gliding board and to operate with the footbed. However, the base may be constructed and arranged to allow a rider's foot to directly contact the gliding board when secured to the gliding board without the footbed. At least one foot engagement member may be secured to the base and constructed and arranged to secure the rider's foot relative to the base. A highback may be secured to the base and constructed and arranged to support a rider's leg. The toe portion of the footbed may be adjustable in position relative to the heel portion, e.g., in the heel-to-toe direction, and the footbed may be removed from the base. In accordance with this aspect of the invention, a binding may include a removable footbed (thereby providing a conventional “baseless” binding), and if used, the footbed may provide a rider with an adjustable toe ramp feature, e.g., to accommodate different boot types and/or differently sized feet. This aspect of the invention may be used with the adjustment indicator feature described above, if desired.
In another aspect of the invention, a binding for use with a gliding board may include a footbed constructed and arranged to support a rider's foot, and a base constructed and arranged to be secured to a gliding board and to engage with the footbed. The footbed in this aspect of the invention may be permanently affixed to the base (e.g., integrally molded with the base) or may be removable from the base so that the base may be used as a baseless binding. At least one foot engagement member may be secured to the base and constructed and arranged to secure the rider's foot relative to the base, and a highback may be secured to the base and constructed and arranged to support a rider's leg. The binding may include an indicator element that is engageable with the gliding board to remain stationary relative to the gliding board in at least heel-to-toe and angular directions, yet the indicator element may be movable independent of the footbed and the base, thereby providing an indication of a heel-to-toe position and/or an angular position of the footbed and base relative to the gliding board. The indicator element may be separate and apart from any hold down disk that might be used to mount the binding to a board. For example, the indicator element may be a member that is attached to the footbed, but is allowed to move independently of the footbed so as to provide an indication of the footbed's position relative to the board.
In another aspect of the invention, a method for mounting a snowboard binding to a gliding board includes providing a snowboard binding having footbed removably mounted to a base, with the footbed including an adjustment indicator for determination of a longitudinal position, heel-to-toe position and/or an angular position of the binding when secured to a gliding board. A gliding board is provided, and the base is secured to the gliding board. A position of the snowboard binding may be determined using the adjustment indicator.
In another aspect of the invention, a snowboard includes a top reinforcement layer, a bottom reinforcement layer, and a core (e.g., made of wood strips secured together) positioned between the top and bottom reinforcement layers. A channel for mounting a binding to the board may be secured within an opening in the core such that no portion of the core is located above or below the channel, and so that the top reinforcement layer is positioned above the channel, and the bottom reinforcement layer is positioned below the channel. In one embodiment, the channel may be a metal member having a “C” shaped cross section and may be constructed and arranged to receive a fastener (e.g., a T-nut) for mounting a binding to the snowboard.
These and other aspects of the invention will be appreciated from the following description and claims.
Aspects of the invention are described below with reference to the following drawings in which like numerals reference like elements, and wherein:
It should be understood that aspects of the invention are described herein with reference to the figures, which show illustrative embodiments in accordance with aspects of the invention. The illustrative embodiments described herein are not necessarily intended to show all aspects of the invention, but rather are used to describe a few illustrative embodiments. For example, although aspects of the invention are described below with reference to a snowboard binding used in conjunction with a snowboard, aspects of the invention may be used with any suitable gliding board and corresponding binding. Thus, aspects of the invention are not intended to be construed narrowly in view of the illustrative embodiments. In addition, it should be understood that aspects of the invention may be used alone or in any suitable combination with other aspects of the invention.
As discussed above, one aspect of the invention relates to providing an adjustment indicator with a binding so as to provide an indication of position of the binding (the base and/or footbed) relative to the board on which the binding is mounted. The adjustment indicator may include one or more parts, e.g., a viewing window formed in the footbed, and an indicator element, e.g., a planar member, that is attached to the footbed and viewable in the window. Although attached to the footbed, an indicator element may be moveable relative to the footbed or base, e.g., the element may be mounted in a pocket in the footbed and be movable within a plane that is substantially parallel to the top surface of a board to which the binding is mounted. The indicator element may be separate and apart from a hold down disk (if any) used to mount the binding to the gliding board, and may engage with the gliding board to remain stationary relative to the gliding board in at least heel-to-toe and angular directions despite movement of the binding relative to the board. The indicator element may engage with the board in any suitable way, such as by one or more fasteners, adhesive (whether permanent or not), a rib or tab that engages with a corresponding slot or hole in the board, a hole in the indicator element that engages with a pin or other element on the board, and so on. Thus, the footbed and the base may be moved independent of the indicator element in heel-to-toe and/or angular directions so that the indicator element may provide an indication of a heel-to-toe position and/or an angular position of the footbed and base relative to the gliding board. The indicator element may also provide an indication of a longitudinal position of the binding relative to the board, e.g., by way of a pointer, marking or other feature that may be aligned with a marking or other feature on the board and viewed by the rider.
The sidewalls 21 each include a slot 25 to receive a screw or other fastener for securing the base 2 relative to a gliding board, such as a snowboard. The slots 25 may be molded integrally with the sidewalls 21, and may have a metal insert or other reinforcement to support the fastener. For example, in one embodiment, the slot 25 may include a steel washer that surrounds each slot 25. In this illustrative embodiment, the base 2 is secured to a snowboard using a threaded fastener and T-nut arrangement 102, although other arrangements may be used. For example, in some aspects of the invention, the base 2 may be secured to a board using a hold down disk, standard screws, or any other suitable arrangement. Likewise, the base 2 may be arranged to cooperate with any suitable fastening arrangement, e.g., a 4×4, 3D(R) or other threaded insert pattern used in snowboards. This illustrative embodiment is arranged to operate with a channel-type slot in a board, as discussed in more detail below.
The binding 1 in this illustrative embodiment also includes a highback 4 that is secured to the sidewalls 21 at slots 26 formed in the sidewalls 21. Although the highback 4 may be mounted to the sidewalls 21 using simple holes, the slots 26 may allow the highback 4 to be rotated and fixed in place relative to the base 2 within a range of angles about an axis that extends generally along the length of a rider's lower leg. The highback 4 may be constructed in any suitable way, but in this embodiment is formed to have a slot 44 formed across the highback 4 so that the upper portion 41 of the highback is attached to the lower portion 42 by living hinge members 43. The living hinges 43 may allow the upper portion 41 to be moved relative to the lower portion 42, e.g., by operating a forward lean adjuster mechanism (not shown) as known in the art. Of course, the highback 4 may be formed as a solid member with no slot 44, or the upper portion 41 may be connected to the lower portion 42 by a hinge pin or other suitable arrangement.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the binding 1 includes a footbed 5 that is removably attached to the base 2. By “removably attached,” it is meant that the footbed 5 may be removed from the base 2 by removal of one or more screw or other fasteners, or may be removed in a tool-free manner. This is in contrast to most snowboard bindings in which the portion that supports the bottom of the rider's foot is molded integrally with or otherwise permanently attached to the sidewalls, heel hoop and other portions of the binding. Thus, in one illustrative embodiment, the footbed 5 may be removed from the base 2, e.g., for replacement if worn and/or to change performance features of the binding. For example, some footbeds 5 may be arranged to provide more cushion or shock absorbance, whereas other footbeds 5 may be made more stiff and provide the rider with improved feel of the board on the gliding surface. Thus, a plurality of different footbeds 5 may be made to operate with a single base 2. (In some embodiments, the base 2 may be used without a footbed 5, i.e., with at least portions of the sole of a rider's foot in direct contact with the board to which the base 2 is mounted.)
In this embodiment, the toe end of the footbed 5 is connected by screws (not shown) or other fasteners that pass through holes 27 in a crossbar 28 of the base 2 and engage with the toe portion 51. Thus, in addition to the lugs 53, the footbed 5 may be secured to the base 2 in part by fasteners that engage the footbed 5 at the crossbar 28. As is discussed in more detail below, the connection between the footbed 5 and the crossbar 28 may permit the toe portion 51 to be moved in a heel-to-toe direction without requiring the footbed 5 to be disconnected from the base 2.
In another aspect of the invention, the footbed 5 includes three adjustment indicators, although fewer or more indicators may be used, or a single indicator may provide multiple binding position indications. The adjustment indicators allow a rider to determine the position of the binding 1 relative to the board, specifically a longitudinal position of the binding 1 in a tip-to-tail direction on the board, a heel-to-toe position, and/or an angular position (e.g., a rotational position of the binding about a vertical axis that is generally perpendicular to the top surface of the board). A first indicator 54 provides a window through the footbed 5 so that the rider can see a portion of the board underlying the first indicator 54. The indicator 54 may include a pointer, arrow or other feature that, for example, is located at a lateral centerpoint or other suitable location on the binding. The pointer or arrow may be aligned with a suitable mark on the board, such as a hash mark, a rider applied marking, or other feature on the board that indicates the desired location on the board for the binding. A second indicator 55 may provide an indicator for heel-to-toe position of the binding on the board. As will be discussed in more detail below, a portion of the footbed 5 may engage with the board and remain stationary in a heel-to-toe direction as the binding is adjusted. The stationary portion may include hash marks or other features that indicate, for example, a heel-to-toe centerpoint of the binding, and a plurality of other marks on either side of the centerpoint. A third indicator 56 may provide an indication of an angle of the binding 1 relative to the board. Again, a portion of the footbed 5 may engage with the board and remain stationary as the binding is adjusted angularly. Angle markings or other suitable features may be viewed by the rider during adjustment to determine a desired angular position of the binding on the board. In accordance with this aspect of the invention, a rider may be able to view and set longitudinal position, heel-to-toe position and angular position while viewing indicators on the binding that are located together. This arrangement may allow a rider to more easily make binding adjustments.
As can also be seen in
In the bottom view of
Aspects of the invention relating to the adjustment indicator are not limited to bindings which have a removable footbed. For example, the footbed 5 described in the embodiments above may be permanently fixed to the base (e.g., glued, screwed, molded integrally at least in part, etc.), if desired. Alternately, in another embodiment, an indicator element similar to that described above may be incorporated into a standard tray-type or other binding with a fixed baseplate. In such embodiments, the indicator element may include a plate that is movable within a horizontally oriented slot in the baseplate, i.e., the portion that supports the sole of a rider's foot, in much the same way that the indicator element is movable in the recess in the footbed above. However, in this embodiment, the indicator element may include one or more holes to receive fasteners for securing the binding to the board, e.g., the holes may match an insert pattern such as the 4×4 or 3D pattern in a snowboard. Thus, the indicator element may be initially engaged with the board with the fasteners in a relatively loose condition so that the binding base is permitted to move on the board relative to the indicator element. Once the base is positioned as desired (the binding position may be determined in the same way as in the footbed embodiment above, except that indicator windows may be formed in the baseplate as opposed to a footbed), the fasteners may be tightened such that the indicator element clamps the base onto the board, e.g., in a way similar to some hold down disks.
In another illustrative embodiment, an indicator element, e.g., a sticker shaped like the indicator element 6, may be fixed to the board, and located so that the binding is placed over the indicator element. The binding, which may have a removable or fixed footbed, may include windows or other indicator features that allow viewing of portions of the indicator element so as to determine a binding location relative to the board.
Given the slot 101 mounting arrangement, the binding 1 can be adjusted in longitudinal position on the board through a potentially wide range of positions, limited only by the length of the slot 101. Markings may be provided on the board near the slot 101 and may be viewed using the first indicator window 54 to confirm the longitudinal position of the binding 1. For example, as shown in
The engagement of the indicator element 6 with the board 10 may be achieved in ways other than by having a rib 61 contact sides of the slot 101. For example, a T-nut or similar element may be positioned in the channel 103 and have a member extend upwardly through the slot 101 and above the board top surface. The member may have a size, shape or other configuration to engage with a mating feature on the indicator element 6. In one illustrative embodiment, the member may have a special shape, such as a star shape, that engages with a corresponding star-shaped hole in the indicator element 6. This arrangement may allow the footbed 5 to be made with no parts depending below the bottom surface of the footbed 5, e.g., to allow the footbed to be used on boards that do not have a corresponding mating feature for the indicator element. In addition, this arrangement may help ensure that only proper bindings that have an appropriate mating feature in the indicator element 6 are used with a particular board. For example, boards requiring the use of a particular binding may include indicator element mating parts that have a six-sided star shape. Thus, only bindings with a six-sided star hole may be properly mated with the board. Boards requiring a different binding type may have differently shaped indicator element mating parts.
In one aspect of the invention, a variety of different types of footbeds 5 may be arranged for operation with a single type of base 2. The footbeds 5 may have a variety of different properties, such as different sizes, shapes, heights, indicator features, and so on.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention and as discussed above, the highback 4 includes an upper portion 41 and a lower portion 42 that are connected together at a living hinge portion 43. For example, the highback 4 may be molded as a single unitary part with a slot 44 that extends around the highback 4, leaving the upper and lower portions 41 and 42 connected only at the living hinge portions 43. The upper portion 41 may be adjusted in position relative to the lower portion 42, e.g., to adjust a forward lean of the highback 4. In this embodiment and as shown in a rear view of the highback 4 in
Having thus described several aspects of at least one embodiment of this invention, it is to be appreciated various alterations, modifications, and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Such alterations, modifications, and improvements are intended to be part of this disclosure, and are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings are by way of example only.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application 60/819,131, filed Jul. 7, 2006, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60819131 | Jul 2006 | US |
