BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate one or more embodiments of the present invention and, together with the detailed description, serve to explain the principles and implementations of the invention.
FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the invention as it is being attached to a snowboard.
FIG. 2 shows a top view of an engaging plate top portion.
FIG. 3 shows a bottom view of an engaging plate bottom portion, with a latching device.
FIG. 4 shows a cut-away view of a latching device.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Before beginning a detailed description of the subject invention, mention of the following is in order. When appropriate, like reference materials and characters are used to designate identical, corresponding, or similar components in differing figure drawings. The figure drawings associated with this disclosure typically are not drawn with dimensional accuracy to scale, i.e., such drawings have been drafted with a focus on clarity of viewing and understanding rather than dimensional accuracy.
In the interest of clarity, not all of the routine features of the implementations described herein are shown and described. It will, of course, be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made in order to achieve the developer's specific goals, such as compliance with application- and business-related constraints, and that these specific goals will vary from one implementation to another and from one developer to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time-consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of engineering for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.
As shown in FIGS. 1-4, a rotatable snowboard boot binding 10 is provided. A boot binding 10 is attachable to a snowboard 60 through engaging plate attachment holes 70 with screws 62. As shown in FIGS. 1-4, a rotatable snowboard boot binding 10 includes a boot plate 12 with a toe end 14, a heel end 16, and an aperture 18, vertical supports 20, a boot binder which includes an upper binding strap 22 and a lower binding strap 24, an engaging plate 26 including a top portion 28 with a perimeter edge 30 and indices 68, a bottom portion 32 with a perimeter edge 34, the bottom portion perimeter edge 34 including engagement slots 36, and a latching device 38 which fits within a cutout 40 in boot plate 12 and engages engagement slots 36. Latching device 38 includes latch springs 42a & b, latch pin 44 with an upper end 46, a lower end 48, and a flange 50, a chain 52, a latch key 54 with teeth 56, and a latch cover 58. Boot binding 10 further includes a lower calf support 64 and an upper calf support 66 connected to boot binding 10. A tether 84 is connected to latch pin upper end 46 allowing the snowboarder to operate the device without having to bend down.
As shown in FIGS. 2 & 3, in a preferred embodiment an engaging plate 26 has a top portion 28 and a bottom portion 32. The top portion perimeter edge 30 overhangs bottom portion perimeter edge 34 in order retain rotatable boot binding 10 in contact with a snowboard 60. Engaging plate top portion and bottom portion are preferably round for ease of manufacturing, but non-circular arrangements are also possible. For instance, bottom portion 32 could be round, with top portion 28 elongated to provide more overlap at the forward and aft ends than along the elongated lateral edges, providing greater stiffness in the long axis of the snowboard boot. In another alternative, bottom portion 32 could comprise spokes radiating from the center rather than a continuous perimeter edge. A further alternative might include a polygonal shape, with engaging slots at the intersections of the outer surfaces. Other alternative shapes might be utilized as well and still fall within the invention. Non-continuous distribution of engagement slots 36 could also be used, the disadvantage being a more limited range of adjustments.
Engaging plate 26 includes attachment holes 70. Attachment holes 70 are distributed to provide attachment points for existing snowboards, as well as to accommodate desired offset or other adjustments by the snowboarder. Attachment holes 70 are countersunk to provide a flush top surface. Attachment screws 62 are provided, preferably Phillips head stainless steel screws, but any fastener style could be used. Indices 68 are provided on the top portion of engaging plate 26 for easy reference. Engaging plate 26 is preferably made from high strength plastic for light weight and low cost, but may be made from any suitable material, including aluminum, coated steel, or stainless steel, and any suitable manufacturing method, such as injection molding, pressing, forging, machining, etc. Attachment screws 62 are preferably made from stainless steel or black oxide coated steel, but any suitable material may be used including aluminum or high strength plastic. Indices 68 may be printed with ink, paint, or molded in relief, in any convenient increments.
As shown in FIGS. 1 & 4, in a preferred embodiment engaging plate 26 is of stepped construction. Boot plate 12 includes counterbored aperture 18 which with an outer bore 72, an inner bore 74, and an aperture ledge 76. The counterbore construction allows the overhanging engaging plate top portion 28 to compress aperture ledge 76 to hold boot binding 10 in place, but does not rise far above boot plate 12 to interfere with the snowboarder's boot. Alternatively, aperture 18 could be constructed with smooth walls, in which case toe end 14 and heel end 16 can be made thicker to prevent interference from engaging plate 26. In another alternative, aperture 18 could be countersunk, with engaging plate 26 constructed in a beveled shape to insert into aperture 18. Boot plate 12 may be made from high strength plastics, aluminum, steel, or any other suitable material, using any suitable manufacturing method, such as injection molding, pressing, forging, machining, etc. A thin friction reducing pad 86 may be attached on the bottom side of boot plate 12, using flush fasteners (not shown). Such pad may made from self-lubricating polymer plastic such as nylon or acetyl resin (sold by E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company of Delaware under the trade name Delrin™). Other low-friction materials may used as well, such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), perfluoroalkoxy polymer resin (PFA), fluorinated ethylene-propylene (FEP), polyoxymethylene, acetyl resin, high molecular weight polyethylene (HMWPE), or ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). Fasteners may be threaded, rivets, or any other suitable means and material. Pad 86 may also be comprised of a plurality of patches distributed on the bottom surface of boot plate 12.
As shown in FIGS. 1 & 4, latching device 38 is provided to lock in place rotatable boot binding 10. In a preferred embodiment, latching device 38 includes a latching device pin 44, with a pin upper end 46, pin lower end 48, and pin flange 50. Pin lower end 48 connects to chain 52. Chain 52 connects pin 44 to latch key 54, and latch key 54 includes latch key teeth 56 which insert into engagement slots 36 on engaging plate 26 to prevent boot binding 10 from rotating. Alternatively, chain 52 could be a cable, cord, ribbon, or flexible strip. Raised bearing race 78 acts as a guide for chain 52 as well as a bearing surface. Latch springs 42a & b exert force to positively engage latch key teeth 56 with engagement slots 36. Alternatively, latching device 38 could include a single latch spring or a plurality of latch springs, acting in tension or compression. Latching device 38 fits within cutout 40, and latching device cover 58 protects and contains latching device 38. Pin upper end 46 connects to tether 84 which can be attached to the snowboarder's leg to allow easy operation. Latch key 54, chain 52, latch springs 42a & b, and latch pin 44 are preferably made with stainless steel for strength and corrosion resistance, but any suitable material may be used, such as high strength plastic, aluminum, or oxide coated steel, and any suitable manufacturing method. Alternatively, latching device 38 could include an engaging bar inserted across latch key 54 within cutout 40, with a tension bar inserted through latch key 54. Pulling on tether 84 would leverage latch key 54 against the tension bar, thereby disengaging teeth 56 from engagement slots 36, allowing the boot binding 10 to rotate.
As shown in FIG. 1, in a preferred embodiment vertical support 20 rises along the lateral edges of boot plate 12 to provide lateral support for the snowboarder's foot. Lower calf support 64 adds further support for the snowboarder's foot, and is preferably adjustably connected to vertical support 20, in order to accommodate differing boot sizes. Alternatively, lower calf support 64 may be rigidly connected to vertical support 20. In another alternative boot plate 12, vertical supports 20 and lower calf support 64 may be molded as a single piece, to provide stronger support or to reduce manufacturing costs. Upper calf support 66 is preferably connected to lower calf support 64 through an articulated joint 80 which provides flexible support. Rearward overextension is prevented by stopper 82. Vertical supports 20 are preferably formed with boot plate 12 as one piece from high strength plastic, but other materials and methods may be used. Lower calf support 64 is preferably made from stainless steel or aluminum for high tensile strength and durability, but other materials such as high strength plastic may be used. Upper calf support 66 is preferably made from molded plastic to allow some flexion, but any suitable material may be used.
Toe end 14 and heel end 16 are provided with raised pads 90 and 92, respectively, to provide positive capture for the snowboarder's boot and clearance for engaging plate 26. Preferably both are adjustably mounted pads so as to accommodate differing boot sizes, but they may be formed as part of boot plate 12 in order to reduce manufacturing costs. A boot binder preferably includes an upper binding strap 22 and a lower binding strap 24, which may be any commonly available style of strap. More or fewer binding straps may be used. Alternatively, a boot binder may include boot clamps, or a combination of binding straps and boot clamps. Wide padded webbing may be added to binding straps 22 and 24 to prevent the straps from twisting and fraying.
In operation in one embodiment, referring to FIGS. 1-4, a rotatable snowboard boot binding 10 is attached to snowboard 60 with screws 62 through attachment holes 70 in engaging plate 26, so that engaging plate top portion perimeter edge 30 compresses down against aperture ledge 76 to hold boot binding 10 firmly. Latch key teeth 56 fit snugly into engaging slots 36 along engaging plate bottom portion perimeter edge 34 to lock boot binding 10 and prevent rotation. A snowboarder may adjust the angle of boot binding 10 by pulling on tether 84 to lift latching device pin 44, thereby pulling chain 52 and compressing latch springs 42a & b. Chain 52 slides along raised bearing race 78, thereby sliding latch key 54 within boot plate cutout 40 until latch key teeth 56 are clear of engagement slots 36 and boot binding 10 is free to rotate in relation to snowboard 60. Indices 68 make adjustment to the proper angle easy. When boot binding 10 is adjusted to the proper angle the snowboarder simply releases tension on tether 84, allowing latch springs 42a & b to decompress and drive latch key 54 toward engaging plate 26 and engaging latch key teeth 56 in engagement slots 36 to prevent rotation of boot binding 10.
Those skilled in the art will recognize that numerous modifications and changes may be made to the preferred embodiment without departing from the scope of the claimed invention. It will, of course, be understood that modifications of the invention, in its various aspects, will be apparent to those skilled in the art, some being apparent only after study, others being matters of routine mechanical, chemical and electronic design. No single feature, function or property of the preferred embodiment is essential. Other embodiments are possible, their specific designs depending upon the particular application. As such, the scope of the invention should not be limited by the particular embodiments herein described but should be defined only by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.
Patent Application
20070290463
