The invention relates to a snowboard binding.
European patent EP 0 351 298 A2 discloses a binding having a mounting part, which can be attached by means of screws to the surface of a snowboard. The mounting part has a recess in the form of an elongated hole. A peg projects through this elongated hole and is set at a distance from a clamping plate, which is arranged between the bottom side of the mounting part and the top side of the snowboard and which can move in the direction of the mentioned elongated hole. A base plate can be set on the mounting part, wherein the base plate also has a recess through which said peg projects. The typical attachment elements are attached to the base plate for holding a shoe on the base plate. Above the base plate there is a hold-down plate which has a central recess through which a screw is inserted and can be screwed into threads of the mentioned peg of the clamping plate. When the screw is tightened, the base plate is fixed between the hold-down plate and the mounting plate because the hold-down plate is pulled against the clamping plate. When the screw is loosened, the entire unit consisting of the clamping plate, mounting plate, and hold-down plate can be shifted in the elongated hole of the mounting plate, which allows the position of the binding to be set in a longitudinal direction. Here, the screw has an activation handle so that it can also be tightened and loosened by hand, thus without a tool.
EP 0 840 640 B1 shows a similar binding, for which, however, the mounting plate with elongated hole is incorporated into the body of the snowboard and has a box-like profile with an elongated slot. A similar binding is also shown in DE 295 01 515 U1, for which a guide profile is also incorporated into the body of the snowboard. Instead of a hold-down plate, there is merely a central screw at this position that engages through a corresponding hole of the base plate. One such binding is also shown in FR 25 75 660 A1.
A common feature in all of the mentioned bindings is that the position of the binding can be adjusted easily and without a tool in the longitudinal direction of the snowboard, wherein for this prior art fixing of the binding is always realized by frictional forces. Some of these bindings, e.g., EP 0 840 640 B1 and EP 0 351 298 A2, also allow adjustment of the rotational position of the base plate relative to a rotational axis perpendicular to the snowboard surface.
FR 26 27 097 A1 and WO 98/08480 A1 show snowboard bindings, for which only the rotational position of the base plate can be changed without a tool. For FR 26 27 097 A1, toothed racks, which engage in counter teeth and which can move linearly, are attached to a rotary plate. The racks are shifted with a lever, which can open or close the toothing. For WO 98/08480 A1, the base plate is attached to a rotary plate with a locking peg, which is formed on the rotary plate, can move perpendicular to the snowboard surface, and can be locked in holes of a counter plate.
For the last-mentioned bindings, only the rotational position of the binding can be set, but not its position relative to the surface of the snowboard.
All of these bindings have the essential purpose that every adjustment is simple to realize, so that these bindings are suitable, above all, for snowboard rental, where the binding frequently must be adjusted to different users. Such bindings are also suitable for persons who like to find their optimal position by experiment, and who like to try different binding positions or alignments quickly, without tools, while on the slope.
In general, the adjustment of position and alignment for a snowboard binding should have three degrees of freedom, namely
Therefore, the problem of the invention is to improve the snowboard binding mentioned in the introduction such that it can be adjusted in three degrees of freedom, the adjusted position is maintained reliably, and the adjustment is simple.
Briefly, therefore, the invention is directed to a snowboard binding comprising a mounting plate for attachment to a snowboard surface in spaced-apart relation thereto and having a mounting plate opening, a clamping plate having a peg projecting through the mounting plate opening, a base plate having a base plate opening, and a hold-down plate having a central hold-down plate opening for receiving the peg, wherein the hold-down plate extends over and beyond the base plate opening. There is a clamp fixing the clamping plate and the hold-down plate to the mounting plate. The mounting plate opening is substantially larger than dimensions of the peg in two directions that are perpendicular to each other, so that the clamping plate, the hold-down plate, and the base plate can move relative to the mounting plate in these two directions. There is a positive-fit connection of the mounting plate to the clamping plate and/or of the hold-down plate to the mounting plate.
The basic principle of the invention lies in the mounting part having a recess which is large enough that an adjustment along two axes of a Cartesian coordinate system in the plane of the snowboard surface is enabled, where fixing of the position is realized by a positive-fit toothed section.
According to a refinement of the invention, the direction of motion in the longitudinal direction of the snowboard (x-direction) is decoupled from the transverse direction (y-direction). For this purpose, between the top side of the clamping plate and the bottom side of the mounting plate there is a straight line toothed section, and between the top side of the mounting plate and the bottom side of the hold-down plate there is likewise a positive-fit connection that permits motion in only one direction perpendicular to the direction of motion of the first-mentioned toothed section.
In a different variant of the invention, a toothed section is provided between only the bottom side of the mounting plate and the top side of the clamping plate. Preferably, the teeth have a pyramid shape and the counter teeth have corresponding recesses.
In the plan view, the clamping plate preferably has the shape of a cross with four legs or a star with three legs, whereby for the given size of the mounting plate the adjustment region can be increased because the legs can still reach between attachment pedestals of the mounting plate.
In the following, the invention is explained in more detail with reference to embodiments in connection with the drawings. Shown are:
a, 3b, and 3c, a bottom view, a cross section, and a plan view of the clamping element,
d, 3e, and 3f, a view from below, a cross section, and a plan view of the mounting plate,
g, 3h, and 3i, a view from below, a cross section, and a plan view of the hold-down plate; and
In the individual figures, the same reference symbols correspond to the same or functionally equivalent parts.
This application claims priority from German application 103 13 342.9, filed Mar. 25, 2003, the entire disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference.
Initially, reference is made to
The binding according to the invention further has a mounting plate 3, a clamping element 4 with peg 5 extending in the perpendicular direction, and a clamping lever 6 that is attached to a a pin 7 forming a pivot axis so that it can pivot on the peg 5.
The mounting plate 3 is attached to the surface of the snowboard S by several pedestals 8, which each feature a hole 9. This attachment is typically realized by means of screws not shown, which engage in nuts that are incorporated as so-called inserts in the body of the snowboard S. For most snowboards on the market today, these nuts are arranged in the pattern of a square with a side length of 4 cm so that the holes 9 are also arranged in a corresponding way. Obviously, it is also possible to arrange the pedestals and holes according to other patterns of inserts, e.g., in the shape of an equilateral triangle.
The mounting plate 3 can be rectangular (cf.
The peg 5 has a transverse hole 12, via which the clamping lever 6 can be attached by means of a pivot axis formed as a pin. This pin 7 is supported on the clamping lever 6 by means of a corresponding hole 12′, with the clamping lever having a clamping area 13 that is eccentric relative to the axis of the pin 7 and that bears against the top side of the hold-down plate 2. By pivoting the pivot lever 6 about the axis of the pin 7, the hold-down plate 2 is thus moved against the clamping element 4 in the z-direction, whereby the hold-down plate 2 and the clamping element 4 are pressed from above or below against the corresponding surfaces of the mounting plate 3. The arrangement of the eccentric clamping area 13 relative to the clamping lever 6 is chosen so that when the clamping lever 6 is pressed downwards the mentioned connection is tightened, and when the lever is raised the mentioned connection is loosened.
In the embodiment of
On the top side of the mounting plate 3 there are several projecting pins 16, 17, 18, and 19, which engage in appropriate elongated recesses 20, 21, 22, and 23, respectively, in the bottom side of the hold-down plate 2, these recesses 20–23 being formed like blind hole recesses that do not extend completely through the thickness of the hold-down plate 2. These recesses 20–23 are used as guides for the pins 16–19 and permit shifting of the hold-down plate 2, relative to the mounting plate 3, in the x-direction.
Thus, for both directions of movement x and y, a positive-fit coupling is realized of the hold-down plate 2, in connection with the clamping element 4, to the mounting plate 3, wherein the directions of movement (x and y) are decoupled from each other.
Here, there are several recesses 20–23, so that the pins can be inserted selectively in one of the recesses of a group. This produces further stepped adjustability in the y-direction.
As can be seen best from
In a similar way, the toothed sections 14, 15 can be formed so that the height of the teeth is smaller than the height of the pins 16–19, so that in another released position of the pivot lever 6, adjustment perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the teeth 14, 15, i.e., in the x-direction, is possible, but the pins 16–19 remain in engagement with the recesses 20–23.
From
In
As can be seen best from
In
For the configuration shown in
From
As can be seen best from
In the illustrated embodiment, the pin 17 engages in one of these three recesses, wherein the remaining pins 16, 18, and 19 engage in the corresponding recesses 20, 22, and 23. Obviously, the outer diameter of the mounting plate 3 is smaller than the inner diameter of the projecting shoulder 26 of the hold-down plate 2, so that the mounting plate 3 always lies within this shoulder 26 in all possible positions.
At this point, it should also be mentioned that there is a positive-fit connection between the top side of the mounting plate 3 and the bottom side of the hold-down plate 2, with the configuration with pins 16–19 and associated recesses 20–23 being only one possible embodiment. Here it would also be possible, e.g., to provide a toothed section analogous to the toothed section 14, 15.
In a corresponding way, toothed section 34 with pyramid-shaped teeth is formed on the top side of the mounting plate 3. These teeth are likewise aligned and spaced regularly in the x and y directions. Then the bottom side of the hold down plate 2 likewise has pyramid-shaped recesses corresponding to the teeth 34.
It is clear that one of the two toothed sections 14 or 34 could be left out, because the hold down plate 2 and the clamping plate 4 are coupled rigidly in the x and y directions by means of the peg 5 and the opening 11. Thus, in a preferred embodiment, the toothed section 14′ on the clamping plate 4 is left out, so that its arms have a smooth, flat surface and the bottom side of the mounting plate 3 is likewise smooth and flat. Otherwise, the embodiment of
When introducing elements of the present invention or the preferred embodiment(s) thereof, the articles “a”, “an”, “the” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising”, “including” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements.
In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.
As various changes could be made in the above methods and products without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
103 13 342 | Mar 2003 | DE | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
6007085 | Rigal et al. | Dec 1999 | A |
6189899 | Carlson | Feb 2001 | B1 |
6428032 | Humbel | Aug 2002 | B1 |
6505841 | Kessler et al. | Jan 2003 | B1 |
6666472 | Joubert Des Ouches | Dec 2003 | B1 |
6786502 | Carlson | Sep 2004 | B1 |
6817622 | Dodge | Nov 2004 | B1 |
20030116931 | Quattro et al. | Jun 2003 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
295 01 515.2 | Feb 1995 | DE |
296 09 789 | Jun 1996 | DE |
10015457 | Oct 2001 | DE |
0 351 298 | Jul 1989 | EP |
0 840 640 | Mar 1999 | EP |
2 575 660 | Jul 1986 | FR |
2 627 097 | Aug 1989 | FR |
2755025 | Apr 1998 | FR |
WO 8908480 | Mar 1989 | WO |
WO 02070087 | Sep 2002 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20040207166 A1 | Oct 2004 | US |