SAFETY FASTENINGS FOR "SURF" SNOWBOARDS

Abstract: Safety fastenings for snowboards (1) are mounted transversally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the board, characterised by the fact that they are provided with interdependent automatic release means, connecting two twin fastenings (14); said release means being brought into the "active" position i.e. with fastenings fixing the skier's ski boots (3) are provided with an organ such as a lever or a push button placed under the sole of each ski boot, which by means of mechanical, hydraulic or pneumatic connecting means, is connected to the release and opening organ of the twin fastening; said organ (25) being subjected to the weight of the skier remaining in an inactive position but which controls the opening of the twin fastening immediately if, for any reason, the pressure transmit­ ted by the other ski boot ceases.

Description: Amongst the various snow sports, the use of snowboards is known on which the fastenings for the ski-boots of the skier are fixed in a transverse direction and at different angles with respect to the longitudinal axis of the board. The overall dimensions and the weight of the board constitute a serious risk for the skier in the case of a fall and therefore the fastenings of the ski-boots mounted on the board should be "safety" fastenings and structured in such a way that, in case of a fall, they both immediately open, thereby freeing the feet of the skier from the obstacle of the board. Several types of safety fastenings for snowboards are known. From patent US-A-4,652,007 a Releasable Binding System for Snowboarding is known according to which known safety fastenings for skis are used fixed onto the board parallel to the longitudinal axis of same. Given the position that the skier takes up on the board, with his feet transversely orientated with respect to the longitudinal axis of same, said fastenings cooperate with parts that simulate the ski-boots. These parts which simulate the ski-boots are in turn provided with fastenings which take up the necessary transverse position for the ski-boots of the skier. The purpose of the invention is to provide safety fastenings which can be directly applied in the transverse position on snowboards in such a way as to open and simultaneously release the ski-boots of the skier in case of a fall. In view of the above described purpose the safety fastenings according to the invention are applied on the snowboard in the transverse position, at differend angles with respect to the longitudinal axis of same and are characterised by interdependent connecting means between twin devices, one device for each fastening, each device is capable of causing the automatic reciprocal opening and the immediate release of a fastening in case the other fastening, for any reason, detaches the corresponding ski-boot. The invention is set out in claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are featured in the dependent claims 2 and 3. The fastenings according to the invention are described below with reference to the schematic drawings attached, in which: - Figure 1 illustrates a snowboard seen from above; - Figure 2 is a side view; - Figure 3 is a front prospective view of one of the fastenings, Figure 4 is a perspective, rear view of the same, Figures 5, 6 and 7 are axonometric view of the mechanism of each fastening, in three different positions, Figure 8 is an axonometric view of two twin fastenings, Figures 9, 10 and 11 are partial views of the rear part, split in half, of a preferred, non exclusive heel clamp organ for the ski boots, Figure 12 is a side view showing a ski boot fixed to the snowboard by one of the fastenings according to the invention, Figure 13 shows a variant relating to a particular described below. In Figures 1, 2, 3, 12 the fastenings 2, 2a are fixed to the snowboard 1, provided in the front with bridge-shaped grips 4 which engage the front projecting edge of a ski boot 3, and which is blocked at the back by the heel grip. The covers 20 of the back part of each fastening close the boxed in bodies 14; on the opposite sides of each of said bodies, are hinged the extremities of couples of springs 6 of a well-known type of downhill ski fastening, provided with a two-way lever 7 which can block or unblock the heel of the ski boot 3, in relation to the position the parts 5a are forced to assume, Figures 9 to 12. The working of this popular kind of heel grip is known; when the fastening blocks the corresponding ski boot the lever 7 is in the position as shown in Figure 9, if said lever, passing through the position illustrated in Figure 10 is forced into the position as shown in Figure 11 which releases it from the stop position 5b, the reaction of the spring 6, by a snap action, releases the back part of the ski boot 3. A cylindrical or prismatic push button 12 projects from the centre of the cover 20 of each fastening, through a suitable hole, said button being subjected to the reaction of springs 13, which are rated and compressed, coaxial to the pin 12a and fixed to the bottom of the corresponding boxed in body 14, Figure 5. In the example illustrated in Figures 5, 6, the push button 12, which is shaped like an upside-down cup, is telescopically mounted on the fixed case 12b, which contains the spring(s) 13, Figure 5. Said push button 12 can slide on the case 12b only in the direction indicated by the arrow Y, counter reacting to the spring 13; in the opposite direction it is blocked with respect to the extremity of the pin 12a, for example by a set screw. An angular lever 21 is mounted in the box 14, oscillating as a pivot around a pin 22, Figures 5, 6, 7. A branch of the lever 21 is positioned so as to intervene on the vertical path of the lower edge of the push button 12; the opposite branch of said lever, provided with a stopping groove 23, engages and captures a control lever 24, which projects from the box through an opening 29, Figures 5 to 8. The lever 24 is fixed to an angular section 25, rotatably hinged, 26, to the bottom of the box 14; said section is provided with an external, angular projecting part 25a. A traction spring 27 takes the sector 25 from the position shown in Figure 6 to the position shown in Figure 5. The extremity of a wire rope 28, adjustable in length, is connected to the branch of the section 25, fixed to the lever 24, said wire rope exiting from the side of the box 14, opposite the side housing the control lever 24 and, by means of a sheathed portion 29, protected and stopped by a plate 30 fixed to the upper side of the snowboard, reaches the twin fastening. The opposite extremity 28a of the wire rope 28, by means of tension regulators 31, Figure 4, is fixed to the lever 7 which controls the position of the heel grip 5 of the twin fastening. The two fastenings 2, 2a, Figure 1, are therefore connected one to the other by means of a couple of wire ropes, each of which originates from the mechanism contained in the box 14 of one reaches the lever 7 of the other. The use and the working of the fastenings described above is as follows. The lever 24 of each fastening, is manoeuvered in such a way as to bring it from the position as shown in Figure 5 into the position as shown in Figure 6. The stopping means 23 of the pivot lever 21, activated by a torsional spring wound on the pin 22, blocks the lever 24 and the section 25 in the position as shown in Figure 6. The heel of each ski boot 3, worn by the skier, comes to rest on the push button 12a of the corresponding fastening; the bridge-shaped front parts 4 block the toe of the ski boot in the known way. By exercising adequate pressure with the ski boot heel on the push button 12, the lower edge of the said push button acts on the extremity of the pivot lever 21 which, oscillating, assumes the position as shown in Figure 7, freeing the lever 24 which is released from the block 23. The section 25 effects a minimum angular movement due to the traction of the spring 27 as it is blocked by the projection 25a which stops against the jacket of the push button 12. This condition remains unchanged until the weight of the skier is placed on the push button 12 of both the fastenings, which block the coresponding ski boots, even if the clamps 23 do not capture the corresponding control levers 24. Should, for any reason, the pressure exercised on one or the other push button 12, of one or the other fastening by the corresponding ski boot, cease, the unweighted push button springs up and returns to the position illustrated in Figure 5, due to the reaction of the corresponding spring 13. The projection 25a of the section 25 is freed from the stop constituted by the push button jacket 12 which is raised; the section 25, due to the action of the spring 27, returns to the position as illustrated in Figure 5 and pulls the wire rope 28 connected to the lever 7 of the other fastening. The lever 7, due to the traction exercised by the extremity 28a of the wire rope 28 passes from the position illustrated in Figure 9 to that shown in Figure 11, causing the heel grip 5 to release the fastening of the corresponding ski boot due to the reaction of the springs 6. From the above description, it is clear that if, for any reason, one of the fastenings breaks and releases the corresponding ski boot, the push button 12 of the relative fastening causes the twin fastening to be released and the skier's feet are immediately freed from the snowboard 1. According to the variant shown in Figure 13, one extremity of the metal rope 28 can be directly connected to the push button 12 of the device of both fastenings and, respectively, to the lever 7 which opens the twin fastening. Also in this case, both the push buttons 12 slide through the cover 20 of the box 14 and the plate 35 of the back part of the fastening, present in some fastenings. In this case the push button 12 is provided with a collar 12c which intervenes on the part 25a of the section 25 and on the extremity of the pivot lever 21, also acting as a stop against the cover 20 when the device snaps and returns to the position as shown in Figure 5. The boxes 14 containing the devices are preferably connected to the grip 4 by means of a metal base 16. The extremities of the grip 4 are rotatably hinged to the sides of a guide 36, Figures 3, 4, adjustable into position along a screw 37 by means of a suitable key 38, Figure 3. The box 14 can be placed at any other point, except under the heel, as long as it is under the sole of the other ski boot. The interdependence of the two fastenings can also be achieved with different means, such as hydraulic or pneumatic devices. The push button 12 can be replaced by a lever articulated on the cover 20 and directly connected to the control cable of the corresponding lever 7. Even if other structural variants of the safety fastenings for snowboards described above can be realised, these do not leave the context of the patent as they are characterised by the fact that they are interdependent, i.e. the cause the release of the twin fastening when one of the two fastenings, for any reason, breaks and frees the relative ski boot.

Claims: Snow board comprising safety fastenings applied to the upper face of the board (1) in a transverse position and at different angles with respect to the longitudinal axis of the board; interdependent connection means between twin devices (14) of each fastening which cause the automatic reciprocal opening and the immediate release of a fastening in cases in which, for any reason, the corresponding ski-boot detaches, characterised by the fact that each of said devices (14) is constituted by a flat boxed body cooperating with a rod (4) for the front fixing of the ski-boot and with fastening means (5) which block the heel of said ski-boot; said fastening means are provided with a lever (7) which fix-release the heel part of the fastening and is mechanically connected to a mobile organ (25) which is part of the device of the twin fastening, so that the traction generated by said organ (25), cooperating with a stretching spring (27), is transmitted to the lever (7); the stretched spring (27) being kept in such condition by a pushbutton stop (12) which is part of each of the two devices and is subject to the pressure exercised by the heel of the corresponding ski-boot (3). Snow board comprising safety fastenings according to Claim 1, characterised by the fact that each fastening device comprises: a box (14) surmounted by a pushbutton (12) in the form of an up-side-down cup; an angular sector (25) with one end (26) hinged to the bottom of the box (14) and the opposite end fixed to a control lever (24) projecting out of one side of the box (14); a stretching spring (27) anchored to the box (14) and, respectively, to the angular section (25) reacting elastically to the angular movement of said sector; said sector (25) can be blocked, in an oscillated position, against the reaction of the spring (27) by stopping means positioned on the compensator lever (21); one end (28) of a wire rope is connected to the angular sector (25) while the other end (28a) is connected to the control lever (7) of the twin fastening; further characterised by the fact that when the pushbutton (12) is pressed it interferes with the end of the compensator lever (21) causing its oscillation which releases the control lever (24) from the stopping means (23) while the shell of the pushbutton (12) blocks the angular sector (25) in a working position as long as the pushbutton (12) is being pressed. Snow board comprising safety fastenings according to Claim 1, provided with interdependent connecting means between twin devices of each fastening determining the automatic reciprocal opening and the immediate release of a fastening in case the other fastening detaches the corresponding ski-boot - each device being characterised by an angular sector (25) which springs into an inactive position if freed from the stopping means of the corresponding pushbutton (12) so that, due to the traction exercised by the spring (27) and by means of the wire rope (28), connected to said angular member (25), it releases the other twin fastening by means of the control organ (7) of the heel part.

Inventors: PRESTIPINO GIARRITTA, ADRIANO, ROBBA, FABRIZIO
Applicants: PRESTIPINO GIARRITTA, ADRIANO, ROBBA, FABRIZIO
Application year: 1989
Main classification: A63C9
IPC codes: A63C5, A63C9