Abstract:
There is disclosed a snowboard binding system for soft snowboard boots. The binding system is unique in that it connects the snowboard boot (and the snowboard rider) to the snowboard base by means of a circumferential leg strap joined to the snowboard base by means of vertical straps. All soft boot snowboard binding systems in the prior art utilize one or more straps that cover the instep area of the boot. This system provides manufacturing efficiencies, increased user comfort and performance advantages over prior art.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS: Not applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT: Not applicable 
     MICROFICHE APPENDIX: Not applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    This invention relates to the field of recreational sports equipment and, more specifically, to a binding for use with snowboards and the like. The gliding board featuring bindings to secure the user&#39;s boot to the gliding board described as a snowboard is generally considered to have been first disclosed in the Weber patent, U.S. Pat. No. 3,900,204. In particular, the present invention is a snowboard binding. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0004]    Snowboarding is an increasingly popular winter sport in which the participants slide down a snow-covered slope while affixed to a single board. Usually the participant wears snowboarding boots that are secured to the snowboard through the use of bindings. There are two generic types of snowboarding boots: soft boots and hard boots. Soft boots are relatively flexible, while hard boots, similar to ski boots, are rigid and are used with corresponding snowboards and corresponding snowboard bindings. The snowboards and corresponding bindings utilized with hard snowboard boots are designed for turning maneuvers on hard-pack snow surfaces. These turning maneuvers are also referred to as carving maneuvers. Equipment for use with hard snowboard boots is designated as “alpine snowboarding equipment”. Equipment for use with soft snowboard boots is designated as “freestyle snowboarding equipment” or “freeride snowboarding equipment”. Freeride snowboarding equipment is slightly more rigid than freestyle snowboarding equipment, but is manufactured of nearly identical construction. The snowboards and corresponding bindings utilized with soft snowboard boots are designed for maneuvers that are often referred to as “tricks” and have numerous variations. The soft snowboard boots, corresponding snowboards, and corresponding bindings allow riders to perform these maneuvers or tricks, many of which would not be possible with hard boots. Regardless of the category of the snowboard equipment, the purpose of all snowboarding boots is to transfer forces generated by the user through the binding to the board while keeping the user&#39;s feet warm and comfortable. Snowboard bindings have evolved into three major categories. 
         [0005]    One category of snowboard bindings is designed for hard-shell snowboard boots. 
         [0006]    These snowboard boots closely resemble hard-shell ski boots and are generally referred to as “Alpine” boots. 
         [0007]    A second category of snowboard bindings features an integrated boot to binding interface known as step-in bindings. For step-in binding systems, the snowboard boot sole is outfitted with connecting devices to interface with the corresponding receiving devices of the snowboard binding. Step-in binding systems may feature boots outfitted with integrated straps. 
         [0008]    A third category of snowboard bindings is known as strap bindings. Strap snowboard bindings are designed with a rigid base and flexible straps. Strap snowboard bindings are designed to receive and temporarily affix soft snowboard boots to a snowboard. 
         [0009]    The part of the rigid base that receives and interfaces with the sole of the snowboard boot is the footbed. The footbed may be constructed of dense foam or other suitable materials designed to provide comfort and shock absorption. The vast majority of strap snowboard bindings disclosed in the prior art feature two flexible straps. One strap is attached to the rigid base toward the heel of the boot and secures the boot to the binding over the instep of the foot. A second strap fits over the toe of the boot and is used to keep the toe area of the boot affixed to the binding. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,206,403B1. A much smaller number of patents disclose a one piece strap covering the entire boot instep and eliminate the need for a separate toe strap. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,232,132B2. 
         [0010]    While modern strap bindings are generally quite comfortable when first engaged, the boots flex over time and the binding straps tend to compel the user to readjust the tightening mechanism on a regular basis. All of the soft boot bindings currently known to the art incorporate some type of strap or other binding mechanism that crosses the boot from side-to-side covering the user&#39;s instep area below the ankle, connecting to the base below the ankle toward the heel. Design failures associated with the aforementioned geometrical configurations of prior art relate to the failure of the binding to perform its purpose of affixing the boot securely to the base. This specific failure results in the heel of the boot lifting off the binding base when the snowboard rider exerts a significant load against the instep strap. Because of the geometry of the straps, such tightening increases the pressure on the user&#39;s instep and frequently leads to increasing discomfort during the course of a day of snowboarding. Because of the number of component parts, the manufacture of current implementations of strap bindings tends to be inefficient and labor intensive. 
         [0011]    Brief Summary of the Present Invention 
         [0012]    The present invention is a novel type of strap binding consisting of a circumferential leg strap that connects to the snowboard base by means of side straps. The circumferential leg strap, consisting of either four or six components in its several embodiments, is pivotally attached to either two or four side straps. The side straps are pivotally attached to the base. The circumferential leg strap is installed above the ankle and below the calf muscle, at the point where the user&#39;s leg is thinnest. The diameter of the circumferential leg strap is adjustable to accommodate the circumference of the user&#39;s leg. The lengths of the side straps are adjustable to accommodate users of various heights. The resulting geometry of the circumferential leg strap configuration creates a securing force in a direction perpendicular to the base. The perpendicular securing force reduces the heel lift inherent in the geometries disclosed in the prior art. The circumferential leg strap also facilitates a level of comfort unavailable with the instep strap configuration disclosed in the prior art. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]      FIG. 1   a  is a perspective frontal view of the invention as disclosed in the preferred embodiment. This shows the invention, in the preferred embodiment, which is a circumferential leg strap comprised of four components attached to two side straps. 
           [0014]      FIG. 1   b  is a perspective frontal view of the circumferential leg strap as disclosed in the preferred embodiment without the side straps. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a perspective frontal view of the invention&#39;s preferred embodiment and a generic toe strap both attached to a generic snowboard binding base as the invention would be used in practice. 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a flattened, exploded view of the invention&#39;s preferred embodiment. 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is an exploded top view of a second embodiment of the circumferential leg strap wherein the circumferential leg strap in this second embodiment consists of six components rather than the four components of the preferred embodiment. Compare with  FIG. 3 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is a perspective lateral view of a third embodiment of the invention wherein the circumferential leg strap, in the preferred embodiment, is connected to the base with four side straps. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0019]    The preferred embodiment of the invention, along with two additional embodiments, are now described in detail. Referring to the drawings, like numbers indicate like parts throughout the views. 
         [0020]      FIG. 1   a  shows a perspective frontal assembled view of the invention ( 1 ) in a closed position as disclosed in the preferred embodiment. The invention ( 1 ) is comprised of a circumferential leg strap (e.g.  32  of  FIG. 1   b ) and two side straps ( 4  &amp;  7 ). The circumferential leg strap, in this, the preferred embodiment, is comprised of four components, are the leg strap medial component ( 10 ), leg strap lateral component ( 14 ), leg strap posterior component ( 18 ), and leg strap anterior component ( 21 ). The side straps ( 4  &amp;  7 ) connect the circumferential leg strap (e.g.  32  of  FIG. 1   b ) to the snowboard binding base (e.g.  24  of  FIG. 2 ). 
         [0021]    In this, the preferred embodiment of the invention ( 1 ), the medial side strap ( 4 ) and lateral side strap ( 7 ) are identically structured components. The side straps ( 4  &amp;  7 ) each have single connection holes at respective lower ends and multiple connection holes at respective upper ends when oriented vertically as disclosed in  FIG. 1   a . The side straps ( 4  &amp;  7 ) connect to the base (e.g.  24  of  FIG. 2 ) at the respective single connection holes located at the lower end of the side straps ( 4  &amp;  7 ). The side straps ( 4  &amp;  7 ) connect to the leg strap (e.g.  32  of  FIG. 1   b ) at one of the corresponding multiple connection holes located at the upper end of the side straps ( 4  &amp;  7 ). The side straps ( 4  &amp;  7 ) and leg strap medial and lateral components ( 10  &amp;  14 ) are manufactured of a semi rigid plastic material such as PC or ABS. 
         [0022]      FIG. 1   b  is a partial view of the invention (e.g.  1  of  FIG. 1   a ) showing the leg strap ( 32 ) alone. The leg strap posterior component ( 18 ) and leg strap anterior component ( 21 ) are manufactured of a resilient flexible material approximately ¼ inch thick. 
         [0023]    The circumferential leg strap lateral component ( 14 ) features teeth arranged as a ladder ( 17 ) at the distal end and attachment holes at the proximal end. The circumferential leg strap anterior component ( 21 ) incorporates a ratcheting buckle ( 121 ) with a locking pawl at its distal end. When the circumferential leg strap ( 32 ) is secured in the closed position, the buckle ( 121 ) is secured near the proximal end of leg strap lateral component ( 14 ), adjacent the connection point of lateral side strap (e.g.  7  of  FIG. 1   a ) to the leg strap lateral component ( 14 ) as disclosed in  FIG. 1   a . The invention (e.g.  1  of  FIG. 1   a ), in this, the preferred embodiment is shown in the closed position as disclosed in both  FIG. 1   a  and  FIG. 1   b.    
         [0024]      FIG. 2  shows the invention (e.g.  1  of  FIG. 1   a ) and a generic toe strap ( 201 ) both attached to a generic snowboard binding base ( 24 ) as the invention would be used in practice. In this,  FIG. 2 , the preferred embodiment of the invention and generic toe strap are shown as would be used in practice in the closed position. The side straps ( 4  &amp;  7 ) are secured to the base ( 24 ) with male and female couplings (e.g.  2  of  FIG. 3 ,  3  of  FIG. 3 ). The base may include any suitable features and corresponding fasteners ( 31 ) for securing the base to a gliding board. 
         [0025]      FIG. 3  shows a flattened exploded view of the preferred embodiment of the invention ( 1 ). The invention ( 1 ), in this, the preferred embodiment includes six component parts ( 4 ,  7 ,  10 ,  14 ,  18 , &amp;  21 ). The number of components or shape of components and connection methods related thereto will allow the easy creation of additional embodiments without altering the geometry unique to the invention ( 1 ). Two such additional embodiments are shown in  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 . The preferred embodiment of the invention ( 1 ) includes: a medial side strap ( 4 ), a lateral side strap ( 7 ), a leg strap medial component ( 10 ), a leg strap lateral component ( 14 ), a leg strap posterior component ( 18 ), and a leg strap anterior component ( 21 ). All six components are joined together as shown in  FIG. 3  by male and female couplings ( 2  &amp;  3 ). 
         [0026]    The circumferential length of the leg strap (e.g.  32  of  FIG. 1   b ) is adjustable over a broad range by using one of the multiple connection points of the leg strap medial component ( 10 ) and one of the multiple connection points of the leg strap lateral component ( 14 ), as shown in  FIG. 3 , to ensure proper fitting to the user&#39;s leg. The side straps ( 4  &amp;  7 ) are secured to the leg strap (e.g.  32  of  FIG. 1   b ) at one of the multiple connection points in the upper portion of the side straps ( 4  &amp;  7 ) to allow for height adjustment of the leg strap (e.g.  32  of  FIG. 1   b ) to ensure proper fitting to the user&#39;s leg. The medial side strap ( 4 ) attaches to the leg strap medial component ( 10 ) at the middle connection point of the leg strap medial component ( 10 ). The lateral side strap ( 7 ) attaches to the leg strap lateral component ( 14 ) at the connection point of the leg strap lateral component ( 14 ) closest to the ladder portion ( 17 ). 
         [0027]    The ladder ( 17 ) and buckle ( 201 ) system allows for opening and closing of the leg strap (e.g.  32  of  FIG. 1   b ). The ability to open and close the leg strap (e.g.  32  of  FIG. 1   b ), allows the leg strap (e.g.  32  of  FIG. 1   b ) to secure and release the generic soft snowboard boot at the discretion of the rider. 
         [0028]      FIG. 4  shows an exploded top view of a second embodiment of the leg strap consisting of six component parts ( 320 ). In this embodiment, the leg strap medial component (e.g.  10  of  FIG. 1   a ) has been split into two components ( 101  &amp;  102 ). The leg strap lateral component ( 14 ) has also been split into two components ( 141  &amp;  142 ). This shows that the number of components of the leg strap ( 320 , e.g.  32  of  FIG. 1   b ) does not alter the geometry of the invention. 
         [0029]      FIG. 5  shows a perspective lateral view of the invention in a third embodiment, as the invention would be used in practice, wherein the leg strap (e.g.  32  of  FIG. 1   b ) is connected to the base ( 24 ) with the use of four side straps ( 401 ,  402 ,  701 , &amp;  702 ). In this embodiment the four side straps ( 401 ,  402 ,  701 , &amp;  702 ) are identically structured components. This embodiment shows that deviating from the number or configuration of the side straps (e.g.  4  of  FIG. 1   a , e.g.  7  of  FIG. 1   a ) as disclosed in the preferred embodiment of the invention (e.g.  1  of  FIG. 1   a ) does not alter the geometry of the invention. 
         [0030]    The above-described embodiments, while including the preferred embodiment and the best mode of the invention known to the inventor at the time of filing, are given as illustrative examples only. It will be readily apparent that many deviations may be made from the specific embodiments disclosed in this specification without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. It will also be readily apparent that many deviations may be made from the specific materials used to manufacture the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. Rather, the scope of the invention is to be determined by the claims below rather than being limited to the specifically described embodiments above.