Patent Publication Number: US-9884243-B2

Title: Splitboard binding with step in rear securing feature and locking crampon

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/274,985, filed Jan. 5, 2016, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates to ski equipment, and specifically relates to an improved boot binding for use with splitboards. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Snowboarding is a very popular winter recreational sport that was developed in the 1980&#39;s. The more commonly used snowboards are structured as a single board having binding assemblies attached to the board for receiving the boots of the snowboarder (also referred to herein as the “rider”). 
     Another popular form of snowboarding involves the use of what is known as a splitboard, which comprises two separate and conjoinable boards. When separated, the two boards are skis; when conjoined together, the boards form a snowboard. Splitboards provide the user with the alternative of using the skis in a traditional skiing mode, or joining the skis for use as a snowboard. The dual configuration of splitboards is particularly useful for using the separate skis for alpine touring into a desired area, then joining the skis into the snowboard configuration to snowboard down a terrain. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,984,324, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, discloses a splitboard binding assembly that has become essentially the industry standard for attachment of boot bindings between the skiing and the snowboarding modes of a splitboard. That is, splitboards are provided with a boot binding assembly that secures the boot to the board along its longitudinal axis when in the skiing mode, and is also provided with a boot binding assembly for the snowboarding mode that comprises a pair of toe pucks attached to one ski and a pair of heel pucks attached to the other ski. When the two skis are positioned side-by-side and secured together for use in the snowboarding mode, each toe puck aligns with a respectively positioned heel puck, and a boot binding is then slid onto an aligned heel and toe puck so that the boot binding spans the two skis. 
     The &#39;324 patent discloses an exemplary snowboard binding arrangement that comprises a slider plate formed with sides that are curved to form a U-shaped channel on either side of the slider plate. The U-shaped channels are sized to be received on laterally extending flanges on the aligned heel and toe pucks. When the slider plate of the binding is fully engaged on the heel and toe puck, a pin is positioned through holes formed in the forward end of the slider plate to secure the slider plate relative to the heel and toe pucks. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,823,905, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, also describes a boot binding construction for a splitboard where the lower portion of the binding is structured for sliding onto the heel and toe pucks as taught by the &#39;324 patent. The binding of the &#39;905 Patent comprises a sandwich box girder comprised of a top plate, a center spacer core further comprising two separated lateral spacers, and a bottom plate is U-shaped in planar formation to provide a backstop for contacting the heel puck of the binding assembly. The stated objectives of the binding of the 905 Patent are to provide a lightweight construction, essentially provided by the lateral spacers being made of an ultra high molecular weight (UHMW) plastic, and to provide torsional stiffness in the boot binding. The binding of the 905 Patent, while presumably providing a lighter weight binding, nonetheless comprises an assemblage of plates and lateral webs that require fairly precise assemblage of the parts with precision placement of screws to attach the lateral webs and bottom plate to the top plate. The assemblage represents a plurality of parts that must be separately manufactured and assembled, which increases manufacturing costs. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 9,126,099, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, also discloses a splitboard binding that uses a single toe pedal mechanism to secure binding into either the snowboard or ski mode. Such assemblage requires a plurality of specialized parts, with an increased manufacturing cost. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 8,764,043, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, discloses a splitboard binding that eliminates the need for a locking mechanism on the toe for ski mode attachment, by using a circular hook portion that engages with a circular channel on a toe bracket attached to the gliding board, that only engage or disengage at a predetermined angle in excess of one reached during use. 
     Bindings or binding systems that which are simple to use and easy to operate under harsh conditions would be an improvement in the art. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure is directed to a splitboard binding that may be attached to either a left or right gliding board in a ski mode or to both the left and right gliding board in a snowboard mode. Left and right bottom rails are attached to the bottom surface of a base plate. Each of the left and right rails has a circular hook at a forward end for attachment to a toe bracket in a ski mode. The rails and base plate define channels for slidable attachment to “pucks” disposed on the gliding board in snowboard mode. A securing lever is disposed near the rear end of the binding with a securing member disposed on the lower surface thereof. When the securing lever is rotated into a downwards position, the securing member resides below the base plate. When installed on “pucks” in a snowboard mode, the securing member secures the binding in position on the pucks. Rotating the securing lever upwards raises the securing member allowing the binding to be removed. 
     Additionally, a crampon assembly may be included for use in a ski or snowshoeing mode which attaches to the toe bracket underneath the binding. The crampon may include one or more locks for attachment to the rails of the binding. The assemblies may further include a rear sliding lock positioned on the left or right board near the rear of the binding which may be used to secure the heel of the binding where desired. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the various drawings are for illustrative purposes only. The nature of the present disclosure, as well as other embodiments in accordance with this disclosure, may be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, to the appended claims, and to the several drawings. 
         FIG. 1  depicts a perspective view of a splitboard binding in accordance with the present disclosure in position on a splitboard in a gliding confirmation. 
         FIG. 1A  depicts a bottom view of a splitboard binding of  FIG. 1  in position with the “pucks” for slidable attachment to a gliding board. 
         FIG. 2  depicts a perspective view of a splitboard binding of  FIGS. 1 and 1A  in position on a splitboard in a skiing confirmation. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the puck shown in  FIGS. 1 and 1A . 
         FIGS. 4A and 4B  are perspective views of the bottom rails and securing lever of the binding of  FIGS. 1 through 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a rear view of one of the bottom rails and securing lever of the binding of  FIGS. 1 through 4B  in position with a puck. 
         FIG. 6  is a bottom perspective view of the securing lever of the binding of  FIGS. 1 through 5  in isolation. 
         FIG. 7  is a top view of the base plate of the binding of  FIGS. 1 and 2  in isolation. 
         FIG. 8A  is a side view of the binding system of  FIGS. 1 and 2  in position with a crampon assembly for use in a ski mode. 
         FIGS. 8B and 8C  are top views of the bottom rails and toe bracket of the binding system of  FIGS. 1 and 2  in position with the crampon assembly of  FIG. 8A . 
         FIGS. 9A and 9B  are top views of the heel bracket and sliding heel lock assembly of  FIG. 1  in position with the bottom rails of the binding assembly. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present disclosure relates to apparatus, systems and methods for snowboard and splitboard bindings. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the embodiments herein described, while illustrative, are not intended to so limit this disclosure or the scope of the appended claims. Those skilled in the art will also understand that various combinations or modifications of the embodiments presented herein can be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. All such alternate embodiments are within the scope of the present disclosure. 
     Turning to  FIGS. 1, 1A and 2 , a first embodiment of a splitboard binding  10  in accordance with this disclosure is depicted. The binding  10  may be attached to either a left or right gliding board BL or BR in a ski mode or to both the left and right gliding board in a snowboard mode. It will be appreciated that in a typical installation two bindings  10  will be used with a single splitboard assembly. A base plate  100  (depicted in isolation in  FIG. 7 ) has a generally planar upper surface  101  for receiving a user&#39;s foot, typically in a snow boot, and a corresponding planar lower surface  103 . At least one connection opening  110  ( FIG. 7 ) is formed in the planar section to allow for connection to a gliding board, as will be discussed further herein. Additionally, a number of other openings  105  may be formed in the planar section to reduce the weight of the binding  10  and allow any snow on the sole of a user&#39;s boot to pass therethrough in use. 
     At either side surface of the planar section, a sidewall  102 L or  102 R may be disposed as a generally orthogonal wall. Where present, the sidewalls  102 L or R may contain strap openings  104 , allowing for connection to securing straps or other securing structures to retain a user&#39;s foot in the binding  10 . It will be appreciated that the planar section may include different openings or structures for connection to other types of securing features for use as a plate-type binding or a strap-type binding. For example a highback  180  may be attached using a rear strap  182 . 
     Left and right bottom rails  120 L and  120 R are attached to the bottom surface of the base plate  100 , and are depicted in more detail isolation in  FIGS. 4A, 4B and 5 . Each of the left and right bottom rails  120 L or  120 R has a circular hook  122  at a forward end thereof for attachment to a toe bracket  400  in a ski mode, as depicted in  FIG. 2 . The hooks  122  allow the binding  10  to attach to the separated members of the gliding board for ski mode attachment, by using the circular hooks  122  with a circular channel  402  on a toe bracket  400  attached to the gliding board, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,764,043, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. The binding can then only engage or disengage at a predetermined angle in excess of one reached during normal use. This removes the need for additional toe connection structures and eases use in the field under snowy conditions. 
     Each bottom rail  120 L or  120 R is formed as an elongated member extending from the forward hook  122  to a distal end. The interior side of the elongated member is defined by a sidewall  126  and a lower ledge  124 . In the depicted embodiment, the sidewall  126  is generally vertical with the lower ledge  124  formed as a planar member along at least a portion of the interior surface and extending towards the center of the binding  10 . The ledge  124  and sidewall  126  define a channel C in connection with the bottom surface of the base plate  100 . This channel is open at the rear end of the binding, where the sidewall  126  curves outward to facilitate a connection as discussed further herein. Near the front end, a stop  128  may be disposed on the sidewall  126 , to define an end to the channel. As depicted the stop  128  may be curved to correspond to a puck, as discussed in more detail further herein. 
     In the depicted embodiment, the sidewall  126  and lower ledge  124  have generally planar surfaces and are disposed at generally right angles to one another. These thus define the insertion channel C that corresponds to a depicted “puck” P. It will be appreciated that in other embodiments, where the puck has a different shape, the rails may similarly vary to define a suitable channel. 
     Each bottom rail  120  may further include connection structures allowing it to be connected to the base plate  100 . In the depicted embodiment, these include screw holes  130 . 
     A securing lever  140  is best depicted in  FIG. 6 , and is shown in relationship to the bottom rails  120 L and  120 R in  FIGS. 4A, 4B and 5 . The securing lever  140  may include two counterpart hinge tabs,  142 , formed as vertical portions including a hinge point  148 , which are connected to each of the bottom rails  120  at a hinge connection point  125  by a suitable structure, such as a hinge pin. Each hinge tab is connected to a generally planar portion  141 . In the depicted embodiment, this connection is formed by a bend in a single piece of material, although it will be appreciated that these can be formed by joined separate pieces. 
     Planar portion  141  ends in a rear tab  144  and has a puck lock member or stop  160  disposed on a lower surface thereof. The puck lock member  160  may be attached to the securing lever  140  by rivets, screws, or as otherwise known in the art. In some embodiments, it may be integrally formed, or it may be a replaceable member. The puck stop  160  may have a front face  162  that is formed as a generally vertical sidewall with a shape corresponding to the rear face  306  of a puck P ( FIG. 3 ). Additionally, puck stop  160  may have a separate rear member  163  that is separated from the stop main body along the upper portion and resiliently connected to a lower portion thereof to define a space  161  between the rear member  163  and the body of the stop  160 . 
     In use, the puck stop  160  may pass through the connection opening  110  in the planar member  100  as the securing lever  140  rotates towards and away from the planar member  103 . 
     It will be appreciated that although a single, centrally located puck stop  160  is depicted in the drawings, that in other embodiments, multiple puck stops  160  can be used. For example, two or more separate puck stops  160  disposed at different locations on the securing lever  140  could be used to secure the rear face  306  of the puck P. Such stops  160  could pass through a single opening in the planar member  100  or through multiple separated openings as the securing latch  140  rotates downwards. In some embodiments, the inner face  162  of two separate stops  160  could have a generally L-shaped sidewall that is disposed at the corners of the rear face  306  and extends along the sidewalls of the puck P for securing. 
     In other embodiments, the securing lever  140  could be configured to rotate one or more stops  160  to a securing position behind the puck P from the sides of the binding  10  rather than downwards through the rear of the planar member  100 . For example, the securing latch  140  could be configured to rotate downwards in a direction that is generally orthogonal, rather than parallel, to the long axis of the binding, moving the stop  160  in from the side. In one such embodiment, two securing levers  140  could be used, each moving a separate stop  160  behind the puck P from an opposite side, either passing downwards through openings in the planar member  100  or passing around the side edges thereof distal to the bottom rails  120 . 
     For use with a splitboard, a binding system  10  is used in the split configuration for ski mode by attachment of the hooks  122  of the rails  120  to a circular channel on a toe bracket attached to the gliding board, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,764,043 and as best depicted in  FIG. 2 . A user then places the foot on the upper surface  101  planar member  100  and secures it thereto, as by straps. The binding  10  rotates with the heel free for use in ski mode. After use, the foot is removed from the planar member  100  and the binding  10  released from the toe bracket by rotation. 
     As further depicted in  FIG. 2 , during use in the “free heel” mode, the rear portion of the binding  10  may contact a heel bracket  500  that is disposed on the board BL or BR. The heel bracket may include one or more projections or planar areas for contacting the bottom of the binding  10  to protect and reduce wear on the board. Additionally, the heel bracket  500  may include one or more elevation assemblies  502 A or  502 B. In the depicted embodiment, these are constructed of a folding member that can be disposed in a lower undeployed position or can be rotated to a raised deployed position to provide an elevated stop for the bottom of the binding  10  during use. An elevated stop can thus assist the user when traversing up an inclined surface in a ski or snowshoe type use of the board. The use of multiple elevation assemblies can allow for use in different inclines. As depicted, a sturdy tubular member that is bent into a suitable shape and resiliently passes into and out of locking recesses in the heel bracket  500  may be used to form the elevation assemblies. 
     For use in snowboard or glide mode, the two halves of the splitboard are joined together with a puck P on either half aligned in position to a counterpart puck P on the other half for placement of the binding. A binding system  10  is then slidably attached to the aligned pucks P by placing the open rear end of the insertion channels C defined by the sidewall  126  and lower ledge  124  of the rails  120  and lower surface of the base plate base in contact with the pucks, with the securing lever  140  raised to an upper position with puck stop  160  clear of the puck P. The side ledges  304  of puck P thus resides in the binding  10  channels C as the binding is slid rearward until the front puck contacts stop  128 . The securing lever  140  is rotated into a downwards position, until the securing stop  160  resides below the planar base  100  with the front face  162  abutting the rear face  306  of puck P. This rotation may occur as a foot is pressed down into the binding  10 . When installed on “pucks” P in a snowboard mode, the binding is secure in position on the pucks, as best depicted in  FIG. 1A . For removal, a user removes a foot from the binding  10 , and rotates the securing lever  140  upwards raising the securing stop  160  and allowing the binding  10  to be removed by sliding it forwards. 
     It will be appreciated that the various components including rails  120 , planar member,  100 , securing lever  140 , and stop(s)  160  may all be separate members that are modular, removable and replaceable, allowing a user to repair or service the binding system in the field. 
     Turning to  FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 8C , a crampon assembly  1000  for use with the binding assembly of the present disclosure is depicted. Two side members  1004 R and  1004 L extend downwards at the right and left sides, respectively, from a central planar section  1002 . It will be appreciated that the central planar section will have a sufficient width to extend past the side edges of a board BL or BR in skiing conformation such that the side members  1004 R and  1004 L will extend downwards past the board to contact snow and provide traction to a user. As depicted, the side members  1004 R or  10074 L may include multiple cutting surfaces and recesses for providing traction to the user. 
     As a front edge of the planar member  1002  a slanted member  1006  may extend upwards to a planar connection member  1008 . It will be appreciated that the planar member  1002 , side members  1004 R and  1004 L, slanted member and planar connection member may be formed as a single continuous piece, as by bending suitable metal sheet or as is otherwise known in the art. 
     As depicted, for installation the planar connection member  1008  may be placed in the toe bracket  400  residing under a central portion of the rod  404  that defines the circular channels (where present). At either end, it may have member  1010 R and  1010 L that rise to define a channel around a portion of the rod  404 . 
     Upon installation, the planar member  1002  resides under the binding  10 . As best depicted in  FIGS. 8B and 8C  a rotatable locking member  1100  may be present and used to secure the crampon assembly  1000  to the rails  120  of the binding assembly. The locking member  1100  may be rotatably attached to the planar member  1002  at a pivot point  1101  which may be an axle disposed at a midpoint of the locking member  1000  and along the midline of the planar member  1002 , the locking member  1100  extends outwards from the pivot point to two opposite handles  1102 R and  1102 L, accessible on either side. Inwards from the handles, are recessed portions  1104  which have a planar lower surface and a locking tab  1106  which defines a locking recess  1105  underneath it between the floor of the recess  1104  and an inner sidewall. 
     As depicted in  FIG. 8B , for installation or removal, the locking member is rotated so the handles  1102 R and  1102 L are away from the side edges of the planar member  1002  moving the locking members  1106 R and  1106 L away from rails  120 R and  120 L. To secure the crampon  1000  to the binding  10 , the handles  1102  are rotated to move the locking tabs  1106 R and  1106 L into the channels defined by the lower ledges  124  of the rails  120 R and  120 L. The crampon  1000  may then move as the binding  10  rotates during use. 
     Where a user desires to secure the heel of the binding  10  to the board BL or BR during ski mode use, a sliding heel lock assembly  600  may be used as depicted in  FIGS. 9A and 9B . As depicted, the sliding heel lock assembly may be a member with a generally planar lower surface and a generally planar upper surface  602 . A central slot  620  passes through the body of the member  600 , allowing it to be installed around the mounting screws S of the heel bracket  500  with the planar lower surface adjacent the board BL or BR. At either short end of the central slot  20 , a beveled surface  623  may be present. 
     At either side of the member  600 , a raised locking mesa  604 R or  604 L may be disposed, with a planar upper surface  610 . Each locking mesa may include a locking handle  614  formed as a sideward protrusion from the locking mesa  604 . Each locking mesa may further include a rail locking tab  612  disposed on the planar surface as an upwards extension and defining a locking recess  613  with an undercut portion above the planar surface  610 . A raised tab  625  may be disposed at the rear of the member  600  and may include holes for connection to a cord or other pulling structure. 
     The rail locking tabs  612 R,  612 L and corresponding recesses  613  are aligned with the rails  120 R and  120 L of a binding  10  installed over the heel bracket  500  in a ski mode. When the member  600  is slidably moved forward, the heel locking tab  612  moves over the rear end of ledge  124  of a rail  120 , which enters recess  613 . The member may then be retained on the rails by a friction fit. This may be assisted by a between the beveled edge  623  and a corresponding structure disposed in the lower surface of the heel bracket  500 , or by another locking feature. The heels of the bindings are thus secured to the board, as depicted in  FIG. 8B . To release the heel lock, the assembly  600  is slid rearward to release the rails as depicted in  FIG. 9A . 
     While this disclosure has been described using certain embodiments, it can be further modified while keeping within its spirit and scope. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the disclosure using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practices in the art to which it pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.