Patent Publication Number: US-2004056451-A1

Title: Snowboard binding support and snowboard binding

Description:
DESCRIPTION  
       [0001] The present invention refers to a snowboard binding support and a snowboard binding.  
       [0002] As is known, a snowboard comprises a board, generally of wood and fibreglass-reinforced plastic on which are fitted two bindings able to receive respective soft or rigid snow boots worn by the user.  
       [0003] Depending upon the snowboarding style and the user&#39;s requirements, the positioning and orientation of the bindings on the board are extremely important.  
       [0004] For this purpose a plurality of holes able to receive screw means for fixing the bindings in the desired position are formed on the board.  
       [0005] Moreover, to allow angular adjustment, some types of bindings have a crown wheel that engages with a toothed ring nut formed in the binding. Holes (from three to five) are formed in the crown wheel to receive the screw means for fixing the binding to the board.  
       [0006] These types of bindings according to the prior art present drawbacks due above all to the difficulty and awkwardness in adjusting the position on the board.  
       [0007] In fact, when the user wants to change the position of a binding on the board, that is to say he wants to move the binding toward the tip or toward the tail of the board, he must loosen four screws, move the binding and then retighten the screws to fix the binding in the new position on the board.  
       [0008] The same applies when the user wants to rotate the binding with respect to the board. In this case, in fact, he must loosen the screws, disengage the crown wheel from the toothed ring nut and turn these elements with respect to each other, then re-engage the crown wheel with the ring nut and fix the screws to the board.  
       [0009] It is obvious that both the operations of translation and of rotation of the binding with respect to the board are somewhat complex, waste too much time, and also require the use of appropriate tools, such as screwdrivers or spanners to loosen/tighten the screws.  
       [0010] Furthermore, the fact that the bindings according to the prior art are mounted directly on the board leads to other drawbacks.  
       [0011] In fact, on snowboards with traditional bindings, the user keeps the centre of gravity low and therefore has difficulty in switching from one edge of the snowboard to the other when making turns. Furthermore, the weight of the user is not evenly distributed on the board, with a resulting lack of stability.  
       [0012] The object of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks of the prior art by providing a binding support and a binding for snowboards that allow the operations for adjusting the position of the binding on the board to be simplified.  
       [0013] Another object of the present invention is to provide a binding support and a binding for snowboards that are practical, versatile and simple to use.  
       [0014] These objects are achieved, according to the invention, with the characteristics listed in appended independent claim 1.  
       [0015] Advantageous embodiments of the invention are apparent from the dependent claims.  
       [0016] The snowboard binding support according to the invention has a track mounted integrally on the board. Slidably mounted on the track is a slide that supports a crown wheel on which a tang with a collar is mounted. The track and the slide can both have a toothed profile.  
       [0017] A plate that has a toothed seat able to receive the crown wheel and a central hole from which the tang of the crown wheel exits is mounted on the slide. Mounted on the plate is a jaw which, when it grips, engages the collar of the tang keeping the slide raised so that the crown wheel engages in the toothed seat, blocking rotation of the plate, and the toothed profile of the slide engages in the toothed profile, of the track, preventing translation of the slide on the track.  
       [0018] The jaw is operated by a user-operated lever. When the user operates the lever and releases the grip of the jaw, the crown wheel disengages from the toothed seat and therefore the plate can turn with respect to the slide and at the same time the toothed profile of the slide disengages from the toothed profile of the track and therefore the slide can translate integrally with the plate with respect to the track.  
       [0019] A snowboard binding of the traditional type can be mounted on the supporting plate. Alternatively, the supporting plate can be configured as a real binding, providing two side walls and a rear wall to surround the side walls and the heel of the snowboarding boot. Strips with fixing hooks to firmly block the boot are applied to the walls.  
       [0020] The advantages of the binding support and the snowboard binding according to the invention are obvious.  
       [0021] In fact this type of support, with a single movement operating a lever or other mechanism, allows two adjustments of the binding simultaneously, in translation and in rotation. These adjustments are performed without having to remove the boots from the binding and without the use of tools to loosen the screws.  
       [0022] The support according to the invention raises the user&#39;s centre of gravity making the shift from one edge to another during use immediate and reactive.  
       [0023] Furthermore, thanks to the support according to the invention, the heel and toe of the user&#39;s boot remain raised, considerably reducing the problems that are encountered in tilting of the snowboard on the snow.  
       [0024] Furthermore, the supporting plate is advantageously wider than the base of the bindings, therefore it allows the entire weight of the user to be distributed directly on the blades of the board, both in the front part and in the rear, with the result of having greater stability during snowboarding.  
       [0025] Furthermore, by interposing shims, the supporting plate can be mounted on the board with a certain tilt, thus acting as canting. Rubber shims which cushion impact and reduce vibration of the board can be positioned beneath the supporting plate.  
     
    
    
     [0026] Further characteristics of the invention will be made clearer by the detailed description that follows, referring to a purely exemplary and therefore non-limiting embodiment thereof, illustrated in the appended drawings, in which:  
     [0027]FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a snowboard shown broken away and some elements forming part of the support according to the invention;  
     [0028]FIG. 1A is an exploded perspective view illustrating a variant embodiment of the track and slide assembly of the support according to the invention;  
     [0029]FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of other elements forming part of the support according to the invention;  
     [0030]FIG. 3 is a plan view from beneath of the supporting plate illustrated in FIG. 2;  
     [0031]FIG. 4 is an overall perspective view of the support according to the invention, mounted on a board shown broken away. 
    
    
     [0032] The support according to the invention, designated as a whole by reference numeral  1  and shown in FIG. 4 assembled on a snowboard, designated by reference numeral  2 , will be described with the aid of the figures.  
     [0033] As shown in FIG. 1, the support  1  comprises a track  3  consisting of a plate that has a lowered central portion  30  and two side portions  31  raised with respect to the central portion  30 .  
     [0034] In the central portion  30  there are holes  32  able to receive screw means to fix the track  3  on the upper surface of the board  2 . In particular, four pairs of single holes  32  and two pairs of double holes  32 ′ are provided. The double hole  32 ′ consists of two adjacent single holes. Each pair of holes has a first hole near the first raised side portion  31  and a second hole near the second raised side portion. The holes  32 ,  32 ′ are substantially equidistant from each other.  
     [0035] At the ends of the central portion  30  are two abutment surfaces  34  protruding upward to act as stops.  
     [0036] The side portions  31  of the track  3  have a serrated profile  33  in their bottom surface.  
     [0037] A slide  4  is slidably mounted on the track  3 . The slide  4  consists of a rectangular plate  42  with side flaps  40  folded downward. In this manner the side flaps  40  assume a substantially C-shaped cross section with a gap  41  able to receive the side portions  31  of the track  3 .  
     [0038] The bottom part of the side flaps  40  has an upward facing serrated profile  43 , matching the serrated profile  33  of the side portions  31  of the track  3 . In this manner, when the slide  4  is positioned on the track  3  with the side portions  31  of the track inside the gap  41  of the side portions of the slide, the slide can slide on the track. On the other hand, when the slide  4  is raised upward, the serrated profile  43  of the side portions of the slide meshes with the serrated profile  33  of the side portions of the track and thus translation of the slide  4  is blocked.  
     [0039] A crown wheel  44  is mounted above the slide  4 , in a central position. A substantially frusto-conical shaped tang  50  with an upwardly increasing diameter is mounted above the crown wheel  44 . The tang  50  ends in an outwardly protruding collar  51 .  
     [0040] Two springs  45  are provided on the slide  4  alongside the crown wheel  44 . Each spring  45  has a fixed part  46  integral with the slide  4  and a free part  47 . Between the fixed part  46  and the free part  47  is a central upward-facing bellows part  48 .  
     [0041] With reference to FIG. 1A, a variant embodiment of the track  3  and slide  4  assembly is shown. In this case the track  3 , instead of having the serrated profile  33  has on the upper surface of the side portions  31  a plurality of seats  35  having a substantially hemispherical concave shape.  
     [0042] Accordingly, the slide  4  does not have the serrated profile  43  and the flat springs  45 . Instead, on the rectangular plate  42  of the slide  4 , near the four corners, four circular through holes  52  able to allow the passage of four spheres  53  which fit exactly into the hemispherical seats  35  are provided.  
     [0043] In this manner, a portion of the spherical cap fits into the respective seat  35  and another portion of the spherical cap protrudes upward from the rectangular plate  42  of the slide  4 .  
     [0044] A graduated indicator  6 , shown in FIG. 2, is positioned on the table  2 , around the slide  4  which is mounted on the track  3 . The graduated indicator  6  consists of a disc-shaped plate with a central hole  60  that is rectangular in shape in order to receive the slide  4  and the track  3 . A graduated scale  61  that goes from 0 to 360° is provided on the circumferential surface of the graduated indicator  6 .  
     [0045] As shown in FIG. 2, a supporting plate  7  having a substantially elliptical shape with a width substantially equal to or slightly smaller than the width of the board  2  is positioned on the graduated indicator  6 .  
     [0046] The supporting plate  7  has a central hole  71  through which the frusto-conical tang  50  can pass so that the supporting plate  7  is free to rotate around the tang  50 .  
     [0047] As shown in FIG. 3, the supporting plate  7  has in its bottom surface, around the central hole  71 , a doughnut-shaped recessed seat  77 , defined by an outer toothed profile  78 . The seat  77  has an outer diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the crown wheel  44  and the profile  78  of the seat  77  meshes with the toothed profile of the crown wheel  44 .  
     [0048] The supporting plate  7  further has quarter-moon shaped side spacers or shims  76 , which laterally surround the graduated indicator  6  to come into contact with the board  2 .  
     [0049] When the plate  7  is positioned on the slide  4 , the central parts  48  of the springs  45  come into contact with the bottom surface of the plate  7  and keep it raised with respect to the slide  4 , so that the crown wheel  44  does not mesh with the toothed profile  78  of the toothed seat  77  of the supporting plate; thus the plate  7  is free to turn around the tang  50 . In this situation, moreover, the weight of the supporting plate  7  pushes the slide  4  downward, therefore the serrated profile  43  of the slide does not engage with the serrated profile  33  of the track  3  and consequently the slide  4  can translate above the track  3  conveying with it the supporting plate  7 . In the case of the variant of FIG. 1A, the spheres  53  are free to rotate in their seats  35  of the track  52  of the slide, thus the slide  4  can translate along the track  3 .  
     [0050] Returning to FIG. 2, provided on the upper surface of the supporting plate  7  is a substantially U-shaped recessed seat  70 , in which the minimum of the U comprises the hole  71 . After the hole  71 , in the end of the U-shaped seat  70 , a pivot hole  72  is provided, whilst other holes  75  able to receive fixing screws for fixing of a binding are provided on the plate  7 .  
     [0051] The plate  7  has a protruding part  73  disposed along the bisector of the U-shaped seat in a position opposite the minimum of the U. The protruding part  73  has a through hole  74  parallel to the plane of the plate  7 .  
     [0052] A substantially nutcracker-shaped jaw device  8  is received in the seat  70  of the supporting plate  7 . The jaw device  8  comprises two levers  80  pivoted at their ends by means of a pin  81  which engages in the pin seat  72  of the seat  70 .  
     [0053] To minimize the thickness, the jaw device can have two separate levers, hinged by means of their respective pins in respective holes formed in the U-shaped seat  70 .  
     [0054] Each lever  80  has an outer profile with an obtuse angle. Each lever  80  has a semicircular inner profile  83  near the end at which it is pivoted. Each lever  80  has in the opposite end to that in which it is pivoted a cylindrical block with a through hole  82  having an axis at right angles to the axis of the pin  81  of the levers.  
     [0055] When the jaw device  8  is housed in the seat  70  of the supporting plate, the semicircular profiles  83  of the levers  8  surround the tang  50  and remain beneath the collar  51  of the tang  50 . The holes  82  of the cylindrical end block of the levers  80  remain substantially coaxial with the hole  74  in the end part  73  of the supporting plate  7 .  
     [0056] An operating device  9  is provided for the jaw device  8 . The operating device  9  has a stem  90  which is inserted in the holes  82  of the levers  80  of the jaw device and in the hole  74  of the end  73  of the supporting plate.  
     [0057] A locking nut  91  is fixed at one end of the stem  90  and the other end of the stem  90  is hinged, by means of a pin  93 , with its axis at right angles to the axis of the stem  90 , to a cam  94  integral with an operating lever  92  that can be operated by the user.  
     [0058] Operation of the support  1  for snowboard bindings according to the invention is described below with reference to FIG. 4.  
     [0059] When the user wants to lock the supporting plate  7 , he manually operates the operating lever  92  moving it in the locking position, in which the cam  94  of the operating lever  92  pushes the end block of the lever  80  of the jaw device and therefore brings the two ends of the levers  80  together. Consequently the semicircular profiles  83  of the levers  80  act to grip the conical surface of the tang  50  causing raising thereof.  
     [0060] As a result raising of the slide  4  occurs against the action of the springs  45 . Thus the toothed profile  43  of the slide  4  engages with the toothed profile  33  of the track  3  blocking translation of the slide  4  on the track  3  and the toothed profile of the crown wheel  44  engages with the toothed profile  78  of the seat  77  of the supporting plate  7 , blocking rotation of the supporting plate  7  around the tang  50 . Clearly in the variant of FIG. 1A the spheres  53  are pressed by the supporting plate  7  inside the spherical seats  35 , blocking rotation of the spheres and thus translation of the slide  4  along the track  3 .  
     [0061] When the user has to adjust the position of the supporting plate  7 , he operates the operating lever  92  in the nonlocking position. The cam  94  of the operating device  9  thus acts on the end of the cylindrical block of the lever  8  of the jaw device, releasing the grip of the jaw device on the tang  50 . Consequently, through the action of the springs  45  the supporting plate  7  is raised with respect to the slide  4 , therefore the crown wheel  44  disengages from the toothed seat  77  thus allowing the possibility of rotation of the supporting plate  7  around the tang  50 .  
     [0062] Moreover, the weight of the supporting plate  7  pushes the slide  4  downward and therefore the serrated profile  43  of the slide  4  disengages from the serrated profile  33  of the track  3 , thereby allowing translation of the slide  4  on the track  3  and thus also translation of the supporting plate  7  which remains integral with the slide as it translates. Clearly in the variant of FIG. 1A, in this situation, the spheres  53  are no longer pressed by the supporting plate  7  and thus are free to rotate in their seats, allowing translation of the slide  4  with respect to the track  3 .  
     [0063] The present embodiment of the invention has been described with reference to a support  1  on which snowboard bindings of known types can be fitted. However, the invention also extends to a type of snowboard binding which, in place of a traditional base, has a support like that described previously.  
     [0064] In fact, the supporting plate  7  can also have two side walls and a heel piece. Strips with locking hooks to block the user&#39;s boot are fixed to the side walls and the heel spoiler is connected to the heel piece.  
     [0065] Numerous variations and modifications of detail within the reach of a person skilled in the art can be made to the present invention without departing form the scope of the invention set forth by the appended claims.