Patent Abstract:
Snowboard binding has a base plate ( 1 ) having an arch ( 4 ), a rear support piece ( 24 ) which can be displaced on the base plate, a foot strap ( 13 ), optionally an instep strap ( 5 ), and a linking device for kinematic linking between the foot strap and the rear support piece. The kinematic linking device has linking pieces ( 14, 15, 25, 26 ) connecting the support piece ( 24 ) and the foot strap ( 13 ) and passing on each side of the central zone of the base plate. This binding may be adjusted rapidly, symmetrically or non-symmetrically, without the necessity of removing and replacing screws.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention relates to a snowboard binding comprising a base plate having two at least approximately parallel lateral sides and bearing:
         an arch extending obliquely rearward,   a rear support piece rising inside the arch and displaceable on the base plate in parallel with the lateral sides of the base plate, and   a foot strap for passing over the boot in the region of the foot and displaceable on the base plate in parallel with the lateral sides of the base plate,   and kinematic linking means between the foot strap and the rear support piece.       

   The word “strap” must in this case be understood in its widest sense. In particular, it comprises strips made from plastic material in one or two parts and their adjustable means of attachment or of coupling. 
   This type of binding is generally called a strap binding, as opposed to automatic step-in bindings in which the sole of the boot has to include a rigid piece interacting with a binding mechanism. 
   The binding in question may be equipped with two straps, a first strap for passing over the boot in the region of the instep, and a second strap for passing over the front part of the foot, or a wider, single strap extending over the foot and over the instep. 
   Strap bindings are generally designed so that they can be adjusted to the user&#39;s boot size. The simplest solution consists in fixing the rear support piece, or rear arch bearing the support piece, and the foot strap on two parallel vertical walls of the base plate which have a row of holes in which the rear support piece, or the arch, and the front foot strap can be positioned selectively and fixed in the holes by means of screws and nuts. A construction of this type is described in documents U.S. Pat. No. 5,609,347, the content of which is incorporated by reference, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,797, the content of which is incorporated by reference. In the case of an arch fixed on the base plate, it has been proposed in document U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,689, the content of which is incorporated by reference to replace the holes for positioning the rear support piece with an aperture with a notched periphery, a fixing member being fixed in the notched part. 
   Document U.S. Pat. No. 6,283,482, the content of which is incorporated by reference describes a strap binding in which the rear support piece is fixed in a similar manner to that described in document U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,689, the content of which is incorporated by reference, the fixing member including a notched small plate that can be tightened and loosened using a cam lever, allowing rapid adjustment of the position of the rear support piece. The foot strap is not, however, adjustable, so that during an adjustment the position of the boot on the snowboard varies, which is undesirable in principle, the behavior of the snowboard being affected thereby. 
   The fixing of the rear support piece and of the foot strap on the base plate by means of screws requires at least four screws and often six screws, as is the case of the binding according to U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,797. For snowboard rental outlets, which very often have to adjust the bindings, this therefore requires the screwing in and unscrewing of at least four nuts or screws, with the risk of losing nuts and screws, without taking into account the time spent on such an operation in order to obtain symmetrical adjustment which does not modify the position of the boot relative to the snowboard. 
   In order to offset this drawback, a snowboard binding with symmetrical adjustment based on an axial screw having two opposed screw threads, ensuring the displacement of nuts linked respectively to a rear support piece and to one or two front support pieces, was proposed in document U.S. Pat. No. 6,267,403, the content of which is incorporated by reference. This construction occupies a relatively significant height above the base plate, given that the screw and the nuts, located above the base plate, have themselves to be covered over with a covering plate. 
   The binding described in document FR 2 732 611, the content of which is incorporated by reference, also describes a snowboard binding in which the length can be adjusted by means of an axial screw, the position of the rear binding element, however, being fixed, such that adjustment is not symmetrical. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The object of the present invention is to achieve a snowboard binding with rapid adjustment, leaving the central zone of the base plate free and not using screws of the endless-screw type. 
   The snowboard binding according to the invention is defined in that the kinematic linking means between the foot strap and the rear support piece consist of linking pieces connecting the rear support piece and the foot strap and passing on either side of the central zone of the base plate, i.e. leaving this central zone, which generally has a circular cutout for orientation of the base plate on the snowboard, free. 
   According to a first embodiment, the linking pieces consist of arms connected respectively to the ends of the foot strap and directly or indirectly to the sides of the rear support piece, these arms being superposed in pairs, means being provided for immobilizing the arms in a selected superposed position, and the base plate having means for guiding the arms. 
   In an embodiment in which the arch is fixed, the base plate has two vertical walls on its lateral sides, these walls having an aperture at the front and an aperture at the rear, these apertures which are parallel to the plane of the base plate being traversed by rivets for attaching the foot strap to the base plate and rivets for attaching the rear support piece to the base plate. The linking pieces consist of two notched small plates which are parallel to the vertical walls of the base plate and attached respectively to each of the ends of the foot strap and of two similar notched small plates attached respectively to each side of the rear support piece and being superposed via their notched surfaces to the small plates connected to the foot strap, the small plates having a longitudinal aperture in their zone of superposition such that these apertures are superposed, a fixing means traversing these apertures in order to immobilize the small plates on the vertical walls of the base plate. 
   In an embodiment in which the rear support piece is mounted on the arch and displaceable with the arch, the base plate has two vertical walls on its lateral sides, these walls having an aperture at the front and an aperture at the rear, these apertures which are parallel to the plane of the base plate being traversed by rivets for attaching the foot strap to the base plate and rivets for attaching the rear support piece to the base plate. The linking pieces consist of two notched small plates attached respectively to each of the ends of the foot strap and of two notched small plates attached respectively to each side of the arch and superposed via their notched surfaces on the small plates connected to the foot strap, the small plates having a longitudinal aperture in their zone of superposition such that these apertures are superposed, a fixing means traversing these apertures in order to immobilize the small plates on the vertical walls of the base plate. 
   In both cases, the vertical walls of the base plate advantageously have a threaded hole between the apertures, and the fixing means is a screw with a knurled or notched head which applies the small plates against the vertical walls of the base plate. 
   According to another embodiment, in which the arch is fixed on the base plate, the linking pieces consist of two flexible strips, for example strips made from steel, connecting respectively one of the ends of the foot strap to the opposite side of the rear support piece, passing via the rear of the base plate. 
   According to one embodiment, the base plate has means for guiding the flexible strips, and the binding comprises means for symmetrical entrainment of the flexible strips and means for immobilizing these strips. 
   To this end, the entrainment means advantageously consist of a pinion interacting with two opposite toothings formed on the flexible strips in their zone of superposition. 
   According to one embodiment, the immobilization means consist of projections on one face of the pinion and of a screw head. 
   In this case, also, the base plate may have two vertical walls on its lateral sides, these walls having an aperture at the front and an aperture at the rear. The flexible strips also have an aperture interacting respectively with each of the rear apertures in the walls of the base plate, these apertures being traversed by rivets for attaching the foot strap and for attaching the rear support piece to the flexible strips. 
   Linking by means of flexible strips is also applicable to an embodiment in which the rear support piece is mounted on the arch and can be displaced with the arch on the base plate. 
   “Rivet” is understood to mean all equivalent fixing means. 
   The appended drawing represents, by way of example, three embodiments of the invention. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a first embodiment. 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the binding according to the first embodiment in a first position. 
       FIG. 3  is a side view of the binding in the first position. 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the binding according to the first embodiment in a second position. 
       FIG. 5  is a side view of the binding shown in FIG.  4 . 
       FIG. 6  shows a second embodiment in which the rear support piece is mounted on a movable arch, the rest of the construction being identical to the first embodiment. 
       FIG. 7  is an exploded view of a third embodiment. 
       FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the rear of the binding according to the third embodiment. 
       FIG. 9  is a side view of the binding shown in FIG.  8 . 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   The binding shown in  FIGS. 1  to  5  comprises a base plate  1  in the form of a plate with parallel, rectilinear lateral sides, this base plate being intended for fixing directly or indirectly onto a snowboard. In its central zone, the base plate  1  has, in a known manner, a circular cutout  60  allowing it be oriented on the snowboard. Along each of these lateral sides, the base plate has a vertical wall  2  or  3 , these walls extending rearward via an arch  4  extending obliquely rearward. In the zone where these walls join up with the arch  4 , a first strap  5  for passing over the boot in the zone of the instep is mounted on the walls  2  and  3 . The strap  5  is shown diagrammatically by means of two strands which are superposed. The coupling means, and, if appropriate, tensioning means have not been shown. All known types of buckle may be used for this purpose. The walls  2  and  3  have, at the front, a first aperture  6  or  7 , the direction of which extends parallel to the plane of the base plate  1 . At the rear, the walls  2  and  3  have a second aperture  8  or  9 , also extending parallel to the plane of the base plate  1  and aligned on the apertures  6  or  7 . Between the apertures  6  and  8  or  7  and  9 , the walls  2  and  3  have a threaded hole  10 . The corresponding hole in the wall  3 , is concealed by the arch  4 . These holes are aligned with the corresponding apertures  6 ,  8  or  7 ,  9 . They are intended for receiving a screw with a knurled head  11  or  12 . 
   The binding also includes a second strap  13  intended for passing over the front part of the boot, surrounding the foot. This strap  13  will be called the “foot strap”. Like the strap  5 , it is shown diagrammatically by means of two strands, without coupling means and, if appropriate, without tensioning means. This foot strap  13  is mounted at the end of two rectangular small plates  14  and  15  by means of rivets  16  and  17  and counter rivets  18  and  19 . The small plates  14  and  15  have a longitudinal aperture  20  or  21 . The inner faces, which face one another, of the small plates  14  and  15  are notched vertically in the zone of the apertures  20  and  21 . The notches  22  and  23  are visible in FIG.  1 . 
   At the rear, inside the arch  4 , the binding comprises a rear support plate  24 , the largest part of which is in the form of a trough rising above the base plate  1  and itself bearing in a known manner against the arch  4 . This support plate  24 , intended for supporting the leg, is articulated on two rectangular small plates  25  and  26 , which are identical to the small plates  14  and  15 , by means of rivets  27  and  28 . The small plates  25  and  26  thus also have a longitudinal aperture  29  or  30 , and a notched surface  31  or  32 , this surface, however, in this case facing toward the outside of the binding. 
   In the assembled state, as shown, for example, in  FIG. 2 , the small plates  14 ,  15 ,  25 ,  26  are located outside the vertical walls  2  and  3  of the base plate. The rivets  16  and  17  traverse the apertures  6  and  7 , the counter rivets  18  and  19  thus being inside the walls  2  and  3 . Similarly, the rivets  27  and  28  traverse the apertures  8  and  9  and the holes  33  and  34  in the support plate  24 , their counter rivets being inside the support plate. The small plates are superposed in pairs via their notched surfaces, as may be seen in  FIG. 2  in the case of the small plates  14  and  25 . The small plates are immobilized on the walls  2  and  3  by means of the screws  11  and  12 . The superposition of the apertures in the small plates makes it possible to obtain several relative positions of the superposed plates. 
     FIGS. 2 and 3  illustrate a first adjustment of the binding, in which the foot strap  13  is relatively forward and the support plate  24  relatively rearward, which corresponds to a large boot size. 
     FIGS. 4 and 5  illustrate a second adjustment, in which the foot strap  13  and the support plate  24  are closer to one another and closer to the center of the base plate  1 , which corresponds to a small boot size. 
   In order to modify the adjustment, it suffices to partially loosen the screws  11  and  12  so that the notched surfaces can be disengaged from one another, which makes it possible to displace the foot strap  13  and the support plate  24  in the apertures  6  to  9 , and then to retighten the screws  11  and  12  in the desired position. It will be observed that it is possible to displace the strap  13  and the support plate  24  either symmetrically relative to a point on the base plate, or asymmetrically. It is thus possible to displace a boot relative to the binding in order to modify the position of the foot on the snowboard. 
   In variant embodiments, the linking small plates could be located on the inner side of the walls  2  and  3  or in these walls or, alternatively, on the base plate, parallel to the base plate, on either side of the central circular cutout  60 . 
   In the variant embodiment shown in  FIG. 6 , the arch  4 ′ is independent of the vertical walls  2  and  3 , and it is the arch which is secured to the small plates  25  and  26 , the support plate  24 ′ being mounted on the arch  4 ′. The arch  4 ′ is also guided by means of its bearing on the base plate  1 . 
   A third embodiment, shown in  FIGS. 7  to  9 , has several points in common with the first embodiment and, in order to avoid repetitions, the common points have been denoted by the same references as in FIG.  1 . 
   One  13   a  of the strands of the foot strap  13  is attached to the end of a first flexible strip  40 , preferably made from steel, while the other strip  13   b  is attached to one end of a second flexible strip  41 , similar to the strip  40 . These flexible strips  40  and  41  are superposed at the rear of the base plate  1 , where they are guided by four tabs  42  so that they adopt a curvature in the form of an arc of a circle. The other end of the flexible strip  40  is connected to one of the sides of the support plate  24  by means of a rivet  43  traversing the hole  34  in the support plate. Similarly, the other end of the flexible strip  41  is attached to the other side of the support plate  24  by means of a rivet  44  (FIG.  8 ). 
   The flexible strip  40  has a longitudinal aperture  45  interacting with the aperture  8  in the base plate for the passage of the rivet  44  through the wall  2  of the base plate. Similarly, the flexible strip  41  has an aperture  46  interacting with the aperture  9  in the base plate for the passage of the opposite rivet. 
   In its curved part, the flexible strip  40  has a notch  47  of trapezoidal shape, the bottom of which has a toothing  48  of the rack type. The flexible strip  41  is equipped with a similar notch  49 , the bottom of which has a toothing  50 , the notches  47  and  49  opening on the opposite sides of the flexible strips, the depth of the notches being such that it frees a space occupied by a pinion  51 . This pinion  51  is mounted rotatably on a base  52  located on the opposite side from the guide tabs  42  relative to the flexible blades. The pinion  51  is pivoted on the base  52  by means of screw  53  with a knurled head which is screwed into the base  52 . The pinion  51  meshes simultaneously with the two toothings  48  and  50 . The outer face of the pinion  51  has four regularly distributed studs  54 , and the face of the screw head  53  opposite these studs has a series of hollows located on a circle corresponding to the circle passing through the studs  54 , such that the studs  54  can engage in the hollows of the screw  53 . 
   In the use position, the pinion  51  is immobilized in terms of rotation by the screw  53 . In order to carry out an adjustment, it suffices partially to loosen the screw  53  in order to release the studs  54 , which makes it possible to entrain the flexible strips  40  and  41  via the strap  13  and the support plate  24 . The presence of the pinion  51  and of the toothings  48  and  50  ensures symmetrical displacement of the strap  13  and of the support plate  24 . It then suffices to retighten the screw  53  in order to immobilize the flexible strips. 
   Instead of the screw  53 , it would be possible to use a piece which does not rotate but which can be displaced axially. The engagement of the studs  54  in this non-rotating piece immobilizes the pinion in terms of rotation. 
   The immobilizing means could also be of the cam and lever type, as in document WO 00/339,222. 
   As already mentioned, the instep strap  5  could be dispensed with, and the strap  13  enlarged so as to reach as far as the instep. 
   Although illustrative embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, a wide range of modification, change and substitution is contemplated in the foregoing disclosure and in some instances, some features of the present invention may be employed without a corresponding use of the other features. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 0