Patent Abstract:
A snowboard binding that eliminates the ratchet-type connection used in conventional snowboard bindings. Instead, the snowboard binding incorporates a connection mechanism that is somewhat similar to a ski-boot style connector, and that uses only two straps on each binding compared to the traditional four straps. In addition, the connection mechanism can be pre-adjusted by the user to the desired connection pressure. Once the desired pre-adjustment is reached, the user can simply step into the binding and connect the connection mechanism without needing to adjust the connection pressure or tightness during mounting the user&#39;s foot or boot to the board as with conventional snowboard bindings.

Full Description:
FIELD 
       [0001]    The present described embodiments relate to a snowboard binding and a snowboard. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    A snowboard binding is used in order to bind the snowboard rider&#39;s boot to the snowboard. In some snowboard bindings, to hold the rider&#39;s boot to the snowboard binding, an ankle cap assembly and a toe cap assembly are provided. The ankle cap assembly and the toe cap assembly each include two straps that are releasably connected to one another by a ratchet mechanism fixed to one of the straps. The ratchet mechanism engages with the other strap, called a ladder strap, which includes ladder-type teeth thereon that function with the ratchet mechanism to permit adjustment of the connection pressure of the respective ankle cap assembly and the toe cap assembly by actuating the ratchet mechanism back and forth. 
         [0003]    Strapping into current binding technology can be difficult. The user is required to step through and around the straps, or use their hands to move aside the straps just to get a boot into the base or frame of the binding. Depending on the user&#39;s snowboarding skill level, this part of the process could force a beginner to have to sit down on a bench or directly on the snow in order to maneuver their boot into the binding. Once the boot is positioned in the binding, the user then has to use both hands to feed the ladder strap through the ratchet mechanism, which could be full of snow and/or ice, and then the user actuates the ratchet mechanism to tighten the straps with hopes of achieving correct tightness. If the straps are too loose, the user&#39;s boot slides around inside of the binding frame; if the straps are too tight, circulation to the user&#39;s feet can be cut off. These problems are increased by the fact that a user is required to disconnect one boot from a binding each time when riding a chairlift to the top of the mountain (or disconnecting both boots when riding a gondola) so that the user must reconnect their boot to the binding each time after exiting the chairlift. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    A snowboard binding and a snowboard that incorporates a pair of the snowboard bindings are described. The snowboard binding eliminates the ratchet-type connection used in conventional snowboard bindings. Instead, the snowboard binding incorporates a connection mechanism that is somewhat similar to a ski-boot style connector, and that uses only two straps on each binding compared to the traditional four straps. In addition, the connection mechanism can be pre-adjusted by the user to the desired connection pressure. Once the desired pre-adjustment is reached, the user can simply step into the binding and connect the connection mechanism without needing to adjust the connection pressure or tightness during mounting of the user&#39;s foot or boot to the board as is required with conventional snowboard bindings. 
         [0005]    In accordance with one described embodiment, a snowboard binding is provided that includes a binding frame; an ankle cap connected to the binding frame; a first buckle attached to the ankle cap; a first engagement member connected to the first buckle; a first binding hook directly attached to the binding frame and releasably engageable with the first engagement member; a toe cap connected to the binding frame; a second buckle attached to the toe cap; a second engagement member connected to the second buckle; and a second binding hook directly attached to the binding frame and releasably engageable with the second engagement member. 
         [0006]    In accordance with another described embodiment, a snowboard binding is provided that includes a binding frame; an ankle cap connected to the binding frame; an ankle cap strap attached to the binding frame and to the ankle cap; and an ankle cap buckle mechanism connecting the ankle cap and the binding frame. The ankle cap buckle mechanism includes a first buckle, a first engagement member, and a first binding hook. The first buckle and the first engagement member are mounted on the ankle cap, and the first binding hook is mounted on the binding frame and is releasably engageable with the first engagement member. The binding also includes a toe cap connected to the binding frame; a toe cap strap attached to the binding frame and to the toe cap; and a toe cap buckle mechanism connecting the ankle cap and the binding frame. The toe cap buckle mechanism includes a second buckle, a second engagement member, and a second binding hook. The second buckle and the second engagement member are mounted on the toe cap, and the second binding hook is mounted on the binding frame and is releasably engageable with the second engagement member. 
         [0007]    In accordance with still another described embodiment, a snowboard binding is provided that includes a binding frame means; an ankle cap assembly that includes an ankle cap means connected to the binding frame means, a first buckle means attached to the ankle cap means, a first engagement means connected to the first buckle means, and a first binding hook means that is releasably engageable with the first engagement means. The first binding hook means is mounted directly on an outwardly facing side surface of the binding frame means. The binding also includes a toe cap assembly that includes a toe cap means connected to the binding frame means, a second buckle means attached to the toe cap means, a second engagement means connected to the second buckle means, and a second binding hook means that is releasably engageable with the second engagement means. The second binding hook means is mounted directly on the outwardly facing surface of the binding frame means. 
         [0008]    In accordance with another described embodiment, a snowboard is provided. The snowboard comprises: two of the snowboard bindings described herein and a snowboard body. The snowboard body comprises an upper surface and a lower surface. The upper surface and the lower surface are opposite each other. The snowboard bindings are attached to the upper surface. 
     
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a snowboard according to one embodiment. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a front perspective view showing one of the snowboard bindings shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged perspective view of the region III in  FIG. 2 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged perspective view of the region IV in  FIG. 2 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is another front perspective view showing the snowboard binding shown in  FIG. 2 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a left side view showing the snowboard binding shown in  FIG. 2 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  is a right side view showing the snowboard binding shown in  FIG. 2  (illustration of several parts omitted). 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  is a left side view showing the snowboard binding shown in  FIG. 7 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 9  is a top view showing the snowboard binding shown in  FIG. 7 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 10  is a bottom view showing the snowboard binding shown in  FIG. 7 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 11  is a front view showing the snowboard binding shown in  FIG. 7 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 12  is a rear view showing the snowboard binding shown in  FIG. 7 . 
           [0021]      FIG. 13  is a rear perspective view showing a first stage of connection of the snowboard binding according to one embodiment. 
           [0022]      FIG. 14  is a rear perspective view showing a second stage of connection of the snowboard binding according to one embodiment. 
           [0023]      FIG. 15  is a front perspective view showing a snowboard binding according to another embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0024]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a snowboard according to one embodiment. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the snowboard A 1  comprises two snowboard bindings B 1  and a snowboard body B 2 . Each snowboard binding B 1  is attached to the snowboard body B 2 . Each snowboard binding B 1  is for binding a snowboard rider&#39;s boots (not shown) to the snowboard body B 2 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 2  is a front perspective view showing one of the snowboard bindings B 1  shown in  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 3  is an enlarged perspective view of the region III in  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 4  is an enlarged perspective view of the region IV in  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 5  is another front perspective view showing the snowboard binding shown in  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 6  is a left side view showing the snowboard binding shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0026]    As shown in these figures, each snowboard binding B 1  includes a binding frame  1  (also referred to as a binding frame means), a highback  2  (which can be considered part of the binding frame  1 ), a base plate  3 , an ankle cap assembly  40  with an ankle cap  41  (also referred to as an ankle cap means), an ankle cap buckle mechanism  42 , an ankle cap strap  43 , a toe cap assembly  50  with a toe cap  51  (also referred to as a toe cap means), a toe cap buckle mechanism  52 , a toe cap strap  53 , and attaching members  7 A,  7 B. 
         [0027]      FIG. 7  is a right side view showing the snowboard binding shown in  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 8  is a left side view showing the snowboard binding shown in  FIG. 7 .  FIG. 9  is a top view showing the snowboard binding shown in  FIG. 7 .  FIG. 10  is a bottom view showing the snowboard binding shown in  FIG. 7 .  FIG. 11  is a front view showing the snowboard binding shown in  FIG. 7 .  FIG. 12  is a rear view showing the snowboard binding shown in  FIG. 7 . In these figures, illustration of the ankle cap  41 , parts of the ankle cap buckle mechanism  42 , the ankle cap strap  43 , the toe cap  51 , parts of the toe cap buckle mechanism  52 , and the toe cap strap  53  are omitted. 
         [0028]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , the binding frame  1  is attached to the snowboard body B 2 . The binding frame  1  can be made of, but not limited to, metal or plastic. As shown in  FIGS. 2, 5, 6 , and  9 , the binding frame  1  includes a first outwardly facing side surface  11  and a second outwardly facing side surface  12 . The side surfaces  11 ,  12  face in opposite directions. As shown in  FIG. 9 , the first side surface  11  and the second side surface  12  face outwardly when the binding B 1  is viewed in a top view. As shown in  FIGS. 2, 5, and 6 , the binding frame  1  also includes upper edges  15 . In the illustrated embodiment, one of the upper edges  15  is located at the upper end of the first side surface  11 , and another of the upper edges  15  is located at the upper end of the first side surface  12 . 
         [0029]    With reference to  FIGS. 2, 5, and 6 , the highback  2  is pivotally attached to the binding frame  1  by the attaching members  7 A,  7 B. Examples of suitable attaching members  7 A,  7 B can include, but are not limited to, screws, bolts, or the like. The highback  2  is foldable relative to the binding frame  1  between an upright position (shown in the figures) and a folded position (not shown) as in conventional snowboard bindings. When the highback  2  is in the upright position, the highback  2  comes into contact with the rear part of the snowboard rider&#39;s boot when the snowboard A 1  is used. The highback  2  can be made of, but not limited to, metal or plastic. 
         [0030]    As shown in  FIGS. 2, and 5 , the base plate  3  is attached to the binding frame  1 , and the base plate  3  is attached to the snowboard body B 2  for mounting the bindings B 1  to the snowboard body B 2 . In addition, the base plate  3  helps to keep the sides of the frame  1  spaced apart, and supports the snowboard rider&#39;s boots when the snowboard A 1  is used. The base plate  3  can be made of, but not limited to, metal or plastic. In the illustrated example, the base plate  3  includes two parts separated each other. Each of these parts is attached to the binding frame  1  by attaching members  7 C. The attaching members  7 C can be, but are not limited to, screws, bolts, or the like. 
         [0031]    With reference to  FIGS. 2, 3, 5, and 6 , the ankle cap  41  is connected to the binding frame  1 . The ankle cap  41  helps to hold the snowboard rider&#39;s boot to the binding frame  1 . The ankle cap  41  includes a first end portion  41   a  and a second end portion  41   b.  In the illustrated embodiment, the first end portion  41   a  is disposed at one end of the ankle cap  41  in a width direction of the binding frame  1 . The second end portion  41   b  is disposed at the other end of the ankle cap  41  in the width direction. 
         [0032]    The ankle cap buckle mechanism  42  connects the ankle cap  41  to one side of the binding frame  1 . In the illustrated example, the ankle cap buckle mechanism  42  is attached to the first end portion  41   a  of the ankle cap  41 , and is releasably attachable to the first side surface  11  of the binding frame  1 . The ankle cap buckle mechanism  42  can have two primary conditions—a connected condition and a disconnected condition. When the ankle cap buckle mechanism  42  is in the connected condition, the ankle cap  41  and the binding frame  1  are connected by the ankle cap buckle mechanism  42  (see  FIGS. 2, 5, and 6 ). On the other hand, when the ankle cap buckle mechanism  42  is in the disconnected condition, the ankle cap  41  and the binding frame  1  are not connected by the ankle cap buckle mechanism  42  (see  FIG. 14 ). 
         [0033]    As shown in  FIGS. 2, 5, and 6 , the ankle cap buckle mechanism  42  includes a first buckle  421  (also referred to as a first buckle means), a first engagement member  424  (also referred to as a first engagement means), and a first binding hook  426  (also referred to as a first engagement means). 
         [0034]    The first buckle  421  is attached to the ankle cap  41 . Specifically, the first buckle  421  is attached to the first end portion  41   a  of the ankle cap  41 . The first buckle  421  can be made of metal, plastic, or other suitable material. The first buckle  421  includes a support base  421   a,  a lever  421   c,  and a traction element  421   e.    
         [0035]    As shown in  FIGS. 3, and 6 , the support base  421   a  is attached to the first end portion  41   a  of the ankle cap  41 . The lever  421   c  is pivotally attached to the support base  421   a  through a pin  421   g.  The traction element  421   e  is pivotally attached to the lever  421   c  through a pin  421   h.  In the illustrated example, the traction element  421   e  includes a rod  421   m  and a housing  421   n.  The rod  421   m  of the traction element  421   e  can be rotated into and out of the housing  421   n  to adjust the length of the traction element  421   e.  Thus, the connection tightness of the ankle cap assembly  40  (and the toe cap assembly  50 ) can be adjusted by adjusting the length of the traction element  421   e.  In some embodiments, the rod  421   m  of the traction element  421   e  may not be adjustable. The buckle mechanism  42  (and the toe cap buckle mechanism  52 ) is generally similar in construction and operation to buckle mechanisms used on conventional ski boots except for the binding hook  426 . 
         [0036]    The first engagement member  424  is connected to the first buckle  421 . Specifically, the first engagement member  424  is pivotally connected to the traction element  421   e  of the first buckle  421  through a pin  428 . The first engagement member  424  can be made of metal, plastic or other suitable material. The first engagement member  424  has an opening  424   a.  Though  FIG. 6  shows an example in which the opening  424   a  is rectangular, the shape of the opening  424   a  is not limited to rectangular. The first engagement member  424  includes an engagement portion  424   c , for example a pin or bar, that is engageable with the first binding hook  426 . The engagement portion  424   c  defines a part of the opening  424   a.    
         [0037]    The first binding hook  426  is attached on the binding frame  1 . In this embodiment, the first binding hook  426  is non-rotatably attached to the binding frame  1  by the attaching member  7 A at a location to be engageable with the first engagement member  424 . The first binding hook  426  can be made of metal, plastic or other suitable material. 
         [0038]    As shown in  FIG. 6 , the first binding hook  426  includes a first base part  426   a  and a first receiving part  426   c.  The first base part  426   a  is attached to the binding frame  1  by the attaching member  7 A. The first base part  426   a  directly contacts the first side surface  11  of the binding frame  1 . The first receiving part  426   c  is integrally formed on the first base part  426   a.  The first receiving part  426   c  receives a part of the first engagement member  424  (specifically, the engagement portion  424   c ), when the first binding hook  426  is engaged with the first engagement member  424 . The first receiving part  426   c  directly contacts the engagement portion  424   c  of the first engagement member  424  when the first binding hook  426  is engaged with the first engagement member  424 . The first receiving part  426   c  is disposed in the opening  424   a  of the first engagement member  424  when the first binding hook  426  is engaged with the first engagement member  424 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , the first receiving part  426   c  overlaps the binding frame  1  in a side view. The first receiving part  426   c  includes a portion located below the upper edge  15 . In the illustrated example, a part of the first receiving part  426   c  is located above the upper edge  15 . However, the entirety of the first receiving part  426   c  may be located below the upper edge  15 . In some embodiments, the first binding hook  426  may include a plurality of first receiving parts to adjust the ankle cap  41  relative to the binding frame  1 . 
         [0039]    In some embodiments, there can be a plurality, for example two, of the first binding hooks  426  on each binding B  1 , each of which can include a first receiving part  426   c.  In the case of two first binding hooks  426 , the first binding hooks  426  can be arranged serially/linearly so that one of the binding hooks  426  is disposed between the other binding hook  426  and the attaching member  7 A, or the binding hooks  426  can be arranged side-by-side so they are generally equally spaced from the attaching member  7 A. When the binding hooks  426  are arranged serially/linearly, the engagement member  424  can engage with either one of the binding hooks  426  so as to be selectively engaged by the user with either of the hooks  426  to add an additional tightness adjustment option. 
         [0040]    In another embodiment, the first engagement member  424  can include a plurality, for example two, of the engagement portions  424   c.  In the case of two of the engagement portions  424   c  and two of the binding hooks  426 , the engagement portions  424   c  can be arranged serially/linearly so that one of the engagement portions  424   c  is disposed between the other engagement portion  424   c  and the traction element  421   e,  or the engagement portions  424   c  can be arranged side-by-side so they are generally equally spaced from the traction element  421   e.  When the engagement portions  424   c  are arranged serially/linearly, each one of the engagement portions  424   c  can engage with one of the binding hooks  426  at the same time. 
         [0041]    As shown in  FIG. 5 , the ankle cap strap  43  is attached to the binding frame  1 , and to the ankle cap  41 . Specifically, the ankle cap strap  43  is attached to the second side surface  12  of the binding frame  1  by the attaching member  7 B. In addition, the ankle cap strap  43  can be attached to the second end portion  41   b  of the ankle cap  41 , for example by two attaching members  7 D. The two attaching members  7 D can be, for example, quick adjust screws. The ankle cap strap  43  can also include a plurality of adjustment holes  432  formed therein that are engageable with the attaching members  7 D to adjust the ankle cap  41  relative to the binding frame  1 . The ankle cap strap  43  can be formed of any materials that are suitable for performing the functions of the ankle cap strap  43 , for example plastic, carbon fiber, or kevlar. In one embodiment, the ankle cap strap  43  may include one or more thin metal cables coated in rubber/plastic so as not to wear into the boot. In another embodiment, the strap  43  (and/or the strap  53  described below) could be replaced with a buckle mechanism similar to the buckle mechanism  42  (and/or the buckle mechanism  52  described below). 
         [0042]    With reference to  FIGS. 2, and 4-6 , the toe cap  51  is connected to the binding frame  1 . The toe cap  51  helps to hold the snowboard rider&#39;s boot to the binding frame  1 . The toe cap  51  includes a first end portion  51   a  and a second end portion  51   b.  In the illustrated embodiment, the first end portion  51   a  is disposed at one end of the toe cap  51  in a width direction of the binding frame  1 . The second end portion  51   b  is disposed at the other end of the toe cap  51  in the width direction. 
         [0043]    The toe cap buckle mechanism  52  connects the toe cap  51  to one side of the binding frame  1 . In the illustrated example, the toe cap buckle mechanism  52  is attached to the first end portion  51   a  of the toe cap  51 , and is releasably attachable to the first side surface  11  of the binding frame  1 . The toe cap buckle mechanism  52  can have two primary conditions—a connected condition and a disconnected condition. When the toe cap buckle mechanism  52  is in the connected condition, the toe cap  51  and the binding frame  1  are connected by the toe cap buckle mechanism  52  (see  FIGS. 2, 5, and 6 ). On the other hand, when the toe cap buckle mechanism  52  is in the disconnected condition, the toe cap  51  and the binding frame  1  are not connected by the toe cap buckle mechanism  52  (see  FIG. 14 ). 
         [0044]    The toe cap buckle mechanism  52  includes a second buckle  521  (also referred to as a second buckle means), a second engagement member  524  (also referred to as a second engagement means), and a second binding hook  526  (also referred to as a second binding hook means). 
         [0045]    The second buckle  521  is attached to the toe cap  51 . Specifically, the second buckle  521  is attached to the first end portion  51   a  of the toe cap  51 . The second buckle  521  can be made of metal, plastic or other suitable material. The second buckle  521  includes a support base  521   a,  a lever  521   c,  and a traction element  521   e.    
         [0046]    As shown in  FIGS. 4, and 6 , the support base  521   a  is attached to the first end portion  51   a  of the toe cap  51 . The lever  521   c  is pivotally attached to the support base  521   a  through a pin  521   g.  The traction element  521   e  is pivotally attached to the lever  521   c  through a pin  521   h.  In the illustrated example, the traction element  521   e  includes a rod  521   m  and a housing  521   n.  The rod  521   m  of the traction element  521   e  can be rotated into and out of the housing  521   n  to adjust the length of the traction element  421   e.  Thus, the connection tightness of the toe cap assembly  50  can be adjusted by adjusting the length of the traction element  421   e.  In some embodiments, the rod  521   m  of the traction element  521   e  may not be adjustable. As indicated above, the buckle mechanism  52  is generally similar in construction and operation to buckle mechanisms used on conventional ski boots except for the binding hook  526 . 
         [0047]    The second engagement member  524  is connected to the second buckle  521 . Specifically, the second engagement member  524  is pivotally connected to the traction element  521   e  of the second buckle  521  through a pin  528 . The second engagement member  524  can be made of metal, plastic or other suitable material. The second engagement member  524  has an opening  524   a.  Though  FIG. 6  shows an example in which the opening  524   a  is rectangular, the shape of opening  524   a  is not limited to rectangular. The second engagement member  524  includes an engagement portion  524   c,  for example a pin or bar, that is engageable with the second binding hook  526 . The engagement portion  524   c  defines a part of the opening  524   a.    
         [0048]    The second binding hook  526  is attached on the binding frame  1 . In this embodiment, the second binding hook  526  is non-rotatably attached to the binding frame  1  by an attaching member  7 C at a location to be engageable with the second engagement member  524 . The second binding hook  526  can be made of metal, plastic or other suitable material. 
         [0049]    As shown in  FIG. 6 , the second binding hook  526  includes a second base part  526   a  and a second receiving part  526   c.  The second base part  526   a  is attached to the binding frame  1  by the attaching member  7 C. The second base part  526   a  directly contacts the first side surface  11  of the binding frame  1 . The second receiving part  526   c  is integrally formed on the second base part  526   a.  The second receiving part  526   c  receives a part of the second engagement member  524  (specifically, the engagement portion  524   c ) when the second binding hook  526  is engaged with the second engagement member  524 . The second receiving part  526   c  directly contacts the engagement portion  524   c  of the second engagement member  524  when the second binding hook  526  is engaged with the second engagement member  524 . The second receiving part  526   c  is disposed in the opening  524   a  of the second engagement member  524 , when the second binding hook  526  is engaged with the second engagement member  524 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , the second receiving part  526   c  overlaps the binding frame  1  in a side view. The second receiving part  526   c  includes a portion located below or flush with the upper edge  15 . In this illustrated example, the entirety of the second receiving part  526   c  is located below or flush with the upper edge  15 . However, in other embodiments, a portion of the second receiving part  526   c  may be located above the upper edge  15 . In some embodiments, the second binding hook  526  may include a plurality of second receiving parts to adjust the ankle cap  41  relative to the binding frame  1 . 
         [0050]    In some embodiments, like with the first binding hook  426  and the first engagement member  424 , there can be a plurality, for example two, of the second binding hooks  526 , and also a plurality, for example two, of the engagement portions  524   c.  The plurality of the second binding hooks  526  and the plurality of the second engagement portions  524   c  can be arranged and function like described above for the first binding hooks  426  and the first engagement members  424 . 
         [0051]    As shown in  FIG. 5 , the toe cap strap  53  is attached to the binding frame  1 , and to the toe cap  51 . Specifically, the toe cap strap  53  is attached to the second side surface  12  of the binding frame  1  by one of the attaching members  7 C. The attaching member  7 C can be, for example, a quick adjust screw. In addition, the toe cap strap  53  can be attached to the second end portion  51   b  of the toe cap  51  by two attaching members  7 C. The two attaching members can be, for example, quick adjust screws. The toe cap strap  53  can also include a plurality of adjustment holes  532  formed therein that are engageable with the attaching members to adjust the toe cap  51  relative to the binding frame  1 . The toe cap strap  53  can be formed of any materials that are suitable for performing the functions of the toe cap strap  53 , for example plastic. The toe cap strap  53  may include two thin metal cables coated in rubber/plastic so as not to wear into the boot. 
         [0052]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , the snowboard body B 2  includes an upper surface  81  and a lower surface  82 . The upper surface  81  and the lower surface  82  can be generally flat. However, opposite ends  83 ,  84  of the snowboard can be curved upwardly in conventional manner. In the snowboard A 1 , the snowboard bindings B 1  are attached to the upper surface  81 . Specifically, each binding frame  1  of the snowboard bindings B 1  is attached to the upper surface  81  via the base plate  3 . For this purpose, in the illustrated example, each base plate  3  of the snowboard bindings B 1  is attached to the upper surface  81  by a plurality of attaching members (not shown) in a conventional manner. 
         [0053]    The operation of the snowboard A 1  and the snowboard bindings B 1  should be readily apparent to a person of skill in the art from the foregoing description and the drawings. However, an example use of the snowboard bindings B 1  is briefly explained below. 
         [0054]    With the buckle mechanisms  42 ,  52  initially disconnected from the hooks  426 ,  526 , the user moves the assemblies  40 ,  50  out of the way and steps into the binding frames  1 . When the user&#39;s boots are properly positioned in the binding frames  1 , the user pulls the assemblies  40 ,  50  over the boots and pivots the levers  421   c,    521   c  upward to the position shown in  FIG. 13 . At the same time, the engagement portions  424   c,    524   c  are positioned near the binding hooks  426 ,  526 . 
         [0055]    Referring to  FIG. 14 , the engagement portions  424   c,    524   c  are then maneuvered behind the receiving parts  426   c,    526   c.  The levers  421   c,    521   c  are then rotated toward the closed position. As the levers  421   c,    521   c  are rotated, they pull the traction elements  421   e,    521   e  which in turn pull the engagement members  424 ,  524  so that the engagement portions  424   c,    524   c  gradually become locked behind the receiving parts  426   c,    526   c  of the binding hooks  426 ,  526 . The levers  421   c ,  521   c  continue to be rotated until they are fully closed (shown in  FIGS. 2-4 and 6 ) and the engagement members  424 ,  524  are locked to the binding hooks  426 ,  526 . Removal works in an opposite manner, with the levers  421   c,    52   c  manually rotated to the open position shown in  FIG. 13  which frees the engagement portions  424   c,    524   c  from the receiving parts  426   c,    526   c.    
         [0056]    The described bindings permit connection of the engagement members to the binding hooks using one hand instead of requiring both hands. In addition, the described bindings have only two straps on each binding instead of four straps. Further, the user can pre-adjust the straps  43 ,  53  and the traction elements  421   e,    521   e  to obtain the desired tightness. Thereafter, each time that the user fastens the bindings, the same level of tightness can be achieved without requiring the user to adjust each time the user connects to the bindings. Further, because the engagement members are received by the receiving part of the binding hooks, ice and snow are prevented from building up in the binding hooks. Further, the binding hooks are non-rotatably attached to the binding frame. As a result, the snowboard A 1  can respond instantly to the rider&#39;s movement (for example when ollieing and spinning or applying nose or tail pressure) and extra delay of the movement of the snowboard A 1  that can be caused by pivotally mounted straps can be prevented. 
         [0057]      FIG. 15  is a front perspective view showing a snowboard binding according to another embodiment. 
         [0058]    The snowboard binding shown in  FIG. 15  is different from the snowboard binding shown in  FIG. 4  in that a puck or circular disk  34  is mounted on the base plate  3 . Other structures in the snowboard binding in  FIG. 15  are the same as the foregoing embodiment in  FIGS. 1-14 . The puck  34  shown in  FIG. 15  is a circular plate and can be used for adjusting an angle of the binding frame  1  on the snowboard body. For example, once the user loosens screws (not shown) that fix the puck  34  to the snowboard body, the user can rotate the binding frame  1  relative to the puck  34 . Once the desired angle of the binding frame  1  is achieved, the user then tightens the screws of the puck  34  which clamps the base plate  3  and fixes the position of the binding frame  1 . The construction and operation of a binding frame with a puck-like disc permitting adjustment of the binding frame is known in the art. 
         [0059]    The examples disclosed in this application are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not limitative. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description; and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be embraced therein.

Technology Classification (CPC): 0