Patent ID: 7837219

Claim:
A binding assembly, comprising: a binding comprising: a boot platform comprising a side wall having an interior side opposite to an exterior side; and a positioning unit engaged with the boot platform, comprising: an anchoring subunit comprising: a plate disposed on top of a central member having an exterior side wall; wherein the plate is disposed within the interior side of the side wall of the boot platform and the central member extends downward from the boot platform; and one or more stops secured to the exterior side wall of the central member and protruding therefrom; and a locking subunit comprising a handle in communication with an engaging member, wherein at one moment the handle exerts a first force on the engaging member thereby causing the engaging member to move towards the central member until the engaging member makes direct physical contact with the exterior side wall of the central member at which point the handle is maneuvered to lock the binding assembly, and wherein at another moment the handle exerts a second force on the engaging member thereby causing the engaging member to detach itself from the exterior side wall of the central member, thereby unlocking the binding assembly; wherein the binding is rotatable about a central longitudinal axis when the binding assembly is unlocked, and wherein the binding is fixed in position when the binding assembly is locked, and further wherein, the one or more stops is positioned on the exterior side wall of the central member to define a maximum distance through which the anchoring subunit can rotate when the positioning unit is unlocked, and further wherein one or more of the one or more stops is removably secured to the exterior side wall of the central member, and wherein the one or more removable stops can be positioned and removably secured elsewhere on a side of the central member such that the distance through which the anchoring subunit can rotate is variable.