U.S. patent application number 11/114290 was filed with the patent office on 2006-10-26 for virtual forward lean snowboard binding.
This patent application is currently assigned to K-2 Corporation. Invention is credited to Nigel Bruce Edward Steere.
Application Number | 20060237920 11/114290 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37186048 |
Filed Date | 2006-10-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060237920 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Steere; Nigel Bruce Edward |
October 26, 2006 |
Virtual forward lean snowboard binding
Abstract
A snowboard binding (100) is disclosed having a base plate (102)
with a pair of oppositely disposed sidewalls (104), a heel loop
(112) attached to the base plate, and a highback (120). The
highback is attached to the heel loop such that the highback is
pivotable about a virtual axis that is disposed away from the base
plate and away from the highback. The virtual axis is preferably
coaxial with the ankle's rotational axis for dorsiflexion. In an
embodiment of the invention the highback includes arcuate slots
(126) through which a bolt (132) and curved nut plate (130) attach
the highback to the heel loop. The arcuate slot is preferably a
circular arc centered on the desired virtual axis. In an embodiment
of the invention, the heel loop intermediate portion (116) is
curved about a transverse axis, and the heel portion (124) of the
highback is similarly curved to generally nest with the heel
loop.
Inventors: |
Steere; Nigel Bruce Edward;
(Seattle, WA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
CHRISTENSEN, O'CONNOR, JOHNSON, KINDNESS, PLLC
1420 FIFTH AVENUE
SUITE 2800
SEATTLE
WA
98101-2347
US
|
Assignee: |
K-2 Corporation
Vashon
WA
|
Family ID: |
37186048 |
Appl. No.: |
11/114290 |
Filed: |
April 25, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
280/11.36 ;
280/623 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63C 10/20 20130101;
A63C 10/285 20130101; A63C 10/24 20130101; A63C 10/04 20130101;
A63C 10/18 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
280/011.36 ;
280/623 |
International
Class: |
A63C 3/02 20060101
A63C003/02; A63C 9/18 20060101 A63C009/18 |
Claims
1. A binding comprising: a base plate adapted to be attached to a
snowboard, the base plate having a pair of oppositely-disposed
sidewalls; and a highback pivotably attached to the base plate;
wherein the highback pivots about a virtual axis disposed away from
the highback and away from the base plate.
2. The binding of claim 1, wherein the virtual axis is
approximately aligned with a rider's ankle joint axis for rotation
in dorsiflexion.
3. The binding of claim 1, wherein the highback is pivotably
attached to the base plate through a heel loop that extends between
the highback and the base plate.
4. The binding of claim 3, wherein the heel hoop is adjustably
attached to the oppositely disposed sidewalls of the base
plate.
5. The binding of claim 4, wherein the highback comprises
oppositely disposed wing portions, and an intermediate heel
portion, each wing portion being attached to the heel hoop with
attachment hardware extending through a curved slot in the wing
portion such that the highback is constrained to pivot about the
virtual axis.
6. The binding of claim 5, wherein the curved slot in each wing
portion is disposed in an inwardly-facing curved channel and
wherein the attachment hardware comprises a nut plate having a
curved portion disposed in the curved channel and a bolt that
extends through the curved slot and threadably engages the nut
plate.
7. The binding of claim 6, wherein the curved channel in each of
the wing portions defines a first set of teeth, and the nut plate
defines a second set of teeth, wherein the second set of teeth
lockably engage the first set of teeth.
8. The binding of claim 5, wherein the highback intermediate heel
portion is curved, and the heel loop includes an intermediate
portion that is also curved to nest with the curved heel portion of
the highback during pivoting.
9. The binding of claim 5, further comprising a toe strap that is
attached to the base plate, and an instep strap that is attached to
the heel loop.
10. The binding of claim 5, wherein the heel loop is formed from
stainless steel.
11. The binding of claim 5, wherein the highback attaches to the
heel loop through a pair of oppositely disposed elongate apertures
such that the position of the highback with respect to the heel
loop can be selectively adjusted.
12. The binding of claim 5, wherein the highback further comprises
a blocking member adjustably mounted to a back side of the
highback, the blocking member positioned to abut the heel loop to
selectively establish a maximum forward lean angle of the
highback.
13. A binding comprising: a base plate adapted to be attached to a
snowboard, the base plate having a first sidewall and a second
sidewall; a heel loop having a first end attached to the first
sidewall and a second end attached to the second sidewall; a
highback having a lower portion defining a first wing portion, a
second wing portion, and a heel portion disposed between the first
and second wing portions, and wherein each of the first and second
wing portions includes a curved slot defining a circular arc having
a radius of curvature that is centered on a transverse axis
disposed above the first and second sidewalls; wherein the highback
is attached to the heel loop through the curved slots in the first
and second wing portions such that the highback is pivotable about
the transverse axis.
14. The binding of claim 13, wherein the transverse axis is
approximately aligned with a rider's ankle joint axis for rotation
in dorsiflexion.
15. The binding of claim 13, wherein the heel loop is slidably
attached to the first and second sidewalls through elongate slots
such that the position of the heel loop is adjustable.
16. The binding of claim 13, wherein each of the curved slots is
disposed in an inwardly-facing curved channel, the binding further
comprising a nut plate having a curved portion that is sized to fit
in the curved channel and a bolt that extends through an aperture
in the heel loop and threadably engages the nut plate thereby
pivotably attaching the highback to the heel loop.
17. The binding of claim 16, wherein each curved channel defines a
plurality of teeth and each nut plate defines a second plurality of
teeth that engage the teeth in the curved channel.
18. The binding of claim 15, wherein the highback heel portion is
curved and the heel loop includes an intermediate portion that is
curved to nest with the curved heel portion of the highback.
19. The binding of claim 13, further comprising a toe strap that is
pivotably attached to the base plate sidewalls, and an instep strap
that is pivotably attached to the heel loop.
20. The binding of claim 13, wherein the heel loop is formed from
stainless steel.
21. The binding of claim 13, wherein the highback further comprises
a blocking member adjustably mounted to a back side of the
highback, the blocking member positioned to abut the heel loop to
selectively establish a maximum forward lean angle of the
highback.
22. The binding of claim 21, wherein the blocking member includes a
locking release lever to facilitate adjustment of the blocking
member.
23. The binding of claim 22, wherein the blocking member is
disposed in a channel formed on a back of the highback.
24. The binding of claim 23, wherein the channel formed on the back
of the highback includes a plurality of teeth and the blocking
member includes a plurality of teeth adapted to engage the teeth on
the back of the highback.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention is directed to bindings for gliding
sports and, in particular, to bindings having a pivotable highback
support.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Gliding boards, such as snowboards, snow skis, water skis,
and the like, are well known in the art and in the sporting world.
Generally, a rider is securely held to the gliding board with a
binding that connects to the gliding board and generally to the
rider's feet or boots. Various types of bindings have been
developed to allow the user to engage the gliding board. The
present disclosure is described with reference to the currently
preferred snowboard binding embodiments, although the present
invention may readily be adapted for other gliding board
applications.
[0003] Typical prior art snowboard binding systems are generally
categorized as either strap (or conventional) bindings that
typically include a rigid highback piece against which the heel of
the boot is placed and one or more straps that secure the boot to
the binding, or step-in bindings that typically utilize one or more
strapless engagement members into which the rider can step to lock
the boot into the binding. For example, the strapless engagement
members may engage metal cleats integrated into the sole of the
boot. Strap bindings are the original and most popular type of
snowboard binding and are adjustable, secure, and comfortable.
Step-in bindings allow the user to more easily engage and disengage
from the snowboard.
[0004] Both strap bindings and step-in bindings usually include a
highback ankle support that extends upwardly from the snowboard,
and is positioned to overlie the back of the user's boot. The back
ankle portion of the rider's boot abuts against a curved forward
surface of the highback, essentially providing leverage by which
the rider can control the snowboard's heel edge. Alpine riders who
need to perform high speed turns generally prefer a taller and
stiffer highback for greater edge control, wherein freestyle riders
generally prefer a shorter highback for better flexibility. The
angle that the highback forms with the snowboard (or base plate of
the binding) when the highback is pivoted to its rearward stop,
referred to herein as the maximum forward lean, is important to the
feel and control of the snowboard. Generally the maximum forward
lean can be adjusted by the rider and will be set to a particular
angle, depending on a variety of factors, including the type of
snowboarding to be undertaken, the slope conditions, and the
like.
[0005] Of course, the rider's ankles are important to controlling
the snowboard and, in particular, the angular orientation of the
snowboard relative to the snow about all three axes, and especially
about the longitudinal axis. The human ankle is a complex system of
connections between the lower leg and foot that comprises three
separate joints. The first is the ankle joint formed between the
lower ends of the tibia and fibula and the uppermost bone in the
foot, the talus. This joint allows movement of the foot in
dorsiflexion/plantar flexion (i.e., toe up and down). The second is
the subtalar joint between the two largest foot bones, the talus
and calcaneus, which allows inversion and eversion movement of the
foot. The subtaler joint is located below the ankle joint. Finally,
the transverse tarsal joint is composed of the talus and calcaneus
bones on the back side and the navicular and cuboid bones on the
front side. The subtaler joint permits abduction (toe out) and
adduction (toe in) movement.
[0006] The adjustability of the maximum lean angle requires that
the highback portion of the binding be adjustable in the direction
of dorsiflexion/plantar flexion of the rider's ankle. It is
therefore desirable for the highback portion to pivot about an axis
that is approximately coaxial with the rider's axis for
dorsiflexion of the ankle joint. However, because the dorsiflexion
ankle joint is located higher than the other joints in the ankle,
snowboard binding designers have had to compromise in order not to
interfere with the other ankle joints and the highback portion of
prior art bindings is generally constructed to pivot about an axis
that is well below the dorsiflexion ankle joint. The result is that
the highback is not optimally positioned with respect to the
rider's ankle over the design range of settings for the maximum
forward lean position. The present invention is directed to solving
this disadvantage of the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention is directed to a binding for gliding
boards such as snowboards, and includes a base plate that attaches
to the board, a heel loop that attaches to a rearward portion of
the base plate, and a highback that is pivotably attached to the
heel loop. The highback provides support for the rider and
facilitates moving the board generally about its longitudinal axis.
By pivoting the highback, it can be set to any of a range of
maximum forward lean settings to accommodate the rider's
preferences. In the present invention, the highback pivots about a
virtual axis that is approximately located to correspond with the
natural axis of the rider's ankle for rotation in
dorsiflexion/plantar flexion.
[0008] In an embodiment of the invention, the oppositely-disposed
wings of the highback attach to the heel loop through a pair of
elongate curved slots having a radius of curvature that is on the
desired virtual axis.
[0009] In an embodiment of the invention, the curved slots are
disposed in curved channels in the highback, and the highback is
attached to the heel loop with attachment hardware including nut
plates having curved portions that are adapted to slidably engage
the curved channels.
[0010] In an embodiment of the invention, the rearward intermediate
portion of the heel loop is curved, to approximately conform to
curvature on the heel portion of the highback, such that the
highback approximately nests with the heel loop.
[0011] In an embodiment of the invention, the binding further
comprises an adjustable toe strap and an adjustable instep
strap.
[0012] In an embodiment of the invention, the heel plate and
highback are formed substantially from a rigid polymeric material,
and the heel loop is steel.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages
of this invention will become more readily appreciated as the same
become better understood by reference to the following detailed
description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings, wherein:
[0014] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a
snowboard binding in accordance with the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of the snowboard binding shown
in FIG. 1;
[0016] FIG. 3 shows a side view of the snowboard binding shown in
FIG. 1, with the straps removed for clarity; and
[0017] FIG. 4 shows a fragmentary, cross-sectional side view of a
portion of the binding shown in FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0018] Refer now to the figures, wherein like numbers indicate like
parts. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a snowboard binding 100
illustrating a currently preferred embodiment to the present
invention and FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of the snowboard
binding 100. It should be appreciated that the binding 100 includes
certain general aspects in common with the commonly-owned U.S. Pat.
No.5,727,797, to Bowles, which is hereby incorporated by reference
in its entirety.
[0019] The binding 100 includes a base plate 102 that is adapted to
be selectively attached to a snowboard (not shown) by conventional
attachment mechanisms as are well known in the art--for example,
with fastening hardware extending through apertures in an
adjustment disk 101. The base plate 102 provides a platform for
receiving the snowboard boot (not shown) of a rider and includes a
pair of oppositely disposed sidewalls 104. A generally U-shaped
heel loop 112 is attached to the base plate 102 with attachment
hardware 103 extending through apertures 105 in the sidewalls 104
and apertures 113 in the heel loop 112. In the preferred
embodiment, the apertures 113 in the heel loop 112 are elongate,
such that the horizontal position of the heel loop 112 with respect
to the base plate 102 may be selectively adjusted. The heel loop
112 includes oppositely-disposed leg portion 114 and a curved
intermediate portion 116.
[0020] A toe strap 108 (shown in phantom in FIG. 1) is pivotally
attached near a front end of the sidewalls 104 with attachment
hardware 103 positioned to overlie a toe portion of the snowboard
boot. An instep strap 110 is pivotally attached to the heel loop
112 and positioned to overlie an instep portion of the snowboard
boot. The toe strap 108 and instep strap 110 are held in a
tightened adjustment about the snowboard boot with clasp mechanisms
109 and 111, respectively, which may be ratchet-type, quick-release
clasp mechanisms. The straps 108, 110 are preferably padded for the
rider's comfort.
[0021] A highback 120 is pivotably attached to the heel loop 112
with attachment hardware 130 and 132 described in more detail
below. The highback 120 is curved generally about an upright axis,
i.e., contoured, to approximately conform to the back of the
rider's boot 92 (see FIG. 3). The highback 120 includes
oppositely-disposed lower wing portions 122 and a heel portion 124
there between. The heel portion 124 extends generally behind the
ankle of the rider. In the preferred embodiment, a blocking member
140 (FIGS. 3 and 4) is adjustably attached to the back of the
highback 120, generally constrained to move in an integral channel
128 formed on the back of the highback 120. A quick-release locking
lever 142 on the blocking member 140 is movable between a release
position and a locked position (shown in locked position). The
locking lever 142 is pivoted outwardly, away from the highback 120,
to the release position to slidably move the blocking member 140 to
a desired position, then returned to the locked position to lock
the blocking member 140 at the desired position. The blocking
member 140 includes a toothed inner surface 149 that engages
corresponding teeth 129 on the back of the highback 120.
[0022] It will be appreciated from FIGS. 3 and 4 that the blocking
member 140 is positioned to abut an upper edge of the heel loop
112, thereby limiting the backward pivoting motion (or maximum
forward lean) of the highback 120. The rider may therefore set the
maximum forward lean by positioning and locking the blocking member
140 to a desired position. As noted above, the maximum forward lean
is important to the feel and control of the snowboard and a rider's
optimal setting is typically dependant on a variety of factors,
including the type of snowboarding to be undertaken, the slope
conditions, and the like.
[0023] Refer now in particular to FIG. 4, which shows a fragmentary
cross-sectional view of a portion of the binding 100, including one
of the wings 122 of the highback 120. The wings 122 of the highback
120 each has an elongate aperture or curved slot 126 that
preferably forms a circular arc centered on a point P. As shown in
FIG. 3, the point P approximately intersects the rotational axis of
dorsiflexion/plantar flexion of the ankle of the rider. In the
preferred embodiment, a similarly curved, inwardly-facing
depression or channel 128 surrounds each curved slot 126, the
channel 128 having a plurality of transverse teeth 129. An arcuate
nut plate 130 having a corresponding set of transverse teeth 139
(shown in FIG. 2) is shaped to fit in the channel 128. The nut
plate 130 includes an internally threaded nut or post 131 that is
sized to extend through the curved slot 126. As seen most clearly
in FIGS. 2 and 3, connecting hardware--such as a bolt 132 and
locking member 133--extends through the apertures 115 on either
side of the heel loop 112, through the curved slots 126 in the
highback 120, and threadably engages the corresponding nut plate
130 to pivotably attach the highback 120 to the heel loop 112.
[0024] Refer now also to FIG. 3, which shows a side view of the
binding 100 with the toe strap 108 and instep strap 110 removed for
clarity, and FIG. 4. The highback 120 may be pivoted in its
attachment to the heel loop 112 by rotating the highback 120 such
that the nut plate post 131 slidably shifts (relative to highback
120) along the curved slots 126 in the highback wings 122, as
indicated in FIG. 4 by arrow 90. The highback 120 is therefore
pivotable about a transverse virtual axis through point P that
approximately corresponds to the axis of the rider's dorsiflexion
ankle joint. As used herein, a virtual axis means an axis that is
disposed away from, e.g., not directly through, the highback 120 or
the base plate 102. Because the virtual axis is at or near the
natural pivoting axis (in dorsiflexion/plantar flexion) of the
rider's ankle, the highback 120 can be readily positioned to
different maximum forward lean positions with the binding 100
geometry adhering substantially to the natural geometry of the
rider's foot and ankle. A person of skill in the art will recognize
from the teachings herein that pivoting the highback 120 about the
substantially same axis as the natural axis of the rider's ankle
will enable the highback 120 to more closely accommodate the rider
through the entire range of angular positions available to the
highback 120.
[0025] To further facilitate the desired pivoting of the highback
120 about the virtual axis through point P, the intermediate
portion 116 of the heel loop 112 is curved to approximately conform
to the bottom heel portion 124 of the highback 120. (The heel loop
intermediate portion 116, of course, is also curved generally about
an upright axis to conform generally to the highback 120, i.e.,
extending from the lateral to the medial side of the boot 92). The
highback 120 heel portion 124 is similarly curved about a
horizontal axis to approximately nest with the heel loop
intermediate portion 116. The conforming curvature in the heel loop
intermediate portion 116 and the highback heel portion 124 prevents
interference between these components over the range of adjustment
for the highback 120 and allows the heel loop 112 to provide
positioning guidance and structural support to the highback
120.
[0026] In a currently preferred embodiment of the binding 100, the
base plate 102 and the highback 120 are formed primarily of a
substantially rigid and lightweight polymeric material, and the
heel loop 112, which must withstand substantial forces exerted by
the rider and the terrain, is made from stainless steel. It will be
appreciated, however, that other material choices may be made with
the standard application of engineering judgment and these material
choices are not intended to limit the scope of the present
invention. It is contemplated, for example, that other metals or
composite materials may alternatively be utilized.
[0027] While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been
illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that various
changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and
scope of the invention.
* * * * *