Land vehicles – Skates – Shoe attaching means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-14
2001-07-10
Mar, Michael (Department: 3619)
Land vehicles
Skates
Shoe attaching means
C280S014240, C280S087042, C441S074000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06257614
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to sportingboard boot binding and foot-retaining mechanisms and more particularly to those types of bindings and mechanisms capable of adjustment.
BACKGROUND—DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Sportingboards such as air-boards, sand-boards, wake-boards, and snowboards have become more numerous since these sports have become more popular in recent years. Air boarding is accomplished with a snowboard or similar device and also requires an airplane and a parachute and is accomplished by gliding through the air using the board as a control device during the free-fall phase of parachuting. Sandboarding is accomplished with a snowboard or similar device and is done while descending sloped surfaces of sand dunes in desert areas. Wakeboarding is accomplished with a board which is similar to a snowboard, is done on water, and is similar to water skiing, as it is done typically while being towed. Snowboarding is done while descending snow covered slopes of hills and mountains using a snowboard. In these sports mentioned and other similar sports (some types of mountainboarding or surfboarding) where a rigid or semi-rigid sportingboard is used in conjunction with boot bindings or foot-retaining mechanisms the present invention can be employed. Since a significant application of the present invention is snowboarding the discussion regarding the prior art shall mainly discuss snowboarding. In general many principles of operation which apply to snowboards apply to other types of sportingboards also.
Snowboarding is a relatively new sport that has grown in popularity over recent years. Snowboarding can be visually compared to skateboarding and surfing, except that it is done on snow. Snowboarding can also be compared to skiing, to the extent that the sport is practiced on snow-filled slopes. To snowboard, the rider stands on the board so that both feet are positioned at an angle substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the snowboard (the direction of travel). This position is desirable because it allows the snowboarder to roll back and forth on their heels and balls of their feet in order to change the surface impression of the board in the snow, thereby enabling the snowboard to turn. In order to maintain this position, protective boots are worn by a snowboarder and mounted to a binding that is fixedly bolted to the top surface of the snowboard at the desired angular position. Thus, it can be said that the sport of snowboarding is distinct from skiing, wherein both feet are side by side on a single ski and the skier faces forward.
Basically three types of bindings are commonly used in snowboarding, the high back, the plate, and a variation of the two, the step-in. The high back is characterized by a vertical plastic or aluminum back piece that is used to apply pressure to the heel side of the board. This type of binding typically has two straps that go over the foot, one holding down the heel and the other holding down the toe. Some high backs further include a third strap on the vertical back piece, called a shin strap, which gives additional support and aids in toe side turns. Typically this type of binding mechanism is used in conjunction with soft-shell boots. The plate, or step-in binding, is used with a hard shell boot much like a ski binding except it does not automatically release on impact of the board against an obstacle. A variation of these two types is the step-in binding.
Step-in bindings are designed to allow a rider to use soft-shell boots with out having to attach and detach straps each time one wants to exit the board. This is accomplished by having a reinforced soft-shell boot that attaches directly to a complimentary mated plate. A lever, button, or other rider-actuated release device is attached to the plate portion of the matched boot and (companion) plate set. These are also known as quick release bindings and have been gaining in popularity in recent years. Some of these step-in bindings resemble a plate binding since they have no vertical plastic or aluminum back piece while other step-ins have a back piece, but no boot straps.
During different events, snowboard riders have different angular positions of their feet relative to the longitudinal axis of the snowboard to accommodate different snow conditions or snowboarding styles. For instance, during speed runs such as Giant Slalom (GS) the snowboarder would prefer to have their feet oriented more relatively straight ahead, and thus more in line with the longitudinal axis of the snowboard. For other events such as freestyle and half-pipe events, the desired angle would be oriented more perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.
Snowboard types can be classified into two basic types: the directional and the twin. The directional board is essentially non-symmetrical with regard to the tips or ends of the snowboard, and designed to travel primarily in one direction relative to the longitudinal axis of the board. An example of a directional board is the GS type board. The twin is essentially symmetrical with regard to the tips or ends of the board. Thus the twin board is therefore better suited to reverse direction of travel with regard to the longitudinal axis of the board. An example of a twin type board is one that is used in freestyle or half-pipe events.
Originally all or most snowboards were directional. As snowboarding and other related sports have evolved the trend has been toward twin boards since riders continually “push the envelope” of the sport, and riders have discovered that one can ride “backwards” from the primary direction of travel. It is not the preferred direction of travel for the operator, nor is the stance of the rider relative to the board most conducive to operation in the backward direction. However when riding half-pipe and “trick courses” in snowboard parks the duration of travel in the backward direction is usually adjusted accordingly.
Typical prior art snowboard bindings have not been easy to rotate and lock at different angular positions while snowboarding. This is primarily due to the fact that typical bindings are attached either directly or indirectly with mechanical fasteners which essentially “lock” the binding to the snowboard. This is accomplished typically with threaded mechanical fasteners that mate with inserts or plates that are embedded within the snowboard.
Some prior art designs have mechanical fasteners that attach a binding directly to a snowboard through holes in the binding directly. In such direct type mounting bindings the binding and/or the snowboard has multiple fastener hole locations. This type of binding is shown in
FIG. 2
of the drawing figures and is labeled “PRIOR ART”. Other common designs employ a mating conical geared or toothed disc that engages, traps, and retains a binding. Such a disc is fastened to a snowboard directly through fastener holes that are in the disc. This type of binding is shown in
FIG. 1
of the drawing figures and is labeled “PRIOR ART”. The disc retains and prevents rotation of the binding. In these “disc locking” types of designs the disc hole pattern is repeated in predetermined locations/intervals on the snowboard. In both of these basic designs the fasteners must be dealt with for adjustment.
Typically to make a binding adjustment/reorientation for these designs the user must first remove the boot from the binding and then loosen a series of screws/fasteners, typically with a screwdriver or wrench, so that the binding can be rotated and positioned at the (new) desired angle. The loose screws must be re-tightened to lock the binding in place and the user can then reinsert the boot into the binding. Such an operation is difficult, time consuming, and inconvenient for the snowboarder. This is impractical when the loss of screws/fasteners in the snow and the consideration of the cold environment is taken into account. Though somewhat impractical snowboarders do perform such a field operation on snowboards, and portable tool kits have been designed for this purp
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