Land vehicles – Skates – Shoe attaching means
Reexamination Certificate
1996-10-03
2001-09-25
Mar, Michael (Department: 3619)
Land vehicles
Skates
Shoe attaching means
C280S620000, C280S014220
Reexamination Certificate
active
06293577
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a foot binding assembly which is particularly adapted for use as a snowboard binding. The sport of snowboarding is rapidly growing in popularity and the number of new participants may one day exceed that of snow skiing. The present invention relates to the bindings which secure the snowboarder to his or her board. Unlike snow skiing, snowboard bindings are not designed to release when a predetermined pressure is exerted on the binding during a fall. It has been found to be far safer for a snowboarder to have both feet tightly secured to the snowboard during a fall due to the large surface area of a snowboard and the high risk of suffering an ankle or leg injury in the event only one of the bindings was to release. Nevertheless, the binding is an extremely important piece of equipment to the snowboarder. It must provide a solid securement of the boot to the board which will not release unintentionally even during a severe fall. Snowboard bindings should also provide firm and consistent support for the rider's feet and ankles which often assume rather severe and varying inclinations relative to their bodies in negotiating turns and other maneuvers. The need for support is particularly acute for the high percentage of snowboarders who prefer to snowboard in soft boots which provide little of the support for the foot and ankle areas necessary to negotiate many of the typical maneuvers which the sport allows.
In addition to providing solid securement and firm and uniform support, snowboard bindings should be capable of being easily secured to the boot and readily released. The combination of all these qualities is perhaps peculiar to snowboarding as the snowboard rider must repeatedly remove and resecure at least one of their boots to the board after each run. At the bottom of the run, a snowboarder typically detaches their rear foot from their board so they can propel themselves (or “skate”) to the chair lift. While riding on the chair lift, the rear foot and boot remain disengaged from the board. When descending from the chair, the rider places his or her free foot on the top of the board and slides onto an area where the rear binding can be resecured for the ride down the hill. Resecurement of these bindings frequently requires the user to sit on the cold snow while affixing their free boot to the board. Conventional bindings also require repeated tightening and readjusting of the straps, thus causing inconvenience and discomfort.
Not only are conventional strap-type snowboard bindings awkward and difficult to secure, they can present a significant safety hazard when a snowboarder falls in deep snow. With only one foot securely affixed to the board it is not that difficult to extricate oneself from such a position. However, with both feet rigidly secured to the board and one's arms and torso buried in the snow without ready access to the straps to release at least one of the bindings, a very real risk of hypothermia and/or suffocation is created. Indeed, several snowboarders have perished each year as a result of such situations.
Thus, it is very important that a snowboard binding not only provide adequate support for the rider's feet and ankles and a solid securement of the boot to the board capable of withstanding severe falls without releasing, but also that the securement be obtained with minimal effort by the snowboarder and that the binding be readily and quickly releasable. It is also desirable that the binding be usable with the soft comfortable boots used by most snowboarders. Previous attempts to provide improved snowboard bindings have generally focused on less than the totality of these features. For example, step-in-type bindings have been developed to facilitate the securement and release of the boots to and from the snowboard. Such bindings, however, typically require an attachment to be permanently affixed to the bottom, back or sides of the boot which matches and interfaces with an attachment on the snowboard such that when the snowboarder places his or her foot onto the board in proper alignment and steps down, the boot and board are locked together. Unfortunately, such bindings generally require the purchase of new boots which are particularly designed to interface with the bindings. In addition, these boots can only be used for snowboarding and typically only on the board which contains a matching attachment. In addition, such bindings provide little support, thus requiring a use of a more rigid boot. As a result, the comfort of the soft boot preferred by many snowboarders is lost.
Unlike the bindings heretofore available, the snowboard binding of the present invention not only provides the tight securement and support necessary for snowboard riding while executing the various maneuvers snowboarding allows, it is also usable with conventional soft boots and is readily secured to and released from the rider's boots. As a result, the present invention enhances both the safety and enjoyment of snowboarding.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The binding of the present invention as adapted for use as a snowboard binding employs a self-locking ankle/toe securement assembly which is pivotally mounted on a base portion and cooperates with the base portion and a rear heel/achilles support to provide a consistent and evenly distributed tight securement and strong support for the rider's foot and ankle. The cooperation of the ankle/toe securement assembly with the base portion of the binding and the locking mechanism employed allow the binding both to be easily secured in place about the rider's boot and readily releasable to remove the boot.
More particularly, the binding comprises the base portion which is supported on and secured to the snowboard, the ankle/toe securement assembly which is pivotally mounted on opposed sides of the base portion proximate the forward end thereof, and the rear heel/achilles support which is adjustably mounted on the base portion proximate the rear end thereof. A pair of readily releasable ratchet-type locking mechanisms are carried by opposed sides of the ankle/toe securement assembly which cooperate with aligned ratcheting elements carried by opposed sides of the base portion of the binding. To secure and lock the binding about the boot, the rider need only place his or her foot within the open binding and push the ankle/toe securement assembly downwardly against the boot to the desired tightness. As the securement assembly is pushed against the boot, the boot is properly aligned on the binding. The engaged locking mechanisms will then hold the ankle/toe securement assembly in place about and against the boot, securing the boot within the binding without the need for further adjustment. Each of the locking mechanisms preferably includes an extended release trigger for quickly opening the locking mechanism to release the boot from the binding and additionally providing the rider with a lever arm to facilitate the pivoting of the ankle/toe securement assembly into locking engagement with the base portion.
The ankle/toe securement assembly which releasably locks the boot in place includes a pair of laterally opposed support arms pivotally mounted on opposite sides of the base portion of the binding, an adjustable toe cover pivotally mounted on and extending across the support arms proximate the forward ends of said arms, and an adjustable ankle cover pivotally mounted on and extending across the support arms proximate the rearward ends of said arms. The toe and ankle covers are each preferably contoured to mate with and press tightly, yet comfortably, against the upper and lateral toe and ankle portions of the boot upon the ankle/toe securement assembly being pivoted into the closed or locked position. The base portion of the binding abuts and provides support for the lower lateral portions of the boot. Together, the base portion, heel/achilles support and ankle/toe securement assembly encase and provide a tight and comfortable securement and solid support
Lyon & Lyon LLP
Mar Michael
LandOfFree
Foot binding assembly does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Foot binding assembly, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Foot binding assembly will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2504885