Land vehicles – Skates – Runner type
Reexamination Certificate
1998-01-09
2001-02-20
Camby, Richard M. (Department: 3618)
Land vehicles
Skates
Runner type
C280S618000, C280S014240
Reexamination Certificate
active
06189911
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF INVENTION
The invention relates to binding systems for securing footwear used to engage sliding devices such as in the Alpine sports of skiing, skiboarding and snowboarding. More specifically, the binding of this invention permits the sliding device to exhibit increased flexibility when in use.
BACKGROUND
Alpine sports such as skiing and snowboarding involve a board or set of boards for sliding on snow or, in some lesser preferred conditions, on ice; footwear for protecting the wearer's foot from the elements; and a means of securing the footwear to the board which is frequently called a binding. The boards themselves currently are commonly made of composite materials such as fiberglass, although previously wooden materials were popular. The binding which secures the footwear to the board(s) must meet several criteria with regard to safety and durability. The binding must secure the footwear to the board securely when in use, but must be easy to release should the wearer fall or wish to remove the board. Further, the binding when in use should prevent rather than cause damage to the board upon which it is mounted
As Alpine sports enthusiasts push the limits of performance set by past enthusiasts, the need for high performance bindings has increased. When enthusiasts move to rough terrain with moguls and potholes, increased potential exists for shock and stress to be applied to the board, the boot and the bindings, as well as to the enthusiast himself or herself. This can result in damage to the board, premature release of the boot, and damage to the joints of the skier. Thus, it is desirable to diffuse and spread the shock over a larger area to prevent damage to the board and the enthusiast.
Further, Alpine enthusiasts are demanding greater ability to adjust the elevation, tilt and angle of their board(s) with respect to the plane of the sole of their foot, to allow for higher performance and greater variety of movement. Previous methods and bindings have addressed tilt or angle or performance. However, none have provided the degree of flexibility and adjustability combined with ease of manufacture achieved by the instant invention.
SUMMARY
The binding for mounting footwear onto alpine equipment such as for example alpine skis, mono-skis, short skis or skiboards and snowboards, comprising means for minimizing the flat spots on the sliding device and binding system for mounting the footwear on the sliding device. In a first embodiment, the binding comprises an elastomer layer and a binding system for mounting the foot wear on the sliding device. In a second embodiment, the binding comprises a main binding plate having a central sliding device contact zone which is at least about {fraction (1/12)} of the length of the main binding plate and a mounting means for attaching footwear onto the sliding device. In a third embodiment, the binding comprises a means for adjusting the heel mounting block and a toe mounting block comprising a slot and a fastener, at least one frictionlized zone proximal to the slot, a means for mounting footwear onto a sliding device and a retaining layer. In a fourth embodiment, the binding device comprises an elastomer layer, a system for tilt and angle adjustment and a binding system for mounting footwear onto the sliding device. In a fifth embodiment, the binding is comprised of a shock absorbing layer comprised of an elastomer having a durometer in the approximate range of 50 to 90 located substantially parallel to the upper plane of the sliding device and a binding system having a main binding plate having at least one frictionalized zone and at least one elongated slot, a toe mounting block, and a heel mounting block. In a sixth embodiment, the invention further includes a system to adjust the tilt or elevation of the binding system relative to the upper plane of the board. In a seventh embodiment, the invention comprises a shock absorbing layer as above, means for rotating the binding system into and out of the plane defined by the upper surface of the sliding device, and a binding system comprising a main binding plate having at least one frictionalized zone and at least one elongated slot, a toe mounting block and a heel mounting block where, preferably, the heel bail is non-rotatable in the heel mounting block. In an eighth embodiment, the invention of the seventh embodiment further includes a system to fixedly adjust the angle of elevation of the binding relative to the upper plane of the sliding device. Variations on each embodiment are also described.
In the preferred embodiments shown herein, the binding system comprises a main binding plate having at least one frictionalized zone and at least one closed slot at an end of the elongated main binding plate, a locked heel bail system (also called a non-rotating heel bail system), and a rotatable toe bail system. The toe bail system has a lever mechanism for locking the toe of the footwear into position, a toe bail mounting, a toe bail and at least one rotatable axis. The toe bail system is located at the proximal end of the main binding plate over the central slot in the main binding plate at that end. It has a toe bail which has coined bail ends for securing the bail to the lever. The lever is rotatably mounted on the toe bail mounting at an axis. The heel bail system is comprised of a heel bail and a heel bail mounting. The heel bail system is located at the distal end of the main binding plate. The heel bail mounting is centered over the central closed ended slot at that end. The heel bail has bail ends which are shaped to prevent detachment and which are fixed by compression into bail pockets in the heel bail mounting. Each of the toe bail system and the heel bail system bail mounting are adjustably mounted on the main binding plate at their respective slots by a fastener which allows adjustment of each bail mounting at its appropriate end of the main bail plate by loosening of the fastener, then sliding the fastener in conjunction with the appropriate bail system either towards or away from the center of the elongated main binding plate, and finally tightening the bail system into the desired position. Each fastener extends from its respective bail mounting through a slot in the main bail plate. In the preferred embodiment, the slot is closed at each end to prevent the loosened bail system from becoming detached from the main binding plate.
When the binding system is attached to a sliding device such as an Alpine ski, a shock absorbing layer, preferably made from an elastomer, is sized to fit at least the middle one third section of the main binding plate. The shock absorbing layer has a durometer in the range of 50 to 90 and is placed between the upper planer surface and the lower surface of the main binding plate. Further, the shock absorbing layer is sized to accommodate tilting of the binding system such that at all angles of tilt, the edges of the main binding plate interact with the shock absorbing layer. When the sliding device is a short ski or skiboard, the shock absorbing layer may be notched at each end in a position which would correspond to the closed ended slots at each of the proximal and distal ends of the main binding plate when the shock absorbing layer is mounted between the lower surface of the main binding plate and the upper surface of the ski. The open-ended slots allow the slidable fastener to clear the binding slot of snow.
When the binding system is attached to a sliding device such as a snow board, a disk shaped retaining layer may be mounted between the main binding plate and the shock absorbing layer. The retaining layer preferably is disc-like in shape. The upper surface of the disc, upon which the lower surface of the main binding plate is mounted, is substantially flat creating a flat region. This area is surrounded by an annular zone which may be frictionalized to reduce rotation of the main binding plate on the retaining layer when the main binding plate is mounted thereon by binding plate mounting screws. In the most preferred embodiment out
Caron Jeffrey E.
Smith Geoffrey W.
Camby Richard M.
Caron Alpine Technologies, Inc.
Samuels , Gauthier & Stevens, LLP
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