Land vehicles – Runner vehicle – Standing occupant
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-02
2003-08-12
Johnson, Brian L. (Department: 3618)
Land vehicles
Runner vehicle
Standing occupant
C280S619000, C024S0680SK
Reexamination Certificate
active
06604746
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a snowboard binding.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 18
is a side view showing a related snowboard binding. Reference numeral
1
designates a base plate to be fixed to a snowboard main body (not shown);
2
, a boot;
3
, a highback connected to the base plate
1
so as to face to a rear surface of the boot
2
;
4
, a pivoting support member pivotally supporting the highback
3
with respect to the base plate
1
;
5
, an ankle strap provided in the base plate
1
to fasten an instep portion of the boot
2
;
6
, a toe strap provided in the base plate
1
to fasten a toe portion of the boot
2
;
7
, a highback forward inclination regulation mechanism disposed on a backface of the highback
3
. The lower surface of an adjuster
13
of the forward inclination regulation mechanism
7
faces to an upper surface of a rear end of a heal cup
1
a
which is located in the rearward of the base plate
1
.
FIG. 19
is a view explaining the tow strap
6
in detail. Reference numeral
8
a
designates a right band fixed to a right side portion of the base plate
1
at one end thereof;
8
b
, a left band fixed to a left side portion of the base plate
1
at one end thereof;
9
, a buckle attached to a free end of the right band
8
a
;
10
, a ratchet belt connecting the buckle
9
;
11
, a lock portion having a ratchet pawl and disposed on the left band
8
b
to connect with the ratchet belt
10
.
Incidentally, the ankle strap
5
has the same structure as the above toe strap
6
.
In the related snowboard binding, the boot
2
is fitted to the base plate
1
as follows. Firstly, in the ankle strap
5
and the toe strap
6
, the engagement between the ratchet belt
10
and the lock portion
11
with the ratchet pawl is released. After the right and left bands
8
a
and
8
b
are opened to separate from each other with both hands of a rider, the boot
2
is disposed on the base plate
1
from the above. Then, as shown in
FIG. 19
, the ratchet belt
10
is inserted into the lock portion
11
with the ratchet pawl and the buckle
9
is fastened, so that an inset portion and a toe portion of the boot
2
are secured to the base plate
1
.
In addition,
FIGS. 20
to
22
are views explaining the forward inclination regulation mechanism
7
in detail. Reference numeral
12
designates a serrated gear disposed on the backface of the highback
3
;
13
, an adjuster having a mating serrated gear
14
formed in the inside surface thereof, for engaging with the gear
12
;
15
, a pin retained in the highback
3
at one end thereof while penetrating a slit
16
located in the adjuster
13
and a hole
17
located in the highback
3
;
18
, an adjusting lever tiltably provided on the other end of the pin
15
via a pivotally-supporting pin and facing with the outside surface of the adjuster
13
. In a state that the adjuster
13
is pressed toward the highback
3
by tilting the adjusting lever
18
, as shown in
FIG. 20
, the gear
12
of the highback
3
and the mating gear
14
of the adjuster
13
are engaged with each other, thereby the adjuster
13
is secured to the highback
3
. In this state, when the highback
3
is tilted rearward, the bottom surface of the adjuster
13
is abutted to the upper surface of the rear portion of the base plate
1
, so that the tilt of the highback
3
is regulated.
However, the related snowboard binding has the following defects.
(1) When the ratchet belt
10
of the ankle strap
5
or the toe strap
6
is engaged with the lock portion
11
, a tip portion
19
of the left band
8
b
generally enters the lower side of the right band
8
a
as shown in FIG.
19
. However, as shown in
FIG. 23
, the tip portion
19
occasionally enters the upper side of the right band
8
a
. Further, the tip portion
19
enters a space
20
formed when the buckle
9
is released. Therefore, the buckle
9
cannot be fastened and the attachment of the ratchet belt
10
spends a lot of time. Additionally, if the buckle
9
is fastened in a condition that the tip portion
19
is inadvertently entered into the space
20
, there is a fear that the buckle
9
is inadvertently opened in use of the binding. Therefore, there is required a technique in the attachment of the ratchet belt.
(2) Additionally, in mounting the boot
2
on the base plate
1
from the above, there is required troublesome working that the rider opens the right and left bands
8
a
and
8
b
toward the outside of the base plate
1
by both hands, respectively.
(3) Moreover, in case of fastening the ankle strap
5
, as shown in
FIG. 24
, the fastening force is concentrated in an instep position
21
. Therefore, there is a fear that the rider hurts his foot.
(4) The adjuster
13
is secured to the highback
3
by bringing down the lever
18
of the forward inclination regulation member
7
, so that the inclination of the highback
3
is determined with respect to the base plate
1
. However, when the lever
18
contacts with the object and the lever
18
is raised up by the impact of the contact, the adjuster
13
is moved separately from the highback
3
. Therefore, there is a problem that the inclination limit angle of the highback
3
to the base plate
1
is changed.
(5) The upper end portion of the highback
3
cuts into the calf of the rider, thereby the rider has a pain.
(6) Since a lot of the same or analogous snowboard bindings exist, there is a defect that it is difficult to discriminate the snowboard binding of the self and other person.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a snowboard binding which can solve the above defects.
The present invention is characterized by the following features.
(1) A snowboard binding for securing a boot to a snowboard, includes:
a base plate adapted to be mounted onto the snowboard, the base plate having side portions; a
a first band pivotally supported to one side portion of the base plate at one end thereof;
a buckle connected to the other end of the first band, the buckle having a ratchet belt;
a second band pivotally supported to the other side portion of the base plate at one end thereof; the second band having a connecting portion connectable to the ratchet belt; and
a preventing unit for preventing a tip portion of the second band from entering a space when the ratchet belt is connected to the connecting portion, the space being formed between the first band and the ratchet belt when the buckle is released.
(2) A snowboard binding according to (1), wherein the preventing unit includes:
a beam extending from the other end of the first band; and
a through-hole defined in the ratchet belt to inert the beam.
(3) A snowboard binding according to (2), wherein the beam has a wide portion in a tip end thereof so as to prevent the beam from coming off from the through-hole.
(4) A snowboard binding according to (1), wherein the preventing unit includes:
a tongue portion disposed in the other end of the first band, said tongue portion having a through-hole, the width of which is larger than that of the ratchet belt and is smaller than that of the other end of the second band.
(5) A snowboard binding according to (1), wherein at least one of the first and second bands has a warping portion formed by warping the band in the vicinity of the side portion of the base plate, so that the band is partially opened toward the outward of the base plate when the ratchet belt is not connected to the connecting portion.
(6) A snowboard binding according to (1), wherein at least one of the first and second bands has a lateral groove formed in the vicinity of the side portion of the base plate, so that the band is partially opened toward the outward of the base plate when the ratchet belt is not connected to the connecting portion.
(7) A snowboard binding for securing a boot to a snowboard, includes:
a base plate adapted to be mounted to the snowboard, the base plate having side portions upwardly extending therefrom;
a highback located upwardly in a rear portion of the
Haruna Motomu
Naito Hideyuki
Sato Toshiaki
Yagyu Yoshihiro
Carmate Mfg. Co., Ltd.
Johnson Brian L.
Restifo Jeffrey
Varndell & Varndell PLLC
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