US 11,110,337 B2 · Processor-controlled snow sport boot binding

Abstract

Some aspects include a ski binding system using controllable electromagnets, alone or in combination with permanent magnets, as means of attaching or releasing a ski boot to a ski during use. Some aspects include a ski binding system using a controllable solenoid. In some aspects, microprocessor-based control releases binding electronically based on input from sensors located in binding, ski and/or boot, as well as in other equipment or clothing connected to them or to skier, or binding releases when a mechanical threshold is overcome. In some aspects, sensor data are recorded for analysis of system performance and for adjustment and improvement of system parameters based on data analytics.

Claims10

Dependent claims

Apparatus for use in releasably retaining a boot plate to a ski, the boot plate comprising a material attracted by a magnetic field, the apparatus comprising:

a binding plate attachable to the ski, the binding plate including a surface to receive the boot plate and an electromagnet to receive electrical power and provide a magnetic force in response thereto to attract the boot plate to the surface of the binding plate,
wherein the binding plate comprises a toe plate and a heel plate spaced apart from the toe plate, wherein the toe plate includes the electromagnet and wherein the heel plates includes an electromagnet to receive electrical power and provide a negating magnetic force in response thereto to release the boot plate from the surface of the binding plate.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

16/656,938Filed 18 Oct 2019 · division

Priority

14 Mar 2017

Published

US 2020/0047058 A113 Feb 2020

Granted

7 Sep 2021

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification14 codes

A63C 7/102
Actuated by the boot: articulated about one transverse axis
A43B 5/0421
For soles or associated with soles of ski boots; for ski bindings: located underneath the sole
A63C 5/003
Skis or snowboards: structure, covering or decoration of the upper ski surface
A63C 9/0802
Yieldable or self-releasing in the event of an accident, i.e. safety bindings: other than mechanically controlled, e.g. electric, electronic,…

Family

Application62/471,230Us provisional application · filed 14 Mar 2017

Application62/559,174Us provisional application · filed 15 Sep 2017

Application15/921,068Parent of this division · filed 14 Mar 2018

US 2020/0047058 A1Pre-grant publication · published 13 Feb 2020

US 10,569,155 B2Parent of this division

US 2018/0264348 A1Published application

US 11,110,337 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Processor-controlled snow sport boot binding

Life of this patent

Processor-controlled snow sport boot binding

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10