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US 5,667,237 AGranted
Rotary locking feature for snowboard binding
OwnerJonathan L. Lauerinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system is provided for allowing rotation of a snowboard binding relative to the snowboard without removal of the binding from the foot, by means of a releasable latch, integral with the binding, to disengage a rotational locking mechanism.
Claims16
A snowboard binding system for releasably attaching a snowboard to a user's foot and comprising:
- a hold-down plate adapted to engage a snowboard said hold-down plate defining a pivot axis;
- a binding including a base portion adapted for pivotal engagement to said snowboard by said hold-down plate about said pivot axis;
- an angular position index comprised within said hold-down plate and radially disposed about said pivot axis;
- an angular position lock comprised within said base portion and pivotably fixed thereto about sand pivot axis said angular position lock being disposed and adapted for engaging said angular position index end having a first state and a second state;
- a movable lever engaging said angular position lock and said base portion and adapted for transferring said angular position lock between said first and second states;
- a clutch to allow pivoting of said base portion relative to said hold-down plate during said first state when a rotational force between said base portion and said hold-down plate about said pivot axis exceeds a predetermined threshold;
- wherein during said first state said angular position lock engages said angular position index and thereby denies free pivoting of said base portion relative to said hold-down plate;
- and
- during said second state said angular position lock does not engage said angular position index and thereby allows pivoting of said base portion relative to said hold-down plate about said pivot axis;
- and wherein said angular position index comprises a plurality of radially disposed features, said plurality of radially disposed features and said angular position lock are adapted for alignment at a plurality of predetermined angular positions of said base portion relative to said hold-down plate about said pivot axis, and said angular position lock is adapted for engaging one or more of said plurality of radially disposed features at said predetermined angular positions, and said first state exists only at said predetermined angular positions.
7 more elements
A snowboard binding system for releasably attaching a snowboard to a user's foot and comprising:
- a hold-down plate adapted to engage a snowboard and comprising a circular gearwheel having a first plurality of spurs and a second plurality of positioning voids equally spaced about a pivot axis;
- a binding including a base portion adapted for pivotal engagement to said snowboard by said hold-down plate about said pivot axis, said binding having a third plurality, equal to said second plurality, of predetermined angular positions relative to said snowboard about said pivot axis, said binding comprising;
- a detent, disposed radially from said pivot axis and movable radially relative thereto, said detent being biased toward said pivot axis and said gearwheel by a spring disposed between said detent and said base portion, and said detent having a pointed tip adapted for alignment with each positioning void during each corresponding predetermined angular position, and further adapted for and biased towards engagement with said gearwheel by engagement with said each positioning void by disposal of said pointed tip therewithin and between said spurs adjacent thereto,
- a lever engaging said detent and said base portion and movable by said user while said snowboard is attached to said user's foot between a first position and a second position, and adapted in said first position for allowing said detent to engage said gearwheel, and adapted in said second position for causing disengagement of said gearwheel by said detent, wherein
- said binding position is substantially locked in one of said predetermined angular positions relative to said snowboard during engagement of said gearwheel by said detent, and is freely pivotal about said pivot axis relative to said snowboard during disengagement thereof.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.