Snowboard binding which permits angular reorientation of a user's foot while maintaining that foot attached to the snowboard

A binding for attaching a snowboarder's foot to a snowboard comprising:

• A) a footplate having an outer perimeter, a bottom surface and means for attaching said footplate to a snowboarder's boot when a snowboarder's foot is in the boot;
• B) anchor means for rotatably attaching said footplate with the snowboarder's boot attached thereto to a snowboard having a top surface and a longitudinal centerline, said anchor means positioning said bottom surface in direct contact with the top surface of the snowboard and maintaining said footplate and snowboarder's boot continuously attached to the snowboard even when said footplate is rotated through an angle of ninety degrees or more with respect to the longitudinal centerline of the snowboard, said anchor means including
• (1) first fastening means fixed to the snowboard for fixedly attaching said anchor means to the snowboard and including a plurality of holes defined in said first fastening means, said plurality of holes on said first fastening means extending on said first fastening means for at least a ninety degree arc which extends across the longitudinal centerline of the snowboard and which are located outside the outer perimeter of a user's foot on said snowboard, said footplate being located between said first fastening means and the snowboard,
• (2) second fastening means for rotatably attaching said footplate to said first fastening means, said second fastening means being in sliding contact with said first fastening means and remaining in continuous sliding contact with said first fastening means when said footplate is rotated through said angle, and
• (3) securing means on said footplate for engaging at least one of the holes on said first fastening means for accurately and repeatable securing said footplate to said first fastening means in a selected one of a plurality of angular orientations, said securing means including at least one hole in said footplate.

A binding for attaching a snowboarder to a snowboard comprising:

• A) a footplate means for securing a boot to a snowboard, said footplate means having a bottom surface and a base, and including means for mounting said footplate in direct and sliding contact with the snowboard, said means for mounting said footplate including
• (1) pin means;
• (2) pin accommodating means on said footplate for holding said pin means on said footplate,
• (3) pin receiving means fixed to the snowboard with said footplate located between said pin receiving means and the snowboard for releasably receiving said pin means and attaching said footplate means to the snowboard, said pin receiving means including a plurality of holes defined therein to be located outside an outer perimeter of a snowboarder's foot located in a boot attached to said footplate means and extending for an arc of at least ninety degrees with respect to a longitudinal centerline of the snowboard, and
• (4) means for slidably connecting said pin receiving means to said footplate means whereby said footplate can be rotated at least ninety degrees on the snowboard without being detached from the snowboard.

A binding for attaching a waterboarder's foot to a waterboard comprising:

• A) a footplate having an outer perimeter and means for attaching said footplate directly to a waterboarder's foot when the waterboarder's foot is in a binding, said footplate having a bottom surface, said bottom surface being positioned in direct and sliding contact with a top surface of the waterboard thereby placing a wearer's foot immediately adjacent to the top surface of the waterboard;
• B) anchor means for rotatably attaching said footplate with the foot-containing binding attached thereto to a waterboard and maintaining said footplate and foot-containing boot continuously attached to said waterboard even when said footplate is rotated through an angle of ninety degrees or more with respect to a longitudinal centerline of the waterboard, said anchor means including
• (1) a top plate, said footplate being located between said top plate and the waterboard,
• (2) fastening means for fixedly attaching said top plate to the waterboard, and
• (3) means movably engaging said top plate with said footplate;
• and
• C) securing means for accurately, releasably and repeatable securing said footplate to said top plate in a selected angular orientation and for preventing movement of said footplate with respect to said top plate, said securing means including a plurality of holes defined in said top plate, said holes being arcuately arranged with respect to the waterboard and located outside of the outer perimeter of a user's foot on said footplate and means on said footplate for engaging said holes to lock said footplate in one of a plurality of angular orientations with respect to the waterboard.

A binding for attaching a snowboarder to a snowboard comprising:

• A) a footplate secured to a snowboarder's boot, said footplate having an outer perimeter, a bottom surface and a base, and including
• (1) means on said base for mounting pin means on said base, and
• (2) mounting means on said base for fixing said footplate to the snowboarder's boot;
• B) pin means for releasably fixing said footplate in a selected orientation on the snowboard;
• C) a pin receiving means on a snowboard for releasably receiving said pin means and maintaining said footplate in a selected orientation on the snowboard with respect to a longitudinal centerline of the snowboard, said pin receiving means including a plurality of holes defined therein to be located outside a perimeter of a user's foot when that user's foot is attached to the snowboard by said footplate and extending for at least a ninety degree arc which extends across the longitudinal centerline whereby said footplate can be rotated at least ninety degrees on the snowboard;
• D) fastening means for securing said footplate to the snowboard and maintaining said footplate continuously secured to the snowboard with said footplate bottom surface in direct and sliding contact with the top surface of the snowboard when said footplate is rotated with the snowboarder's foot in the boot and attached to said footplate, said fastening means including a flange;
• E) anchor means for fixing said fastening means to the snowboard;
• and
• F) connection means for movably connecting said fastening means to said footplate and for permitting said footplate to rotate with respect to said fastening means with said fastening means fixed to the snowboard, said fastening means including a flange which slidably contacts the flange of said fastening means, said footplate being located between said fastening means and the snowboard.

A binding for attaching a snowboarder to a snowboard comprising:

• A) a footplate having means for securing said footplate to a snowboarder's boot, said footplate having an outer perimeter, a bottom surface and a base, and including
• (1) means on said base for mounting pin means on said base, and
• (2) mounting means on said base for fixing said footplate to the snowboarder's boot;
• B) pin means for releasably fixing said footplate in a selected orientation on the snowboard;
• C) a pin receiving means on a snowboard for releasably receiving said pin means and maintaining said footplate in a selected orientation on the snowboard with respect to a longitudinal centerline of the snowboard, said pin receiving means including a plurality of holes defined therein to be located outside a perimeter of a user's foot when that user's foot is attached to the snowboard by said footplate and extending for at least a ninety degree arc which extends across the longitudinal centerline whereby said footplate can be rotated at least ninety degrees on the snowboard;
• D) fastening means for securing said footplate to the snowboard and maintaining said footplate continuously secured to the snowboard with said footplate bottom surface in direct and sliding contact with the top surface of the snowboard when said footplate is rotated with the snowboarder's foot in the boot and attached to said footplate;
• E) anchor means for fixing said fastening means to the snowboard;
• and
• F) connection means for movably connecting said fastening means to said footplate and for permitting said footplate to rotate with respect to said fastening means with said fastening means fixed to the snowboard, said footplate being located between said fastening means and the snowboard.

A binding for attaching a snowboarder to a snowboard comprising:

• A) a footplate having means for securing said footplate to a snowboarder's boot, said footplate having an outer perimeter, a bottom surface and a base, and including
• (1) means on said base for mounting pin means on said base, and
• (2) mounting means on said base for fixing said footplate to the snowboarder's boot;
• B) pin means for releasably fixing said footplate in a selected orientation on the snowboard;
• C) a pin receiving means on a snowboard for releasably receiving said pin means and maintaining said footplate in a selected orientation on the snowboard with respect to a longitudinal centerline of the snowboard, said pin receiving means including a plurality of holes defined therein to be located outside a perimeter of a user's foot when that user's foot is attached to the snowboard by said footplate and extending for at least a ninety degree arc which extends across the longitudinal centerline whereby said footplate can be rotated at least ninety degrees on the snowboard;
• D) fastening means for securing said footplate to the snowboard and maintaining said footplate continuously secured to the snowboard with said footplate bottom surface in direct and sliding contact with the top surface of the snowboard when said footplate is rotated with the snowboarder's foot in the boot and attached to said footplate, said fastening means including a flange;
• E) anchor means for fixing said fastening means to the snowboard;
• and
• F) connection means for movably connecting said fastening means to said footplate and for permitting said footplate to rotate with respect to said fastening means with said fastening means fixed to the snowboard, said securing means including a flange which slidably contacts the flange of said fastening means, said footplate being located between said fastening means and the snowboard.

A means for attaching a snowboarder's feet to a snowboard comprising:

• A) a first footplate having an outer perimeter and means for attaching said first footplate directly to a snowboarder's boot when the snowboarder's foot is in the boot, said first footplate having a bottom surface, said bottom surface being positioned in direct contact with a top surface of the snowboard thereby placing a wearer's foot immediately adjacent to the top surface of the snowboard;
• B) first anchor means for rotatably attaching said first footplate with the foot-containing boot attached thereto to a snowboard and maintaining said first footplate and foot-containing boot continuously attached to said snowboard even when said first footplate is rotated through an angle of ninety degrees or more with respect to a longitudinal centerline of the snowboard, said first anchor means including
• (1) a first top plate,
• (2) first fastening means for fixedly attaching said first top plate to the snowboard, and
• (3) first means movably engaging said first top plate with said first footplate;
• C) first securing means for accurately, releasably and repeatable securing said first footplate to said first top plate in a selected angular orientation and for preventing movement of said first footplate with respect to said first top plate, said first securing means including a plurality of first holes defined in said first top plate, said first holes being arcuately arranged with respect to the snowboard and located outside of the outer perimeter of a user's foot on said footplate;
• D) a second footplate having an outer perimeter and means for attaching said second footplate directly to a snowboarder's boot when the snowboarder's foot is in the boot, said second footplate having a bottom surface, said bottom surface being positioned in direct and sliding contact with a top surface of the snowboard thereby placing a wearer's foot immediately adjacent to the top surface of the snowboard;
• E) second anchor means for rotatably attaching said second footplate with the foot-containing boot attached thereto to a snowboard and maintaining said second footplate and foot-containing boot continuously attached to said snowboard even when said second footplate is rotated through an angle of ninety degrees or more with respect to a longitudinal centerline of the snowboard, said second anchor means including
• (1) a second top plate,
• (2) second fastening means for fixedly attaching said second top plate to the snowboard, and
• (3) second means movably engaging said second top plate with said second footplate;
• and
• F) second securing means for accurately, releasably and repeatable securing said second footplate to said second top plate in a selected angular orientation and for preventing movement of said second footplate with respect to said second top plate, said second securing means including a plurality of second holes defined in said second top plate, said second holes being arcuately arranged with respect to the snowboard and located outside of the outer perimeter of a user's foot on said footplate, said footplate being located between said second securing means and the snowboard.

A binding for attaching a snowboarder's foot to a snowboard comprising:

• A) a footplate rotatably mounted on a snowboard;
• B) means for attaching a snowboarder's foot to said footplate;
• C) a top plate having a plurality of angularly spaced apart holes defined therein, said footplate being positioned between the snowboard and said top plate;
• and
• D) means for attaching said footplate to said top plate and having means for co-operatively engaging said holes to fix said footplate in a selected one of a plurality of positions on the snowboard.