US 6,637,768 B2Granted

Snowboard binding system

AssigneeShimano Inc.

InventorsShinpei Okajima, Hiroshi Morita, Kimitaka Takahama

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A snowboard binding system includes a binding and a boot configured to be releasably coupled together. The snowboard binding includes a base member, a rear binding arrangement, and a front binding arrangement. The snowboard boot includes an upper portion, a sole portion, at least one rear catch and a front catch. The sole portion has a toe section, a mid section and a heel section. The rear catch is located at the heel section of the sole portion. The front catch is coupled to the toe section and has a pair of leg portions extending downwardly from the toe section of the sole portion, and a tongue portion extending laterally between the leg portions. The toe section has a pair of front catch guide surfaces located forwardly and laterally of the front catch to guide the front catch toward the front binding arrangement.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A snowboard boot comprising:

an upper portion including a foot section and a leg section extending upwardly from said foot section;
a sole portion fixedly coupled to said foot section of said upper portion, said sole portion having a toe section, a mid section and a heel section with a forward to rearward longitudinal axis extending between said toe section and said heel section, with said toe section, said mid section and said heel section forming a bottom boot surface;
at least one rear catch located at said heel section of said sole portion;
a front catch coupled to said toe section of said sole portion, said front catch having a pair of leg portions extending downwardly from said toe section of said sole portion and a tongue portion extending laterally between said leg portions of said front catch;
and
a pair of front catch guide members extending from said toe section beyond a portion of said bottom boot surface at said toe section, said front catch guide members having front catch guide surfaces arranged forwardly and laterally of said front catch, said front catch guide surfaces being angled to converge rearwardly and having rearward ends that are laterally spaced apart by a distance that is slightly larger than a lateral dimension of said tongue portion of said front catch, said front catch guide members being constructed of a more rigid material than said bottom boot surface of said sole portion of said snowboard boot.

3 more elements

A snowboard boot comprising:

an upper portion including a foot section and a leg section extending upwardly from said foot section;
a sole portion fixedly coupled to said foot section of said upper portion, said sole portion having a toe section, a mid section and a heel section with a forward to rearward longitudinal axis extending between said toe section and said heel section;
at least one rear catch located at said heel section of said sole portion;
and
a front catch coupled to said toe section of said sole portion, said front catch having a pair of leg portions extending downwardly from said toe section of said sole portion and a tongue portion extending laterally between said leg portions of said front catch,
said toe section of said sole portion having a pair of front catch guide surfaces located forwardly and laterally of said front catch, said front catch guide surfaces being angled to converge rearwardly and having rearward ends that are laterally spaced apart by a distance that is slightly larger than a lateral dimension of said tongue portion of said front catch,
said sole portion including a mid sole constructed of a first material and an outer sole constructed of a second material at least partially overlaying exteriorly facing surfaces of said mid sole and said upper portion, said front catch guide surfaces being unitarily formed as a one-piece part of said mid sole, said first material of said mid sole being more rigid than said second material of said outer sole,
said at least one rear catch including first and second rear catches located at first and second lateral sides of said heel section of said sole portion, said first and second rear catches being formed as a unitary, one-piece part of said mid sole.

5 more elements

A snowboard binding system comprising:

a snowboard binding including a base member, a rear binding arrangement coupled to a rear portion of said base member, and a front binding arrangement coupled to a front portion of said base member;
and
a snowboard boot configured to be releasable coupled to said snowboard binding, said snowboard boot including
an upper portion including a foot section and a leg section extending upwardly from said foot section,
a sole portion fixedly coupled to said foot section of said upper portion, said sole portion having a toe section, a mid section and a heel section with a forward to rearward longitudinal axis extending between said toe section and said heel section, with said toe section, said mid section and said heel section forming a bottom boot surface,
at least one rear catch located at said heel section of said sole portion and arranged to selectively engage said rear binding arrangement,
a front catch coupled to said toe section of said sole portion, said front catch having a pair of leg portions extending downwardly from said toe section of said sole portion and a tongue portion extending laterally between said leg portions of said front catch to selectively engage said front binding arrangement, and
a pair of front catch guide members extending from said toe section beyond a portion of said bottom boot surface at said toe section said front catch guide members having front catch guide surfaces arranged forwardly and laterally of said front catch, said front catch guide surfaces being angled to converge rearwardly and having rearward ends that are laterally spaced apart by a distance that is slightly larger than a lateral dimension of said tongue portion of said front catch, said front catch guide members being constructed of a more rigid material than said bottom boot surface of said sole portion of said snowboard boot.

5 more elements

A snowboard binding system comprising:

a snowboard binding including a base member, a rear binding arrangement coupled to a rear portion of said base member, and a front binding arrangement coupled to a front portion of said base member;
and
a snowboard boot configured to be releasable coupled to said snowboard binding, said snowboard boot including
an upper portion including a foot section and a leg section extending upwardly from said foot section;
a sole portion fixedly coupled to said foot section of said upper portion, said sole portion having a toe section, a mid section and a heel section with a forward to rearward longitudinal axis extending between said toe section and said heel section;
at least one rear catch located at said heel section of said sole portion and arranged to selectively engage said rear binding arrangement;
and
a front catch coupled to said toe section of said sole portion, said front catch having a pair of leg portions extending downwardly from said toe section of said sole portion and a tongue portion extending laterally between said leg portions of said front catch to selectively engage said front binding arrangement,
said toe section of said sole portion having a pair of front catch guide surfaces located forwardly and laterally of said front catch, said front catch guide surfaces being angled to converge rearwardly and having rearward ends that are laterally spaced apart by a distance that is slightly larger than a lateral dimension of said tongue portion of said front catch,
said sole portion including a mid sole constructed of a first material and an outer sole constructed of a second material at least partially overlaying exteriorly facing surfaces of said mid sole and said upper portion, said front catch guide surfaces being unitarily formed as a one-piece part of said mid sole, said first material of said mid sole being more rigid than said second material of said outer sole,
said at least one rear catch including first and second rear catches located at first and second lateral sides of said heel section of said sole portion, said first and second rear catches being formed as a unitary, one-piece part of said mid sole.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/997,275Filed 30 Nov 2001 · continuation in part
Priority: 18 Apr 2001
Published: US 2002/0043783 A118 Apr 2002
Granted: 28 Oct 2003
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification14 codes

A63C 10/106
Using parts which are fixed on the shoe, e.g. means to facilitate step-in: to the front and back of the shoe
A43B 5/0401
Ski or like boots: snowboard boots
A43B 5/0403
Snowboard boots: adaptations for soles or accessories with soles for snowboard bindings
A43B 5/0423
For soles or associated with soles of ski boots; for ski bindings: located on the sides of the sole

Family

Application09/836,545Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 18 Apr 2001
Application09/921,307Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 3 Aug 2001
US 2002/0043783 A1Pre-grant publication · published 18 Apr 2002
US 2002/0153698 A1Published application
US 2002/0153700 A1Published application
US 6,722,060 B2Related patent
US 6,742,800 B2Related patent
US 6,637,768 B2This patent

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