IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0002558
(2004-12-01)
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등록번호 |
US-7410177
(2008-08-12)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Giffin,Jeffrey J.
- Rushwald,Benjamin K.
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출원인 / 주소 |
- Giffin,Jeffrey J.
- Rushwald,Benjamin K.
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대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
4 인용 특허 :
16 |
초록
▼
A snowboard binding includes a base plate which is selectively rotatable about a center plate of the binding. A tensioning means, preferably in the form of a cable, interconnects the center plate to a lever mounted on the base plate. The cable frictionally engages the center plate when the lever is
A snowboard binding includes a base plate which is selectively rotatable about a center plate of the binding. A tensioning means, preferably in the form of a cable, interconnects the center plate to a lever mounted on the base plate. The cable frictionally engages the center plate when the lever is placed in the locked position. The base plate is free to rotate about the center plate when the lever is placed in the unlocked position, resulting in the cable being released from engagement with the center plate.
대표청구항
▼
We claim: 1. A snowboard binding comprising: a base plate having a pair of sidewalls integral with said base plate and extending along medial and lateral sides of the base plate, and a central opening formed through said base plate; a substantially circular center locking plate positioned in said c
We claim: 1. A snowboard binding comprising: a base plate having a pair of sidewalls integral with said base plate and extending along medial and lateral sides of the base plate, and a central opening formed through said base plate; a substantially circular center locking plate positioned in said central opening of said base plate, said center plate securing said binding to a snowboard; a rotatable lever mounted to said medial side and on one of said pair of sidewalls, said lever being movable between a locked position and an unlocked position; a cable having a first end connected to said lever, and a second end connected to said base plate and extending around a periphery of said center plate, said cable being tightened against said center plate when said lever is rotated to said locked position to prevent rotation of the base plate, and said cable being loosened with respect to said center plate when said lever is moved to the unlocked position thereby enabling the base plate to be rotated about said center plate and placed in a desired angular orientation with respect to the snowboard; said lever having an axis of rotation extending substantially parallel to an upper surface of the snowboard wherein rotation of said lever in an upwards direction moves the lever to the unlocked position, and movement of said lever in a downward direction moves said lever toward the locked position wherein a greatest amount of force required to rotate the lever from the unlocked to the locked position occurs at an angular point between the locked and unlocked positions, and further wherein the cable rotates with the lever such that the cable moves from a first plane above the upper surface of the snowboard in the unlocked position to a second different plane between the first plane and the upper surface of the snowboard in the locked position; and said binding further includes (i) a pair of mounting supports spaced from one another and mounted to said sidewall on said medial side, (ii) an opening formed in said lever defining said axis of rotation, and (iii) a pin extending through said opening in said lever to secure said lever between said mounting supports, said lever being rotatable about said pin between the locked and unlocked positions. 2. A binding, as claimed in claim 1, wherein: said cable is secured at said second end to a lower surface of said base plate. 3. A binding, as claimed in claim 1, wherein: said cable extends at least 180�� around the periphery of said center plate and in contact therewith thereby providing adequate frictional resistance to maintain said lever in said locked position. 4. A binding, as claimed in claim 1, wherein: said center plate has upper and lower surfaces substantially parallel to one another, and a thickness substantially equal to a thickness of the snowboard, said center disk further including an upper portion having a first larger diameter, and a lower portion having a second smaller diameter, said lower portion having an outer peripheral surface defining said periphery of said center plate and a groove formed therearound, said cable being routed around said periphery and in said groove. 5. A binding, as claimed in claim 1, wherein: said cable further includes an adjustable tensioning means for selectively adjusting a tension of said cable thereby providing adjustability for an amount of force required to place said lever in said locked and said unlocked positions, and providing adjustability for an amount of force required to prevent said binding from rotating when said lever is in the locked position. 6. A binding, as claimed in claim 1, further including: a biased safety pin attached to said binding assembly, said pin extending over a portion of said lever to prevent said lever from being rotated upward to said unlocked position, and said pin being retractable to uncover said lever enabling said lever to be rotated downward to the unlocked position. 7. A binding, as claimed in claim 1, wherein: said center plate has an outer peripheral surface and a groove formed thereon for receiving said cable. 8. A binding, as claimed in claim 7, wherein: said groove formed in said center plate has a frictional layer formed thereon for increasing frictional resistance between said cable and said outer peripheral surface of said center plate. 9. A binding as claimed in claim 1, further including: at least one index placed on an upper surface of said snowboard and indicating an orientation of said binding with respect to said snowboard. 10. A binding as claimed in claim 9, wherein: said index includes a line placed on the upper surface of the snowboard and extending in a prescribed direction and extending parallel with one side of the binding plate when the binding is rotated in alignment with the line. 11. A snowboard binding comprising: a base plate having a pair of sidewalls integral with said base plate and extending along medial and lateral sides of the base plate, and a central opening formed through said base plate; a locking plate positioned in said central opening of said base plate, said center plate securing said binding to a snowboard; a rotatable lever mounted to said medial side of said pair of sidewalls, said lever being moveable between a locked position and an unlocked position; a cable having a first end connected to said lever, and a second end connected to said base plate and extending around a periphery of said center plate, said cable being tightened against said center plate when said lever is rotated to said locked position, and said cable being loosened with respect to said center plate when said lever is moved to the unlocked position thereby enabling the base plate to be rotated about the center plate, wherein rotation of said lever in an upward direction moves said lever to the unlocked position, and movement of said lever in a downward direction moves said lever towards the locked position, wherein said cable is attached to said lever between an axis of rotation of said lever and an exterior edge of said lever, and wherein a greatest amount of force required to rotate the lever from the unlocked to the locked position occurs at an angular point between the locked and unlocked positions, and wherein the cable rotates with the lever such that the cable moves from a first plane above an upper surface of the snowboard in the unlocked position to a second different plane between the first plane and the upper surface of the snowboard in the locked position. 12. A snowboard binding assembly comprising: a base plate having a pair of sidewalls integral with said base plate and extending along medial and lateral sides of the base plate, and a central opening formed through said base plate; a substantially circular center locking plate positioned in said central opening of said base plate, said center plate securing said binding to a snowboard; a rotatable lever mounted to one of said medial and lateral sides of said binding, said lever being movable between a locked position and an unlocked position; a first cable having a first end connected to said lever, and a second end connected to said base plate and extending around a periphery of said center plate, said first cable being tightened against said center plate when said lever is rotated to said locked position to prevent rotation of the base plate, and said first cable being loosened with respect to said center plate when said lever is moved to the unlocked position thereby enabling the base plate to be rotated about said center plate and placed in a desired angular orientation with respect to the snowboard; said lever having an axis of rotation extending substantially parallel to an upper surface of the snowboard wherein rotation of said lever in an upwards direction moves the lever to the unlocked position, and movement of said lever in a downward direction moves said lever toward the locked position; a second cable interconnecting said center plate to said lever, said second cable being routed around the periphery of said center plate in a direction opposite of the first cable, said second cable being tightened against said center plate when said lever is rotated to said locked position, and said second cable being loosened with respect to said center plate when said leveler is moved to the unlocked position thereby enabling the base plate to be rotated about said center plate and placed in a desired angular orientation with respect to the ; and wherein first and second cables each have an end connected to said base plate at different locations thereon. 13. A method of positioning a snowboard binding at a desired angular orientation with respect to a long axis of a snowboard, said method including the steps of: providing a binding including a base plate, and a center plate placed through a central opening in the base plate, said center plate securing said base plate to the snowboard; providing a cable having a first end secured to the base plate and a second end secured to a rotatable lever mounted to the base plate, said cable being routed to contact a periphery of said center plate, said rotatable lever being positioned so that it rotates about an axis extending substantially parallel to an upper surface of the snowboard; rotating the lever to an unlocked position; rotating the base plate around said center plate while said center plate remains stationary with respect to the snowboard thereby changing the length of the cable in contact with the outer periphery surface of the center plate; and rotating the lever to a locked position to tighten the cable in contact against the center plate and thereby preventing rotation of the base plate wherein the cable is loosened in the unlocked position, the cable is tightened in the locked position, and the cable being most tightened at a point when the cable is rotated between the locked and unlocked position thereby providing a counter force to prevent inadvertent rotation of the lever from the locked position to the unlocked position, and wherein the cable rotates with the lever such that the cable moves from a first plane above the upper surface of the snowboard in the unlocked position to a second different plane between the first plane and the upper surface of the snowboard in the locked position. 14. A method, as claimed in claim 13, further including the step of: depressing a biased safety pin prior to said first rotating step thereby enabling the lever to be rotated to the unlocked position, wherein the biased safety pin automatically extends after said third rotating step thereby preventing the lever from inadvertently rotating from the locked position to the unlocked position. 15. A method, as claimed in claim 13, further including the step of: aligning the binding with one of several indices marked on the snowboard corresponding to particular angular orientations of the binding with respect to the snowboard.
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