초록 ▼

A highback is provided for controlling a gliding board, such as a snowboard, through leg movement of a rider. The highback is comprised of an upright support member to support a rear region of the rider's leg. The highback includes a textile-like material that extends across a portion of the support

A highback is provided for controlling a gliding board, such as a snowboard, through leg movement of a rider. The highback is comprised of an upright support member to support a rear region of the rider's leg. The highback includes a textile-like material that extends across a portion of the support member to provide support for a portion of the rider's leg. The support member may have an opening therein with the textile-like material extending across the opening to assist in transmitting forces applied to that region of the support member as the rider presses against the highback during riding maneuvers. The textile-like material may help to distribute forces across a larger area of the rider's leg or boot so as to reduce pressure points against the rider's leg. The textile-like material may include one or more filaments, a fabric, or a fabric-like material that is coupled to the support member to support the rider's leg. The textile-like material may include a mesh fabric.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A highback for use with a gliding board component that interfaces with a rider's leg, the highback comprising: a highback body including an upright support member having a leg contact region, the leg contact region including a textile-like material that comes into contact wit

What is claimed is: 1. A highback for use with a gliding board component that interfaces with a rider's leg, the highback comprising: a highback body including an upright support member having a leg contact region, the leg contact region including a textile-like material that comes into contact with and contributes to transmitting forces from a rider's leg during use, the support member having an open space therein, the textile-like material extending across the open space to support a portion of the rear region of the rider's leg that is to be located adjacent the open space, the open space being located in an upper portion of the support member. 2. The highback according to claim 1, wherein the upper portion includes a calf portion, the open space being located in at least the calf portion of the support member. 3. The highback according to claim 1, wherein the support member includes at least two spaced apart side supports with the open space disposed therebetween, the textile-like material being coupled to the side supports and tensioned across the open space therebetween. 4. The highback according to claim 3, wherein the support member includes a top support that is coupled to upper ends of the side supports, the open space being disposed below the top support and the textile-like material being coupled to the top support. 5. The highback according to claim 3, wherein the textile-like material is molded to the side supports. 6. The highback according to claim 1, wherein the support member includes a support structure with the open space therein, the textile-like material being coupled to the support structure and extending across the open space. 7. The highback according to claim 6, wherein the textile-like material is molded to the support structure. 8. The highback according to claim 6, wherein the support structure extends about a portion of the open space. 9. The highback according to claim 8, wherein the support structure surrounds the entire open space. 10. The highback according to claim 1, wherein the textile-like material includes one or more filaments tensioned across the leg contact region. 11. The highback according to claim 10, wherein the one or more filaments include at least one filament that extends in a first direction. 12. The highback according to claim 11, wherein the one or more filaments includes at least one filament that extends in a second direction that is transverse to the first direction. 13. The highback according to claim 12, wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction. 14. The highback according to claim 10, wherein the filaments include plastic filaments. 15. The highback according to claim 10, wherein the filaments include monofilaments. 16. The highback according to claim 1, wherein the textile-like material includes a fabric that is tensioned across the leg contact region. 17. The highback according to claim 16, wherein the fabric includes a woven fabric. 18. The highback according to claim 1, wherein the textile-like material includes a fabric-like material that is tensioned across the leg contact region. 19. The highback according to claim 1, wherein the open space has an area of at least 20 cm2. 20. The highback according to claim 1, wherein the open space has an area of at least 30 cm2. 21. The highback according to claim 1, wherein the open space has an area of at least 40 cm2. 22. The highback according to claim 1, wherein the open space has an area of at least 50 cm2. 23. The highback according to claim 1, wherein the support member includes an inner surface that is engageable with the rear region of the rider's leg, the open space occupying at least 12% of the inner surface of the support member. 24. The highback according to claim 1, wherein the support member includes an inner surface that is engageable with the rear region of the rider's leg, the textile-like material defining at least a portion of the inner surface. 25. The highback according to claim 1, wherein the highback is a snowboard binding highback that is mountable to a snowboard binding base. 26. A highback for use with a gliding board component that interfaces with a rider's leg, the highback comprising: a highback body including an upright support member having a leg contact region to support a rear region of a rider's leg, the support member having an opening at the leg contact region and including a textile-like material extending across the opening to support and assist in transmitting forces from a portion of the rear region of the rider's leg that is to be located adjacent the opening during use, the textile-like material being fixed in tension across the opening. 27. The highback according to claim 26, wherein the upper portion of the support member includes a calf portion, the opening being located in at least the calf portion of the support member. 28. The highback according to claim 26, wherein the textile-like material is constructed and arranged to distribute forces and reduce pressure points between the support member and the rear region of the rider's leg. 29. The highback according to claim 26, wherein the textile-like material is fixedly tensioned to the upright support member. 30. The highback according to claim 29, wherein the support member includes spaced apart side supports with the opening disposed therebetween, the textile-like material being coupled to the side supports and tensioned across the opening between the side supports. 31. The highback according to claim 30, wherein the support member includes a top support that is coupled to upper ends of the side supports, the opening being disposed below the top support and the textile-like material being coupled to the top support. 32. The highback according to claim 26, wherein the support member includes a support structure with the opening therein, the textile-like material being coupled to the support structure and tensioned across the opening. 33. The highback according to claim 32, wherein the textile-like material is molded to the support structure. 34. The highback according to claim 32, wherein the support structure extends about a portion of the opening. 35. The highback according to claim 34, wherein the support structure surrounds the entire opening. 36. The highback according to claim 26, wherein the support member includes a first frame that is mountable to a snowboard binding base and a second frame coupled to an upper portion of the first frame, the textile-like material being coupled to the second frame. 37. The highback according to claim 36, wherein the opening is located in the second frame. 38. The highback according to claim 26, wherein the textile-like material includes at least one of one or more filaments, a fabric material and a fabric-like material. 39. The highback according to claim 26, wherein the textile-like material includes a mesh fabric. 40. The highback according to claim 26, wherein the opening has an area of at least 20 cm2. 41. The highback according to claim 26, wherein the opening has an area of at least 30 cm2. 42. The highback according to claim 26, wherein the opening has an area of at least 40 cm2. 43. The highback according to claim 26, wherein the opening has an area of at least 50 cm2. 44. A snowboard binding for securing a snowboard boot to a snowboard, the snowboard binding comprising: a base that is constructed and arranged to be mounted to a snowboard; and a highback mounted to the base, the highback including an upright support member to support a rear region of a rider's leg, the support member having an open space therein and including a textile-like material extending across the open space, the textile-like material to be engaged by and to contribute to the transmission of forces from a portion of the rear region of the rider's leg during use, the open space being located in an upper portion of the support member. 45. The snowboard binding according to claim 44, wherein the upper portion of the support member includes a calf portion, the opening being located in at least the calf portion of the support member. 46. The snowboard binding according to claim 44, wherein the textile-like material includes one or more filaments. 47. The snowboard binding according to claim 44, wherein the textile-like material includes a mesh fabric. 48. The snowboard binding according to claim 47, wherein the mesh fabric includes woven filaments. 49. The snowboard binding according to claim 44, wherein the textile-like material includes a fabric-like material. 50. The snowboard binding according to claim 44, wherein the open space has an area of at least 20 cm2. 51. The snowboard binding according to claim 44, wherein the open space has an area of at least 30 cm2. 52. The snowboard binding according to claim 44, wherein the open space has an area of at least 40 cm2. 53. The snowboard binding according to claim 44, wherein the open space has an area of at least 50 cm2. 54. The snowboard binding according to claim 44, wherein the support member includes a support structure with the open space therein, the textile-like material layer being coupled to the support structure and tensioned across the open space. 55. The snowboard binding according to claim 54, wherein the textile-like material is molded to the support structure. 56. The snowboard binding according to claim 44, wherein the support member includes spaced apart side supports with the open space disposed therebetween, the textile-like material being coupled to the side supports and tensioned across the open space between the side supports. 57. The snowboard binding according to claim 44, further comprising at least one strap that is constructed and arranged to secure a snowboard boot. 58. The highback according to claim 26, in combination with a snowboard binding base that is constructed and arranged to be mounted to a snowboard, the highback being mounted to the snowboard binding base. 59. The combination according to claim 58, wherein the textile-like material includes at least one of one or more filaments, a fabric material and a fabric-like material. 60. The combination according to claim 58, wherein the textile-like material includes a mesh fabric. 61. The combination according to claim 60, wherein the mesh fabric includes woven filaments. 62. The combination according to claim 58, wherein the opening has an area of at least 20 cm2. 63. A highback for use with a gliding board component that interfaces with a rider's leg, the highback comprising: a highback body including an upright support member having a leg contact region to support a rear region of a rider's leg, the support member having an opening at the leg contact region and including a textile-like material extending across the opening to support and assist in transmitting forces from a portion of the rear region of the rider's leg that is to be located adjacent the opening during use, the textile-like material being fixed in place across the opening. 64. The highback according to claim 63, wherein the textile-like material includes at least one of one or more filaments, a fabric material and a fabric-like material. 65. The highback according to claim 63, wherein the textile-like material includes a mesh fabric. 66. The highback according to claim 65, wherein the mesh fabric includes woven filaments. 67. The highback according to claim 63, wherein the opening has an area of at least 20 cm2. 68. The highback according to claim 63, in combination with a snowboard binding base that is constructed and arranged to be mounted to a snowboard, the highback being mounted to the snowboard binding base.