Mounting system for snowboard bindings and snowboard binding including same

Abstract

A snowboard binding mounting system. The system includes a base plate and a main gear disposed on the base plate, the base plate engageable with a snowboard binding, the base plate having a plurality of screw openings each extending through the base plate and disposed around a circumference defined by the main gear; a plurality of pinion gears disposed on the base plate and meshed with the main gear, each pinion gear having a shaft opening aligned with a corresponding one of the screw openings; and a plurality of screws, each screw defining a shaft that extends through one of the pinion gear shaft openings and the corresponding screw opening.

Claims

1. A snowboard binding mounting system comprising: a base plate and a main gear disposed on the base plate, the base plate engageable with a snowboard binding, the base plate having a plurality of screw openings each extending through the base plate and disposed around a circumference defined by the main gear; a plurality of pinion gears disposed on the base plate and meshed with the main gear, each pinion gear having a shaft opening aligned with a corresponding one of the screw openings; and a plurality of screws, each screw defining a shaft that extends through one of the pinion gear shaft openings and the corresponding screw opening, wherein the base plate is round.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the base plate defines a recessed area and the main gear and pinion gears are disposed in the recessed area.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein a peripheral edge of the base plate is engageable with a complementary edge of an opening in a mounting plate of the snowboard binding.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the peripheral edge of the base plate is beveled and serrated and the opening in the mounting plate is matingly beveled and serrated.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the screw openings define a square about 40 mm on a side with one screw opening at each corner of the square.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the screw openings define a triangle with one opening at each vertex of the triangle.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein each screw is rigidly connected to its corresponding pinion gear.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein each screw is frictionally engaged with its corresponding pinion gear.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the main gear comprises an internal gear disposed around the pinion gears.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the main gear comprises an external gear disposed between the pinion gears.

11. The system of claim 10 and further comprising a key coupled to the main gear.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the key is foldable onto the main gear.

13. The system of claim 1 and further comprising a retainer arm having a first extremity foldingly coupled to the base plate and a second extremity detachably connectable to the base plate.

14. A snowboard binding mounting system comprising: a base plate and a main gear disposed on the base plate, the base plate engageable with a snowboard binding, the base plate having a plurality of screw openings each extending through the base plate and disposed around a circumference defined by the main gear; a plurality of pinion gears disposed on the base plate and meshed with the main gear, each pinion gear having a shaft opening aligned with a corresponding one of the screw openings; and a plurality of screws, each screw defining a shaft that extends through one of the pinion gear shaft openings and the corresponding screw opening, wherein: the base plate is circular in shape and includes a beveled peripheral edge complemental with an edge of a base-plate opening in a mounting plate of a snowboard binding and a recessed area defined in an upper surface of the base plate; and the main gear is disposed in the recessed area of the base plate; and further comprising a key foldingly coupled to the main gear.

15. The system of claim 14 and further comprising complemental serrations formed in the beveled peripheral edge of the base plate and the edge of the base-plate opening in the mounting plate.

16. The system of claim 14 and further comprising a pin in a notch defined in an edge of the key and a shaft connected to the main gear, the pin extending through an extremity of the shaft.

17. The system of claim 14 and further comprising a retainer arm extending across the main gear, a hinge coupling a first extremity of the retainer arm to the base plate, and a clip detachably coupling a second extremity of the retainer arm to the baseplate.

18. A snowboard binding including a binding mounting system comprising: a mounting plate having an opening therethrough; a highback connected to a heelside extremity of the mounting plate; an ankle strap extending across the mounting plate adjacent the highback; a toe strap extending across the mounting plate opposite the ankle strap; a circular base plate having a beveled peripheral edge complemental with an edge of the opening in the mounting plate, a recessed area defined in an upper surface of the base plate and four screw openings defined through the base plate at regular intervals around the recessed area; a main gear centered in the recessed area of the base plate; four pinion gears each meshed with the main gear and each having a shaft opening aligned with one of the screw openings; four screws each defining a shaft connected to one of the pinion gears and extending through the shaft opening of that pinion gear and through the corresponding screw opening; a key foldingly coupled to the main gear; and a detachable cover extending over the base plate and at least a portion of the mounting plate.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a snowboard binding mounting system.

(2) FIG. 1A is a top view of an embodiment similar to that shown in FIG. 1 but with an internal gear rather than an external gear.

(3) FIG. 2 is a top view of an embodiment of a base plate of the system shown in FIG. 1.

(4) FIG. 2A is similar to FIG. 2 but illustrates an embodiment with three screw openings to accommodate three pinion gears rather than four.

(5) FIG. 3 is a side view of a retainer arm of the system shown in FIG. 1.

(6) FIG. 4 is a close-up top view of a pinion gear and screw of the system of FIG. 1.

(7) FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a turnkey of the system shown in FIG. 1.

(8) FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a snowboard binding including a snowboard binding mounting system.

(9) FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a method of using a snowboard binding mounting system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(10) FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate an embodiment of a snowboard binding mounting system generally 100. The system includes a base plate 102 and a main gear 104 disposed on the base plate. The base plate 102 is engageable with a snowboard binding (see FIG. 6). The base plate has a plurality of screw openings 106, 108, 110, and 112, each extending through the base plate and disposed around a circumference 114 defined by the main gear 104; the circumference 114 is slightly larger than the physical gear 104. A plurality of pinion gears 116, 118, 120, and 122 are disposed on the base plate 102 and meshed with the main gear 104, each pinion gear having a shaft opening (not visible) aligned with a corresponding one of the screw openings. The system includes a plurality of screws 124, 126, 128, and 130, each screw defining a shaft that extends through one of the pinion gear shaft openings and the corresponding screw opening, as shown by a threaded portion 132 of the screw 124 extending below the base plate 102.

(11) In the embodiment shown, the base plate 102 defines a recessed area 134 as best shown in FIG. 2, and the main gear 104 and pinion gears 116, 118, 120, and 122 are disposed in the recessed area as shown in FIG. 1. In some embodiments (not shown) there is no recessed area and the gears are disposed on an upper surface of the base plate 102. The base plate 102 is round although in some embodiments the base plate may be elongated or some other shape.

(12) A peripheral edge 136 of the base plate 102 is engageable with a complementary edge of an opening in a mounting plate of the snowboard binding. The peripheral edge 136 of the base plate may be beveled and serrated with serrations 138, and the opening in the mounting plate may be matingly beveled and serrated as will be discussed presently with reference to FIG. 6.

(13) The screw openings may define a square 139 about 40 mm on a side with one screw opening at each corner of the square. The spacing of 40 mm is used by several snowboard manufacturers for the distance between threaded binding mounts in the snowboard

(14) In another embodiment (shown in FIG. 2A), three screw openings 106A, 108A, and 100A are provided around the circumference 114. These openings define a triangle 139A with one opening at each vertex of the triangle. In this embodiment there would be three pinion gears rather than four. This arrangement may be used, for example, for attachment to some models of snowboards made by Burton Snowboard Co. that use a triangular pattern for threaded binding mounts in the snowboard.

(15) In some embodiments each screw, for example the screw 124, is rigidly connected to its corresponding pinion gear, for example the pinion gear 116. In other embodiments each screw may be frictionally engaged with its corresponding pinion gear.

(16) The main gear 104 as illustrated comprises an external gear disposed between the pinion gears 116, 118, 120, and 122. However, in some embodiments (for example, as shown in FIG. 1A) the main gear may instead comprise an internal gear 104A disposed around the pinion gears.

(17) A key 140 is coupled to the main gear 104 and is foldable flat against the main gear when not in use, to enable a snowboard rider to place a boot in the binding directly over the system 100.

(18) Some embodiments include a retainer arm 142. As shown in FIG. 3, the arm 142 has a first extremity 144 coupled to the base plate 102, for example by a pivot pin 146, and a second extremity 148 detachably connectable to the base plate 102, for example by a clip 150 that clips into a receptacle 152 in the base plate 102.

(19) Referring to FIG. 4, an embodiment of the key 140 is shown in detail. A pin 154 is disposed in a notch 156 in an edge 158 of the key 140. The pin 154 goes through an extremity of a shaft 160 that connects the key 140 foldingly to the main gear 104.

(20) The retainer arm 142 may extend across the main gear 104. The retainer arm 142 can be raised out of the way in order to use the key 140 to turn the main gear. In some embodiments there is no retainer arm and instead the main gear 104 is kept in place by pressure of a snowboard boot in the binding or by a cover plate as shown in FIG. 6.

(21) FIG. 5 shows the pinion gear 116 with the screw 124 in place. The screw 124 has a Phillips head 162; other embodiments may use a slot head, an Allen head, or the like as desired. An upper surface of each pinion gear may be recessed so that the head of the screw lies flat with that surface.

(22) FIG. 6 shows a snowboard binding generally 600 with which the above-described system may be used. The binding 600 has a mounting plate 602 that defines a circular opening 604. The base plate 102 is sized to fit snugly in the opening 604. The serrations 138 in the base plate 102 mate with corresponding serrations 606 in the mounting plate 602 when the base plate 102 is pressed into the opening 604. The binding includes a highback 608, mating ankle straps 610 and 612, and mating toe straps 614 and 616. A cover 618 is foldingly attached to the mounting plate 602 adjacent the toe straps 614 and 616 so that after the base plate has been installed in the opening 604 and secured to the snowboard with the mounting screws 124, 126, 128, and 130, the cover 618 is folded flat against the mounting plate 602, covering the base plate 102. Some snowboard bindings do not have any cover, and in this case a retainer such as the retainer arm 142 should be provided to hold the main gear in place.

(23) Another embodiment of a snowboard binding mounting system has some features similar to those already described and illustrated. This snowboard binding mounting system includes a circular base plate having a beveled peripheral edge complemental with an edge of a base-plate opening in a mounting plate of a snowboard binding. The base plate has a recessed area defined in an upper surface of the base plate and four screw openings defined through the base plate at intervals around the recessed area. A main gear is centered in the recessed area of the base plate. A plurality of pinion gears are meshed with the main gear. Each pinion gear has a shaft opening aligned with one of the screw openings. Each of a plurality of screws defines a shaft connected to one of the pinion gears. Each shaft extends through the shaft opening of its pinion gear and through the corresponding screw opening. Complemental serrations may be formed in the beveled peripheral edge of the base plate and the edge of the base-plate opening in the binding mounting plate.

(24) FIG. 7 shows a method of operating a snowboard binding system of the kind described above. A base plate including a mechanism as described is inserted into an opening in a mounting plate of a snowboard binding (700). The base plate is affixed to the snowboard using screws connected to pinion gears in the base plate, thereby clamping the snowboard binding to the snowboard (702). After the screws have been individually tightened, for example with a screwdriver, a main gear is positioned on the base plate, in a recess if one is provided, such that it engages the pinion gears and prevents the screws from turning individually (704). If it is desired to reset the snowboard binding or to remove it entirely from the snowboard, the turnkey is unfolded and used to manually turn the main gear so as to loosen or tighten all screws at once (706).

(25) The foregoing description and attached drawings are illustrative only. The invention is limited only by the claims.