Splitboard Bindings

Abstract

Splitboard boot bindings for backcountry splitboarding. Each of a pair of soft-boot bindings is provided with an integral boot binding lower that conjoins the two halves of a splitboard without the additional weight or height of an adaptor mounting plate, upper binding baseplate or “tray”, and extra fasteners of the prior art. The boot binding lower is formed as a box girder and provides improved torsional stiffness for splitboard riding. When subjected to a torque applied by the rider, the bottom mediolateral flanges of the box girders are configured to contactingly engage the top face of the splitboard, thereby dynamically coupling the rider's boot sole and the board via a single rigid structure. In a preferred embodiment, the web or “spacer” members are characterized by an aspect ratio or contour height that is varied from heel to toe.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A pair of splitboard boot bindings, each boot binding for securing a rider's boot to a splitboard, the splitboard having a pair of conjoinable ski members, the ski members when conjoined together defining a snowboard riding configuration and when used separately defining a ski touring configuration, each boot binding for engaging a snowboard mounting block assembly affixed crosswise to the top face of the splitboard in snowboard riding configuration and for engaging a ski mounting assembly affixed to one of the ski members in ski touring configuration, each boot binding of said pair comprising:
 a) a boot binding baseplate having a nose bracket formed on a toe end thereof, said nose bracket with transverse coaxial toe pivot holes;   b) a toe pivot pin insertable into said coaxial toe pivot holes so as to secure said baseplate to a toe pivot cradle of said ski mounting assembly or a slider track of a snowboard mounting block assembly; and,   further wherein said baseplate is a single machined piece made of a metal stock or a single injection molded piece made of a fiber-reinforced plastic.   
     
     
         2 . The pair of splitboard boot bindings of  claim 1 , wherein said baseplate comprises a box girder, said box girder having a foot support platform, underside medial and lateral web members, wherein said foot support platform is defined by a heel riser, a toe riser and a tapered width configured to receive a sole of a rider's soft boot. 
     
     
         3 . The pair of splitboard boot bindings of  claim 2 , wherein said underside medial and lateral web members are separated by a bottom slider channel, said channel having inside flanges configured to receive and grippingly conjoin a snowboard mounting block assembly in snowboard riding mode. 
     
     
         4 . The pair of splitboard boot bindings of  claim 3 , wherein at least one strap and a heel cup is affixed to said baseplate, and said at least one strap and heel cup are configured for securing a rider's soft boot to said foot support platform. 
     
     
         5 . The pair of splitboard boot bindings of  claim 1 , wherein said metal stock is an aluminum stock, an aluminum alloy stock, or a titanium stock. 
     
     
         6 . The pair of splitboard boot bindings of  claim 1 , wherein said fiber-reinforced plastic is a reinforced composite of a polyester fiber, a carbon fiber, a polyamide fiber, a filled nylon, or an aramid fiber thermoset. 
     
     
         7 . The pair of splitboard boot bindings of  claim 6 , wherein each said binding weighs less than 500 grams, more preferably less than 300 grams. 
     
     
         8 . The pair of splitboard boot bindings of  claim 6 , wherein said baseplate is elastically deformable and has an engineered torsional stiffness. 
     
     
         9 . A snowboard mounting block assembly comprising a pair of pucks composed of a plastic, a metal, or a combination thereof, and wherein said pucks are made by a process of machining, molding, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The snowboard mounting block assembly of  claim 9 , wherein said metal stock is an aluminum stock, an aluminum alloy stock, or a titanium stock. 
     
     
         11 . The snowboard mounting block assembly of  claim 9 , wherein said fiber-reinforced plastic is a reinforced composite of a polyester fiber, a carbon fiber, a polyamide fiber, a filled nylon, or an aramid fiber thermoset and have an engineered torsional stiffness. 
     
     
         12 . The snowboard mounting block assembly of  claim 9 , wherein said pucks are a combination of a metal and a plastic. 
     
     
         13 . The snowboard mounting block assembly of  claim 12 , wherein said pucks are elastically deformable and have an engineered torsional stiffness. 
     
     
         14 . A method for promoting splitboarding, which comprises:
 a) supplying a pair of splitboard mounting block assemblies to a rider, each said pair of mounting block assemblies comprising a pair of elastically deformable solid members having external flanged edges contralaterally disposed thereon;   b) fastening said splitboard mounting block assemblies to a top face of a splitboard such that one pair of elastically deformable solid members, wherein each said elastically deformable solid members is a puck, is positioned for each foot of a rider;   c) supplying a pair of boot bindings to a rider, each boot binding of said pair comprising a baseplate having:
 i) a foot support platform enabled to receive torque applied footwise by a rider standing thereon; 
 ii) a bottom surface joined to said foot support platform by medial and lateral web elements, said web elements defining an underside channel therebetween, said underside channel having parallel inside flanged edges enabled to conjoiningly interlock said external flanged edges of said one pair of pucks when slideably engaged thereon; further wherein a bilateral clearance (C 1 ) is defined between said bottom surface and said top face of said splitboard when slideably engaging said boot bindings thereon; and, 
   d) performing a foot roll while riding said splitboard, said foot roll having the steps of:
 i) applying a first bending force to said splitboard by using said each baseplate as a lever arm to form a first fulcrum, wherein said first fulcrum is defined by dynamic contact between a first mediolateral edge of said bottom surface with said top face of said splitboard; 
 ii) applying a second bending force to said splitboard, said second bending force having an opposing direction to said first bending force by using said baseplate as a lever arm to form a second fulcrum, wherein said second fulcrum is defined by dynamic contact between a second mediolateral edge of said bottom surface with said top face of said splitboard; and, 
   further wherein upon dynamically contacting said boot binding to said splitboard through said first fulcrum or said second fulcrum, said boot binding and said splitboard are mechanically coupled with a torsional stiffness coefficient (K) of greater than 150 in-lb/degree.   
     
     
         15 . The method for promoting splitboarding of  claim 14 , wherein said foot support platform, said splitboard, and said elastically deformable solid members define a mechanical linkage having a torsional stiffness coefficient (K) in the range of 150 to 300 in-lb/degree whenever said boot binding is dynamically contacted to said splitboard through said first fulcrum or said second fulcrum. 
     
     
         16 . The method for promoting splitboarding of  claim 14 , further comprising a step for using an opposing spring force dynamically coupled through said mechanical linkage to spring to an upright position after bottoming out a tail of the splitboard during a ride. 
     
     
         17 . The method for promoting splitboarding of  claim 14 , wherein said foot support platform is defined by a heel riser, a toe riser and a tapered width configured to receive a sole of a rider's soft boot. 
     
     
         18 . The method for promoting splitboarding of  claim 14 , wherein each said baseplate is elastically deformable and has an engineered torsional stiffness. 
     
     
         19 . The method for promoting splitboarding of  claim 14 , wherein said pucks are elastically deformable and have an engineered torsional stiffness. 
     
     
         20 . The method for promoting splitboarding of  claim 14 , wherein each said splitboard binding weighs less than 500 grams. 
     
     
         21 . The method for promoting splitboarding of  claim 14 , wherein each said splitboard binding weighs less than 300 grams.