Universal snowboard binding

Abstract

The invention is concerned with a snowboard binding that uniquely addresses two long-standing issues with snowboard bindings: (1) fast hands free entry, and (2) high level of mobility when the user's back foot is unstrapped from the binding. Generally, this application relates to snowboard bindings that enable hands-free entry and a higher level of mobility than is currently available when the user's back foot is unstrapped from the binding. The binding uses three distinct positions to address these issues: (1) the closed position, (2) the skate position, and (3) the open position.

1 . An adjustable, adaptable sports binding system comprising:
 a highback subassembly comprising an ankle support means, a highback having a highback support lock, a highback support having a highback support lock housing and a plurality of highback levers, said highback mating with the highback support via interconnection of the highback support lock with the highback support lock housing, the angle of said mating of the highback and highback support being determined and made adjustable by a user adjusting the highback levers, which are substantially oblong with a first end and a second end and attach via a lever attachment means at the first end to the highback and at the second end to the highback support;   a footbed subassembly comprising a plurality of locking pins, a minor footbed and a major footbed having a release cord housing and a release cord means having an external portion and a plurality of internal attachment points, said release cord running through a release cord housing, said external portion positioned outside the release cord housing and said internal attachment points attached via attachment means to a plurality of spring-loaded locking pin, which are positioned within locking pin housings located on the sides of the footbed subassembly, said footbed subassembly connecting to the highback at a fixed angle via a connection means;   a base subassembly comprising a baseplate having baseplate teeth, a baseplate housing and a strap/tower housing, a tower that mates with the highback and has a bolt housing, an open housing, a skate housing with rear cutouts, a rear clamping disc with teeth that rotatably interlace with the teeth of a rotation control disc which is positioned between the baseplate and the rear clamping disc and held in place with respect to the baseplate and rear clamping disc by a securing means, a top toe strap which mates with the baseplate and the tower, and a bolting means that serves to secure the tower against the baseplate, said base subassembly connecting to the footbed subassembly via a base connection means.   
     
     
         2 . The adjustable, adaptable sports binding system of  claim 1  further comprising: a front clamping disc that mates with the baseplate and with a rotation control disc having a bottom side with teeth, said front clamping disc having a top side with teeth which enable the front clamping disc to interact with the teeth of the rotation control disc thereby preventing the rotation control disc from rotating relative to the front clamping disc depending on the user's desired orientation. 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . The adjustable, adaptable sports binding system of  claim 2 , the binding having a skate position for rotating a user's boot to the skate orientation and a closed position for securing a boot in the closed orientation, wherein the binding is adapted to be shifted from the closed position to the skate position by the user simultaneously lifting the boot upward against the ankle cover and pulling the release means, thereby causing the spring-loaded locking pins to retract from the baseplate housing, and then rotating the user's boot to a desired angle. 
     
     
         8 . The adjustable, adaptable sports binding system of claim  7 , wherein the binding is adapted to be shifted from the skate position to the closed position by the user rotating the boot from the skate orientation to the closed orientation and pressing down on the major footbed until the locking pins reengage with the baseplate housing. 
     
     
         9 . The adjustable, adaptable sports binding system of  claim 1 , the binding having an open position for accepting or releasing a boot and a closed position for securing a boot, wherein the binding is adapted to be shifted from the closed position to the open position by the user simultaneously lifting the user's boot up against the ankle cover and pulling the release means, thereby causing the spring-loaded locking pins to retract from the baseplate housing. 
     
     
         10 . The adjustable, adaptable sports binding system of  claim 9 , wherein the binding is adapted to be shifted from the open position to the closed position by the user stepping his boot into the binding, placing the boot against the front toe strap and pressing down on the major footbed until the locking pins reengage with the baseplate housing. 
     
     
         11 . The adjustable, adaptable sports binding system of  claim 2 , the binding having an open position for accepting or releasing a boot and a closed position for securing a boot, wherein the binding is adapted to be shifted from the closed position to the open position by the user simultaneously lifting the user's boot up against the ankle cover and pulling the release means, thereby causing the spring-loaded locking pins to retract from the baseplate housing. 
     
     
         12 . The adjustable, adaptable sports binding system of  claim 11 , wherein the binding is adapted to be shifted from the open position to the closed position by the user stepping his boot into the binding, placing the boot against the front toe strap and pressing down on the major footbed until the locking pins reengage with the baseplate housing.