Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
CA 02496505 2005-02-22
WO 2004/022177 PCT/SE2003/001374
Fastening device for a snowboard brake
The present invention concerns a fastening device for a snowboard brake.
The normal method of preventing a snowboard from running away w hen the
user takes it off is to fasten it with a strap. A disadvantage in using a
strap is that it can fasten
to protruding objects in the snow and that riders think it is difficult to
use. Previously known
are also brakes that can be operated with the rider's foot and are activated
when the rider
takes it off. A normal method of fastening is to screw the brake device to the
snowboard,
either between the bindings or under one of the bindings. One disadvantage
with this type of
brake device is that its position is fixed and cannot be adjusted. This means
the brake device
will not move when necessary and may damage the snowboard if the brake is
mounted on
the snowboard. Brakes that are integrated in the bindings are also known. The
disadvantage
with this type is that the rotation of the bindings is limited in relation to
the longitudinal axis of
the snowboard and that individual choice of brake location is not possible
without modifying
the position of the bindings. Another disadvantage is that in some cases the
bindings can
break away from the snowboard, which means that the function of a brake
integrated with the
binding loses its effect and the snowboard can still run away down the hill.
The position of the brake device may need adjustment for example when the
rider wishes to adjust the foot angle and thereby the binding angle in
relation to the
longitudinal axis of the snowboard. This means that the position of the brake
must also be
adjusted as it is operated by one foot. Another example is where rental
snowboards are
available and many different riders will be using the same snowboard and a
number of
different brake positions will be required. A degree of simplicity when
adjusting snowboard
equipment, such as bindings and brakes, is necessary as it must be done in as
short a time
as possible and in a simple and flexible manner.
One object with the present invention is to achieve a fastening device for a
removable brake device on a snowboard, which is easy to use and mount, and
eases or
completely remedies the aforesaid disadvantages. Another object is to achieve
a fastening
device that is cost-efficient and simple in design.
These objects are attaihed with a fastening device exhibiting the
characteristics
specified in claim 1.
The invention is described more fully in the following with reference to the
attached drawings, which illustrate examples of selected embodiments, where
fig 1 shows one embodiment of a fastening device in accordance with the
invention,
fig 2 shows a cross-section along the line II-II of a groove machined into the
snowboard,
fig 3 shows a detailed view of a locking washer,
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fig 4 shows an enlargement of a fastening device according to figure 1,
fig 5 shows an alternative embodiment,
fig 6 shows an enlargement of an embodiment according to figure 5,
fig 7 shows a detailed view of a locking washer,
fig 8 shows a cross-section along the line VIII -VIII of the groove according
to
figure 5 and the brake device mounted in the groove,
fig 9 shows another alternative embodiment,
fig 10 shows an enlargement of an embodiment according to figure 9,
fig 11 and 12 showed enlargements of a locking sleeve and a locking washer,
fig 13 shows another embodiment,
fig 14 shows a detailed enlargement of an embodiment according to figure 13
and
fig 15 and 16 shows a cross-section of the strip and the groove according to
figure 14.
A snowboard 1 is designed with two short sides and two long sides 2, 2'. On
the
snowboard 1 is one binding 3 for each foot. The bindings 3 are usually
arranged more or less
transverse to the longitudinal axis of the snowboard 1 at a suitable distance
from each other.
This position means the rider is facing to one side of the snowboard 1 instead
of straight
ahead as is the case with normal skiing. The bindings 3 are also designed so
that the rider
can rotate the binding 3 in relation to the longitudinal axis of the snowboard
1. This is so that
it is possible to obtain an individual angle for the feet in relation to the
angle of attack of the
snowboard 1 to the gradient of the hill. The brake 4 must be moved forward or
back
depending on the degree of rotation of the binding 3.
In one embodiment, as shown in figure 1, a movement of this type is possible
through the arrangement to the snowboard 1 of a guide in the form of a groove
5 in which
part of the brake device 4 is mounted. The groove 5, as shown in figure 2,
extending at least
past the whole length of the front binding 3, is made by means of milling or
other suitable
method in the snowboard 1 and has a T-shaped cross-section opening into the
top of the
snowboard. In at least one end of the opening, as shown in figure 4, is
arranged a widening 7
slightly larger than the width of the groove 5 to receive a means of locking
in the form of a
locking washer 8, 8' described in the following text.
The brake device 4 comprises a base section 11 with a pair of rotatable
locking
washers 8, 8' with protruding catches as shown in figure 3. The locking
washers 8, 8' are T-
shaped with a shaft 12 arranged to the base section 11 and positioned at its
front and rear
part pointing down. At the lower part of the shaft 12 is arranged a pair of
protruding catches
in the form of locking pins 30 intended to interact with the groove 5. The
part of the shaft 12,
i.e. the part of the locking washers 8, 8' opening into the top of the base
section 11,
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comprises a groove 14 for a screwdriver. When mounting the brake device 4 to
the
snowboard 1, the locking washers 8, 8' are turned to a position where the
locking pins 13 are
parallel to the groove 5 opening. The brake device 4 is moved down towards the
snowboard
1 so that the locking washers 8, 8' run inside the groove 5. After this, the
brake device 4
slides in the direction of the arrow shown in figure 4 along the g roove 5 to
the intended
position, after which the locking washers 8, 8' are rotated one quarter of a
turn, i.e. 90
degrees. With the locking washers 8, 8' in this position, the locking pins 13
will lock the brake
device 4 base section 11 in the groove 5 on the snowboard 1.
In another embodiment, as shown in figure 5, the guide is designed as a strip
9
glued or in some other way fastened to the top 6 of the snowboard 1. The strip
9 is made of
an elastic material, such as thin metal, composite or a type of plastic, to
follow the movement
of the snowboard 1 when in use and with a cross-section in the shape of a cut
down cone
with its wider base turned towards the bottom of the snowboard 1, walls
directed obliquely
upwards, and its narrow opening face up. With the strip 9 fastened to the top
of the
snowboard 1, a groove 9' as shown in figure 8 is obtained extending past at
least the full
length of the front binding 3. The position of the guide is determined by the
appearance of
the brake device 4. Usually, the guide is arranged to one long side of the
snowboard 1 that it
should be understood that the guide can be arranged in any position on the
snowboard 1, as
long as the brake heel 10 of the brake device 4 when unfolded extends outside
the side 2, 2'
of the snowboard 1 and when folded in does not obstruct the use of the
snowboard.
The locking washer 8, 8', as shown in figure 7, is designed with a head 15
with
a similar cone shaped cross-section as the strip 9. When mounting the brake
device 4, the
head 15, as shown in figure 6, is inserted into the openings at the ends of
the strip 9, the
brake device 4 slides along the strip 9 to the desired position and is locked
in place with a
screw 16 arranged on the top of the locking washer 8, 8'. By turning the screw
16, the head
is pressed up against the vertical walls of the strip 9, while the base
section 11 of the brake
device 4 is pressed against the snowboard 1, fixing the brake device 4.
In another alternative embodiment, as shown in figure 9, the top of the
snowboard 1 is arranged with a mounting part in the form of threaded inserts
17 on each side
of the binding 3, viewed along its length and breadth. In these threaded
inserts 17 are
screwed guides in the form of locking washers the 8, 8' with an appearance
shown in figure
12 but with the locking pins 13 parallel to the length of the snowboard 1. The
base section 11
of the brake device 4 comprises a continuous through groove 18 as shown in
figure 10. In
the groove 18 is arranged a pair are rotatable locking sleeves 19 that run
freely along the
length of the said groove 18.
As shown in figure 11, the locking sleeves 19 are arranged with a groove along
the length of the inside periphery of the locking sleeve 19 and running in a
spiral from the
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bottom and up and finishing in a depression with a shape corresponding to the
shape of the
locking pins 30. The brake device 4 groove 18 and sleeves 19 are positioned to
the locking
washers 8, 8', moved to the desired position and pressed down against the
snowboard 1.
Subsequently, the sleeves 19 are rotated one quarter of a turn, i.e.
90°. During this rotation,
the locking washer 8, 8' locking pins 13 follow in the spiral grooves in the
sleeves. The spiral
shape of the groove means that the brake device 4 is pressed against the top
of the
snowboard 1 and the brake device 4 is locked with the locking washer 8, 8'
locking pins 13
resting inside the depression in the sleeves 19.
In another embodiment, as shown in figure 13, the top of the snowboard 1 is
arranged with a guide in the form of a runner 21 with an I-shaped cross-
section, i.e. with a
vertical centre 23 with a lower and upper end shaped as horizontal sections
22, 22' extending
outside the confining sides of the centre 23 as shown in figure 15. The runner
21 is made of
an elastic material, such as thin metal, composite or a type of plastic, in
order to follow the
bending of the snowboard 1 that occurs in use and extends past at least the
full length of the
front binding 3. The lower horizontal part 22 of the runner 21 is glued or in
some other way
fastened to the snowboard 1, and the upper horizontal part 22' of the runner
21 is intended to
fit into a continuous groove 24 arranged to the base section 11 of the brake
device 4, which
has been given a corresponding I-shaped cross-section as shown in figure 16.
When mounting the brake device, one end of the groove 24 on the base section
11 of the brake device 4 is positioned to the end of the runner 21, after
which the brake
device 4 slides along the runner 21 in the direction of the arrow as shown in
figure 14 to the
desired position. Then, the brake device 4 is locked with the locking screw 25
arranged on
the base section 11 that when rotated locks the brake device 4 to the runner
21.
The different embodiments described above can be varied in several different
ways. Important with respect to the design of the guide and the means of
locking is that they
are designed so that the locking means has a shape that corresponds with the
guide and
which allows an adjustable fitting of one inside the other, between end
positions extending
past at least the entire length of the front binding 3, irrespective of
whether the guide is
arranged in the snowboard 1 or in the base section 11 of the brake device 4
and, after the
brake device 4 has been given the desired position, the possibility of locking
it effectively.
The present invention is not limited to the above description and as
illustrated
in the drawings but can be changed and modified in a number of different ways
within the
framework of the idea of invention specified in the following claims.
