Water sports boot binding camlock screw

Abstract

An apparatus is disclosed for drawing two plates together having a lever with a handle portion and a camming portion. The camming portion circumscribes a pin located therein and is adjacent to a cam washer that provides a surface against which the camming portion can slide. A screw is inserted through the pin and extends through the camming portion and the washer so that it may be inserted and threaded into mounting holes provided on a sporting implement. The screw is inserted through a hole in a binding plate and is threaded into mounting holes provided on a sporting implement. The screw is hand tightened into the sporting implement by hand, and then the cam lever is pivoted. As the cam lever is pivoted, the cam portion slides within the cam washer and vertically displaces the screw, thus drawing the sporting implement tightly against the binding plate.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An apparatus for drawing two plates together, said apparatus comprising: 
 a lever having a handle portion and a camming portion, said camming portion having a bore and receiving a pin therein;    a washer interposed between said camming portion and a first plate and configured to contact said camming portion along at least a portion of its outer surface;    a screw having a proximal end located within said pin and a distal mounting end extending through said camming portion and through said washer, and fixed to a second plate;    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said bore in said camming portion is sized to receive said pin such that said camming portion can rotate around said pin.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said pin has a radial through hole formed therein and configured to receive a screw.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein said through hole is counter-bored to form a shoulder that interferes with said head end of said screw thereby preventing it from being pulled through said hole.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein said counter-bore is sized and shaped to prevent rotation of said screw head end within said hole.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein said through hole is threaded and receives a threaded screw.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein said hole is deformed to tightly grip a screw therein and prevent unwanted rotation of said screw.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said camming portion defines at least two radiuses and is moveable between a first and a second position.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein moving said camming portion from said first to said second position draws said screw in an upwardly vertical direction, thus forcing said first and second plates into contact.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said washer is formed of a self-lubricating polymer.  
     
     
         11 . A camlock screw for mounting a binding plate onto a sporting implement, the camlock screw comprising a lever attached to a cam, said cam having a camming surface and opposing flat side surfaces, said camming surface defining at least two radiuses.  
     
     
         12 . The camlock screw of  claim 11 , further comprising a pin slidably received into a bore formed within said camming section flat side surfaces and rotatable therein.  
     
     
         13 . The camlock screw of  claim 12 , wherein said pin has a radial through hole formed therein.  
     
     
         14 . The camlock screw of  claim 13 , wherein said hole is threaded to receive a screw therein.  
     
     
         15 . The camlock screw of  claim 14 , further comprising a screw inserted into said hole and extending through said camming surface.  
     
     
         16 . The camlock screw of  claim 15 , wherein said screw is secured within said hole.  
     
     
         17 . The camlock screw of  claim 16 , further comprising a cam washer adjacent to, and in contact with, said camming surface and formed of a material that allows said camming surface to slide on said cam washer.  
     
     
         18 . The camlock screw of  claim 17 , wherein said cam washer material is a polymer.  
     
     
         19 . The camlock screw of  claim 17 , wherein said cam is positionable between at least a first and second position.  
     
     
         20 . The camlock screw of  claim 19 , wherein positioning said cam from a first to a second position results in a vertical displacement of said screw.  
     
     
         21 . The camlock screw of  claim 19 , further comprising a detent mechanism for providing a positive stop to maintain said cam lever in said first or second position.  
     
     
         22 . A method for removably mounting a binding onto a sporting implement, the method comprising the steps of: 
 providing a sporting implement;    providing a binding to be attached to an upper surface of said sporting implement;    positioning a camlock screw such that it passes through said binding and is removably mounted to said sporting implement; and    pivoting a lever of said camlock screw from a first position to a second position which draws said sporting implement and binding together.    
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the camlock screw is removably mounted into said sporting implement by threading a threaded fastener into a hole in the sporting implement.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , including the further step of pivoting said lever of said camlock screw from said second position to said first position.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , including the further step of removing said camlock screw from the sporting implement and binding and removing said binding.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein removal of said camlock screw from said sporting implement is accomplished by unscrewing a threaded fastener from mounting holes formed in said sporting implement.  
     
     
         27 . An apparatus for mounting a binding onto a sporting implement, said apparatus comprising: 
 a lever having a handle portion and a camming portion;    a washer interposed between said camming portion and a binding plate and configured to contact said camming portion;    a screw having a proximal end located within said camming portion and a distal mounting end extending through said camming portion and through said washer, and fixed to a sporting implement; and    a means for drawing the sporting implement tightly against said binding plate.    
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein said camming portion includes a first radius and at least one area having a second radius.  
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein said screw is received into a hole formed in said sporting implement.  
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein said screw proximal end is prevented from rotating within said camming portion.  
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein said screw is prevented from rotating within said camming portion by means of friction against the threads of the screw.  
     
     
         32 . A binding for attaching a rider to a sporting implement, the binding comprising: 
 a binding mounting plate having mounting holes formed therethrough;    a cam mechanism having a camming portion adjacent to a top side of said binding plate; and    a mounting portion connected to said cam mechanism and extending through said mounting holes downward through said binding plate.    
     
     
         33 . The binding of  claim 32 , wherein said cam mechanism includes a handle positionable between at least a first and second position.  
     
     
         34 . The binding of  claim 33 , wherein said cam mechanism first and second positions correspond to a first and second radius of said camming portion.  
     
     
         35 . The binding of  claim 34 , wherein said mounting portion is a threaded fastener.  
     
     
         36 . The binding of  claim 35 , wherein moving said cam mechanism from a first position to a second position results in said threaded fastener displacing vertically.  
     
     
         37 . A sporting implement adapted with a camlock attachment system for attaching a foot binding thereto, the implement comprising: 
 a mounting portion extending vertically therefrom;    a binding plate having a mounting hole and configured to receive said mounting portion; and    a camlock mechanism attachable to an upper end of said mounting portion.    
     
     
         38 . The implement of  claim 37 , wherein said camlock mechanism comprises a cam lever moveable between at least a first and second position.  
     
     
         39 . The implement of  claim 38 , wherein said first and second position correspond with a first and second radius of said camlock mechanism.  
     
     
         40 . The implement of  claim 39 , wherein moving said cam lever from said first to said second position results in said implement and said binding plate being drawn tightly together.  
     
     
         41 . The implement of  claim 37 , wherein said mounting portion is a threaded fastener.