Adjustable rotatable snowboard boot binding

Abstract

A base plate with a ring of holes is secured to any existing snowboard. A flat rotatable plate has a two-position spring-loaded locking shaft which locks down in one of the holes to secure the boot binding at a desired stationary angle and alternately locks up out of the holes for free rotation. Any boot binding is attachable to the rotatable plate by a screw down cap, brackets in lateral slots, screws with bushings, side walls with screws, a binding-shaped groove, or a high friction plate surface. One plate has a protruding circular guide post and the other plate has a mating circular opening for encircling the guide post. A spring-loaded pin from one plate fits within an arc of a circular groove in the other plate to limit rotation of the boot for safety.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A snowboard boot binding attachment device for securing a snowboard boot binding to a snowboard and for permitting angular adjustment and alternate rotation and nonrotation of the snowboard boot binding relative to the snowboard, comprising: 
 a pair of rigid plates including a circular base plate adapted to be secured to the snowboard and a rotatable plate for receiving the snowboard boot binding to be secured thereto, the rotatable plate being positioned above the base plate and being rotatably connected to the base plate with one plate having a protruding circular guide post and the other plate having a mating circular opening for encircling the guide post, the rotatable plate having a binding retaining means for receiving and securing a snowboard boot binding selected from a variety of snowboard boot bindings of various sizes and shapes, the binding retaining means being configured to receive and retain any of a variety of sizes and shapes of the snowboard boot bindings and confine the snowboard boot binding to a single stationary position on the rotatable plate to prevent horizontal movement of the snowboard boot binding relative to the rotatable plate;    a locking assembly for locking the rotatable plate in selected positions of angular adjustment relative to the base plate and for selectively maintaining the rotatable plate in either a locked mode, in which the rotatable plate is prevented from rotating relative to the base plate or a released mode, in which the rotatable plate is free to rotate relative to the base plate, the locking assembly including a locking ring formed by a plurality of locking holes extending through a circumferential portion of the base plate, an opening extending through the rotatable plate and alignable with the locking holes in the selected positions of angular adjustment, and a locking shaft capable of alternating between a locked position extending through the opening of the rotatable plate into one of the plurality of locking holes in the base plate to retain the rotatable plate in the locked mode wherein rotation of the rotatable plate is prevented, and an unlocked position with the locking shaft retracted from the one of the plurality of locking holes in the base plate to put the rotatable plate in the released mode, thereby permitting angular adjustment of the snowboard boot binding relative to the snowboard;    a safety means incorporated in the base plate and the rotatable plate, the safety means capable of limiting the degree of relative rotation therebetween to permit the snowboard boot to turn within a safe limit and prevent the snowboard boot from turning beyond the safe limit, the safety means comprising one of the pair of rigid plates having a groove therein in the shape of an arc of a circle and the other of the pair of the rigid plates having a mating pin protruding therefrom, the pin engaging the groove and thereby limiting the degree of relative rotation of the rigid plates to the degree of the arc of the circular groove.    
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the locking assembly further comprises a tension means for biasing the locking shaft toward the base plate and the locking shaft further comprises at least one lateral protrusion extending therefrom, a locking base attached to the rotatable plate, the locking base having a vertical opening therethrough to admit the locking shaft fitting slidably therein and the locking base further comprising an upper shaft engaging means for engaging the at least one lateral protrusion of the locking shaft in an upper position with the locking shaft disengaged from the base plate and a lower shaft engaging means for engaging the at least one lateral protrusion of the locking shaft in a lower position with the locking shaft engaging the base plate.  
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2  wherein the locking base comprises a split sleeve having a pair of slit openings the full height of the split sleeve with one of the pair of slit openings on each of two opposing sides of the split sleeve and further having a top edge with a pair of notch openings in the ridge with one of the pair of notch openings on each of two opposing sides of the split sleeve orthogonal to the slits, wherein the pair of slit openings comprises the lower shaft engaging means and the pair of notch openings comprises the upper shaft engaging means and the at least one lateral protrusion of the locking shaft comprises a pair of tabs protruding laterally from the locking shaft on opposing sides of the locking shaft, the pair of tabs capable of being secured alternately in the pair of slit openings and the pair of notch openings.  
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 2  wherein the locking base comprises a solid sleeve having an angled top rim with a notch opening in a top of the angled rim and a V-configuration at the bottom of the angled rim, wherein the notch opening comprises the upper shaft engaging means and the V-configuration comprises the lower shaft engaging means and the at least one lateral protrusion of the locking shaft comprises an L-shaped handle protruding laterally from the locking shaft, the L-shaped handle capable of being secured alternately in the notch and the V-configuration.  
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1  further comprising a cap plate for securing the boot binding to the rotatable plate so that the boot binding and rotatable plate are rotatable relative to the base plate, the boot binding having a circular opening therethrough and the cap plate having an elevated peripheral rim and a downwardly protruding circular bottom smaller in diameter than the binding circular opening so that the downwardly protruding circular bottom of the cap plate is capable of fitting in the mating circular opening and contacting the rotatable plate to which the cap plate is secured, while the elevated peripheral rim of the cap plate secures the boot binding to the rotatable plate.  
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1  further comprising a cap plate for securing the boot binding and the rotatable plate to the base plate so that the boot binding and rotatable plate are rotatable relative to the base plate and the cap plate, the rotatable plate and the boot binding having mating circular openings therethrough and the cap plate having an elevated peripheral rim and a downwardly protruding circular bottom smaller in diameter than the mating circular openings so that the downwardly protruding circular bottom of the cap plate is capable of fitting in the mating circular openings and contacting the base plate to which the cap plate is secured, while the elevated peripheral rim of the cap plate is sufficiently elevated above the boot binding so that the rotatable plate and the boot binding are rotatable relative to the base plate and the cap plate, with the rotatable plate and the boot binding sandwiched therebetween, and the boot binding is restricted from vertical movement relative to the rotatable plate.  
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the rotatable plate is configured with two parallel slots positioned transversely to the boot binding, each of the slots having a series of holes in the bottom of the slot, and the binding retaining means comprises a pair of opposing L-shaped brackets, each having an elongated opening through a bottom leg, and a screw means for each of the L-shaped brackets securing each of the L-shaped brackets adjustably through the elongated opening of each of the L-shaped brackets and into one of the series of holes within each of the slots with one of the L-shaped brackets on each side of the boot binding contacting the boot binding.  
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 7  wherein each of the pair of L-shaped brackets further comprises a threaded opening through a top leg and further comprising a screw means capable of being threaded through each threaded opening to engage the boot binding.  
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the rotatable plate is configured with two parallel slots positioned transversely to the boot binding, each of the slots having a series of angled teeth ridges in the bottom of the slot, and the binding retaining means comprises a pair of opposing L-shaped brackets, each having a series of mating angled teeth along a bottom surface of a bottom leg, wherein each of the pairs of L-shaped brackets is secured within each of the slots with one of the L-shaped brackets on each side of the boot binding contacting the boot binding, wherein the angled teeth ridges of the L-shaped brackets engage the angled teeth ridges of the slot.  
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the boot binding has a flat bottom surface formed of a malleable material and the binding retaining means comprises a high friction upper surface on the rotatable plate having pointed protrusions which penetrate the malleable material surface of the boot binding with a high friction secure connection to prevent horizontal movement of the boot binding.  
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the binding retaining means comprises the rotatable plate having a wide groove in the top surface of the rotatable plate having a flat bottom and elevated sides, the wide groove adapted to conform to the shape and size of a boot binding to accommodate the boot binding therein in a tight friction fit with the boot binding contacting the elevated sides of the groove along their entire length.  
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the binding retaining means comprises the rotatable plate having a wide groove in the top surface of the rotatable plate having a flat bottom and side walls which protrude above the surface of the rotatable plate, each of the side walls having at least two holes therein one of the holes adjacent to a front of the boot binding and the other adjacent to a back of the boot binding, and a screw means threaded into each of the holes in the side walls to engage the boot binding secured therebetween.  
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the rotatable plate has a series of holes therein and the binding retaining means comprises at least four screw means, each fitted with a flexible bushing means, the screw means capable of being threadedly engaged in selected holes in the rotatable plate so that the screw means engage and prevent horizontal movement of the boot binding on each side of the boot binding adjacent to a front and adjacent to a back of the boot binding.  
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 1  further comprising at least one elastic element interconnecting the rotatable plate and the base plate to regulate the rotation of the rotatable plate relative to the base plate, wherein the at least one elastic element comprises at least one spring inserted in the groove in contact with the pin, the at least one spring capable of regulating the rate of the rotation of the rotatable plate and biasing the rotatable plate to return to a single angular orientation relative to the base plate.  
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 14  wherein a pair of springs are inserted in the groove with one spring on each side of the pin.  
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 15  wherein the arc of the circular groove is approximately 100 degrees.  
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the locking shaft is provided at its top end with a T-shaped handle protruding above the rotatable plate.  
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the locking ring having the locking holes therein is elevated above the snowboard so that fluids may drain from the locking holes and icing of the locking holes is prevented.  
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 1  further comprising a roller bearing between the rotatable plate and the base plate to facilitate rotation therebetween.  
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the rotatable plate further comprises a smooth information surface capable of displaying information thereon visible on the top of the rotatable plate.