Convertible ski boot attachment

Abstract

There is provided a boot attachment for attaching a boot to a ski. The boot has an ankle portion and a foot portion. The boot attachment has a base having a toe binding and a heel binding, a boot receiver with a lower portion and an upper portion, a pivot connecting the boot receiver to the base, and a pivot lock that selectively locks the pivot. In use the lower portion retains the foot portion of the boot, and the upper portion retains the ankle portion of the boot, and movement of the receiver about the pivot causes the upper portion of the boot receiver to move away from the base.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A boot attachment for attaching a boot to a ski, the boot having an ankle portion and a foot portion, the boot attachment comprising:
 a base having a toe binding and a heel binding;   a boot receiver having a lower portion and an upper portion, wherein, in use the lower portion retains the foot portion of the boot, and the upper portion retains the ankle portion of the boot;   a pivot connecting the boot receiver to the base, such that movement of the receiver about the pivot causes the upper portion of the boot receiver to move away from the base; and   a pivot lock that selectively locks the pivot.   
     
     
         2 . The boot attachment of  claim 1 , wherein the pivot lock comprises a first locking state in which the boot receiver is adjacent to the base and a second locking state in which the boot receiver is pivoted about the pivot relative to the base. 
     
     
         3 . The boot attachment of  claim 1 , wherein the pivot connects the rigid boot receiver to the base toward the toe binding of the boot attachment. 
     
     
         4 . The boot attachment of  claim 1 , wherein selectively locking the pivot changes a state of the boot receiver between a locked state and a movable state. 
     
     
         5 . The boot attachment of  claim 1 , further comprising selectively deployable traction enhancing devices. 
     
     
         6 . The boot attachment of  claim 1 , further comprising a rotatable attachment having an axis of rotation that is perpendicular to an upper face of the ski when the boot attachment is mounted to the ski, the rotatable attachment permitting selective rotational movement of the boot attachment relative to the ski. 
     
     
         7 . The boot attachment of  claim 6 , wherein the rotatable attachment is connected toward the toe binding or toward the heel binding. 
     
     
         8 . The boot attachment of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the boot receiver is rigid. 
     
     
         9 . The boot attachment of  claim 1 , wherein the pivot has an axis that is parallel to an upper face of the ski when the boot attachment is mounted to the ski. 
     
     
         10 . The boot attachment of  claim 1 , wherein the toe binding and the heel binding are configured to mount the boot attachment to the ski. 
     
     
         11 . The boot attachment of  claim 1 , wherein the base comprises two substantially parallel bars. 
     
     
         12 . The boot attachment of  claim 1 , wherein the boot receiver comprises one or more curved bars and one or more straps connected at either end to the one or more curved bars. 
     
     
         13 . A boot attachment for attaching a boot to a ski, the boot attachment comprising:
 a base that comprises a toe binding and a heel binding;   a boot receiver that comprises at least one side support and an ankle support, the boot receiver being carried by the base;   at least one strap configured to secure a boot to the boot receiver; and   a rotatable attachment for rotatably mounting the boot receiver above an upper surface of a ski, the rotatable attachment having an axis of rotation that is perpendicular to the upper face of the ski when the boot attachment is mounted to the ski, the rotatable attachment permitting selective rotational movement of the boot receiver relative to the ski.   
     
     
         14 . The boot attachment of  claim 13 , wherein the rotatable attachment permits rotation of the boot receiver relative to the base and the base is stationary relative to the upper surface of the ski. 
     
     
         15 . The boot attachment of  claim 13 , wherein the rotatable attachment permits rotation of the base relative to the upper surface of the ski and the boot receiver moves with the base. 
     
     
         15 . The boot attachment of  claim 14 , wherein the rotatable attachment is connected toward the toe binding or toward the heel binding. 
     
     
         16 . The boot attachment of  claim 13 , wherein the toe binding and the heel binding are configured to attach the boot frame to a binding on a ski. 
     
     
         17 . The boot attachment of  claim 13 , wherein the ankle support comprises at least one curved bar connected at both ends to the base. 
     
     
         18 . The boot frame of  claim 13 , further comprising a toe strap, an ankle strap, and a calf trap. 
     
     
         19 . The boot frame of  claim 13 , wherein the rotatable attachment is mounted to a track that permits movement of the rotatable attachment along a length of the ski. 
     
     
         20 . The boot frame of  claim 19 , wherein the track is part of the base and extends between the toe binding and the heel binding.