Highback with adjustable stiffness
First Claim
1. A highback, for use with a snowboard component that interfaces with a rider'"'"'s leg and is supportable by a snowboard, the highback comprising:
- a highback body including an upright back member constructed and arranged to support a rear portion of a rider'"'"'s leg, the highback body having a controlled stiffness that is adjustable between a first fixed stiffness and a second fixed stiffness that is different from the first fixed stiffness, the highback body constructed and arranged to be mounted to the snowboard component; and
a forward lean adjuster mounted to the highback body, the forward lean adjuster constructed and arranged to engage a portion of a snowboard binding to set the highback at a preselected forward lean position relative to the snowboard.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A highback for controlling a gliding board, such as a snowboard, through leg movement of a rider. The highback is provided with stiffness adjustability for accommodating the rider'"'"'s particular riding preferences. Adjusting the highback stiffness allows the rider to selectively increase or decrease force transmission and board response based on individual riding preferences and/or riding conditions. Adjusting highback stiffness may also allow a rider to reduce pressure points between the highback and the leg, particularly the rider'"'"'s calf muscle, for increased comfort while maintaining heelside support for board control. The highback includes a back member that may employ one or more sections that can be selectively adjusted to achieve a desired highback stiffness for board response and comfort. The degree of stiffness may be established by adjusting the flexibility of the highback at preselected locations of the back member. One or more interchangeable control elements may be mounted to the back member to adjust the highback stiffness.
59 Citations
56 Claims
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1. A highback, for use with a snowboard component that interfaces with a rider'"'"'s leg and is supportable by a snowboard, the highback comprising:
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a highback body including an upright back member constructed and arranged to support a rear portion of a rider'"'"'s leg, the highback body having a controlled stiffness that is adjustable between a first fixed stiffness and a second fixed stiffness that is different from the first fixed stiffness, the highback body constructed and arranged to be mounted to the snowboard component; and
a forward lean adjuster mounted to the highback body, the forward lean adjuster constructed and arranged to engage a portion of a snowboard binding to set the highback at a preselected forward lean position relative to the snowboard. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 35)
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26. A highback for use with a snowboard component that interfaces with a rider'"'"'s leg and is supportable by a snowboard, the highback comprising:
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a highback body constructed and arranged to be supported on the snowboard component, the highback body including, a contoured upright back member constructed and arranged to support a rear portion of a rider'"'"'s leg, the back member having a controlled stiffness that is adjustable between a first fixed stiffness and a second fixed stiffness that is different from the first fixed stiffness, the back member including a lower portion with a heel cup configured to hold a heel portion of a snowboard boot and at least one section supported on the lower portion for movement relative to the lower portion, the movement of the at least one section relative to the lower portion being controllable to adjust the stiffness of the back member, the at least one section being flexible relative to the lower portion along a flex zone defined in part by at least one aperture extending through the back member;
a control element that is mountable to the back member to limit the relative movement between the at least one section and the lower portion to fix the stiffness of the back member in one of the first fixed stiffness and the second fixed stiffness; and
a pair of lateral arms extending from opposing sides of the lower portion of the back member that are constructed and arranged to pivotally mount the lower portion of the highback to the snowboard component. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A highback for use with a snowboard component that interfaces with a rider'"'"'s leg and is supportable by a snowboard, the highback comprising:
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a highback body having an adjustable stiffness, the highback body being constructed and arranged to be supported on the snowboard component to support the rear portion of a rider'"'"'s leg;
means for adjusting the stiffness of the highback body between a first fixed stiffness and a second fixed stiffness that is different from the first fixed stiffness; and
a forward lean adjuster mounted to the highback body, the forward lean adjuster constructed and arranged to engage a portion of the binding to set the highback at a preselected forward lean position relative to the snowboard. - View Dependent Claims (34)
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36. An apparatus comprising:
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a snowboard binding to secure a snowboard boot to a snowboard, the snowboard binding including, a baseplate that is constructed and arranged to be mounted to the snowboard; and
a highback pivotally mounted to the baseplate, the highback including a highback body with an upright back member that is constructed and arranged to support a rear portion of a rider'"'"'s leg, the highback body having a controlled stiffness that is adjustable between a first fixed stiffness and a second fixed stiffness that is different from the first fixed stiffness. - View Dependent Claims (37, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
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- 38. The highback recited in claim 38, wherein the lower portion includes a heel cup, the at least one section being flexibly supported on the lower portion of the back member above the heel cup.
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42. The highback recited in claim 42, wherein the at least one aperture has a generally oval shape extending across the back member.
Specification