Ratchet-type buckle

(10) Number: AT 409 592 B (19)

REPUBLIC

AUSTRIA

Patent office ₍₁₂₎ PATENT DOCUMENT (21) Application number: A3 / 98 (51) lnt.CI.⁷: A63C 9/00 (22) Filing date: 05.01.1998 A43C11 / 00 (42) Start of patent term: 15.12.2000 (45) Issue date: 25.09.2002 (30) Priority:

07/01/1997 US 779526 claimed.

(56) Citations:

EP771536A1 US5416952A AT404662B

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RATCHET BUCKLE

Ratchet buckle for gradually tightening and quickly loosening a strap, such as a snowboard binding strap or the like. A housing holds a pawl, a release actuator and a drive actuator. The housing slidably receives a toothed strap which the pawl engages to prevent accidental release from the buckle. The drive actuator allows a user to tighten the strap relative to the buckle at will. The release actuator is arranged to both release the pawl from the strap and separate the buckle from the strap in one continuous motion. The pawl, the release actuator and the drive actuator can be pivotally attached to the housing about separate axes, and the drive actuator can be pivotally attached to the release actuator.

(73) Patent owner:

THE BURTON CORPORATION 05401 BURLINGTON (US).

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FIG. 2

DVR 0078018

AT 409 592 B

The present invention relates to a ratchet buckle. In particular, the present invention relates to a ratchet buckle for adjusting a belt, having a belt slidably received within a housing having a front section and a rear section and having a pawl mounted on the housing on a first axis, which pawl can be brought into engagement with the belt for movement of the To prevent strap in the direction from the rear section to the front section, however, to allow a movement of the belt in the direction from the front section to the rear section, wherein a drive actuating element which has a handle which is articulated on the housing at least via a further axis which is at a distance from the first axis, and wherein the drive actuator The actuating element is gripped on the handle and can be actuated with this about at least this further axis, to pass the strap from the front portion of the housing to the rear portion of the housing.

Binding systems for soft snowboard boots typically include one or more straps for securing the boot to the snowboard. In a front entry binding system, each strap includes two strap sections that are separated from one another to create an opening through which the rider puts his foot into the binding. The strap sections are then connected to one another again and tied around the set shoe in order to keep the shoe securely in the snowboard. The ease with which a binding strap can be loosened and then reattached is important when snowboarding, as the user removes the rear boot from its binding before climbing the mountain with the chairlift and then removing the rear boot when exiting the chairlift The shoe and the binding must be fastened again before the next departure. As a result, it may be necessary to loosen and fasten the binding straps for the rear shoe many times in a day of snowboarding.

Ratchet buckles are known for securing and releasing snowboard binding straps. Applicant's U.S. Patent No. 5,416,952 describes a Ratchet® buckle used in Burton snowboard bindings for soft footwear. The slap ratchet buckle allows the binding straps to be easily tightened in stages and the buckle and straps to be released quickly. The ratchet buckle that attaches to one of the strap sections includes a pawl which locks the serrated surface of the other strap section. To release the binding, a tab is pushed in one direction, releasing the pawl from the teeth of the belt, and then pulling the buckle in the opposite direction while the user continues to press the tab until the strap sections separate are.

In the known design according to EP 0 771 536 A1, two pawls preloaded by elastic means are provided, one of which is pivotably mounted on the housing and the other is pivotably mounted on the pivot lever, the pawl mounted on it on the belt in the direction of the moves in the direction of movement of the belt front end of the housing. During the subsequent downward pivoting of the pivot lever, the pawl mounted on it hooks onto the upper side of the belt and pushes it under the pawl mounted on the housing in the direction of the rear end of the housing. Such a design has the serious disadvantage that the function of the pawl connected to the pivot lever is in no way secured in the case of icing or deep snow, so that tensioning of the belt is not possible.

According to the invention, these disadvantages are avoided by a design which is characterized by a second axis and a third axis via which the handle is articulated on the housing, the second axis being spaced from the first axis and the third axis from the second axis, and by a release actuating device by which the engagement of the pawl in the belt is releasable, when the release actuating device is pivoted in the direction of the rear section of the housing, wherein the belt can be released for removal from the housing by continuous actuation of the release actuating device in the specified direction.

Due to the manual pressing of the drive actuator on the belt, the interference-free interaction of the two parts can be ensured in that the contact pressure can be increased or decreased as required. Although this is also possible with the subject of AT 404662 B of the patent owner, in this known design the pawl preventing the belt from sliding back is mounted on the same axis as the one

AT 409 592 B

End of the connecting lever. In the subject matter of the present application, on the other hand, the pawl is mounted on the housing about a third axis, thereby preventing the function of the pawl from being adversely affected by the connecting lever or the handle.

It is thus a ratchet buckle in which a continuously directed movement of a release actuating element comfortably releases the engagement of the pawl with the belt teeth, while at the same time separating the buckle and the toothed belt from one another. The release actuator may be positioned in the buckle such that movement of the release actuator up and away from the toothed belt, such as pivoting, releases the pawl from the belt and moves the buckle along the toothed belt, to release the buckle from the toothed belt.

In an illustrative embodiment, a ratchet buckle has a housing configured to slidably receive a strap. A pawl is held by the housing to engage the strap and prevent accidental loosening of the strap. A drive actuator is supported by the housing to pass the belt through the housing and gradually tighten the belt. A release actuator is carried by the housing to release the pawl from the belt and pull the belt away from the housing to allow the belt to be disengaged from the housing in one continuous motion. The buckle may also include a stop to limit movement of the release actuator.

In another embodiment, a ratchet buckle for adjusting a strap includes a housing adapted to slidably receive the strap, a pawl, a drive actuator, and a release actuator. The pawl is pivotally attached to the housing about a first axis to engage the strap and prevent accidental loosening of the strap. The drive actuator is pivotally attached to the housing about a second axis and a third axis for engaging the belt and feeding it through the housing to gradually tighten the belt. The release actuator is held by the housing to disengage the pawl from the strap to allow the strap to be released from the housing.

In another embodiment, the ratchet clip of the present invention is used in a snowboard binding. The binding includes a base plate and one or more adjustable binding straps, each of which includes a pair of strap sections that can be tightened around different sections of a snowboard boot seated in the binding. The buckle is attached to one strap portion and the other strap portion is received by the buckle to tighten the binding strap.

Further advantageous refinements of the subject matter of the invention are given in the attached claims. The subject matter of the patent is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings, which are used solely for the purpose of illustration and are not to be understood as a definition of the limitations of the invention. The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be disclosed with reference to the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 shows a front view of a snowboard having a snowboard binding attached to a snowboard and having a ratchet buckle arrangement in accordance with the present invention. 2 Figure 3 is a perspective view of an illustrative embodiment of the ratchet buckle assembly of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the ratchet buckle assembly of FIG. 2 FIG. 4 gives a top view of the ratchet buckle assembly of FIG. 2-3 again. FIG. 5 shows a side view of the ratchet buckle assembly of FIG. 2-4 in the locked position. FIG. 6A shows a side cross-sectional view of the ratchet buckle assembly taken along section line 6-6 of FIG. 4, showing the drive actuator in its initial position to drive the belt. FIG. 6B is a side cross-sectional view of the ratchet buckle assembly taken along section line 6-6 of FIG. 4 showing the drive actuator in position after the belt has been driven; 6C provides a side cross-sectional view of the ratchet buckle assembly taken along section line 6-6 of FIG. 4 again showing the release actuator and pawl in position to release the strap.

AT 409 592 B

A snowboard binding 22 for soft shoes is, as shown in FIG. 1, attached to a snowboard 20, with a soft snowboard boot 23 attached in the binding 22. The binding 22 includes at least one adjustable strap, and typically two or three, that can be tightened transversely around different portions of the shoe. For example, as shown in FIG. 1 shown include an ankle strap 24 and a toe strap 26, and may further include a shin strap (not shown). The straps can be gradually tightened and released in a comfortable manner using a ratchet buckle 32 in accordance with the present invention. While a leverage toe striker is shown, the ratchet buckle 32 of the present invention can also be used to loosen and secure the toe strap.

An illustrative embodiment of the ratchet buckle assembly 28 as shown in FIG. 2-5 includes a strap 30 and a ratchet buckle 32 adapted to slidably receive and secure the strap 30. The strap 30 may form a portion of an adjustable strap, such as around the one shown in FIG. 1 ankle strap 24 shown. The belt 30 may include a toothed rack or spline 34 that is provided on its upper surface with a lower surface 36 that is relatively smooth for easy sliding through the buckle 32. One end of the strap may include a rounded or tapered tip 38 that can be easily inserted into the buckle 32 and an opposite end 40 that can be secured by a fastening device such as a screw, rivet, or the like known in the art Device can be attached to the base plate 41 (FIG. 1) of the binding.

The ratchet buckle 32 includes a housing 42 for receiving the strap 30 which may include a base 44 and a pair of side members 46,48. The belt 30 is inserted into a front portion 52 of the housing 42e and exits through a rear portion 54 of the housing. A pawl 56 and a release actuator 58 are disposed in the housing 42 in a manner as described below that allows the user to easily loosen or completely loosen the strap 30 with a generally directed actuation movement. A drive actuator 60 may also be retained on the housing to enable the user to incrementally move the strap 30 through the buckle 32 to selectively tighten the adjustable strap 24. The housing 42 can be made of a tough, impact-resistant and durable material such as sheet steel or plastic.

The pawl 56 is arranged to engage and hold the strap 30 so that the strap cannot be released unless the user releases the pawl from the strap. In one shown in FIG. 3 and 5, the pawl 56 can be pivotally attached to the housing 42 about a first axis 62 by a first pin 64, although other attachment means known in the art can also be used. The pawl 56 may include one or more pawl teeth 66 configured to cooperate with the belt teeth 34 so that the belt 30 can be tightened in one direction and not loosened or loosened in the opposite direction while the pawl 56 is in operation is not intentionally released from the strap by the user. The pawl can be made from a plastic material, although other materials known in the art, such as metal, can be used.

As shown in FIG. 5, the pawl 56 is a first direction Α_Ί (clockwise in FIG. 5) and engages the strap 30 to ensure that the pawl cannot inadvertently disengage from the strap. In one embodiment, a torsion spring 68 can be disposed about one end of the first pin and preloaded with a torque sufficient to securely urge the pawl 56 against the belt 30. When the belt 30 is passed through the buckle and tightened, the pawl 56 pivots back and forth so that it repeatedly engages and disengages from the belt teeth 34. It will be appreciated that other means known in the art can be used to bias the pawl.

The release actuator 58 quickly and easily releases the buckle 32 from the strap 30 by means of a one-step process which releases the pawl 56 from the strap 30 and also the

AT 409 592 B

Pulls and loosens the buckle from the strap. This provides the user with a comfortable and easy-to-use release mechanism that is particularly suitable for use in a snowboard binding, in which the binding straps must be released and secured many times during a snowboarding day.

In one shown in FIG. 3 and 5, the release actuator 58 can be pivotally attached to the housing 42 about a second axis 80 by a second pin 82, although other attachment devices known in the art can be used. The release actuator 58 may include a lever 83 and a release member 92 which includes a portion overlying a lever portion 94 of the pawl 56. The lever 83 may be composed of a cross member 84 extending between the side members of the housing 42 and a pair of opposing link arms 86, 88 extending downwardly from opposite sides of the cross member 84. The rear portion 90 of each link arm 86, 88 is pivotally attached to the housing by the second pin 82 with the cross member 84 overlying the second pin 82. The release member 92 may have a slot 95 that receives the cross member 84 to secure the release member 92 to the lever 83, with a lower portion of the release member 92 pivotally attached to the second pin 82. The release member 92 may include a lower cam surface 96, preferably a curved surface, adapted to engage and cooperate with the upper surface 100 of the pawl lever 98 to release the pawl from the belt. When the release actuator 58 is pivoted in a first direction B1 (clockwise in FIG. 6C), the cam surface 96 cooperates with the pawl lever 94 to rotate the pawl 56 about the first axis 62 in the second direction A2, thereby disengaging the pawl teeth 66 from the belt 30. Lever 83 is preferably made of a metal such as steel, although other materials can be used which have the strength and rigidity required for proper actuation. While the release member 92 can be formed in one piece as part of the lever member 83, the release member is preferably made as a separate piece from a plastic material to provide greater flexibility in molding the cam surface and the friction between it and the pawl for ease of use to reduce the release actuator.

The release actuator 58 also includes a member which the user can grasp to more easily actuate the release actuator even when the user is wearing a hand covering such as a glove. In an embodiment shown in the figures, the gripping element can be created by a cap 122 which is arranged on the front ends 108 of the connecting arms 86, 88. The user can hook the index and middle fingers around the caps 122 to pull the front end of the lever 83 up and away from the strap 30. As a result of this measure, the release actuating element 58 is pivoted about the second axis 80 and the engagement of the pawl 56 in the belt 30 is released. Each cap 122 may include one or more axially extending recesses 128 disposed radially along the outer wall of the cap to enable the user to more easily grasp the caps and pull the release actuator 58.

The ratchet buckle may also have a stop to limit the movement of the release actuator 58. The stop ensures that the release actuator 58 cannot be rotated too far to a position where it no longer acts on the pawl lever 94 to disengage the pawl from the belt. In one embodiment, the release member 92 may include a stop 102 that abuts the top surface 100 of the pawl lever 94 when the release actuator 58 releases the pawl from the belt, as shown in FIG. 6C, thereby preventing additional rotation of the release actuator. In one shown in FIG. 5 In the other embodiment shown, a recess 103 can be formed in the rear lower edge of each connecting arm 86, 88, which recess is adapted to abut a stop pin 105 in order to thereby restrict the greatest possible rotation of the release actuating element 58. The stop pin 105 may be attached to the side members 46, 48 of the housing 42 below and between the first and second pins 64, 82.

The one-step actuation of the release actuator 58 to release the belt

AT 409 592 B of the buckle will now be described with reference to FIG. 5 and 6C. First, the user disengages the pawl 56 from the belt teeth 34 by grasping the caps 122, preferably by hooking the index and middle fingers around the front of the caps and then moving them in an upward and rearward direction Dt (FIG. 5) pulls away from belt 30. This measure leads to the fact that the release actuating element 58 is pivoted in the first direction Bi about the second axis 80, so that the release element 92 engages in the pawl lever 94 and the pawl 56 in the second direction A.₂ pivots about the first axis 62. The release actuator 58 is pivoted until the stop 102 engages the pawl lever 94, as shown in FIG. 6C, and the engagement of the pawl 56 with the belt teeth 34 is completely released. When the pawl is released, the strap can move through the housing so that it can be loosened or released from the buckle. As in FIG. 6C, the caps 122 pivot about the second axis 80 as the user continues to pull on the caps 122 to disengage the pawl so that it moves in a direction D.₂ to the rear of the case. This action pulls the buckle 32 along the strap 30 in a release direction R so that the strap is effectively loosened or completely detached from the buckle. Thus, the user can easily and comfortably open a snowboard binding or other device for a one-step operation by pulling the release operating element by means of a continuous movement.

The drive actuator 60 is used to gradually tighten the strap 30 by sliding the strap forward or feeding the strap through the buckle with a relatively small force. In one embodiment shown in the figures, the front end of the drive actuator 60 may be pivotally connected to the housing 42 about a third axis 106 with the third pin 110 between the front ends 108 of the connecting arms 86, 88. The drive actuator 60 may include one or more ratchet teeth 112 that engage the belt teeth 34 in a ratchet-like manner and cooperate with them to drive and tighten the belt 30 when the actuator 60 is in the second direction C.₂ is pivoted about the third axis. The drive actuating element 60 can also be rotated about the second axis 80 in a second direction B.₂ Pivot (counterclockwise in FIG. 6A) so that its forward end can be pressed against the belt to ensure that the ratchet teeth 112 properly engage the belt teeth 34 and do not slip or become accidentally dislodged when the belt is advanced.

The drive actuator 60 is biased toward the housing 42 and pawl 56, for example, by a pair of torsion springs 118 which can be disposed around the ends of the third pin 110 and applied with a desired torque. Each spring 118 can be disposed within a cavity 120 as shown in FIG. 3-4, which is provided on opposite sides of the forward end of the drive actuator 60 between the link arms 86, 88 of the release actuator 58. One end of the spring 118 can be attached to the cap 122 and the other end of the spring can be attached to a radial slot 124 in the forward end of the drive actuator 60. Each cap 122 may have a recess 126 that interlocks with a corresponding link arm 86, 88 so that the cap 122 does not rotate, thereby maintaining the preloaded torque in the torsion springs 118. It should be recognized that other known pretensioning devices can also be used.

The drive actuator 60 may be provided with an opening 116 primarily to reduce the weight of the lever. The drive actuator 60 may also have a curved and streamlined shape that conforms well to the shape of the housing 42 and pawl 56, thereby reducing the overall profitability of the ratchet buckle 32. The drive actuator can be made from an aluminum alloy for strength and rigidity, although other materials, such as a plastic material, can also be used.

The operation of the drive actuator 60 to tighten the strap with the buckle is similar to that of Burton's Slap Ratchet and will be described with reference to FIG. 5-6B. The user pivots the drive actuator 6 to tighten the belt

AT 409 592 B ment 60 in the second direction C.₂ about the third axis 106 until the leading ratchet tooth 114 engages a tooth 34 on the belt, as shown in FIG. 6A is shown. The user then pivots the drive actuating element 60 about the third axis 106, while at the same time turning the ratchet teeth 112 by pivoting the lever 83 around the second axis 80 in the second direction B₂ presses firmly against the belt teeth 34, as shown in FIG. 6B is shown. Rotating the drive actuator 60 in this manner ensures that each subsequent ratchet tooth 112 cooperates with a corresponding belt tooth 34 to push the belt through the housing. As the belt 30 is pushed through the housing 42, the pawl 56 is continuously biased against the belt and cooperates with the belt teeth 34 to prevent the belt from inadvertently loosening during the ratcheting of the drive actuator 60. In this manner, the user can gradually tighten the belt tension by pivoting the drive actuator 60 about the third axis 106 as many times as necessary. When the desired tension is achieved, the user releases the drive actuator, which is then biased into its locked position by the torsion springs 118 of the drive actuator.

Although the buckle 32 is preferably released from the strap 30 by pulling the release actuator with the caps 122, the strap may alternatively be released with the drive actuator 60 to actuate the release actuator 58. The user would move the drive actuating element 60 partially in the second direction C.₂ pivot, which of the in FIG. 6A is similar to that as if he were about to tighten the strap. Thereafter, the user would pull the drive actuator 60 in an upward and rearward direction E (FIG. 6C), pivoting the release actuator 58 about the pawl 56 and buckle as described above with respect to the caps 122 to be released from the belt.

As in FIG. 1 and 5, the ratchet buckle 32 may be attached to a portion 130 of the adjustable ankle strap 24 of the binding 22 by a fastener 132 such as a rivet or the like. Preferably only one end of the housing 42 is attached to the strap portion 130 so that the buckle can pivot about the fastener 132 to allow additional flexibility in the binding.

From the foregoing description, it will be readily appreciated that the ratchet buckle of the present invention provides a comfortable and easy-to-use buckle that is particularly suitable for a snowboard binding for soft shoes that requires a user to use the binding during a typical snowboarding session. Loosen and secure numerous times a day. When the user wishes to secure a shoe in a binding, the user steps into the binding and passes the strap through the buckle. Typically, the user can make gross adjustments to the binding simply by pushing or pulling the strap further into the buckle. The binding strap is then tightened at will by gradually sliding the strap through the buckle by means of the drive actuator in a ratchet-like manner. It should be appreciated that as the belt is tightened, so does the force required to increase the tension in the belt, which force can be easily overcome using the drive actuator. When the user desires to release the buckle from the strap so that he or she can exit the binding, the user simply pulls the release actuator in one continuous motion, thereby releasing the pawl from the strap and pulling the buckle along the strap around the buckle to separate from the belt. The tightening and loosening operations can easily be performed by a user wearing gloves or other hand covering.

While the ratchet buckle has been described in connection with a snowboard binding, it should be recognized that the ratchet buckle of the present invention can be used with other footwear such as snowboard boots, ski boots, in-line skaters, and the like to achieve this To provide wearers of such footwear with the convenience and benefits of gradually tightening and easily releasing the footwear. The ratchet buckle can also be used in conjunction with a strap for tying or lashing down loads, such as securing a load to a vehicle roof and the like. It should be understood that relative alignment adjectives are used

AT 409 592 B was made to simplify the present invention and that this does not limit the orientation of the buckle assembly when attaching to a snowboard binding or other device.

Having now described a particular embodiment of the invention in detail, various modifications and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Such modifications and improvements are to be considered part of this disclosure and included within the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the foregoing description be regarded as exemplary only and that the invention be defined by the following claims and their equivalents.