Did You Know...
...that several people are credited with the invention of the flush toilet? Most people have heard of Thomas Crapper (1837-1910), the sanitary engineer who invented the valve-and-siphon arrangement that made the modern toilet possible. Another claimant to "the throne" was British inventor Alexander Cumming who patented a toilet in 1775. Then there's a nameless Minoan (a native of ancient Crete) who lived 4,000 years ago who supposedly was ahead of his time and created the first flush toilet!
PatentStorm News
Make the Most of Our Site
See this month's Top Inventors and Most Cited Patents.
Stay on top of the latest innovations by subscribing to an RSS feed.
Registered users: Manage your profile.
| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7900951 | Heel piece of a binding for a ski boot, of the fixed body type A heel piece of a safety binding for a ski boot that is able to occupy at least two positions, an open position and a closed position in which it is able to hold a ski boot securely for skiing, the heel piece comprising a body (11) that occupies the same posi... | 03/08/2011 |
| 7802808 | Locking attachment and adjustment device A binding is used for coupling a boot to a sport board. The binding includes a base plate, an instep support, and at least one fixation strap that couples the base plate to the instep support. An adjustment mechanism such as a buckle actuates to move the instep supp... | 09/28/2010 |
| 7766364 | Strap for snowboard boots or bindings A binding or boot strap is provided that allows a rider to easily, rapidly and/or effectively tighten and/or loosen the strap about his or her boot. The strap includes a boot-engaging strap portion that engages with an engagement strap coupleable to the boot, as may... | 08/03/2010 |
| 7661695 | Cross-country ski assembly and cross-country ski binding An assembly of a ski and a device for binding a boot to the ski, the assembly including a ski having an upper surface adapted to receive the binding device. The assembly includes an anchoring device that includes a slide and a binding device that includes a base, th... | 02/16/2010 |
| 7503579 | Device for retaining a foot or boot on a sports apparatus A device for retaining a foot or a boot on a sports apparatus, such as a binding for a snowboard. The device includes a base plate associated with a rear support element/highback. The rear support element is movably mounted with respect to the base plate. A linkage ... | 03/17/2009 |
| 7431323 | Connecting device between a boot and a board-like type of sports equipment, particularly a ski binding The invention relates to a connecting device (1) between a boot (2) and a board-like type of sports equipment (3), in particular a ski binding. The connecting device comprises a toe or front binding fixture (5) that can be associated with... | 10/07/2008 |
| 7427079 | Snowboard binding There is disclosed a snowboard binding which is equipped with a single strap which acts as a collar for the boot and which is hinged at one side on the base of the binding and at the opposite side it is fastened to a triangularly-shaped fastening system which, in tu... | 09/23/2008 |
| 7401802 | Binding system The present invention relates to a ski binding that retains a boot to a ski in at least two independent operational states. One embodiment of a ski binding includes a toe receiving member and a releasable system. The toe receiving member is configured to engage the ... | 07/22/2008 |
| 7396037 | Binding system The present invention relates to a ski binding that retains a boot to a ski in at least two independent operational states. One embodiment of a ski binding includes a toe receiving member and a releasable system. The toe receiving member is configured to engage the ... | 07/08/2008 |
| 7393000 | Coupling device The invention relates to a coupling device (1) between a sports shoe (2) and sports device (3), with a toe piece (5) and a heel piece (6) and a brake device (7) mounted between the latter for the sports device (3), wi... | 07/01/2008 |
| 7390010 | Snowboard binding The snowboard binding comprises a base plate that can be fastened at a spacing from the surface of the snowboard, a pin plate arranged between the surface of the snowboard and the base plate, from which pin plate several pins project, each of which extends through a... | 06/24/2008 |
| 7367579 | Snowboard binding A snowboard binding includes a base plate and a heel support attached directly or indirectly to this base plate so that it can pivot. Intermediate elements mount the heel support and can be adjusted in the longitudinal direction of the snowboard binding. Thus, the e... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7320476 | Secure attachment of a boot to a sliding board Toe-piece for attaching a boot to a sliding board, comprising a body (2) and at least one jaw (3) which is rotationally movable about an substantially horizontal axis (5) in accordance with a first bearing on the body (2) for release in t... | 01/22/2008 |
| 7320474 | Device for binding a boot to a sports article A device for binding a boot to a cross-country ski, the device fixing the front of the boot to the ski while allowing the rear of the boot to move relative to the ski between a low position and a high position. The device includes an elastic return system for applyi... | 01/22/2008 |
| 7318597 | Binding system The present invention relates to a ski binding that retains a boot to a ski in at least two independent operational states. One embodiment of a ski binding includes a toe receiving member and a releasable system. The toe receiving member is configured to engage the ... | 01/15/2008 |
| 7309077 | Device for receiving a foot or a boot on a sports apparatus A device for receiving a foot or a boot onto a sports apparatus, the device including a support adapted to be located between the sole of the foot or the boot sole and the apparatus. The support includes a retractable abutment and a shock-absorbing arrangement, the ... | 12/18/2007 |
| 7306255 | Binding system The present invention relates to a ski binding that retains a boot to a ski in at least two independent operational states. One embodiment of a ski binding includes a toe receiving member and a releasable system. The toe receiving member is configured to engage the ... | 12/11/2007 |
| 7306241 | Strap for snowboard boots or bindings A binding or boot strap is provided that allows a rider to easily, rapidly and/or effectively tighten and/or loosen the strap about his or her boot. The strap includes a boot-engaging strap portion that engages with an engagement strap coupleable to the boot, as may... | 12/11/2007 |
| 7306256 | Binding system The present invention relates to a ski binding that retains a boot to a ski in at least two independent operational states. One embodiment of a ski binding includes a toe receiving member and a releasable system. The toe receiving member is configured to engage the ... | 12/11/2007 |
| 7287776 | Snowboard binding A snowboard binding (1) including a base plate (2), arranged to receive the sole of the user's boot, and an element (5) for securing to the board located in the central part of the base plate, wherein the base plate (2) includes two plate... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7281730 | Automatic, universal boot binding for board sports A boot-binding for board sports such as snowboarding is provided that is both automatically closing and compatible with any style of boot or shoe. A molded plastic shell which is fixedly attached to the board's upper surface provides a substantially boot-shaped rece... | 10/16/2007 |
| 7270343 | Flexible connection between sports device and shoe The invention describes a pivotable binding system (1) for mounting between a sports device (2) and a tread surface (5) for a user's foot, in which the tread surface (5) is pivotable about an axis extending more or less parallel with the ... | 09/18/2007 |
| 7267346 | Snowboard accessory The invention comprises a snowboard having an elongated plastic plank as its body with up curved remote ends. A pair of circular plates are fixed to the top of the plank spaced toward the opposite end of the plank to serve as base for mounting bindings thereon and t... | 09/11/2007 |
| 7264264 | Binding device having a pivotable arm A device for binding a boot to a sports article allowing the heel of the boot to be raised with respect to the sports article, of the type in which the boot has a first connecting zone positioned at the front of the boot, and a second connecting zone positioned rear... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7246811 | Snowboard binding engagement mechanism A snowboard binding (100) is disclosed having a base plate (102) with a highback (120) pivotally attached. A locking lever (130) is disposed on the back of the highback for locking the highback in a generally upright position with a desir... | 07/24/2007 |
| 7237793 | Snowboard binding The invention relates to a snowboard binding for soft boots. The fixing straps can be pivoted by means of a joint from a closed position to an open position close to the opening for entry. The straps are kept in an open position by means of a holding device. The hol... | 07/03/2007 |
| 7232147 | Device for retaining a foot or a boot on a sports apparatus A device for retaining a foot or boot on an apparatus, such as a binding for a snowboard. The device has a lateral portion and a medial portion demarcating a receiving zone, a rear support element, and a linkage. The linkage includes a front part and a rear part. Th... | 06/19/2007 |
| 7232146 | Snowboard binding A snowboard binding that includes a strap (10) for gripping the front part of a foot, the strap being capable of pivoting relative to an axis (11) substantially perpendicular to the median longitudinal plane of the binding. The snowboard binding includ... | 06/19/2007 |
| 7222883 | Support mechanism for snowboards A mechanism for snowboard support while riding a chair lift is provided. The support mechanism includes a flexible retractable cable within a housing having a recoil mechanism. The housing is advantageously mounted to the snowboard or the snowboard binding mechanism... | 05/29/2007 |
| 7219917 | Cartridge radius surface The present invention relates to a radius surface for use on a ski binding resistance mechanism cartridge. The radius surface of the present invention enables a cable coupled to the resistance mechanism cartridge to bend directly adjacent to the cartridge. Since the... | 05/22/2007 |
| 7216890 | Ski binding The present invention relates to an improved telemark ski binding. More particularly, the present invention relates to a dual front cable under-foot telemark binding. The two front cables attach to a linkage point within the toe receiving portion. The front cables a... | 05/15/2007 |
| 7210698 | Ski binding A step-in binding for receiving a ski boot and preferably for telemark skiing. The binding includes a base constructed and arranged to be secured to the ski and a pair of boot support members pivotally supported from a front side of the base, and disposed laterally ... | 05/01/2007 |
| 7207591 | Ski binding Ski binding (1; 1′; 1″), in particular touring, telemark or cross-country binding, with a front retaining element associated with the front sole end (7a) of a ski boot (5), a back retaining element (21) so constructed that it e... | 04/24/2007 |
| 7207592 | Binding for a sports boot on a gliding board A binding for a sports boot on a gliding board, comprising a base intended to be fixed on a gliding board, means for binding the boot and a rear stop or spoiler, wherein, on each lateral part of the base (1), the spoiler (3) is on the one hand mounted ... | 04/24/2007 |
| 7201392 | Snow ski binding A downhill ski binding (2) that operates to allow the skier to select a number of skates or a time interval, after which a lock means (30) locks the rearward end (28) of a ski boot plate (4) to a ski plate/lift (14) and/or a ski ( | 04/10/2007 |
| 7168710 | Adjustable support apparatus between boot and snowboard Adjustable support apparatus between a boot and a snowboard, comprising in combination a lower support plate connectible to a snowboard, an upper plate carried by the lower plate to be rotatable about a main upright axis, the upper plate connectible to a boot, a ret... | 01/30/2007 |
| 7162777 | Tightening strap for binding a boot to a sports apparatus Reinforcement element made of a composite material constituted of a layer of inextensible textile material and a layer of polymeric material assembled to the layer of textile material during a molding or vulcanizing step. The textile material is a woven or mesh mate... | 01/16/2007 |
| 7159892 | Snowboard binding with suspension heel loop A binding includes a suspension heel loop formed by an upper member pivotally connected to the base of the binding frame. The heel loop flexes or moves in a controlled manner with respect to the binding base at the heel end of the binding. A binding having the suspe... | 01/09/2007 |
| 7152871 | Snowboard binding system A snowboard binding system comprising at least one movable engaging member that, when engaged, secures a snowboarder's boot from vertical or horizontal movement is disclosed. In one embodiment, a binding system having two active sides is disclosed, allowing a snowbo... | 12/26/2006 |
| 7142353 | System and method utilizing an electrooptic modulator A system and method utilize an optical element that receives an electrical field, which changes an index of refraction in at least one direction within the optical element. The change in index of refraction imparts a change to a beam of radiation passing through the... | 11/28/2006 |
