The present invention relates to a system for joining splitboard boards and bindings. More specifically, the invention relates to a system for joining boards and bindings which is adapted to be used in "splitboard" boards, which makes it possible to use the board as if it were a normal snowboard.

As is known, "splitboard" boards are increasingly widespread on the market. These are constituted by two board halves that, once joined with adapted joining systems, reconstitute a normal snowboard. This enables the user to use the board downhill like a normal snowboard, and to use the board going uphill as pair of skis, by separating the two halves of the board, with each half therefore defining a ski.

The bindings that are used on "splitboard" boards are such that they can be used as downhill bindings, i.e. arranged substantially transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the board, or as uphill bindings, in this case arranging them with their axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the board.

The problem with "splitboard" boards is their joint, i.e. the retention system that makes it possible to keep the two halves of the board joined so as to give the user as far as possible the impression of a single board, i.e. of a normal snowboard deck.

In fact, the systems available nowadays for joining the two board halves exhibit some drawbacks with regard to the fact that the board, when its two halves are joined together, can give the user an impression of lack of safety and therefore of fear when using this kind of board.

Another drawback of conventional joining systems is that they are not capable of ensuring a perfect evenness between the two board halves joined together.

Even furthermore, conventional joining systems do not ensure an adequate level of torsional stability.

The aim of the present invention is to provide a system for joining splitboard boards and bindings that makes it possible to maintain an excellent connection between two board halves, as well as high degree of evenness.

Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a system for joining splitboard boards and bindings that ensures the user is provided with a torsional and bending rigidity that is comparable to traditional snowboard decks.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a system for joining splitboard boards and bindings that can give the user an impression of safety and ease of use.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a system for joining splitboard boards and bindings that is highly reliable, easily and practically implemented and low cost.

This aim and these and other objects which will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by a system for joining boards and bindings of the splitboard type, characterized in that it comprises, for each board half into which a splitboard is divided, an adapter plate provided with a plurality of holes for connection to a board half, and a disc part which is adapted to be fixed to said adapter plate and is adapted to allow the fixing of a binding, said adapter plate being provided with male-female coupling means for coupling to a corresponding adapter plate arranged on the other board half.

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the detailed description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of the joining system according to the present invention, which is illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a splitboard-type board with a joining system according to the invention applied;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a splitboard-type board with the joining system for only one board half shown in exploded view;

Figure 3 is a partial perspective view of a detail of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged partial perspective view of a detail of Figure i ;

Figure 5 is a plan view of what is shown in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a plan view of the splitboard board with the joining system according to the invention similarly to what is shown in Figure 1 ;

Figure 7 is a plan view of the splitboard board with a binding applied to the joining system according to the invention;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the splitboard board shown in Figure

7;

Figure 9 is an enlarged detail view of the binding applied to the joining system according to the invention;

Figure 10 is a partial cross-sectional side view of the binding applied to the joining system according to the invention.

With reference to the figures, the joining system according to the invention, generally designated with the reference numeral 1, is adapted to be coupled to a splitboard-type board 2 constituted by a first board half 2a and a second board half 2b, which are joined to each other by way of a joining system 1 according to the invention.

In the system according to the invention, an adapter plate 3, substantially semicircular for example, and provided with a double row of holes 4 and 5, so as to enable a joint for all types of existing boards, irrespective of the mounting holes present thereon. Such holes make the adapter plate compatible with all possible mounting holes present on 4x2 or Voile boards.

The fixing of the adapter plate 3 is done by way of adapted screws 6 that make it possible to couple the adapter plate 3 to the holes provided with bushings 7 and 8 which are present on each board half 2a, 2b.

Conveniently, the adapter plate 3 is supplied for each board half, and each adapter plate 3 is contoured to offer male-female connection means that enable a coupling between two adapter plates 3 that are connected to respective board halves 2a, 2b.

Conveniently, such male/female connection means comprise at least one protrusion 8 and at least one recess 9 which are defined on the edge of the adapter plate 3 which is adapted to be coupled with a corresponding edge of a similar adapter plate 3 that is fixed to the other board half.

In this manner, the coupling between the protrusions 8 and the recesses 9 of each adapter plate 3 ensure that the two adapter plates 3 joined to each other cannot move in a longitudinal direction, i.e. along the axis of the board (once joined).

Furthermore, the joining system according to the invention entails, for each adapter plate 3, a disc part 10 that allows the adjustment of the rotation angles of the plates of the bindings by way of a pair of screws 11 and a toothed flange 12, with adjustment of the angles with a step for example of 3°, for example as happens with standard downhill bindings and therefore with an operation that is very familiar to the user.

Each disc part 10 has a step 13 at its outer rim with respect to the central axis of the board 2.

Conveniently, the adapter plate 3 is made of aluminum.

The joining system according to the invention is adapted for coupling to a binding 15, which has a base plate that is conveniently made of plastic material and has a surface with a double step 16, 17, for coupling to the step 13 of the disc part 10.

Such method of coupling between the base plate 18 of the binding 15 and the step 13 of each disc part 10 makes it possible to exert the same pressure on both of the board halves 2a, 2b, so as to keep them even when joined.

Furthermore, the torsional fixing of the two board halves 2a, 2b is also ensured, since the system using disc parts 10 and base plates 18 exerts a fixing action in all possible directions for the perfect locking in place of the two board halves 2a, 2b. This is very important because, when the two board halves are firmly fixed to each other, the user is given an impression of greater stability and therefore the impression of a single board, with greater safety for the user when using a splitboard-type board.

The binding 18 with a joining system according to the invention therefore makes it possible to have an excellent joint between the disc parts 10 and the binding, by acting to compress the two board halves 2a, 2b in the transverse direction, i.e. perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the board, toe to tail, i.e. in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the board, and in a torsional direction.

In practice it has been found that the joining system according to the present invention fully achieves the set aim and objects, in that it makes it possible to obtain an excellent union of two board halves of a splitboard, with a joining system that can be adapted to any type of mounting holes present on the splitboard.

The joining system thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims.

Moreover, all the details may be substituted by other, technically equivalent elements.

In practice, the materials used, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to the requirements and to the state of the art.

The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. 102017000008209

(UA2017A000458) from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.

Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.