ADJUSTABLE SPORTS ROPE

Abstract

An adjustable sports rope comprised of a hollow base rope sheath and an adjustment rope. The hollow base rope sheath is a hollow sheath with at least two openings. The adjustment rope enters into the hollow base rope sheath through one of the at least two openings and exits the base rope sheath through another of the at least two openings. The one end of the hollow base rope sheath terminates at a tie point. The end of the adjustment rope disposed furthest from the hollow base rope sheath tie point is also a tie point. By creating a tensile force between the tie point of the hollow base rope sheath and the tie point of the adjustment rope, the hollow base rope sheath will tighten on the adjustment rope, holding the adjustment rope in place.

Description

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to the classes of sports, games, and amusements; and ships or other waterborne vessels. Specifically, this invention relates to an adjustable tow rope used for water-sports.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Water sports such as water-skiing and wake-boarding require the use of a tow rope and a motor boat to pull the skier or boarder. In order to optimize the experience, most water sport enthusiasts prefer a tow rope that is adjusted to a particular length. The length of the tow rope and the speed of the motor boat are often inter-related: water sport enthusiasts prefer longer tow ropes for faster speeds and shorter tow ropes for slower speeds. The type of boat often dictates rope length as a boat that leaves a larger wake usually requires a longer rope. The ability of the water sports enthusiast also comes into play, as novices tend to like shorter ropes.

The tow rope is usually fixed at one end to a mount point, called a tie point, on the motor boat with a rope loop. The other end of the tow rope is also a rope loop that mates with a handle or grip. Current watersport tow ropes on the market do not allow for fast and easy adjustment to be made to the length of the rope, because the tow ropes are fixed to the motor boat at one end and are fixed to a handle at the other end. Currently, to adjust the tow rope, the rope loop must be removed from the mount point on the motor boat. Then, a new, intermediate rope loop is fashioned between the original rope loop and handle. The intermediate rope loop is attached to the mount point on the motor boat. This process is difficult if a skier or boarder is treading water. Creating a plurality of intermediate rope loops eventually ruins the utility of the rope.

Other leisure equipment also involves rope adjustment. For example, hammocks are typically tied between two trees and/or posts. To get the hammock to be correctly positioned above the ground usually requires a hammock strap. Hammock straps are bulky, heavy, and have a limited number of adjustment points.

The sporting goods market is in need of a rope that can be easily adjusted for length without removing the rope from its mounting points. Such an adjustable rope should be easily adjustable in either direction: longer or shorter. Such an adjustable rope should remain fixed at its set-position while in use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This summary is intended to disclose the present invention, an adjustable sports rope. The embodiments and descriptions are used to illustrate the invention and its utility and are not intended to limit the invention or its use.

The present invention, an adjustable rope has compound construction composed of a hollow outer rope, called a hollow base rope sheath; and a solid, inner rope, called an adjustment rope. The hollow base rope sheath has no core and is just a sheath, also called jacket. In the embodiment illustrated herein, the base rope is a braided sheath made out of Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (“UHMwPE”). The adjustment rope is a woven rope also made out of UHMwPE. More common materials, such as polyester, polypropylene, and nylon can be substituted, or used in combination with UHMwPE. In the embodiment illustrated herein, the adjustment rope is braided UHMwPE with a fiber core.

In water sports, a tie point is a permanent loop in the end of a rope intended to attach the rope to a handle, mount, or anchor. The hollow base rope sheath has a tie point on one end. The other end of the hollow base rope sheath terminates in a service loop that secures the hollow base rope sheath to a retention clip. The hollow base rope sheath extends through a hole in the retention clip, and then wraps around the retention clip, where it is spliced together to make the service loop. The hollow base rope sheath has two openings. The adjustment rope is fed through one opening in the hollow base rope sheath. The adjustment rope comes out of the hollow base rope sheath through the second opening. To be clear, the adjustment rope is not interwoven with the hollow base rope sheath. The adjustment rope merely enters the hollow base rope sheath in a first opening and exits the hollow base rope sheath through a second opening. For a portion of the adjustable water sports rope, the adjustment rope is inside the hollow base rope sheath.

The adjustment rope has a tie point disposed furthest from the tie point of hollow base rope sheath. The other end of the adjustment rope has a cylindrical grip. The tie point on the adjustment rope is disposed away from the tie point on the base rope. The tie point on the hollow base rope sheath will typically be attached to a handle or grip for the water sport enthusiast to hold. The tie point on the adjustment rope will typically be attached to the motor boat tow-rope mount.

Pulling on the tie point of the hollow base rope sheath relative to the tie point of the adjustment rope tightens the hollow base rope sheath around the adjustment rope. In other words, a tensile force between the tie point on the hollow base rope sheath and the tie point on the adjustment rope will cause the hollow base rope sheath to tighten on the adjustment rope, holding the adjustment rope in place.

By grasping the hollow base rope sheath at one of the openings, the adjustment rope can be adjusted relative to the base rope. In order to shorten the length of the adjustable sports rope, the user would hold the hollow base rope sheath at the opening nearest the tie point of the hollow base rope sheath and grasp the cylindrical grip of the adjustment rope. By pulling the cylindrical grip of the adjustment rope, the adjustment rope travels through the hollow base rope sheath and the overall length between the base rope tie point and the adjustment rope tie point will be shortened.

In order to lengthen the length of the adjustable sports rope, the user would hold grasp the hollow base rope sheath at the opening disposed furthest from the tie point of the hollow base rope sheath. Alternately, the user could grasp the hollow base rope sheath at the hollow base rope retention clip. The user would slide the adjustment rope through the hollow base rope sheath, lengthening the adjustable sports rope.

The hollow base rope sheath and the adjustment rope share a common longitudinal axis, where the adjustment rope is inside the hollow base rope sheath. The braided or double-braided sheath of the hollow base rope sheath tightens as a tensile force is applied between the tie point of the adjustment rope and the tie point of the hollow base rope sheath along the axis in common.

The base rope and adjustment rope can be fabricated from any typical water-sports rope material, such as nylon, UHMwPE, polypropylene, polyester, or a combination of the above. The base rope and the adjustment rope can be braided, plaited, or double-braided. The adjustment rope can be of twisted construction. Typically, the sheath of the base rope is made from double-braided UHMwPE. The adjustment rope is made from braided UHMwPE with a UHMwPE and polypropylene fiber core.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is illustrated with 5 drawings on 5 sheets.

FIG. 1 is an isolated top view of the tie-point end of the hollow base rope sheath and the cylindrical grip end of the adjustment rope.

FIG. 2 is an isolated top view of the adjustment rope emerging from the base rope.

FIG. 3 is an isolated top view of the clip-end of the base rope with the adjustment rope emerging from the base rope.

FIG. 4 is an isolated top view of the adjustment rope tie point.

FIG. 5 is a top view of the present invention with both the base rope and adjustment rope.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following descriptions are not meant to limit the invention, but rather to add to the summary of invention, and illustrate the present invention, an adjustable sports rope. The present invention is illustrated with a variety of drawings showing various possible embodiments.

FIG. 1 is an isolated top view of the present invention, an adjustable sports rope 1 that has compound construction. FIG. 5 is a top view of the entire invention. In this case, compound construction refers to the fact that there are two ropes, a hollow base rope sheath 10 and an adjustment rope 100 that comprise the adjustable sports rope 1. The hollow base rope sheath 10 has a longitudinal length 13. The hollow base rope sheath 10 has, as a first termination point, a tie point 11, and as a second termination point, a service loop 81. The tie point 11 and service loop 81 are disposed at opposites of the longitudinal length 13 from one another. The hollow base rope sheath 10 has an aglet 12 disposed adjacent to the tie point 11, to prevent the hollow base rope sheath 10 from weakening at the tie point 11. The hollow base rope sheath 10 also has an aglet 80 near the service loop 81. In the embodiment illustrated by these drawings, the hollow base rope sheath 10 has two openings 98, 60. One opening 98 is disposed closer to the tie point 11. The other opening 60 is disposed closer to the service loop 81.

The adjustment rope 100 has a longitudinal length 102. The adjustment rope 100 has, as a first termination point, a cylindrical grip 101, and as a second termination point, a tie point 111. The adjustment rope 100 has an aglet 112 disposed adjacent to the tie point 111, to prevent the adjustment rope 100 from weakening at the tie point 111. The adjustment rope 100 enters the hollow base rope sheath 10 at a first opening 98, which is disposed closer to the tie point 11 of the hollow base rope sheath 10 in this embodiment. The adjustment rope 100 exits the hollow base rope sheath 10 at a second opening 60, which is disposed closer to the service looper 81 in this embodiment

A clip 200 is attached to the hollow base rope sheath 10 by the service loop 81 in the hollow base rope sheath. The service loop 81 goes through a hole 202 in the clip 200, wraps around the clip and is spliced together 81. The adjustment rope goes through a hole 201 in the clip 200.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up isolation of the adjustment rope 100 entering the hollow base rope sheath 10 at the first opening 98. The hollow base rope sheath 10 has a plurality of fibers 99. In this illustration, the hollow base rope sheath 10 is single braided fibers 99. The adjustment rope 100 also has a plurality of fibers 199. In this illustration, the adjustment rope is single braided fibers 199. Water sport ropes (e.g., 1) can come twisted, braided, or double-braided fibers, although only single-braided fibers are shown in these drawings. The fibers 99, 199 can be made from nylon, Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (“UHMwPE”), polypropylene, polyester, or a combination of the above. For sports such as wakeboarding, a fiber with much less give or stretch, such as UHMwPE, is preferable. For sports such as water-skiing, a rope that stretches or elongates is more practical.

FIG. 3 shows a close-up isolation of the adjustment rope 100 leaving the hollow base rope sheath 10 at the second opening 60. The hollow base rope sheath 10 fibers 99 and adjustment rope 100 fibers 199 are apparent. The aglet 80 disposed close to the service loop 81 is more easily visible in this view. The clip 200 is also more easily visible in this view. The clip 200 has two holes 201, 202. The service loop 81 captures the clip 200 at one hole 202. The adjustment rope 100 fits through the clip 200 at the other hole 201. The clip 200 has an edge 203 and an inflection point 204. The inflection point 204 allows the hole 201 to hit the adjustment rope 100 at a non-orthogonal angle, thereby helping to capture the adjustment rope 100. The clip 200 can be made of steel, aluminum, plastic, or zinc. The preferred material is zinc due to its stiffness and corrosion resistance.

FIG. 4 shows a close-up of the adjustment rope 100 tie point 111 termination end. The aglet 112 prevents the tie point 111 from weakening the adjustment rope 100. The adjustment rope 100 has external fibers 199. The adjustment rope can also be constructed with a core of different fibers in order to strike the right compromise between price, stiffness, and weight. Due to the practicalities of drawing an adjustment rope with a core is not shown.

FIG. 5 shows the complete adjustable sports rope 1. The adjustable sports rope 1 is configured so that the adjustment rope 100 enters the hollow base rope sheath 10 at a first opening 98 and exists the hollow base rope sheath 10 at a second opening 60. The first opening 98 of the hollow base rope sheath 10 is located nearer to the tie point 11 of the base rope sheath 10 than is the second opening 60 of the hollow base rope sheath 10. The second opening 60 of the hollow base rope sheath 10 is located nearer to the service loop 81 of the base rope sheath 10 than is the first opening 98 of the hollow base rope sheath 10. The adjustable sports rope 1 is configured so that tie point 11 of the hollow base rope sheath 10 is disposed distally from the tie point 111 of the adjustment rope 100.

Pulling on the tie point 11 of the hollow base rope sheath 10 relative to the tie point 111 of the adjustment rope 100 tightens the hollow base rope sheath 10 around the adjustment rope 100. In other words, a tensile force between the tie point 11 on the hollow base rope sheath 10 and the tie point 111 on the adjustment rope 100 will cause the hollow base rope sheath 10 to tighten on the adjustment rope 100, holding the adjustment rope 100 in place. The braided fibers 99 of the hollow base rope sheath 10 tighten on the adjustment rope 100 under a tensile force. Additionally, a tensile force between the tie point 11 on the hollow base rope sheath 10 and the tie point 111 on the adjustment rope 100 will cause the retention clip 200 to lock the adjustment rope 100 relative to the hollow base rope sheath 10.

The adjustment rope 100 can be moved with respect to the hollow base rope sheath 10 by removing the tensile force between the tie point 111 of the adjustment rope 100 and the tie point 11 of the hollow base rope sheath 10. By grasping the hollow base rope sheath 10 at one of the openings 98, 60, the adjustment rope 100 can be adjusted relative to the hollow base rope sheath 10. In order to lengthen the adjustable sports rope 1, the user would grasp the hollow base rope sheath 10 at the opening 60 disposed furthest from the tie point 11 of the hollow base rope sheath 10. This is near the service loop 81 of the base rope sheath 10 that connects to the retention clip 200. Alternately, the user could grasp the hollow base rope sheath 10 at the hollow base rope service loop 81 or the user could grasp the retention clip 200. The user would slide the adjustment rope 100 through the hollow base rope sheath 10, lengthening the adjustable sports rope. In order to shorten the length of the adjustable sports rope 1, the user would grasp the hollow base rope sheath 10 at the first opening 98 nearest the tie point 11 of the hollow base rope sheath 10 and grasp the cylindrical grip 101 of the adjustment rope 100. By pulling the cylindrical grip 101 of the adjustment rope 100, the adjustment rope 100 travels through the hollow base rope sheath 10 and the overall length between the hollow base rope sheath 10 tie point 11 and the adjustment rope 100 tie point 111 will be shortened.

Claims

1. An adjustable sports rope comprising: a hollow base rope sheath having two ends, two openings, and a longitudinal length, at the first end, the hollow base rope sheath terminates in a tie point and at the second end, the hollow base rope sheath terminates in a service loop, wherein the first opening is disposed closest to the tie point and the second opening is disposed closest to the service loop;an adjustment rope having two ends, a longitudinal length, and a core, at the first end, the adjustment rope terminates in a tie point and at the second end, the adjustment rope terminates in a cylindrical grip,wherein the adjustment rope is size so as to be able to fit within the hollow base rope sheath;wherein the two openings in the hollow base rope sheath are so sized as to accept the adjustment rope;wherein the adjustable sports rope is configured so that the adjustment rope enters the hollow base rope sheath through the first opening and exits the hollow base rope sheath through a second opening;wherein the tie point of the hollow base rope sheath is disposed distally from the tie point of the adjustment rope; andwherein a tensile force between the tie point of the hollow base rope sheath and the tie point of the adjustment rope causes the hollow base rope sheath to tighten on the adjustment rope, capturing the adjustment rope.

2. The adjustable sports rope in claim 1, wherein the adjustment rope can be moved relative to the hollow base rope sheath by removing the tensile force between the tie point of the hollow base rope sheath and the tie point of the adjustment rope.

3. The adjustable sports rope in claim 2, wherein the adjustable sports rope is lengthened by grasping the hollow base rope sheath at the second opening and sliding the adjustment rope through the hollow base rope sheath.

4. The adjustable sports rope in claim 3, wherein the adjustable sports rope is shortened by grasping the hollow base rope sheath at the first opening and pulling the cylindrical grip of the adjustment rope.

5. The adjustable sports rope in claim 4, further comprising a retention clip having two holes, a first hole and a second hole, wherein the service loop of the hollow base rope sheath is attached to the retention clip at the first hole.

6. The adjustable sports rope in claim 5, wherein the adjustment rope passes through the second hole in the retention clip.

7. The adjustable sports rope in claim 6, wherein a tensile force between the tie point of the hollow base rope sheath and the tie point of the adjustment rope causes the retention clip to lock the adjustment rope.

8. The adjustable sports rope in claim 7, wherein the hollow base rope sheath is braided.

9. The adjustable sports rope in claim 7, wherein the hollow base rope sheath is double-braided.

10. The adjustable sports rope in claim 7, wherein the hollow base rope sheath is constructed from at least one of nylon, Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (“UHMwPE”), polypropylene, and polyester.

11. The adjustable sports rope in claim 7, wherein the hollow base rope sheath is constructed from at least two of nylon, Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (“UHMwPE”), polypropylene, and polyester.

12. The adjustable sports rope in claim 7, wherein the adjustment rope is braided.

13. The adjustable sports rope in claim 7, wherein the adjustment rope is double-braided.

14. The adjustable sports rope in claim 7, wherein the adjustment rope is twisted.

15. The adjustable sports rope in claim 7, wherein the adjustment rope is constructed from at least one of nylon, Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (“UHMwPE”), polypropylene, and polyester.

16. The adjustable sports rope in claim 7, wherein the adjustment rope is constructed from at least two of nylon, Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (“UHMwPE”), polypropylene, and polyester.

17. The adjustable sports rope in claim 7, wherein the clip is fabricated from zinc.