Claims
- 1. A safety belt for use with a water sports device that supports a seated human rider while the rider and the device are towed behind a powered watercraft, comprising:a first strap having a stationary end and a mating end, a top side and an underside, wherein when the stationary end is secured the mating end may move relative to the stationary end; a second strap having a stationary end and a free end, a top side and an underside, wherein when the stationary end is secured the free end may move relative to the stationary end; clamp secured to the mating end of the first strap, the clamp comprising teeth, and having an open position and a closed position; and a length of material, having a surface comprising a multitude of tightly packed loop fibers, attached to the top side of the second strap; wherein with the clamp in the open position, said clamp at least partially defines an opening sized and shaped such that the free end of the second strap is movable in a first direction through the clamp, to tighten the safety belt, and in a second direction through the clamp to loosen the safety belt; wherein when the free end of the second strap extends through said opening, the top side of the first strap faces the underside of the second strap along a length of the second strap that has passed through the clamp, and the clamp is movable into the closed position so that the teeth engage the tightly packed loop fiber surface on the top side of the second strap.
- 2. The safety belt according to claim 1, wherein the tightly packed loop fiber surface comprises a loop portion of a hook and loop fastener.
- 3. The safety belt according to claim 2, further comprising:a length of a hook portion of a hook-and-loop fastener secured to the top side of the first strap; and wherein the length of tightly packed loop fiber material is attached at a first end to the top side of the stationary end of the second strap and attached at a second end to the underside of the stationary end of the second strap, such that the tightly packed loop fiber surface stretches along the top side of the second strap from stationary end to free end, passes around the free end of the second strap and stretches along the underside of the second strap to the stationary end, such that when the free end of the second strap extends through the opening, the hook portion of the hook-and-loop fastener along the top side of the first strap is engageable with the loop portion of the hook-and-loop fastener on the underside of the second strap, securing the free end of the second strap.
- 4. The safety belt of claim 1, wherein said stationary end of said first strap forms a first loop and said stationary end of said second strap forms a second loop.
RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/808,307, filed Mar. 14, 2001 which is a continuation in part of pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/404,236, filed Sep. 23, 1999 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,856.
US Referenced Citations (8)
Continuation in Parts (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09/808307 |
Mar 2001 |
US |
Child |
09/882932 |
|
US |
Parent |
09/404236 |
Sep 1999 |
US |
Child |
09/808307 |
|
US |