Patent Grant
11858600
This disclosure generally relates to sports boards designed to support a rider during recreation, and in particular to leash assemblies for surfboards, boogie boards, stand-up paddle boards, and the like for tethering the sports board to a user's limb during recreation.
The popularity of recreational and competitive board sports, such as snowboarding, surfing, boogie boarding, and stand up paddle (SUP) boarding has grown substantially in recent years. The continuing success of surfing, in particular, has created a demand for improved and innovative equipment for both the recreational and the competitive surfer.
For example, surfboards may be equipped with a leg rope or leash, which serves to keep the surfboard associated with the user in the event the user becomes separated from the surfboard, either intentionally or unintentionally. Leashes, as now in use, may consist of a length of rope, cord or similar material that is coupled at one end to a part of the surfboard, while the other end of the rope or cord is generally associated with or coupled to or in some way connected with a leg band, traditionally referred to as a cuff, which is secured around one leg of the board user/rider.
The purpose of using a leg rope or leash is to keep the surfboard attached to the ankle of the user/rider, but at the same time provide sufficient slack that the surfboard can be retained at a safe distance from the user/rider. Should the surfer fall whilst, for example, riding a wave, then the surfboard will not be swept away, allowing the surfer to quickly recover the surfboard and either proceed with the board to shore, or return to the take-off zone for further surfing.
The present disclosure provides cuff assemblies for use in sports board leashes, sports board leashes for use in conjunction with sports boards, and methods for securing the cuff assemblies of such sports boards.
In some examples, the disclosure provides a cuff assembly for a sports board leash, the cuff assembly including a central section that includes a precurved molded insert configured to connect to a cord of the sports board leash; a first wing attached to a first side of the central section; and a second wing attached to a second side of the central section; where the central section, first wing, and second wing have curvilinear upper and lower borders.
In some examples, the disclosure provides a cuff assembly for a sports board leash, the cuff assembly including a central section that includes a unitary molded insert that is precurved to complement a person's ankle, where the molded insert includes a horn that protrudes from an exterior surface of the central section and is configured to connect to a cord of the sports board leash; a first wing attached to a first side of the central section; and a second wing attached to a second side of the central section; where a maximum width of the central section is greater than a maximum width of either the first wing or the second wing, and the first wing and second wing are configured to overlap and fasten to each other to secure the cuff assembly around a person's limb portion.
In some examples, the disclosure provides a sports board leash including a cord having a first end portion and a second end portion; a cuff assembly connected to the first end of first end portion of the cord; and a sports board fastening device connected to the second portion of the cord. The cuff assembly includes a central section that includes a precurved molded insert that is connected to the first end portion of the cord; a first wing attached to a first side of the central section; and a second wing attached to a second side of the central section; where a maximum width of the central section is greater than a maximum width of either the first wing or the second wing, and the first wing and second wing are configured to overlap and fasten to each other to secure the cuff assembly around a person's limb portion.
In some examples, the disclosure provides a method of securing a cuff assembly for a sports board leash, where the cuff assembly includes a central section that includes a precurved molded insert connected to a first end of a cord of the sports board leash; a first wing attached to a first side of the central section; and a second wing attached to a second side of the central section; where a maximum width of the central section is greater than a maximum width of either the first wing or the second wing, and the first wing and second wing are configured to overlap and fasten to each other to secure the cuff assembly around a person's limb portion. The method of securing the cuff assembly includes aligning the central section of the cuff assembly with a user's Achilles tendon; wrapping the first wing around the ankle surface in a first direction; wrapping the second wing around the ankle surface in an opposite direction, so that the second wing overlaps the first wing; and fastening the second wing to the first wing where the wings overlap.
Features, functions, and advantages of the disclosed sports board leashes may be achieved independently in various examples of the present disclosure, or may be combined in yet other examples, further details of which can be seen with reference to the following description and drawings.
Various aspects and examples of a leash for a sports board are described below and illustrated in the associated drawings. Unless otherwise specified, a sports board leash in accordance with the present teachings, and/or its various components may, but are not required to, contain at least one of the structures, components, functionalities, and/or variations described, illustrated, and/or incorporated herein. Furthermore, unless specifically excluded, the process steps, structures, components, functionalities, and/or variations described, illustrated, and/or incorporated herein in connection with the present teachings may be included in other similar devices and methods, including being interchangeable between disclosed examples. The following description of various examples is merely illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit the disclosure, its application, or uses. Additionally, the advantages provided by the examples described below are illustrative in nature and not all examples provide the same advantages or the same degree of advantages.
The sports board leashes of the present disclosure are particularly useful when used in conjunction with surfboards, boogie boards, and/or paddle boards. However, the disclosed board leashes may also be useful as a retention aid for any other sports board, such as snowboards, or even skis, where they may act as a supplement to, or a backup for, conventional bindings. Depending upon the particular application of the board leash, the cuff assembly can be modified to be used over clothing and/or footwear, such as boots.
A sports board leash 10 according to the present disclosure is shown in
Cord 12 can be attached to cuff assembly 18 and board fastening device 20 via any suitable connection. In one aspect of the present disclosure, first end portion 14 of cord 12 is connected to cuff assembly 18 via a cord coupling swivel member 22, and second end portion 16 is similarly connected to board fastening device 20 via a cord coupling swivel member 24.
Cuff Assembly
As shown in
Although cuff assembly 18 is described as configured to be secured to a user's ankle, it should be appreciated that cuff assembly 18 is not specifically intended to be secured around that portion of the ankle that incorporates one or more components of the ankle joint, as the presence of the cuff can in some cases interfere with the mobility of the ankle joint. Rather, cuff assembly 18 is typically configured to be wrapped around and secured to the user's lower leg below the calf yet above the malleoli (the bone prominences on each side of the ankle).
For example, as shown in
Any closure mechanism that can comfortably and securely retain cuff assembly 18 to a user's limb during the normal use of the associated sports board can be a suitable closure for the purposes of the disclosed cuff assembly. There may be advantages, however, in employing a relatively soft, waterproof, and highly secure hook-and-loop closure to secure cuff assembly 18. Where a hook-and-loop closure is employed as closure 38, a first component 40 of the hook-and-loop closure can be disposed on an outer surface 42 of first wing 30, and the complementary second component 44 of the hook-and-loop closure can be disposed on an inner surface 46 of second wing 34. The use of a hook-and-loop closure for cuff assembly 18 may be made more user-friendly and easier to engage where first wing 30 is one or both of wider than second wing 34, and longer than second wing 34, preferably both wider and longer to provide a larger “target” for securing second wing 34, as is more clearly shown in
Cuff assembly 18 can be precurved, that is a curve can be imparted to the materials making up cuff assembly 18 so that it exhibits a permanent curvature during manufacture, and so is therefore easier to fasten to a limb portion of a user than a cuff with no permanent precurved structure. The precurvature of cuff assembly 18 can be created during manufacture by one or more methods. For example, portions of the cuff assembly, and in particular first wing 30 and second wing 34 can incorporate a plurality of fabric layers that can be manufactured together such that each wing has a memorized degree of curvature. Alternatively, or in addition, cuff assembly 18 can be precurved due in part to an application of a curved heat press to one or more components of cuff assembly 18, or the cuff assembly as a whole during manufacture of the cuff assembly.
The curvature imparted to cuff assembly 18 can help assist the user to fasten the cuff assembly to a limb portion. This may be particularly true where a component of the cuff assembly is both curved and stiffened, a stiffened cuff component is one that resists at least somewhat being flexed. Typically, central section 26 of cuff assembly 18 is stiffer, and more resistant to flexing, than either first wing 30 or second wing 34. Alternatively, or in addition, second wing 34 can be stiffer, and more resistant to flexing, than first wing 30.
The precurve of central section 26 is reinforced and maintained by molded insert 28. The curve of molded insert 28 is shaped and sized so as to be complementary to the rear surface of a user's ankle. In particular, center section 26 of cuff assembly is configured to be placed against the rear surface of the user's ankle, adjacent to the user's Achilles tendon, and then secured in that position. In order to enhance the comfort and security of surf board leash 10, cuff assembly 18 is therefore configured so that a maximum width 48 of central section 26 is greater than a maximum width 50 of first wing 30 or a maximum width 52 of second wing 34, placing greater support at and around the user's Achilles tendon. This may be particularly advantageous as central section 26 serves as the attachment point of cord 12 of sports board leash 10, and may therefore be the recipient of stresses and shocks during use.
In another aspect of the disclosed cuff assembly, the middle portions of first wing 30 and second wing 34 can incorporate the region of maximum width for each wing, and each wing may then taper in width at both ends. As a result, cuff assembly 18 may exhibit an overall profile that exhibits several compound curves, that is, both an upper edge 54 and a lower edge 56 may be curvilinear, or consisting of a curved line or lines, which can provide an attractive appearance while the cuff regions exhibiting increased width can further provide additional support to the cuff assembly, helping to comfortably distribute stress and shock more evenly around the cuff for a more comfortable and effective anatomical fit.
in another aspect of the disclosed cuff assembly 18, an inner surface 58 of first wing 30 can be functionalized by the presence of an applied pattern 60 of a frictional material 62 that serves to reduce slipping when cuff assembly 18 is wet. As exemplified in
Precurved molded insert 28 typically is typically injection molded as a unitary piece of polymer. Molded insert 28 is typically retained within central section 26 of cuff assembly 18, disposed between component layers of the cuff assembly excepting for a horn portion 64 that projects from an outer surface 66 of central section 26. Typically, molded horn portion 64 can have a height in a range of 30 mm to 50 mm, and a width in a range of 60 mm to 90 mm. Horn portion 64 can be configured to connect to cord 12 of sports board leash 10. More specifically, horn portion 64 can be configured to attach a cord coupling structure such as cord coupling swivel member 22, which secures cuff assembly 18 to cord 12.
As shown in
An exemplary molded insert 28 is shown in
Molded insert 28 is wider within the plane defined by cuff assembly 18, than it is tall along a vertical axis, i.e., parallel to limb axis 70. A suitable outline shape for precurved molded insert 28 can include any one of a flattened diamond, a rounded rhombus, an ellipse, an oblate ellipse, or an oval. Due to the shape of molded insert 28, central section 26 of cuff assembly 18 can exhibit an upper edge 71 and a lower edge 72 that convex curves that are shaped to accommodate the outline of the precurved molded insert. In particular, curving upper edge 71 and curving lower edge 72 can be mirror-symmetrical in appearance. Although molded insert 28 is wider than it is tall, a maximum height 73 of molded insert 28 is measured orthogonally to central axis 68, as shown in
The attachment and detachment of cuff assembly 18 to a user's limb may be facilitated by the presence of a pull handle member 74 disposed on outer surface 75 of second wing 34, typically at an end of second wing 34. The pull handle member 74 can have any suitable configuration, but may be either a molded pull handle member or a low profile fabric pull tab or loop, as shown in
Cord
As discussed above, sports board leash 10 can include cord 12 that extends between and connects cuff assembly 18, connected to first end portion 14 of cord 12, and board fastening device 20, connected to second end portion 16 of cord 12.
Although cord 12 typically includes one or more synthetic plastics, the plastics should be selected for appropriate strength, resilience, and stability for use in combination with board sports. Cord 12 should be light, strong, and resistant to the effects of being repeatedly subjected to impact forces such as may be generated when a leashed surfboard is separated from its user/rider. Some elongation under such shocks and impacts may be helpful in absorbing such forces, but cord 12 should be resilient and not necessarily elastic. Cord 12 should be at least substantially resistant to extended exposure to both sunlight and water, and in particular the strength and resilience of cord 12 should not be diminished while wet.
Cord 12 includes an outer surface 76, that may be physically configured so as to help minimize drag during use. That is, outer surface 76 can be configured to minimize resistance to movement of cord 12 through water. For example, outer surface 76 may be made smooth, or may incorporate micro-rib structures. It may be particularly advantageous, as shown in
Recesses 78 can be disposed along substantially the entire length of cord 12, and may be distributed unevenly or, more preferably, distributed evenly along cord 12. Recesses 78 may have any of a variety of shapes, which may be the same or different. Typically each of the recesses 78 has a substantially identical shape, which can be circular or ovate. More typically, all recesses 78 have a substantially circular circumference.
A representative and illustrative distribution of recesses 78 on cord 12 is shown in greater detail for a short segment 79 of cord 12 in
In an alternative aspect of the present disclosure, recesses 78 of cord 12 may define grooves or other geometrical shapes configured to reduce drag of the cord when moving through water.
As shown in
Board Fastening Device
As discussed above, sports board leash 10 can include board fastening device 20 that is connected to second end portion 16 of cord 12 that then extends to and connects cuff assembly 18 board fastening device 20.
Board fastening device 20 can be any fastening device suitable for coupling a sports board to cord 12, and thereby to cuff assembly 18, for retaining the sports board with the user/rider that is wearing cuff assembly 18. For example, board fastening device 20 can include a rail saver 84, a sleeve 86 that reversibly covers rail saver 84, and a cord loop 88 that is reversibly retained by rail saver 84, as shown in
The rails of a surfboard are the “edges” of the board where the deck and the bottom of the board meet. A surfboard's rails run from the tail to the nose of the board, and the particular shape of the rails determines how water flows over them when the board is planning and turning. The particular configuration of a board's rails helps to determine the overall performance characteristics of that surfboard.
Unfortunately, upon the loss of a user/rider, a great deal of force can be applied by a leash cord if it happens to lie across a rail of the board when it is jerked taut. For this reason, most board leashes incorporate some form of a rail saver, which provides a barrier between the cord of the leash and the rails of the surfboard. Generally, the wider and longer the rail saver may be, the greater the area over which the cord's impact can be distributed, and therefore the greater the protection given to the board. However, and at the same time, a large rail saver can also create more drag in the water. Rail savers typically also incorporate one or more features to help ensure the security of the connection to the sports board, in order to prevent inadvertent and unwanted release of the sports board.
Sleeve 86 can be generally tubular in shape, and be disposed so that sleeve 86 substantially encloses rail saver 84. Sleeve 86 can have a fixed end 90 that can be attached adjacent a proximal end 92 of board fastening device 20. The further, or distal, end of sleeve 86 can include an open end 94.
Rail saver 84 can have any suitable construction, but typically incorporates a durable strap 96, such as nylon webbing or similar material, that can have an open configuration 98 and a closed configuration 100. As shown in
For illustrative rail saver 84 of
When rail saver 84 is in closed configuration 100 it is typically enclosed by tubular sleeve 86, as shown in
In order to unfold strap 96 when in its closed configuration 100, open end 94 of sleeve 86 can be readily compressed by pleating or folding the fabric of sleeve 86 in order to expose rail saver 84, as shown in
In an advantageous aspect of the board fastening device 20, cord loop 88 can have the form of a loop that fails to include a knot securing the cord. That is, while cord 88 defines a loop structure, the loop is not formed by joining the ends of a cord using a knot. Cord loop 88 is in turn configured to attach to, for example, a leash plug on a sports board, and board fastening device 20 advantageously permits rail saver 84 (and therefore the board leash) to be connected to a sports board with only a single folding operation.
Method of Using the Sports Board Leash
The presently disclosed sports board leash lends itself to a method of securing a cuff assembly for a sports board leash, as set out in flowchart 120 of
Illustrative Combinations and Additional Examples
This section describes additional aspects and features of leash assemblies for sports boards, as presently disclosed, presented without limitation as a series of paragraphs, some or all of which may be alphanumerically designated for clarity and efficiency. Each of these paragraphs can be combined with one or more other paragraphs, and/or with disclosure from elsewhere in this application, including the materials incorporated by reference in the Cross-References, in any suitable manner. Some of the paragraphs below expressly refer to and further limit other paragraphs, providing without limitation examples of some of the suitable combinations.
A1. A cuff assembly for a sports board leash, comprising:
The different examples of sports board leash assemblies described herein provide numerous advantages over known solutions for retaining sports boards. For example, described leash assembly examples may provide improved comfort and/or fit around a user's limb; and/or may exhibit reduced fluidic drag; and/or may be more securely fastened to a board, and may be less likely to cause harmful wear or damage to a board in turbulent conditions.
The disclosure set forth above may encompass multiple distinct examples with independent utility. Although each of these has been disclosed in its preferred form(s), the specific examples thereof as disclosed and illustrated herein are not to be considered in a limiting sense, because numerous variations are possible. To the extent that section headings are used within this disclosure, such headings are for organizational purposes only. The subject matter of the disclosure includes all novel and nonobvious combinations and subcombinations of the various elements, features, functions, and/or properties disclosed herein. Other combinations and subcombinations of features, functions, elements, and/or properties may be claimed in applications claiming priority from this or a related application. Such claims, whether broader, narrower, equal, or different in scope to the original claims, also are regarded as included within the subject matter of the present disclosure.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/802,498 filed Feb. 26, 2020, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 11,273,888 on Mar. 15, 2022, which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/810,890 filed Feb. 26, 2019. The complete disclosures of each application are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties for all purposes.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
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| Parent | 16802498 | Feb 2020 | US |
| Child | 17694505 | US |
