Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to an improved surfboard or paddleboard leash or other cord system that raises the leash line away from the board or surface to prevent it from interfering with the user's freedom of movement.
Surfing is an age old hobby that continues to grow in popularity. A surfboard is usually attached to the user's leg via a leash. One end of the leash is secured around a portion of the user's leg, such as the ankle or calf, and another end of the leash is secured to the board. The leash prevents the surfboard from being separated from the user during a fall. Without the use of a leash, the surfboard could be pulled out to sea due to wave action and/or the tide. In other instances, the surfboard could be pushed closer to shore, requiring the user to swim a greater distance than would otherwise be necessary in order to retrieve the board. Use of a leash can also provide an important safety feature. In a deep water fall, the surfer may become disoriented. Due to the flotation nature of the surfboard, being connected to the leash will always indicate to the surfer which direction is “up”—the direction of the water surface.
Stand-up paddle boarding has also enjoyed enhanced popularity. Similar to use of a surfboard leash, a paddle boarder secures one end of a leash to his/her leg, such as the ankle or calf, and another end of the leash to the paddleboard. Being attached to the board provides similar advantages to those described above, particularly when paddle boarding in strong currents always. It is envisioned that other board sports or water sports may also enjoy benefits from having the board attached to the user. This disclosure is envisioned possible for any other type of appropriate sport.
However, the use of a leash can sometimes create hazardous conditions as well. It is possible that the leash may become tangled around the user's limbs or equipment in use. For example, the leash may tangle around the ankle, the calf, the arms, and/or the neck; in other instances, the leash may tangle around equipment, such as a paddle, the board itself, or video or other equipment. Such entanglement can cause a fall to be more dangerous. For example, if the boarder's ankles are caught in the leash, it may be more difficult to control a wipe out fall in a particular way or to fall off of a particular side of the board. Instead, the user's options may be more limited, which can create the potential for injuries. Additionally, an entangled board leash may limit the user's ability to traverse back and forth on the board, which can limit mobility and style.
One previously attempted solution has been to use a pull tab system that secures the leash at the surfer's waist and allows the surfer to release the pull tab prior to a fall. This system uses a VELCRO® member (or other type of hook and loop material) located at the waist of the surfer to which the leash is attached. The VELCRO® design utilizes a single strip of fabric with either side of the VELCRO® attached to the strip of fabric with a bare patch between the two and an additional tab of fabric at the end to act as a “pull tab.” This requires the leash to be placed between the two patches of VELCRO®, allowing it to freely slide while hanging. This design also requires the user to actively pull the tab during a fall in order to release the leash from the VELCRO® system. If the user is unable to pull the tab, then when the leash is pulled taught in a fall, the user's ankle or calf (the point of leash attachment) will be pulled up to the waist (the point of the VELCRO® device), which could potentially harm the wearer. The intent behind this system is to provide a rapid attachment but to also allow a breakaway when the surfer pulls the tab, allowing the leash to be freed. However, the present inventors have found that this system is not optimal. It requires the surfer to consciously pull the tab in order to release the leash. It is not designed to automatically detach the leash. Accordingly, an improved leash lift system is provided herein.
Embodiments of the invention described herein thus provide systems and methods for an improved surfboard or paddleboard leash system that raises the leash line away from the board to prevent it from interfering with the user's freedom of movement on the board. Although described primarily for use with water sports boards, it should be understood that this disclosure may also be used to manage other types of dangling cords. Non-limiting examples of cords or leashes that may be managed using the leash lift system described include but are not limited to extension cords, vacuum cords, animal leashes, or any other time a user may need to manage a trailing or potentially entangling cord or leash.
The leash lift system generally includes a board leash comprising a leash-interfacing magnet; and a user garment comprising a user-interfacing magnet. In use, the user secures the leash-interfacing magnet to the user-interfacing magnet in order to raise the leash above the board.
Generally, a surfboard or paddleboard 10 (collectively referred to herein as a “board”) is provided with a leash 12. As shown by
Leashes may also vary in thickness. A thinner leash has less strength, but will also generate less drag in the water. By contrast, a thicker leash may be stronger, but in turn, may create more drag in the water. Board leashes are generally sold separately from boards for this reason. Leash dimension selection is a matter of preference, and all of the options described herein are intended for use on any type (length, width, material) of board leash. Because some leashes can get rather long, the leash body 20 can become unwieldy during the wave ride or the stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) experience.
Although described primarily for use with water sports boards, it should be understood that this disclosure may also be used to manage other types of dangling cords. For example, a vacuum cleaner cord can generate frustration and management difficulty. Similarly, extension cords for electric devices, such as leaf blowers or electric lawnmowers, can create similar management difficulty. It is also envisioned that this disclosure may be used in connection with any other extended cord or leash management.
Accordingly, the leash lift system 30 described herein is provided. The leash lift system 30 includes one or more leash-interfacing magnets 32 and a user-interfacing magnet 34. In use, the leash-interfacing magnet 32 cooperates with the user-interfacing magnet 34 in order to maintain at least a portion of the leash body 20 raised up and away from the board. Examples are illustrated by
In some examples, for a shorter leash, a single leash-interfacing magnet 32 may be sufficient. However, in other examples, a longer leash may benefit from multiple leash-interfacing magnets. For example, a leash (or cord) may be so long that providing more than one magnet in the leash can allow it to hang like a lasso from the user's waist. Similar to the motion of coiling an extension cord, the one or more leash-interfacing magnets on a long leash could be used to coil the leash, aligning each of the multiple magnets at the top of the coil to the user's waist.
Referring now to
In an alternate embodiment, the leash-interfacing magnet 32 may be an externally-positioned system 40, as illustrated by
Regardless of which embodiment of the leash-interfacing magnet 32 is used, there is also a corresponding user-interfacing magnet 34 provided. The user-interfacing magnet 34 may be sewn into a user's waistband 50, as illustrated by
In another example, it is possible to provide a user-interfacing magnet kit. The kit may be provided with a small pouch or material piece that contains or otherwise supports the magnet 34. The pouch or material may be positioned, adhered, stitched, pinned, or otherwise secured to a bathing suit or other garment of choice of the user. In a specific example, the magnet may be heat sealed within a leather pouch portion. Edges of the leather pouch portion may have a plurality of edge holes. The edge holes may be used as guide holes for needle and thread for securing the magnet pouch to the garment. In order to ease the customer experience, the retrofit kit may be sold with the magnet pouch as well as with a needle and thread kit for easy securement of the pouch to the garment.
It is additionally possible to provide an embodiment in which one or more user-interfacing magnet(s) 34 may be worn by the user in a manner that is retrofittable. In other words, the user need not purchase a bathing suit that has the magnet 34 pre-positioned therein. In these examples, the magnet is configured to be provided as an aftermarket device. For example, instead, the user may wear a belt-like configuration 52 that has one or more user-interfacing magnet(s) 34 positioned therein. This example is illustrated by
Another option is to provide a pin securement system 64. In this example, a magnet face portion 60 and a rear portion 62 are joined by a pin securement system 64. This example is illustrated by
The magnets used in accordance with this disclosure may be any appropriate magnets. Strong magnets have been increasingly made to be smaller and smaller, and it is generally envisioned that the smallest but strongest magnet combination for the size and strength required is desirable. Price considerations may be weighed with design considerations in order to optimize the combination provided.
In use, as illustrated by
When the leash lift system 30 is used, the leash body is lifted out of the water and magnetically secured to the user using magnetic force. When a user is wearing a user-interfacing magnet 34 and is using a leash that has a leash-interfacing magnet 32, the following steps may take place:
(1) The user mounts the surf board or paddleboard onto which a leash with a leash-interfacing magnet 32 is positioned.
(2) The user lifts the leash and secures it to the implanted or attached user-interfacing magnet 34.
(3) When the magnetic field of the leash comes in contact with the magnetic field of the wearer, the leash will attach itself to the wearer. This method of attachment will elevate the length of the board-side portion of the leash from the water and the user's feet, which allows for reduced drag and reduced tripping hazards.
(4) when the user falls or is otherwise separated the necessary distance from the board, the pull force on the leash lift system will force the separation between the leash-interfacing magnet and the user-interfacing magnet. Once separated, the leash functions as originally designed, with the full length of the leash body accessible.
It is envisioned that one commercially viable design for this disclosure is an aftermarket system that provides a kit designed to allow a user to (a) retrofit the leash body and (b) retrofit a bathing suit with the desired magnetic features. An equally alternative commercially viable design for this disclosure is to provide a leash lift system that is sold with (a) a leash body having the leash-interfacing magnet integrally incorporated therein and (b) a bathing suit additionally having the user-interfacing magnet integrally incorporated therein. A further commercially viable design is to provide any combination of retrofit options (a) and (b) along with integral options (a) and (b). For example, a leash body having an integral leash-interfacing magnet may be sold with a bathing suit retrofit kit. In another example, a bathing suit having an integral user-interfacing magnet may be sold with a leash retrofit kit.
Although described primarily for use with water sports boards, it should be understood that this disclosure may also be used to manage other types of dangling cords. Non-limiting examples of cords or leashes that may be managed using the leash lift system described include but are not limited to extension cords, vacuum cords, animal leashes, or any other time a user may need to manage a trailing or potentially entangling cord or leash.
Changes and modifications, additions and deletions may be made to the structures and methods recited above and shown in the drawings without departing from the scope or spirit of the disclosure or the following claims.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20190144085 A1 | May 2019 | US |