Patent Grant
7552695
1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to a rowing boat footrest assembly that supports a rower's shoes. More specifically, the present invention relates to a rowing boat footrest assembly configured to allow attached rower's shoes to pivot relative to the rowing boat footrest assembly.
2. Background Information
Rowing is becoming an increasingly more popular form of recreation. Moreover, rowing has become a very popular competitive sport for both amateurs and professionals. Whether rowing is for recreation or competition, the rowing industry is constantly improving the various components of rowing boats and equipment used by rowing enthusiasts. One component that has been extensively redesigned is the rowing boat footrest.
Traditionally, the footrest in a rowboat is an angled surface upon which a rower can brace his or her feet to provide increased power during the rowing process. Recently, footrests have been provided with simple shoe retaining straps or mechanisms that hold a rower's shoe against the surface of the footrest. However, there is a problem with such structures in that the rowers shoe and foot are fixed in place and cannot move or pivot with the motion of the rower during the rowing back and forth stroke.
In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that there exists a need for an improved footrest configuration that allows for movement of a rower's foot relative to a footrest. This invention addresses this need in the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.
One object of the present invention is to provide a footrest assembly for a rowing boat with structure that allows the rower's shoes to pivot during the rowing motions.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a footrest assembly for a rowing boat with structure that secures the rower's shoes to the footrest assembly but allows for ergonomic pivoting movement of the rower's shoes.
The foregoing objects can basically be attained by providing a rowing boat footrest assembly with a stationary footrest surface, a first shoe attachment portion and a second shoe attachment portion. The stationary footrest surface is coupled to a boat structure. The first shoe attachment portion is supported to the footrest surface for releasably retaining a first shoe for pivotal movement about a first pivot axis relative to the footrest surface. The second shoe attachment portion is supported to the footrest surface for releasably retaining a second shoe for pivotal movement about a second pivot axis relative to the footrest surface, with the first pivot axis and second pivot axis being co-planar and angularly offset from one another.
These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Referring now to the attached drawings which form a part of this original disclosure:
Selected embodiments of the present invention will now be explained with reference to the drawings. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that the following descriptions of the embodiments of the present invention are provided for illustration only and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
Referring initially to
The hull 14 can have any of a variety of conventional shapes and configurations depending upon whether the boat is a sweep-oar rowing boat or a sculling rowing boat. More specifically, the size and shape of the hull 14 can have any size and shape that can accommodate the footrest assembly 12. The support structure 16 is a conventional structure that is rigidly fixed to or rigidly supported to the interior of the hull 14 or gunwale portion of the hull 14. The support structure 16 includes a seat support portion 20 and a footrest assembly support portion 22.
It should be understood from the drawings and the description herein that the support structure 16 can be a single structure supported by and/or rigidly fixed to the hull 14, or alternatively can be two or more separated structures that are supported or rigidly fixed to the hull 14.
The seat support portion 20 includes a pair of parallel rails 20a disposed on either side of the hull 14 that support the seat 18. The seat 18 includes bearing portions such as rolling wheels or bushing surfaces that allow the seat 18 to slide smoothly fore and aft relative to the hull 14 along the parallel rails 20a.
The footrest assembly support portion 22 includes a pair of side rails 22a and a middle rail 22b. The side rails 22a are preferably arranged parallel to one another along the sides of the hull 14. The side rails 22a can be extensions of the parallel rails 20a or can be separate elements that extend in-line with or parallel to the parallel rails 20a. The middle rail 22b can be centered along the floor of the hull 14. In the depicted embodiment, the middle rail 22b is equidistant from the side rails 22a, but is lower that the side rails 22a.
When seated in the seat 18, a rower R can put his or her feet on the footrest assembly 12 and use the footrest assembly 12 as leverage to assist in rowing the rowing boat 10.
With specific reference to
The lateral support member 30 extends laterally relative to the rowing boat 10 between sides of the hull 14. The lateral support member 30 includes gripping blocks 40 that engage tracks 42 that are rigidly fixed on respective upper surfaces of the side rails 22a of the footrest assembly support portion 22 of the support structure 16. The gripping blocks 40 and the tracks 42 include mating gear teeth configured such that the lateral support member 30 can be selectively position along the side rails 22a. For example, a taller rower may want the footrest assembly 12 moved to a forward position closer to the bow of the rowing boat 10. Shorter rower may want to move the footrest assembly 12 to a more rearward position toward the stern of the rowing boat 10.
Once positioned, the mating gear teeth of the gripping blocks 40 and the engage tracks 42 help to maintain the footrest assembly 12 in the selected position. Although not shown, the gripping blocks 40 can further include clamping elements or fasteners for selectively securing the gripping blocks 40 to the side rails 22a once the footrest assembly 12 is positioned in the desired location.
The inclined support member 32 is a U-shaped member with two generally parallel portions that have upper ends fixedly attached to the lateral support member 30 by clamping assemblies C (shown in
It should be understood from the drawings and the description herein that although the inclined support member 32 has a U-shape, alternative shapes and configurations can be used for the inclined support member 32. For example, the inclined support member 32 can have a V-shape, or can be a flat member welded to or otherwise extending from the lateral support member 30. Alternatively, the lateral support member 30 and the inclined support member 32 can be formed as a single unitary element that has an overall planar configuration.
The footrest plates 34 basically constitute a stationary footrest surface coupled to hull 14 of the rowing boat 10 (the boat structure). The footrest plates 34 are depicted as two separate elements but can alternatively be made as a single footrest plate that is dimensioned to receive two shoes S. However in the depicted embodiment, there are two of the footrest plates 34. The footrest plates 34 are secured to the inclined support member 32 and the bars 51 by fasteners F1 that extend through the slots 52. The slots 52 and the fasteners F1 are provided to allow the footrest plates 34 to be horizontally adjustably secured to the inclined support member 32. In other words, the rower R can adjust the horizontal position of the footrest plates 34 to suit his or her needs. Further, the footrest plates 34 are configured to allow for angular adjustment of elements of the lever release mechanism 36, as described in greater detail below.
Each of the footrest plates 34 defines a footrest surface 54. The rower's shoes S contact and can press against the footrest surface 54 providing leverage for the rower R when rowing. The footrest plates 34 are further dimensioned with respective gaps that together define a lever receiving opening 56, as described below. The footrest plates 34 further include openings 58, as best shown in
As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 6-11, the lever release mechanism 36 includes a control lever 64 and a pair of shoe attachment mechanisms 66 (shoe attachment portions) that are operated by the control lever 64. As shown in
The shoe attachment mechanisms 66 are generally the same, but are installed under respective ones of the footrest plates 34 on opposite sides of the control lever 64. The shoe attachment mechanisms 66 are similar to conventional shoe attachment mechanisms such as those used in snowboarding and related action sports. For example, such conventional shoe attachment mechanisms are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,467,795 and 6,871,869 (both assigned to Shimano Inc.). In such conventional shoe attachment mechanisms, a single lever operates a single shoe attachment mechanism. However, in the illustrated embodiment, movement of the control lever 64 operates both of the shoe attachment mechanisms 66 simultaneously in a manner described below. Since the shoe attachment mechanisms 66 are the same and operate in the same manner, a description of only one of the shoe attachment mechanism 66 is provided for the sake of brevity. However the description of one shoe attachment mechanism 66 applies to both.
As best shown in
As best shown in
The operating mechanism portion 78 and the shoe attachment portion 80 are integrally formed as a single mechanism for each foot. However, the operating mechanism portion 78 is located on an underside of the footrest plate 34 and the shoe attachment portion 80 extends through the opening 58 of the footrest plate 34. As shown in
As best understood in
With specific reference now to
The shoe attachment portion 80 further includes a pair of second cam members 94 that are both fixed to a shaft 96 and rotate together as a single unit or element. The second cam members 94 are biased toward the shoe releasing orientation shown in
The shoe attachment portion 80 of the shoe attachment mechanism 66 further includes a pair of fixed bar member 100 that are best shown in
Operation of the lever release mechanism 36 and the shoe attachment mechanisms 66 is now explained with specific reference to
When the control lever 64 is moved in the direction of the arrow W1 from the shoe retaining orientation shown in
Thereafter, the second cam member 94 remains in the shoe releasing orientation depicted in
Specifically, when a shoe S is installed on the footrest assembly 12, a pin P of the shoe S (the pin P is shown in
Returning now to
As best shown in
Specifically, the axis A1 is an axis angularly offset from the horizontal line L by an angle α1 of between 4.5 and 12.5 degrees measured in one of a clockwise relative to
The angles α1 and α2 can be adjusted. Specifically, the fasteners F2 can be loosened such that the operating mechanism portion 78 and the shoe attachment portion 80 can be angularly displaced about the round aperture 88 (see
The shoes S of the rower R each include a heel portion H, a toe portion T and a pin P that is retained within a sole portion of the shoe S. The pin P is non-releasably retained or imbedded in the shoe S such that with the pin P installed in the shoe attachment portion 80, the shoe S can be secured to the footrest assembly 12. More specifically, the rower R puts his or her shoes S on the footrest surface 54 with the control lever 64 in the shoe release orientation (
The pivoting movement of the shoes S about the axes A1 and A2 is best shown in
The footrest assembly 12 of the illustrated embodiment provides a simple and reliable way of retaining the shoes S in order to provide leverage for a rower R rowing the rowing boat 10. Further, since the axes A1 and A2 are angularly displaced or offset from one another, the rower R has a more ergonomic arrangement for his or her feet while rowing.
In understanding the scope of the present invention, the term “comprising” and its derivatives, as used herein, are intended to be open ended terms that specify the presence of the stated features, elements, components, groups, integers, and/or steps, but do not exclude the presence of other unstated features, elements, components, groups, integers and/or steps. The foregoing also applies to words having similar meanings such as the terms, “including”, “having” and their derivatives. Also, the terms “part,” “section,” “portion,” “member” or “element” when used in the singular can have the dual meaning of a single part or a plurality of parts. As used herein to describe the present invention, the following directional terms “above, downward, vertical, horizontal, below and transverse” as well as any other similar directional terms refer to those directions of a rowing boat equipped with the present invention. Accordingly, these terms, as utilized to describe the present invention should be interpreted relative to a rowing boat equipped with the present invention as used in the normal rowing position. Finally, terms of degree such as “substantially”, “about” and “approximately” as used herein mean a reasonable amount of deviation of the modified term such that the end result is not significantly changed.
While only selected embodiments have been chosen to illustrate the present invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that various changes and modifications can be made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. Furthermore, the foregoing descriptions of the embodiments according to the present invention are provided for illustration only, and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1621423 | Long | Mar 1927 | A |
| 3898950 | Martin | Aug 1975 | A |
| 4649852 | Piantedosi | Mar 1987 | A |
| 5367976 | Van Schaik | Nov 1994 | A |
| 5899780 | Robbins | May 1999 | A |
| 20060183385 | Kaufer | Aug 2006 | A1 |
| 20060292940 | Ewans | Dec 2006 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 9309887 | Aug 1993 | DE |
| 4324864 | Jan 1995 | DE |
