Patent Application
20110107731
The present invention is generally related to spur systems. More particularly, the present invention is related to a spur system that can be easily removed from footwear.
Horse riders can use spurs to prod and communicate with their horses. Traditionally, a spur is attached to the rider's footwear. A horse rider's footwear, which is commonly referred to as a riding boot or shoe or cowboy boot, is commonly known to have a heel and a counterheel. The heel is the raised portion of the footwear positioned under the wearer's heel. The counterheel is the part of the footwear above the heel of the footwear that wraps around the heel of the wearer.
Spurs traditionally include a body that engages the footwear of the rider, a shank, and optionally a rowel. The shank extends from the rear of the spur body and acts as the prod. A rowel, which can be a toothed rotatable wheel, may be attached to the distal end of the shank.
The body traditionally comprises a U-shaped configuration, which may fit around the heel of a rider's foot and therefore the heel counter (or counter heel) of the boot itself. Each arm of the body may have an opening at the end that is configured to receive at least one strap. The strap can be fastened around the foot section of the boot, or other footwear, thus providing a configuration for removably attaching the spur system to the boot. The straps are typically fastened by means of a buckle or other fastener. The common spur strap is a single piece of leather having a buckle on one end. The buckle allows the strap to be adjustable to the rider's foot size, however, every time a spur is attached to the rider's footwear, the strap must be readjusted to the rider's foot. When spurs are not needed a rider may have to remove the spurs from the boot, or other footwear, which can be cumbersome or time consuming. Typically, the removal of spurs requires the rider to release the buckle, thus undoing the prior adjustment. Therefore, the spurs will have to be re-adjusted every time the rider puts them back on.
Typically, the removal of spurs requires the rider to release the buckle, thus undoing the prior adjustment. Therefore, the spurs will have to be re-adjusted every time the rider puts them on. In addition, some common boot designs contain zippers. To take off boots with zippers, you must take off the spurs by loosing the spur strap through its normal buckle. The continual pulling on the strap, by constantly putting on and removing the spurs, can cause strain that can create a stress point that often becomes a point of breakage. Also, when gloves are worn, which is common in English equestrian sport, the putting on of the strap can be problematic. Furthermore, in the case of an accident a rider's spur may become trapped under a fallen horse. In addition, current spur strap technology can make it difficult for a rider to access an injured foot or leg in a hurry because of the necessity of multi-directional motion to disengage the buckle.
Therefore, a need exists for a spur system that allows a rider to remove a spur system from the rider's footwear without having to undo a belt buckle, which could prevent further injury to the ankle or foot areas in the case of an accident. A need also exists for a spur system having a larger physical interaction that can allow those with lesser fine motor skills, bigger fingers, or those wearing gloves to remove and apply the spur strap. In addition, a need exists for an alternative release mechanism in order to reduce the strain caused by the continual pulling of the spur strap, thereby preventing the constant stress on one location along the strap and preventing the development of an eventual breakage point. There also remains a need for a spur system that allows a rider to re-attach a spur system to footwear without the need for re-adjusting the spur system to fit the rider's foot.
The present invention includes a spur system that contains a quick release mechanism. The spur system of the present invention may include a body that is removably attached to footwear. The body may include arms adapted to extend on either side of a heel counter of a boot, or other footwear, resulting in a body having a general “U” shape. A spur strap is optionally attached to the body. This spur strap contains at least one quick release mechanism. The quick release mechanism can be referred to as a side release mechanism or side release buckle. The spur strap may be attached by feeding the strap through loops, or openings, on each side of the spurs, then passing the strap under the foot at the instep, followed by passing the strap around the top of the ankle, and finally buckling the strap on the topside or side of the boot. Once the spur strap is attached and adjusted, it may be detached from the rider's footwear upon triggering of the quick release mechanism. The detached spur strap may be reattached to the rider's footwear, in a pre-adjusted setting by resetting the triggered quick release mechanism.
In an embodiment, the quick release mechanism is used in place of a traditional buckle on the spur strap. In another embodiment, the quick release mechanism is attached to a spur strap, in addition to a traditional buckle. The quick release device in the spur system of the present invention may include any quick release mechanical device, including, but not limited to, quick release buckles, button snaps, and snap hooks.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.
a is a top elevational view of an embodiment of a spur strap having a quick release mechanism.
b is a side elevational view of the embodiment in
As shown in
In the case of an accident, which can be frequent in the English equestrian sport, the quick release mechanism in the embodiments of the present invention would permit faster access to the injured area of a foot or leg, by allowing the easier removal of the spur strap and therefore the boot. The mechanical design of the quick release mechanism, would also allow a rider wearing gloves or having poor motor skills to release the spur strap quickly, aiding the rider in an emergency situation. The spur strap design of the present embodiments, could also avoid any extra tightening in order to loosen the strap, which would be necessary when using only the traditional buckles of the prior art. Avoiding extra tightening of the spur strap could prevent further injury to the ankle or foot areas, making the spur straps of the current invention safer for riders.
Depending on the context, all references herein to the “invention” may in some cases refer to certain specific embodiments only. In other cases it may refer to subject matter recited in one or more, but not necessarily all, of the claims. While the foregoing is directed to embodiments, versions and examples of the present invention, which are included to enable a person of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the inventions when the information in this patent is combined with available information and technology, the inventions are not limited to only these particular embodiments, versions and examples. Other and further embodiments, versions and examples of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.
