Patent Application
20210362813
The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for a modular hanging device to store large and unusually shaped objects, such as a surfboard.
Storage of sports boards such as surfboards, skateboards, snowboards, wake boards, kite boards, skim boards, body boards, snow skis, and water skis when not in use presents a problem due to their large size and awkward shape. Retailers or sports enthusiasts typically have many boards of various types. Without a storage system a retailer may stack surfboards on a rack, lean them against the wall or stack them on the floor. This can be problematic because they take up floor space that could serve other uses, the boards can fall over or slide out at the bottom resulting in dents or scratches and damage to the board or surrounding area, it is difficult to grab a board in the middle of a pile for viewing or use without removing several other boards, and it is difficult to store different types of boards in the same stack. Other typical storage options include building or installing racks to stack the boards vertically along a wall which still resulting in loss of floor space, some potential for them to fall over causing damage, and it is difficult to store different board types in one rack type. Retailers or users may alternatively use wall or ceiling mounted racks that store the boards in a horizontal orientation. Rack and stacking based solutions however make it difficult to reach boards that are high on the rack or to quickly see a board and see additional features or artwork. Further, the racks have to be mechanically attached to the wall or ceiling and are not easily relocated, and can be expensive to purchase and install.
A solution is desirable, that does not involve a rack but still uses floor and wall area efficiently. A solution that allows the hanging of boards vertically has the advantage of utilizing the upper area of wall space, so the floor area below is less obstructed and can be used for other uses. Also, the boards have less potential of falling or sliding out resulting in damage; and it is easier to grab a board in the middle of a group of boards. A solution that uses an elevated rod can be used to support multiple board types without having to purchase and install various types of dedicated racks.
The present disclosure solves the above needs and deficiencies with known solutions for storing and displaying large objects, such as surfboards, in an elegant manner by providing an elevated rod and a modular hanger adapted to hang the board from the rod. In addition, many owners like to display their board for view in an elevated position. For example, the system disclosed herein may hold a surfboard vertically via the leash plug. The system may use hook on a hanger to hold a leash attached to the leash plug. A variant of the system may use a bumper, either above or below the hook, to hold help hold the surfboard in place without damaging it. In an additional embodiment, the system may use a hook directly attached to the leash plug.
In an additional embodiment, the hook portion of the hanger is separate form the hook portion and the two portions are attached at a modular attachment point. In this way the same hanger can be used with any of a plurality of hook designs disclosed.
This system allows for easy and appealing display of the surfboard. The surfboards are hung vertically from a pole. With this orientation it is easy for a customer to survey the surfboards and select the one they feel is most appealing.
The accompanying drawings illustrate various non-limiting examples and innovative aspects of the surfboard hander in accordance with the present description:
An improved surfboard hanging device is described herein. While the concepts of the disclosure will be disclosed and described in the context of a store or other retail environment for ease of explanation, it will be apparent to those of skill in the art that the same principles and methods can be applied to many applications in which objects are stored for display and retrieval.
Current means of storing surfboards involves interacting with the fins, clamping the board or other parts or providing a shelf for the surfboard to rest on. The present application is directed to multiple embodiments using the leash or the leash plug to suspend the surfboard vertically. The leash and the leash plug are typically securely attached to the rear of the surfboard making it an ideal spot to suspend the board's weight. Also, a system that stores the boards vertically reduces the square footage of the floor occupied by a board potentially allowing more boards to be stored in the same space and increases efficiency. The hanging system may also be modular and allow for the hanger element to be mated with several different supporting structures. For example, the boards could be hung by a variety of leash adapters and attached to a wall, a rack, a shelf or attached to a hanger module and hung on a pole.
Leash Rope Adapter with Bottom Bumper System
Referring to
A bottom bumper 304 is mounted on the front of the adapter 102 towards the distal end. The bottom bumper 304 has a face preferably made of a soft material that also has a relatively high coefficient of friction to prevent slippage. An exemplary material includes silicone rubber, neoprene rubber, butyl rubber, thermoplastic elastomer and the like. The bottom bumper 304 is preferably diamond shaped but it can also be shaped like a circle, triangle or other shape. The bottom bumper 304 is preferably attached to the adapter 102 with fasteners, adhesive, press fit or another similar means. A slit 303 bisects the bottom bumper 304 so that the leash 105 is seated in or passes through the slit 303 when the board 101 hangs from the hooking point 301.
In some embodiment, the adapter 102 also has a modular attachment point 302 on the rear of the adapter towards the proximal end 305. In this exemplary embodiment, the modular attachment point 302 may attach to one or more systems so the adapter 102 is suspended. For example, the adapter 102 may attach to a wall rack, a free standing structure or a hook for a pole. In an additional embodiment, a hanging means is attached to the rear of the adapter 102 towards the proximal end 305. The hanging means hangs from a pole or a hook 104 in order to suspend the surfboard 101.
In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in
Leash Rope Adapter with Top Bumper System
Referring to
A top bumper 1002 is mounted on the front side 1007 of the adapter 106 towards the proximal end 1004. The top bumper 1002 has a face made of a soft material that also has a relatively high coefficient of friction to prevent slippage. The top bumper 1002 is preferably attached to the adapter 106 with fasteners, adhesive, press fit or another similar means. The top bumper 1002 has a face preferably made of a soft material that also has a relatively high coefficient of friction to prevent slippage. An exemplary soft material includes silicone rubber, neoprene rubber, butyl rubber, thermoplastic elastomer and the like.
The adapter 1002 also preferably has a modular attachment point 1003 on the rear side 1005 of the adapter towards the proximal end 1004. In an exemplary embodiment, the modular attachment point 1003 may attach to one or more systems so the adapter 106 is suspended. For example, the adapter 106 may attach to a wall rack, a free standing structure or a hook on a pole 104. In an additional embodiment, a hanging means, including one or more hooks, is attached to the rear of the adapter 106 towards the proximal end 1004. The hanging means hangs from a pole or a hook 104 in order to suspend the surfboard 101.
In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in
Leash Plug Hook
Referring to
The adapter 107 also has a modular attachment point 1702 on the front side 1704 of the adapter 107 towards the proximal end 1703. In an exemplary embodiment, the modular attachment point 1003 may attach to one or more systems so the adapter 107 is suspended. For example, the adapter may attach to a wall rack, a free standing structure or a hook on a pole 107. In an additional embodiment, a hanging means, including one or more hooks, is attached to the rear side 1706 of the adapter towards the proximal end 1703. The hanging means hangs from a pole or a hook 104 in order to suspend the surfboard 101.
In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in
Modular Attachment
Referring to
The modular hanging unit 103 also has a socket 2202 to receive the modular attachment point from any of the above adapters. While the socket 2202 is configured to receive the modular attachment point as described in the embodiments above, the modular attachment point may also connect to other devices including wall racks, car racks, a receptacle built into a wall or similar.
It should be understood that this description (including the figures) is only representative of some illustrative embodiments. For the convenience of the reader, the above description has focused on representative samples of all possible embodiments, and samples that teach the principles of the disclosure. The description has not attempted to exhaustively enumerate all possible variations. That alternate embodiments may not have been presented for a specific portion of the disclosure, or that further undescribed alternate embodiments may be available for a portion, is not to be considered a disclaimer of those alternate embodiments. One of ordinary skill will appreciate that many of those undescribed embodiments incorporate the same principles of the disclosure as claimed and others are equivalent.
