WATER SPORTS BOARD CARRYING SYSTEM

Abstract

The water sports board carrying system is adaptable to paddle boards, surfboards, sailboards, and similar devices. The carrying system includes forward and rearward strap attachment fittings installed along one edge or rail of the board equidistant from a lateral line through the center of gravity of the board. This allows the board to be balanced when carried by a strap attached to each of the fittings. The strap attachment fittings are recessed into the edge of the board to preclude any protrusion that might catch on some article in use or injure a person carrying the board. An example of such strap attachment fittings comprise receptacles permanently secured into the board, having a diametric pin or rod installed across the space defined within each of the receptacles. The shoulder strap can have a snap hook at each end for removable attachment to the pin or rod in each receptacle.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to small personal watercraft, and particularly to a water sports board carrying system wherein permanent fittings are provided along one edge of the board and flush therewith for the removable attachment of a carrying strap.

2. Description of the Related Art

Individual water sports, e.g., paddle boarding, surfboarding, sailboarding, etc., are extremely popular, particularly along the coastlines of various nations throughout the world. The various water sports boards used in these activities by necessity are relatively large to provide sufficient buoyancy when being ridden, and as such, tend to be somewhat massive, even when foam plastics and/or other lightweight materials are used in their construction. Such boards tend to be somewhat difficult to carry, particularly for smaller and lighter users of such boards. They can be difficult to balance when being carried by hand, and their surface area makes them quite vulnerable to being shifted around in the wind, particularly when carried on edge. A walk of perhaps one hundred yards, more or less, may be sufficient to tire a person carrying a relatively large and heavy board, particularly when traversing a soft and/or uneven surface, such as beach sand.

Accordingly, a number of different devices have been developed for the carriage of such water sports boards. These devices may be categorized generally into two groups. One group comprises storage bags of various configurations, the water sports board fitting inside the bag. The bag will generally have one or more handles or straps for carriage, but the water sports board does not attach to the bag, and as such, may still shift within the bag. Moreover, the user still has the problem of storage of the bag when using the water sports board. Another group of water sports board carrying devices comprises a strap or series of straps that fit around the board. As in the case of the storage bags, these straps do not attach directly to the board, thus allowing the board to shift position within the straps during carriage.

Thus, a water sports board carrying system solving the aforementioned problems is desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The water sports board carrying system comprises first and second strap attach points permanently installed along one edge or rail of the water sports board. The two points are distributed equidistant fore and aft from a lateral line through the longitudinal center of gravity of the board, in order for the board to balance easily when suspended from the two points. A shoulder strap or the like is removably attached to each of the strap attach points for supporting the board upon the shoulder of a person for carrying the board. The strap is preferably adjustable in length, and preferably includes a shoulder pad. The strap attachment points in the board are flush mounted in one edge of the board, i.e., with no protrusion extending beyond the outline of the edge of the board, in order to preclude catching or interfering with some object (e.g., a paddle) or injuring a person carrying or using the board.

The board may comprise a paddle board, surfboard, sailboard, or other small, light, personal water sports board, or even a single place kayak or the like. An exemplary strap attach point comprises a socket or receptacle that is permanently set into the edge of the board, and a diametric pin or rod extending across the open space within the receptacle. The strap can include a snap hook or other suitable removable fastener at each end thereof for removably securing the strap to the pin or rod within the receptacle. Thus, there is no structure protruding beyond the edge of the board when the strap is removed. Other strap attachment configurations are also envisioned, e.g., recessed eye bolts, swivel-mounted attachment lugs or pins that retract beneath the edge of the board when not in use, etc.

These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an environmental, perspective view of a water sports board carrying system according to the present invention, illustrating its function and use.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the water sports board carrying system according to the present invention, illustrating further details thereof.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the water sports board carrying system according to the present invention, illustrating further details thereof.

FIG. 4 is a detailed elevation view in section, showing the installation of a strap attachment in the water sports board carrying system according to the present invention.

Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The water sports board carrying system comprises forward and rearward attachment points installed along one edge or rail of a water sports board, e.g., surfboard, paddle board, etc. The two attachment points are spaced equidistant fore and aft from the center of gravity of the board. An adjustable strap is removably secured to the two attachment points to enable a person to carry the board by slinging the strap over a shoulder or otherwise supporting the strap.

FIG. 1 of the drawings provides an environmental perspective view of an exemplary paddle board 10 being carried by means of the carrying system, while FIG. 2 provides a top plan view of the board 10 to show the spacing or positioning of the two strap attachment points relative to the center of gravity of the board 10. The board 10 has a longitudinal center of gravity CG about which the board 10 balances longitudinally, the lateral axis L of the board 10 passing through the center of gravity CG, as shown in FIG. 2. The board 10 also has mutually laterally opposed first and second side rails or edges 12a and 12b. First and second carrying strap attachment points 14a and 14b are set into the first side rail 12a. Alternatively, the second side rail 12b can contain the attachment points, if desired.

The first carrying strap attachment point 14a is located a distance D1 forward of the lateral axis L. The second carrying strap attachment point 14b is located a distance D2 rearward of the lateral axis L. The two distances D1 and D2 are equal to one another. Thus, the board 10 is balanced longitudinally when supported from the two attachment points 14a and 14b. A carrying strap 16 is removably secured to the two attachment points 14a and 14b, enabling a person carrying the board 10 to support the board 10 easily without undue strain that might otherwise arise due to having to exert additional effort to support or direct one end or the other of the board 10.

The carrying strap 16 is adjustable in length, as indicated by the alternative broken line showing of the strap 16 in FIG. 2. The strap 16 is adjusted by means of a buckle 18 installed along a portion of the strap 16, the free end 20 of the strap 16 adjustably passing through the buckle 18, generally as indicated in FIG. 3 of the drawings. Alternative adjustment means, e.g., hook and loop fabric material, snaps, etc., can be provided, if desired. The strap 16 also preferably includes a shoulder pad 22 adjustably positioned thereon. The strap 16 has mutually opposed first and second ends 24a and 24b, respectively, and a snap hook fastener 26 (e.g., a hook with a spring closure, or other suitable easily removed and installed fastener) extending from each of the ends 24a, 24b.

The perspective view of FIG. 3 provides a better view of the first and second strap attachment points 14a and 14b, the detail section view of FIG. 4 providing further detail of an exemplary strap attachment point. (The strap attachment point shown in section in FIG. 4 is designated as strap attachment point 14a, 14b, as the two strap attachment points are identical to one another and only differ in their installed locations in the board 10.) Each of the strap attachment points 14a, 14b comprises a receptacle 28 that is permanently and immovably set into a cooperating blind hole 30 formed through the outer surface 32 (fiberglass, carbon fiber, plastic, and/or other composite material) and into the core material 34 of the board 10 along an edge of the board 10. The blind holes 30 are formed sufficiently deep to allow the outer rims 36 of the receptacle 28 to be set flush with the outer surface 32 of the board 10, so that no portion of the receptacle 28 extends above the outer surface 32. This obviates any potential hazard of some portion of the receptacles 28 catching on a paddle P (FIG. 1) during use, or perhaps catching on the skin or clothing of a person using or carrying the board 10. The lower portion of each of the receptacles 28 can include a plurality of radially disposed flanges 38 to provide more secure anchoring of the receptacles into the material of the board 10 when the receptacles 28 are installed into the board 10, e.g., using epoxy, polyester resin, or other suitable agent or material.

Each of the receptacles 28 includes a diametric pin 40 extending thereacross, the pins 40 being disposed below the level of the outer rims 36 of the receptacles 28 for the reasons noted above, thereby providing for the flush setting of the outer rims 36 of the two receptacles 28 with the outer surface 32 of the board 10. The pins 40 provide for the removable attachment of the snap hook fasteners 24 of the carrying strap 16 to the board 10. It will be seen that other means of attaching the snap hooks 24 to the board 10 can be provided, e.g., retractable lugs, recessed eye bolts, etc.

The above-described system for carrying a water sports board greatly facilitates the carriage of such boards and devices, e.g., one-person kayaks, surfboards, sailboards, etc. The person using the board, e.g., a paddleboard 10, need only clip or otherwise secure the first and second fasteners or hooks 26 at the corresponding ends 24a, 24b of the strap 16 to the recessed pins 40 of the corresponding receptacles 28 of the strap attachment points 14a and 14b, optionally adjusting the length of the strap 16 by means of the buckle 18 and free end 20 of the strap 16. The user of the board 10 may then pick up the board 10 by the attached strap 16 and sling the strap 16 over his or her shoulder, as shown in FIG. 1, or otherwise carry the suspended board 10. The board 10 remains evenly balanced fore and aft due to the equidistant spacing of the two strap attachment points 14a, 14b from the lateral axis L through the center of gravity CG of the board 10. When the board 10 has been carried to the desired location, the strap 16 can be removed by unclipping the two fasteners or hooks 26 from the pins 40 within the strap attachment receptacles 28 of the strap attachment points 14a, 14b, readying the board 10 for use. When use of the board 10 has been completed for the day, the strap 16 can be reattached, as described further above. It will be seen that the strap 16 also provides a handy means of suspending the board 10 for storage, e.g., from a hook(s) on a wall or other suspension point(s), when not in use.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A water sports board carrying system, comprising: a water sports board having a longitudinal center of gravity, a lateral axis through the center of gravity, and mutually opposed first and second side rails;a first carrying strap attachment point disposed in the first side rail forward of the lateral axis, the first carrying strap attachment point and the lateral axis defining a first distance therebetween;a second carrying strap attachment point disposed in the first side rail rearward of the lateral axis, the second carrying strap attachment point and the lateral axis defining a second distance therebetween, the first distance being equal to the second distance; anda carrying strap removably attached to each of the carrying strap attachment points.

2. The water sports board carrying system according to claim 1, wherein the water sports board has an outer surface;the first carrying strap attachment point comprises a first receptacle disposed in the first side rail, the first receptacle having an outer rim; andthe second carrying strap attachment point comprises a second receptacle disposed in the first side rail, the second receptacle having an outer rim, the outer rim of the receptacles being disposed flush with the outer surface of the first side rail.

3. The water sports board carrying system according to claim 2, further comprising a pin disposed diametrically within each said receptacle below the outer rim thereof.

4. The water sports board carrying system according to claim 1, wherein the carrying strap has mutually opposed first and second ends, each of the ends of the carrying strap having a snap hook extending therefrom.

5. The water sports board carrying system according to claim 1, wherein the carrying strap is adjustable in length.

6. The water sports board carrying system according to claim 1, further comprising a shoulder pad disposed upon the carrying strap.

7. A water sports board carrying system, comprising: a water sports board having an outer surface and mutually opposed first and second side rails;a first carrying strap attachment receptacle disposed in the first side rail, the first carrying strap attachment receptacle having an outer rim and a fastener receiver disposed below the rim; anda second carrying strap attachment receptacle disposed in the first side rail rearward of the first carrying strap attachment receptacle, the second carrying strap attachment receptacle having an outer rim and a fastener receiver disposed below the rim, the outer rim of each of the carrying strap attachment receptacles being disposed flush with the outer surface of the first side rail, the first and second carrying strap attachment receptacles being adapted for attachment of fasteners at opposing ends of an elongate carrying strap to the fastener receivers.

8. The water sports board carrying system according to claim 7, wherein: the water sports board has a longitudinal center of gravity and a lateral axis through the center of gravity;the first carrying strap attachment receptacle is disposed forward of the lateral axis, the first carrying strap attachment receptacle and the lateral axis defining a first distance therebetween; andthe second carrying strap attachment receptacle is disposed rearward of the lateral axis, the second carrying strap attachment receptacle and the lateral axis defining a second distance therebetween, the first distance being equal to the second distance.

9. The water sports board carrying system according to claim 7, wherein each said fastener receiver comprises a pin disposed diametrically within each said receptacle below the outer rim thereof.

10. The water sports board carrying system according to claim 9, further comprising an elongate carrying strap having mutually opposed first and second ends, each of the ends of the carrying strap having a fastener extending therefrom.

11. The water sports board carrying system according to claim 10, wherein said fastener comprises a snap hook attachable to the pin extending diametrically across the corresponding receptacle.

12. The water sports board carrying system according to claim 10, wherein the carrying strap is adjustable in length.

13. The water sports board carrying system according to claim 10, further comprising a shoulder pad disposed upon the carrying strap.