Package and article carriers – Carried by animate bearer – Article held by receiver
Reexamination Certificate
2002-12-04
2003-07-01
Newhouse, Nathan J. (Department: 3727)
Package and article carriers
Carried by animate bearer
Article held by receiver
C224S657000, C224S576000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06585137
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to a carrying case for skateboards that enclose the body portion of the skateboard but allow for the skateboard wheel assemblies, or trucks, to project through apertures in the carrying case. More particularly, the invention is directed to a see-through wheel assembly covering material that covers these apertures when not storing a skateboard and that covers over the received wheel assemblies when projecting through the apertures.
DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART
Skateboard carriers and organizations of various types for transport and portage of equipment is known in the prior art. Heretofore, however, a carrying case that provides for the visual inspection and immobilization of the skateboard wheel assemblies, or trucks, when the skateboard is placed in the case has heretofore not been provided, as set forth by the instant invention.
Examples may be found in Sharma, U.S. Pat. No. 6,371,346, that sets forth an interchangeable carrying sling that may be used to hold a skateboard by loops at distal ends of the carrying sling that fit around each of the truck assemblies.
Harper, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,790,460, sets forth a skateboard carrier that enables a person to carry the skateboard on a padded board the placed on the carrier's back. The skateboard is retained on the padded board with elastic straps that span across the skateboard leaving the wheel assemblies uncovered and exposed.
Staelin et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,050,357, sets forth a powered skateboard that has a self-contained carrying bag that completely covers the entire skateboard and truck assemblies.
Challoner et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,344,056 & 5,492,254, sets forth a skateboard carrier that has retaining members that cover the front and rear portion of the skateboard up to the wheel assemblies. A plurality of straps span across the mid-section of the skateboard between the front and rear wheel assemblies. However, the wheel assemblies are uncovered and exposed.
Bolduc, U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,506, sets forth a skateboard carrier that has an enclosure that completely covers the skateboard body with apertures that allow the wheel assemblies to project therethrough uncovered. The design is similar to the above mentioned prior art in that the case has means to secure the enclosure to retain the skateboard during transport and straps or handles to carry the case over the body.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention addresses the requirement for a low cost, portable skateboard carrier as set forth by the instant invention which addresses the issues of ease of use, comfort of the carrier during transportation and a see-through covering of the skateboard wheel assemblies when the skateboard is stowed in the carrying case. Due to many municipal and school regulations regarding the use and transportation of skateboards and the heightened state of security and screening of carrying cases at schools, airports and by local officials, there exists a need for a skateboard carrying case that meets these new regulations and security procedures.
Skateboard carrying cases that completely cover the skateboard and thereby prohibit visual inspection of the contents therein are problematic when security or school officials need to determine the contents of the carrying case. The carrier must then open the carrying case for visual inspection at the risk of having the contents of the case fall out.
Skateboard carrying cases that cover the skateboard with the exception of the wheel assemblies, or trucks, have been prohibited from many areas since the stored skateboard can roll away on the exposed trucks out of the control of the carrier if set down or dropped. This “run-away” condition has prompted regulation that prohibits this type of skateboard carrying case on school buses, crowded school passageways, staircases, and the like.
The skateboard carrying case of the present invention addresses these above issues by providing apertures in the enclosure of the carrying case itself to allow the wheel assemblies to project therethrough when the skateboard is stored in the carrying case. However, when the wheel assemblies project through the apertures, they are restrained by a see-through material that expands out from the apertures to prevent the wheels from rotating and at the same time providing for easy visual inspection and identification of the primary contents of the carrying case, namely, the stowed skateboard.
The advantages to this invention, and more specifically the see-through wheel assembly covering material that covers the carrying case wheel assembly apertures, is that the see-through material prevents the wheels from rotating, thereby preventing the uncontrolled rolling of the stored skateboard, permits easy inspection and identification of the contents of the carrying case, keeps dirt located on the wheel assemblies from being transferred to objects that it comes into contact with, and allows for wheels on the wheel assemblies to be contained if they inadvertently would have fallen. Additionally, the see-through wheel assembly covering material can allow for graphic printing thereon that does not prohibit its see-through property, thus enhancing the total printable area of the carrying case for graphic design and printing thereon.
The see-through wheel assembly covering material has the structural characteristic allowing its expansion to receive the stored wheel assemblies when the skateboard is stored in the carrying case. This may be achieved by the see-through material having elastic properties or attached to the periphery of the enclosure apertures in a pleated manner, or both. This volume expanding characteristic allows for different sized or configured wheel assemblies to be stored in the same dimensioned carrying case thereby eliminating the need for different sized cases for differed sized skateboard and wheel assemblies, and allows the see-through material to retract back across the enclosure apertures when not in use.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
The carrying case for a skateboard having a skateboard body that includes forward and rearward wheel assemblies longitudinally aligned on the centerline of a bottom portion of the skateboard body comprises an enclosure that defines an inner storage area for enclosing the skateboard body. The enclosure has a zipper-closure opening for storing and retrieving the skateboard into and out of the inner storage area and two apertures located on the enclosure for receiving the forward and rearward wheel assemblies of the skateboard therethrough when the skateboard is placed in the inner storage area. Each of the two apertures have a covering material that cover each of the forward and rearward wheel assemblies that project through the apertures when the skateboard is located in the inner storage area of the enclosure.
The covering material that covers each aperture is made from an abrasion-resistant see-through material that covers over the apertures when no skateboard is stored in the carrying case but expands outward to receive the wheel assemblies as they project through the apertures in the enclosure. The covering material may include a breathable mesh material that allows air through but is densely woven enough to retain the wheel assemblies and any other object in the carrying case from passing therethrough. The covering material may include an elastic material that provides a flush fitting over apertures in the enclosure when no skateboard is stored in the carrying case but expand outward to receive the wheel assemblies as they project through the apertures. Additionally, the covering material may provide for a pleated configuration that gathers overlapping sections of the covering material together at the attachment portion of the peripheral edge of the apertures to provide a flush fitting over apertures in the enclosure when no skateboard is stored in the carrying case but expand outward to receive the wheel assemblies as they project through the apertures.
The carrying case is constructed of an outer shell material made of abrasion resistant mater
Lecher, P.C. Donald J.
Newhouse Nathan J.
LandOfFree
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