Buoys – rafts – and aquatic devices – Water skimming or walking device – Water ski
Patent
1996-06-17
1998-07-28
Avila, Stephen
Buoys, rafts, and aquatic devices
Water skimming or walking device
Water ski
B63B 3585
Patent
active
057855668
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention concerns equipment used for water skiing or skiboarding, in various forms; such as, ski jumping, speed skiing, slalom skiing, figure skiing; and most specifically, the equipment for binding a skier to a water ski or skiboard.
The conventional equipment for binding a skier to a water ski or skiboard is in the form of two straps on the skiboard into which the skier places each of his/her feet, in general without a particularly good fit. This type of binding is inconvenient because it doesn't allow a rigid enough binding of the skier to the skiboard and in this way limits the directional possibilities of the skiboard by the skier.
The conventional equipment for binding the skier to a skiboard or water ski in the form of a covering or casing, usually made of rubber, is fixed onto the ski into which the skier places his/her foot. It is important to have a good means of maintaining the casing or covering of the skier's foot, possibly a part of the ankle or the entire ankle doesn't allow for a precise clamping of the foot in the casing. Therefore, the skier's guidance of the skiboard or skis, which occurs by the foot and possibly a part of the ankle or entire ankle, is relatively imprecise due to the fact that the lower leg doesn't contribute in guiding the skiboard or skis and to the nature of the pliability of the covering's rubber material. The lack of contribution from the lower leg in the guidance of the skiboard or skis causes the skier to lean excessively, especially while turning in order to guide the skiboard or skis. The pliability of the rubber holder/casing holding the foot in the skiboard or ski limits the ability of the skier to react to changes in direction on the water which could turn out to be ineffective for slalom skiing, for example. Likewise, this pliability could create poor guidance for speed skiing or figure skiing.
Previously, with U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,803, there was introduced a way of releasing from the feet from the binding on a water skiboard. The feet are each encased or enveloped by the foot holder and are placed one behind the other on the ski. The foot holder in the rear is fixed onto the ski with a toe piece which could be detached from its holding position. In this method of binding, the two feet are not independent. That is to say that the releasing of one foot, especially while falling, automatically brings about the release of the other foot from the binding. This method of binding does not allow the binding of the rear leg, especially on its front part and leaves the back part free which is necessary for certain types of water skiing. In addition, the shoe utilized in this previous invention only holds the foot and the ankle of the skier, which causes the inconveniences already cited in the example of the conventional water skiing equipment.
This invention remediates these aforementioned disadvantages. More precisely, the invention calls for equipment which binds a skier to a water ski consisting of: a first and a second well-fitting and self-contained assembly which includes a first and a second pliable liner or slipper, each encasing a skier's foot; an ankle of the skier and skier's lower leg of the skier; and a second assembly with a lockable rigid binding, each lockable rigid binding entirely locking liner and each having at least a first sole equipped with a heel, a metatarsal strap on instep belt, a leg section with the aforesaid first and second assemblies being laid out respectively one behind the other characterized in that the aforesaid binding equipment includes, a first rear stop which is able to be released from its holding position and a second rear stop releasable from its holding position. These first and second rear stops releasable from their holding positions are fixed on the ski so that at the time of a fall, the skier can manage the situation.
This feature offers the advantage of allowing the lower leg to participate in the guiding of the ski, by using the lower leg, which creates more possibilities of guiding the ski, especially in the mo
REFERENCES:
patent: 5181332 (1993-01-01), Uren et al.
patent: 5334065 (1994-08-01), Uren et al.
patent: 5368320 (1994-11-01), Teeter et al.
Avila Stephen
Hochberg D. Peter
Kusner Mark
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