Footstrap

Details Footstrap Footstrap

1999-07-29

2002-01-08

Morano, S. Joseph (Department: 3617)

Ships

Apparatus held by or attached to rider to control sailboard...

Foot strap means

C441S074000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06336418

ABSTRACT:

The invention relates to a footstrap for sports appliances, in particular for a sailboard according to the preamble of patent claim 1.
Footstraps of this kind are for instance fastened on the standing face of sailboards to convey better standing to the surfer. As a rule, one or two rear footstraps are fastened approximately in the central longitudinal axis of the board, and two front footstraps laterally displaced towards the respective marginal areas of the sailboard are provided. The footstraps are fastened by means of footstrap plugs in the core of the sailboard, the footstraps extending, starting out from fastening portions, upwards in the form of a bow, so that the surfer can slide his foot in the respective footstrap. A problem is that, in particular in the case of strong wind, substantial forces have to be transferred via the footstraps to keep the sailboard under control, so that bruises may occur on the surfer's feet in the case of extreme maneuvers.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a footstrap which guarantees an optimum of surfing comfort even with extreme surfing conditions.
This object is solved by a footstrap comprising the features of patent claim 1.
By the measure of providing the footstrap with a foot strap portion that is inclined to match the anatomy of the foot or, more exactly speaking, the foot's instep, full contact of the footstrap with the foot is guaranteed, so that bruises can be avoided. In the case of conventional solutions, bruises occurred since the footstraps' width and height were adapted only coarsely to the foot's shape while the symmetrical bending of the footstraps on the board's surface did not take into account the inclination of the foot's instep. Due to the full contact, the footstraps furthermore are stressed more regularly, so that selective overstressing of the footstrap fixtures is almost excluded.
Another advantage of the solution according to the invention consists in that the control force can better be transferred to the board in maneuvers due to the full contact with the foot, which facilitates the performing of extreme maneuvers.
From an ergonomic point of view, the footstrap is configured particularly advantageously when the contact face of the footstrap element is inclined or convex both in the longitudinal direction of the foot and in the transverse direction of the foot.
A particularly good adaptation to the foot is obtained when the footstrap is configured asymmetrically, so that it rises in a first portion relatively steeply from the standing face of the sailboard end, after achieving a maximum, drops with less gradient towards the other fastening portion. Thus, the cross-section of the natural foot shape is resembled very much. The profile of the footstrap is configured such that it tapers towards the front (foot tip) to match the longitudinal inclination of the foot's instep.
The occurring of bruises can further be reduced when the footstrap portion is provided with a padded portion which maintains its dimensional stability by means of an insert. This insert extends over the padded portion.
The handling of the footstrap pursuant to the invention is particularly simple when the insert is configured in two parts with two supporting straps, wherein in a middle portion of the two supporting strap portions overlapping each other a clasp may be provided, so that the width of the footstraps can be adjusted to the width of the foot. The width and height of the footstrap may also be adjusted by an own fixing means, for instance a fixing belt extending over the supporting straps.
The padded portion is preferably manufactured from a foamed elastomer, and the supporting strap extending over the padded portion is preferably manufactured from a relatively dimensionally stable, moldable material.
The oblique inclination of the padded portion for adaptation to the foot's outer contour may be predetermined or else may be determined by the corresponding configuration of the supporting element. The inclination of the padded portion may also be predetermined by suitable stitching of the supporting element with the padded portion.
The fastening portions are configured such that an adaptation to the foot's width is possible.
Other advantageous developments of the invention are the subject matter of the further subclaims.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4592734 (1986-06-01), Metiver
patent: 4775345 (1988-10-01), Gifford
patent: 4846744 (1989-07-01), Love
patent: 4871337 (1989-10-01), Harris
patent: 4889510 (1989-12-01), Piatt
patent: 5125859 (1992-06-01), Spurgeon
patent: 5148761 (1992-09-01), Winner
patent: 5997375 (1999-12-01), Vukelic et al.
patent: 80 01 246 (1980-05-01), None
patent: 31 04 412 (1982-08-01), None
patent: 35 34 376 (1987-04-01), None
patent: 0 369 982 (1989-10-01), None
patent: 2 178 297 (1987-02-01), None
“Fanatic Schlaufen,” Fanatic Schutzwerke, Selters, Oct. 1988.

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