Land vehicles – Runner vehicle – Standing occupant
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-05
2003-10-21
Vanaman, Frank (Department: 3618)
Land vehicles
Runner vehicle
Standing occupant
Reexamination Certificate
active
06634657
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a training device to aid a beginner snowboarder. Particularly, the invention relates to a support apparatus that can be retrofitted to existing snowboards to provide handles and allow the footing of the user to not be locked into a snowboard.
BACKGROUND ART
A search of the patent literature has a number of patents directed toward these problems, these being the following:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,353,495 Henson, shows an handle system secured to a pair of skis that are fastened together.
FIGS. 9-12
show various orientations of the apparatus of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,451,689 Owens, shows a ski like vehicle which is provided with a handle as well as a seat
42
. The handle is secured to the ski by a length of spring material
18
, rather then being secured to the top surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,529,847 Shores, shows a ski which is provided with both binding like devices
10
, and
12
, as well as a handle secured to the front, which is used to provide torsion to the ski and flex it.
Further, the break lever
108
is used to adjust the rotation of the support rod
34
. When the lever
108
is released the break shoes
88
and
90
clamp upon the mounting cleat
18
.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,269,742 Funyak et al, shows a ski with a handle secured to it as well as binding areas
16
and
18
. Apparently the undersurface
28
is required to bind the handle
38
to the conventional ski
10
.
None of the background art disclosures show a handle device that can be retrofitted to an existing snowboard where the handles provide balance and control of the snowboard.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A support apparatus adapted to be attached to a snowboard for the snowboard has an upper surface with a conventional mounting region. The support apparatus is adapted to support a user (a beginner snowboarder or a snowboarder looking for an alternative means of travel). The support apparatus has a mounting platform that has first and second lateral locations located on laterally opposite sides of the mounting platform. A support surface is located on the central portion of the mounting platform and is adapted to support the user. A support member has a central axis and a frame member. The frame member has a first attachment location that is pivotally attached to the first lateral location of the mounting platform. Further, a second attachment location on the frame is pivotally attached to the second lateral location of the mounting platform. The support member further comprising a handle positioned at the opposite region on the frame from the first and second attachment locations and the handle is adapted to be grasped by the user for balanced and support. The support member is adapted to pivot about the first and second attachment locations in a manner so when the central axis of the support member is adjacent to the snowboard it is in a storage position. Further, the support member can pivot about the first and second attachment locations so the support member is substantially vertical and is in an operative position.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3269742 (1966-08-01), Funyak et al.
patent: 3451689 (1969-06-01), Owens
patent: 3529847 (1970-09-01), Shores
patent: 3684305 (1972-08-01), McDonald et al.
patent: 4129313 (1978-12-01), Benson
patent: 4363495 (1982-12-01), Henson
patent: 4533150 (1985-08-01), Hardy
patent: 4744584 (1988-05-01), Monreal
patent: 5194026 (1993-03-01), Corwin et al.
patent: 5397154 (1995-03-01), Baldwin
patent: 2013764 (1971-10-01), None
patent: 3607808 (1987-09-01), None
patent: 1391670 (1988-04-01), None
Hughes Robert B.
Hughes Law Firm PLLC
Vanaman Frank
LandOfFree
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