Land vehicles – Skates – Shoe attaching means
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-02
2001-12-18
Swann, J. J. (Department: 3611)
Land vehicles
Skates
Shoe attaching means
C280S626000, C280S629000, C280S634000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06331007
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to binding apparatus and has particular application to binding apparatus for use with items of sports equipment such as skateboards and surfboards where advantage can be gained from being releasably secured to the item of sports equipment and for illustrative purposes reference will be made to such applications. However it is to be understood that the invention could have application with other items of sports equipment such as bicycles.
BACKGROUND ART
The desirability of a user being releasably attached to an item of sports equipment has been recognised for some time as evidenced by Australian Patent Specification No. 33890/84 by Hamilton. The Hamilton specification describes apparatus for use with a surfboard, including complementary layers of interlocking hook and loop fasteners of the type known as “VELCRO” attached to the board rider's boots and the surfboard respectively. However, it appears that such apparatus would not easily allow correct alignment of the board rider's boots with the board at a predetermined desirable position. Furthermore, the apparatus does not provide the rider with the opportunity to pivot his feet whilst riding the board and additionally the breakaway force required to be applied by the rider to release himself from the board cannot be varied.
The use of binding apparatus with snow boards and snow skis is well known but such apparatus is not suitable for use with other items of sports equipment particularly skateboards as the rider cannot quickly and easily engage and disengage his boots with or from the board such as is necessary with skateboards. Similar circumstances exist with surfboards.
It is an object of the present invention to provide binding apparatus for use with an item of sports equipment such as a skateboard or surfboard whereby the item of sports equipment may be selectively secured to and released from the persons footwear as desired,. It is another object to provide binding apparatus which allows the rider to relatively easily secure his footwear to the item of sports equipment in a predetermined position. It is yet another object to provide binding apparatus in which the user of the sports equipment can release himself from the sports equipment upon application of a predetermined breakaway force.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention in one aspect resides broadly in binding apparatus for use with an item of sports equipment such as a skate board, the binding apparatus including a first part adapted for attachment to an article of footwear and a second part adapted for attachment to the item of sports equipment, one of said first part and said second part including a protuberance and the other of said first part and said second part including a recess adapted to receive therein said protuberance, the first and second parts also having complementary securing means for releasably securing said protuberance in said recess, said securing means being adapted to secure said protuberance in said recess upon said protuberance reaching therein a predetermined engagement. It is to be understood that the terms ‘adapted for attachment to an article of footwear” and “adapted for attachment to the item of sports equipment” include articles of footwear and items of equipment in which the first part and second part are integrally provided respectively.
Preferably, the second part includes the protuberance and the first part includes the recess. It is also preferred that the first part be adapted for attachment to the sole of a boot or shoe where the recess is located immediately below the ball of the wearers foot. Advantageously, such arrangement allows the footwear to be worn separately without discomfort to the wearer and thus a board rider can carry the board whilst wearing the footwear or in the case of use of the apparatus with a skateboard the rider can use one foot for pushing off without discomfort. Furthermore, such positioning of the recess allows the user effective control of the item of sports equipment. However, in other applications, the recess may be provided in a different part of the sole of the boot or shoe.
Preferably, the securing means are so made and arranged that the protuberance can be pushed directly into the recess without sideways pivoting movement of the first part relative to the second part. It is also preferred that the securing means allow release of the first part from the second part upon application of a predetermined breakaway force and preferably said securing means includes adjustment means for adjusting the predetermined breakaway force. In a preferred form the securing means includes a plurality of tongue members slidably mounted in the protuberance for sideways movement relative thereto and adapted to engage with a lip or flange provided in the recess. In such form of the invention it is preferred that each tongue member be tapered at its engaging end on one side to provide a lead in portion to assist engagement with the lip or flange and if desired the tongue member may be tapered on the opposite side to provide a lead out for easier breakaway. Suitably, the shape and angle of the respective tapers is selected for a predetermined required force so that a selected group of users of the apparatus will be able to achieve engagement of the protuberance in the recess and similarly so that breakaway can be achieved upon application of a predetermined breakaway force. The term “sideways movements” and similar terms such as “sideways pivoting movement” mean movement in a direction generally sideways of a persons trunk when that person is wearing the article of footwear.
Preferably, said first and second parts are so made and arranged that in use sideways pivoting movement of the article of footwear is allowed wherein it will be seen that the invention can be effectively utilised with items of sports equipment such as skateboards and/or surfboards where a rider may wish to pivot his feet across the upper surface of the board about the protuberance to a particular desired position. In one such form of the invention, the protuberance and the recess are circular when viewed from above or below, the protuberance being a neat fit in the recess so as to allow pivoting therein.
Preferably the protuberance is shaped to assist in alignment of the protuberance with the recess and for this purpose has a lead-in portion. In a preferred form the protuberance is a dome shaped knob which achieves this purpose.
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Akerman & Senterfitt
Griplock Pty Ltd.
Lum L.
Swann J. J.
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