WO2022173978A1

WO2022173978A1 - Transferable traction pad

Info

Publication number: WO2022173978A1
Application number: PCT/US2022/016018
Authority: WO
Inventors: Matthew Clark; Dane LARKIN
Original assignee: Meanduir Llc
Priority date: 2021-02-11
Filing date: 2022-02-10
Publication date: 2022-08-18

Abstract

Some embodiments of the disclosure are directed to a traction pad as accessory equipment on a board used to transport riders on water or land (including surf boards, wind boards, snow boards, and other boards) or on other surfaces on which such a traction pad is placed. In some embodiments, the traction pad is attached to the board via an anchoring system that may be either temporarily affixed to the board or other surface via bonding material, screws, or may be manufactured into a portion of the board or other surface. The anchoring system allows the traction pad to be removable and transferable. The internal structure of the pad allows for widening of middle portions of the traction pad and for selectively attaching inserts to interior portions of the traction pad that can provide arch support for a person's foot or boot.

Description

TRANSFERABLE TRACTION PAD

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.

63/148,471, filed February 11, 2021, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] This relates generally to systems and methods for a removable traction pad.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Some boards (e.g., surfboards, snowboards, windboards, paddle boards, and/or other boards) and other surfaces include traction pads that provide support and/or grip for a foot or covering (e.g., a shoe, boot, etc.) of a user. Such traction pads are often integral to and/or permanently affixed to a surface of the board or other surface.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] Some embodiments of the disclosure are directed to a removable traction pad and an affixation system. In some embodiments, the removable traction pad is optionally coupled to a surface of a board via the affixation system, which may be affixed (e.g., temporarily) to the surface of the board via bonding or adhesive material, or screws, and/or may be formed integrally to a portion of the board.

[0005] The full descriptions of these examples are provided in the Drawings and the

Detailed Description, and it is understood that this Summary does not limit the scope of the disclosure in any way.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] FIG. l is a top perspective view of a removable traction pad inserted into a front anchor system on a sport board, such as a surfboard, according to some embodiments of the disclosure. [0007] FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of a rear end of the removable traction pad latched into a rear anchor system on a board, according to some embodiments of the disclosure.

[0008] FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of the front anchor and rear anchor systems affixed on a board, according to some embodiments of the disclosure.

[0009] FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the removable traction pad illustrating components of an underside of the removable traction pad, of the underside of the front anchor system, and of the underside of the rear latches system, according to some embodiments of the disclosure.

[0010] FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the internal components of the removable traction pad, including a flat or arch support insert and notches of the webbing structure, according to some embodiments of the disclosure.

[0011] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an attachment of a flat or arch support insert, according to some embodiments of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] FIG. 1 illustrates a board 1 from a side perspective view with a mounted removable traction pad (“mounted removable traction pad,” “removable traction pad,” “traction pad”) 2. The board 1 could be a surfboard, wake board, sail board, paddle board, snowboard, sandboard and/or any other board used as sporting equipment to transport riders (i.e., users) on water or land. As shown in FIG. 1, the mounted removable traction pad 2 may be coupled to a top surface of the board 1. In some embodiments, the traction pad 2 includes a surface (e.g., a top surface) having a respective surface texture. For example, the traction pad 2 may have a smooth surface texture, a roughened surface texture, and/or a textured surface texture. In some embodiments, the surface of the traction pad 2 may be molded to provide a shape for a rider’s foot or boot during use of the board 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the traction pad 2 may comprise a top member disposed at a rear end of the traction pad 2 that is optionally raised (e.g., at a respective angle, such as 15, 20, 30, 45, or 60 degrees) with respect to the rear end of the traction pad 2. In some embodiments, the top member of the traction pad 2 may provide support for a respective portion of a user of the board 1, such as the heel of the rider or a sole of a boot of the rider.

[0013] In some embodiments, as discussed in more detail with reference to FIG. 3 below, a front end of the traction pad 2 may be coupled to the board 1 via a front anchor (“front anchor,” “front anchor system”) 3 affixed to the top surface of the board 1. For example, as discussed below, a portion of the front end of the traction pad 2 optionally engages with an opening of (e.g., slidably engages with a slot of) the front anchor 3, which optionally secures the front end of the traction pad 2 to the board 1. In some embodiments, as discussed in more detail with reference to FIG. 7, the front anchor system 3 may be (e.g., temporarily, such as during use of the board 1) affixed to the top surface of the board 1 via screws, or bonding or adhesive material (e.g., such as cement or glue), and/or may be an integral part of the board 1 (e.g., the front anchor system 3 may be shaped (e.g., glassed into) a portion of the board 1 during manufacturing). In some embodiments, the front anchor system may be affixed laterally across the top surface of the board 1 at a location that lies between a center of the top surface of the board 1 and the rear end of the top surface of the board 1. In some embodiments, the removable traction pad 2 may be selectively removable from the top surface of the board 1 by disengaging the front end of the traction pad 2 from the front anchor 3.

[0014] In some embodiment, the front anchor 3 may be configured to receive a traction pad 2 having a pointed front end, as shown in FIG. 1. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, a center of the front anchor 3 may be pointed (e.g., such that the endpoints of the front anchor 3 are disposed at a location that is closer to the rear end of the board 1 than that of the center of the front anchor 3) to receive and slidably engage with the pointed front end of the traction pad 2. In some embodiments in which the traction pad 2 has an alternatively shaped front end, such as a rounded or squared front end, the center of the front anchor 3 may correspondingly be rounded or squared to receive and slidably engage with the alternatively shaped front end of the traction pad 2.

[0015] In some embodiments, the opening (e.g., the slot) of the front anchor system 3 may be adapted to receive variably sized traction pads (e.g., narrow pads, such as 3, 4, 5, or 6 inches in width (e.g., as measured from an edge of the pad to the center of the pad), or wide pads, such as 7, 8, 10, or 12, or 14 inches in width) of varying thickness (e.g., thick pads, such as 1.2, 1.5, 2, or 3 inches thick, or thin pads, such as 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 0.7, 0.9, or 1 inches thick). In some embodiments, the traction pad 2 may include a center slit/cut-out 4 extending a respective length of the traction pad 2. For example, the cut-out 4 may be disposed at a center of a width of the traction pad 2 and may extend a respective length (e.g., three-quarters of a full length) of the traction pad 2 from the rear end of the traction pad 2 toward the front end of the traction pad 2. In some embodiments, the center cut-out 4 may have a respective shape (e.g., a U-shape or rectangular shape) along the length of the traction pad 2. In some embodiments, middle portions of the traction pad 2 may be adjusted (e.g., lifted, moved, compressed, and/or stretched) along the center cut-out 4 to allow a user to access the top surface of the board 1 (e.g., to access a leash or line of the board 1, if any). .

[0016] FIG. 2 illustrates the rear latches system 5 disposed at the rear end of the traction pad 2. In some embodiments, the rear latches (“rear latch system,” “rear latches,” “rear anchor system”) are disposed behind the top member of the traction pad 2 and extend below the rear end of the traction pad 2. As shown in FIG. 2, in some embodiments, the rear latches 5 may be affixed laterally across the top surface of the board 1 at a location that lies between front anchor system 3 and the rear end of the top surface of the board 1. In some embodiments, the rear latches 5 engage with (e.g., snap onto and provide a downward force on) portions of the rear end of the traction pad 2, which optionally secure the rear end of the traction pad 2 to the top surface of the board 1. In some embodiments, the rear latches system 5 may be (e.g., temporarily, such as during use of the board 1) affixed to the board 1 via screws, or bonding or adhesive material, and/or may be an integral part of the board 1 (e.g., shaped or glassed into a portion of the board 1 during manufacturing). In some embodiments, the rear latches may be adapted to receive (e.g., engage with) traction pads having variably sized rear ends (e.g., of a variety of widths) of varying thickness.

[0017] FIG. 3 illustrates the front anchor and rear anchor systems 3, 6, respectively, affixed on a board 1 without the traction pad 2 of FIGs. 1-2. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3, the board 1 may include board connections (“board connections,” “connection segments”) 7 that extend longitudinally between the front anchor system 3 and the rear anchor system 6. In some embodiments, the board connections 7 are optionally affixed to the top surface of the board 1 via bonding or adhesive material, and/or may be an integral part of the board 1 (e.g., shaped or glassed into a portion of the board 1 during manufacturing). In some embodiments, the front anchor system 3 and the rear anchor system 6 may collectively form an affixation system for attaching the traction pad to the top surface of the board 1. In some embodiments, the board connections 7 provide additional surface contact (e.g., in addition to the front anchor system 3 and the rear anchor system 6) to which the traction pad (e.g., traction pad 2 in FIGs. 1-2) may be affixed or bonded (e.g., via cement or glue). In some embodiments, the board connections 7 may not be used with anchor systems (e.g., front anchor system 3 and/or rear anchor system 6) that are temporarily affixed to the board 1 via screws. For example, as described with reference to FIG. 7, when the front anchor system 3 and/or the rear anchor system 6 are affixed to the surface of the board 1 with screws, the board connections 7 are optionally not provided because the board connections 7 may be secured to the board via bonding or adhesive material, rather than screws.

[0018] FIG. 4 illustrates a bottom view of the removable traction pad 2 engaged with both the front anchor system 3 and the rear anchor system 6. It should be understood that the front anchor system 3, the rear anchor system 6, and the board connections 7 are illustrated in FIG. 4 as being unattached from the top surface of the board (e.g., board 1 in FIGs. 1-3) for ease of explanation. In some embodiments, an underside of the traction pad 2 may include one or more internal components. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the underside of the traction pad 2 may include internal webbing structure 8 including rib and/or arm structures that provide support to a top surface of the traction pad 2 and/or stabilize the pad along its length (e.g., helps prevent inward collapse of the front and/or rear ends of the traction pad 2). In some embodiments, the internal webbing structure 8 may be affixed to the underside of the traction pad 2 (e.g., via boding or adhesive material). In some embodiments, the internal webbing structure 8 may be formed integrally to (e.g., co-molded with) the underside of the traction pad 8.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 4, in some embodiments, the forward arms extending from the ribs of the webbing structure 8 have notched width adjustments (“notched width adjustments,” “notches”) 9 that allow the middle portions of the traction pad 2 to compress and/or stretch along the center cut-out (e.g., center-cutout 4), as similarly discussed above with reference to FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 4, in some embodiments, the two centermost ribs of the internal webbing 8 (e.g., closest to the board connections 7) are configured to interlock with inserts 10 and 11 (e.g., via a tab-to-insert locking system). In some embodiments, the centermost ribs of the internal webbing 8 may be interlocked with a flat insert 10 and/or an arch support insert 11. As discussed in more detail with reference to FIG. 6, the inserts provided may be selected by the user. As shown in FIG. 4, in some embodiments, the outermost portions of the webbing structure 8 extend into foam attachments 12 that support the outer side edges of the traction pad 2. For example, the foam attachments 12 may secure the outer side edges of the traction pad 2 (e.g., hold the outermost edges of the traction pad 2 to the surface of the board) to help prevent the outer side edges from curling or compressing inward (e.g., toward the center of the traction pad 2) during use.

[0020] FIG. 5 illustrates a top view of the removable traction pad 2 engaged with both the front anchor system 3 and the rear anchor system 6. It should be understood that the top surface of the removable traction pad 2 is not shown for simplicity and that front anchor system 3, the rear anchor system 6, and the board connections 7 are illustrated in FIG. 5 as being unattached from the top surface of the board (e.g., board 1 in FIGs. 1-3) for ease of explanation. In some embodiments, the internal webbing structure 8, the notched width adjustments 9, the flat insert 10, the arch support insert 11, and the foam attachments 12 have one or more of the characteristics as the correspondingly-labeled components shown in FIG. 4 and described above. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 5, when the flat insert 10 and/or the arch support insert 11 is interlocked with (e.g., snapped into) the webbing structure 8, the flat insert 10 and/or the arch support insert 11 may rest atop portions of the board connections 7. As discussed above with reference to FIG. 4, the notched width adjustments 9 may enable the middle portions of the traction pad 2 to compress and/or stretch in response to an adjustment of (e.g., pulling together or stretching apart of) the center cut-out 4. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the notched width adjustments 9 are shown in an open state because the rear end of the traction pad has been spread apart to make a width adjustment (e.g., for inserting the flat insert 10 and/or the arch support insert 11 below the middle portions to interlock/attach the flat insert 10 and/or the arch support insert 11 to the ribs of the internal webbing structure 8).

[0021] FIG. 6 illustrates a cutaway of center portions of the internal webbing structure of the traction pad longitudinally along a center of the traction pad line. In some embodiments, the internal webbing structure shown in FIG. 6 corresponds to the internal webbing structure 8 shown in FIGs. 4-5 and described above. As shown in FIG. 6, the arch support insert 11 is optionally snapped into a first rib of the internal webbing structure, and the flat insert 10 is optionally snapped into a second rib, different from the first rib, of the internal webbing structure. In some embodiments, the insert provided is selected according to user preference. For example, the user may select two flat inserts 10, two arch support inserts 11, and/or one flat insert 10 and one arch support insert 11 (as shown in FIG. 6). In some embodiments, when connected to the ribs of the internal webbing structure, as shown in FIG. 6, the inserts 10 and/or 11 may selectively provide support to a user’s foot or a sole of a boot. For example, the arch support insert 11 may provide direct support to the arch of the user’s foot or sole of the boot, and the flat insert 10 may provide less direct support to such portions, depending on user preference.

[0022] FIG. 7 illustrates a top view of the front anchor and rear anchor systems 3, 6, respectively, affixed to the top surface of the board 1 with screws 13. As shown in FIG. 7, the front anchor system 3 and/or the rear anchor system 6 may include screw sockets/openings through which the screws 13 may be inserted/threaded. It should be understood that any suitable fastening mechanism may be used for securing the front and rear anchor systems 3 and 6 to the surface of the board 1. The screw mount system (comprising screws 13) optionally enables the front and rear anchor systems 3 and 6 to be removable and transferable from board to board. For example, the screws 13 may be inserted into the board 1 to fix the front and reach anchor systems 3 and 6 to the surface of the board 1, and may be subsequently removed from the board 1 and transferred to a new board or surface using a key (e.g., similar to a screwdriver) to fix the front and rear anchor systems 3 and 6 to the new board or surface.

[0023] FIG. 8 illustrates a top view of the front and rear anchor systems 14, 15 disposed on the board 1, wherein the front and rear anchor systems are integral to the board 1. As discussed previously with reference to FIG. 1, in some embodiments, the front anchor system 14 and/or the rear anchor system 15 may be shaped or glassed into the board 1 during manufacturing of the board (e.g., as a fin box is integrally formed so as to accept interchangeable fins and / or a plug is integrally formed to accept a leash or line), as shown in FIG. 8. In some embodiments, the front anchor system 14 and/or the rear anchor system 15 may be shaped or glassed flush with/aligned to the top surface of the board 1. For example, though illustrated in FIG. 8 as protruding upward from the top surface of the board 1, the front anchor system 14 and/or the rear anchor system 15 may be shaped or glassed into the board 1 such that the top surface of the board 1 is optionally (e.g., substantially) flat or smooth in a uniform fashion.

Claims

1. A traction pad configured to be selectively attached to a surface of a board.

2. The traction pad of claim 1, wherein the board is a surfboard, a wind board, or a snow board.

3. The traction pad of claim 1, wherein the traction pad is configured to be selectively attached to a surface other than the surface of the board.

4. The traction pad of claim 1, wherein the traction pad is configured to be selectively attached to the surface of the board via an affixation system coupled to the surface of the board.

5. The traction pad of claim 4, wherein: a front end of the traction pad is configured to slidably engage with a front anchor of the affixation system; and a rear end, opposite the front end, of the traction pad is configured to be engaged by a rear anchor of the affixation system.

6. An affixation system coupled to a surface of a board and configured to receive a traction pad for securing the traction pad on the surface of the board.

7. The affixation system of claim 6, wherein the board is a surfboard, a wind board, or a snow board.

8. The affixation system of claim 6, wherein the affixation system is configured to be coupled to a surface other than the surface of the board and to receive the traction pad for securing the traction pad to the surface.

9. The affixation system of claim 6, further comprising: a front anchor coupled to a first location on the surface of the board; and a rear anchor coupled to a second location, different from the first location, on the surface of the board.

10. The affixation system of claim 9, wherein: the front anchor is configured to slidably engage with a front end of the traction pad; and the rear anchor is configured to engage with a rear end, opposite the front end, of the traction pad.

11. The affixation system of claim 10, wherein: the front anchor comprises a slot that slidably receives and engages with the front end of the traction pad; and the rear anchor comprises a snapping mechanism that applies a downward force onto a surface of the rear end of the traction pad.

12. The affixation system of claim 10, further comprising one or more connection segments disposed between the front anchor and the rear anchor on the surface of the board, the one or more connection segments providing support for middle portions of the traction pad.

13. The affixation system of claim 6, wherein the affixation system is an integral part of the surface of the board.

14. The affixation system of claim 6, wherein the affixation system is coupled to the surface of the board via screws.

15. The affixation system of claim 14, wherein the affixation system is configured to be coupled to a surface other than the surface of the board via the screws.

16. A traction pad attached to a surface of a board and configured to selectively receive one or more support inserts.

17. The traction pad of claim 16, further comprising an insertion system including a central slit disposed along middle portions of the traction pad, the insertion system configured to selectively receive the one or more support inserts.

18. The traction pad of claim 17, further comprising a webbing structure including a plurality of structural ribs disposed internally within the traction pad, wherein one or more of the plurality of structural ribs are configured to selectively interlock with the one or more inserts.

19. the traction pad of claim 18, wherein: the plurality of structural ribs includes a plurality of notches configured to enable the middle portions of the traction pad to adjust, such that the one or more inserts can be selectively interlocked with the one or more of the plurality of structural ribs.