GB2329129A

GB2329129A - Apparatus for retaining a foot on a sports device

Info

Publication number: GB2329129A
Application number: GB9719398A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Graham Priestley
Original assignee: INDOOR SKI INSTRUCTOR CO Ltd
Current assignee: INDOOR SKI INSTRUCTOR CO Ltd
Priority date: 1997-09-12
Filing date: 1997-09-12
Publication date: 1999-03-17
Also published as: GB9719398D0

Abstract

An apparatus 2 is designed to retain feet on a surface contacting sports device 1, such as a snowboard. The retaining device comprises a channel shaped member 2 with two resilient side walls 3. It is preferably made from a single piece of material and may be bolted to the sports device by means of screw holes 5. The foot is placed in the device and is gripped at the instep, rather than at the toe and heel. This requires less adjustability of the device when different foot sizes are encountered and uses less material, making the device cheaper. The retaining device 2 is preferably made of a plastics material such as low density polyethylene which may be softened by heating and deformed. In this way the device 2 may be manipulated and adjusted to suit different foot sizes. It is particularly suited for use with devices which do not require ankle support, such as snowboards, skateboards, surfboards, sailboards and water skis.

Description

APPARATUS This invention relates to apparatus for retaining a human foot on a surface-contacting sporting device, for example for holding an article of footwear to that device.

It is known to provide on, for example skis or snowboards, specific engaging devices proximally and distally of the feet for holding purpose-built footwear on the skis or snowboard when in use. Such footwear has no other purpose than use on a ski or snowboard and so has the disadvantage of being relatively expensive; moreover, the engaging devices are relatively complicated and expensive.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided in combination, a surface-contacting sports device, and apparatus for retaining a human foot on said device, said apparatus comprising a channel-form member attached to said device and having respective opposite side wall portions arranged resiliently to retain said foot on said device.

The channel-form member is advantageously a single piece, preferably of plastics, particularly thermosoftenable plastics.

Owing to this aspect of the invention it is possible to provide a retaining member for a foot on a sporting device, which member is substantially cheaper to manufacture than those currently available. The retaining member is advantageously such that the user of the sporting device does not have to wear purpose-built footwear, so that the retaining member has a degree of universality.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided in combination, a surface-contacting sports device, and apparatus for retaining a human foot on said device, said apparatus comprising first and second jaws arranged to grip said foot between them transversely of said foot to retain said foot on said device.

Advantageously the jaws grip the foot in the zone of its instep.

Owing to this aspect of the invention, it is possible to arrange that the user can more readily release his foot from between the jaws than when the foot is gripped at opposite ends of the foot. Moreover, the degree of adjustability required for the jaws transversely of the foot, especially at the zone of the instep, to suit differing sizes of foot is significantly less than with gripping at the ends of the foot, so that the retaining apparatus can be simpler and use less material, and thus cheaper. The jaws can be made of thermosoftenable plastics and adjusted to the foot simply by softening, then manipulating, and then causing or allowing to harden.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided in combination, a surface-contacting sports device, and apparatus for retaining a human foot on said device, said apparatus comprising a wall portion of readily thermosoftenable material, whereby said wall portion may be manipulated to a desired shape by a method including heating thereof.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method comprising providing a wall portion of a foot-retaining apparatus of a surface-contacting sporting device, said wall portion being of thermosoftenable material, heating said wall portion to a softening temperature, manipulating the soft wall portion to a desired shape, and causing or allowing the wall portion to harden.

Owing to these two aspects of the invention it is possible to provide retaining apparatus for a foot that can be softened by heat, manipulated and then allowed to harden in order to fit a variety of sizes of footwear and/or to adjust the wall portion to make it better fitting or more comfortable for the user.

The holder is particularly suitable for a sporting device which does not require specific support for the ankle, for example a snowboard, a skateboard, a surfboard, a sailboard, or a water-ski.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a snowboard with two identical footwear holders attached, and Figure 2 is a perspective view of one of the footwear holders.

Referring to the Figures, the snowboard 1 has fixed to it two footwear holders 2 each of substantially U-shaped cross-section. Each holder 2 has initially inwardly and then outwardly protruding side walls 3 to facilitate the receipt and gripping of an article of footwear, in particular a shoe or a boot, in the holder 2. Each holder 2 is made of resilient, heat-softenable plastics material, for example LDPE (especially RETEX), and the side walls 3 grip the article of footwear resiliently at bends 4 which form a narrower gap between the side walls 3 than that at the base of the side walls 3. The U-shaped cross-section of each holder 2 is wider at its front 2' than at its rear 2'', although it may instead be of constant width. The holder 2 is provided in its base with screw holes 5 to allow it to be screwed or bolted to the top surface of the board.

A single size of holder 2 can be provided for practically any size of footwear, ranging from about United Kingdom size 2 to about United Kingdom size 9. The holder can accommodate that range of sizes of footwear owing to being resilient (and, if necessary, being manipulatable through being thermosoftenable, by the heat from a hair dryer for example).

A user of the snowboard 1 can press his feet (wearing, for example, training shoes) downwards into the holders 2 and then use the snowboard on snow or an artificial surface as desired.

Claims

=1LIMS

1. In combination, a surface-contacting sports device, and apparatus for retaining a human foot on said device, said apparatus comprising a channel-form member attached to said device and having respective opposite side wall portions arranged resiliently to retain said foot on said device.

2. A combination according to claim 1, wherein the channelform member is a single piece of material.

3. A combination according to claim 2, wherein said material is plastics material.

4. A combination according to claim 2 or 3, wherein said material is thermosoftenable.

5. A combination according to claim 4, as appended to claim 3, wherein said material is low density polyethylene.

6. A combination according to any preceding claim, wherein said wall portions are arranged to grip said foot in the zone of its instep.

7. In combination, a surface-contacting sports device, and apparatus for retaining a human foot on said device, said apparatus comprising first and second jaws arranged to grip said foot between them transversely of said foot to retain said foot on said device.

8. A combination according to claim 7, wherein said jaws are arranged to grip the foot in the zone of its instep.

9. A combination according to claim 7 or 8, wherein said jaws are of plastics material.

10. A combination according to claim 9, wherein said material is thermosoftenable.

11. A combination according to claim 10, as appended to claim 9, wherein said material is low density polyethylene.

12. In combination, a surface-contacting sports device, and apparatus for retaining a human foot on said device, said apparatus comprising a wall portion of readily thermosoftenable material, whereby said wall portion may be manipulated to a desired shape by a method including heating thereof.

13. A combination according to claim 12, wherein said material is plastics material.

14. A combination according to claim 13, wherein said material is low density polyethylene.

15. A method comprising providing a wall portion of a footretaining apparatus of a surface-contacting sports device, said wall portion being of thermosoftenable material, heating said wall portion to a softening temperature, manipulating the soft wall portion to a desired shape, and causing or allowing the wall portion to harden.

16. A combination or a method according to any preceding claim, which said sports device is one of a snowboard, a skateboard, a surfboard, a sailboard, or a water-ski.

17. Apparatus for retaining a human foot on a surfacecontacting sports device, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

18. A method of providing a wall-portion of a foot-retaining apparatus of a surface-contacting sports device, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.