WO2021040682A1

WO2021040682A1 - Combination back rest and body board

Info

Publication number: WO2021040682A1
Application number: PCT/US2019/048050
Authority: WO
Inventors: Radbeh RAVAZ
Original assignee: Ravaz Radbeh
Priority date: 2019-08-24
Filing date: 2019-08-24
Publication date: 2021-03-04

Abstract

A combination back rest and body board includes a rigid, planar body board having an upper surface, a lower surface, a first side edge, a second side edge, a rounded first end and a pointed second end. The pointed second end facilitates inserting the body board into a ground surface when used as a back rest. The body board may be planar, have a concave upper surface, a convex lower surface or it may have both curved surfaces. The body board includes first and second strap attaching openings for use with an adjustable carrying strap. The body board includes first and second notches along the side edges shaped to accommodate the carrying straps of a back pack. The body board is marked with a depth indicator spaced from the pointed second end to indicate sufficient depth to insert the second end into a ground surface for secure back rest use.

Description

COMBINATION BACK REST AND BODY BOARD

Field of Invention

The invention pertains to the field of portable chairs and back supports and to the field of surfboards, body boards and snowboards. More particularly, the invention relates to a combination device that serves as both a back rest and body board, snowboard or wake board.

Background of the Invention

Those who enjoy seaside recreation spend their time at the beach in two principal activities. The first is enjoying the water and the activity of the waves and surf. For this, these individuals make use of surfboards and smaller body boards. The second activity involves relaxing on the beach enjoying the comfort of the sand and the sun. For this activity, beach chairs, chaise lounges and back rests are employed. One problem that confronts people enjoying these two activities is that, should they enter the ocean to surf or body board, their beach furniture may be stolen or damaged in their absence. The present invention addresses these requirements and concerns by providing a comfortable, portable back rest that also functions as a body board. The back rest is also easily portable for use as a camping accessory. The present invention is also useful for those that enjoy the snow. It may be used as both a back rest when inserted tail first into the snow and also used as a snowboard for sledding down snowy slopes. As the invention has only one part, serving dual functions, nothing is left behind when surfing, wake boarding or snowboarding.

A variety of inventions have been developed that address some of these needs.

U.S. Patent No. 5,069,406, issued to Colyer et al. is directed to a surfboard support and protector made of semirigid to rigid material which is a poor conductor of heat, e.g. plastic, fiberglass or the like. The support has an internal cavity generally shaped to the nose end of a surfboard. The support may be buried or forced into sand in a position to support a surfboard in an upright position.

U.S. Patent 3,374,495, issued to Joyce is directed to surfing and more particularly to a guard or protecting sheath for the nose portion of a surfboard in the form of an integrally molded plastic member defining a curved channel receivable over the front curved nose portion of the surfboard.

U. S. Patent 5,211,364, issued to James, is directed to a supporting device for a recreational water board to support the board along a generally vertical plane with an edge of the board resting on a swimming beach or other generally horizontal surface, said device comprising an elongated support element to be inserted into the ground or sand and a pair of arms which are pivotally mounted on the support element to be pivoted between a storage or transport position and an operating position.

U.S. Patent 9,289,049, issued to Kienel et al, is directed to an apparatus and a method to carry recreational equipment on the back of a user, evenly distributing the weight of the recreational equipment on both shoulders of a user. The apparatus comprises of a front container portion, an intermediate portion, and a rear container portion, wherein said intermediate portion is connected between said front container portion and said rear container portion, and said front container portion connects to said rear container portion holding said intermediate portion there between. The intermediate portion comprises of a sleeve to hold a portion of the recreational equipment, at least one intermediate strap to hold an intermediate portion of the recreational equipment, and at least one bottom strap to hold a bottom portion of the recreational equipment. The intermediate portion may be stored between the front container portion and the rear container portion when not in use. Taiwan Utility Model 349889, issued to Zhang, is directed to a surfboard structure, and refers specifically to the fitting to the surfboard of a multi-layer structure designed to protect and beautify the outward appearance of surfboard. This creation strengthening level may partially surround the surfboard, for example the surfboard head end is often inserted in the sand of a beach and the multi-layer treatment of the head end would protect it from abrasion due to the sand. Also this multi-layer structure may be implemented in various different ways on the board surface.

While other variations exist, the above-described designs for surfboard construction and for devices for use with surfboards are typical of those encountered in the prior art. It is an objective of the present invention to provide a light weight easily portable one piece back rest that also functions as a body board. It is another objective to provide a combination back rest and body board that includes features to make it easy to insert into a ground surface so as to provide a stable back rest with a minimum of preparation. It is a further objective to provide a durable device that can withstand both abrasion from ground surfaces and penetration by moisture. It is yet a further objective to provide a combination back rest and body board that fits the body comfortably when body boarding. It is a still further objective of the invention to provide a device that includes a convenient carrying strap that can also be used as a leash for surfing or snowboarding. Finally, it is an objective of the invention to provide a combination back rest and body board that can be easily worn on the body when using a backpack. While some of the objectives of the present invention are disclosed in the prior art, none of the inventions found include all of the requirements identified.

Summary of the Invention The present invention addresses all of the deficiencies of prior combination back rest and body board inventions and satisfies all of the objectives described above.

1) A combination back rest and body board can be constructed as follows. Providing a rigid, planar body board. The body board has an upper surface, a lower surface, a first side edge, a second side edge, a rounded first end and a pointed second end. The rounded first end has a radius ranging from 6” to 10”. The pointed second end has an included angle ranging from 10 degrees to 45 degrees. The body board has a thickness ranging from ¼” to 2½”.

2) In a variant of the combination back rest and body board the upper surface is concave. 3) In another variant, the combination back rest and body board the concavity ranges from ½” to 4”.

4) In still another variant, the combination back rest and body board the lower surface is convex.

5) In yet another variant, the combination back rest and body board the convexity ranges from ½” to 4”.

6) In a further variant, the combination back rest and body board includes at least one first end strap- ataching opening and at least one second end strap-ataching opening. The at least one first end strap-attaching opening is located adjacent the first side edge and the at least one second end strap-attaching opening is located adjacent the second side edge. 7) In still a further variant, of the combination back rest and body board, the at least one first end strap-attaching opening includes a first pair of parallel slots penetrating an upper one third of the combination back rest and body board. The at least one second end strap-attaching opening includes a second pair of parallel slots penetrating a lower one third of the combination back rest and body board.

8) In yet a further variant, the combination back rest and body board further includes an adjustable carrying strap. The carrying strap is sized and shaped to attach to the at least one first end strap-attaching opening and the at least one second end strap- attaching opening. 9) In another variant of the invention, the combination back rest and body board further includes first and second backpack notches. The first and second backpack notches are located along the first and second side edges. The first and second backpack notches are sized and shaped to permit the combination back rest and body board to be positioned on a user’s back beneath a backpack with the backpack straps passing through the first and second backpack notches so that the combination back rest and body board is supported by the backpack straps.

10) In still a further variant, a depth indicator is provided. The depth indicator is located on either of the upper surface or the lower surface. The depth indicator ranges in length from 4” to 6” and is located with a lower end 8” to 18” from the pointed second end.

11) In a final variant of the invention, the combination back rest and body board the rigid, planar body board is formed from materials selected from the group consisting of: wood, wood veneer, plywood, particle board, fiberglass (including e-cloth, electrical glass, warp glass, s-glass, d-size), plastic (including polypropylene, polyethylene, polycarbonate, acrylic, polylactic acid, polylactide (PLA), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene

(ABS), thermoplastic rubbers, thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), flexible filament, copolymers, polymers, thermoplastic polymers, amorphous polymers, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polyurethane, ) PET and PETG filaments - polyethylene terephthalate Glycol), acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (ASA) also called acrylic styrene acrylonitrile, nylon, photopolymers, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)), wood filaments (wood-based filaments are typically a composite that combines a PLA base material with wood dust, cork, and other powdered wood derivatives), metal filled filaments (PLA Base), carbon fiber filaments, 3D printing materials (including FFF (fused filament fabrication) and FDM (fused deposition modeling).

An appreciation of the other aims and objectives of the present invention and an understanding of it may be achieved by referring to the accompanying drawings and the detailed description of a preferred embodiment. Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a combination back rest and body board;

Figure 2 is a front view of the Figure 1 embodiment, illustrating the dimensions and location of the depth marker; Figure 3 is a top view of the Figure 1 embodiment;

Figure 4 is a side view of the Figure 1 embodiment;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment, illustrating slots to accommodate backpack straps;

Figure 6 is a front view of the Figure 5 embodiment; Figure 7 is a top view of the Figure 5 embodiment;

Figure 8 is a top view of an alternative embodiment, illustrating a planar combination back rest and body board;

Figure 9 is a top view of an alternative embodiment, illustrating a combination back rest and body board with a concave upper surface and a planar lower surface;

Figure 10 is a top view of an alternative embodiment, illustrating a combination back rest and body board with a convex lower surface and a planar upper surface;

Figure 11 is a perspective view of the Figure 1 embodiment, illustrating an attached adjustable carrying strap; Figure 12 is a perspective view of the Figure 1 embodiment, illustrating its use as a back rest;

Figure 13 is a perspective view of the Figure 1 embodiment being carried with the attached adjustable carrying strap, as seen from the rear;

Figure 14 is a perspective view of the Figure 1 embodiment being carried with the attached adjustable carrying strap, as seen from the front; and

Figure 15 is a perspective view of the Figure 1 embodiment being transported in conjunction with a back pack. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment

1) As illustrated in Figures 1-15, a combination back rest and body board 10 can be constructed as follows. Providing a rigid, planar body board 14. The body board

14 has an upper surface 18, a lower surface 22, a first side edge 26, a second side edge 30, a rounded first end 34 and a pointed second end 38. The rounded first end 34 has a radius 42 ranging from 6” to 10”. The pointed second end 38 has an included angle 46 ranging from 10 degrees to 45 degrees. The body board 14 has a thickness 16 ranging from ¼” to

2½”

2) In a variant of the combination back rest and body board 10, as illustrated in Figures 3 and 9, the upper surface 18 is concave. 3) In another variant of the combination back rest and body board 10, the concavity 50 ranges from ½” to 4”.

4) In still another variant of the combination back rest and body board 10, as illustrated in Figures 3 and 10, the lower surface 22 is convex.

5) In yet another variant of the combination back rest and body board 10, the convexity 54 ranges from ½” to 4”.

6) In a further variant, as illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 5, 6, 11 and 13, the combination back rest and body board 10 includes at least one first end strap-attaching opening 58 and at least one second end strap-attaching opening 62. The at least one first end strap-attaching opening 58 is located adjacent the first side edge 26 and the at least one second end strap-attaching opening 62 is located adjacent the second side edge 30.

7) In still a further variant of the combination back rest and body board 10, as illustrated in Figure 2, the at least one first end strap-attaching opening 58 includes a first pair of parallel slots 66 penetrating an upper one third 70 of the combination back rest and body board 10. The at least one second end strap-attaching opening 62 includes a second pair of parallel slots 74 penetrating a lower one third 78 of the combination back rest and body board 10.

8) In yet a further variant, as illustrated in Figure 11, the combination back rest and body board 10 further includes an adjustable carrying strap 82. The carrying strap 82 is sized and shaped to attach to the at least one first end strap-attaching opening 58 and the at least one second end strap-attaching opening 62.

9) In another variant of the invention, as illustrated in Figures 5, 6, 7, 11 and 13-15, the combination back rest and body board 10, further includes first 86 and second 90 backpack notches. The first 86 and second 90 backpack notches are located along the first 26 and second 30 side edges. The first 86 and second 90 backpack notches are sized and shaped to permit the combination back rest and body board 10 to be positioned on a user’s back 94 beneath a backpack 98 with the backpack straps 102 passing through the first 86 and second 90 backpack notches so that the combination back rest and body board 10 is supported by the backpack straps 102.

(10) In still a further variant, as illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 5, 6, and 11, a depth indicator 106 is provided. The depth indicator 106 is located on either of the upper surface 18 or the lower surface 22. The depth indicator 106 ranges in length 110 from 4” to 6” and is located with a lower end 114 8” to 18” from the pointed second end 38. (11) In a final variant of the invention, as illustrated in Figures the combination back rest and body board 10, the rigid, planar body board 14 is formed from materials selected from the group consisting of: wood (not shown), wood veneer (not shown)plywood 118, particle board (not shown), fiberglass (not shown) (including e-cloth, electrical glass, warp glass, s-glass, d-size), plastic (not shown) (including polypropylene, polyethylene, polycarbonate, acrylic, polylactic acid, polylactide (PLA), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), thermoplastic rubbers, thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), flexible filament, copolymers, polymers, thermoplastic polymers, amorphous polymers, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polyurethane, PET and PETG filaments - polyethylene terephthalate Glycol), acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (ASA) also called acrylic styrene acrylonitrile, nylon, photopolymers, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)), wood filaments (not shown) (wood-based filaments are typically a composite that combines a PLA base material with wood dust, cork, and other powdered wood derivatives), metal filled filaments (PLA Base) (not shown), carbon fiber filaments (not shown), 3D printing materials (not shown) (including FFF (fused filament fabrication) and FDM (fused deposition modeling).

An appreciation of the other aims and objectives of the present invention and an understanding of it may be achieved by referring to the accompanying drawings and the detailed description of a preferred embodiment.

Claims

1 A combination back rest and body board comprising: a rigid, planar body board, said body board having an upper surface, a lower surface, a first side edge, a second side edge, a rounded first end and a pointed second end; said rounded first end having a radius ranging from 6” to 10”; said pointed second end having an included angle ranging from 10 degrees to 45 degrees; and said body board having a thickness ranging from ¼” to 2½”.

2 The combination back rest and body board, as described in Claim 1, wherein said upper surface is concave.

3. The combination back rest and body board, as described in Claim 2, wherein said concavity ranges from ½” to 4”.

4. The combination back rest and body board, as described in Claim 1, wherein said lower surface is convex.

5. The combination back rest and body board, as described in Claim 2, wherein said convexity ranges from ½” to 4”.

6 The combination back rest and body board, as described in Claim 1, further comprising at least one first end strap-attaching opening, at least one second end strap-attaching opening, said at least one first end strap-attaching opening disposed adjacent said first side edge and said at least one second end strap-attaching opening disposed adjacent said second side edge.

7. The combination back rest and body board, as described in Claim 6, wherein said at least one first end strap-attaching opening comprises a first pair of parallel slots penetrating an upper one third of said combination back rest and body board and said at least one second end strap-attaching opening comprises a second pair of parallel slots penetrating a lower one third of said combination back rest and body board.

8. The combination back rest and body board, as described in Claim 6, further comprising an adjustable carrying strap, said carrying strap being sized and shaped to attach to said at least one first end strap-attaching opening and said at least one second end strap-attaching opening.

9. The combination back rest and body board, as described in Claim 1, further comprising first and second backpack notches, said first and second backpack notches being disposed along said first and second side edges, and sized and shaped to permit the combination back rest and body board to be positioned on a user’s back beneath a backpack with the backpack straps passing through said first and second backpack notches so that the combination back rest and body board is supported by the backpack straps.

10. The combination back rest and body board, as described in Claim 1, further comprising a depth indicator, said depth indicator being disposed on either of said upper surface and said lower surface, ranging from 4” to 6” in length and being disposed with a lower end 8” to 18” from said pointed second end.

11 The combination back rest and body board, as described in Claim 1, wherein said rigid, planar body board is formed from materials selected from the group consisting of: wood, wood veneer, plywood, particle board, fiberglass (including e- cloth, electrical glass, warp glass, s-glass, d-size), plastic (including polypropylene, polyethylene, polycarbonate, acrylic, polylactic acid, polylactide (PLA), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), thermoplastic rubbers, thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), flexible filament, copolymers, polymers, thermoplastic polymers, amorphous polymers, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polyurethane, ) PET and PETG filaments - polyethylene terephthalate Glycol), acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (ASA) also called acrylic styrene acrylonitrile, nylon, photopolymers, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)), wood filaments (wood-based filaments are typically a composite that combines a PLA base material with wood dust, cork, and other powdered wood derivatives), metal filled filaments (PLA Base), carbon fiber filaments, 3D printing materials (including FFF (fused filament fabrication) and FDM (fused deposition modeling).