WO2013177697A1 - Adaptable riding board - Google Patents
Adaptable riding board Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO2013177697A1 WO2013177697A1 PCT/CA2013/050386 CA2013050386W WO2013177697A1 WO 2013177697 A1 WO2013177697 A1 WO 2013177697A1 CA 2013050386 W CA2013050386 W CA 2013050386W WO 2013177697 A1 WO2013177697 A1 WO 2013177697A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- foot
- retaining means
- riding
- board
- support section
- Prior art date
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Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63C—SKATES; SKIS; ROLLER SKATES; DESIGN OR LAYOUT OF COURTS, RINKS OR THE LIKE
- A63C10/00—Snowboard bindings
- A63C10/16—Systems for adjusting the direction or position of the bindings
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63C—SKATES; SKIS; ROLLER SKATES; DESIGN OR LAYOUT OF COURTS, RINKS OR THE LIKE
- A63C10/00—Snowboard bindings
- A63C10/16—Systems for adjusting the direction or position of the bindings
- A63C10/18—Systems for adjusting the direction or position of the bindings about a vertical rotation axis relative to the board
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63C—SKATES; SKIS; ROLLER SKATES; DESIGN OR LAYOUT OF COURTS, RINKS OR THE LIKE
- A63C5/00—Skis or snowboards
- A63C5/03—Mono skis; Snowboards
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
- B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING
- B63B32/00—Water sports boards; Accessories therefor
- B63B32/40—Twintip boards; Wakeboards; Surfboards; Windsurfing boards; Paddle boards, e.g. SUP boards; Accessories specially adapted therefor
- B63B32/45—Fixation means for feet of the board user, e.g. footstraps
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
- B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING
- B63B32/00—Water sports boards; Accessories therefor
- B63B32/60—Board appendages, e.g. fins, hydrofoils or centre boards
- B63B32/64—Adjustable, e.g. by adding sections, by removing sections or by changing orientation or profile
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63C—SKATES; SKIS; ROLLER SKATES; DESIGN OR LAYOUT OF COURTS, RINKS OR THE LIKE
- A63C2203/00—Special features of skates, skis, roller-skates, snowboards and courts
- A63C2203/54—Snowboard or ski binding or interface allowing pivoting motion during riding
Definitions
- the present invention relates to sports boards ridden in a stand up position. More particularly the present invention relates to foot retaining means that easily adapt to the stance of the rider on the board in such a way the rider ⁇ s feet are retained to the board in a comfortable, secure and safe way, while the board automatically adapts to the riding stance changes.
- Riding boards are popular for water, land, ice or snow riding. Snowboarding, wave surfing, wheeled 'skate' boards, wind surfing, kite surfing, wake boarding and many more variations are well spread 'fun' sports enjoyed by millions of riders worldwide. Propulsion methods vary from wind by sail or kite, kicking a foot, small engines or water-jets, or a wave. Some propulsion methods require external towing sources, such as motor boats and cables.
- Riding boards can be divided in two main classes, directional and bi-directional or 'twin-tip'.
- Directional boards are typically designed for riding in one direction, and as such have a distinctive nose and tail.
- the rider after changing the riding direction of board, the rider either turns around on the board to assume a position mirrored from the previous stance, or continues to ride with the feet in the same place on the board, in boarding terms, 'heel side' when the riders heels are towards the mountain, center of a turn, or wind, and 'toe side' when the toes are pointed towards the mountain, center of a turn, or wind.
- Twin-tips boards have one very big advantage over directional boards, as the riding direction can be changed instantly without removing the feet from the board. This makes it easier to learn to ride both ways, and for advanced riders this opens up many creative possibilities to perform tricks involving body rotations and reversed riding.
- twin-tip boards typically perform better, as they can be optimized for riding in one direction, whereas twin-tip boards have symmetrical tips, meaning that a nose is a tail and vice versa, which typically implies a compromised performance for sliding and planing boards.
- the board length is limited as a too long tail makes it difficult to steer the board with the center point of gravity too far away from the tail.
- the board shape is further compromised by the different requirements for 'rocker' (main board curvature in a vertical plane collinear with the board) and 'scoop' (nose curvature to assist the board to ride over bumps or small waves.
- Another compromise, which more specifically applies to towed water riding boards, is that twin-tips can only have really short fins, because fins would make the board uncontrollable if the nose fins drag through the water. Short fins have very limited use in kite boarding
- Rotatable foot retaining for riding boards are found in the prior art, for instance by Tuurna (FR2518188 A1) and Küntzel (WO 2011/064326 A2 ). These references present rotatable foot strap arrangements for riding boards. While these patents address the need for adaptable foot stances by providing rotatable straps, it will be difficult if not painful to adapt the stance when a foot is inside the strap, as the foot is for the largest part supported on the fixed deck of the riding board.
- Another design for a rotatable binding is made by Mike Geldart, who made a fully rotatable foot-pad and strap combo on a skim board. This is regarded as feeling to loose, as there is no locking of the rotational movement provided.
- the present invention overcomes the limitations and disadvantages present in the art by providing a design for a riding board adapted with foot retaining means that allows adjustment of the foot stance relative to the board while riding, and adjustments to the board geometry, structure and fin configuration, with improved fitting of the feet.
- the present invention applies to both twin-tip and directional boards.
- a riding board is, for each foot that requires adaption to different stances, adapted with a rotatable foot support section which is essentially smaller than the foot, such that at least the heel, and in some embodiments also the toes, extend over the rotating support section.
- the rotatable section is provided with a boot, boot ramp or with one or more straps.
- the riding board is adapted with locking support sections, which is a part of the board deck or is attached to the board and which extend under the trajectory of the toes and heel.
- the rotatable foot support section may be shaped like a round disk, so it can rotate in a circular slot in a larger fixed support section.
- the rotating movement is easily locked by the heel-, toe- or combined heel and toe pressure on the locking support section.
- Kite-boards, and surf-boards, and also wheeled land boards are often equipped with foot straps.
- the waters sports boards are mostly ridden barefoot or with flexible neoprene boots.
- a riding board according to the present invention can have each rotating foot support section provided with a strap, preferably padded with soft and skin friendly material.
- the riding board according to the present invention provides means for adjusting the strap size and shape to always fit the foot snugly and securely, yet easy to step in to and remove the foot.
- the rotatable foot support section is provided with a rigid support disk, and connecting means to one or both sides of this disk, which connecting means can installed at various offsets from the center of the disk to adjust to the width of the riders foot.
- the connection means can slide in a channel in the support disk, and can be fixed in position by means of a screw.
- a connecting flap made from semi-rigid material like thin polyamide sheet, adapted with to one side the hook and to the other side the loop part of a hook and loop locking patch, is rigidly connected.
- a flexible liner, with thereto attached a comfort pad is connected to both connection means, and partly to the support disk in order to cover the gaps that proceed from adjusting the connecting means to a wider position.
- the comfort pad on the top has to the left and right side the counterpart of the inside hook and loop patch of the connecting flaps attached.
- the comfort pad to the outside further has locking wings hinge ably attached parallel to the center line. Setting the strap to the right size and conical shape is done by placing the foot on the foot retaining means, inside the flexible liner, and by pressing the left and right connecting flap to the top of the comfort pad. Now, the size and shape is set, and the strap can be further locked by applying the locking wings.
- the adjustable connection width, length and conical shape of the strap thus provide a snug and secure fit of the foot, while the skin of the foot is comfortably surrounded by the liner.
- Directional riding boards such as wave riding boards can usually be ridden with either the left or right leg towards the front.
- Many riders are skilled in stepping over to the reversed stance as part of a gybing or tacking maneuver, in boarding terminology also referred to as 'switching' between 'regular', with the left leg forward, and 'goofy', with the right leg forward.
- a riding board according to the invention can be adapted with one or two retaining means allowing foot stance adjustment that can accept the feet from both sides. Therefore, locking support sections are provided to at least the left and right side of a rotating support section, while, for the front foot, a locking support section towards the tail is useful.
- a regular 'full deck pad' as used on surfboards can easily be adapted to be used with rotating foot retaining to form a riding board according to the invention.
- a directional riding board according to the invention should not be adapted with rotating foot retaining means with conical straps like the bi-directional board according to the invention described above, as the strap will be accessed from both side.
- bindings Some styles of board riding, like wake and snowboarding, require a firmer bond of the legs to the board, mostly due to the higher loads occurring, and the higher speeds achieved by the riders.
- Connecting means for these boards are typically referred to as bindings, and come as two different types, one where a pair of boots is rigidly locked to the board and the rider either puts the boots on and attaches the boots to the board with quick-locking means on the underside of the boots, as with snowboard hard boots, or the boots stay on the board and the rider puts them on with the board attached to it, as with wake-boards.
- the other type is common in snowboarding, where the rider wears specially prepared soft boots that are strapped to the bindings by means of straps.
- bindings often include high-back plates, for additional support around the ankles and lower legs.
- the rotating section is provided with a boot that, for the parts that extend over the rotating foot retaining section has no sole, allowing the heel and toe section to directly contact the locking support section.
- the rotating foot support section is adapted with a full boot, for instance for used in cold conditions.
- the rotating support section can tilt by a few degrees about an axis sagittal to the foot and located sufficiently above the foot support section.
- a bevel gear is fixed to the foot retaining means in a plane parallel to the rotating foot support section, and concentric with the rotation axis of the foot retaining support section.
- the underside of the boot is, at both heel and toe side, provided with sections of matching internal bevel gears, all such that when the boot is tilted by pressure from the toes and lower legs leaning forward in the boot, the toe-side internal bevel gear section engages with the bevel gear fixed to the foot retaining means, and when the boot is tilted by heel pressure combined with the lower legs leaning back in the boot, the heel side bevel gear section engages with said bevel gear, while the foot support section can rotate freely if the pressure is applied evenly on the toe and heel.
- a compressible friction pad can be applied between the rotating foot support section and the part of the foot retaining means fixed to the riding board.
- a similar embodiment according to the invention is, instead of with gears, adapted with high friction material. For cold and/or wet conditions however, the gear provides a positive lock whereas water, ice and debris may impair the friction functionality.
- a riding board according to the present invention can be optimized for the riding direction by the rotation movement of the foot retaining means, as the foot stance will change when the riding direction is reversed.
- a twin tip board With fixed retaining mains, a twin tip board will usually be ridden with most of the pressure on the rear leg, even to the extent that the front leg is pulled towards the rider to increase the pressure on the tail of the board. Obviously this can be very enervating for the rider. Without even changing the geometry of the board, shifting the rider's weight towards the tail of the board will noticeably improve the board performance.
- a riding board according to the present invention automatically shifts the weight towards the tail of the board as the heels are turned towards the tail, relative to the axis of rotation of the rotating foot support section.
- this effect can be further enhanced by offsetting the axis of rotation relative to the foot towards the toe-side of the board, as the heels describe a larger arc and therewith travel further towards the tail of the board.
- the foot retaining means as a whole are rotatable about an axis towards the toe side of the riding board, in such a way the rotatable foot support section can swing in a plane parallel to the board deck to the preferred position.
- a heel locking section is shaped and fixed on the board such that a foot can be partly in the foot retaining means and partly supported on the heel locking section, thus locking the rotation of both the rotatable foot support section and the foot retaining means.
- This embodiment is particularly useful for larger riding boards, like light wind kite propelled riding boards.
- the rotating motion of the feet on a riding board according to the present invention can be further applied to optimize the performance to the riding direction by using this rotation to make adaptions to the board geometry and structure.
- This section describes some embodiments of the invention, where these adaptions are made by either, but not limited to, cable-pulling systems, movable beams, cams, gears and electric motors.
- An embodiment of a riding board according to the present invention can be adapted such that rotating the front rotating foot support section to a front foot position applies a bending moment to the nose section to increase the rocker, while rotating the other foot support section to a rear foot position releases such a bending moment in the tail section, allowing the tail side of the board to spring back to a relatively flat rocker, as such providing a reversible rocker.
- a riding board according to the present invention can be also be adapted to lift parts of the sliding or planing surface from the underground it slides over, by rotating the foot support sections.
- a riding board has three sections, a mid-section with the foot retaining means and one or more fins, and two symmetrically placed nose sections that can tilt upward relative to the mid-section, which tilting is activated by rotating a foot support section. Obviously such tilting mechanism has to be locked in either extreme of the tilting motion.
- Yet another way to adapt the board geometry of a water riding board according to the invention to the riding direction is by enlarging the lateral area of the fins when they are tail side, while decreasing the fin depth when they are nose side. In an embodiment of the invention, this is achieved by using the rotation of the support section to fold in and out fins, or to slide the fins in and out of slots in the board hull.
- Such a board would typically be used for kite surfing, in which case the fins can be made asymmetric to generate more lift towards the leeward side, benefiting from the fact that the kite will be flown over the leeward side of the board, which in case of a twin tip board is always the same.
- a disk-shaped rotating foot support section is adapted with a center axis and one or more replaceable friction pads between the rotating foot support and a sliding surface fixed to the board.
- a friction pad preferably made from a wear resistant and slightly compressible material like EVA foam, for instance laminated with a thin wear layer, when placed towards the perimeter of the disk shaped rotating foot support, and pressed on the sliding surface, stabilizes the rotating foot support in both axial and tangential directions, and therewith provides appropriate stability for the rider to precisely control the riding board according to the present invention.
- the rotation movement of the foot support section can be locked, for instance by joining the foot support section to a fixed part on the board.
- the foot retaining means are removable from the board to be installed at a different location on the board to adjust the distance between the foot retaining means or to adapt the balance of the board, to be replaced with another foot retaining means, or to ride the board without foot retaining means, in surf terminology also referred to as 'strapless riding'.
- a removable retaining means can be adapted with holes for fixing that comply with the de facto standard for mounting foot retaining means used in the particular industry for similar boards.
- the present invention involves providing a various types of riding boards with rotating foot retaining means provided with a rotatable support section, which for directional boards allows for ergonomically and comfortably adapting one foot retaining means to be accessed from two sides, and which for bi-directional or 'twin-tip' boards allows for both ergonomically and comfortably adapting the foot retaining means while adapting the board to the reversed riding direction by shifting the riders weight, changing the geometry of the board and or adjusting of a fin setup.
- Figure 1 depicts a bi-directional water riding board according to the present invention, with foot retaining means having a rotatable foot support section rotating at the center of the feet.
- Figure 2 depicts a bidirectional water riding board according to the present invention, with foot retaining means having a rotatable foot support section rotating about axes offset from the center of the feet.
- Figure 3A depicts a bidirectional water riding board according to the present invention in top view, with rotatable foot retaining means having a rotatable foot support section, with the foot retaining means rotating about axes towards the toe-side edge of the board.
- Figure 3B depicts the bidirectional water riding board from figure 3A from an underwater perspective.
- Figure 4A depicts a bidirectional water riding board according to the present invention, with moveable nose sections which are moved by the foot retaining means, in a perspective view.
- Figure 4B depicts a bidirectional water riding board according to the present invention, with moveable nose sections which are moved by the foot retaining means, in a lateral view
- Figure 5 depicts a directional water riding board according to the invention adapted with foot retaining means having a rotatable foot support section.
- Figure 6 depicts a cross section of a riding board according to the present invention through a foot retaining means.
- Figure 7 depicts a side view of a riding board according to the invention at a foot retaining means having the rotatable foot support section adapted with a partial boot.
- Figure 8A depicts a side view of a riding board according to the invention at a foot retaining means having the rotatable foot support section adapted with a boot in rotatable position
- Figure 8B depicts a side view of a riding board according to the invention at a foot retaining means having the rotatable foot support section adapted with a boot in locked position by heel pressure
- Figure 8C depicts a side view of a riding board according to the invention at a foot retaining means having the rotatable foot support section adapted with a boot in locked position by toe pressure
- Figure 1 depicts a bidirectional water riding board 1 according to the present invention.
- the board is adapted with foot retaining means 2 having a rotatable about their axes r foot support section rotating 3 at the center of the feet.
- the rotatable foot support sections 3 are rotated like they would be when board 1 is ridden towards the right.
- the rotatable foot support sections 3 are adapted with partial boot ramps 4 , and the feet extend outside the rotatable foot support sections 3 , thus allowing the heels and toes to grip the on the locking support sections 5 when pressure is applied.
- Figure 2 depicts a bidirectional water riding board according to the present invention, in a variation that has the rotatable foot support sections 3 rotating about axes r' offset from the center of the feet towards the toe side. This demonstrates a noticeably larger swinging trajectory of the heels, which is helpful in adapting the riding characteristic of board 1 . Because of this, board 1 can be ridden in a more natural body position, with less weight on the rear foot.
- FIG 3A depicts another embodiment of a bidirectional water riding board according to the present invention.
- the foot retaining means are, contrary to the boards in the previous figures, made rotatable about axes s , resulting in each foot retaining means having two points of rotation s and r .
- This set-up allows for large swinging trajectory of the feet retaining means and therewith the leg pressure on the board, which allows large riding boards to be ridden bi-directionally.
- the foot retaining means are adapted with sliding edges 6 which slide under ridges on the locking support sections 5 in order to stabilize the foot retaining means in every position.
- FIG. 3B As large water riding boards are particularly useful as low wind kite boards; this board is adapted with large fins 7 to provide enough lateral resistance to sail upwind.
- this board is adapted with large fins 7 to provide enough lateral resistance to sail upwind.
- the fins 7 In order to keep the fins 7 at the nose-side out if the water, they are collapsed as shown by fins 7' by the rotation of retaining means, while they are increased for the tail side.
- Linking the movement of the foot support sections to the movement of the fins can be done by cables, rods, gears, electric power and so on.
- the fins 7 , 7' can be adapted with asymmetric hydrodynamic profiles to provide windward lift, as wind ward and leeward on a bidirectional board is most always on the same side.
- Figures 4A and4B depict yet another embodiment of a bidirectional water riding board 1 according to the present invention, adapted with moveable nose sections left leg side nose 8 and right leg side nose 9 which can be lifted from the water surface relative to mid-section 10 by rotating the foot support sections of foot retaining means 2 .
- the nose sections have beams 11 , 12 rigidly attached to them, which beams 11 , 12 can rotate about axis 13 .
- Also rotating about axis 13 are two fins 14 .
- the movement of the nose sections is limited in two extreme positions, in the lower position the nose section, in this figure the one near the right leg 9 , is engaged with the water surface and therewith provides a fully functional front section of a water riding board, while in the other extreme position, as depicted by the left leg nose section 8 , the nose is lifted from the water surface, thereby reducing the tail length while the mid-section 10 , which has only very little rocker, provides appropriate bottom geometry for the tail side of the board.
- the fins can be made to swing about axis 13 , in such a way that they point backwards by angle a , for instance for allowing weeds to slide off the fin or reduce lateral lift on downwind tacks.
- Figure 5 depicts a directional water riding board 15 according to the invention, with the foot retaining means 2 set up to be accessible from both port and starboard side.
- the partial boot ramp is here provided as a symmetrical strap 16 .
- the board 15 is further adapted with deck pads 17 , which provide good grip for the riders feet during maneuvers where one or both feet are removed from the straps, such as gybing or tacking.
- the foot retaining means 2 can as a whole, be removed from the board and attached in another position.
- the foot retaining means 2 are made to fit to slots 18 in the deck pads 17 such that four positions for each foot retaining means are provided, when the foot retaining means 2 are installed both forward and reversed in different mounting positions.
- FIG 6 a cross section of a riding board 1 , 15 according to the present invention in a preferred embodiment through a foot retaining means is shown.
- a mounting plate 19 is adapted with a comfortable fixed foot pad 20 providing locking support sections for the heel and toes.
- a disk 21 is mounted rotatably to mounting plate 19 by main axis 22 . Towards the circumference of the disk, friction pads 23 are compressed between mounting plate 19 and disk 21 . These friction pads absorb any play the foot retaining means may have and provide tangential friction to stabilize the rotatable part of the assembly.
- Disk 21 is further provided with connecting means 24 which are locked in place by screws 25 therewith providing adjustable spacing of the connecting means.
- connecting flaps 26 from semi rigid plastic or hard rubber sheet covered with hook and loop sections are attached.
- Liner 27 from elastic and soft material like neoprene is attached to the left and right side of orthopedic pad 28 mounted to disk 21 in such a way that even when adjusting the connecting means to a wide setting the gaps between orthopedic pad 28 and other parts are covered.
- the shape and size of the upper can be fixed by setting comfort pad 29 over foot 30 , and pressing it on the connecting flaps to engage the hook and loop.
- the boot ramp is closed and made to fit foot 30 snugly.
- Figure 7 depicts a side view of a bidirectional riding board 1 according to the invention at foot retaining means having the rotatable foot support section adapted with a partial boot 32 .
- This embodiment of the invention would typically be of interest for high speed board riders like wake-boarders.
- a rotating support section 3 is adapted with a boot 32 providing a very secure grip in all directions.
- Boot 32 is has sections of the sole towards the toes and heel removed. The toe and heel can directly contact locking support sections 5 . By lifting the weight from the foot to a position depicted by dotted lines, the foot can rotate about axis s , and by pressing the foot down, the rotational movement is locked.
- Figures 8A, 8B and 8C show a side view of a riding board according to the invention with a closed boot 33 .
- this embodiment is designed more specifically for cold conditions, having the heel and toes grip to their respective locking sections would be a rather uncomfortable matter.
- This embodiment would typically be of interest for snow riding boards. As these boards are mostly ridden on their edges, the legs apply a moment to the board to tilt it about its longitudinal axis, either towards toe-side or heel side. In the feet this translates to toe pressure or heel pressure.
- Boot 33 is therefore rotatably suspended about boot tilting axis t .
- the boot sole is adapted with a heel side partial internal gear 34 and a toe side partial internal gear 35 , both at a small offset from a retaining means fixed gear 36 .
- heel side pressure as depicted by arrow u
- heel side partial internal gear 34 engages with fixed gear 36
- toe side pressure as depicted by arrow v toe side partial internal gear 35 engages with fixed gear 36 .
Abstract
A riding board adapted with one or more foot retaining means allows rotation of a foot in a plane parallel to the board. Each foot retaining means comprises a rotatable foot support section relative to the retaining means and adapted with means forming at least a boot ramp or part thereof. The boot ramp is dimensioned in such a way that the heel and toes extend sufficiently outside of the rotatable center section to be able to press on a fixed locking support section relative to the retaining means. Thus, the rotatable foot support section is locked when the heel, toes or all are pressed against the locking section.
Description
The present invention relates to sports boards
ridden in a stand up position. More particularly the present invention relates
to foot retaining means that easily adapt to the stance of the rider on the
board in such a way the rider`s feet are retained to the board in a
comfortable, secure and safe way, while the board automatically adapts to the
riding stance changes.
Riding boards are popular for water, land, ice or
snow riding. Snowboarding, wave surfing, wheeled 'skate' boards, wind surfing,
kite surfing, wake boarding and many more variations are well spread 'fun'
sports enjoyed by millions of riders worldwide. Propulsion methods vary from
wind by sail or kite, kicking a foot, small engines or water-jets, or a wave.
Some propulsion methods require external towing sources, such as motor boats
and cables.
Most riding boards are ridden with the feet apart
from each other, with one foot towards the riding direction and one foot
towards the back. This enables the rider to powerfully shift the weight across
the board, for instance to steer the board or to make jumps. Due to this, the
rider typically has the hips turned a bit towards the riding direction,
resulting in a typical asymmetric stance.
Riding boards can be divided in two main classes,
directional and bi-directional or 'twin-tip'. Directional boards are typically
designed for riding in one direction, and as such have a distinctive nose and
tail. In case of a riding board, after changing the riding direction of board,
the rider either turns around on the board to assume a position mirrored from
the previous stance, or continues to ride with the feet in the same place on
the board, in boarding terms, 'heel side' when the riders heels are towards the
mountain, center of a turn, or wind, and 'toe side' when the toes are pointed
towards the mountain, center of a turn, or wind.
Twin-tips boards have one very big advantage over
directional boards, as the riding direction can be changed instantly without
removing the feet from the board. This makes it easier to learn to ride both
ways, and for advanced riders this opens up many creative possibilities to
perform tricks involving body rotations and reversed riding.
Directional boards typically perform better, as they
can be optimized for riding in one direction, whereas twin-tip boards have
symmetrical tips, meaning that a nose is a tail and vice versa, which typically
implies a compromised performance for sliding and planing boards. The board
length is limited as a too long tail makes it difficult to steer the board with
the center point of gravity too far away from the tail. The board shape is
further compromised by the different requirements for 'rocker' (main board
curvature in a vertical plane collinear with the board) and 'scoop' (nose
curvature to assist the board to ride over bumps or small waves. Another
compromise, which more specifically applies to towed water riding boards, is
that twin-tips can only have really short fins, because fins would make the
board uncontrollable if the nose fins drag through the water. Short fins have
very limited use in kite boarding
Most riding boards provide means to lock the feet to
the boards, varying from high-friction foam or grid patches, layers of sticky
wax, straps with or without damping pads, to boots with or without unlocking
means. Depending on the board and riding style, riders choose one of these
means.
While fixed straps and boots provide the most secure
locking of the feet to the board, and therefore are most suitable for high
speed board riding like wake-, snow- and kite boarding, they have certain
disadvantages.
One obvious disadvantage of fixed straps and boots
on twin tip boards is that the foot stance for both riding directions is the
same, while the hips are typically twisted towards the riding direction, and
the knees are bent unevenly, as the leg pressure and the point of gravity are
shifted between the riding directions. This causes the knees and ankles to
contort, which over extended periods of time is damaging to the knee joints and
ligaments. Riders typically prefer to use wide straps which allow a foot to
twist inside the strap, in order to align the feet with the leg, while this
obviously goes at the cost of safety, since an overly wide strap doesn't really
embrace a foot very well. There are some serious risks involved with wide
straps, as a foot can incidentally slip from the strap. The board can then turn
around the other feet and cause injuries to typically the ankle, lower leg and
knee. If two feet slip from the strap, the board is separated from the rider,
and can incur damage injury by crashing in to objects and persons, or it can be
lost completely.
Another disadvantage of a twin tip sliding board
with fixed boots or straps is that the rider can't shift his weight by
adjusting the foot position, which needs to be compensated by pushing and
pulling forces of the legs on the board, which in turn causes fatigue.
Most riding boards nowadays provide ways to fix the
foot straps at different angles to precisely adjust the stance to the riders
preference, but one will have to agree that each such stance will be a
compromise any on a bi-directional board, as the stance cannot be adapted while
riding. Free-style snowboarders for instance fix their binding symmetrical to
the snow board with the toes pointing slightly outward, in board riders
terminology also referred to as 'duck stance'. Riding in such a duck stance
will contort the knees and ankles of the rear leg.
Rotatable foot retaining for riding boards are
found in the prior art, for instance by Tuurna (FR2518188 A1) and Küntzel (WO
2011/064326 A2 ). These references present rotatable foot strap arrangements
for riding boards. While these patents address the need for adaptable foot
stances by providing rotatable straps, it will be difficult if not painful to
adapt the stance when a foot is inside the strap, as the foot is for the
largest part supported on the fixed deck of the riding board. Another design
for a rotatable binding is made by Mike Geldart, who made a fully rotatable
foot-pad and strap combo on a skim board. This is regarded as feeling to loose,
as there is no locking of the rotational movement provided.
The present invention overcomes the limitations
and disadvantages present in the art by providing a design for a riding board
adapted with foot retaining means that allows adjustment of the foot stance
relative to the board while riding, and adjustments to the board geometry,
structure and fin configuration, with improved fitting of the feet. The present
invention applies to both twin-tip and directional boards.
Therefore, a riding board is, for each foot that
requires adaption to different stances, adapted with a rotatable foot support
section which is essentially smaller than the foot, such that at least the
heel, and in some embodiments also the toes, extend over the rotating support
section. The rotatable section is provided with a boot, boot ramp or with one
or more straps. The riding board is adapted with locking support sections,
which is a part of the board deck or is attached to the board and which extend
under the trajectory of the toes and heel. The rotatable foot support section
may be shaped like a round disk, so it can rotate in a circular slot in a
larger fixed support section.
As such, the rotating movement is easily locked
by the heel-, toe- or combined heel and toe pressure on the locking support
section.
Various styles and types of riding boards require
various foot retaining means. The present invention provides for this variation
in order to make the invention suitable for all riding boards that require foot
retaining.
Kite-boards, and surf-boards, and also wheeled
land boards are often equipped with foot straps. The waters sports boards are
mostly ridden barefoot or with flexible neoprene boots. A riding board
according to the present invention can have each rotating foot support section
provided with a strap, preferably padded with soft and skin friendly material.
As a riding board according to the present invention allows easy correction of
the stance of the feet, there is no need to make the straps much wider than
they should, therefore the riding board according to the present invention
provides means for adjusting the strap size and shape to always fit the foot
snugly and securely, yet easy to step in to and remove the foot. This is
achieved by combining width adjustment, whereby the connection of the strap to
the rotating support section is at one or both sides made adjustable, and the
size and shape of the strap itself, by an arrangement of hook and loop flaps
that allow adjustment of the strap length and conical shape, in such a way the
inside of the strap stays open if the foot is removed, thus providing easy
access of the foot in the strap, and by using a flexible liner that extend
across the full inside of the strap whether the a large or small setting of the
adjustable strap is made.
Thereto, in a preferred embodiment of the
invention, the rotatable foot support section is provided with a rigid support
disk, and connecting means to one or both sides of this disk, which connecting
means can installed at various offsets from the center of the disk to adjust to
the width of the riders foot. In this embodiment of the invention the
connection means can slide in a channel in the support disk, and can be fixed
in position by means of a screw. To each connecting means, a connecting flap
made from semi-rigid material like thin polyamide sheet, adapted with to one
side the hook and to the other side the loop part of a hook and loop locking
patch, is rigidly connected. A flexible liner, with thereto attached a comfort
pad, is connected to both connection means, and partly to the support disk in
order to cover the gaps that proceed from adjusting the connecting means to a
wider position. The comfort pad on the top has to the left and right side the
counterpart of the inside hook and loop patch of the connecting flaps attached.
The comfort pad to the outside further has locking wings hinge ably attached
parallel to the center line. Setting the strap to the right size and conical
shape is done by placing the foot on the foot retaining means, inside the
flexible liner, and by pressing the left and right connecting flap to the top
of the comfort pad. Now, the size and shape is set, and the strap can be
further locked by applying the locking wings.
The adjustable connection width, length and
conical shape of the strap thus provide a snug and secure fit of the foot,
while the skin of the foot is comfortably surrounded by the liner. By adapting
the support disk with a part of a foot bed from comfortable material like EVA
foam, the foot inside the rotatable section of a foot retaining means on a
riding board according to the invention is retained not only snugly and
securely, but also comfortably.
Directional riding boards such as wave riding
boards can usually be ridden with either the left or right leg towards the
front. Many riders are skilled in stepping over to the reversed stance as part
of a gybing or tacking maneuver, in boarding terminology also referred to as
'switching' between 'regular', with the left leg forward, and 'goofy', with the
right leg forward. A riding board according to the invention can be adapted
with one or two retaining means allowing foot stance adjustment that can accept
the feet from both sides. Therefore, locking support sections are provided to
at least the left and right side of a rotating support section, while, for the
front foot, a locking support section towards the tail is useful. A regular
'full deck pad' as used on surfboards can easily be adapted to be used with
rotating foot retaining to form a riding board according to the invention. A
directional riding board according to the invention should not be adapted with
rotating foot retaining means with conical straps like the bi-directional board
according to the invention described above, as the strap will be accessed from
both side.
Some styles of board riding, like wake and
snowboarding, require a firmer bond of the legs to the board, mostly due to the
higher loads occurring, and the higher speeds achieved by the riders.
Connecting means for these boards are typically referred to as bindings, and
come as two different types, one where a pair of boots is rigidly locked to the
board and the rider either puts the boots on and attaches the boots to the
board with quick-locking means on the underside of the boots, as with snowboard
hard boots, or the boots stay on the board and the rider puts them on with the
board attached to it, as with wake-boards. The other type is common in
snowboarding, where the rider wears specially prepared soft boots that are
strapped to the bindings by means of straps. These types of bindings often
include high-back plates, for additional support around the ankles and lower
legs.
In a preferred embodiment of a riding board
according to the present invention the rotating section is provided with a boot
that, for the parts that extend over the rotating foot retaining section has no
sole, allowing the heel and toe section to directly contact the locking support
section.
In another preferred embodiment of a riding board
according to the present invention, the rotating foot support section is
adapted with a full boot, for instance for used in cold conditions. The
rotating support section can tilt by a few degrees about an axis sagittal to
the foot and located sufficiently above the foot support section. A bevel gear
is fixed to the foot retaining means in a plane parallel to the rotating foot
support section, and concentric with the rotation axis of the foot retaining
support section. The underside of the boot is, at both heel and toe side,
provided with sections of matching internal bevel gears, all such that when the
boot is tilted by pressure from the toes and lower legs leaning forward in the
boot, the toe-side internal bevel gear section engages with the bevel gear
fixed to the foot retaining means, and when the boot is tilted by heel pressure
combined with the lower legs leaning back in the boot, the heel side bevel gear
section engages with said bevel gear, while the foot support section can rotate
freely if the pressure is applied evenly on the toe and heel.
In order to stabilize these movements, a
compressible friction pad can be applied between the rotating foot support
section and the part of the foot retaining means fixed to the riding board. A
similar embodiment according to the invention is, instead of with gears,
adapted with high friction material. For cold and/or wet conditions however,
the gear provides a positive lock whereas water, ice and debris may impair the
friction functionality.
For twin tip riding boards, changing the riding
direction typically brings about some limitations of the board performance, as
the tails and noses are identical. A riding board according to the present
invention can be optimized for the riding direction by the rotation movement of
the foot retaining means, as the foot stance will change when the riding
direction is reversed. With fixed retaining mains, a twin tip board will
usually be ridden with most of the pressure on the rear leg, even to the extent
that the front leg is pulled towards the rider to increase the pressure on the
tail of the board. Obviously this can be very enervating for the rider. Without
even changing the geometry of the board, shifting the rider's weight towards
the tail of the board will noticeably improve the board performance.
A riding board according to the present invention
automatically shifts the weight towards the tail of the board as the heels are
turned towards the tail, relative to the axis of rotation of the rotating foot
support section. In an embodiment of the present invention, this effect can be
further enhanced by offsetting the axis of rotation relative to the foot
towards the toe-side of the board, as the heels describe a larger arc and
therewith travel further towards the tail of the board.
In another embodiment of the present invention,
the foot retaining means as a whole are rotatable about an axis towards the toe
side of the riding board, in such a way the rotatable foot support section can
swing in a plane parallel to the board deck to the preferred position. For each
foot retaining means, a heel locking section is shaped and fixed on the board
such that a foot can be partly in the foot retaining means and partly supported
on the heel locking section, thus locking the rotation of both the rotatable
foot support section and the foot retaining means. This embodiment is
particularly useful for larger riding boards, like light wind kite propelled
riding boards.
The rotating motion of the feet on a riding board
according to the present invention can be further applied to optimize the
performance to the riding direction by using this rotation to make adaptions to
the board geometry and structure. This section describes some embodiments of
the invention, where these adaptions are made by either, but not limited to,
cable-pulling systems, movable beams, cams, gears and electric motors.
The most important denominators for surfboards
are the outline and rocker. Riding boards for use on water preferably have a
relatively flat tail section and an increased rocker towards the nose.
An embodiment of a riding board according to the
present invention can be adapted such that rotating the front rotating foot
support section to a front foot position applies a bending moment to the nose
section to increase the rocker, while rotating the other foot support section
to a rear foot position releases such a bending moment in the tail section,
allowing the tail side of the board to spring back to a relatively flat rocker,
as such providing a reversible rocker.
Another embodiment of a riding board according to
the present invention can be also be adapted to lift parts of the sliding or
planing surface from the underground it slides over, by rotating the foot
support sections. Such a riding board has three sections, a mid-section with
the foot retaining means and one or more fins, and two symmetrically placed
nose sections that can tilt upward relative to the mid-section, which tilting
is activated by rotating a foot support section. Obviously such tilting
mechanism has to be locked in either extreme of the tilting motion.
Yet another way to adapt the board geometry of a
water riding board according to the invention to the riding direction is by
enlarging the lateral area of the fins when they are tail side, while
decreasing the fin depth when they are nose side. In an embodiment of the
invention, this is achieved by using the rotation of the support section to
fold in and out fins, or to slide the fins in and out of slots in the board
hull. Such a board would typically be used for kite surfing, in which case the
fins can be made asymmetric to generate more lift towards the leeward side,
benefiting from the fact that the kite will be flown over the leeward side of
the board, which in case of a twin tip board is always the same.
In a preferred embodiment of the present
invention, a disk-shaped rotating foot support section is adapted with a center
axis and one or more replaceable friction pads between the rotating foot
support and a sliding surface fixed to the board. Such a friction pad,
preferably made from a wear resistant and slightly compressible material like
EVA foam, for instance laminated with a thin wear layer, when placed towards
the perimeter of the disk shaped rotating foot support, and pressed on the
sliding surface, stabilizes the rotating foot support in both axial and
tangential directions, and therewith provides appropriate stability for the
rider to precisely control the riding board according to the present
invention.
In another preferred embodiment, the rotation
movement of the foot support section can be locked, for instance by joining the
foot support section to a fixed part on the board.
In yet another preferred embodiment, the foot
retaining means are removable from the board to be installed at a different
location on the board to adjust the distance between the foot retaining means
or to adapt the balance of the board, to be replaced with another foot
retaining means, or to ride the board without foot retaining means, in surf
terminology also referred to as 'strapless riding'. Such a removable retaining
means can be adapted with holes for fixing that comply with the de facto
standard for mounting foot retaining means used in the particular industry for
similar boards.
Thus, the present invention involves providing a
various types of riding boards with rotating foot retaining means provided with
a rotatable support section, which for directional boards allows for
ergonomically and comfortably adapting one foot retaining means to be accessed
from two sides, and which for bi-directional or 'twin-tip' boards allows for
both ergonomically and comfortably adapting the foot retaining means while
adapting the board to the reversed riding direction by shifting the riders
weight, changing the geometry of the board and or adjusting of a fin setup.
Figure 1 depicts a bi-directional water riding
board according to the present invention, with foot retaining means having a
rotatable foot support section rotating at the center of the feet.
Figure 2 depicts a bidirectional water riding board
according to the present invention, with foot retaining means having a
rotatable foot support section rotating about axes offset from the center of
the feet.
Figure 3A depicts a bidirectional water riding
board according to the present invention in top view, with rotatable foot
retaining means having a rotatable foot support section, with the foot
retaining means rotating about axes towards the toe-side edge of the board.
Figure 3B depicts the bidirectional water riding
board from figure 3A from an underwater perspective.
Figure 4A depicts a bidirectional water riding
board according to the present invention, with moveable nose sections which are
moved by the foot retaining means, in a perspective view.
Figure 4B depicts a bidirectional water riding
board according to the present invention, with moveable nose sections which are
moved by the foot retaining means, in a lateral view
Figure 5 depicts a directional water riding board
according to the invention adapted with foot retaining means having a rotatable
foot support section.
Figure 6 depicts a cross section of a riding board
according to the present invention through a foot retaining means.
Figure 7 depicts a side view of a riding board
according to the invention at a foot retaining means having the rotatable foot
support section adapted with a partial boot.
Figure 8A depicts a side view of a riding board
according to the invention at a foot retaining means having the rotatable foot
support section adapted with a boot in rotatable position
Figure 8B depicts a side view of a riding board
according to the invention at a foot retaining means having the rotatable foot
support section adapted with a boot in locked position by heel pressure
Figure 8C depicts a side view of a riding board
according to the invention at a foot retaining means having the rotatable foot
support section adapted with a boot in locked position by toe pressure
Figure 1 depicts a bidirectional water riding board
1 according to the present invention. The board is adapted with foot
retaining means 2 having a rotatable about their axes r foot
support section rotating 3 at the center of the feet. The rotatable foot
support sections 3 are rotated like they would be when board 1 is
ridden towards the right. The rotatable foot support sections 3 are
adapted with partial boot ramps 4, and the feet extend outside the
rotatable foot support sections 3, thus allowing the heels and toes to
grip the on the locking support sections 5 when pressure is applied.
Figure 2 depicts a bidirectional water riding board
according to the present invention, in a variation that has the rotatable foot
support sections 3 rotating about axes r' offset from the center
of the feet towards the toe side. This demonstrates a noticeably larger
swinging trajectory of the heels, which is helpful in adapting the riding
characteristic of board 1. Because of this, board 1 can be ridden
in a more natural body position, with less weight on the rear foot.
Figure 3A depicts another embodiment of a
bidirectional water riding board according to the present invention. The foot
retaining means are, contrary to the boards in the previous figures, made
rotatable about axes s, resulting in each foot retaining means having
two points of rotation s and r. This set-up allows for large
swinging trajectory of the feet retaining means and therewith the leg pressure
on the board, which allows large riding boards to be ridden bi-directionally.
The foot retaining means are adapted with sliding edges 6 which slide
under ridges on the locking support sections 5 in order to stabilize the
foot retaining means in every position.
Figure 3B.As large water riding boards are
particularly useful as low wind kite boards; this board is adapted with large
fins 7 to provide enough lateral resistance to sail upwind. In order to
keep the fins 7 at the nose-side out if the water, they are collapsed as
shown by fins 7' by the rotation of retaining means, while they are
increased for the tail side. Linking the movement of the foot support sections
to the movement of the fins can be done by cables, rods, gears, electric power
and so on.
For kite surf board according to the invention, the
fins 7, 7', can be adapted with asymmetric hydrodynamic profiles
to provide windward lift, as wind ward and leeward on a bidirectional board is
most always on the same side.
Figures 4A and4B depict yet another embodiment of a
bidirectional water riding board 1 according to the present invention,
adapted with moveable nose sections left leg side nose 8 and right leg
side nose 9 which can be lifted from the water surface relative to
mid-section 10 by rotating the foot support sections of foot retaining
means 2. In this embodiment the nose sections have beams 11,
12 rigidly attached to them, which beams 11, 12 can rotate
about axis 13. Also rotating about axis 13 are two fins
14. The movement of the nose sections is limited in two extreme
positions, in the lower position the nose section, in this figure the one near
the right leg 9, is engaged with the water surface and therewith
provides a fully functional front section of a water riding board, while in the
other extreme position, as depicted by the left leg nose section 8, the
nose is lifted from the water surface, thereby reducing the tail length while
the mid-section 10, which has only very little rocker, provides
appropriate bottom geometry for the tail side of the board. The fins can be
made to swing about axis 13, in such a way that they point backwards by
angle a, for instance for allowing weeds to slide off the fin or reduce
lateral lift on downwind tacks.
Figure 5 depicts a directional water riding board
15 according to the invention, with the foot retaining means 2
set up to be accessible from both port and starboard side. The partial boot
ramp is here provided as a symmetrical strap 16. The board 15 is
further adapted with deck pads 17, which provide good grip for the
riders feet during maneuvers where one or both feet are removed from the
straps, such as gybing or tacking. In order to provide a precisely adjusted
position of the foot retaining means 2 for different riders, styles and
conditions, the foot retaining means 2 , can as a whole, be removed from
the board and attached in another position. In order to avoid large cavities in
deck pads 17, the foot retaining means 2 are made to fit to slots
18 in the deck pads 17 such that four positions for each foot
retaining means are provided, when the foot retaining means 2 are
installed both forward and reversed in different mounting positions.
In figure 6 a cross section of a riding board
1, 15 according to the present invention in a preferred
embodiment through a foot retaining means is shown. A mounting plate 19
is adapted with a comfortable fixed foot pad 20 providing locking
support sections for the heel and toes. A disk 21 is mounted rotatably
to mounting plate 19 by main axis 22. Towards the circumference
of the disk, friction pads 23 are compressed between mounting plate
19 and disk 21. These friction pads absorb any play the foot
retaining means may have and provide tangential friction to stabilize the
rotatable part of the assembly.
When the correct width of the connecting means
24 is adjusted and fixed, the shape and size of the upper can be fixed
by setting comfort pad 29 over foot 30, and pressing it on the
connecting flaps to engage the hook and loop. By folding down and pressing
locking wings 31 on to the top of comfort pad 29 which is also
covered with hook and loop, the boot ramp is closed and made to fit foot
30 snugly.
Figure 7 depicts a side view of a bidirectional
riding board 1 according to the invention at foot retaining means having
the rotatable foot support section adapted with a partial boot 32. This
embodiment of the invention would typically be of interest for high speed board
riders like wake-boarders. A rotating support section 3 is adapted with
a boot 32 providing a very secure grip in all directions. Boot 32
is has sections of the sole towards the toes and heel removed. The toe and heel
can directly contact locking support sections 5. By lifting the weight
from the foot to a position depicted by dotted lines, the foot can rotate about
axis s, and by pressing the foot down, the rotational movement is
locked.
Finally, Figures 8A, 8B and 8C show a side view of
a riding board according to the invention with a closed boot 33. As this
embodiment is designed more specifically for cold conditions, having the heel
and toes grip to their respective locking sections would be a rather
uncomfortable matter. This embodiment would typically be of interest for snow
riding boards. As these boards are mostly ridden on their edges, the legs apply
a moment to the board to tilt it about its longitudinal axis, either towards
toe-side or heel side. In the feet this translates to toe pressure or heel
pressure. Boot 33 is therefore rotatably suspended about boot tilting
axis t. The boot sole is adapted with a heel side partial internal gear
34 and a toe side partial internal gear 35, both at a small
offset from a retaining means fixed gear 36. By applying heel side
pressure as depicted by arrow u, heel side partial internal gear
34 engages with fixed gear 36, and by applying toe side pressure
as depicted by arrow v, toe side partial internal gear 35 engages
with fixed gear 36.
Changes and modifications to the specifically
described embodiments may be carried out without departing from the principles
of the present invention which is intended to be limited only by the scope of
the appended claims.
Claims (25)
- A riding board adapted with one or more foot retaining means that allow rotating of a foot in a plane parallel to the board, with each foot retaining means comprising a relative to the retaining means rotatable foot support section adapted with means forming at least a boot ramp or part thereof, dimensioned such that the heel and toes extend sufficiently outside of the rotatable center section to be able to press on a relative to the retaining means fixed locking support section, such that the rotatable foot support section is locked when the heel, toes or all are pressed against the locking section.
- The riding board according to claim 1, with the characteristic that the rotating axis of the rotatable foot support section is offset from the mid-foot towards the toes.
- The riding board according to claim 1 or 2, with the characteristic that the foot retaining means is attached to the board rotatably about an axis towards the toe-side of the board.
- A bidirectional riding board according to any of the above claims, with the characteristic that rotational force applied to the rotatable foot support section engages a mechanism that adapts the tail and nose board rocker to the riding direction by releasing a bending moment from the end of the board that is tail-side, and applying a bending moment to the end of the board that is nose-side, in such a way the board geometry adapts to a flattened tail and curved nose rocker upon reversal of the riding direction.
- The bidirectional riding board according to any of the claims 1 to 3, adapted with movable nose sections and a mid-section, in such a way that rotational force applied to the rotatable foot support section lifts one nose section to disengage it from the sliding surface when the riding direction is towards the other nose section, which section at that point is lowered to engage with the sliding surface, therewith effectively shortening the tail length and providing nose side entry rocker to the riding board.
- The bidirectional riding board according to claims 4 or 5, with the characteristic that moveable sections of the riding board are locked in their extreme positions by the rotational force applied on the rotatable foot support section.
- A bidirectional water riding board according to any of the above claims, with the characteristic that turning force applied to the rotatable center section engages a mechanism that increases the lateral area of one or more fins towards the tail, while shortening the fin depth of fins towards the nose upon reversal of the riding direction.
- The bidirectional water riding board according to claim 7, with the characteristic that the fins are sliding in through slots in the riding board.
- The Bidirectional water riding board according to claim 7 or 8, with the characteristic that the fins are rotatable.
- A Wind propelled bidirectional water riding board according to any of the claims 7 to 9, with the characteristic that the fins have an asymmetrical profile in cross section, to enhance windward lateral lift.
- A Riding board adapted with foot retaining means according to any of the above claims, with the characteristic that the rotatable foot support section of a foot retaining means is disk-shaped.
- The riding board adapted with foot retaining means according to claim 11, with the characteristic that the disk-shaped foot support section of a foot retaining means is placed inside a circular recess of a larger fixed locking foot support with only a narrow gap between both disk shaped foot support and fixed locking foot support.
- The riding board adapted with foot retaining means according to claim 11, with the characteristic that the disk-shaped foot support section of a foot retaining means borders on a separate fixed locking foot support section for the heel, which is shaped according to the heel trajectory.
- The riding board adapted with foot retaining means according to claims 11 or 13, with the characteristic that the disk-shaped foot support section borders on a separate fixed locking foot support section for the toes, which is shaped according to the toes trajectory.
- The riding board adapted with foot retaining means according to any of the claims 11 to14, with the characteristic that the foot retaining means are made as assemblies that as a whole can be mounted to and removed from a riding board.
- The riding board adapted with foot retaining means according to any of the claims 11 to 15 with the characteristic that the rotatable foot support section is provided with a part of an orthopedic foot bed.
- The riding board adapted with foot retaining means according to any of the claims 11 to 16 with the characteristic that one or more friction pads are fixed to either the rotatable foot support section or a section fixed to the board, to provide friction between the rotatable foot support section and the section fixed to the board.
- The riding board adapted with foot retaining means according to claim 17 with the characteristic that a friction pad is made from compressible material.
- The riding board foot retaining means according to any of the claims 11 to 18 with the characteristic that the rotatable foot support section is provided with width adjustable connecting means for a boot ramp or part thereof.
- The riding board adapted with foot retaining means according to any of the claims 11 to 19 with the characteristic that the foot support section to the left and right side of the foot is provided with semi rigid hook and loop covered connecting flaps, to which flaps towards the side of the support section, a flexible liner which bridges between the left and right side of the support section and which is provided with a comfort pad is attached, with the outside of the comfort pad having one side of a hook and loop patch, and locking wings that hinge parallel to the center line of the comfort pad, attached, in such a way that the connecting flaps can be held in a desired position by hook and loop patches from both sides, while the flexible liner provides a closed interior of a part of a boot ramp.
- The riding board according to any of the claims 11 to 19 with the characteristic that a foot retaining means has a rotatable foot support section provided with a boot having the heel and toe sole section removed such that the heel and toes can lock on fixed locking sections of the foot retaining means.
- The riding board according to means according to claims 11 to 19 with the characteristic that a foot retaining means is provided with a boot, which is tiltably connected to the rotatable foot support section about an axis normal to the sagittal plane of the foot and located sufficiently above the foot support section, and which is, under the sole of the parts of the boot extending heel and toe-side outside the rotatable support section, adapted with sections of an internal gear placed parallel to the sole, and a fixed section of the foot retaining means is adapted with a gear situated parallel to the riding board, such that tilting of the boot engages the teeth of either the toe side or heel side internal gear, while the rotatable support section can rotate when the boot is not tilted.
- The riding board according to claim 22 with the characteristic that the tilting movement of a boot relative to the rotatable foot support section is stabilized by one or more friction pads.
- The riding board according to claims 22 or 23 with the characteristic that the gear section is protected from ingress of debris by a flexible wall.
- The directional riding board according to claim 1 and any of the claims 11 to 20 with the characteristic that a foot retaining means is made symmetric and accessible from both starboard and port sides.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US14/403,594 US20150182847A1 (en) | 2012-05-29 | 2013-05-17 | Adaptable riding board |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US201261652715P | 2012-05-29 | 2012-05-29 | |
US61/652,715 | 2012-05-29 |
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PCT/CA2013/050386 WO2013177697A1 (en) | 2012-05-29 | 2013-05-17 | Adaptable riding board |
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WO (1) | WO2013177697A1 (en) |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN107215436A (en) * | 2017-05-25 | 2017-09-29 | 张晖 | Electronic surfboard is promoted and control system |
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US7901261B1 (en) * | 2008-04-15 | 2011-03-08 | Swivelboard LLC | Board assembly for kitesurfing and/or kiteboarding |
US8870615B2 (en) * | 2013-03-25 | 2014-10-28 | Peter Schulz | Dynamic foot repositioning systems |
-
2013
- 2013-05-17 WO PCT/CA2013/050386 patent/WO2013177697A1/en active Application Filing
- 2013-05-17 US US14/403,594 patent/US20150182847A1/en not_active Abandoned
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CA2527816A1 (en) * | 1996-06-25 | 1997-12-31 | Richard W. Berger | Snowboard binding |
EP0941752A2 (en) * | 1998-03-13 | 1999-09-15 | John B. Moetteli | Sports board utilizing weight responsive locking binding |
WO2004018286A1 (en) * | 2002-08-22 | 2004-03-04 | Rodney Craig Mackay | Rotatable control surface for a ride-on device |
WO2007053953A1 (en) * | 2005-11-10 | 2007-05-18 | Gagne Marc | Swivel binding mounts for sliding boards |
WO2011064326A2 (en) * | 2009-11-26 | 2011-06-03 | Kuentzel Henning | Rotatable footstrap plate and footstrap assembly for gliding boards |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN107215436A (en) * | 2017-05-25 | 2017-09-29 | 张晖 | Electronic surfboard is promoted and control system |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
US20150182847A1 (en) | 2015-07-02 |
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