SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR HOLDING RUNNING SHOES AND OTHER TRIATHLON EQUIPMENT FOR OPTIMAL TRANSITION SPEED DURING A TRIATHLON
One embodiment is directed to a system for improving triathlon transition area efficiency, comprising a main stand member comprising a base portion and a top portion, the base portion being configured to be supported by a ground surface; and a first shoe coupler fixedly coupled to the top portion of the main stand member and configured to removably couple a first shoe to the main stand member in a manner wherein a pose is established for the first shoe such that a foot of a standing athlete may be urged into the first shoe without the use of one or more hands of the athlete to stabilize the shoe.
The present invention relates generally to sports equipment racking systems, and specifically to technologies for athletes competing in events such as triathlon, wherein efficient equipment change and access to various accessories and components may be important to the athlete's overall time or result.
BACKGROUNDAthletes competing in triathlons will often win first, second, or third place in the event by beating their opponents to the finish line by just a few seconds. Over the course of a 2-hour Olympic-distance triathlon, an average of two to three minutes of the athlete's time is spent “in transition.” Transition time in a triathlon is defined as time spent by the athlete doing activities other than swimming, bicycling, or running, such as taking off a wet suit, putting on a bicycle helmet, putting on running shoes, donning sunglasses, or attaching a racing number around one's waist.
Since the swimming, biking, and running speeds of competitive triathletes are often quite similar, spending 10 or 20 seconds less time in transition may very well make the difference between winning a race and taking second place, or between third place and fourth place, etc. Therefore, triathletes put great effort into being efficient while in transition. For example, they typically attempt to physically arrange their racing equipment (running shoes, bicycle helmet, etc.) before the start of the race within the confines of their allotted space in the transition area (
During the second of their two visits through the transition area during a race (known as “T2”, wherein a triathlete switches from cycling to running), immediately after letting go of their bicycle (
When two competing athletes enter “T2” at approximately the same time (
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While there are conventional shoe racks or shoe storage structures, such as those illustrated in
There is a need for a device that holds a pair of running shoes in such a position that a rushed triathlete can don them without using his or her hands, and without bending down, thereby saving valuable seconds during a race.
SUMMARYOne embodiment is directed to a system for improving triathlon transition area efficiency, comprising: a main stand member comprising a base portion and a top portion, the base portion being configured to be supported by a ground surface; and a first shoe coupler fixedly coupled to the top portion of the main stand member and configured to removably couple a first shoe to the main stand member in a manner wherein a pose is established for the first shoe such that a foot of a standing athlete may be urged into the first shoe without the use of one or more hands of the athlete to stabilize the shoe. The base portion may comprise a substantially straight elongate member. The base portion may be oriented substantially perpendicularly relative to the ground surface. The base portion may comprise an above-ground stand. The above-ground stand may comprise three or more legs. The base portion may comprise a ground-coupling feature configured to temporarily couple one end of the base portion to a ground portion below the ground surface. The ground-coupling feature may comprise a sharpened end of the base portion configured to be forcibly driven into the ground portion below the ground surface. The ground-coupling feature may comprise a substantially helical end fitting configured to be augered into the ground portion below the ground surface. The first shoe coupler may comprise a two-sided clip biased to removably grasp a tongue of the shoe. The two-sided clip may be configured to grasp the tongue to retain the pose of the first shoe until the foot of the standing athlete is urged into the shoe, thereby placing a separating force on the first shoe which causes the tongue to become uncoupled from the clip. The system further may comprise a second shoe coupler fixedly coupled to the top portion of the main stand member and configured to removably couple a second shoe to the main stand member in a manner wherein a pose is established for the second shoe such that a foot of a standing athlete may be urged into the second shoe without the use of one or more hands of the athlete to stabilize the second shoe. The first shoe coupler may comprise a two-sided clip biased to removably grasp a tongue of the shoe. The two-sided clip may be configured to grasp the tongue to retain the pose of the first shoe until the foot of the standing athlete is urged into the shoe, thereby placing a separating force on the first shoe which causes the tongue to become uncoupled from the clip. The system further may comprise a shoe alignment member removably coupling the first shoe to the second shoe to maintain spatial alignment of the shoes relative to each other. The system further may comprise a first shoe heel coupler member removably coupled between a heel of the first shoe and the main stand member to further stabilize and maintain the pose of the first shoe. The system further may comprise a second shoe heel coupler member removably coupled between a heel of the second shoe and the main stand member to further stabilize and maintain the pose of the second shoe. The top portion may comprise a substantially straight elongate member. The top portion may comprise a bike rack coupler fitting configured to be removably coupled to a nearby bicycle rack for additional stability of the main stand member in the triathlon transition area. The system further may comprise an accessory hook member coupled to the main stand member and configured to hold one or more triathlon accessory items. The one or more triathlon accessory items may be selected from the group consisting of: a pair of goggles, a pair of sunglasses, a visor, a running hat, and a bicycle helmet. The system further may comprise an accessory shelf coupled to the main stand member and configured to hold one or more triathlon accessory items. The one or more triathlon accessory items may be selected from the group consisting of: a pair of goggles, a pair of sunglasses, a visor, a running hat, and a bicycle helmet. The system further may comprise a mirror coupled to the main stand member. The mirror may be movably coupled to the main stand member with one or more adjustable structures such that the mirror may be posed in a particular orientation by the athlete. The one or more adjustable structures may be selected from the group consisting of: a single joint; a multi-joint construct; and a bendable member.
In accordance with the present invention, a pair of athletic running shoes may be held suspended in air with an easy-release clip holding up each shoe's tongue and a shoehorn-like member making it possible for a rushed athlete to don the shoes without using his/her hands. For descriptive purposes, the overall assembly or structure may be referred to as a “transition area efficiency structure”, “efficiency structure”, or “Caddy”.
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Various exemplary embodiments of the invention are described herein. Reference is made to these examples in a non-limiting sense. They are provided to illustrate more broadly applicable aspects of the invention. Various changes may be made to the invention described and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation, material, composition of matter, process, process act(s) or step(s) to the objective(s), spirit or scope of the present invention. Further, as will be appreciated by those with skill in the art that each of the individual variations described and illustrated herein has discrete components and features which may be readily separated from or combined with the features of any of the other several embodiments without departing from the scope or spirit of the present inventions. All such modifications are intended to be within the scope of claims associated with this disclosure.
The invention includes methods that may be performed using the subject systems and devices. The methods may comprise the act of providing such a suitable device. Such provision may be performed by the end user. In other words, the “providing” act merely requires the end user obtain, access, approach, position, set-up, activate, power-up or otherwise act to provide the requisite device in the subject method. Methods recited herein may be carried out in any order of the recited events which is logically possible, as well as in the recited order of events.
In addition, though the invention has been described in reference to several examples optionally incorporating various features, the invention is not to be limited to that which is described or indicated as contemplated with respect to each variation of the invention. Various changes may be made to the invention described and equivalents (whether recited herein or not included for the sake of some brevity) may be substituted without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention. In addition, where a range of values is provided, it is understood that every intervening value, between the upper and lower limit of that range and any other stated or intervening value in that stated range, is encompassed within the invention.
Also, it is contemplated that any optional feature of the inventive variations described may be set forth and claimed independently, or in combination with any one or more of the features described herein. Reference to a singular item, includes the possibility that there are plural of the same items present. More specifically, as used herein and in claims associated hereto, the singular forms “a,” “an,” “said,” and “the” include plural referents unless the specifically stated otherwise. In other words, use of the articles allow for “at least one” of the subject item in the description above as well as claims associated with this disclosure. It is further noted that such claims may be drafted to exclude any optional element. As such, this statement is intended to serve as antecedent basis for use of such exclusive terminology as “solely,” “only” and the like in connection with the recitation of claim elements, or use of a “negative” limitation.
Without the use of such exclusive terminology, the term “comprising” in claims associated with this disclosure shall allow for the inclusion of any additional element—irrespective of whether a given number of elements are enumerated in such claims, or the addition of a feature could be regarded as transforming the nature of an element set forth in such claims. Except as specifically defined herein, all technical and scientific terms used herein are to be given as broad a commonly understood meaning as possible while maintaining claim validity.
The breadth of the present invention is not to be limited to the examples provided and/or the subject specification, but rather only by the scope of claim language associated with this disclosure.
Claims
1. A system for improving triathlon transition area efficiency, comprising:
- a. a main stand member comprising a base portion and a top portion, the base portion being configured to be supported by a ground surface; and
- b. a first shoe coupler fixedly coupled to the top portion of the main stand member and configured to removably couple a first shoe to the main stand member in a manner wherein a pose is established for the first shoe such that a foot of a standing athlete may be urged into the first shoe without the use of one or more hands of the athlete to stabilize the shoe.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the base portion comprises a substantially straight elongate member.
3. The system of claim 2, wherein the base portion is oriented substantially perpendicularly relative to the ground surface.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the base portion comprises an above-ground stand.
5. The system of claim 4, wherein the above-ground stand comprises three or more legs.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the base portion comprises a ground-coupling feature configured to temporarily couple one end of the base portion to a ground portion below the ground surface.
7. The system of claim 6, wherein the ground-coupling feature comprises a sharpened end of the base portion configured to be forcibly driven into the ground portion below the ground surface.
8. The system of claim 6, wherein the ground-coupling feature comprises a substantially helical end fitting configured to be augered into the ground portion below the ground surface.
9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first shoe coupler comprises a two-sided clip biased to removably grasp a tongue of the shoe.
10. The system of claim 9, wherein the two-sided clip is configured to grasp the tongue to retain the pose of the first shoe until the foot of the standing athlete is urged into the shoe, thereby placing a separating force on the first shoe which causes the tongue to become uncoupled from the clip.
11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second shoe coupler fixedly coupled to the top portion of the main stand member and configured to removably couple a second shoe to the main stand member in a manner wherein a pose is established for the second shoe such that a foot of a standing athlete may be urged into the second shoe without the use of one or more hands of the athlete to stabilize the second shoe.
12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first shoe coupler comprises a two-sided clip biased to removably grasp a tongue of the shoe.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein the two-sided clip is configured to grasp the tongue to retain the pose of the first shoe until the foot of the standing athlete is urged into the shoe, thereby placing a separating force on the first shoe which causes the tongue to become uncoupled from the clip.
14. The system of claim 11, further comprising a shoe alignment member removably coupling the first shoe to the second shoe to maintain spatial alignment of the shoes relative to each other.
15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a first shoe heel coupler member removably coupled between a heel of the first shoe and the main stand member to further stabilize and maintain the pose of the first shoe.
16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a second shoe heel coupler member removably coupled between a heel of the second shoe and the main stand member to further stabilize and maintain the pose of the second shoe.
17. The system of claim 1, wherein the top portion comprises a substantially straight elongate member.
18. The system of claim 1, wherein the top portion comprises a bike rack coupler fitting configured to be removably coupled to a nearby bicycle rack for additional stability of the main stand member in the triathlon transition area.
19. The system of claim 1, further comprising an accessory hook member coupled to the main stand member and configured to hold one or more triathlon accessory items.
20. The system of claim 19, wherein the one or more triathlon accessory items are selected from the group consisting of: a pair of goggles, a pair of sunglasses, a visor, a running hat, and a bicycle helmet.
21. The system of claim 1, further comprising an accessory shelf coupled to the main stand member and configured to hold one or more triathlon accessory items.
22. The system of claim 21, wherein the one or more triathlon accessory items are selected from the group consisting of: a pair of goggles, a pair of sunglasses, a visor, a running hat, and a bicycle helmet.
23. The system of claim 1, further comprising a mirror coupled to the main stand member.
24. The system of claim 23, wherein the mirror is movably coupled to the main stand member with one or more adjustable structures such that the mirror may be posed in a particular orientation by the athlete.
25. The system of claim 24, wherein the one or more adjustable structures are selected from the group consisting of: a single joint; a multi-joint construct; and a bendable member.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 31, 2012
Publication Date: Apr 4, 2013
Applicant: Triathalon Scientific, Inc. (Redwood City, CA)
Inventor: Alexander Arrow (Menlo Park, CA)
Application Number: 13/602,005
International Classification: A63B 71/00 (20060101);