SKATEBOARD SLING

Abstract

A sling for carrying skateboards includes an elongated, relatively wide strap of sturdy, flexible material. The strap is formed to extend from the back of a person carrying the skateboard, over one shoulder, across the chest and to the back adjacent the person's waist. The width of the strap is designed to distribute the weight of a skateboard over a larger portion of the chest and back of a person carrying the skateboard. The strap has two loops affixed thereto, one loop at each end of opposite ends. A first loop of the two loops is designed to be engaged over one wheel of a front truck of a skateboard and a second loop of the two loops is designed to be engaged over one wheel of a rear truck of the skateboard.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/109,021 filed 28 Oct. 2008.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention generally relates to a sling for carrying skateboards and the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Skateboards are very popular at the present time and in many areas special features have been constructed to better apply and perfect skateboard talents. In most instances skateboards must be carried to the area at which they are to be used. However, skateboards can be very cumbersome and unwieldy to carry for any distance.

In the prior art, attempts have been made to provide carrying straps which will make the task less arduous. However, in most instances these carrying straps are very complicated to use and relatively expensive to manufacture. An example of a prior art type of skateboard carrying strap is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 6,536,639. This type of carrying strap is expensive and difficult to manufacture, expensive to purchase and complicated to use.

It would be highly advantageous, therefore, to remedy the foregoing and other deficiencies inherent in the prior art.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved skateboard sling.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved skateboard sling that is convenient to attach and use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved skateboard sling that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and to use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly, to achieve the desired objects and advantages of the instant invention a sling for carrying skateboards is provided. The sling includes an elongated, relatively wide strap of sturdy, flexible material. The strap is formed to extend from the back of a person carrying the skateboard, over one shoulder, across the chest and to the back adjacent the person's waist. The width of the strap is designed to distribute the weight of a skateboard over a larger portion of the chest and back of a person carrying the skateboard. The strap has two loops affixed thereto, one loop at each end of opposite ends. A first loop of the two loops is designed to be engaged over one wheel of a front truck of a skateboard and a second loop of the two loops is designed to be engaged over one wheel of a rear truck of the skateboard.

In yet another aspect of the invention a sling for carrying skateboards includes an elongated strap formed to extend from the back of a person carrying the skateboard, over one shoulder, across the chest and to the back adjacent the person's waist, with the width of the strap being designed to distribute the weight of a skateboard over a larger portion of the chest and back of a person carrying the skateboard. The strap includes multiple layers of material including at least one inner layer and an outer layer with the outer layer folded over the edges of the at least one inner layer and held together by sewing. The elongated strap has each end folded longitudinally back on itself and affixed to the main body to form two integral loops, one loop at each end of opposite ends. A first loop of the integral loops is designed to be engaged over one wheel of a front truck of a skateboard and a second loop of the integral loops is designed to be engaged over one wheel of a rear truck of the skateboard. The strap is separated in the middle to form two intermediate ends with each of the intermediate ends having a different part of a two-part quick-fastener attached thereto. Also, at least one of the two intermediate ends of the separated strap and the two-part quick-fastener includes adjustable means for altering the length of the strap.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Specific objects and advantages of the instant invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a skateboard sling in accordance with the present invention, illustrating in enlarged detail a portion of the construction;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the skateboard sling of FIG. 1 as seen from the line 2-2;

FIG. 3 is a side view illustrating the skateboard sling of FIG. 1 in use on an individual;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view in perspective of the skateboard sling of FIG. 1 attached to a skateboard;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial view of the skateboard sling of FIG. 1 attached to the skateboard, illustrating the attachment of the skateboard sling to one end of the skateboard;

FIG. 6 is a view of the skateboard sling in a typical carrying mode, illustrating before and after orientations; and

FIG. 7 illustrates four different possible embodiments of the skateboard sling in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Turning now to the drawings, attention is first directed to FIG. 1 which illustrates a skateboard sling 10 in accordance with the present invention. Skateboard sling 10 includes an elongated strap 12 having integral loops 14 and 16 at opposite ends thereof. Strap 12 is preferably made relatively wide to distribute the weight of the skateboard over a larger portion of the chest and back. Also, strap 12 is made from a relatively sturdy flexible material, such as nylon, rip stop nylon, some forms of plastic such as Tyvek, reinforced paper or the like. For inexpensive materials, a give-away or promotional device can be made with advertising and the like prominently displayed on the surface thereof.

As can be seen from the sectional view in FIG. 2 several layers of material may be sewn together to provide the desired amount of strength. Further, all of the layers may be formed from the same material or different materials may be sandwiched therebetween to provide some desired characteristic, such as additional strength, lighter weight, less expensive product, etc. Referring specifically to FIG. 2 it can be seen that strap 12 includes two inner layers 20 and 22 and an outer layer 24 that is folded over the edges with the entire assembly held together by some means, such as sewing along lines 26 and 28 adjacent opposite edges.

Thus, it can be seen that a wide variety of possible assemblies can be devised. For example, layer 22 could be relatively heavy leather or flexible plastic with layers 20 and 24 being formed from a colorful or desirably patterned cloth. Alternatively, layers 20 and 24 could be formed from a light leather or flexible plastic while layer 22 is formed of a light but strong material such as woven cloth. It will of course be understood that more or less layers can be added or subtracted to provide other or additional desirable characteristics.

The width of strap 12, adjacent each of the ends, is necked-down slightly to reduce the weight and total mass of sling 10. The necked-down portion is then folded over or longitudinally back on itself and attached to the main body to form integral loops 14 and 16. The end of strap 12 folded over to form loop 14 is attached to the main body of strap 12 at area 30 by some convenient means, such as sewing, riveting, etc. Also, the end of strap 12 folded over to form loop 16 is attached to the main body of strap 12 at area 32 by some convenient means, such as sewing, riveting, etc.

Referring additionally to FIG. 3, skateboard sling 10 is illustrated attached to a skateboard 35 and carried over a shoulder of an individual. As understood by those familiar in the art, skateboard 35 includes a rigid body (board 34) to which a front two-wheeled truck 36 and a rear two-wheeled truck 38 are attached. As can be seen more clearly in both FIGS. 4 and 5, loop 14 is engaged over one wheel of rear truck 38 and loop 16 is engaged over one wheel of front truck 36. Loops 14 and 16 are easily and conveniently engaged over a single wheel by simply threading the wheel through the loop until the loop engages the axle of the truck. Thus, the loop is held in place by the wheel and cannot slip off to cause damage or injury. Also, because the portion of strap 12 adjacent each of the ends is necked-down to reduce the width, it is easier to thread a wheel through the loop and engage the loop with the axle. While the present embodiment contemplates use as a sling for carrying a skateboard 10, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that other devices in current use, such as scooters, Razors®, Ripsticks®, and the like can be carried in this manner. In these instances, a truck with two wheels may be replaced with a swivel wheel. Loops 14 and 16 can be attached to these devices in the same manner to form a sling. Thus loops 14 and 16 are threaded over the wheels at opposing ends of the device and engage the base of the swivel. In these instances, a rigid body forms a platform upon which an individual stands. In the present embodiment, the rigid body is board 34. Wheels are attached at opposing ends to form the various devices.

With loop 14 threaded over a wheel and engaged with the axle of rear truck 38 and loop 16 threaded over a wheel and engaged with the axle of front truck 36, the length of strap 12 is specifically designed to be longer than the distance between trucks 36 and 38 so that a sling is formed. The individual carrying skateboard 35 can then simply insert an arm and their head into the sling, as illustrated in FIG. 3, comfortably suspending skateboard 35 across their back with strap 12 engaged over one shoulder and across the chest. When not in use, as for example when the individual arrives at the place that skateboard 35 is to be used, sling 10 can simply be wadded into a convenient ball, as illustrated in FIG. 6, and placed in a pocket for temporary storage.

It will be understood that the skateboard sling of this invention can be constructed in a variety of embodiments specifically designed to include different characteristics. Examples of several different embodiments are illustrated in FIG. 7, a-d.

The embodiment described above, i.e., skateboard sling 10, is illustrated in FIG. 7a as one of the embodiments to better show the relative length, size and characteristics. A second embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7b, designated 50, includes a strap 52, similar to strap 12 of sling 10 but separated in the middle to form intermediate ends 54 and 56. A two-part quick-fastener 60 is attached to ends 54 and 56 so that in this embodiment the loops formed at the ends of strap 52 can be engaged over a wheel of front and rear trucks (substantially as described above). One of the ends 54 or 56 can then be used to hoist the skateboard into position over the back and the opposite end can be brought around and the two-parts of quick-fastener 60 can be engaged to complete the sling and comfortably hold the skateboard on the back. Two-part quick-fastener 60 can be any convenient fastener such as a simple buckle, a hook-and-eye, the fastener illustrated, or any other fastener that can be conveniently fastened while holding the skateboard in place. At least one of the two intermediate ends of the separated strap and the two-part quick-fastener include adjustable means (examples of which are illustrated in FIG. 7, b and c) for altering the length of the strap.

In another embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7c, designated 60, a two-part fastener includes a metal loop 62 attached to one end 62 of the separated strap and a quick-fastening material, such as Velcro 64, attached to the other end 66 of the separated strap. The metal loop and Velcro essentially form a two-part quick-fastener as described above.

In another embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7d, designated 70, flexible resilient central strap 72 has a fixed loop 74 of material attached to one end and a similar fixed loop 76 of material attached to the other end. Strap 72 has limited resiliency (stretch) and is formed shorter than, for example, strap 12 of sling 10, so that it can be stretched to approximately the same length or slightly longer to accommodate different sized individuals. Loops 74 and 76 are formed of non-stretch material so they can be engaged over a wheel of each truck on a skateboard, as described above. Loops 74 and 76 can be attached to strap 72 by any convenient method, such as folding the end over and attaching it to the main body, attaching a metal eye to each end of strap 72 and forming loops 74 and 76 through the eye, etc. Conversely, flexible resilient central strap 72 can be replaced with a non-stretching material, and one or more of loops 74 and 76 can be formed of a stretchable material.

Thus, a new and improved skateboard sling has been disclosed that is convenient to attach and use. Further, the new and improved skateboard sling is relatively inexpensive to manufacture. Because of the materials used and the novel construction, the sling is inexpensive and relatively simple to manufacture and is easy and comfortable to use.

Various changes and modifications to the embodiments herein chosen for purposes of illustration will readily occur to those skilled in the art. To the extent that such modifications and variations do not depart from the spirit of the invention, they are intended to be included within the scope thereof, which is assessed only by a fair interpretation of the following claims.

Claims

1. A sling for carrying skateboards comprising:

an elongated, relatively wide strap of sturdy, flexible material, the strap being formed to extend from the back of a person carrying the skateboard, over one shoulder, across the chest and to the back adjacent the person's waist, the width of the strap being designed to distribute the weight of a skateboard over a larger portion of the chest and back of a person carrying the skateboard;

the strap having two loops affixed thereto, one loop at each end of opposite ends; and

a first loop of the two loops affixed at one end designed to be engaged over one wheel of a front truck of a skateboard and a second loop of the two loops affixed at the opposite end designed to be engaged over one wheel of a rear truck of the skateboard.

2. A sling for carrying skateboards as claimed in claim 1 wherein the sturdy, flexible material of the strap includes one of leather, cloth, reinforced paper and plastic.

3. A sling for carrying skateboards as claimed in claim 1 wherein the strap includes several layers of material affixed together.

4. A sling for carrying skateboards as claimed in claim 3 wherein the several layers of material are affixed together by sewing.

5. A sling for carrying skateboards as claimed in claim 4 wherein the several layers of material are all formed from the same material.

6. A sling for carrying skateboards as claimed in claim 4 wherein the several layers of material include different materials sandwiched together to provide one of additional strength, lighter weight, and less expensive product.

7. A sling for carrying skateboards as claimed in claim 4 wherein the several layers of material include multiple inner layers and an outer layer, the outer layer being folded over the edges of the inner layers and held together by sewing.

8. A sling for carrying skateboards as claimed in claim 7 wherein an outer layer of the multiple inner layers includes one of a colorful or patterned cloth.

9. A sling for carrying skateboards as claimed in claim 1 wherein the two loops are formed integral with the strap.

10. A sling for carrying skateboards as claimed in claim 9 wherein each of the ends of the strap are folded longitudinally back and affixed to the main body to form the two loops integrally.

11. A sling for carrying skateboards as claimed in claim 9 wherein each of the ends of the strap include a necked-down portion folded longitudinally back on itself and attached to the main body to form the two integral loops.

12. A sling for carrying skateboards as claimed in claim 1 wherein the strap is separated in the middle to form two intermediate ends, and each of the intermediate ends has a different part of a two-part quick-fastener attached thereto.

13. A sling for carrying skateboards as claimed in claim 12 wherein the two-part quick-fastener includes one of a releasable clasp, a simple buckle, a hook-and-eye, and a metal loop and Velcro.

14. A sling for carrying skateboards as claimed in claim 12 wherein at least one of the two intermediate ends of the separated strap and the two-part quick-fastener include adjustable means for altering the length of the strap.

15. A sling for carrying skateboards as claimed in claim 1 wherein the strap includes a flexible resilient central strap portion with a fixed loop attached to each end thereof.

16. A sling for carrying skateboards comprising:

an elongated, relatively wide strap of sturdy, flexible material, the strap being formed to extend from the back of a person carrying the skateboard, over one shoulder, across the chest and to the back adjacent the person's waist, the width of the strap being designed to distribute the weight of a skateboard over a larger portion of the chest and back of a person carrying the skateboard;

the elongated strap having each end folded longitudinally back on itself and affixed to the main body to form two integral loops, one loop at each end of opposite ends; and

a first loop of the integral loops affixed at one end designed to be engaged over one wheel of a front truck of a skateboard and a second loop of the integral loops affixed at the opposite end designed to be engaged over one wheel of a rear truck of the skateboard.

17. A sling for carrying skateboards as claimed in claim 16 wherein the strap is separated in the middle to form two intermediate ends, and each of the intermediate ends has a different part of a two-part quick-fastener attached thereto.

18. A sling for carrying skateboards comprising:

an elongated strap formed to extend from the back of a person carrying the skateboard, over one shoulder, across the chest and to the back adjacent the person's waist, the width of the strap being designed to distribute the weight of a skateboard over a larger portion of the chest and back of a person carrying the skateboard, and the strap including multiple layers of material including at least one inner layer and an outer layer with the outer layer folded over the edges of the at least one inner layer and held together by sewing;

the elongated strap having each terminal end folded longitudinally back on itself and affixed to the main body to form two integral loops, one loop at each end of opposite ends;

the strap being separated in the middle to form two intermediate ends, and each of the intermediate ends having a different part of a two-part quick-fastener attached thereto, and at least one of the two intermediate ends of the separated strap and the two-part quick-fastener including adjustable means for altering the length of the strap and

a first loop of the integral loops affixed at one end designed to be engaged over one wheel of a front truck of a skateboard and a second loop of the integral loops affixed at the opposite end designed to be engaged over one wheel of a rear truck of the skateboard.

19. A sling for carrying skateboards as claimed in claim 18 wherein the at least one inner layer includes a plurality of inner layers and an outer layer of the multiple inner layers includes one of a colorful or patterned cloth.

20. A sling for carrying skateboards as claimed in claim 18 wherein the multiple layers of material include different materials sandwiched together to provide one of additional strength, lighter weight, and less expensive product.