Abstract:
The harness is compact enough to allow a user to secure it around his or her waist, or within a small backpack so that it is hands-free when not in use. The harness further allows the user to carry skis, a snowboard, a skateboard or other elongate sports equipment behind the back in hands-free fashion. The harness may further provide the user with one or more handles to carry the sports equipment in one hand, if desired.

Description:
[0001]    This application is filed within one year of, and claims priority to Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/123,092, filed Apr. 3, 2008. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    This invention relates generally to sporting goods and accessories and, more specifically, to a Sport Board Carrying Harness. 
         [0004]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0005]    Skiing, snowboarding and skateboarding are extremely popular action sports. Besides requiring coordination, balance and physical strength, these sports all have a common aspect—they each involve the use of fairly bulky equipment. Skiing entails the use of heavy boots, long skis and gangly poles. Snowboarding requires a wide, elongate board having large bindings protruding from its top, as well as large specialty boots. A skateboard is generally smaller than either skis or snowboards, but can still tend to be difficult to handle. 
         [0006]    The problem with each of these sports and their equipment stems from the common situation where the user needs to tote his or her equipment to a recreational site prior to actually donning the equipment. In the case of skiing and snowboarding, the user might not only have to carry their gear to the resort, but will further have to carry the equipment when transiting from place to place at the resort. The problem is exacerbated when the user is also wearing bulky cold-weather clothing. 
         [0007]    While carrying devices and bags have been available for all of this equipment, each of them has a defect that makes them unsuitable. Carrying bags are very good at protecting the boards and other equipment, but they are so big and bulky that the user must find a locker or basket to store the bag when the user wishes to begin skiing or boarding. Carrying devices can clasp the boards/poles, etc. together to make them easier to handle, but they are not hands-free like a carrying bag can be. 
         [0008]    What is needed is an accessory that provides the hands-free convenience for carrying equipment of a carrying bag, yet still be compact enough so that the user can keep the accessory on his or her person while they are skiing, snowboarding or skateboarding. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    In light of the aforementioned problems associated with the prior games and devices, it is an object of the present invention to provide a Sport Board Carrying Harness. The harness should be compact enough to allow a user to secure it around his or her waist, or within a small backpack so that it is hands-free when not in use. The harness should further allow the user to carry skis, a snowboard, a skateboard or other elongate sports equipment behind the back in bands-free fashion. The harness should further provide the user with one or more handles to carry the sports equipment in one hand, if desired. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    The objects and features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, of which: 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the harness of the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a front perspective view of user wearing the harness of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a back perspective view of the user of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the harness of the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a side view of the harness of  FIG. 4  strapped around a pair of skis and poles; 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the harness of the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  is a front perspective view of a user wearing the harness of  FIG. 6 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 8  is a top perspective view of the second embodiment of the harness of  FIGS. 4 and 5 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 9  is a side perspective view of the first embodiment of the harness of  FIGS. 1-3 ; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 10  is a top perspective view of the third embodiment of the harness of  FIGS. 6 and 7 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0021]    The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention. Various modifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled in the art, since the generic principles of the present invention have been defined herein specifically to provide a Sport Board Carrying Harness. 
         [0022]    The present invention can best be understood by initial consideration of  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the harness  10 A of the present invention. The harness  10 A has an elongate longitudinal strap  12  terminating in a first buckle-half  14 A at one end and a second buckle-half  14 B at the opposing end. The longitudinal strap  12  will also have intermediate buckles (or similar devices) to permit the user to adjust the length to accommodate different torso sizes. 
         [0023]    The longitudinal strap  12  is sewn or otherwise attached along the midline of a protective pad  16 . The pad  16  is made from durable cloth or other material. A first transverse strap  18 A is attached to the pad  16  adjacent to a first end of the pad  16 . The transverse strap  18 A, like the longitudinal strap  12  has means for adjusting its length (i.e. buckles or the like), and further terminates in a pair of buckle-halves  20 A,  20 B. 
         [0024]    A second transverse strap  18 B is attached to the pad  16  adjacent to a second end of the pad  16 , and has essentially the same features as the first transverse strap  18 A. The two transverse straps  18 A,  18 B are oriented to be perpendicular to the orientation of the longitudinal strap  12  (and protective pad  16 ). In order to understand how the harness  10 A is used, we will now turn to  FIG. 2 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 2  is a front perspective view of user  26  wearing the harness  10 A of  FIG. 1 . The longitudinal strap  12  is wrapped around the user&#39;s shoulder and torso and the two buckle halves  14 A,  14 B are interlocked in order to form buckle  14 . The snowboard  24  is held to the harness  10 A by the interlocked transverse straps (see  FIG. 3 ), such that the snowboard is securely held and the protective pad  16  is between the user&#39;s back and the snowboard  24 . 
         [0026]    By using the harness WA to carry the snowboard  24 , the user  26  has freed his hands from carrying the equipment. The carrying position is comfortable and convenient and gives the user additional safety because a fall on slippery terrain can be more easily avoided because the hands are free. This can be very useful if the user wishes to go “off-piste” or back-country boarding. 
         [0027]      FIG. 9  is another view of the first embodiment of the harness  10 A of the present invention.  FIG. 3  provides another view of this device. 
         [0028]      FIG. 3  is a back perspective view of the user  26  of  FIG. 2 . As shown, the buckle halves of the first transverse strap  18 A are interconnected to secure the board  24  to the harness  10 A above the top binding. The buckles halves of the second transverse strap  18 B are interconnected to secure the board  24  to the harness  10 A below the bottom binding. The snowboard  24  is therefore securely held to the user&#39;s back. The carrying position of the board  24  can be adjusted easily, and due to the protective pad, will not cause pain to the user or damage to the user&#39;s clothing. 
         [0029]    In order to release the board  24  for use, the user need simply detach the buckle halves of the longitudinal strap  12  to get the assembly off of his back, and then unclip the buckles holding the transverse straps  18 A,  18 B together. Since the harness  10 A is so compact, the user can easily collapse it and pack it away into a jacket pocket or carrying pouch. If we now turn to  FIG. 4 , we can examine yet another version of the harness. 
         [0030]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the harness  10 B of the present invention. This harness  10 B is designed to work particularly well with skis and poles. It has a longitudinal strap  12  and a protective pad  16 . In this harness  10 B, however, the pad  16  is likely to be longer and thinner than the previously-described harness ( 10 A). Another distinction here is that there is a third transverse strap  18 C attached to, and extending from the pad  16 . Also, the three transverse straps  18 A,  18 B,  18 C are disposed at locations along the pad  16  that are different than in the first-described harness embodiment. The purpose of these variations will become clear by review of  FIG. 5 . 
         [0031]      FIG. 5  is a side view of the harness  10 B of  FIG. 4  strapped around a pair of skis  26  and ski poles  28 . Here, the first transverse strap  18 A is clasping the tail end of the skis  26  to the right of the heel binding. Normally, the first transverse strap  18 A would not only clasp the skis  26 , but also be encircling the poles  28  as well.  FIG. 8  provides yet another view of the second embodiment of the harness  10 B of the present invention. 
         [0032]    The third transverse strap  18 C is clasping the tip end of the skis  26  to the left of the toe binding. The second transverse strap  18 B, like the first transverse strap  18 A is normally utilized, is clasping both the poles  28  and the skis  26 . 
         [0033]    By clasping the poles  28  to the skis  26  in this manner, not only are they securely held to the harness  10 B for carrying on one&#39;s back (similar to the depiction of  FIGS. 2 and 3 ), but it further permits the poles to be grasped by the user&#39;s hand so that the skis and poles can be carried like a piece of luggage (i.e. at one&#39;s side). This provides carrying versatility not previously offered in bags or totes. 
         [0034]    Like the first harness embodiment, this version  10 B is also compact enough to be rolled up and put in a jacket pocket or within a optional storage/carrying pouch.  FIG. 6  shows yet another version of the present invention. 
         [0035]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the harness  10 C of the present invention. This harness  10 C is designed to be particularly well suited for the hands-free carrying of a skateboard. Here, there is no protective pad, since a skateboard doesn&#39;t generally have the sharp edges that exist in skis and snowboards. Furthermore, elimination of the protective pad makes this harness  10 C even more compact than the other two versions. 
         [0036]    Since there is no protective pad, the longitudinal strap  12  provides the basic structure for the harness  18 C. The first, second and third transverse straps  18 A,  18 B,  18 C attach to the longitudinal strap  12 . In this version, however, the second and third straps  18 B,  18 C are actually attached to the longitudinal strap  12  in the same location along the length of the strap  12 . This is so that one strap (the third strap  18 C) can be used to secure a skateboard to the harness  10 C, while the second strap  18 B can be strapped around the user&#39;s waist like a belt. This arrangement is depicted in  FIG. 7 . 
         [0037]      FIG. 7  is a front perspective view of a user wearing the harness  10 C of  FIG. 6 . As shown, the top of the skateboard is flat against the user&#39;s back, with the longitudinal strap  12  cinched around his shoulder and under his arm. The second transverse strap  18 B has been cinched around his waist to provide superior stability, even to the point where the user can ride a bicycle or run with the skateboard on his back.  FIG. 10  is yet another view of this third embodiment of the harness  10 C of the present invention. 
         [0038]    The depicted version of the harnesses shown herein are made from mesh straps, weather-resistant buckles and woven cloth. In other non-depicted versions, other higher-end materials may be used, such as high tech cloths as well as leather or metals. 
         [0039]    While the harnesses described herein are depicted being used with skis, snowboards and skateboards, the inventor has demonstrated their suitable hands-free use for carrying rifles and other firearms, large tools, and other devices. 
         [0040]    Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the just-described preferred embodiment can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.