Abstract:
A kayak user braces his or her feet against footrests that project inward from the sides of the kayak. The positions of the footrests can be adjusted to accommodate users of different heights, and the footrests can be pivoted to control the position of the rudder of the kayak.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/551,114, filed on Mar. 8, 2004. 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention pertains to a foot brace having a footrest adjustable toward and away from a user and conveniently lockable in a selected adjusted position. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   In a typical personal watercraft, such as a kayak, a user braces his or her feet against footrests that project inward from the sides of the craft. Often the positions of the footrests can be adjusted to accommodate users of different heights. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,942,840, which shows an adjustable foot brace. In some applications, the footrests are connected to a rudder assembly to be used in steering the craft. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A control rod extends lengthwise of an elongated slide channel mounted in a personal watercraft such as a kayak. A base unit having an inward projecting footrest is slidable along the slide channel. The control rod has longitudinally spaced teeth which will interfit with slots of the base unit to lock the base unit and footrest in a selected longitudinal position. The control rod has an extended handle portion within easy reach of a user for locking and unlocking the base unit and footrest. The footrest can be a pedal that swings to control the position of a rudder. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic perspective of a foot brace in accordance with the present invention as mounted in a watercraft, namely, a kayak. 
       FIG. 2  is an interior side, rear perspective of the foot brace removed from the kayak. 
       FIG. 3  is an interior side, front perspective of the foot brace removed from the kayak. 
       FIG. 4  is an exterior side, rear perspective of the foot brace removed from the kayak. 
       FIG. 5  is a bottom plan of the foot brace. 
       FIG. 6  is a top plan of the foot brace. 
       FIG. 7  is an interior side elevation of the foot brace. 
       FIG. 8  is an exterior side elevation of the foot brace. 
       FIG. 9  is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective of the leading end portion of the foot brace. 
       FIG. 10  is a diagrammatic perspective of a second embodiment of a foot brace in accordance with the present invention as mounted in a kayak. 
       FIG. 11  is an interior side, front perspective of the foot brace of  FIG. 10  removed from the kayak. 
       FIG. 12  is a perspective corresponding to  FIG. 11  with some parts shown in exploded relationship. 
       FIG. 13  is a diagrammatic interior side elevation of the second embodiment of foot brace with parts shown in different adjusted positions. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic perspective of a foot brace  10  in accordance with the present invention as mounted in a watercraft, namely, a kayak K. Brace  10  has a footrest  12  that is adjustable fore and aft. The footrest can be locked in a desired adjusted position. Two such foot braces are provided, one at the left (port) and one at the right (starboard), the right foot brace being illustrated in broken lines at the bottom of  FIG. 1 . The right foot brace is shown in detail in  FIGS. 2–8 . The left foot brace is the mirror image of the right. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 2–8 , the footrest  12  projects from an integral base  14  having hooked sides  16  for guiding the base and footrest along top and bottom rails  18  of an elongated slide channel  20 . A long elongated control rod  22  extends lengthwise through the channel  20  and has regularly spaced latch teeth  24 . In the locked position illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the latch teeth interengage with slots  26  in the base  14  of the footrest, to lock the footrest in a selected position. 
   The control rod  22  is rotatable by manipulation of an external control handle  28  which is oriented so as to be spaced from the slide channel  20  in the direction of the user. Thus, the user can conveniently reach down to manipulate the control handle. The control rod  22  has a forward end journaled between the forward end of the channel  20  and a transverse cap  30 . Similarly, the rearward end portion of the control rod  22  is journaled in the rear or aft end  32  of the channel and a cap  34 . An enlargement  36  on the control rod prevents longitudinal forward sliding of the rod by engagement against the cap  34  and channel end  32 , and the adjacent latch tooth  24  prevents aftward sliding. 
   Caps  30  and  34  are clamped to their corresponding channel ends by fasteners  38  which can extend through the channel and into mounting structure of the watercraft. For example,  FIG. 4  shows the channel openings  40  which are aligned with the respective openings of the cap pieces  30  and  34  such that fasteners  38  of appropriate size project through the channel and secure the assembly in the watercraft. 
   To unlock the footrest  12  and allow longitudinal sliding movement thereof, the user need only rotate the control handle  28  90°, counterclockwise as viewed in  FIG. 2 , about an axis extending lengthwise of the control rod and slide channel, to disengage the latch teeth  24  from the slots  26 . The user then can slide the footrest to the desired position and rotate the control handle 90° in the other direction to reengage selected latch teeth with the slots  26 , and lock the footrest  12  in the new position. Preferably, the bottom edge portions of the latch piece are beveled, as best seen in  FIG. 9 , to assist in guiding the latch teeth into the nearest slot. The incremental adjustment permitted by the mechanism is determined by the space between adjacent slots  26 . In the illustrated embodiment, the latch teeth are spaced apart a distance exactly twice the distance between adjacent slots, so that a latch tooth engages in every other slot. 
   All parts can be formed of rigid plastic, except the fasteners which can be screws or bolts. 
     FIGS. 10–13  illustrate a second embodiment of a foot brace in accordance with the present invention, having modifications that permit rudder control. Many of the parts are the same or essentially the same as the embodiment described above, and are similarly numbered. With reference to  FIG. 11 , these include the control rod  22  with its control handle  28  and latch teeth  24 . The control rod extends through the slide channel  20 , and the latch teeth  24  selectively interengage with the base  14  which has hooked sides  16  for guiding the base along top and bottom rails  18  of the slide channel. 
   A footrest is in the form of a pedal  50  that swings about a horizontal axis relative to the base  14 , rather than being stationarily mounted on the base as in the previously described embodiment. For example,  FIG. 12  shows the base  14  and inward projecting mounting stud  52  received in a bore toward the bottom of the pedal  50 . Thus, the top portion of the pedal can be swung fore and aft by the user. 
     FIG. 12  also illustrates the routing of a control cable  54  for a rudder. With reference to  FIG. 10 , control cable  54  connects at its rear end to a control arm  56  for the rudder  58 . A similar control cable connects at the other side. Manipulation of the control cables adjusts the position of the rudder. More specifically, as one cable is shifted forward, the other is shifted rearward, and the rudder will turn. 
   Returning to  FIG. 12 , the leading end portion of the control cable  54  extends around a pully  60  rotatably carried at the upper portion  62  of the pedal  50 . From pully  60  the control cable  54  extends rearward and around another pully  64  rotatably mounted on the sliding base  14 . The axis of pully  64  is the same as the swinging axis for the pedal. From the second pully  64 , the control cable extends to and is anchored in the leading end cap  30 . 
   With reference to  FIG. 13 , the longitudinal position of the base  14  and, consequently, the pedal  50  can be adjusted fore and aft of the channel  20  as for the previously described embodiment, by manipulation of the control handle  28  and control rod  22  and intertitting the slots of the base with selected latch key of the control rod. This aspect is identical to the aspect previously described. Also, the position of the rudder control cable  54  is not affected so long as the pedal is not rotated. Tension of the cable remains the same as the length of the upper stretch increases and the length of the lower stretch decreases. From any position in which the base  14  is locked, the position of the rudder can be controlled by adjusting the angle of the pedals  50 . With reference to  FIG. 13 , if the pedal is tilted to the left, i.e., forward, tension is applied to the control cable which tends to swing the rudder as well as swing the other pedal oppositely. Thus, the embodiment of  FIGS. 10–13  allows both longitudinal adjustment of the pedals and control of the rudder position. 
   While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.