Abstract:
A surface mounted sports gear display apparatus capable of holding a wide range of equipment types and sizes implementing a transverse sliding tension mechanism that adjusts in width and applies a tension force on opposing grip members and that apply a compressive force on the displayed object which creates frictional contact on the long edges between the displayed object and grip members allowing the object to be held horizontally, vertically or diagonally. Additionally a center double-edged grip member can be added creating an expanded functionality for pairs of objects such as skis. The grip edge shape can be altered to enhance surface contact for objects such as surf boards, baseball bats, tennis rackets, kayak and canoe paddles, and rowing ores.

Description:
The present application claims priority to U.S. provisional application 61/572,422, filed Jul. 15, 2011, which is incorporated herein by reference its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The types of sporting gear available to the consumer have increased greatly in recent years. As more and more people are actively engaged in sporting activities, their investment in sporting gear has increased as well. Along with the increased costs of sporting gear, the design and styling of sporting gear has also increased greatly. 
     These highly-styled sporting gear items can be considered works of art and are not simply functional devices without aesthetic value. On the contrary, these items are highly prized and valued by their owners, who wish to display them to others to enjoy and appreciate, or if the items are intended for sale, to display them to potential customers in an appealing and sophisticated manner. For example, snowboards, surfboards, skateboards, skis and hockey sticks are in many cases highly decorated and may be unique, custom-made items that an owner wishes to display. 
     Although consumers today have many options available to them in regards with how to attach their sports equipment on a surface such as a wall, most of these options are strictly functional in nature focusing on simply being a storage apparatus and tending to lack an aesthetic appeal especially when the sport object is not in place leaving the apparatus exposed for all to see. Also many of these apparatuses have a limited scope of functionality being only for one specific sport. 
     Many sport enthusiasts have a desire to display their sport equipment within their home or office. Retailers also are in need of an apparatus that showcases their latest sport equipment for sale. These groups need an apparatus that can handle a wide range of sizes and shapes which would allow for example one apparatus to hold skateboards, snowboards, powder skis or cross country skis or a similar embodiment to allow for baseball bats, tennis rackets, hockey sticks, kayak and canoe paddles, and rowing ores. There is also a need for an apparatus to allow for horizontal, vertical, or diagonal installations maximizing flexibility and choice of placement for the sport enthusiast or retailer. 
     What is needed then is a system for mounting and displaying sporting gear that securely holds the gear in place but also allows a user to simply and easily remove the gear when desired. The present invention is directed to a system for the mounting and displaying of sport equipment including but not limited to: skateboards, longboards, snowboards, wakeboards, surfboards, snowskates, downhill skis, powder skis, cross country skis, skate skis, baseball bats, hockey sticks, tennis rackets, and paddles. 
     Objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood after reading the subsequent description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a front perspective of at least one embodiment of the present invention with end-user-installed components shown apart. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a back perspective of at least one embodiment of the present invention with end-user-installed components shown apart. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates the front of at least one embodiment of the present invention without double edged grip member  4 . 
         FIG. 4  illustrates the front of at least one embodiment of the present invention with double edged grip member  4 . 
         FIG. 5  illustrates the back of at least one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates the side of at least one embodiment of the present invention without double edged grip member  4 . 
         FIG. 7  illustrates the side of at least one embodiment of the present invention with double edged grip member  4 . 
         FIG. 8  illustrates the opening of the upper sliding member  2  with the initial placement of a snowboard  10  on at least one embodiment of the present invention without double edged grip member  4 . 
         FIG. 9  illustrates the snowboard  10  in position ready for the upper sliding member  2  to be closed. 
         FIG. 10  illustrates the snowboard  10  held in final position with the upper sliding member  2  closed. 
         FIG. 11  illustrates the opening of the upper sliding member  2  with the initial placement of a skateboard  11  on at least one embodiment of the present invention without double edged grip member  4 . 
         FIG. 12  illustrates the skateboard  11  in position ready for the upper sliding member  2  to be closed. 
         FIG. 13  illustrates the skateboard  11  held in final position with the upper sliding member  2  closed. 
         FIG. 14  illustrates the opening of the lower sliding member  3  with the placement of the first ski  12  ready for the lower sliding member  3  to be closed on at least one embodiment of the present invention with double edged grip member  4 . 
         FIG. 15  illustrates the first ski  12  held in final position with the lower sliding member  3  closed. 
         FIG. 16  illustrates the opening of the upper sliding member  2  with the placement of the second ski  12  ready for the upper sliding member  2  to be closed. 
         FIG. 17  illustrates both skis  12  held in final position with the upper and lower sliding members  2  and  3  closed. 
         FIG. 18  illustrates upper portion of section highlighting the closed position of the double transverse sliding tension mechanism  9  and how it interfaces with the other members on at least one embodiment of the present invention without the double edged grip member  4 . 
         FIG. 19  illustrates lower portion of section highlighting the closed position of the double transverse sliding tension mechanism  9  and how it interfaces with the other members on at least one embodiment of the present invention without the double edged grip member  4 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following is a description of the present invention, a mounting and display system for a variety of sport equipment with four embodiments described and particular elements varying in size, shape and number of elements. This should not be construed as limiting, but only as exemplary embodiments that describe the scope and spirit of the present invention. 
     One embodiment of the present invention is shown in  FIGS. 1-10  for singular and dual boards, accommodates sporting gear including but not limited to the following: skateboards, longboards, snowboards, snowskates, wakeboards, skimboards, downhill skis, powder skis, cross country skis, skate skis and water skis. 
     This embodiment includes a center base member  1  that is fastened via fasteners  7  suitable to the mounting surface  13  being attached to such as a wall. The center base member  1  may be directly surface mounted or have back plate standoff members  5  and  6  of varying thicknesses to increase the displayed objects distance from the mounting surface  13 . The center base member  1  contains at least one center base member attachment access  1   a  through which fasteners  7  pass. Center base member  1  includes a center base member interface surface lb which contacts double edged grip member  4  when it is installed on center base member  1 . Upper sliding member  2  is shown adjacent to center base member  1  including an upper sliding member grip surface  2   a , which contacts a sporting gear item being securely stored by the system, an integrated upper sliding member handle  2   b  which provides a convenient means for a user to grip the upper sliding member  2  for extension and compression, an upper sliding member tension mechanism channel  2   c  is included on the reverse side of upper sliding member  2  wherein one of the double transverse sliding tension mechanisms  9  are secured to upper sliding member  2 , and upper sliding member sporting gear channel  2   d , which is where the sporting gear item is securely located when the system has been fully compressed by the user. 
     Located oppositely from upper sliding member  2 , adjacent to the center base member  1  is lower sliding member  3  including a lower sliding member grip surface  3   a , which contacts a sporting gear item being securely stored by the system, an integrated lower sliding member handle  3   b  which provides a convenient means for a user to grip the lower sliding member  3  for extension and compression, a lower sliding member tension mechanism channel  3   c  is included on the reverse side of lower sliding member  3  wherein one of the double transverse sliding tension mechanisms  9  are secured to lower sliding member  3 , and lower sliding member sporting gear channel  3   d , which is where the sporting gear item is securely located when the system has been fully compressed by the user. 
     Double edged grip member  4  is shown, which engages center base member  1  and is located by the fasteners  7  that pass through both center base member  1  and double edged grip member  4  using screw accesses  4   b . Double edged grip member grip surface  4   a  is shown on two sides of double edged grip member  4 , opposite from upper sliding member grip surface  2   a  and lower sliding member grip surface  3   a . In one usage of the present system, when the upper and lower sliding members  2  and  3  are pulled apart from center base member  1 , a user may place sporting gear, such as skis, such that a ski engages the lower sliding member grip surface  3  or the double edged grip member grip surface  4   a , depending upon the orientation of the system. Similarly, the upper sliding member  2  is pulled apart from the center base member  1 , and a ski is placed into contact with the appropriate grip surfaces. The upper and lower sliding members  2 ,  3  are joined to the center base member  1  by at least one double transverse sliding tension mechanism  9 , which may include a spring action mechanism to pull the sliding members toward the center member, and clamp the sporting gear—skis in this example—securely and safely in place. 
     The fasteners  7  may utilize surface mounts or anchors  8  to secure the system to a surface  13 , such as a wall, table, or other suitable surface. The anchors  8  may be of type used in masonry or concrete applications, or the anchors may be of the type used with drywall or plaster, among other applications. Back plate standoff members  5  and  6  are used to position the sliding members  2  and  3 , as well as the center base member  1  a particular distance from the mounting surface  13 . The back plate standoff members  5  and  6  allow a user to easily insert his or her hands into the upper and lower handles  2   b ,  3   b , to pull the sliding members apart or slide them together as desired. Standoff members  5  and  6  are optional, and the sliding members are fully functional without the use of the standoff members.  FIG. 5  is an illustration of the rear of one embodiment of the present invention, showing back plate standoff members  5  and  6  in more detail. Standoff members  5  and  6  include a plurality of attachment access points  5   a ,  6   a , and  5   d  and  6   d . Fastener access points  5   b  and  6   b  allow fasteners  7  to pass through the system to be attached to surface  13 . A pair of back plate standoff member slots  5   c  and  6   c  is also shown. 
       FIGS. 8 through 10  show one embodiment of the present invention illustrating the installation of a sporting gear item, in this example, a snowboard  10 . Upper sliding member  2  is pulled upward by gripping the handle  2   b . The snowboard  10  is inserted into contact with the lower sliding member grip surface  3   a  of lower sliding member  3 . The user then releases handle  2   b , causing the double transverse sliding tension mechanisms  9  to pull upper sliding member  2  toward center base member  1  and into contact with the snowboard  10 , securing snowboard  10  in place. Another example is shown in  FIGS. 11 through 13 , with a skateboard  11  substituted for snowboard  10 . 
       FIGS. 14 through 17  show a pair of skis  12  being installed in one embodiment of the present invention. A user begins by pulling lower sliding member  3  using handle  3   b  away from center base member  1  and installing a ski into contact with lower sliding member grip surface  3   a . Releasing the handle  3   b , the tension mechanisms  9  pull lower sliding member  3  toward center base member  1 , securely gripping ski  12 . The operation is repeated for the upper sliding member  2 . 
       FIGS. 18 and 19  show cutaway side views of one embodiment of the present invention showing double transverse sliding tension mechanisms  9  secured in upper sliding member tension mechanism channels  2   c  and  3   c . In this embodiment, mechanisms  9  include springs to provide tension to draw the upper and lower sliding members  2  and  3  toward center base member  1  to securely hold a sporting gear item(s). In other embodiments, other types of mechanisms could be used, such as gas charged struts, or elastic bands. Alternatively, electric motors may be used in place of the sliding tension mechanism. 
     It is important to note that the present invention may be used to secure other items of sporting gear not shown in the above examples, which are included only to illustrate the present invention. For example, the present invention may also be used to grip other board type objects, such as surfboards; other sporting gear such as hockey sticks, golf clubs, baseball bats, cricket paddles, tennis rackets, fishing poles or other sporting items. 
     Two double transverse sliding tension mechanisms  9  (best shown in  FIGS. 18-19 ) are slotted through the center base member  1  connecting the upper sliding member  2  to the lower sliding member  3  thus accommodating singular board type objects. During installation, an optional double edged grip member  4  may be added to the center base member to accommodate dual board type objects. 
     The invention has been described in an illustrative manner. It is to be understood that the terminology which has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. Many modifications and variations of the invention are possible in light of the above teachings. Therefore, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described.