Abstract:
Fixtures are provided for holding one or more martial arts boards while resisting undesired contact with the holder&#39;s hands. A pair of fixtures will each have a manually engageable handle secured to a base and adjustable strap structure to receive at least one breakable or re-breakable board and intimately secure the same. The base is preferably fixedly secured to the handle with a portion of the adjustable strap therebetween. A related method is also disclosed.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/636,270, filed Apr. 20, 2012 and incorporates the same herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to apparatus for manually holding a martial arts board during an effort to break the same by a martial artist and methods associated therewith. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0005]    In connection with the breaking of wooden boards or re-breakable boards made out of synthetic material in the context of martial art competition, training, practice or for recreational purposes, martial artists require another individual to hold the board or boards securely such that they can be broken by the martial artist with his hand, foot, arm, knee or other body parts used for striking. Frequently, however, the martial artist impacts the hands or one of more fingers of the holder, or the holder is injured by the edge of the board or the force from the board on the hands. 
         [0006]    The force with which a martial artist must hit a board is very substantial or the board will not fracture. It is also important that the board be held in such a way that the impact blow applied by the martial artist will hit the grain oriented in the proper direction. The holder or holders of the board must be protected against direct impact by the martial artist to the hands of the holder, or injury resulting from the movement of the board or boards when it or they are broken. 
         [0007]    Numerous prior art approaches have been known. 
         [0008]    A number of prior art devices involve holders which are mechanical in nature, as contrasted with one or more individuals holding the board or boards to be broken. 
         [0009]    U.S. Pat. No. 3,883,135 discloses a pair of boards which hold a single board which is to be broken by a karate chop. 
         [0010]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,757,989 discloses a device for rigidly holding one or more boards which are to receive a blow from a martial artist. Angular positioning of the board is said to be provided by the device. 
         [0011]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,572,504 discloses a holder for breakable karate boards having a vertical support and upper and lower frame members for holding a karate board therebetween in a vertical position. 
         [0012]    U.S. Pat. No. 7,207,928 discloses a multi-station device for holding practice boards with different board orientations. 
         [0013]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,334 discloses a martial art board securing device which is said to provide enhanced safety by resisting the user being injured by broken board pieces. See also U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,491,316 and 4,093,212. 
         [0014]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,171,803 discloses a device which involves two people each holding one clamp member by a strap with a strip to be broken extending therebetween. This is said to minimize risk of injury of the holders as it is clear where the fracture will occur. 
         [0015]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,583,730 provides a martial arts practice device which involves breakage of small, less costly slats. A pair of hinged parts are provided with laterally projecting handles on the outside of the impact area. 
         [0016]    U.S. Pat. No. 8,096,535 discloses a pair of rearwardly projecting handles structured to be manually engaged by the board holder with direct securement to the lateral edges. It provides rigid connection between the board and the handles with the board remaining in the holder, thereby increasing the likelihood of injury to the “practitioner” who is doing the breaking. 
         [0017]    In spite of the foregoing disclosures, there remains a very real and substantial need for apparatus and method for allowing one or more individuals to effectively and safely hold one or more boards which are to be broken by a martial artist, while providing the martial artist with the maximum benefit of the board securement with reduced risk to the both the holders and the martial artist. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0018]    The present invention has met the above-described need by providing a pair of fixtures which each have a manually engageable handle secured to a base and an adjustable strap structured to receive at least one board and secure the same to the fixture in intimate relationship therewith. The handles, which are preferably positioned at opposite ends of the board, permit the holders to firmly secure the board without having the holders&#39; hands or other body portions exposed to the front or impact face of the board which will be struck by the martial artist, thereby minimizing the risk of injury to the holder or holders. The adjustable strap preferably has a portion interposed and firmly held between the handle and the base. The adjustable strap preferably has portions which contain male and female hook and loop fasteners, such as those sold under the designation “Velcro”, to facilitate effective securement of the fixture to the board in intimate relationship therewith. 
         [0019]    The base may be secured to the handle through mechanical fasteners, such as appropriately sized screws or adhesive or other suitable means known to those skilled in the art. 
         [0020]    In one embodiment, the face of the base which contacts the rear surface of the board has enhanced friction properties to reduce relative movement therebetween. 
         [0021]    An associated method of assembling the fixtures and board or boards with subsequent impact from the martial artist is also provided. 
         [0022]    It is an object of the present invention to provide an efficient, mechanically effective structure and related method for securing one or more boards to be broken by a martial artist, while resisting injury to the holder or holders. 
         [0023]    It is yet another object of the invention to provide such a system wherein the fixture has a substantially rigid base secured to a handle with a portion of an adjustable strap secured therebetween, such that the base and handle will project rearwardly away from the rear face of the board or boards to be broken. 
         [0024]    It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a system wherein the straps which secure the board to the other portions of the fixture are continuously adjustable so as to provide for a maximum securement of the board. 
         [0025]    It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such board holder fixtures which may be employed with boards made of various materials, such as wood or plastic, for example. 
         [0026]    It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such a board holder which may readily and rapidly be intimately secured to the board and removed from the board and related methods. 
         [0027]    It is a further object of the present invention to provide apparatus for board securement which may be employed re-breakable boards. 
         [0028]    It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such fixture securement of boards which readily permits the board to be in the desired orientation so that the martial artist can break the board with the grain. 
         [0029]    These and other objects of the invention will be more fully understood from the description of the invention on reference to the illustrations appended hereto. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0030]      FIG. 1  is a front elevational view of a board secured within a pair of fixtures of the present invention showing the front or impact face of the board. 
           [0031]      FIG. 2  is a right side elevation of the board and fixture assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0032]      FIG. 3  is a left side elevational view of the board and fixture assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0033]      FIG. 4 , is a rear elevational view of the fixture and board assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0034]      FIG. 5  is a top plan view of the fixture and board assembly shown in  FIG. 4 . 
           [0035]      FIG. 6  is a bottom plan view of the fixture and board assembly shown in  FIG. 4 . 
           [0036]      FIG. 7  shows a front elevational view of a clip, such as clips  40  and  42 , through which the straps, respectively,  6 , 8  pass and are secured. 
           [0037]      FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional illustration of the strap receiving clip of  FIG. 7  with a portion of a strap anchored thereto and another portion of the strap passing therethrough. 
           [0038]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a board and fixture assembly of the present invention as employed with a re-breakable board. 
           [0039]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view showing a base and a portion of an adjustable strap employable in a fixture of the present invention. 
           [0040]      FIG. 11  is an exploded view showing the handle, an interposed strap portion and a base securable with mechanical fasteners. 
           [0041]      FIG. 12  shows a top plan view of a pair of fixtures of the present invention securing two boards. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0042]    As employed herein, the word “board” means a board which is sized and structured to be broken by a martial artist and shall expressly include such boards made of wood, wood composites, plastic, as well as boards which are permanently broken during use and re-breakable boards which are capable of reassembly and re-use. 
         [0043]    Boards for use in martial arts would typically be made of wood such as pine or another suitable wood. The board will typically have a generally rectangular configuration having a length of about 10 to 12 inches, a width of about 11 to 12 inches and a thickness of about ½ to 1 inch. 
         [0044]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 6 , there is shown a wood board  2  having a grain running in the direction of dashed line A and a pair of adjustable straps  6 , 8  with are part of a fixture which retains the board for purposes of having a holder secure the same for desired breaking impact by the martial artist. For convenience of description herein, the front or impact face of the board  2  will be referred to as face  10 . Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , there is shown the board  2  with front or impact face  10  and the rear face  14 . A base  20  has its face  22  in surface-to-surface engagement with rear face  14  of board  2 . Handles  26 , 27  which define openings  28 , 29 , respectively, for receiving the hand of the holder are secured to the base  20  in a manner which will be described hereinafter. The handles  26 , 27  may be made from any suitable material, such as a molded resin, such as nylon, ABS or a suitable thermoset or thermoplastic resin or metal. 
         [0045]    The straps  6 , 8  are preferably substantially non-extendable so as to facilitate intimate securement of the board  2 . Strap  6  cooperates with a clip  40  to permit the strap to be adjusted. Similarly, strap  8  is operatively associated with clip  42 . 
         [0046]    Strap  8  is operatively associated with handle  27  which has opening  29 . Portion  33  of strap  8  is interposed between the handle  27  and board  22 . Handle  26  and board  20  are associated with strap  6  and have strap portion  32  secured therebetween the screws. 
         [0047]    It will be appreciated in a manner to be described hereinafter by tightening the straps  68  around the board, these fixtures provide for intimate securement of the same with the impact face or front face being fully exposed at whatever angle the holder holds the assembly, while the manual grasping of the handles  26 , 27  places the holder&#39;s hands out of harms way. 
         [0048]    The clip shown in  FIG. 7 , which for purposes of example, may be considered clip  40 , provides an elongated opening  41 . Referring to the cross sectional illustration of  FIG. 8 , there is shown a portion of strap  6  with a section clamped between a lower handle portion  26  and board  20 . This portion of strap  6  is permanently secured about the clip  40 . As the strap  6  extends to the right in  FIG. 8 , it will pass over the end of board  20  (not shown in this view) and extend around the lower portion of clip  40  so as to permit free movement through the opening  41  for ultimate intimate securement to the board by means of the preferred hook and loop fasteners built into the straps  6 , 8 . 
         [0049]    Referring to  FIG. 9 , there is shown a perspective of a re-breakable board  50  which has two sections  52 , 54  separated by a seam  56  where the two sections  52 , 54  are structured to separate upon an appropriate impact being applied. The straps  60 , 62  each have a base and handle with only base  64  and  66  being shown in this view, it being understood that a similar base and handle will be shown in the other view. Board  50  has an edge  65 . Behind board  50  are boards  68 , 69 . 
         [0050]    It will be appreciated that in all embodiments the base is substantially rigid and may consist of a board of wood or plastic which will facilitate intimate securement of the board to be broken. 
         [0051]    As shown by way of example in  FIG. 10 , the strap  70  is secured to the base  72  and has both loop sector  74  and hook sector  76  such that when the strap is pulled intimately over the board or boards, effective securement of the boards may be obtained by joining the loop and hook portions at the precise location which achieves the intimacy of securement. 
         [0052]    Referring to  FIG. 11 , there is shown an exploded view of a form of use of mechanical fasteners to secure a handle  80  to a base  82  with an interposed strap portion  84 . A pair of countersunk holes  86 , 88  are structured to receive, respectively, fasteners  90 , 92  which in the form shown extend through the board through the segment of strap  84  and into the lower portions of handle  80  to thereby effect secure joinder of the same. 
         [0053]    In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the lower surface of the board  94  will have secured to it a friction enhancing surface which may be a separate member  96  or may have such a surface created on the board lower surface. In either event, this serves to facilitate intimacy of contact between the rear face of the board and the adjacent contacting surface of the base. 
         [0054]      FIG. 12  shows a pair of fixtures,  100 , 102  of the present invention including, respectively, straps  104 , 106  and clips such as clip  108  facilitating retention of the strap while permitting the desired adjustability. In this embodiment, it is contemplated that a plurality of wood boards  106 , 108  would be secured by the fixtures. It will be appreciated that, if desired, more than two boards may be employed. 
         [0055]    Whereas particular embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that numerous variations of the details may be made without departing from the invention as described in the appended claims.