Abstract:
There is disclosed herein relatively simple locking devices for sporting items such snowboards and the like. In one form of the locking device, the same includes a member which can be affixed to a binding of a snowboard, and includes a releasable cable which can be wrapped around a fixed or stationary object so as to secure the sporting item thereto for safe storage. In one embodiment, the cable is normally retained in a flanged section of a pad of the locking system, but can be released therefrom for attachment to the fixed or stationery object. In another embodiment, the cable can be retained around a boot binding assembly.

Description:
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/268,903 filed Mar. 15, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,230,526, entitled “Security Locks,” the disclosure of which incorporated here and by reference. 
    
    
     This invention relates to security devices, and more particularly to security locks for use on devices such as snowboards and the like. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Snowboarding and snow skiing are all extremely popular sports today. Snowboarding, like skateboarding, is one of the fastest growing sports today. One out of every four persons who regularly visits ski resorts owns or rides a snowboard. Snowboarding is increasing globally both as a competitive sport as well as an alternative to conventional skiing. Snow skiing is still the most popular wintertime sport in the world today, but snowboarding is gaining. 
     Snowboards are relatively expensive. The need for protecting snowboards in today&#39;s increasingly crowded ski resorts is a must. As more and more people turn to snowboarding, the risk of theft is a growing concern. 
     Some people make use of steel cables with locks which can be used to secure these types of sporting equipment to some fixed object such as a secure pole. Unfortunately, these types of cable-lock devices must be carried by the person using the sporting equipment; for example, a snowboarder at the slopes has to physically carry the locking device, and the locking devices usually are bulky. 
     Ski resorts frequently have racks for skis, but which normally are not provided with any type of locking system, and such resorts generally have not yet addressed some type of rack for snowboards. As more and more people turn snowboarding, the risk of theft is a growing concern. 
     Therefore, there is a need for a reliable locking device. Some forms of locking devices have been devised as is evidenced by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,773,239, 5,179,847, 5,177,986, 5,706,680. However, these devices either involve locking devices that must be carried on the person while the sporting equipment is in use, such as a separable lock device, or they involve relatively bulky or complicated devices. 
     A suitable locking device would allow the snowboarder protection against theft. The locking devices of the present invention offer the snowboarder the opportunity for protection. 
     Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a relatively simple locking device or system for sports equipment like snowboards. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide a locking device for sports equipment, such as snowboards and the like, which does not require the person to carry a lock, cable or other separate locking device. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved security device for sports equipment. 
     The locking devices of the present invention will help deter a would-be thief from stealing snowboards and the like while the user has lunch, goes to the lodge, car, or any other situation would involve leaving their equipment behind for any length of time. The present locking concepts can provide the snowboarder the extra piece of mind by knowing their equipment is secure. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the present invention, a relatively simple and compact locking device is provided for snowboards and the like. In one embodiment, the device comprises a compact cable lock which can be mounted adjacent to the bindings attachment of a snowboard so as to be securely affixed to the sports item. A lock can include a releasable cable which is normally wrapped around a textured pad forming a “stomp pad,” but which can be extended to lock around a fixed pole or other fixed or stationary object so as to secure the snowboard thereto. Other embodiments have different forms of cable lock assemblies. Same use key locks and some have combination locks. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     These and other objects and features of the present invention will become better understood through a consideration of the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a snowboard and a first embodiment of a locking device according to the present invention for sporting equipment; 
     FIGS. 2 a  through  2   e  illustrate the locking device of FIG. 1 in further detail; 
     FIGS. 3 a  and  3   b  are perspective views of another embodiment of a snowboard locking device; 
     FIGS. 4 a  and  4   b  illustrate another embodiment; 
     FIGS. 5 a  and  5   b  illustrate another embodiment using a combination lock; 
     FIGS. 6 a  through  6   f  are views of another locking device for snowboards and the like; 
     FIGS. 7 a  through  7   d  show forms of locks with different surfaces to provide “stomp pads,” and 
     FIGS. 8 a  and  8   b  are views of still another locking device for snowboards and the like. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Turning now to the drawings, and first to FIG. 1, a typical snowboard  10  is shown having conventional boot bindings  12 ,  14  and respective associated bindings attachments  16  and  18 . The bindings are adjustable as is know in the art to accommodate different snowboarders and snowboarder styles and boots. 
     According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a snowboard security lock assembly  20  is provided which comprises a mounting plate  22  (note particularly FIG. 2 b ), textured pad  24  which can serve “stomp pad,” lock assembly  26  (also note FIGS. 2 a - 2   e ) and cable  28 . The mounting plate  22  has suitable holes  30  to enable the same to be mounted underneath the binding attachment  16  by the attachment mounting bolts  32  (note FIG. 2 b ). The holes  30  in the plate  22  can be discrete holes or elongated holes (e.g., 1 inch long) to fit with the standard binding mounting arrangement of snowboards. 
     The mounting plate  22  extends underneath the pad  24  and locking device  26  and covers the bottom of the locking device. The locking device  26  is secured to the plate  22  in any suitable form as by screw fasteners, rivets, spot welding, or the like, and the pad  24  typically is adhesively mounted, such as by a double faced adhesive, to the plate  22  and to the upper surface  10   a  of the snowboard  10 . The pad preferably is formed from a resilient material such as a thermoplastic elastomer or urethane. The outer free end of the plate  22  preferably extends past the lock and is captured by the pad  24  to allow for board flex. The plate is thin to keep the locking device from moving or rattling. 
     The cable  28  is fixed at one end to the board  10  at a location underneath the pad  24  in any suitable manner. For example, one end can be permanently fixed to the plate  22  or lock assembly  26  or captured between the plate and lock housing. It also can be removable rather than permanently attached. This will be better understood in the discussion of FIGS. 2 d  and  2   e.    
     The other end  36  has an enlarged tip  38  and is attached to the locking device  26  and disposed underneath a locking pin  40  when in the locked condition. The locking device  26  preferably is a key lock having a tumbler  42  (FIG. 2 b ) in which a key (not shown) can be inserted to cause the locking pin  40  to retract to thereby release the free end  36  of the cable  28 . The cable  28  normally is disposed underneath an outer flange  25  of the pad  24 , and the flange  25  is flexible and includes a cavity  25   a  underneath which the cable  28  can be wrapped as seen in FIGS. 2 a - 2   c . The cable  28  thus is essentially self-storing on the board and is out of the way of the snowboarder, and also does not have to be carried in a pocket. 
     When the lock  26  is opened thereby retracting the pin  40 , the cable can be unwrapped from underneath the pad  24  flange  25  and placed around a fixed object such as a pole or the like, and then the free end  36  is returned to the lock underneath the pin  40  and the lock again locked so as to advance the pin  40  to secure the free end  36  in the lock  26 . In this manner, a snowboard  10  can be locked to a fixed object to prevent or deter theft while the snowboarder is having lunch, resting, or engaging in other activities or the like. The lock  26  preferably also includes a flexible cover  44  over the tumbler  42 . The lock preferably is formed of an impact resistant tough material which can withstand the cold temperatures involved in snowboarding, and can be a nylon or polycarbonate alloy. An example lock is a Model No. 10287 tubular lock or No. 12009 manufactured by Windcorp. 
     It is important that the plate  22  be as thin as possible, while being sufficiently strong to secure the lock  26  and cable end, so as not to raise the boot binding  12  by any significant amount. It is preferred not to raise the bindings  12  more than about {fraction (1/16)} th  inch; however; ¼ th  to ⅜ th  inch may be acceptable which is sufficiently high to accommodate the cable  28 , and it may be possible to go as high as ½ inch. Also, it is important to use the existing holes (to which the mounting bolts  32  attach—FIG. 2 b ) rather than drilling or otherwise providing additional holes in view of the typical structure of such boards  10  which frequently are of a honeycomb structure and have threaded inserts for the bolts  32 . A key type lock  26  may be preferable because generally they are smaller than combination locks (although combination lock embodiments are discussed later). The types of key locks using a small cylindrical key appear to be more durable, harder to tamper with, and appear to be less of a problem around snow and ice. 
     FIGS. 2 e  and  2   d  illustrate further details of attachment of the ends  38  and  38   a  of the cable  28 . FIG. 2 d  shows both ends fully captured in the lock via the locking pin  40 . FIG. 2 e  shows the end  36  of the cable  28  after it has been released from the lock, as for example before attaching a cable around a fixed stationery object. The locking pin  40  can be retracted (by turning the key lock) to fully release the cable  28  by releasing the end  36   a  and enlarged ball tip  38  entirely from the locking device  26 . In the embodiment shown, rotation of the lock rotates the locking pin  40  to cover and uncover the ends of the cable  28 . This can be useful where the user wants to completely remove the cable. It will be noted that the enlarged end  38   a  is captured in a recess  39   a , and when the loose end  36  is relocked (noted FIG. 2 d ) the enlarged end  38  fits within a recess  39 . This arrangement provides also for a relatively compact assembly. 
     FIGS. 3 a  and  3   b  illustrate an alternative lock  50  having a hinged cover  52 . The remaining components are of the same type shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and have like reference numbers. 
     FIGS. 4 a  and  4   b  illustrates another embodiment using a different form of lock  60  having a hinged cover  62 . 
     FIGS. 5 a  and  5   b  illustrate a further embodiment, but in this case the lock comprises a combination lock  70 . The tip end  38  of the cable  28  is captured axially in the lock  70 . 
     FIGS. 6 a  through  6   f  show alternative forms of snowboard security locks. In these embodiments, the cable  28  is disposed around a plate  76  (see FIGS. 6 b ,  6   c  and  6   f ). Like or similar parts have the same reference numbers used on the earlier Figures. A lock assembly  26  is provided and is affixed to the mounting plate  76 . One end of the cable  28  is affixed to the plate  76  such as disposed between the plate and lock body, and the other end is held by a pin  26   a  of the lock  26  and can be released when the lock is unlocked. The fixed end of the cable also can be disposed in a recess in the binding  12  to trap this end. FIGS. 6 a  and  6   b  show one embodiment of a key lock  26 , FIGS. 6 c  and  6   d  show another embodiment of a key lock  26 , and FIGS. 6 e  and  6   f  show a form of combination lock  26 . The plate  76  either has an angular groove  76   a , or is spaced above the board  10  to form the groove, around the outer edge about which the cable  28  can be wrapped when the snowboard is not in use, and from which the cable  28  can be unwound so that the cable can be released from the lock, wrapped around a fixed object such as a post of the like, and relocked to secure the snowboard to the fixed object. 
     FIGS. 7 a  through  7   d  illustrate forms of locks  26  that can be used on any of the previous embodiments, but each has a configured upper surface  80   a  through  80   d . The configured surface  80   a - 80   d  are ribbed or bumpy so as to function as a stomp pad for the snowboarder. Any of these textured surfaces can be provided on any of the locks  26  whether or not the textured pad  24  is provided. Preferably, the textured surface  80  can be of a resilient material, but it can be formed from other materials. Any of these locks is particularly useful as the lock of the security locking devices and also to provide a stomp pad. A separate pad, similar to pad  24  also can be used if desired. 
     While embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention, and all such modifications and equivalents are intended to be covered.