US 5,547,204 A · Multipurpose mobile device with open sided foot engagement

Abstract

A device for traveling a standing, sitting or prone person along a surface has a foot engaging component which facilitates control of the device and retention of the device at the user's feet while also enabling quick unimpeded entry and withdrawal of the feet by lateral movement of the feet. The device may be configured for any of diverse activities such as skateboarding, skiing, snowboarding and surfboarding among others. The device may have interchangeable surface contacting components which enable quick restructuring of the device for use in different activities of these kinds. In one form, the foot engaging component has side-by-side boot shaped foot chambers which extend in the direction of travel and which are open at their outer sides. In another form, the foot engaging component has a single open sided foot chamber and pairs are used for activities, such as skiing or roller skating for example, where independent movement of devices attached to the person's feet is required.

Claims31

Dependent claims

A mobile device for supporting a person and which enables travel of the supported person along an underlying surface, said mobile device having a motion facilitating component attached to a lower surface of the device and a foot receiving component which establishes a foot position at which the person places a foot, wherein the improvement comprises:

said foot receiving component having at least one partially open foot chamber which is bounded in part by an elongated floor shaped to enable resting of said person's foot thereon, said foot chamber being further bounded by a back wall which extends upward at the back of said chamber and a side wall which extends upward at one side of said chamber and by a top wall which extends laterally from said side wall towards the opposite side of said chamber at a location which is forward from said back wall and spaced apart therefrom, said foot chamber having an access opening with a lower region situated at said opposite side of said chamber which opening is shaped to enable entry of said person's foot into said chamber and withdrawal of said person's foot therefrom at said opposite side of said chamber, said access opening having an upper region which extends laterally towards said side wall at the top of said chamber between said top wall and said back wall and which is shaped to receive said person's ankle.

In a mobile device for supporting a person and which enables travel of the supported person along an underlying surface, said device having a foot receiving component which establishes positions for said person's right and left feet and having a motion facilitating component attached to a lower surface of the device for contact with said underlying surface, the improvement comprising:

said foot receiving component having right and left sides with reference to the direction of travel of said mobile device and further having a right foot chamber and a left foot chamber disposed in side by side relationship and which extend substantially in said direction of travel of said device, said foot receiving component further including a right foot chamber access opening having a lower region at said right side of said foot receiving component and an upper region which extends laterally over said right foot chamber from a central portion of the device and further including a left foot chamber access opening having a lower region at said left side of said foot receiving component and an upper region which extends laterally over said left foot chamber from a central portion of the device, said access openings being shaped to enable entry of a person's feet into said foot chambers and withdrawal of a person's feet from said foot chambers by lateral movements of the person's feet.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Multipurpose mobile device with open sided foot engagement

Life of this patent

Multipurpose mobile device with open sided foot engagement

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims31