Artificial rock with protective recess

Abstract

An artificial rock which is mountable on a climbing wall has a recess formed in therein. The recess is bound by a pair of lateral surfaces which entirely or in sections may be downwardly and inwardly tapered and/or parallel to one another. The recess is configured to receive a safety device such as a piton or a camming device to support various climbing equipment with a rope threaded thereon to provide a safety feature for climbers and to allow climbers to practice with the climbing equipment. When tapered, the recess is preferably bounded by tapered lateral surfaces which angle in mating fashion with respective tapered surfaces of a piton. The recess may be bounded by a rear surface which tapers downwardly and forwardly whereby the recess accommodates various sizes of pitons therein.

1 . An artificial rock for use with a climbing wall, the rock comprising: 
 a first rigid wall having a first lateral surface;    a second rigid wall which is adjacent to the first wall and which has a second lateral surface which generally faces the first lateral surface;    wherein the rock has a back adapted to face the climbing wall when mounted thereon;    wherein the first and second lateral surfaces define therebetween a forward opening recess adapted to receive a safety device therein for supporting climbing equipment; and    wherein the rock has sufficient strength to support a weight of a climber.    
   
   
       2 . The rock of  claim 1  wherein the recess is wider at a top thereof than at a bottom thereof.  
   
   
       3 . The rock of  claim 1  wherein the recess is deeper at a top thereof than at a bottom thereof.  
   
   
       4 . The rock of  claim 1  wherein the recess has a top which opens upwardly.  
   
   
       5 . The rock of  claim 1  wherein the recess has a bottom which opens downwardly whereby the bottom of the recess is adapted to allow a portion of the climbing equipment to hang there through.  
   
   
       6 . The rock of  claim 1  wherein the recess extends from a top of the rock to a bottom of the rock.  
   
   
       7 . The rock of  claim 1  wherein the lateral surfaces are substantially parallel to one another whereby the rock is adapted for use with an active climbing safety device within the recess.  
   
   
       8 . The rock of  claim 1  wherein at least a portion of the lateral surfaces taper downwardly and inwardly toward one another.  
   
   
       9 . The rock of  claim 8  further including a rigid rear wall having a surface which bounds the recess.  
   
   
       10 . The rock of  claim 9  wherein the surface of the rear wall tapers downwardly and forward.  
   
   
       11 . The rock of  claim 8  wherein the recess has a top and a bottom; and wherein the lateral surfaces taper downwardly and inwardly toward one another from the top to the bottom.  
   
   
       12 . The rock of  claim 8  wherein at least a portion of the lateral surfaces are substantially parallel to one another.  
   
   
       13 . The rock of  claim 8  wherein the lateral surfaces of the at least one portion are substantially flat and define an angle therebetween within the range of  8 . 0  to  14 . 0  degrees.  
   
   
       14 . The rock of  claim 8  in combination with a piton having outwardly facing lateral surfaces which taper downwardly and inwardly toward one another; and wherein the at least a portion of the lateral surfaces of the first and second walls tapers downwardly and inwardly at about the same angle as do the lateral surfaces of the piton.  
   
   
       15 . The rock of  claim 1  wherein the first and second walls have a front surface which is substantially flat and substantially vertical when the rock is in a mounting position.  
   
   
       16 . The rock of  claim 1  further including a rigid rear wall which extends between and is connected to each of the first and second walls; and wherein the rear wall has a surface which bounds the recess.  
   
   
       17 . The rock of  claim 16  wherein the rock has a substantially flat back surface which is adapted to abut the climbing wall when mounted thereon.  
   
   
       18 . The rock of  claim 1  wherein the first and second walls are part of an integral one-piece body.  
   
   
       19 . The rock of  claim 1  further including a mounting mechanism adapted to mount the first and second walls on the climbing wall.  
   
   
       20 . The rock of  claim 19  wherein the mounting mechanism includes at least one threaded fastener which extends through a hole formed in one of the first and second walls.