Adjustable belt for carrying sporting equipment

Abstract

The present invention is directed to an adjustable belt system for carrying sporting equipment, such as skis, poles, a snowboard, and accessories. The adjustable belt system includes a first elongated strap, a second elongated strap, a first adjustable loop holding member attached to a first end of the first and second elongated straps, and a second adjustable loop holding member attached to a second end of the first and second elongated straps. The first and second elongated straps extend in parallel between the first and second holding members. A method of carrying sporting equipment is also disclosed.

1 . An adjustable belt system for carrying sporting equipment, comprising: 
 at least one strap; and    first and second holding members disposed at opposite ends of the strap to releasably attach to opposite ends of the sporting equipment, each holding member including a pad having first and second ends, a belt extending from the first end of the pad, and a ratcheting buckle disposed on the pad between the first and second ends thereof,    wherein the belt is looped over the second end of the pad and releasably secured in the ratcheting buckle such that the pad forms a loop having a size that is adjustable based on operation of the ratcheting buckle.    
   
   
       2 . The adjustable belt system of  claim 1 , wherein the pad is made of a hard flexible plastic and includes a soft contact pad disposed around an inside of the loop to contact the sporting equipment.  
   
   
       3 . The adjustable belt system of  claim 2 , wherein the ratcheting buckle is bound to the pad by a rivet extending through the hard flexible plastic to the soft contact pad.  
   
   
       4 . The adjustable belt system of  claim 3 , wherein the soft contact pad is recessed to accommodate a portion of the rivet extending through the hard flexible plastic such that the rivet does not extend beyond a surface of the soft contact pad.  
   
   
       5 . The adjustable belt system of  claim 3 , wherein the soft contact pad is recessed to accommodate a portion of the rivet extending through the hard flexible plastic such that the portion of the rivet extending through the hard flexible plastic is prevented from contacting a surface of the sporting equipment.  
   
   
       6 . The adjustable belt system of  claim 2 , wherein the soft contact pad is made of ethylene vinyl acetate.  
   
   
       7 . The adjustable belt system of  claim 1 , wherein the pad of the holding member comprises a cloth material.  
   
   
       8 . The adjustable belt system of  claim 1 , wherein the pad of the holding member comprises a nylon web sleeve and a cotton stiffened skeleton disposed in the sleeve to provide a stiffening characteristic to the pad.  
   
   
       9 . The adjustable belt system of  claim 1 , wherein the pad of the holding member comprises a hard flexible plastic material.  
   
   
       10 . The adjustable belt system of  claim 9 , wherein the hard flexible plastic material comprises one of: 
 a Hytrel® material;    a polyurethane material; and    a Laripur® material.    
   
   
       11 . The adjustable belt system of  claim 1 , wherein the pad includes a guide loop disposed at the second end of the pad through which the belt passes toward the ratcheting buckle to form the loop.  
   
   
       12 . The adjustable belt system of  claim 1 , wherein the pad includes a first hook and loop fastener disposed at the second end on a top portion of the pad and a second hook and loop fastener disposed at the first end on a bottom portion of the pad to couple to the first hook and loop fastener when the pad is configured as a loop by moving a bottom portion of the belt along the top portion of the second end of the pad.  
   
   
       13 . The adjustable belt system of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 at least one ring coupled to the pad of the holding member; and    at least one clasp coupled to an end of the at least one strap to removably attach the at least one strap to the at least one ring on the holding member.    
   
   
       14 . The adjustable belt system of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one clasp comprises a swivel clasp making the holding member rotatable 360 degrees with respect to the at least one strap.  
   
   
       15 . The adjustable belt system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one strap comprises: 
 a first strap having a first end removably coupled to the first holding member and a second end removably coupled to the second holding member; and    a second strap having a first end removably coupled to the first holding member and a second end removably coupled to the second holding member, the second strap being arranged in parallel with respect to the first strap.    
   
   
       16 . The adjustable belt system of  claim 15 , wherein: 
 the first strap includes a first clasp disposed at the first end thereof and a second clasp disposed at the second end thereof;    the second strap includes a first clasp disposed at the first end thereof and a second clasp disposed at the second end thereof;    the first holding member includes a first ring and a second ring coupled to the pad thereof, the first ring removably coupled to the first clasp of the first strap and the second ring coupled to the first clasp of the second strap; and    the second holding member includes a first ring and a second ring coupled to the pad thereof, the first ring removably coupled to the second clasp of the first strap and the second ring coupled to the second clasp of the second strap.    
   
   
       17 . The adjustable belt system of  claim 1 , wherein the belt has ridges by which the ratcheting buckle engages the belt.  
   
   
       18 . An adjustable belt system, comprising: 
 a first elongated strap;    a second elongated strap;    a first adjustable loop holding member attached to a first end of the first and second elongated straps; and    a second adjustable loop holding member attached to a second end of the first and second elongated straps, wherein the first and second elongated straps extend in parallel between the first and second holding members.    
   
   
       19 . The adjustable belt system of  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 elongated sporting equipment having a first end around which the first adjustable loop holding member is disposed and a second end around which the second adjustable loop holding member is disposed.    
   
   
       20 . The adjustable belt system of  claim 19 , wherein the sporting equipment is either skis or a snowboard.  
   
   
       21 . The adjustable belt system of  claim 20 , wherein the sporting equipment is a snowboard having a first binding and a second binding, and the first and second adjustable loop holding members are disposed outside the first and second bindings, respectively.  
   
   
       22 . An adjustable loop holding member usable with a sport equipment carrying device having an elongated flexible strap, the loop holding member comprising: 
 an elongated body having first and second ends;    a belt extending from the first end of the body;    a guide loop disposed at the second end of the body;    a ratcheting buckle disposed on the body having an input end facing the guide loop and an output end facing away from the guide loop, the input end being arranged to receive the belt from the guide loop such that the belt is secured therein by a clamping portion of the ratcheting buckle to configure the body as a loop; and    a ring disposed on the body to removably connect to the elongated flexible strap.    
   
   
       23 . A method of using an adjustable belt system for carrying sporting equipment, the method comprising: 
 providing the adjustable belt system having at least one strap with first and second holding members disposed at opposite ends of the strap to releasably attach to opposite sides of the sporting equipment, each holding member including a pad having first and second ends, a belt extending from the first end of the pad, and a ratcheting buckle disposed on the pad between the first and second ends thereof, the belt being looped over the second end of the pad and releasably securable in the ratcheting buckle such that the pad forms a loop having a size that is adjustable based on operation of the ratcheting buckle;    coupling the first and second holding members to the opposite sides of the sporting equipment, respectively, by connecting the respective belts to the corresponding ratcheting buckles and tightening the ratcheting buckles until the sporting equipment is secured; and    carrying the sporting equipment by the at least one strap.    
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein: 
 the at least one strap comprises first and second parallel straps each connected between the first and second holding members; and    the carrying of the sporting equipment comprises placing a first strap over a first shoulder of a user and placing a second strap over a second shoulder of a user such that the sporting equipment is suspended comfortably along a back of the user.