Body board

Details Body board Body board

2000-10-10

2001-07-03

Sotelo, Jesus D. (Department: 3617)

Fuel and related compositions

Liquid fuels

Aluminum or heavy metal, other than lead, containing

C441S074000, C441S079000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06254649

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a body board and, in particular, relates to maintaining stability of a body board when riding a wave.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Body boards are typically constructed from an expanded closed-cell foam. The body board has a top skin on which riders lay and, a bottom, smooth skin which contacts the wave when riding the body board. A pair of side rails extend between the top skin and bottom skin along a major portion of the perimeter of the body board.
When riding a wave, the object of most riders is to cut across a face of the wave to obtain a long ride and to perform tricks such as spinning the board through 360°. To enable the body board to travel across the face of the wave, a rider must lean to one side of the body board to dig one of the rails into the face of the wave.
In particular wave conditions, or through a riders lack of experience, or rider error, the rail is often not dug into the face of the wave. This can cause the body board and rider to slide down the face of the wave usually causing a “wipeout”.
To prevent a body board from sliding down the face of the wave, downwardly extending fins are attached to the bottom skin of the body board. The fins work well in enabling a rider to guide the body board across the face of the wave without slippage of the body board down the face of the wave.
However, the fins often prevent tricks being performed that involve quick rotation of the body board. Further, the fins can cause injury to swimmers or other riders if run over by the body board. Hence, fins that extend downwardly from the bottom skin are undesirable and therefore are not in common use by riders.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of this invention to overcome or alleviate some of the above disadvantages or provide the consumer with a useful or commercial choice.
In one form the invention resides in a body board having a pair of side rails, the body board including one or more fins that extend laterally from at least one side rail of the body board.
The body board may be made from any suitable material such as a closed-celled foam. The body board may have all or some of the features of standard body boards.
The fin may be made from any suitable material. Typically the fin is constructed from inflexible materials such as hard plastics.
Typically there is a fin mounted to each side rail of the body board. The fins may be fixed relative to the side rails. However, preferably the fins are able to be extended or retracted with respect to the side rails.
When the fins are able to be extended or retracted, typically they are movable from within a respective housing. The housings may be formed from an inflexible material and may be located within the side rails of the body board. The housings may assist in preventing flexing of the body board. The fins may be pivotally mounted within the housings.
In one embodiment, a connecting rod may be attached to each fin to extend or retract the fins. A biasing means such as a spring may form part of the connecting rod such that when the fin is bumped, the fin can move slightly inwardly or outwardly to protect the fins from damage.
A control means may be used to control the movement of the connecting rods. The control means may be of any suitable form.
The control means may comprises a pawl that operates two parallel, spaced ratchets. Rotation of the pawl may cause opposite longitudinal movement of each of the ratchets with respect to each other. Each ratchet may be connected to a connecting rod to extend or retract the fin.
Alternatively, the control means may be a shaft that has a T-head. Each end of the T-head may be attached to a connecting rod such that upon rotation of the shaft, the connecting rods extend or retract the fins.
Still alternatively, the control means may be a shaft connected to a cam. The connecting rods may be biassed to retract the fins so that upon rotation of the shaft, the cam pushes the connecting rods outwardly to extend the fins.
The control means and connecting rods are preferably hidden within the body board.
The control means may be operated by an externally mounted control handle or knob or the like. Alternately, a removable key or spine may be used to operate the control means.
In a second embodiment, each fin may be moved independently of each other. Each of the fins may be biased outwardly from their respective housings. A helical spring, a leaf spring, a resilient block or the like biasing means can be used to bias the fins outwardly.
Guides may be provided within the housing to guide movement of the fin within the housing. A stop may be provided on the housing or on the fin to stop the fin from being extended beyond a desired position within the housing.
A retaining means may be provided within the housing to retain the fin within the housing. The retaining means may allow the fin to be extended to a plurality of discrete positions relative to the housing. The retaining means may be a catch or latch or the like device. The catch or latch may be biased toward a retaining position and may be moved to a extension position to allow the fin to be extended.
The fin may have at least one holding means for engagement with the retaining means. The holding means may be a stepped portion, land or aperture.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4752262 (1988-06-01), Martinmaas
patent: 4883436 (1989-11-01), Oakland
patent: 4886476 (1989-12-01), Brocone et al.
patent: 5389023 (1995-02-01), McIntyre
patent: 41216/78 (1980-05-01), None
patent: 34251/95 (1996-05-01), None
patent: 2 516 472 (1983-05-01), None

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