Buoys – rafts – and aquatic devices – Water skimming or walking device – Surfboard
Patent
1999-04-16
2000-10-31
Le, Mark T.
Buoys, rafts, and aquatic devices
Water skimming or walking device
Surfboard
114 3915, B63B 3579, B63B 3500
Patent
active
061393835
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a fin assembly. This invention relates particularly to a fin assembly having a fin component which is readily detachable from its mountings.
This invention relates particularly to fin assemblies for surfboards and it will be convenient to hereinafter describe the invention with reference to this application. However it is to be clearly understood that the invention has broader application. For example it extends to other water craft such as sailing craft, paddle skis and surf skis and the like. For convenience such craft will be referred to collectively hereinafter as "boards".
Surf boards comprise broadly a body having a core of buoyant material, an upper ride surface for supporting a surfer and a lower surface which is received in the water. One or more fins are mounted on the lower surface thereof. Traditionally the fins have been permanently mounted to the body by being fibreglassed onto the body.
The disadvantage of permanently mounting a fin to a surfboard is that it cannot be easily removed and replaced when the fin is damaged. Further the fin cannot be easily removed from the board and replaced with another fin having different performance properties to enable experimentation with different fin types to occur. Further when transporting surfboards, the fin is relatively ungainly and consumes a large amount of space. Accordingly it would be advantageous in such situations to be able to remove the fin from the body of the board.
A removable fin assembly has been developed which is described in Australian patent 665804. This fin assembly comprises a fin having two thin rectangular tabs projecting outwardly from the base of the fin. Each such tab is received within a socket of a disc-like plug mounted in the lower surface of the body of the surfboard. The fin tabs are releasably locked in the plug by means of opposed fastening elements such as grub screws which clamp the tab. However this assembly has limited strength.
This fin assembly also has other shortcomings. For example this fin assembly requires precision work for it to be mounted on the body of the surfboard. This is because the two spaced plugs have to be spaced a precise distance apart to enable them to mate with the two fin attachment elements in order to provide ease of attachment and release of the fin means. In addition a number of grub screws is used to secure each fin and thus it is time consuming to mount a fin to the board.
A further feature of the fin assembly is a resin plug which extends from the bottom of the body attachment element through the core of the body to the upper ride surface of the surfboard. This resin plug provides some support for the fin attachment element to assist in mounting it in stable fashion on the body of the surfboard. However after use this resin plug tends to work through the fibreglass coating on the ride surface of the surfboard. This is unsightly and causes water leakage into the inner core of the board. The so formed discontinuity in the ride surface may injure the rider.
Another disadvantage associated with such arrangements is that the fin body projects forwardly and rearwardly beyond the tabs and in use these portions of the fin body are positioned in abutting relationship with or adjacent to the lower surface.
Accordingly, during attempts to remove the fin from the plugs secured into the board, and especially if the plugs are not perfectly aligned with the tabs, the projecting ends will be forced against the bottom surface to effect leverage to assist in such removal. This is often effected by rocking the fin to and fro. This action causes the projecting ends to damage the fibreglass skin forming the lower surface.
It would therefore be advantageous if an improved fin assembly which enabled the removable detachment of a fin to a body of a surfboard could be devised.
According to one aspect of this invention there is provided a fin assembly including: rear positions on the base; assembly to the board, the socket mounting defining at least complementary front and rear sock
REFERENCES:
patent: 3422471 (1969-01-01), Morey
patent: 3585663 (1971-06-01), Johnson
patent: 3659300 (1972-05-01), Johnson
patent: 3965514 (1976-06-01), Shafer
patent: 4325154 (1982-04-01), Collum
patent: 4379703 (1983-04-01), Mizell
patent: 5176096 (1993-01-01), Molnar
patent: 5328397 (1994-07-01), Whitty
patent: 5464359 (1995-11-01), Whitty
patent: 5934962 (1999-08-01), Daum et al.
International Search Report of PCT/AU98/00897 by Australian Searching Authority of the PCT.
Jolly Barry Allan
Palmer Mark Sydney
Abrahams Colin P.
Le Mark T.
Muldoon Patrick Craig
Pat-Tech Pty Ltd.
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