Buoys – rafts – and aquatic devices – Water skimming or walking device – Surfboard
Patent
1998-07-10
1999-12-28
Basinger, Sherman
Buoys, rafts, and aquatic devices
Water skimming or walking device
Surfboard
114288, B63B 3579, B63B 132
Patent
active
060073934
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to surfboards.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventional surfboards, used for riding waves, are formed of an elongated buoyant board having a smooth surface with a pointed bow and a generally straight transverse stern. The sportsman is forwardly propelled by the breaking waves while standing up or lying on his chest on the board.
One partially improved surfboard is shown in the international application laid open under the No. WO 90/03306 on Apr. 5, 1990 in the name of Marica ION. The ION application shows a surfboard having arcuate, frontwardly convex ridges on its underface. Each ridge has a hydrodynamic shape more particularly defining a rearwardly sloping front face and an inclined or upright rear face. The surfboard is destined to floatingly slide upon the water surface mainly by resting on the front surface of the ridges, while rearwardly oncoming water will hit the rear surface of the ridges to frontwardly drive the surfboard.
It has been found by the inventors that the directional stability and the propelling efficiency of conventional surfboards could be improved.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore the general object of the present invention to provide a surfboard having improved propelling efficiency and also improved directional stability.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a surfboard having a plurality of transverse ridges formed by grooves in its bottom surface to increase the surfboard faces exposed to the forwardly moving water, said ridges being arcuate and bowed away from the front end of the surfboard provide directional stability.
A further object of the invention is to provide a pair of additional sets of ridges on the opposite lateral side surfaces of the board, to improve self-straightening of the board in motion upon the board accidentally swerving out of its main axial direction of displacement.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a surfboard having these improved characteristics and which is yet of simple and inexpensive construction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The surfboard of the present invention comprises an elongated buoyant body having top, bottom, and opposite one and another lateral side surfaces, a longitudinal axis and a front and a rear end, said body having a first set of arcuate, transverse ridges formed by grooves in said bottom surface, said ridges including a frontmost ridge, a rearmost ridge and intervening ridges, all of said ridges being frontwardly convex, symmetrical relative to said longitudinal axis and spaced one from the other longitudinally of said body, said ridges each having a frontmost leading face; transversal channel extending through their leading face, said channels being aligned along said longitudinal axis.
Preferably, each said channel flares at its front end.
Preferably, each groove is defined by said leading face of any given ridge and by the back face of an adjacent preceding ridge, each groove being of V-shaped cross-section, said leading and back faces being upwardly and frontwardly inclined.
Preferably, each said ridge leading face defines a substantially flat lower edge surface forming part of said bottom surface.
Preferably, the apices of said grooves are substantially, equally dowmwardly spaced from said top surface.
Preferably, said rearmost ridge has a rear face being adjacent to said bottom surface and substantially normal thereto at the junction of said rearmost ridge with said bottom surface, said rearmost ridge being of increasing inclination while approaching said top surface, thus defining a rearwardly convex shape.
Preferably, said frontmost ridge leading face forms the bow surface of said body, said bow surface being convex in planes normal and parallel to said top and bottom surfaces.
Preferably, each said transverse ridge of said first set of ridges has a lower edge, said one and another lateral side surfaces being each provided with a longitudinal ridge having a lower surface merging with the lower edge of said firs
REFERENCES:
patent: 850034 (1907-04-01), Miller
patent: 4894035 (1990-01-01), Pia
patent: 5238434 (1993-08-01), Moran
patent: 5339761 (1994-08-01), Huang
patent: 5351641 (1994-10-01), Robson
Choiniere Gilles
Laplante Bernard
Nadeau Marc
Basinger Sherman
Martineau F.
Muldoon Patrick
Quebec Inc.
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