AU2010100732A4 - Skim Board - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Innovation Patent Applicant(s): Power Sky International Ltd Invention Title: Skim Board The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method for performing it known to me/us: - 2 SKIM BOARD This invention relates to a skim board in the form of a toy for use by small children. 5 Many small children aspire to be surfers. The key surfing skills are often learned on small surf boards or body boards. Skim boards provide an opportunity for small children to propel themselves on the surface of the water 10 including propelling themselves from the shallow water as it reaches the beach. It is these issues that have brought about the present invention. 15 According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a skim board comprising a base having planar upper and lower surfaces and a pointed forward end and an upwardly projecting control handle secured to the 20 base adjacent the forward end. Preferably, the base comprises a core of polyethylene foam (PE) covered by an upper skin of IXPE and a lower skin of HDPE. 25 In a preferred embodiment the front of the core is encased in ABS mouldings that define an upwardly projecting spigot that supports one end of a T shaped control handle. The handle is preferably moulded in 30 polypropylene (PP) to define the shaft and cross member with foamed plastics grips. An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the 35 accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a skim board; 23192151 (GHMatters) 8/07/10 - 3 Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the skim board; Figure 3 is a plan view of the skim board; Figure 4 is an exploded view of the skim board; and 5 Figure 5 is a perspective view of the skim board. The skim board 10 shown in the accompanying drawings comprises a base 11 having a planar upper surface 14 and lower surface 15, a pointed forward end 12 and a 10 dove-tailed rear 13. The base 11 is moulded in foamed polyethylene (PE) and the upper layer 14 comprises a skin of IXPE with the lower layer 15 being composed of a skin of HDPE. The base 15 11 has an aperture 16 positioned along the centreline of the base at a position rearwardly of the forward end 12. The front end of the base is sandwiched between a lower ABS plastics moulding 21 and an upper ABS moulding 20. The lower mould 21 has an upstanding peripheral skirt 27, 20 a cylindrical spigot 23 and three spaced location pins 24. The spigot 23 extends through the hole 16 in the forward end of the base 11 and the pins 24 extend through the base 11 to engage in sockets (not shown) formed on the other side of the upper moulding 20. The upper moulding is 25 shaped to conform with the skirt 27 of the lower moulding and has an upward projection 25 into which the spigot 23 extends. The projection 25 has an aperture 26 that is arranged to accommodate a shaft 31 of a control handle 30. The control handle 30 is moulded in polypropylene (PP) to 30 define the shaft 31 and a cross member 32 that is joined to the shaft via a moulded web 35. Foam grips 33 and 34 and positioned on each end of the cross member 32. The lower end of the shaft 31 extends through the aperture 26 and into the upstanding spigot 23 and a metal spring (not 35 shown) is used to secure the end of the shaft 31 to the plastics moulding 20 and base 11 to form the finished skim board 10 shown in Figures 1 to 3 and 5. Figure 5 shows 2319215_1 (GHMatters) 8/07/10 the skim board 10 attached to a towing line 40 that is secured to the upper moulding 20 via eyes 28 and 29. In one embodiment the skim board is about 87cm in 5 length with the base 11 being about 4cm thick. The control handle 30 extends upwardly to a height of 73cm, the width of the skim board is 26cm and the cross member 32 of the control handle 30 is 29cm. The skim board 10 is specifically designed for use by small children who can 10 navigate the board in shallow water especially shallow water adjoining the beach. Although not shown in the side elevation Figure 2, it is understood that the underside of the base 11 could 15 turn slightly upwardly at either end. It is further understood that the base can have a different profile than that shown in the drawings. 23192151 (GHMatters) 8107/10

Claims (5)

1. A skim board comprising a base having planar upper and lower surfaces and a pointed forward end and an 5 upwardly projecting control handle secured to the base adjacent the forward end.

2. The skim board according to claim 1 wherein, the base comprises a core of plastics foam covered by upper and 10 lower skins of plastic.

3. The skim board according to claim 2 wherein, the core is moulded in polyethylene (PE) and the upper skin is moulded in IXPE and the lower skin is moulded in HDPE. 15

4. The skim board according to any one of the preceding claims wherein, the front of the core is encased in plastics mouldings that define an upwardly projecting spigot that supports one end of the control handle. 20

5. The skim board according to claim 4 wherein, the handle is moulded in polypropylene (PP) to define a shaft and cross member. 2319215_1 (GHMatters) 8/07/10