AU706925B3 - Support assembly - Google Patents

Description

APPLICANT: GREGORY MARK WEBBER

NUMBER:

FILING DATE: Form COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA The Patents Act 1990 PETTY PATENT SPECIFICATION FOR AN INVENTION ENTITLED: SUPPORT ASSEMBLY The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: -1- "SUPPORT ASSEMBLY" Technical Field This invention relates to a support assembly.

The invention has particular but not exclusive application to a support assembly for supporting a fin on a surfboard or the like. The invention also relates more particularly to a fin adapted to be supported by the support assembly and to a surfboard with such a fin supported thereon by the support assembly. The invention also relates to a method of supporting a fin on a surfboard.

Background of Invention Surfboards with central tail and side fins are known and Australian patents 657456, 665804 and 669096 describe various ways of supporting a fin on a surfboard.

Summary of Invention The present invention aims to provide an alternative to known support assemblies and methods for supporting a fin on a surfboard or the like.

This invention in one aspect resides broadly in a support assembly for supporting a fin on a surfboard or the like, the fin having a base edge portion which in use juxtaposes the surfboard and has spigot means extending therefrom, the support assembly including:a substantially shallow mounting base adapted to be closely received in a substantially shallow recess in the surfboard, and an elongated recess in the mounting base adapted to receive the spigot means.

As used herein the expression "shallow" is to be understood to mean that the depth of the recess is shallow relative to the area of the recess. In this sense shallow is a relative term and the same recess depth may be shallow for a recess of larger area but deep for a recess of smaller area.

In a preferred embodiment the mounting base is substantially plate-like. As used herein the expression "substantially plate-like" is not limited to members which are of uniform thickness.

The mounting base may take various shapes such as square, rectangular oval etc. However it is preferred that the mounting base is substantially disc-like.

In this aspect of the invention the lower surface of the mounting base may be flat, but it is preferred that the lower surface of the mounting base is convex.

In another aspect this invention resides broadly in a support assembly for supporting a fin on a surfboard or the like, the fin having a base edge portion which in use juxtaposes the surfboard and has spigot means extending from the base edge portion, the support assembly including:a mounting base adapted to be closely received in a recess in the surfboard and having a convex lower surface closely receivable in the recess, and an elongated recess in said mounting base adapted to receive the spigot means.

It is preferred that the elongated recess is adapted to receive the spigot means loosely in the longitudinal direction of the recess and closely in the transverse direction there6f.

In one embodiment the support assembly includes indexing means for positionally locating the mounting base in the recess in the surfboard. Preferably the indexing means includes opposed locating means longitudinally aligned with the elongated recess and adapted to be received in opposed receiving means in the surfboard. In this embodiment it is preferred that at least one of the opposed locating means or the opposed receiving means include ramp means adapted to bear on the other of the locating or receiving means such that during assembly the inclination of the base member relative to the surfboard is adjustable.

In another aspect this invention resides broadly in a fin for a surfboard or the like including:a base edge portion which in use juxtaposes the surfboard; a spigot extending from the base portion therealong for at least substantially one half of the length thereof, the spigot being adapted to be received in an elongated recess in the surfboard or to be received in a support assembly received in a substantially shallow recess therein loosely in the longitudinal direction of the recess and closely in the transverse direction thereof.

In a further aspect this invention also resides broadly in a surfboard or the like including:a fin having a base edge portion which in use juxtaposes the surfboard and has spigot means extending therefrom, and a substantially shallow mounting base adapted to be closely received in a substantially shallow recess in the surfboard; the spigot means being closely received in the elongated recess.

In a preferred embodiment the mounting base is substantially plate-like. It is preferred that the mounting base is substantially disc-like. It is also preferred that the lower surface of the mounting base is convex.

It is also preferred that the spigot means is a spigot extending from the base portion therealong for at least substantially one half of the length thereof.

Preferably the spigot means is adapted to be received in the elongated recess loosely in the longitudinal direction of the recess and closely in the transverse direction thereof.

In another aspect this invention also resides broadly in a method of supporting a fin on a surfboard or the like, the fin having a base edge portion which in use juxtaposes the surfboard and has spigot means extending therefrom, the method including:forming a substantially shallow recess in the surfboard; locating a substantially shallow mounting base closely in a substantially shallow recess in the surfboard, the mounting base having an elongated recess therein adapted to receive the spigot means, and locating the spigot means in the elongated recess.

It is also preferred that the method further includes:positionally locating the mounting base in the recess by indexing means.

In a preferred embodiment the indexing means includes opposed locating means longitudinally aligned with the elongated recess, and the method further includes:forming opposed receiving means in the surfboard, and positioning the locating means in the receiving means.

In a preferred embodiment the mounting base is substantially plate-like. It is preferred that the mounting base is substantially disc-like. It is also preferred that the lower surface of the mounting base is convex and that the spigot means is received in the elongated recess loosely in the longitudinal direction of the recess and closely in the transverse direction thereof.

The method may also include temporarily fixing the spigot means in the elongated recess by a relatively slow setting adhesive to allow adjustment of the fin relative to the surfboard.

Description of Drawings In order that this invention may be more easily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein:- FIG 1 is an exploded side view of a surfboard, mounting base and fin; FIG 2 is a side view showing the fin mounted in a surfboard; FIG 3 is an exploded end view further illustrating the mounting of the fin in the mounting base; FIG 4 is a plan view of the mounting base; FIG 5 is a perspective view of a recess made in a surfboard for receiving the mounting base; FIG 6 is a side view of the mounting base, and FIG 7 illustrates the mounting base being positioned in a recess in a surfboard.

Description of Preferred Embodiment of Invention As can be seen in FIG 1, a support assembly for supporting a fin 11 on a surfboard 10 has a substantially shallow mounting base 14 which is closely received in a substantially shallow recess 16 in surfboard 10. Fin 11 has a base edge portion 12 which in use juxtaposes the upper surface of surfboard 10 and has a spigot 13 extending therefrom. An elongated recess 15 is formed in mounting base 14 to receive fin spigot 13.

As can best be seen in FIGS 5 and 6, mounting base 14 is substantially plate-like although not of uniform thickness and the lower surface of the mounting base is convex. Mounting base 14 is substantially disc-like.

In a manner subsequently to be described, mounting base 16 is fixed in the recess 16 in surfboard 10 by a hot melt glue 17 as seen in FIG 2. The use of holt melt glue allows a degree of flexibility of positioning during assembly.

As can be seen in FIGS 1 and 3, fin spigot 13 is received in recess 15 relatively loosely in the longitudinal direction of the recess and relatively closely in the transverse direction thereof. This allows for some longitudinal positioning during assembly. Fin spigot 13 can be fixed in recess 15 by an adhesive, by chemical bonding, or in known manner by means of an angled grub screw 18 through angled hole 19 as seen in FIG 3.

As is best seen in FIGS 4, 5 and 6, the support assembly includes indexing means 20,21 for positionally locating mounting base 14 in recess 16 in surfboard These indexing means includes opposed locating means in the form of tabs 20 on mounting base 14 which are longitudinally aligned with the elongated recess. Tabs are received in opposed receiving means in the form of indents 21 filed in the edge of recess 16 as seen in FIG It can also be seen that tabs 20 have a lower ramp edge 23 and that the lower edge of indents 21 also constitutes a ramp. In use this allows the tabs 20 to be supported in indents 21 so that during assembly the inclination of base member 14 relative to surfboard 10 is adjustable.

As can further be seen in FIG 6, the upper surface of mounting base 14 ramps upward slightly at 24 from slot 15. This allows mounting base 14 to be positioned in the recess 16 in surfboard 10, as seen in FIG 7, such that when set therein, the proud surfaces 24 can be ground or sanded flush with the upper surface of surfboard To affix a fin to a surfboard in accordance with the present invention, a substantially shallow recess is formed in the surfboard. The recess is slightly larger than the mounting base which receives the fin spigot in the mounting base slot. The fin is then positioned in the mounting base where it is tightly received and held because of the relatively close tolerance fit between the fin spigot and the mounting base slot in the transverse direction of the slot.

When the recess has been formed, a pair of opposed alignment slots 21 are formed in the upper edges of the lip of the recess by filing. A small amount of hot melt glue is then placed in the recess and the mounting base aligned by supporting the alignment tabs 20 in alignment slots 21 (see FIGS 5 and A small drop of hot melt glue can also be placed in the alignment slots. This glue allows for a degree of adjustment of fin tilt angle after the glue has been applied and before a final set is achieved.

The mounting base is thus aligned as seen in FIG 7 to obtain the best flush fit given the contour of the surface of the surfboard, and allowed to set. The shoulders 24 are then sanded back to secure the mounting base in the recess with the upper surface of the mounting base flush with that of the surfboard.

The fin spigot is then positioned longitudinally in the mounting base slot and fixed by the known angled grub screw method as seen in FIG 7.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present invention has a number of advantages over known fin mounting assemblies and methods.

The greater surface area of the mounting base of the present invention in comparison with known mounting plugs, as exemplified in Australian patents 657456, 665804 and 669096, remove the need for a through cavity in the surfboard and creates superior load spreading capacity. This is enhanced by the curved lower surface of the preferred form of the mounting base of the present invention.

Moreover, the indexing and alignment system of the present invention allows for greater flexibility in positioning the fin than is available in known systems.

It will of course be realised that whilst the above has been given by way of an illustrative example of this invention, all such and other modifications and variations hereto, as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art, are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this invention as is herein set forth.

EDITORIAL NOTE: CASE FILE NO.: PP 84218/98 THIS SPECIFICATION DOES NOT CONTAIN A PAGE 9.

Claims (2)

1. 2. A support assembly as claimed in claim i, wherein said mounting base is substantially shallow and is adapted to be closely received in a substantially shallow recess.
2. 3. A support assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein said elongated recess is adapted to receive the spigot means loosely in the longitudinal direction of said recess and closely in the transverse direction thereof. GREGORY MARK WEBBER by PIZZEYS PATENT AND TRADE MARK ATTORNEYS