EP4696386A1

EP4696386A1 - Training thruster for rowing or paddle sports

Info

Publication number: EP4696386A1
Application number: EP24788289.7A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Manuel Antonio Rodriguez Rica
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2023-04-13
Filing date: 2024-02-29
Publication date: 2026-02-18
Also published as: WO2024213808A1; ES1300193Y; ES1300193U

Abstract

The invention relates to a training thruster for rowing or paddle sports that can be used on watercraft and comprises a fastening (1), configured to be placed on an accessible surface of the watercraft, where the fastening (1) is a support (2) that can be removed from the fastening (1) and ends in a submersible hydrodynamic leg (4), at which end there is an electric motor (5) with a battery-powered thrusting propeller (4.1). The invention comprises the support (2) of a handle (2.1) connected to a bolt compatible with a hole (1.3) in the fastening (1).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present application relates to a thruster for performing over-speed training in water sports where the athlete is the one thrusting the watercraft, such as canoeing (canoe/kayak), rowing, paddle-surfing... that is to say, it is adaptable to watercraft and boards from the entire nautical world.

STATE OF THE ART

Water sports such as canoeing (canoeing/kayaking), rowing, paddle surfing... require, like other cyclic sports (athletic sprinting, cycling...), a type of training known as over-speed training.
This type of training aims to produce adaptations in the neuromuscular system to improve strength output at high speeds. Moreover, due to the principle of specificity of training, conditions of training sessions should be as close as possible to competition conditions.
Therefore, it has been a long-standing goal in these sports to find a manner to externally thrust the watercraft to work at racing speeds (without being constantly in peak form) or even faster than racing speeds.
Although there have been alternative methods to the one presented herein, such as paddling/rowing behind a motorboat, paddling in team watercraft, use of gas turbines, etc., they have not been successful due to the following:

They produce imbalances in the athlete (paddling after motorboat)
They do not reproduce the specific movements of paddling/rowing (team watercraft)
They are very noisy and inefficient (gas turbines)

The patent belonging to the same applicant is also known under application number U202030258 , on which technical improvements have been made resulting in increased functionality and technical improvements.
All this has prompted the development of the present thruster of which the applicant is not aware of any device similar to the invention.

BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE INVENTION

The invention consists of a training thruster for rowing or paddle sports. The different variants thereof solve the aforementioned problems.
The invention provides a hydrodynamic design that houses an electric motor that does not interfere with the athlete's training technique. It is fastened to the upper portion of the watercraft, out of contact with the water, so that it does not produce friction losses. Moreover, it is small in size and mass.
In short, it is a kind of electrical outboard motor for watercraft that is easy to install, lightweight and, once dismantled, does not affect the condition of the watercraft.
It is also a thruster that can be adapted to watercraft and boards from all over the nautical world. For example, it can be adapted to paddle surf boards, allowing the athlete to use the thruster as a means of safety, so that in the event that they are too far away, suffer a jellyfish sting and are unable to move or in any other emergency, the thruster can be used to reach the shore.
It is also interesting to be able to adapt the thruster to different types of watercraft, as long as they are under one tonne, as it can be used for short distances.
The training thruster for this type of sport, applicable to watercraft, comprises a fastening, configured to be placed on an accessible surface of the watercraft. In other words, a surface that is not in the water under normal conditions of use. It will generally be a horizontal surface. Removably connected to this fastening there is a support which ends in a handle for a hydrodynamic submersible leg at which end there is an electric motor with a thrusting propeller. The leg shall be vertical or at a slight inclination with respect to the vertical.
The fastening between the two parts is usually done by means of a bolt and a clamp, so that even if the part that is fastened to the boat is not perfectly straight, the angle of the second part can be adjusted, so that there is no deviation when starting up the motor.
To reduce the aerodynamic and hydrodynamic effect, the fastening and support are elongated and have respective longitudinal axes that are coplanar with the longitudinal axis of the leg. That is, the extensions of the longitudinal axes of the fastening and the support are parallel to and intersect the longitudinal axis of the leg.
Other variants are shown in the rest of the specification.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

For a better understanding of the invention, the following figures are included.

Figure 1: General perspective exploded view of an exemplary embodiment.
Figure 2: General perspective exploded view of an exemplary embodiment in which the base part (7) can be seen.
Figure 3: Perspective view of the support.
Figure 4: Perspective view of the box.
Figure 5: Perspective view of the three-bladed propeller.

EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the invention is briefly described below, as an illustrative and nonlimiting example thereof.
The thruster shown in the embodiment of figure 1 comprises a fastening (1) configured to be placed on an accessible surface of the watercraft. This fastening (1) shall remain attached to the watercraft at all times and is therefore small in size and weight. It can be fastened, for example, with a high-strength adhesive.
In one embodiment, the fastening (1) may comprise a clamp (1.1) with a tightening means that can be fitted around a pin (7.1) arranged on a base piece (7) which lower surface is adhered to the watercraft surface. In this case the fastening (1) is not directly adhered to the watercraft, but to the base piece (7). This allows angular deviations to be corrected through the attachment of the pin (7.1) and the clamp (1.1) as it is an attachment that allows for rotation.
This is very important because if there is a deviation, however small it may be, it means that when starting up the motor, the watercraft will be driven with a deviation that the athlete must compensate for, which does not ensure adequate training. This would not be necessary in kayaks as they have a means of turning the kayak in question, but for canoes it is very important to be able to correct these angular deviations.
It has a support (2) that can be removed from the fastening (1),and ends in a submersible hydrodynamic leg (4) at which end there is an electric motor (5) with a battery-powered thrusting propeller (4.1).
The support (2) comprises a handle (2.1) connected to a bolt compatible with a hole (1.3) in the fastening (1). This makes it a very convenient means of attachment to use even when in the water and with the watercraft in motion.
Preferably the support (2) has a hinge (2.3) that allows the support (2) to be moved from a horizontal position to a raised position. This means that when the athlete is warming up the motor can be raised so that it does not exert friction.
And when the motor is running, it also allows the propeller to raise when hit, instead of breaking the fastening to the watercraft.
Both the motor (5) and the propellers are commercially available and require no further explanation. The power of the motor will be a function of the size of the watercraft and the skills of the athlete, as well as the type of propeller (size and number of blades) provided. It will generally be a brushless motor. A watertight case (6) shall contain the battery and electronics. The case (6) can be fastened by means of conical supports and screws, all of them waterproof, at a certain distance from the fastening (1). In this case, a cable shall be connected to a socket (41) at the end of the leg (4) to bring electricity to the motor (5).
An ignition and power regulation control shall be connected to the receiver located in the watertight case (6) and shall be accessible to the crew members. The system can be wireless or wired, with a receiver in the watertight case (6). The motor (5) shall be battery-powered. Commands can be sent from a remote control (not shown) via wireless or wired means.
The leg (4) is generally vertical and has a hydrodynamic profile to affect the watercraft's behaviour as little as possible.
The fastening (1) and the support (2) are elongated (width much smaller than the length) and have respective longitudinal axes that are coplanar with the longitudinal axis of the leg (4). It can be seen from Figure 1 that it allows the thruster assembly to be essentially flat, and does not include any side overhang. For example, no rudder is required as the crew will steer with their oars.
Given the use of the thruster, all electrical and electronic equipment shall be protected from moisture and water ingress.
Preferably, the thrusting propeller is a three-bladed propeller made of nylon with rounded edges. As it is made of nylon, it weighs less and it is also prevented from damaging the athlete's hands, even avoiding amputations in case the propeller is turned on when the athlete's hand is close thereto.
The electric motor (5) shall be controlled by a remote control through a wireless communication module.
Communication shall normally be by means of radio frequency.
The control may be programmable, and has a trigger and a magnetised fastening means for fastening to the watercraft.
The remote control can thus be operated by the trainer, allowing the athlete to concentrate on training.
The battery shall have a voltmeter so that the state of the battery can be displayed and charging and maintenance thereof can be suitably performed.
Generally, the tightening means will be a knob or a nut.

Claims

A training thruster for rowing or paddle sports, applicable to watercraft, characterised in that it comprises:
a fastening (1), configured to be placed on an accessible surface of the watercraft, where the fastening (1) is

a support (2) that can be removed from the fastening (1) and ends in a submersible hydrodynamic leg (4), at which end there is an electric motor (5) with a battery-powered thrusting propeller (4.1)

The invention comprises the support (2) of a handle (2.1) connected to a bolt compatible with a hole (1.3) in the fastening (1).
The training thruster for rowing or paddle sports, according to claim 1, characterised in that the fastening (1) has a clamp (1.1) with a tightening means that can be fitted around a pin (7.1) arranged on a base piece (7) which lower surface is adhered to the watercraft's surface.
The training thruster for rowing or paddle sports, according to claim 1, characterised in that the support (2) has a hinge (2.3) that allows the support (2) to be moved from a horizontal position to a raised position.
The training thruster for rowing or paddle sports, according to claim 1, characterised in that the thrusting propeller is a three-bladed propeller made of nylon with rounded edges.
The training thruster for rowing or paddle sports, according to claim 1, characterised in that the electric motor (5) is controlled by a remote control through a wireless communication module.
The training thruster for rowing or paddle sports, according to claim 5, characterised in that the communication is by means of radio frequency.
The training thruster for rowing or paddle sports, according to claim 5, characterised in that the control is programmable, has a trigger and a magnetised fastening means for fastening to the watercraft.
The training thruster for rowing or paddle sports, according to claim 1, characterised in that the battery has a voltmeter.
The training thruster for rowing or paddle sports, according to claim 1, characterised in that the tightening means is a knob or nut.