GB2306405A

GB2306405A - Device for protecting fins on surf and like boards.

Info

Publication number: GB2306405A
Application number: GB9521522A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Duncan Mclaren
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1995-10-20
Filing date: 1995-10-20
Publication date: 1997-05-07
Also published as: GB9521522D0

Abstract

A protector device 6 for the projecting fins 4 of surf- and like boards 2 is made of a body of rigid material having a contact surface 8 intended to be held firmly against the underside of the board by means of straps 14 or like fasteners. The contact surface has in it at least three apertures which are the mouths of cavities in the body intended to receive the fins. The body material of the device is tough enough to withstand the normal impacts and other forces to which the board and projecting fin(s) may be subject during transit and storage.

Description

Protection device This invention relates to protection devices, and particularly to devices for protecting the fins which project from the undersurface of surf-boards and like bodies intended for use on water.

When in use, the fins, which project outwardly and downwardly from the stern of the board, usually three in number, assist the rider ('surfer') to control the direction of travel of the board. The fins on most surf-boards are normally secured permanently to the rest of the board1 usually by an adhesive bond, although some are detachable.

Being made of plastics material, and being sufficiently thin in the direction of travel to add minimum drag to the movement of the board through the water, the projecting fins are susceptible to being damaged when the board is in storage and in transit.

The present invention aims at providing a device which acts as a cover for the fins of surf and like boards, the cover being positioned over the fins and being able to be held in position against the undersurface of the board sufficiently tightly to resist accidental dislodgement.

Accordingly the present invention provides a protection device which is as claimed in the appended claims.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the underside of a board with the device of the present invention drawn in phantom in its working position; Figure 2 is an isometric view of the device of Fig. 1, drawn to a larger scale; Figure 3 is a side elevation of the device of Figs. 1 and 2, showing the straps by which it is held in position on the board; Figure 4 is a worm's view of the device of the invention, and Figure 5 is a plan view of the device.

The board 2 to which the device may be attached may be a simple surf-board, or it may be one adapted for board sailing. Towards its stern, the board shown has three fins 4 projecting downwardly, with each fin being in the shape of a blunt curved blade. When the board is to be used for sailing, as opposed to surfing, it usually has only one fin. The device of this invention may be used to protect up to three fins, or it may be designed to protect only one central fin. When the board is in transit or storage, the or each fin is hidden from view and damage by a device 6 shown in phantom in Fig. 1.

As shown in more detail in Fig. 2, the device 6 has a largely-flat contact surface 8 having in it three rectangular apertures 10. Each aperture is the mouth of an internal cavity 12 intended to house one fin 4. The apertures and the cross-sectional shapes of the cavities are big enough to enabie the device to be moved into the transit position by a linear movement, without the device fouling the fins as it is moved into and out of position.

The device preferably has two straps 14 or other fasteners secured to it, although they may be loose. The straps are intended to embrace the board so that, when fastened, they hold the device in position strongly enough to resist all normal impacts or accelerations applied to the board. Slight movement of the device relative to the board is prevented or inhibited by attaching to the contact surface 8 one or more pieces (not shown) of high-friction material, such as soft rubber, tending to keep the contacting surfaces relatively stationary.

Figure 3 indicates the general cross-sectional shape of the cavities 12, and the locations of the straps 14.

Fig. 4 is a view of the contact surface 8, while Fig. 5 shows its plan view. As can be seen from the latter, the outside surfaces of the device are shaped to remove any unnecessary bulk and to reduce the surface area to lower the drag, for when the board and device are mounted, usually upside-down, on a roof rack of a car or other vehicle. The envelope of the device is not that much larger than the envelope of that part of the board which has the fins projecting from it. In this way, the board with device attached may fit inside a conventional surf-board cover, without the cover having to be modified.

Although the device may be made of any rigid, or semi-rigid, material, it is preferred to make it largely of plastics foam having a surface layer of a tough or rigid material, to give it wear- and impact-resistance. The manner in which the device is made and shaped does not form part of the subject-matter of this invention, and so will not be described herein in any greater detail.

It will thus be seen that the present invention provides a protector device for the projecting fins of surf- and like boards.

Claims

1 A device for protecting the fins of surf- and like boards during transit or storage, comprising a body of relatively-rigid material having in it at least one aperture through which a fin can project into the interior of cavities in the body when the body is placed in contact with the underside of a surf-board, the body being of material sufficiently strong to resist impact and other forces which might damage the or any fin.

2 A device as claimed in claim 1, in which the body is made of a relatively-tough shell or skin containing a filling of foamed plastics or like material for imparting stiffness to the shell, the filling having the said cavities in it.

3 A device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which the body has on its surface intended to contact the board at least one area of a high-friction material.

4 A device as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the body has secured to it at least one strap by means of which the device may be secured to the board.