GB2416520A

GB2416520A - Land sailboard

Info

Publication number: GB2416520A
Application number: GB0513712A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Adam Robert Cropper
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-07-05
Filing date: 2005-07-05
Publication date: 2006-02-01
Anticipated expiration: 2025-07-05
Also published as: FR2888193A1; GB2416520B; GB0513712D0; DE102006030308A1

Abstract

In order to provide a sailboard for use on land that behaves more like a water sailboard than does a conventional land sailboard, the sailboard has a pair of wheels (7) or the like at one position along its board (5) that roll in the longitudinal direction of the board and therefore act like a fin of a water sailboard, and a pair of castors (9) or the like at another position along the board that can roll in any direction and therefore do not act so much like a fin of a water sailboard. The castors may be replaced by one or more multi-directional ball units.

Description

241 6520 Land sailboard This invention relates to land sailboards for use

in boardsailing on land, sometimes referred to as speedsailing.

A known land sailboard (or speedboard) has a board on which a user can stand and on which a mast and sail can be mounted, and four wheels mounted on two pivoting bogies or trucks, one near the front and the other near the rear, similarly to a skateboard. Steering is achieved like a conventional skateboard, by leaning the board over towards the centre ofthe turning circle.

Although land sailboards are relatively easy to use, only a few of the manoeuvres that can be carried out on a sailboard on the water can be done with these boards on land. The land sailboards also react differently to sail and body positions to the way in which a water sailboard reacts on the water.

A conventional water sailboard converts the sideways force from the sail into forward motion using the lateral resistance ofthe sailboard's fin. The sail's force is linked to the board by the body of the windsurfer. In the sport of windsurfing steering can be achieved in three different ways.

The windsurfer can lean the sail forward/backwards and the board turns.

They can put downward force on one side of the board and carve the board like a skateboard.

20. They can steer by simply adjusting the weight distribution between each foot, leaning on the front foot causes the sail's sideways force to be transmitted to the board further forward than if the windsurfer leans on the back foot; this again is used to turn the board.

A land sailboard that is able to perform similarly to a water sailboard would allow s windsurfers to practice their sport and improve their technique on land. which would be of helmet to windsurfers who do not have eacv access to a suhable expanse of water. The amount Of friction to overcome on land is far logier than on water and this means that the practice can be carried out when the wind is too light to windsurf on water. Also, after falling offal land sailboard, the user can usually step straight back on it, whereas climbing back aboard a water sailboard can be a slow process.

An object of this invention, or at least of specific embodiments of it, is to provide a land sailboard that performs similarly to a water sailboard enabling windsurfers to practice their sport on land.

In accordance with the invention, there is provided a land sailboard having an elongate board on which a user can stand and on which a mast and sail can be mounted, and a plurality of rolling elements mounted on the board for supporting the board above the ground and for rolling along the ground. At least one of the rolling elements is disposed at a first position along the board and arranged for rolling along the ground in the longitudinal direction of the board or within a small range of directions including said longitudinal direction (for example similarly to a skateboard wheel). At least another of the rolling elements is disposed at a second position along the board and arranged for rolling along the ground in a range of }5 directions, including said longitudinal direction, that is substantially greater than any range of directions in which the rolling element at the first position along the board can roll. Indeed, the or each rolling element at the second position along the board may simply be arranged so that it can roll along the ground in any direction relative to said longitudinal direction.

The rolling element or elements at the second position along the board have less of a tendency than the second bogie of the conventional land sailboard to act like a fin of a water sailboard. Accordingly the land sailboard of the invention acts to a large extent as if it has only one fin provided by the rolling elements at the Fiat position along the board and as a whole performs more closely to a water sailboard and allows all three steering methods to be used.

In a preferred embodiment, the first position along the board is towards the rear of the board, and the second position along the board is towards the Ront ofthe board.

In a preferred embodiment the or each rolling element at the second position along the board is a castor. In this case, the or each castor preferably has a positive castor angle. (In other words, the castor swivel axis is slanted forwards in the upwards direction.) This provides a modicum of self-centring action and also reduces resistance to the initiation of forward motion if the castor is not initialling in a trailing orientation.

In an alternative embodiment, the or each rolling element at the second position along the board is a ball, which for example is mounted in and projects downwardly from a socket in which the ball can roll in any direction.

Preferably, there are two such rolling elements at the second position along the board disposed transversely of the board. In the case where castors are used, each castor preferably has a positive camber angle. (In other words, the castor swivel axis is slanted outwards in the upwards direction.) This has been found to make steering of the board more responsive.

Preferably, there are two such rolling elements at the first position along the board disposed transversely of the board. Similarly to a conventional skateboard, the rolling elements at the first position along the board preferably have a common rolling axis and/or are preferably mounted on an axle, which in turn is mounted on the board for limited pivoting about a steering axis.

As with a conventional land sailboard, the land sailboard of the invention is intended to be used with a mast pivotally mounted on the board and a sail attached to the mast.

Preferably at least one foot-strap is provided, into which the user can insert their foot.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, purely by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIGURE 1 is a side view of the whole land sailboard including the sail; FIGURE 2 shows the underside of the board; FIGURE 3 is a front view ofthe board; and FIGURE 4 is a side view of the castor wheels.

As shown in Figure 1, the land sailboard has attached to the deck 5 a mast 2 which holds the sail I and the boom 3 with a universal joint 4.

The board, as shown in Figure 2, has two multidirectional wheels 9 on the front and two conventional wheels 7 at the rear. 'I'he conventional wheels 7 are attached to the deck 5 with a truck 8 as used on a conventional skateboard. The use of castor wheels as the choice of multidirectional wheel 9 on the front is illustrated, but ball and socket wheels can also be used instead of castor wheels.

Figure 3 and Figure 4 refer to the invention being implemented by making use of castor wheels 9 rather than ball transfer units.

As illustrated on Figure 3, a positive camber is used on both the front castors 9. An angle between 2 and 3 of positive camber has been found to improve handling performance of the land sailboard.

Figure 4 shows the side view of the castor wheels; both front castors have a positive castor angle of between 1 and 4 . This has the effect of the castors 9 favouring a trailing angle parallel to centre line of the board between front and rear. The castors 9 therefore have a reduced resistance to initiate forward motion and have a slight bias towards straight forward operation.

It should be noted that many modifications and developments may be made to the embodiment of the invention described above without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A land sailboard having an elongate board on which a user can stand and on which a mast and sail can be mounted, and a plurality of rolling elements mounted on the board for supporting the board above the ground and for rolling along the ground, at least one of the rolling elements being disposed at a first position along the board and arranged for rolling along the ground in the longitudinal direction of the board or within a range of directions including said longitudinal direction, and at least another of the rolling elements being disposed at a second position along the board and arranged for rolling along the ground in a range of directions, including said longitudinal direction, that is substantially greater than any range of directions in which the rolling element at the first position along the board can roll.

2. A land sailboard as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first position along the board is towards the rear of the board, and the second position along the board is towards the front of the board.

3. A land sailboard as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the or each rolling element at the second position along the board is arranged for rolling along the ground in any direction relative to said longitudinal direction.

4. A land sailboard as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the or each rolling element at the second position along the board is a castor.

5. A land sailboard as claimed in claim 4, wherein the or each castor has a positive castor angle.

6. A land sailboard as claimed in any of claims I to 3, wherein the or each rolling element at the second position along the board is a ball.

7. A land sailboard as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein there are two such rolling elements at the second position along the board disposed transversely of the board.

8. A land sailboard as claimed in claim 7 when dependent on claim 4 or 5, wherein each castor has a positive camber angle.

9. A land sailboard as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein there are two such rolling elements at the first position along the board disposed transversely of the board.

10. A land sailboard as claimed in claim 9, wherein the rolling elements at the first position along the board have a common rolling axis.

11. A land sailboard as claimed in claim 10, wherein the rolling elements at the first position along the board are mounted on an axle, and the axle is mounted on the board for limited pivoting about a steering axis.

12. A land sailboard as claimed in any preceding claim, further including a mast pivotally mounted on the board.

13. A land sailboard as claimed in claim 12, further including a sail attached to the mast.

14. A land sailboard substantially as described with reference to the drawings.

14. A land sailboard as claimed in any preceding claim, further including at least one foot-strap into which the user can insert their foot.

15. A land sailboard substantially as described with reference to the drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. A land sailboard having an elongate board on which a user can stand and on which a mast and sail can be mounted, and a plurality of rolling elements mounted on the board for supporting the board above the ground and for rolling along the ground, at least one of the rolling elements being disposed at a first position along the board and arranged for rolling along the ground in the longitudinal direction of the board or within a range of directions including said longitudinal direction, at least two others of the rolling elements being disposed transversely of each other at a second position-along-the board and arranged for rolling along the ground in a range of directions, including said longitudinal direction, that is substantially greater than any range of directions in which the rolling element at the first position along the board can roll, and the directions of rolling of said other rolling elements being independent of each other.

2. A land sailboard as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first position along the board is towards the rear ofthe board, and the second position along the board is towards the front of the board.

3. A land sailboard as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein each rolling element at the second position along the board is arranged for rolling along the ground in any direction relative to said longitudinal direction.

4. A land sailboard as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein each rolling element at the second position along the board is a castor.

5. A land sailboard as claimed in claim 4, wherein each castor has a positive castor angle.

6. A land sailboard as claimed in claim 4 or 5, wherein each castor has a positive camber angle.

7. A land sailboard as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, wherein each rolling element at the second position along the board is a ball. b

8. A land sailboard as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein there are two such rolling elements at the first position along the board disposed transversely ofthe board.

9. A land sailboard as claimed in claim 8, wherein the rolling elements at the first position along the board have a common rolling axis.

10. A land sailboard as claimed in claim 9, wherein the rolling elements at the first position along the board are mounted on an axle, and the axle is mounted on the board for limited pivoting about a steering axis.

11. A land sailboard as claimed in any preceding claim, further including a mast pivotally mounted on the board.

12. A land sailboard as claimed in claim 11, further including a sail attached to the mast.

13. A land sailboard as claimed in any preceding claim, further including at least one foot-strap into which the user can insert their foot.