GB2571820A

GB2571820A - A watercraft which is propelled by a user

Info

Publication number: GB2571820A
Application number: GB1900390.4A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Carey Durant Lewis
Original assignee: Red Paddle Co Ltd
Current assignee: Red Paddle Co Ltd
Priority date: 2018-01-30
Filing date: 2019-01-10
Publication date: 2019-09-11
Also published as: GB201900390D0; GB201801558D0

Abstract

A watercraft 2 such as a stand-up paddleboard (SUP) comprising a mounting portion 4 such as its upper surface and at least one anchor formation 8, such as a closed loop, which anchors at least one tie 10 which comprises a length-adjusting means 12. In some embodiments the tie is an elasticated tie, which comprises a sliding member 14, which may slide relative to the tie to adjust its length. The watercraft may also comprise a box 16 for holding luggage which is held down by the ties

Description

This invention relates to a watercraft and, more especially, this invention relates to a watercraft which is propelled by a user, for example a user using at least one paddle or their hands.

Watercraft which are propelled by a user are well known. Typical examples of such watercraft are paddle boards, kayaks and canoes. The paddleboards may be rigid paddle boards or they may be inflatable paddle boards. The paddle boards may be for use by persons standing up, kneeling, or lying down. A problem with the known watercraft is that a user often requires to take at least one product that might possibly be needed during use of the watercraft. Some known watercraft have anchor points which are also known as cargo points. The anchor points are typically used with pieces of string in order to tie the product or products to *he watercraft. Often the pieces of string are not well tied. The result is that the product is not securely mounted on the watercraft, for example on a platform portion of the watercraft. It is also known to use elasticated ties. Depending upon the size of the product or products, the elasticated ties are often too short or too long. If the elasticated ties are too short then the product or products simply cannot be tied in position. If the elasticated ties are too long, then the product or products may be held in position, but not sufficiently securely due to the fact that the elasticated ties are not under sufficient tension. The product or products may then work lose and get lost.

It is an aim of the present invention to avoid or reduce the above mentioned problem.

Accordingly, in one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a watercraft which is propelled by a user, and which watercraft comprises:

(i) a mounting portion on which is mountable at least one product possibly needed during use of the watercraft;

(ii) at least one anchor formation;

(iii) at least one tie which is for use with the anchor formation in mounting the product to the mounting portion;

and characterised in that:

(iv) the tie has length-adjusting means for enabling the length of the tie to be adjusted so that the tie can be tightly fixed with respect to the product in order to mount the product securely on the mounting portion.

The watercraft of the present invention is advantageous in that the tie with the length-adjusting means is able to be used to securely mount the product on the mounting portion. The secure mounting is of importance when the watercraft is to be used for making sudden movements as is often the case with paddle boards, kayaks and canoes and/or where the watercraft is being used on rough waters, as often occur in parts of rivers and at sea. Sudden movement may also occur when getting the watercraft in and out of the water. Any suitable product may be carried by the watercraft on the mounting portion so that, for example, the product may be one or more of a box, a bag, a bottle, a cool container, various items of luggage, or various items of equipment likely to be needed for the use of the watercraft, for example a pump in the case of inflatable paddle boards.

Preferably, the tie is an elasticated tie. The elasticated tie is thus able to extend when pulled. The required tension in the elasticated tie is then able to be provided by suitable adjustment of the length-adjusting means. If desired, the tie may be non-elasticated tie so that, for example, the tie could be in the form of a cord or a strap made of a fabric material.

Preferably, the length-adjusting means comprises a sliding member which slides along the tie and lengthens or shortens the length of the tie by decreasing or increasing the length of a doubled portion of the tie. Such a length-adjusting means may be similar to the length-adjusting means employed on tent guy ropes.

Other types of length-adjusting means may be employed so that, for example, the length-adjusting means may be a strap which is pulled through and payed out from a buckle. Such a length-adjusting means may be like the length-adjusting means used for aircraft seat belts.

The tie may have a circular cross-section or it may have a flat sided cross-section. When the tie is of a circular cross-section, then the tie may typically be a length of cord. When the tie is of a flat sided cross-section, then the tie may typically be a strap. Other constructions and cross-sectional shapes for the tie may be employed.

The anchor formation preferably comprises a loop formation. Preferably the loop formation is a closed loop formation. The closed loop formation may be, for example, an eyelet. Anchor formations other than a closed loop formation may be employed so that, for example, the anchor formation may be a hook or it may be a simple upstanding member, with or without a head at the free end of the upstanding member.

Preferably, the anchor formation is on the mounting portion. The anchor formation may be positioned remote from the mounting portion if desired, for example on a part of the watercraft adjacent the mounting portion. The mounting portion may be a platform portion. Other constructions for the mounting portion may be employed.

There may be four of the anchor formations. With four anchor formations, the product may be able to be placed between the anchor formations. More or less than four anchor formations may be employed so that, for example, there may be two, three or five of the anchor formations.

Apart from the provision of the tie with the length-adjusting means, the watercraft may be constructed as in known similar watercraft but without the tie having the length-adjusting means. The tie may be made of a string material or a plastics material when the tie is a non-stretchable tie. When the tie is an elasticated tie, then the tie may be made of a stretchable plastics material. The elasticated tie may also be made of a rubber material.

The watercraft may include a container for receiving the product. Advantageously, the tie is secured to the container. This ensures that the tie is always available with the container.

The tie may be permanently secured to the container. This ensures that the tie does not become inadvertently separated from the container, and then become mislaid. Alternatively, the tie may be non-permanently secured to the container.

The container may be one of any suitable size and shape. Thus, for example, the container may be a bag or a box.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a view from the rear and one side showing a watercraft of the present invention and with ties not attached to anchor means;

Figure 2 is a view like Figure 1 but shows the ties attached to the anchor means;

Figure 3 is a view from the front and one side of the watercraft as shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 shows a first step in using the ties from the position shown in Figure 1;

Figure 5 shows a second step in using the ties;

Figure 6 shows a third step in using the ties;

Figure 7 shows a fourth and final step in using the ties;

Figure 8 is an enlarged view of a tie on its own but in the position shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 9 is an enlarged view, with parts further enlarged, of the tie of Figure 8 and in the general position shown in Figure 5.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a watercraft 2 which is propelled by a user, for example by the user using a paddle or their hands. The watercraft 2 comprises a mounting portion 4 on which is mountable at least one product 6 possibly needed during use of the watercraft 2. As shown in Figure 1, there are two products 6, with one product 6 being in the form of a beverage bottle, and the other product 6 being in the form of a towel.

The watercraft 2 has at least one anchor formation 8 on the mounting portion 4. There is at least one tie 10 for use with the anchor formation 8 in mounting the product 6 to the mounting portion 4. The tie 10 has lengthadjusting means 12 for enabling the length of the tie 10 to be adjusted so that the tie 10 can be tightly fixed with respect to the product 6 in order to mount the product 6 securely on the mounting portion 4.

The tie 10 is an elasticated tie 10.

As best appreciated from Figures 8 and 9, the length-adjusting means 12 comprises a sliding member 14 which slides along the tie 10, and lengthens or shortens the length of the tie 10 by decreasing or increasing the length of a doubled portion of the tie 10. Thus the length-adjusting means 12 is similar to that used on tent guy ropes.

The tie 10 is of a circular cross-section and is in the nature of a chord.

The anchor formation 8 may comprise a loop formation. The loop formations shown are closed loop formations in the form of eyelets. The loop formation may alternatively be an open loop formation, for example a hook. Other anchor formations 8 may be employed so that, for example, the anchor formation 8 may be an upstanding post, with or without a head part.

Preferably there are four of the anchor formations 8. With four of the anchor formations 8, the product 6 is able to be located within the confines of the four anchor formations 8.

The watercraft 2 includes a container 16 for the product 6.

The tie 10 is secured to the container 16. The tie 10 may be permanently or non-permanently to the container 16. As shown in the drawings, the container 16 is in the form of a square bag 18 having handles 20. The bag 18 can thus very simply and easily be attached when desired to the anchor formations 8.

The provision of the container 16 with the tie 10 is a particularly convenient way of securing multiple products 6 of various shapes and sizes to the mounting portion 4 of the watercraft 2. The use of the container 16 also provides a simple and easy way of bringing all required products 6 to the watercraft 2, and then removing them from the watercraft 2 if they are not desired to be used at some time during use of the watercraft 2. For example, the container 16 with the products 6 could be left on a beach whilst a user is using the watercraft 2 in the sea.

The watercraft 2 has a pair of side-by-side spaced-apart fins 22.

Figure 4 illustrates how the container 16 has holding formations 24 attached to handle parts of the handles 20. The holding formations 24 have Dshaped loops 26. These loops 26 receive hooks 28 at each end of the tie 10.

Figure 5 illustrates how the hooks 28 are released from the D-shaped loops 26 and then moved towards the anchor formations 8.

Figure 6 shows the D-shaped loops 26 attached to the anchor formations 8.

Figure 7 shows the length-adjuster means 12 having been operated to adjust the length of the tie 10 in order to ensure that the container 16 is held on the mounting portion 4 with the required tension. The products 6 inside the container 16 will thus be securely held in position. If desired, the container 16 may itself be regarded as a product 6.

As can be appreciated from Figures 2 and 3, there are two of the ties 10, with one tie 10 being provided on each side of the bag 18 which is of a square shape as shown.

The length-adjusting means 12 optionally contains a locating member 30 at the bottom of each handle 20 remote from the top of the handle 20. The locating members 30 are in the form of rectangles having a passage through them for the tie 10, as can be best appreciated from Figures 4-7. Other shapes for the locating members may be employed. Alternatively, the locating members 30 may be dispensed with, and the tie 10 otherwise secured to the container 16.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiment of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings has been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, there may be more or less of the anchor formations 8 so that there may be, for example, three of the anchor formations 8 arranged in a triangular pattern. The anchor formations 8 may be positioned on the watercraft 2 remote from the mounting portion 4. The mounting portion 4 may be in the form of a platform portion or a portion of another construction. Other types of length-adjusting means 12 may be employed so that, for example, the tie 10 could be a flat tie in the form of a strap, with the strap passing through length-adjusting means in the form of a buckle of the type used on aircraft seatbelts. The Dshaped loops 26 may alternatively be such that they are permanently closed loops or openable by means of a sprung member. Containers other than the illustrated container 16 may be employed. Individual components shown in the drawings are not limited to use in their drawings and they may be used in other drawings and in all aspects of the invention. The invention also extends to the individual components mentioned and/or shown above, taken singly or in any combination.

Claims

1. A watercraft which is propelled by a user, and which watercraft comprises:

(ii) at least one anchor formation;

and characterised in that:

2. A watercraft according to claim 1 in which the tie is an elasticated tie.

3. A watercraft according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the length-adjusting means comprises a sliding member which slides along the tie and lengthens or shortens the length of the tie by decreasing or increasing the length of a doubled portion of the tie.

4. A watercraft according to any one of the preceding claims in which the tie is of circular cross-section, or a flat sided cross-section.

5. A watercraft according to any one of the preceding claims in which the anchor formation comprises a loop formation.

6. A watercraft according to claim 5 in which the loop formation is a closed loop formation.

7. A watercraft according to any one of the preceding claims in which the anchor formation is on the mounting portion.

8. A watercraft according to any one of the preceding claims in which there are four of the anchor formations.

9. A watercraft according to any one of the preceding claims and including a container for receiving the product.

10. A watercraft according to claim 9 in which the tie is secured to the container.

11. A watercraft according to claims 9 or claim 10 in which the container is a bag or a box .