Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
  • B63B32/00—Water sports boards; Accessories therefor
  • B63B32/60—Board appendages, e.g. fins, hydrofoils or centre boards
  • B63B32/64—Adjustable, e.g. by adding sections, by removing sections or by changing orientation or profile
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
  • B63B32/00—Water sports boards; Accessories therefor
  • B63B32/60—Board appendages, e.g. fins, hydrofoils or centre boards
  • B63B32/66—Arrangements for fixation to the board, e.g. fin boxes or foil boxes
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
  • B63B35/00—Vessels or similar floating structures specially adapted for specific purposes and not otherwise provided for
  • B63B2035/009—Wind propelled vessels comprising arrangements, installations or devices specially adapted therefor, other than wind propulsion arrangements, installations, or devices, such as sails, running rigging, or the like, and other than sailboards or the like or related equipment

Definitions

• the invention relates to a spare fin arrangement for sailboards.
• the fin of a sailboard is exposed to considerable strain during surfing. For instance, a total force of up to more than 500 N acts onto a conventional fin due to the transverse forces transmitted from the sail onto the sailboard. Therefore, it often happens that the fin breaks during surfing or that the fin box splits. A further cause and above all an unavoidable risk is the contact with objects floating on the surface of the water or just below it. Mainly wood and plastic parts form part of these objects. With the velocities surfed in the higher wind range today, an average windsurfer easily reaches 50 km/h (the world record is at beyond 80 km/h) . The contact with the aforementioned objects in the case of such velocities leads to the inevitable loss of the fin and most often also to the loss of the fin box. In this case the manoeuvring of the sailboard is rendered practically impossible. Therefore, in the case of a greater distance from the shore or in the case of corresponding currents, the surfer may get into a life- threatening situation when the fin becomes useless.
• FR-A-2,594,785 discloses a spare fin arrangement, wherein a fin which is mounted on a supporting base is fixable to a sailboard by means of a belt arrangement.
• the fin is vertically adjusted with respect to the underwater hull of the sailboard by means of supports or additionally by a hinge.
• This spare fin arrangement can even be used when the fin box has become useless.
• the spare fin arrangement with its supporting base has a bulky design, which makes it difficult to have this arrangement on the sailboard in its unused condition, and when it is in use the free end of the fin is subjected to three great leverages of the water which are laterally applied and " jeopardize the stability of the fin.
• the invention is based on the problem to provide spare fins for a sailboard, which are stowed, for instance, on the sailboard and if need be, when the conventional fin has become useless, can be fixed to the sailboard easily and without the utilization of tools.
• the construction is not dependent on the presence of the fin box.
• the solution of the invention is based on the idea to provide two fins as replacement for the conventional fin, which can manually and easily be fixed to the sailboard by means of a belt structure if need be.
• the spare fin arrangement is designed as an angular, V-shaped arrangement of two fins. This arrangement also enables the mounting when the fin box is completely destroyed. Furthermore, the angular arrangement of the fins guarantees an increased stability against the transverse forces occurring during surfing.
• Fig. 1 shows a cross-section of an angular arrangement of two spare fins on a sailboard in an embodiment according to the invention
• Fig. ' 2 shows a side view of the two spare fins according to Fig. 1,
• Fig. 3a shows a top view onto the rear of the sailboard with tension belts of the embodiment of the invention according to Fig. 1,
• Fig. 3b shows a perspective view of the embodiment of the invention according to Fig. 3a
• Fig. 3c shows a cross-section of the embodiment of the invention according to Fig. 1 along the direction of the tension belt 6 in Fig. 3a,
• Fig. 4 shows an embodiment of a mast protector on a sail of a sailboard with fin pockets in the unfolded condition and separated from the mast according to the invention
• Fig. 5 shows the embodiment of the invention according to Fig. 4 in the folded condition and attached to the mast
• Fig. 6 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention with a parallel arrangement of the two spare fins.
• Fig. 1 depicts an arrangement of an embodiment according to the invention with two angularly (V-shape) arranged fins 2, 3 on the underwater hull of a sailboard 1 with a box 19 for the conventional fin which is wrenched off the box.
• the side views of the fins 2, 3 are depicted in Fig. 2.
• the fins 2, 3 are preferably releasably connected with each other at their point of contact 4. This can be performed by a belt passed through openings 21 (Fig. 2) , by rings or by fitting them into each other; it is also possible to connect these fins at this point (i.e. the free ends or tips 24) by means of a hinge.
• the fins can thus be unfolded up to 180°.
• a belt arrangement 5 which preferably consists of an adjustable belt
• the belt is connected with padded plastic plates 9 of each fin 2, 3.
• the aperture angle between the fins 2, 3 can be adjusted.
• the belt arrangement 5 takes up the tension forces.
• the free ends of the belt arrangement 5 are - preferably used as front tension belts 6 and as rear tension belts 7 for the attachment of the safety fin to the sailboard (cf. Fig. 3).
• FIGs 3a to 3c the attachment of the safety fin to the sailboard is depicted in more detail.
• the front tension belt 6 is, for instance, passed through the rear foot loop 8 (Fig. 3a, b) .
• the front and rear tension belts 6, 7 are tightened on the sailboard for example by means of a belt buckle so that the arrangement of the safety fin on the sailboard as depicted in Fig. 3c as a cross- section along the direction of the tension belt 6 results.
• Fig. 6 cross-section along the tension belt 6 in Fig. 3a
• two parallel spare fins 2, 3 whose distance is adjustable by the belt arrangement 5 are connected with the sailboard 1 by means of tension belts 6, 7 (analogously to the angular spare fins) which are fixed to both ends of the spare fins 2, 3.
• tension belts 6, 7 analogously to the angular spare fins
• the horizontal part of the lower tension belt 5 is shortened, the distance between the tips 24 is reduced so that the two fins are no longer parallel but - more or less - inclined towards each other.
• the mast protector according to the invention consists of two padded parts 10, 11 which comprise pockets 14, 15 for receiving the fins 2, 3 and can be folded upward on both sides of the sail 13 in the area of the tack eyelet from the side of the footrope. Furthermore, the mast protector is provided with a velcro strip tongue 16 laterally fixed to one part 10 and with a padded clamping ring 18 fixed to the top of the other part 11.
• the parts 10, 11 are folded upward around the sail, and fixed around the mast 17 by means of the velcro strip tongue 16 and the clamping ring 18.
• the longitudinal edges of the parts 10, 11 opposite to the mast 17 can additionally be stiffened by integrated rods, e.g. made of plastics.
• the mast is fixed to the sailboard 1 by means of the mast base 22.
• Fig. 5 depicts the mast protector of the invention according to Fig. 4 in the upward folded condition fixed to the mast 17.
• the padding of the mast protector according to the invention protects the surfer from injuries and the sailboard from damage when the mast turns over.

Landscapes

• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
• Emergency Lowering Means (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=6443363

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Cited By (2)

Citations (3)

Family Cites Families (2)

• 1991
  • 1991-10-24 DE DE4135173A patent/DE4135173C1/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 1992
  • 1992-10-23 WO PCT/EP1992/002433 patent/WO1993008074A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (3)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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