WO2020083539A1

WO2020083539A1 - Rounding of drop-stitch elements

Info

Publication number: WO2020083539A1
Application number: PCT/EP2019/067743
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ernstfried Prade; Daniel Weinberger
Original assignee: Ernstfried Prade
Priority date: 2018-10-25
Filing date: 2019-07-02
Publication date: 2020-04-30

Abstract

The invention relates to a drop-stitch element in which at least one glued fold (9, 10) of variable depth is introduced into a flat drop-stitch component (8) such that the outer skin of the drop-stitch component can be folded on one side of the drop-stitch component or, according to the position of the fold, alternately on both sides of the drop-stitch component.

Description

Rounding of drop stitch elements

description

The invention relates to a drop stitch element according to the preamble of claim 1 and a method for producing a drop stitch element according to claim 10.

With a drop stitch material, thousands of equally long polyester threads hold two opposing materials, also known as the ceiling and floor, in parallel

together. This special drop stitch material is manufactured in webs by design. The starting material is open on all sides perpendicular to the stretched polyester threads, must be provided with side walls in order to obtain a closed body. This closed body can be filled with air. Due to their construction, these air-filled bodies are completely flat and, seen along the surface, have no curved elements.

Inflatable watercraft, such as Kayaks, canoes and surfboards can be made from drop stitch material. A typical kayak has a bottom that is cut in the boat's longitudinal axis so that it determines the shape of the boat. The two side walls are glued to the outside of the floor.

The side walls bulge in a longitudinal direction, ie a direction of travel, with this adhesive method in accordance with the shape of the floor. The bow and stern are usually tapered to a point, for example so pointed that a hydrodynamically optimized bow structure can be formed, since a drop stitch material does not allow a pointed taper to occur. The inclination of the side walls is achieved by an additional glued outer skin, which is inflated after the inflation and the associated spacing of the floor and side wall and keeps the side wall at a predetermined stable angle, which is usually chosen so that the boat is wider and above is narrower at the bottom. The biggest problem with this design is the airtightness of the boats on the one hand and the enormous manual work of the precise bonds to be made on the other. To do this better illustrate the length of the bonds of a five meter long kayak:

Such a kayak consists, among other things, of two side walls, on each of which a dropstitch thickness corresponding to the closing strip is to be glued to the end faces. That makes four side strips with left and right gluing what

taken together 20 m adhesive length results. A floor with a length of five meters, which is to be glued on the left and right with an end strip, results in ten meters of adhesive length. In order to achieve good airtightness, all bonds must be made with an additional second adhesive in the form of an adhesive tape that is placed over the first

Adhesive is attached to be sealed.

This means an additional 60 m of adhesive length, since the first adhesive is to be sealed on the left and right side. Taken together, an airtight kayak made of drop stitch material has to be glued by hand for around 90 running meters. Handicraft because of the constantly changing, in curves

ongoing gluing, excludes mechanical production.

The major disadvantage of the adhesive techniques used to date for drop stitch materials for boats is that the straight surfaces of the drop stitch structures only permit a limited design in relation to the boat hull. Essentially, only a straight flat bottom with two straight flat attached side walls is possible, since the drop stitch material naturally strives for straight flat shapes after the inflation with its holding threads between the walls.

The object of the invention is therefore to create a drop stitch element with as few openings as possible - and thus adhesive surfaces - for improved airtightness, which allows the flat-lying drop stitch component to be rounded. The object of the invention is also a method for its production.

These tasks are solved by a drop stitch element according to claim 1 or a method for producing a drop stitch element according to claim 10.

Advantageous further developments are specified in the subclaims. The drop stitch element according to the invention is designed such that at least one fold is made in a drop stitch component. This folding is variable in its depth, that is, in the overlap of the parts lying opposite one another by the folding. The overlapping areas of the drop stitch component, that is to say the areas of an outer skin that are either the top or bottom of the drop stitch material, are glued to one another.

According to the invention, the depth of the fold changes depending on the position and / or the position of the fold in the drop stitch element. Regardless of the depth of the fold, however, it is oriented in the inner region of the drop stitch element or the drop stitch component and is introduced either on one side and / or on both sides, for example alternately, or else on further sides of the drop stitch component .

In a preferred exemplary embodiment, the folding begins on the surface, that is to say on a ceiling or on a floor of a drop stitch material of a drop stitch component, and therefore has a minimal depth at this point, that is to say a very small one

Outer skin overlap area. As the folding continues, the depth changes, i.e. increases, so that the overlap area widens. This continues up to a certain point in the drop stitch component, at which point the largest

Overlap is provided and runs up to that point in a curve, a straight-line or linear configuration would also be conceivable. As soon as a point is reached at which the maximum depth of the folding is provided, the depth and thus also the overlap area decrease again in a further curved, straight or linear course in order to run out again on the surface.

In a further exemplary embodiment, there are several in a drop stitch component

Folds are provided which are introduced side by side on one side, i.e. on the top or bottom side, of the drop stitch material. These folds are also glued together. Wedge-shaped punchings, that is to say a material removal of the drop stitch material from the ceiling to the floor, or vice versa, in a configuration which tapers from the outside inward, have proven to be particularly advantageous

emphasized if a rounded shape of the drop stitch element or the drop stitch component, also referred to as drop stitch body, is desired. The wedge-shaped

Punching forces the drop stitch element in combination with the fold or folds into a rounded shape, thus allowing the drop stitch element to be shaped even more variably.

For aesthetic, visual and / or haptic reasons, the folds can be covered with a blank. Flierzu, for example, a material similar to the ceiling or the floor is glued over the seam created during the folding or fastened to it in some other way. An even more even surface structure than that achieved by the folds compared to a double-bonded structure known from the prior art can be achieved in this way.

In a further exemplary embodiment, the folds are introduced alternately, that is to say on both sides, into the drop stitch component. The resulting drop stitch element therefore has, for example, a double hull, since the fold is introduced and glued to the ceiling and floor of the drop stitch component.

In order to achieve an elongated trunk shape of the drop stitch element, two drop stitch components, each with at least one fold, can be aligned such that a solid element located between the two drop stitch components, for example a ring-shaped element, of the two Drop stitch components are spanned and these are spaced apart from one another in at least one, preferably an upper, central area, while the lower area preferably forms a continuously flush termination or a transition between the two drop stitch elements.

In order to form a pointed stern and a pointed bow, it is preferred if there is a small distance on the end faces of the drop stitch components, at the point at which they are located have each other, that is, in a transition area from the tapering, upper area to the lower area, a rigid bow or stern element is attached. This bow or stern element is encased in a waterproof cover which tensions when the drop stitch components are inflated and forms a pointed bow and a pointed stern on the drop stitch element with the bow and stern elements.

It is particularly preferred if the stiff front and rear elements are resiliently attached to the end faces, that is to say the front and / or rear of the drop stitch element or to the drop stitch components.

A method according to the invention for joining a drop stitch element is distinguished by an adhesive technique. This new type of adhesive technology consists in the fact that, for example, a boat, which so far consists of three independent bodies, namely two

Sidewalls and a floor, there is only one or two drop stitch bodies built in the form according to the invention. These drop stitch bodies have less gluing, which improves airtightness and brings a significant reduction in production costs.

Another advantage of the method according to the invention is that these bonds are freely accessible for any repairs in the event of a leak, while in the case of previously used adhesive methods, the defective adhesive points are no longer accessible in the event of damage, since they are covered by an outer skin. In the adhesive technique according to the invention, one side of the drop stitch body is folded inwards, which leads to the drop stitch body being bent. Furthermore, the folding is made in one

Curve run, which leads to a bulbous shape of the drop stitch body.

For a smooth production process, two mirror-like, so

mirror-symmetrical sides can be put together into one part. The advantage of this design is that multiple folds can be glued into the left and right individual halves more easily and quickly. Punching on areas that need to be rounded off has proven to be very practical. A wedge of the drop stitch material is removed, ie punched out, the sides are put back together and the seam in the drop stitch material is closed with a cover.

The fold gluing can be formed with a plurality of folds lying next to one another, which begin on the surface of the drop stitch material and extend in a curve to a maximum depth, and then return to the drop stitch surface, for example for a bulbous rowboat.

Transporting a particularly long conventional watercraft, also known as a so-called surf ski, can be difficult, which is why there is one

offers inflatable construction. These very long drop stitch constructions can be kept dimensionally stable by means of central segments. In a lightweight version, the middle segment consists of an outer robust woven cover with an inner one

inflatable airtight envelope. The middle segment can also consist of only one inflatable plastic cover. There are also several as a middle segment

Solid segments in question, around which the two side walls span.

Folds on the top of boats can also be covered with a top layer for visual reasons.

Further details are given in the description of an exemplary embodiment, reference being made to the accompanying drawings.

Show it:

1 shows a cross section through a drop stitch element according to the prior art.

2 shows a cross section through a drop stitch element according to the invention;

3 is a perspective view of a row boat;

4 is a perspective view of fold surfaces;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a rowing boat;

6 is a top view of a row boat; 7 shows a blank for a rowboat;

8 shows a bow of a rowboat;

9 shows a waterproof cover on a bow area;

10 shows a rigid bow and stain element;

11 shows a variant of a bow, stain element;

12 shows views of a narrow watercraft;

Fig. 13 is a two-part double hull boat and

Fig. 14 is a long watercraft.

FIG. 1 shows a cross section through a kayak made of drop stitch material, which is manufactured according to the current state of the art, consisting of a left side wall 1, a right side wall 2 and a bottom 3. Strips 4a, 4b, 4c glued airtight. All bonds are also taped with a sealing tape 5 for better air tightness. The two side walls must be kept stable in their inclined shape with a base layer 6 and an internal adhesive 7.

Figure 2 shows a cross section through a kayak, which is glued with the inventive method. The left and right side wall, as well as the bottom, consist of only one drop stitch component 8. A left fold 9 and a right fold 10, on the inner side of the drop stitch element, which are folded in and glued, angled the side wall off the floor. With this adhesive technique there is only one circumferential one

End strips 4d necessary. This eliminates the possibility of air leakage on a

Minimum reduced, as well as the necessary adhesive effort for the kayak. The

In contrast to the prior art, which requires a large number of bonds, the potential for error in the processing of the end strip 4d is significantly reduced.

Likewise, the processing times are significantly reduced by the elimination of a base layer 6 and an internal adhesive 7 for fixing a drop stitch element shown here, so that, in addition to simplifying the fixing position, a clear one

Cost savings compared to the prior art is guaranteed. FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a rowing boat in which, in addition to an upper edge 11, an upper circumferential fold 12a and a lower circumferential fold 12b are glued in, as a result of which the inside of the drop stitch element is shortened while the outside remains unabridged. This causes the drop stitch element to take on a rounded shape in sections. The folds 12a, 12b end in the 1st quarter of the rowing boat, so that from there the two sides of the drop stitch element remain flat, that is to say not rounded, and thereby form a straight, tapering bow shape 13. A deeper fold 12b results in a stronger rounding in a transition region from the floor to the side walls than is produced by the upper fold 12a in a central region of the side walls. This shape is illustrated in Figure 5 below.

The tapering bow shape from FIG. 3 can also be seen in FIG. Here is a perspective view of the upper fold surface 12a and the lower fold surface 12b. While the lower fold 12b extends to the maximum depth of the drop stitch wall and therefore causes a strong crease, the upper fold 12a is narrower, which leads to a weak crease. Both folds follow a calculated curve that is responsible for the belly of the rowboat. They start on the surface of the inner wall 12c, 12d and extend to the maximum depth 12e, 12f of the drop stitch element, and then return to the surface of the inner wall in a curve. This results in the shape of the rowing boat, which is shown in perspective in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 shows a view in section through the rowing boat according to one of FIGS. 3 or 4 with its two folds 12a and 12b. The upper fold 12a with shallow depth leads to a slight kink. The lower fold with great depth 12b leads to a strong crease. The lower fold 12b is deeper than the fold 12a, so that there is a greater rounding of the drop stitch material, which gives the rowing boat its typical shape. In addition to the roundings shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 and the changing depths of the folds 12a and 12b, it has already been indicated in FIG. 5 that the rowing boat can also be made from two mirror-symmetrical drop stitch components. This is illustrated by the central line, which indicates a glue point. A two-part design of the drop stitch element is shown in the following figures shown in more detail. Reference number 33 denotes a cover layer which covers the folds 12a, 12b. Such a cover layer 33 can be used in all exemplary embodiments to cover the respective folds.

FIG. 6 shows the rowing boat in plan view with a left half 14 and a right half 15 and the folds 12a, 12b. Both halves 14 and 15 and consequently also the folds 12a and 12b are mirror-symmetrical to one another. A

Punching 15a is carried out on both halves 14 and 15, material being removed in each case, so that an approximately wedge-shaped cutout shown in FIG. 7 and tapering from the outside inwards is removed from the drop stitch material. Before the folds 12a, 12b are glued together, the cutout 15a is joined to form a cutout 15b and sealed with an airtight cover 15c.

FIG. 7 shows the cut, that is to say the unglued and unfolded drop stitch material with the left half 14 of the rowing boat, the right mirror-symmetrical half 15 and the folding surfaces of the folds 12a, 12b. The punched-out areas 15a are shown in a possible initial shape which tapers from the upper edge 11 to the bottom of the rowing boat. The cutout 15a is in each case in

Seen the direction of travel of the rowing boat, rear area arranged so that the final shape of the rowing boat, as shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5, with the relatively wide spot and a narrow tapered bow can be achieved by joining the punched-out to the joining of the punched-out 15b can.

FIG. 8 shows the bow with the adhesive bond according to the method according to the invention, in which the right side wall comes to lie next to the left side wall, which are bonded to one another. The left end face 16a of the left side wall and the right end face 16b of the right side wall result in a nose of twice the width of the drop stitch side wall. In addition to the double width of a drop stitch side wall, there is a joint between the two side walls and therefore also between the two end faces 16a and 16b, at which the left half 14 and the right half 15 of the rowing boat converge. Figure 9 shows a waterproof envelope 17 as a pointed bow. In order to transform the wide nose of the nose, which is generated by the two end faces of the drop stitch side walls, into a narrow, pointed nose, a waterproof cover 17 is provided, which is glued to the drop stitch walls with its rear end 18. The sleeve 17 is over the end faces 16a and 16b and a little overlapping over the two

Side walls of the rowing boat applied and has an adhesive bond between the inside of the shell 17 and the outside of the respective side wall with these.

FIG. 10 shows a stiff bow and stern element 19. The stiff bow and stern element 19 is inserted with its two ends into a fastening tube 20 and is constantly pressed forward against the sleeve 17 by a spring element, which is located in the fastening tube 20, so that the latter is tensioned. If the watercraft strikes a solid object, the rigid bow and stern element 19 is pushed back into the fastening pipes 20, so that the pipe length A is shortened to pipe length B. The sheath 17 is also shortened and deformed. After the impact, the spring element push the rigid bow and stern element 19 forward again, so that the sheath 17 tensions itself automatically and springs back into the tapering shape (see FIG. 9), which is necessary for good hydrodynamics.

FIG. 11 shows in perspective, in side view and top view, a rigid bow and stern element 19 which is fastened with two tabs 21 to the end faces of the drop stitch side walls. The rigid bow and stern element 19 is held and / or guided, for example, with a strut between the end faces 16a and 16b of the side walls by the tabs 21 which are fastened with one side to one of the end faces 16a and 16b. After the side walls have been inflated, the rigid bow and stern element 19 clamps between the end faces of the side walls and the waterproof casing 17, so that a solid structural unit with a pointed bow is created. The pointed bow is formed by the sheath 17. The pointed sheath 17 extends, stretched over the rigid bow and stern element 19, as an extension of the side walls at the height of the upper edge 11. In a not shown, not inflated state of the drop stitch element, the rigid bow and stern is -Element 19 held movably in the tabs so that it is towards one the side walls can be folded down for easy transport without having to completely disassemble them. The next time it is used, the rigid bow and stern element is forced back into its forward end position, which is delimited by the casing 17.

The representations in FIG. 12 show a particularly long, narrow watercraft in a view, side view and top view, the side wall 22 of which ends in the glued-on, waterproof casings 17 on both sides, that is to say both on the bow and stern side, and on the starboard and port sides. A removable seat 23 is located in the middle and the bow part of the boat is stabilized by an inflatable middle segment 24 around which the side walls 22 bend slightly. The stern part of the boat is stabilized by two inflatable middle segments 24, which are glued side by side, around which the side walls 22 also bend slightly. Another top view shows an alternative embodiment of the stabilizing central segments. Instead of the inflatable middle segments 24, annular solid elements 25, for example made of glass fiber or carbon, are introduced, which ensure the necessary stability between the two side walls and at the same time a slightly curved shape of the side walls. Through different dimensions of the solid elements 25, which are designed with a decreasing diameter from the center of the watercraft to the bow and stern, the desired shape of the watercraft is achieved while increasing the stability. A lower fold 12b begins in the front third of the surface of the inner side 12c of the side wall 22 and widens in a rounded shape in the middle of the boat to a maximum depth 12e. The effects of the depth of the folding have already been described in detail in the description of FIGS. 3 to 5.

FIG. 13 shows a two-part double hull boat in a view and a top view with a bottom fold 26 and a top fold 27. The different depth of both folds in the boat's longitudinal axis enables the round outline 28 of the swimmers. The bridge 29 is part of the inner side wall 30 of the float. The top fold 27 forms the narrow underside of the respective swimmer of the double hull boat in the assembled state of the fold. By joining the top fold 27, the left and right (view according to Figure 13 above) are next to the top fold 27 Upper sides, or also ceilings, of the drop stitch material are forced into the shape shown at the top in FIG. Through the

different depth of the top-side fold 27, the shape shown in FIG. In addition to the top fold 27, a bottom fold 26 is required to form a bridge 29 that connects the two floats of the double hull boat. Flierzu is in the

Starting material on the underside, or the bottom of the drop stitch material, an underside fold 26, which changes in depth, is introduced. When the underside fold 26 is subsequently joined, the bridge 29 bends from the outline 28 of the float in such a way that it runs approximately parallel to a base, not shown, on which the two floats stand. In this way, a double hull boat can be easily manufactured from two drop stitch components. A configuration with only one drop stitch component would also be conceivable.

Figure 14 shows a long watercraft in view, top view and side view on which one sits and paddles. It has a central fold 31 on its upper side, which produces a keel 32 on its lower side. The keel 32 can be of different depth due to the changed depth of the fold. A cover layer 33 covers the fold underneath.

What is disclosed is a drop stitch element, in which at least one fold that is variable in depth and is glued is introduced into a flat drop stitch component, so that the outer skin of the drop stitch component is on one side, or alternately on both sides, depending on the position of the fold, of the drop stitch component.

Reference list

1 left side wall

2 right side wall

3 floor

4a, 4b, 4c end strips

4d all-round end strips

5 sealing tape

6 floor position

7 interior bonding

8 drop stitch part

9 left fold

10 right fold

11 top margin

12a upper fold

12b lower fold

12c, 12d surface inner wall

12e, 12f maximum depth

13 bow, tapering

14 left half

15 right half

15a punching

15b assembly of the cutout 15c airtight cover

16a left end face

16b right front side

17 waterproof case

18 rear end

19 stiff bow and stain element

20 mounting tube

21 tabs 22 side wall

23 seat, removable

24 middle segments, inflatable

25 solid element

26 bottom fold

27 Top fold

28 round outline

29 bridge

30 inner side wall

31 Center fold

32 keel

33 top layer

A length

B length

Claims

Expectations

1. Drop stitch element characterized in that in a flat drop stitch component (8) at least one fold (9, 10, 12a, 12b) which changes in depth is glued, in which the outer skin of the drop stitch component, on one or is mutually folded in or in on both sides of the component (8).

2. Drop stitch element according to claim 1, wherein the fold (9, 10, 12a, 12b) begins on the surface of the drop stitch component (8) and then extends in a curve ever deeper to a maximum depth (12e, 12f ), then ends again following a curve on the surface (12c, 12d).

3. Drop stitch element according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of folds (9, 10, 12a, 12b) lying next to one another are glued on one side of the drop stitch material.

4. Drop stitch element according to one of the preceding claims, wherein wedge-shaped punched-out portions (15a) in addition to the folds (9, 10, 12a, 12b)

are provided to force the drop stitch body into a rounded shape.

5. Drop stitch element according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the fold (9, 10, 12a, 12b) is covered by a cover layer (33) and / or a punched-out area (15a) by a cover 15 (c).

6. drop stitch element according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a double hull is generated by a mutual folding (26, 27).

7. Drop stitch element according to one of the preceding claims, wherein an elongated fuselage shape is formed by a drop stitch component (8) with at least one fold (12b) and a second drop stitch component (8) mirrored to the first the mirrored drop stitch component (8) is stretched around an inflatable or solid element (25).

8. drop stitch element according to claim 7, wherein on the front side (16a, 16b) of the two drop stitch body (8) at the bow and stern a rigid bow and stern element (19) is attached, which is in a waterproof shell (17) braced after inflation and forms a, preferably pointed, bow (13) and / or a, preferably pointed, stern.

9. drop stitch element according to claim 8, wherein the rigid bow and stern element (19) in the waterproof shell (17), preferably spring-loaded, is attached to the front (16a, 16b) of the drop stitch body at the bow and stern.

10. A method for joining a drop stitch element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by an adhesive technique, one side of at least one drop stitch component (8) being folded and glued in the area of the fold (9, 10, 12a, 12b).

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that two mirror-like drop stitch components (8) are assembled to form a drop stitch element.