Diving board with nonlinear leaf springs
Disclosed is a composite diving board supported by nonlinear leaf springs, in which the spring cross section transitions from wide and thin at the ends to narrower and thicker at the center, while always maintaining approximately the same cross section at all points. Additional embodiments of the invention include a water feature and an illumination feature integrated into the board design.
The field of this invention is diving boards for swimming pools.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONDiving boards for swimming pools are available in a variety of designs, including passive base boards, in which spring is generated by bending and recovery of only the board, and active base boards, also called jump boards, in which a spring system under the board enhances the springing action of the board. The most common spring system for active base boards is an arrangement of coil springs near the base or leaf springs at the base.
Divers come in different shapes and sizes and, more importantly, in different weights. Conventional boards may be optimized for spring action within certain weight ranges but not all weight ranges.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide a diving board that allows the board's energy upon deflection to provide a similar response regardless of the diver's weight. It is a further objective, in certain embodiments, to provide visually engaging features, such as a water feature and lighting.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONThe current invention includes a composite board supported by nonlinear leaf springs, in which the spring cross section transitions from wide and thin at the ends to narrower and thicker at the center, while always maintaining approximately the same cross section at all points. Additional embodiments of the invention include a water feature and an illumination feature integrated into the board design.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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The combination of nonlinear leaf springs and ramps allows the board energy upon deflection to provide a similar response regardless of the diver's weight. A lighter diver utilizes the thinner, less rigid portion of the springs while the heavier diver brings into action the thicker more rigid portion of the spring.
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Providing for additional embodiments, the lighted water feature can be manufactured to provide any number of, or combination of, possible water flow types, i.e., stream, jet, spray or mist, emitted from one or multiple apertures attached to any location or combination of locations on the diving board. As well, fiber-optic or LED lighting systems can be made to illuminate the water at any point water exits a lighted water feature.
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Although the invention has been described with respect to specific embodiments, persons of ordinary skill in the art will readily understand that the inventive concepts may be applied to a variety of configurations including, without limitation, variations in the shape of the board or configuration of the water or light features.
Claims
1. A diving board assembly comprising a board with a forward end for extending over a swimming pool and a heel end for mounting the board from a pool deck, a base and a plurality of nonlinear leaf springs supporting the board on the base, wherein a cross section of the leaf spring is wider and thinner at an extremity where the spring contacts the board than at a center region where the spring contacts the base and wherein a cross section at any point along the spring has an area that is approximately the same as the area of a cross section at any other point along the spring.
2. The diving board of claim 1 wherein the springs attach to the board with bolts embedded in the board that pass through a plurality of aligned apertures in the springs, the base includes a plurality of spring retention channels, the springs rest in the retention channels, and a retention plate secures the springs to the base.
3. The diving board of claim 2 wherein the springs comprise an elongated body with a forward arm that is positioned toward the forward end of the board, a relatively horizontal segment that rests on the base, a sloped segment between the horizontal segment and the forward arm, a base arm positioned toward the heal end of the board, and a sloped segment between the horizontal segment and the base arm.
4. The diving board of claim 3 wherein the retention channels incorporate sloped ramps of approximately the same slope as the sloped segment of the springs between the forward arm and the horizontal segment.
5. The diving board of claim 4 further including a crescent shaped notch in the heel end of the board and a step attached to the base and positioned below the notch.
6. The diving board of claim 5 having an overall length of approximately seven feet, a width of approximately 17 inches at the heel end, a maximum width of approximately 19 inches at the point above the center, and a width of approximately 15 inches at the forward end.
7. The diving board of claim 3 further including a sheer waterfall propagator attached under the forward end of the board and a water supply conduit extending the length of the board to bring water to an input opening on the waterfall propagator.
8. The diving board of claim 7 further including a light source attached to the waterfall propagator so as to illuminate water emitted from the waterfall propagator.
9. The diving board of claim 3 further including a water emitter attached under the forward end of the board and a water supply conduit extending the length of the board to bring water to the emitter.
10. A diving board assembly comprising a board with a forward end for extending over a swimming pool and a heel end for mounting the board from a pool deck, a base and a plurality of nonlinear leaf springs supporting the board on the base, wherein the springs comprise an elongated body with a forward arm that is positioned toward the forward end of the board, a relatively horizontal segment that rests on the base, a sloped segment between the horizontal segment and the forward arm, a base arm positioned toward the heel end of the board, and a sloped segment between the horizontal segment and the base arm, and wherein a cross section of the leaf spring is wider and thinner at an extremity where the spring contacts the board than at a center region where the spring contacts the base and wherein a cross section at any point along the spring has an area that is approximately the same as the area of a cross section at any other point along the spring, wherein the springs attach to the board with bolts embedded in the board that pass through a plurality of aligned apertures in the springs, the base includes a plurality of spring retention channels that incorporate sloped ramps of approximately the same slope as the sloped segment of the springs between the forward arm and the horizontal segment, the springs rest in the retention channels, and a retention plate secures the springs to the base the retention channels.
11. The diving board of claim 10 further comprising a sheer waterfall propagator attached under the forward end of the board, a water supply conduit extending the length of the board to bring water to an input opening on the waterfall propagator, and a light source attached to the waterfall propagator so as to illuminate water emitted from the waterfall propagator.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 30, 2005
Publication Date: May 31, 2007
Inventor: Michael Hagerty (Tucson, AZ)
Application Number: 11/292,237
International Classification: A63B 5/10 (20060101); A63B 5/08 (20060101);