System for Artificially Creating the Practice of a Water Board Sport
The disclosure relates to a device for practicing water board sports. The device includes a water stream to artificially create a water flow on a support where the user can practice sports and one or more distributors which assist in controlling the created water flow according to the position or to motions on the support of the user or an object moving with the user.
The present invention relates to a device and a method for artificially recreating the practice of a water board sport.
From document U.S. Pat. No. 2,815,951 or DE-2837391, such a device is already known, where water stream means artificially create, on a support, a flow of water where the user can practice sport. Such a solution quickly reaches its limits. The conditions for making a figure more particularly in width and the practice types are limited. If an attempt is made to widen the practice area and thus the support of the water area, the energy consumption and the overall dimensions of the device increase, which are drawbacks.
SUMMARYOne aim of the invention is to provide a solution which makes it possible to increase the width of a practice area without necessarily increasing the consumption of energy to deliver the water flow(s). Another object is to provide a solution which enables varied movements and figures during the practice of the selected sport or sports. Another object is to provide a solution which makes it possible to make progress in this sport or sports without necessarily having to change the practice area. Another object is to provide a solution which reaches the whole or a part of the previous objects without necessarily increasing the overall dimension and thus the size of the device. Another object is to enable a varied practice of many water board sports more particularly water-skiing, wake-skating, wake-boarding, kite-surfing and surfing, which all require a board. A solution provided for the whole or a part of such aimed object is mentioned in claim 1. Advantageously, water stream means and detection means make it possible for only a part of the support and thus of the practice area which can be watered by the water flow coming out of the water stream means to be watered so that the sportsman/woman can move thereon. As for the method imagined here to artificially obtain conditions for practicing a water board sport including water-skiing, wake-skating, wake-boarding, surfing or even kite-surfing using water stream means creating, on a support, at least a flow of water, whereon the user can practice said sport and make varied movements and figures, it is based on the control of the position of the created water flow or flows by the position or the motions on said support of the user or means moving with him or her.
The variable (evolutionary) distribution of the created water flow or flows will be provided on the support. Preferably, several parameters such as speed, width and height of the created water flow or flows will vary by acting on the water stream means, thus enhancing the variety of movements and figures during the practice of the sport or sports as well as a progress in the quality of such practice. Advantageously and in addition, the position of such water flow or flows will be controlled by the detection of the position or of the motions on the support of the user or of the means moving with him or her.
Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will further appear in the following description and in the appended drawings, which are given as examples and where:
Favorably, such control means 11 include detection means such as 13a1, 13a2, 13b1, 13b2 (
Considering space geometry at the place of the support 9 (typically a rectangle with a width L and a length I (refer to
The rate and pressure of the water flow(s) projected by the outlets 17a, 17b will be adapted to provide the skiing sportsman/woman 1 the desired lift, by sending under him/her a layer of water at variable speed and thickness. Then, the speed between the reference water and rider will be complied with. The water outlets such as 17a etc., are carried by a frame 19 containing a collecting box 19a adapted to the circulation of water (
The frame 19 here carries the mast 4 which stands thereabove. The water stream means 7 advantageously include
Each door with a width L1 is controlled by the control means 11 through a cylinder such as 24a or 24b in
According to an alternative solution, the front side of the box 19a can be lined by a sliding wall provided with one or several outlets (openings) and moving along such wall thus opening and closing on the front some of the box outlets, with water coming out each time an outlet of the box coincides with an outlet in the wall. Using, more particularly, one of such solutions for controlling the water outflow towards the support 9, it can be guaranteed that the flow means 7 will generally include water distribution means 25 adapted to form a series of water outlets through the whole or a part of which the water stream can flow towards the support 9, with the outlets being adapted to open and to close under the control of the above mentioned detection means 13a1, 13a2, 13b1, 13b2. Water stream means 7 will thus include means (17a, 17b, 23a, 23b, 25) to modify the height, width and speed of the water flow created on the support 9.
Detection means will advantageously be distributed at several locations along at least one line transversal to the direction 15 of each created water flow and along the areas of the support where the flows can be created.
Considering again the structure of device 1, the support 9 will advantageously include a flexible underlying mat 29. Such mat will favorably be stretched by stretching means 31, such as a weight pulling a flexible resistant fabric. To avoid/limit water loss, it is further advised that, downstream of the mat, the/each created water flow should flow towards a collecting circuit through a net or a grated mat 33.
A structure 37 extends under the support 9, box 19a and net 33 level for supporting the device containing the water recirculation/recycling means 39. Such means 39 include one or several conduits opening upwards at the back, here under the net 33, to enable the water flow 28 to flow therein beyond the rear edge 9a of the support 9. For example, one or several pumps 41 suck water from the pipes and discharge it under pressure into the box 19a supplying the outlets such as 17a, 17b with water, from under the frame 19. Anchoring means 43 can hold the whole device 1 on the ground.
Considering the global aspect thereof, the solution of the invention makes it possible to reduce the height and the width of the water flow to be supplied to guarantee the lift, a measure regulating the flow. Through the control imagined via the detection system, only a part of the total available water plane 9, i.e. around the user, is watered. In addition, the solution of the invention makes it possible to obtain an almost limitless practising area for the same quantity of water flowing; the size and width (L,
Thanks to the position detectors 13a0, 13ai, 13b0, 13bi, the position of the user or of his or her board will then be continuously detected by the control system 7, 11, 17 which translate information from the sensors for the mechanic actuators such as 23a, 23b, with the latter enabling the movement of the water flow 3 according to the detected position and thus watering only the desired practising area. As mentioned above, the detection system will thus advantageously include a set of optical lines, each one defined by an emitter-receptor pair, such as 13a0, 13b0, 13ai, 13bi. Detections are performed each time the user (or his or her board) cuts an optical line. The signals sent by the sensors control the hatches 23a through a programmable automaton 45 belonging to the control means 11.
Hereinunder, the space situated between two successive optical lines of emitters/receivers positioned on either side of a practice area which can be watered (width space L4 where water can flow (cf.
In the situation shown in
In the illustration of the possible complete system like
As illustrated in
In this solution, the opening and closing of each outlet is thus controlled by at least one detector activated by the user or his or her board cutting the beam. Beams, which are not optical beams, could also be used. In
As an alternative solution, the device can be given various other detection systems like detectors measuring the position of the rope 2, which is moved with the user, or an angle detector, for example positioned on the anchoring point of the rope 2 and measuring the angle thereof with respect to the original position. Then, the position of the user is indirectly obtained. It is also possible to detect the rope using the same detection principle as in the exemplary optical line, thanks to a detection frame 100 through which the rope goes and which includes several detectors, such as 101a, 103a, 101b, 103b, defining a series of detection lines 110, 112, here vertical ones.
Such a solution is efficient and practical and can be easily installed (cf.
It is also possible to directly detect the user's position using a camera measuring its position in a definite space. As an alternative solution, it can also be noted that it is possible not to use an automaton. Sensors directly opening and closing the switches of an electric circuit connected to the cylinders of the hatches or equivalents can also be imagined.
Possibly (refer to
What is mentioned hereunder could thus be the subject of an independent protection. This more particularly relates to additional detection means 49 connected to the control means 11 to detect (and transmit thereto data related to) the presence or the absence of the user at the end of the cable 2. Such control means will then be adapted for controlling the water stream means 7 to adapt the presence of water and/or the distribution thereof on the support 9 according to the detection data transmitted by said additional detection means 49.
If there is no tension, the user can be ‘detected’ as absent at the end of the rope 2. New information translated by the automaton will make it possible to modify the detection system control mode described above. Thus, using the water distribution means 25, it will be possible, at the beginning of the sports session, to start projecting water onto the area only when the presence of the user has been detected at the end of the cable 2.
If, for example, the user falls during the session, the device will then be able (according to the programme selected for the control means) for example either to stop the flow or to significantly reduce it, or to distribute it differently, more particularly away from the location of the fall, then no longer watering the area around the user. A tension sensor will then be more particularly adapted to detect tension in the cable.
The device operation can be compared to all or none operation: if the user is detected as riding, the control starts the water flow under him/her, on the mat 9, according to his/her position. If the user is detected as not riding, water is no longer projected onto the mat, but it is directly sent to the collecting tank 39a (see
Claims
1. A device for practicing a water board sport including one at least among water-skiing, wake-skating, wake-boarding, surfing or kite-surfing, the device comprising:
- a water stream for artificially creating, a water flow on a support, whereon a user can practice said sport and make varied movements and figures; and
- a detector for detecting at least one of a position and motions of the user or an object moving with the user during the varied motions on the support, and consequently operating the water stream so as to distribute the water flow on the support by moving the water flow according to the position or movements of the user or the object.
2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the water stream and the detector are adapted so that, transversely to a water flowing direction, only a part of the support and thus of the practice area which can be watered by the water flow coming out of the water stream, is watered so that the user can practice the sport.
3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the object moving with the user includes a board on which the user moves.
4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the object moving with the user includes a cable held by the user to practice said sport.
5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the water stream includes at least one water distributor adapted to form a series of water outlets positioned in line transversely to the water flowing direction and through only a part of which the water flow runs toward the support.
6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the water stream includes at least one water distributor adapted to form a series of water outlets through at least a part of which the water flow runs toward the support, with the outlets being adapted to open and to close under control of said detector which are distributed at several locations along at least one line transverse to the direction of each water flow thus created.
7. The device according to claim 6, wherein:
- the detector includes a series of beam sensors; and
- the opening and/or the closing of each outlet are controlled either by a pair of such detectors positioned on either side of said outlet except towards side ends of the support where first and last outlets of the series are respectively controlled by first and last detectors of said series located towards said ends,
- or by one of said beam sensors activated by cutting of a beam by the user or by the object moving with the user.
8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the support on which the user moves defines a layer of water which is positioned substantially horizontally.
9. The device according to claim 1, wherein downstream of the practice support, the created water flow flows towards a collection circuit through a net.
10. The device according to claim 1, further comprising:
- a cable held by the user to practice said board sport; and
- additional detectors to detect the presence or the absence of the user at the end of the cable, the detector being adapted to control the water stream for adapting the presence of water and/or the distribution thereof on the support according to the detection data transmitted by the additional detectors.
11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the additional detectors include a voltage sensor making it possible to detect voltage in the cable.
12. A method for artificially obtaining conditions for practicing a water board sport including at least one among water-skiing, wake-skating, wake-boarding, surfing, said method comprising the steps of:
- using a water stream created on a support, having at least a flow of water on which a user can practice said sport and make varied motions and figures, wherein a position of said created water flow(s) is controlled by the position or the motions on such support, of the user or of an object moving the user.
13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the position of the created water flow(s) is controlled by detecting the position or the motions on the support of the user or of said object moving with the user, so as to distribute the water flow on the support and by moving it according to the detection executed transversally to the water flowing direction.
14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the detectors act on the water stream so that only a part of the support, and thus of the practice area, which can be watered by the water flow coming out of said water stream is watered so that the user can practice sports.
15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the user's presence or absence at the end of a cable which the user holds to practice said sport is detected and the water stream is controlled so that they selectively supply said support with water.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 7, 2009
Publication Date: Jul 14, 2011
Applicant: MADEA CONCEPT SAS (Corbeil Essonnes)
Inventors: Jean-Gabriel Esteve (Morsang-sur-Seine), Jean-Guillaume Argoud (Malakoff)
Application Number: 13/057,895