Wave Riding Vehicle
A wave riding vehicle having a top surface, a bottom surface, a rear tail, a nose, and said tail and nose are connected by opposite left and right side rails, and the side rails extend substantially linearly from the tail and away from a central axis and then linearly extend to the nose and toward the central axis and embodiments include a central arcuate hump that transverses the top surface.
The applicants claim the benefit of the filing date of U.S. No. 63/342,347 filed May 16, 2022.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to wave riding vehicles with a new watercraft shape and features. The vehicle is primarily intended for use as a bodyboard used for surfing oceanic waves. The invention is applicable to conventional surfboards, kneeboards, skim boards, kiteboards, wake surfing boards and wakeboards. The invention may also be adapted for snow riding.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONWatercraft boards have a variety of shapes that are in part directed by the use. For example, the shape and size surfboards may be generally segmented into longboards, guns, the evolution, funboards, shortboards, and fish. Each type has a shape that is designed for the type of surf, the type of surfer and the objective of the surfer.
The shape of the wave also affects the selection of the board to best compliment the environmental conditions. Experienced surfers have described waves as closeouts, reformed, mushy crumbles, plunging waves, breakers, and tubing waves, Closeouts are caused by strong offshore winds, and the entire wave essentially breaks at the same time. There is little or no taper or curl to the wave surface and they are very difficult to ride. Mushy or crumble waves are slow rolling and not steep and have a gentle break, The best riding breaking waves are referred to as spilling breakers, plunging breakers and surging breakers. Plunging waves, also known as tubing waves, are caused when a wave transfers from deeper water to shallow water and the wave breaks from the top to the bottom. Reforms waves are found in deeper water.
In view of the different types of waves and surf conditions, as well as different surfing objectives from the surf rider, a number of surfboard designs have been developed. A “fish” design surfboard is considered a short board and has a wide nose and swallow tail. These boards have more volume and less rocker than a typical shortboards and can provide improved performance in weak or “mushy” waves. Longboards are designed for larger surfer and are for large waves or long rolling waves. Shortboards and most body boards are highly maneuverable and can be rapidly accelerated by the surfer to quickly catch a wave. While short surfboards are more difficult to ride and are not always for suitable for larger surf riders, most riders can easily ride a body board.
In contrast with surfboards, conventionally, bodyboards are short and are designed to be engaged by the surf rider's body from the waist to the chest area and are held by the rider on opposite sides of the nose. Some riders move to a knelling position on the board as the ride begins. Referring now to
A second tail design for body boards, as depicted in
A 60/40 rail means that 40% of the chine connects to the deck whereas 60% of the rail is in direct contact with the water. This style of rail is best for maintaining control on bigger, more powerful waves.
50/50 rails are equally divided from the top surface to the bottom surface and offer more speed. The 50/50 design allows an easier disconnect from the wave face. Some signature boards designed by professional riders also have rails with slightly different ratios, such as 70/30 or 55/45 or any ratio that they prefer to achieve the desired balance of speed, stability turning, and buoyancy. With respect to both surfboards, a narrow tail allows a reader to release from moves more easily, as it is less buoyant, whereas a wider tail offers more stability.
The other parts of prior art body boards include the core, which typically is comprised of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), or extruded polystyrene (EPS). The shape of the core dictate of overall shape of the board. Boards may have a harder smooth and slick surface on the bottom that improves speed. As mentioned above since body boards do not have fins, the tail area may be altered to help stabilize the board. Some board have a tail area that features two or three channels which increase the board's adherence to the face of the wave, turn increase stability. Hoverer body boards with a large tail width are more difficult to control and make maneuvers harder to pull.
A wide variety of materials may be used to create the core of the board including but not limited to Expanded Polystyrene foam (EPS), polyurethane foam and Styrofoam. The bottom surface may be glassed with polyester resin or provided with a layer of HDPE. The top surface is typically covered with a layer or film of a polyurethane or rubber. While the described embodiment is direct to body boards, the invention may be used for kneeboards, skim boards, kiteboards, wakeboards, and sleds or toboggans.
Bodyboards typically have a flexible cushioned top surface that has rougher surface to improve comfort and to provide a surface that allows for improved frictional engagement of the rider.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention is directed to a novel shaped body board that allows for quick turning maneuvers. A first embodiment is generally directed to a modified diamond-shaped or kite-shaped body wherein the side rails extend from the rear tail outward from a central axis to a side lateral section and then extend back toward the central axis to the nose section. The lateral section is comprised of parallel rails. A second embodiment is truncated kite-shaped or truncated diamond shape body that is characterized by rails extend from the rear tail outward from a central axis and ten and then back toward the central axis to the nose section. In a further embodiment, a raised hump or ridge is provided across the top surface of the board, positioned about two thirds the distance from the tail to the nose that is designed to provide a structure to engage the upper chest area of a rider and impede the rider from sliding forward on the board and, at the same time, providing additional buoyancy.
As disclosed, the shape of the boards are a modified diamond shaped or modified kite shaped. The width of the tail section from rail to rail is smaller than the prior art boards and they may be flat, crescent, or batwing. The front of the board may be flat or bullet-nosed. Proving a relatively narrow tail may compromise flotation at the rear end and make tricks that require knee work at the rear end more difficult to execute. However, the narrow tail as disclosed will improve maneuverability and allow turns to be executed more readily without materially compromising the buoyancy of the device.
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The above-described embodiments are intended to be illustrative in all respects, rather than restrictive, of the embodiments. Thus, the embodiments are capable of many variations in detailed implementation that can be derived from the description contained herein by a person skilled in the art. No element, act, or instruction used in the description of the present application should be construed as critical or essential to the embodiments unless explicitly described as such. Also, as used herein, the article “a” is intended to include one or more items. Therefore, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is not to be limited to the specific examples presented and that modifications and other examples are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, although the foregoing description and the associated drawings describe examples of the present disclosure in the context of certain illustrative combinations of elements and/or functions, it should be appreciated that different combinations of elements and/or functions may be provided by alternative implementations without departing from the scope of the appended claims.
Claims
1. A riding vehicle comprising a top surface, a bottom surface, a rear tail, a nose, and said tail and nose are connected by opposite left and right side rails,
- wherein said rear tail has a first and second end and a length,
- wherein said left side rail has a first rear section that extends substantially linearly from said first end of said tail and away from a central axis running from said nose to the middle of said tail, and a second forward section of said left side rail that linearly extends to the nose and toward said central axis, and
- wherein said right side has a first rear section that extends substantially linearly from said second end of said tail and away from a central axis running from said nose to the middle of said tail, and a second forward section of said right side rail that linearly extends to said nose and toward said central axis, and
- wherein the length of the said first rear rail sections is longer than the length of said second forward rail sections.
2. The riding vehicle of claim 1 wherein said left and right side rails have third sections between said first rear sections and said second forward section and said third sections are parallel with each other and said central axis.
3. The riding vehicle of claim 1 wherein said vehicle is comprised of a closed cell foam that floats.
4. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein said bottom of said vehicle is substantially flat and said top surface is flat with an elevated hump portion that laterally traverses the central axis at a location in front of said rear rail sections.
5. The vehicle of claim 4 wherein said hump has an arcuate shape.
6. The vehicle of claim 4 wherein the maximum height said hump extends approximately two inches from said top surface.
7. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein said front rail section further comprises handles that extend from said second rail sections and said handles have portions that are parallel with said second forward rail sections.
8. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein said front section is provided with openings that are and parallel with the front rail sections and said openings have a length of at least 5 inches and a width of approximately 2 inches and are sized to allow a used to grasp the vehicle by extending fingers through said openings and engaged the side of the vehicle rail with the palm of the hand.
9. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein said tail has a length of between 8 and 12 inches, and the length of said vehicle, from the middle of said tail to said nose. is between 30 and 45 inches.
10. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the shape of said vehicle resembles a kite with a truncated bottom and a rounded front nose.
11. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein said nose is substantially straight and connects said front rail sections.
12. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein said rails are configured in a 40/60 ratio.
13. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein said tail is a bat tail shape.
14. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein said tail extends straight from the opposite ends of the rear rail sections.
15. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein said tail extends in an arc to join the opposite ends of the rear rail sections.
Type: Application
Filed: May 16, 2023
Publication Date: Nov 16, 2023
Inventors: Anthony Ali (Bethesda, MD), Daniel Baer (Bethesda, MD)
Application Number: 18/198,009