SELF-CONTAINED TRACTION WING
A self-contained traction wing which is intended to be used in combination with a gliding device capable of interacting with the feet of a user, is controlled by the user via manual gripping mechanism placed on the wing, and has a structure having a sail defined by a leading edge formed by an inflatable tube, and a trailing edge, the structure being symmetrical in relation to a central batten. The half wings located on either side of the central batten, each comprise at least one additional transverse batten between the central batten and the end of the wing. The additional transverse batten is closer to the end of the wing than to the central batten and comprises an inflatable tube structure, having a length provided to create a positive trailing edge.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the InventionThe present invention lies in the field of gliding sports equipment (both on sea and on land), and more specifically in nautical sports. More specifically, it is a traction wing intended to be used in combination with a user support board so that it can be propelled by wind, for example on a water surface.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98There are multiple configurations of aquatic gliding devices driven by the wind, comprising a fabric surface arranged in the form of a wing or a sail which, interacting with the wind, allows a user whose feet rest on a board to move via the force of the wind. Some have sails secured to the support, such as sailboards, while others make the connection between the user and the traction wing via flexible lines often connected to a harness attached to the bust, as in the practices associating a kite with a gliding board to form a gliding device, usually called kitesurfing.
The invention differs in that the wing or sail that is the subject matter thereof has no mechanical connection, within the meaning of a connection having a secured form requiring a fastening operation, as is for example the case for a sailboard sail that comprises a mast mechanically moored to the board, or for a kitesurfing wing which is rigidly connected to the torso of the user by means of a harness secured to the body and to which the lines that make the connection with the wing are attached. In these cases, in normal operation, the user does not have to worry about the state of the connection, which remains operational until he decides to “disable” it by undoing it.
The wing of the invention does not have any of these features resulting from a mechanical connection, it is in practice simply held by the user, via manual gripping means, generally handles, and making the connection therefore requires constantly maintaining a physical force necessary for gripping the sail on the one hand, and to control it in space on the other hand. The wing, in a word, is self-contained in that it is not structurally secured to the rest of the coupling. It is nevertheless possible to use a harness with a tip connecting the user to the wing, to relieve the stress on the arms. This option is not considered to be a mechanical connection within the meaning of the one described above because it is temporary and the pilot must not release the control handles to continue steering his wing.
This operating mode of a wing associated in self-contained fashion with a gliding device is already known, for example described in patent document DE 10 2019 101 656 which proposes an item of nautical sports equipment comprising a board supporting a user and a sail held by the user. It also comprises gripping means of the rigid handle type, by virtue of which it is possible to handle the sail with the aim of giving it a favorable orientation to capture the wind necessary for the propulsion of the user.
The first types of self-contained wings that appeared in the 1980s were constructed with rigid, metallic or composite reinforcements, and have been more widely used on snow or ice. This type of wing is for example described in patent FR2501618. This activity did not become common. After this brief appearance in the 1980s, this self-contained wing traction means recently reappeared with the practice of hydrofoil, since it makes it possible to better manage power and safety. Indeed, the implementation and control of the power of a self-contained wing is easier than that of a kitesurfing wing.
In the past two years, this new practice of traction by “self-contained wing carried by the pilot” has grown under the name “wing surfing” or “wing foiling” depending on the support and the place of use. It is mainly used today on water, but can be used on earth or snow with the suitable support.
Current versions of these wings have a predominantly inflatable structure. This makes it possible to reduce the weight, increase the buoyancy, and facilitate the storage thereof, especially compared to a sailboard rigging.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe purpose of the patent is to improve the performance of these new-generation self-contained wings with only inflatable leading edges. Such wings raise a certain number of specific problems, in particular due to all the deformations resulting from the lack of rigidity of the leading edge, which is not supported or stiffened by stays, clamps, or rigid spars. During navigation, the pilot only holds the two handles and the rest of the wing tends to deform. The challenge is to control these deformations and in particular the tension of the trailing edge which is one of the essential features of the performance of a wing since, as soon as the tension of the trailing edge is lost, this results in a loss of angle of incidence of a portion of the profile, and therefore by a reduction in the lift and more generally in performance.
Since the appearance of these self-contained wings with an inflatable leading edge, the design used so far comprises an extension of the leading edge at the end of the wing to transform it into two battens of varying length, after an angle that differentiates their orientation from that of the leading edge itself. The advantage is that the leading edge associated with the two battens of the wing tips forms only one and the same structure, easy to construct and inflate. These wings also have a central batten that can be inflatable or of rigid type, such as a wishbone or spar, for the placement of the handles or hands, which allows not only control of the wing, but also control of the profile in this area.
The disadvantage of this known configuration is that the wing tip batten does not have enough rigidity or strength, and consequently bends quickly toward the center of the wing due to the pressure and lift exerted by the wind in the fabric of the body of the wing. This results in a loss of tension of the trailing edge and consequently a deterioration of performance. This also results in a loss of power. It is of course possible to increase the diameter of the leading edge and of this batten S3 to improve its rigidity, but this adds weight and drag. The angular or bent shape that separates the leading edge of the wing tip batten particularly aggravates the deformation, especially with an inflatable structure.
The limits of this type of design are also observed as soon as an attempt is made to produce wings with large surface areas because the problem is amplified by the fabric surface area and the forces to which the structure is subjected, which consequently increase. The problem is that the more the area is increased and the more the efficiency is degraded, which makes the square meters of the surface of the wing unnecessary and even harmful.
The object of the invention is to perfectly control the tension of the trailing edge and at the same time the distribution of the area of the wing.
In this perspective, the self-contained traction wing of the invention, which as mentioned beforehand is intended to be used in combination with a gliding device capable of interacting with the feet of a user, is controlled by the user via manual gripping means placed on the wing, and has a structure having a sail defined by a leading edge formed by an inflatable tube, and a trailing edge, said structure being symmetrical in relation to a central batten. According to the invention, it is such that the half wings located on either side of the central batten each comprise at least one additional transverse batten between the central batten and the end of the wing, said additional transverse batten:
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- being closer to the end of the wing than to the central batten;
- comprising an inflatable tube structure; and
- having a length provided to create a positive trailing edge.
In other words, to control the tension of the trailing edge, the approach has been to add, in each half-wing on either side of the central batten, a transverse batten in the body of the wing to connect it to a part of the leading edge that is more rigid since it is larger in diameter and not bent at the location of the junction. Thus, the entire structure located outside this batten, that is to say toward the end of the wing, including the leading edge and the fabric of the sail, it is now used as a stay and blocks its rotation toward the center of the wing. Better retention of the tension of the entire trailing edge is thus obtained.
According to one possibility, in the direction of the end of the wing, the inflatable tube of the leading edge is extended by wing tip battens forming an angle with the leading edge.
The batten of the wing tip is less stressed because most of the tensions now pass through this additional transverse batten and are redirected toward the leading edge. In addition, this additional batten makes it possible to create a positive trailing edge, which adds surface area. The increase in surface area at this location reduces the wing tip surface area, and thus reduces the wing tip batten to reduce the weight, drag and bending.
The definition of a positive trailing edge is: when an imaginary straight line is drawn between the rear end of the central batten and the rear end of the end of the wing or wing tip batten, if there is fabric outside this straight line, the trailing edge is positive.
As the additional transverse batten is closer to the end of the wing or wing tip batten than the central batten, this makes it possible in particular to better activate the possibilities of increasing the surface by adding such an additional batten. By being located beyond the half of the half-wing towards the wing tip, and by causing the length of the additional transverse battens to be provided to create a positive trailing edge, it is indeed possible to add sail surface area.
This is a major advantage of this invention, since it also allows better control of the span of the wing and the optimal distribution of the surface area. Indeed, the need for power is critical for the practice in particular in light winds, it is therefore necessary to be able to propose wings of quite large surface areas. The main problem of the design of these wings is the control of the span. It is effectively difficult to hold a large-area wing at arm's length without it touching the floor or sea during use.
The span must therefore have a length dictated by the user's height and is not extensible as desired. Up to areas of about 5 m2, it is possible to control the span thereof, but beyond that, the wing tip tends to touch the water and can cause the user to fall, or at least experience perpetual discomfort during use. In order to increase the surface area of the wing, it is certainly possible to extend the length of the central chord, or that of the central batten, but this has limits for performance, comfort, deformations of the profile and handling of the wing.
The solution of the invention, based on the additional transverse batten by a half-wing, makes it possible to increase ideally the surface area thanks to the positive trailing edge, without increasing the span or width of the wing tip. It is therefore particularly advantageous for large-area wings, for which the problem of trailing-edge tension is particularly amplified due to their size. Indeed, inflatable leading edges past a certain length have bending resistance limits, since it is not possible to increase their diameter indefinitely without adding weight and drag.
The additional transverse batten of each half-wing also makes it possible to effectively add profile depth, to further improve the power. This additional lift also makes it possible to move the wing tip away from the water surface, which allows the user to navigate more comfortably without having to lift their arms. Indeed, without this additional lift, the wing tends to stick to water. This batten also allows the designer to better control the twisting of the wing tip and thus the performance, control, and stability of the wing.
The features of the invention therefore allow an increase in surface area by adding an additional batten, which is therefore preferably situated beyond the half of the half-wing in the direction of the wing tip.
The additional transverse battens are constructed in an inflatable tube structure, which is very advantageous for a matter of weight, buoyancy and bulk at the time the wing is folded. It is also easier to manage the shape of an inflatable batten and therefore to better control the profile of the wing at the location of the additional batten.
According to one possibility, the central batten and the wing tip battens can also be made of an inflatable tube. In this case, preferably, the inflatable tube of the leading edge, the inflatable tube of the central batten, the inflatable tubes of the transverse battens and the inflatable tubes of the wing tip battens are connected by a common inflation system. This system involves air passages between the tubes, resulting in simplifying the deployment of the wing by inflation, and this makes it possible to remain consistent with what is mentioned above for the weight, buoyancy and reduced bulk at the time the wing is folded.
According to another preferred characteristic, the central batten is attached to the direct contact of the sail in the vicinity of its rear end. The term “rear end” is understood to mean the end of the batten opposite the one attached to the inflatable tube of the leading edge. In fact, the central batten further preferably comprises a portion located between its rear end and its junction with the inflatable tube of the leading edge that is not in direct contact with the wing and is connected thereto by a panel of flexible material of a fabric type. This panel prevents the wing from moving away from the batten in an uncontrolled manner, and on the contrary makes it possible to adjust the profile of the wing in its central part.
Furthermore, the tube of the leading edge has a slight V-shape (that is, positive dihedral) from the center towards its ends, which results in lifting said ends.
An additional feature, still along the lines of maintaining correct tension in the trailing edge, lies in the choice of the material of the wing: according to one possibility, the wing is also made of fabric and the direction of the straight yarn of the fabric is oriented, in each half-wing, at least in the vicinity of the trailing edge BF, parallel to a fictitious straight line drawn between the rear end of the central batten and the rear end of the additional batten. Thus, the yarns of the fabric sail are preferably pre-oriented in a determined manner during manufacture. Specifically, most wings on the market are made up of fabric, but there are also in nonwoven films (commonly called monofilm) which are often used to produce transparent windows.
As a reminder, a fabric consists of vertical yarns and horizontal yarns. The vertical yarn, called warp yarn, or straight yarn, is the yarn of the length of the fabric. The horizontal yarn, called weft yarn, or filling yarn, is the woven yarn in the width of the fabric. The fabric taken in the axis of the straight yarn is often less elastic than the filling yarn. The diagonal between the straight yarn and the filling yarn is called the bias, the fabric in the direction of the bias is much less rigid than in the axis of the warp or weft.
In other words, if a straight line is plotted from the central batten to the additional batten, the fabric panels in the trailing edge area are oriented with the straight yarn parallel to this straight line. The yarns are then oriented in the same direction as the tension forces (from the end of the central batten to the end of the additional batten), which allows the fabric to not deform.urge.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description which relates to an embodiment which is given only by way of an indicative and non-limiting example of the invention.
The understanding of this description will particularly be facilitated by referring to the appended figure.
With reference to these figures, the self-contained traction wing comprises an inflatable tube leading edge BA and a trailing edge BF at an edge of the sail 6. The wing is symmetrical relative to a central batten 1 with an inflatable tube provided with handle-type gripping means 4 which are attached to said central batten 1 opposite the sail V. Another gripping handle 5 can also equip the leading edge tube BA.
The leading edge tube BA is extended, in the configuration shown (this is only one possibility), at its ends, by wing tip battens 3 forming an angle with the tube BA of the leading edge. These wing tip battens 3 are preferably and as already mentioned made of inflatable tubes.
According to the invention, in the two half-wings located on either side of the central batten 1, an additional transverse batten 2 placed between the central batten 1 and the wing tip batten 3 was added. Each transverse batten 2 is also formed of an inflatable tube.
The inflatable tube of the leading edge BA is curved in the plane of
All the inflatable tubes can be connected, that is to say pipes connecting them, making it possible to “deploy” the wing by a common inflation system during a single inflation operation, starting from an easily collapsible initial deflated state and only occupying a minimal form factor.
In any case, the example of the figure should not be considered as exhaustive of the invention, which on the contrary encompasses all variants and versions that fall within the field of ordinary knowledge of the person skilled in the art, for example in the shapes of the battens, their number, the shapes of the leading edge and of the trailing edge, etc.
Claims
1. A self-contained traction wing which is intended to be used in combination with a gliding device capable of interacting with the feet of a user is controlled by the user via manual gripping means placed on the wing, the wing comprising:
- a structure having a sail defined by a leading edge (BA) formed by an inflatable tube and a trailing edge (BF) said structure being symmetrical relative to a central batten; and
- half-wings located on either side of the central batten, each comprise at least one additional transverse batten placed between the central batten and the end of the wing,
- wherein said additional transverse batten 2 is closer to the end of the wing than to the central batten 1 comprises an inflatable tube structure,
- having a length provided to create a positive trailing edge BF.
2. The self-contained traction wing, according to claim 1, wherein the leading edge (BA) is extended by wing tip battens forming an angle with the leading edge (BA).
3. The self-contained traction wing, according to claim 2, wherein the central batten and the wing tip battens are comprised of inflatable tube.
4. The self-contained traction wing, according to claim 3, wherein the inflatable tube of the leading edge (BA), the inflatable strand of the central batten, the inflatable tubes of the transverse battens and the inflatable tubes of the wing tip battens are connected by a common inflation system.
5. The self-contained traction wing, according to claim 1, wherein the central batten is attached to the direct contact of the sail near its rear end.
6. The self-contained traction wing, according to claim 1, wherein the central batten comprises a portion located between its rear end and its junction with the inflatable tube of the leading edge (BA) which is not in contact with the sail V and is connected thereto by a panel of flexible material of the fabric type.
7. The self-contained traction wing, according to claim 1, wherein the sail V is comprised of fabric, wherein the direction of the straight yarn of the fabric is oriented, in each half-wing, at least in the vicinity of the trailing edge (BF), parallel to a fictitious line drawn between the rear end of the central batten and the rear end of the additional batten.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 11, 2022
Publication Date: Apr 18, 2024
Inventor: Raphael SALLES (Vic La Gardiole)
Application Number: 18/555,060
