BUOYANT SAFETY PADDLE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE THEREOF

Abstract

A buoyant safety paddle (11) for a kayak, a canoe or other small boat facilitates kayak deep-water self-rescue reentries and facilitates the movement of small boats over aqueous surfaces. Such buoyant paddle displaces significant volume while minimizing weight eliminating the need for post-capsize attached flotation. Each such buoyant paddle's volume is predetermined and distributed to retain paddling efficiency. Each such buoyant paddle has a handle (19) which extends from one blade (12) or between two blades, and is water tight, with a continuous strong rigid skin (41) and low density core (42). This construction provides a buoyant, minimal weight, stiff, high strength paddle which is economical to manufacture.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the Greenland style embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the European style embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the canoe style embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross section of the handle portion of the paddle showing the rigid skin and low density core.

FIG. 5 is a cross section of the blade portion of the paddle showing the rigid skin and low density core.

FIG. 6 is a cross section along the longitudinal axis of the paddle showing the single continuous rigid skin encapsulating the low density core of the blades and the handle.

FIG. 7 is a cross section of the handle portion of a paddle fabricated by joining two rigid skin low density core halves along the longitudinal centerline of such paddle.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a modular paddle.

Reference Numerals in Drawings
11 Buoyant Safety Paddle
12 blade
13 major surface (blade face)
14 opposite major surface
15 side
16 opposite side
17 first end of blade
18 second end of blade
19 handle
41 rigid skin
42 low density core
81 four piece blade 1
82 four piece handle 1
83 four piece handle 2
84 four piece blade 2
85 three piece blade 1
86 three piece handle
87 three piece blade 2
88 two piece blade/handle 1
89 two piece blade/handle 2
91 extension

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings, a paddle 11 in accordance with these embodiments of the invention have a paddle blade 12 with opposite facing major surfaces 13 and 14, and sides 15 and 16, extending between first and second ends 17 and 18 of the blade. A handle 19 extends from the first end 16 of the blade 12 to enable grasping and maneuvering of the paddle 11. The blade 12 may have any of the outlines that are customary in paddles for small watercraft such as canoes and kayaks. The handle portion 19 has a length that is dependent on the type of watercraft. Canoe paddles, for example, are proportioned to be gripped at the distal end by one hand of the user while the other hand grips the handle at a location which is relatively close to the blade 12. Kayak paddles are longer and have blades 12 at each end of the handle 19 which blades may be immersed in the water, alternately, at opposite sides of the hull of the kayak. The present invention is adaptable to paddles offerings of all differing types. The blade(s) 12 and handle 19 are encapsulated by a common rigid skin eliminating bulky, dense blade handle joints.

The blade 12 of these examples is thick enough to provide buoyancy. The dimensions of sides 15 and 16, in combination with dimensions of the paddle faces 13 and 14 are determined by buoyancy requirement. Increasing thickness increases volume. Increasing volume while minimizing weight increases buoyancy. The buoyancy required to perform a kayak reentry can vary with weather, kayak design, paddler physique and paddler skill level.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a paddle in the Greenland style is symmetric with four power faces and a short rectangular handle between long blades. The Greenland style is the preferred embodiment of the buoyant safety paddle as in addition to symmetry and the short rectangular handle it has a better volume to skin ratio.

The symmetry of the Greenland style paddle lends itself to safety. The paddle can be held in any of four positions as all four faces are power faces. No matter how the buoyant safety paddle is grabbed, if the blade face is perpendicular to the water's surface paddling can start. The short rectangular handle allows a paddler to orient the buoyant safety paddle by touch alone. The combination of symmetry and short rectangular handle make it unnecessary to flip the paddle around its lateral axis or roll the paddle around its longitudinal axis to get the power face pulling. The combination of symmetry, short rectangular handle, and blade buoyancy encourages a powerful vertical stroke close to the side of the kayak. The rectangular handle provides good control of the paddle eliminating blade flutter and allowing efficient power strokes.

For a given paddle length and blade width a Greenland style buoyant safety paddle has more of its length in the fat cross section blade than in the narrow cross section of the handle. One inch, of 5 by 2 inch blade, has 14 square inches of skin and includes 10 cubic inches of volume for a volume-to-skin ratio of 1 to 0.71. Whereas 1 inch, of 1.5 by 1.2 inch handle, has 5.4 square inches of skin and includes 1.8 cubic inches of volume for a volume-to-skin ratio of just 1 to 0.33. Having less skin for a given volume means predetermined buoyancy can be achieved with a stronger, lighter paddle.

Referring to FIG. 2 of the drawings, a paddle in the European or modern style has blade area concentrated far from the center of the paddle handle. Such paddles' blades can be symmetric or asymmetric. Such paddles blades' Power faces can be flat, curved, spooned and/or have a dihedral from the center line.

Referring to FIG. 3 of the drawings, a canoe paddle is symmetric. The handle is generally “T” shaped.

Referring to FIGS. 4, 5, and 6 of the drawings, a paddle in accordance with these embodiments of the invention have a rigid skin 41 and a low density core 42. Such rigid skin and such low density core combine to provide paddle rigidity and strength. Such rigid skin and such low density core combine to provide increasing volume without a proportionate increase in weight. The present invention's buoyant paddles have more volume than common paddles while weighing approximately the same.

Referring to FIG. 7 of the drawings, a paddle in accordance with these embodiments of the invention has halves 71 and 72 joined with a longitudinal centerline seam 73. Such centerline seam can be a simple glue line or reinforced as means to increase rigidity and strength perpendicular to the power face.

Referring to FIG. 8 of the drawings, a paddle in accordance with these embodiments of the invention have a plurality of parts 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, and 91 that join together. The blade 81, handle 82, handle 83, and blade 84 join to form a four-piece paddle. The blade 85, handle 86, and blade 87 join to form a three-piece paddle. The blade/handle 88 and blade/handle 89 join to form a two-piece paddle. The extension 91 fits between handles 82 and 83 or between blade/handles 88 and 89 to increase the length of such four or such two-piece paddle. Each of said parts is constructed of a rigid skin over a low density core.

The rigid skin over low density core is manufactured by various methods. The most basic process involves carving a closed-cell foam blank, wrapping blank with fiberglass, wetting out with resin, curing, then finishing. A lighter stronger buoyant paddle can be produced by applying pressure with vacuum bagging to increase uniformity of resin saturation and to remove excess resin. The lightest and strongest buoyant paddle requires SAN closed-cell foam, carbon fiber fabric sleeves, heat-set epoxies, and heated presses. The foam is cut large, the carbon fiber sleeve is slipped over the core, the fiber is wetted out with epoxy, the wet paddle is slipped into the mold, pressure is applied squeezing the skin between mold and foam, and temperature is elevated to set the epoxy. Kevlar or other reinforcing fiber materials are used to add characteristics such as durability. Metal, polypropylene, or ABS rigid skins are made hollow and filled with pour foam to prevent buoyancy loss when rigid skin is punctured. After the two parts of the pour foam are mixed and poured, the foam expands and sets. To prevent paddle rupture, the pour foam parts are precisely measured and an escape route for excess foam is provided.

Claims

1-16. (canceled)

17. A buoyant paddle formed by (a) a rigid continuous seamless skin over (b) a low density or hollow core shape with (c) thick paddle blade(s) and (d) a handle to attain (e) a weight to volume ratio which provides a minimum 15.5 pounds of inherent buoyancy, whereby a human can do a deep-water self-rescue reentry and efficiently propel a small boat.

18. The combination of claim 17 wherein said seamless skin is formed at least in part of plastic reinforced with fiber such as fiberglass, carbon fiber, or Kevlar.

19. The combination of claim 17 wherein said seamless skin is formed at least in part of un-reinforced plastic such as polypropylene or ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene).

20. The combination of claim 17 wherein thickness of said seamless skin is varied in proportion to stress loads, thick in the loom where strength is needed most and thin in the blade where loads are less and cross section is greater, whereby improving strength/weight ratio over uniformly thick skin.

21. The combination of claim 17 wherein said core is hollow.

22. The combination of claim 17 wherein said core is low density closed-cell foam.

23. The combination of claim 17 wherein the paddle's two blade shape is (a) symmetric, similar to a Greenland paddle, and (b) has wide blades a minimum of 1.5 inches thick.

24. The combination of claim 17 wherein the paddle's two blade shape is (a) asymmetric, similar to a European or modern paddle, and (b) has blades a minimum of 1.5 inches thick.

25. The combination of claim 17 wherein the single blade shape is (a) similar to a canoe paddle shape and (b) has blades a minimum of 1.5 inches thick.

26. The combination of claim 17 wherein the paddle is manufactured as a single continuous seamless rigid skin over a low density core as means to eliminate joints between blade faces and between handle and blade.

27. In a paddle for propelling and maneuvering a small boat, the combination comprising: (a) one or two paddle blades and handle (b) a continuous seamless rigid skin and a low density core (c) a volume to weight ratio which provides the buoyancy of a Class III PFD, whereby the safer paddle facilitates self-rescue, rolling and bracing without compromising paddling efficiency.

28. In a method of manufacturing a paddle for use with a small boat, the steps comprising: forming a closedcell foam blank, wrapping said blank completely with a seamless reinforcing fabric sleeve, wetting out the fabric with resin, curing, then finishing.