Claims
- 1. A composite iso-stress sail structure comprising:
a sail body, placeable in a chosen sail shape, comprising:
an expected iso-stress line, said iso-stress line determined when the sail shape is under at least one loading within a chosen range of loadings; a corner; first and second edges extending from the corner, said first and second edges having first and second lengths; and a sail body material and an iso-stress element laminated to the sail body material to create an iso-stress portion extending from the corner along the first and second edges for first and second distances; the iso-stress portion comprising an edge shaped to be at least generally parallel to said iso-stress line; and at least one of said first and second distances being greater than 20% of the first and second lengths, respectively.
- 2. The sail structure according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said first and second distances is greater than about 25% of the first and second lengths, respectively.
- 3. The sail structure according to claim 1 wherein both of said first and second distances are greater than 20% of the first and second lengths, respectively.
- 4. The sail structure according to claim 1 wherein both of said first and second distances are greater than about 25% of the first and second lengths, respectively.
- 5. The sail structure according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said first and second distances is 20-60% of the first and second lengths, respectively.
- 6. The sail structure according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said first and second distances is about 25-60% of the first and second lengths, respectively.
- 7. The sail structure according to claim 1 wherein both of said first and second distances are 20-60% of the first and second lengths, respectively.
- 8. The sail structure according to claim 1 wherein both of said first and second distances are about 25-60% of the first and second lengths, respectively.
- 9. The sail structure according to claim 1 wherein the sail structure is a chosen one of a sailboat sail structure and a sailboard sail structure.
- 10. The sail structure according to claim 1 wherein the sail body comprises a plurality of expected iso-stress lines determined when the sail shape is under said at least one loading.
- 11. The sail structure according to claim 10 wherein said iso-stress portion comprises a plurality of edges shaped to be at least generally parallel to corresponding ones of said iso-stress lines.
- 12. The sail structure according to claim 11 wherein said sail body comprises a plurality of said iso-stress elements laminated to the sail body material to create said iso-stress portion, said iso-stress elements defining said plurality of edges.
- 13. The sail structure according to claim 12 wherein at least some of said plurality of iso-stress elements are layered one on top of one other.
- 14. The sail structure according to 13 wherein said sail body has a corner and each of the iso-stress elements extends from said corner.
- 15. The sail structure according to claim 14 wherein said sail body has first and second corners and at least one of said iso-stress elements extends from said first corner to said second corner.
- 16. The sail structure according to claim 1 wherein the edge is generally aligned with said iso-stress line.
- 17. The sail structure according to claim 1 wherein the sail body material comprises layers of sail fabric and said iso-stress element is laminated between the layers of said sail fabric to create said iso-stress portion.
- 18. The sail structure according to claim 1 wherein the sail body material comprises a polymer sheet and said iso-stress element is laminated to the polymer sheet to create said iso-stress portion.
- 19. The sail structure according to claim 1 wherein the chosen sail shape is a flat, two-dimensional shape.
- 20. The sail structure according to claim 1 wherein the chosen sail shape is a curved, three-dimensional shape.
- 21. The sail structure according to claim 20 wherein the sail body is a one-piece, molded construction.
- 22. The sail structure according to claim 20 wherein the sail body is a multi-piece construction of sail body elements.
- 23. The sail structure according to claim 22 wherein the sail body elements are flat, two-dimensional elements prior to being constructed to form the sail body.
- 24. A composite iso-stress sail structure comprising:
a sail body, placeable in a chosen sail shape, comprising:
a plurality of expected iso-stress lines, said iso-stress lines determined when the sail shape is under at least one loading within a chosen range of loadings; a corner and an iso-stress portion at the corner to create a composite iso-stress sail structure, the iso-stress portion of the sail body being an effectively integral portion of the sail body; first and second edges extending from the corner, said first and second edges having first and second lengths; and sail body material and a plurality of layered iso-stress elements laminated to the sail body material and extending from said corner along the first and second edges for first and second distances to create a layered iso-stress portion at said corner; the iso-stress elements defining a plurality of edges shaped to be generally aligned with corresponding ones of said iso-stress lines; and a plurality of said first and second distances being greater than 25% of the first and second lengths, respectively.
- 25. The sail structure according to claim 24 wherein the iso-stress elements are laminated between first and second layers of said sail body material.
- 26. A method for making a composite iso-stress sail structure comprising:
selecting a chosen sail shape for a sail body, said sail body comprising first and second edges extending from a corner, said first and second edges having first and second lengths; determining an expected iso-stress line for the sail shape when under at least one loading within a chosen range of loadings; constructing the sail body so to comprise an iso-stress portion to create a composite iso-stress sail structure at said iso-stress portion; and said constructing step comprising:
choosing a sail body material and an iso-stress element; shaping an edge of said iso-stress element to generally correspond to said iso-stress line; aligning the edge of said iso-stress element to at least generally parallel said iso-stress line; extending the iso-stress element from the corner along the first and second edges for first and second distances; laminating the sail body material and the iso-stress element to create said sail body with said iso-stress portion; and selecting at least one of said first and second distances to be at least 20% of the first and second lengths, respectively.
- 27. The method according to claim 26 wherein the selecting step is carried out so that at least one of said first and second distances is greater than 25% of the first and second lengths, respectively.
- 28. The method according to claim 26 wherein the selecting step is carried out so that both of said first and second distances are greater than 20% of the first and second lengths, respectively.
- 29. The method according to claim 26 wherein the selecting step is carried out so that both of said first and second distances are greater than about 25% of the first and second lengths, respectively.
- 30. The method according to claim 26 wherein the selecting step is carried out so that at least one of said first and second distances is 20-60% of the first and second lengths, respectively.
- 31. The method according to claim 26 wherein the selecting step is carried out so that at least one of said first and second distances is about 25-60% of the first and second lengths, respectively.
- 32. The method according to claim 26 wherein the selecting step is carried out so that both of said first and second distances are 20-60% of the first and second lengths, respectively.
- 33. The method according to claim 26 wherein the selecting step is carried out so that the both of said first and second distances are about 25-60% of the first and second lengths, respectively.
- 34. The method according to claim 26 wherein the method is directed to making a chosen one of a sailboat sail structure and a sailboard sail structure.
- 35. The method according to claim 26 wherein the determining step comprises determining a plurality of expected iso-stress lines when the sail shape is under said at least one loading.
- 36. The method according to claim 35 wherein the constructing step is carried out to construct an iso-stress portion comprising a plurality of edges shaped to be at least generally parallel one to corresponding ones of said iso-stress lines.
- 37. The method according to claim 36 further comprising choosing a sail body material and a plurality of said iso-stress elements for constructing said iso-stress portion, said iso-stress elements defining said plurality of edges.
- 38. The method according to claim 37 wherein the constructing step further comprises layering at least some of said plurality of iso-stress elements one on top of one other.
- 39. The method according to claim 38 wherein said selecting step is carried out so said sail body has a corner and said constructing step is carried out so that each of the iso-stress elements extends from said corner.
- 40. The method according to claim 26 wherein the edge alignment step is carried out so that the edge is effectively aligned with said iso-stress line.
- 41. The method according to claim 26 wherein the choosing step comprises obtaining a sail body material comprising layers of sail fabric and said laminating step comprises laminating said iso-stress element between the layers of said sail fabric.
- 42. The method according to claim 26 wherein the choosing step is carried out by obtaining a polymer sheet-type sail body material and the laminating step comprises laminating the iso-stress element to the polymer sheet.
- 43. The method according to claim 26 wherein the selecting step comprises choosing a sail body having a flat, two-dimensional shape.
- 44. The method according to claim 26 wherein the selecting step comprises choosing a sail body having a curved, three-dimensional shape.
- 45. The method according to 44 wherein the selecting step comprises choosing a sail body of a one-piece, molded construction.
- 46. The method according to claim 44 wherein the selecting step comprises choosing a sail body of a multi-piece construction of sail body elements.
- 47. The method according to claim 46 wherein the selecting step is carried out with sail body elements being flat, two-dimensional elements prior to being constructed to form the sail body.
- 48. A method for making a composite iso-stress sail structure comprising:
selecting a chosen sail shape for a sail body, the sail body having a corner and first and second edges extending from the corner, said first and second edges having first and second lengths; determining a plurality of expected iso-stress lines for the sail shape when under at least one loading within a chosen range of loadings; constructing the sail body from sail body material and a plurality of layered iso-stress elements associated with the sail body material and extending from said corner to create a layered iso-stress portion at said corner; and said constructing step comprising:
shaping the edges of said iso-stress elements to generally correspond to said iso-stress line; and aligning the edges of said iso-stress elements to be generally aligned with corresponding ones of said iso-stress lines; extending each of the iso-stress elements from the corner along the first and second edges for first and second distances; laminating the sail body material and the iso-stress elements to create said sail body with said iso-stress portion; and selecting at least one of said first and second distances to be at least about 25% of the first and second lengths, respectively.
- 49. The method according to claim 48 wherein the laminating step is carried out by laminating the iso-stress elements between first and second layers of said sail body material.
Parent Case Info
[0001] This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/350,492 filed Jan. 22, 2002.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60350492 |
Jan 2002 |
US |