The field of the invention is user-propelled personal watercraft. Typical flotation devices of my invention are used for fun, for leisure and/or for exercising on the water. More particularly, my invention combines a leisure personal watercraft and a retrofitting adaptor to mount exercise machinery atop the watercraft.
The field of leisure, recreational and sport watercraft is very diverse, but to date the inventor is unaware of any devices that are comparable to the present invention. This is an active area and a large market. Exercise machines are also a very active, diversified, and well developed leisure market. Heretofore, to my knowledge there has been no directly-comparable adaptor devices for adapting personal watercraft-float-boards, “stand-up paddleboards” and the like-that allow a user to literally “walk on water”. This is accomplished by the instant invention by intersecting personal watercraft with exercise machinery, combining them both in one device.
The present invention comprises a foot-propelled float-board for leisure, entertainment, sport and exercise applications. In current practice, a wide variety of float-boards are well-received by users and many different but comparable versions exist, depending upon a user's budget and intentions for use.
The FIGURE shows an Adaptor apparatus affixed onto a typical float-board
Reference Numerals 1—Drive Gear—Drive Gears drive Driven Gears: Driven Gear extensions terminate in further driven Paddlewheels (i.e., Paddlewheels are driven by Driven Gears and initially driven by Drive Gears extended at ends of 3 treadmill rollers. Paddlewheels are driven and propel the user through the water, since Paddlewheels are effectively “Water Driving Paddles.” Paddlewheels are all driven by their individual Drive/Driven gear subassemblies . . . in summary, Paddlewheels are ultimately driven forward or backward by the user treading on the treadmill forward or backward.
2—Driven Gear—3:1 Gearing for mechanical advantage (Drive Gears are all connected to Driven Gears and then to Propulsion Paddlewheels (mechanical advantage of Drive Gear: Driven Gear, are shown here to be 3:1, but could be otherwise configured as specified by user).
3—Float-Board—Typical Float Board suited for adaptor: standard flotation devices (very diverse)
4—Paddle—Telescoping paddle for balance and steering. Can also be removed from holder and used in a traditional manner to propel float-board.
5—Paddle-Holder—Integral to adapter is a “Bowsprit Paddle” device for changing directions to Port or Starboard, used for navigating the adapted float-board according to user's intended course . . . but also attached to control arms for directional control of outrigger/pontoon/rudders, which are moved in tandem (both toward port or both toward starboard). These further directional change and course change of the moving float-board, while being propelled and underway. Said outrigger/pontoon/rudders are attached at a center pivot point to a splash-guard covering the gear and paddle wheels. Outrigger/pontoon/rudders provide extra buoyancy, distribute weight and improve float-board stability.
6—Paddle-Wheel—Converts users' energy into propulsion above and through a body of water.
7—Pontoon/Outrigger/Rudder—Adds buoyancy to float-board by distributing weight and lowering center of gravity. Serves as a rudder for directional change of float-board above and through a body of water.
8—Rollers—Treadmill-drive Rollers (axles) & “Drive Gears”—all Turn “Driven Gears”—which further drive “Propulsion Paddlewheels” through water: To be specific, 3 of the treadmill support rollers are drive rollers (axles) which in turn pass through 3 longitudinal stanchions; both ends of each of 3 Rollers terminate in “Drive Gears” (3 rollers×2 drive gears each=6 total rolling “Drive Gears”); each of these 3×2 Drive Gears are suspended over interlocking adjacent 3×2=6 “Driven Gears”; each of the 6 Driven Gears are extended collinearly and directly interconnected into 6 (further-driven) Paddlewheels (water-propulsion “paddles”).
9—Splash Guard—Covers drive gears, driven gears and paddle-wheels. Keeps water from splashing onto float-board and connects adapter mechanism to the Pontoon/Outrigger/Rudder.
10—Stanchion—Adaptor's Frame Suspends Treadmill over upper surface of float-board (longitudinal stanchions with holes for treadmill axles/rollers pass-through, three of which terminate in drive gears) 11—Steering Link Bar—Moves the Pontoon/Outrigger/Rudder to port or starboard in response to users tilting of paddle to left or right.
12—Tie-Down Bracket—Adaptor Attachment Means (attaching, belting, or other fixation means)—Tread Belt—Port and starboard tread belts cover rollers and transfer users ambulating motion to rollers for propulsion of float-board above and through a body of water.
13—tread Belt—Port and starboard tread belts cover rollers and transfer user's ambulating motion to rollers for propulsion of float-board above and through a body of water.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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2282745 | Preston | May 1942 | A |
3809003 | Foldvari | May 1974 | A |
3965843 | Smith | Jun 1976 | A |
4128073 | Rossmann | Dec 1978 | A |
6595813 | Lekhtman | Jul 2003 | B1 |
7104852 | Tsui | Sep 2006 | B1 |
Number | Date | Country |
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1736401 | Dec 2006 | EP |
2740424 | Apr 1997 | FR |
3035860 | Nov 2016 | FR |