Claims
- 1. A recreational device that supports a seated human rider while the rider and the device are towed behind a powered watercraft, comprising:
an elongated board having a front end and a back end; a seat extending from the board for supporting the buttocks of the seated rider at a position spaced above the board; a strut depending from one of the board and the seat, said strut defining a plane of symmetry; a blade assembly secured to the strut, the blade assembly having a front blade and a rear blade connected by a fuselage, said front blade including a first portion defining a first surface on a first side of said plane of symmetry and a second portion defining a second surface on a second side of said plane of symmetry, said first surface and said second surface directing water toward the plane of symmetry upon landing of the front blade on water.
- 2. The recreational device of claim 1, wherein said front blade has a leading edge and said rear blade has a first edge and a second edge, said rear blade mountable on said fuselage in a first position wherein said first edge defines a trailing edge of said blade assembly and said rear blade mountable on said fuselage in a second position wherein said second edge defines a trailing edge of said blade assembly, wherein the greatest perpendicular distance between said leading edge and said first edge when said rear blade is in said first position is longer than the greatest perpendicular distance between said leading edge and said trailing edge when said rear blade is in said second position.
- 3. The recreational device of claim 2, wherein said rear blade includes a first portion defining a first surface on a first side of said plane of symmetry and a second portion defining a second surface on a second side of said plane of symmetry, said first surface and said second surface directing water away from said plane of symmetry upon landing of said rear blade on water.
- 4. The recreational device of claim 3, wherein said front blade further comprises a first depending fin on said first side of said plane of symmetry at a first outer side of said front blade and a second depending fin on said second side of said plane of symmetry at a second outer side of said front blade.
- 5. The recreational device of claim 4, wherein said first fin is angled toward said plane of symmetry from front to back and said second fin is angled toward said plane of symmetry from front to back.
- 6. The recreational device of claim 5, wherein said front blade further comprises a third portion which defines a third surface on said first side of said plane of symmetry which directs water away from the plane of symmetry upon landing of the front blade on water and said front blade further comprises a fourth portion which defines a fourth surface on said second side of said plane of symmetry which directs water away from the plane of symmetry upon landing of the front blade on water.
- 7. The recreational device of claim 1, wherein said front blade further comprises a third portion which defines a third surface on said first side of said plane of symmetry which directs water away from the plane of symmetry upon landing of the front blade on water and said front blade further comprises a fourth portion which defines a fourth surface on said second side of said plane of symmetry which directs water away from the plane of symmetry upon landing of the front blade on water.
- 8. The recreational device of claim 7, wherein said front blade further comprises a first depending fin on said first side of said plane of symmetry at a first outer side of said front blade and a second depending fin on said second side of said plane of symmetry at a second outer side of said front blade.
- 9. The recreational device of claim 8, wherein said first fin is angled toward said plane of symmetry from front to back and said second fin is angled toward said plane of symmetry from front to back.
- 10. The recreational device of claim 1, wherein said rear blade defines a substantially flat lower surface.
- 11. The recreational device of claim 1, wherein said front blade has an upper surface that is curved such that the pressure exerted on said front blade from above is lower than the pressure exerted on the front blade from below.
- 12. The recreational device of claim 1, wherein said rear blade includes a first upwardly curved portion defining a first surface on a first side of said plane of symmetry and a second upwardly curved portion defining a second surface on a second side of said plane of symmetry, said first surface and said second surface directing water away from the plane of symmetry upon landing of the rear blade on water.
- 13. A recreational device that supports a seated human rider while the rider and the device are towed behind a powered watercraft, comprising:
an elongated board having a front end and a back end; a seat extending from the board for supporting the buttocks of the seated rider at a position spaced above the board; a strut depending from either the board or the seat, at least a portion of the strut submerged underwater when the device is in use, said strut defining a plane of symmetry; a blade assembly secured to the strut, the blade assembly having a front blade and a rear blade connected by a fuselage, wherein said front blade has a leading edge and said rear blade has a first edge and a second edge, said rear blade mountable on said fuselage in a first position wherein said first edge defines a trailing edge of said blade assembly and said rear blade mountable on said fuselage in a second position wherein said second edge defines a trailing edge of said blade assembly, wherein the greatest perpendicular distance between said leading edge and said first edge when said rear blade is in said first position is longer than the greatest perpendicular distance between said leading edge and said trailing edge when said rear blade is in said second position.
- 14. The recreational device of claim 13, further comprising a blade support mounted between said fuselage and said rear blade, said blade support having a first position in which said blade support cooperates with said fuselage to position said rear blade so as to have a first angle of attack and said blade support having a second position in which said blade support cooperates with said fuselage to position said rear blade so as to have a second angle of attack.
- 15. The recreational device of claim 14, wherein a fastener selectively secures both said rear blade and said blade support in a fixed position.
- 16. The device of claim 13, wherein the seat is constructed as a unitary member.
- 17. The device of claim 13, wherein the seat includes a base portion attached to the board by a plurality of fasteners, a generally Y-shaped intermediary portion, and a buttocks-receiving portion that extends laterally across the intermediary portion.
- 18. The device of claim 17, wherein at least a part of the base and intermediary portions are hollow and form a passageway through which at least a part of the strut can extend.
- 19. The device of claim 18, wherein the passageway has a uniform taper with a largest perimeter proximal a junction area of the intermediate portion and a smallest perimeter proximal the base portion.
- 20. The device of claim 19, wherein the strut is capable of being connected to the seat when the strut is extended through the passageway of the seat, the strut and seat being capable of being connected by a fastener that passes through a hole in the passageway and terminating in the junction area, and the fastener mating with an interengaging member in the junction area.
- 21. A kit which can be assembled to form a recreational device that supports a seated human rider while the rider and the device are towed behind a powered watercraft, comprising:
an elongated board having a front end and a back end; a seat extending from the board for supporting the buttocks of the seated rider at a position spaced above the board; a strut which is securable to one of the board and the seat, said strut defining a plane of symmetry; a blade assembly securable to the strut, the blade assembly having a front blade and a rear blade connected by a fuselage, wherein said front blade has a leading edge and said rear blade has a first edge and a second edge, said rear blade mountable on said fuselage in a first position wherein said first edge defines a trailing edge of said blade assembly and said rear blade mountable on said fuselage in a second position wherein said second edge defines a trailing edge of said blade assembly, wherein the greatest perpendicular distance between said leading edge and said first edge when said rear blade is in said first position is longer than the greatest perpendicular distance between said leading edge and said trailing edge when said rear blade is in said second position; and a plurality of blade supports, each of said blade supports alternatively mountable between said fuselage and said rear blade, each of said plurality of blade supports being sized and shaped to cooperate with said fuselage to position said rear blade so as to have an angle of attack.
- 22. The kit of claim 21, wherein a first blade support has a longitudinal length of about 30-70 mm.
- 23. The kit of claim 22, wherein the first blade support has a lateral width that varies from about 15-25 mm at one longitudinal end of the blade support to a lateral width of about 20-30 mm at the opposite longitudinal end of the blade support.
- 24. The kit of claim 23, wherein the first blade support has a transverse height that varies from about 0.5-1 mm at one longitudinal end of the blade support to a thickness of about 1-3 mm at the opposite longitudinal end of the blade support.
- 25. The kit of claim 24, wherein the lateral width and the transverse height of the first blade support varies in a linear manner.
- 26. The kit of claim 25, wherein the first blade support has an elongated opening that extends in the longitudinal direction through which a fastener can extend and couple the fuselage to the rear blade with the blade support secured therebetween.
- 27. The kit of claim 22, wherein a second blade support has a longitudinal length and a lateral width similar to the longitudinal length and the lateral width of the first blade support.
- 28. The kit of claim 27, wherein the second blade support has a transverse height that varies from about 1-3 mm at one longitudinal end of the blade support to a thickness of about 3-5 mm at the opposite longitudinal end of the blade support.
- 29. The kit of claim 28, wherein the lateral width and the transverse height of the second blade support varies in a linear manner.
- 30. The kit of claim 29, wherein the second blade support has an elongated opening that extends in the longitudinal direction through which a fastener can extend and couple the fuselage to the rear blade.
- 31. The kit of claim 27, wherein a third blade support has a longitudinal length and a lateral width similar to the longitudinal length and the lateral width of the first blade support.
- 32. The kit of claim 31, wherein the third blade support has a transverse height that varies from about 3-5 mm at one longitudinal end of the blade support to a thickness of about 5-9 mm at the opposite longitudinal end of the blade support.
- 33. The kit of claim 32, wherein the lateral width and the transverse height of the third blade support varies in a linear manner.
- 34. The kit of claim 33, wherein the third blade support has an elongated opening that extends in the longitudinal direction through which a fastener can extend and couple the fuselage to the rear blade with the blade support secured therebetween.
- 35. A blade for use with a flying ski type recreational device that supports a seated human rider while the rider and the device are towed behind a powered watercraft, said blade defining a plane of symmetry, and including a first portion defining a first surface on a first side of said plane of symmetry and a second portion defining a second surface on a second side of said plane of symmetry, said first surface and said second surface directing water toward the plane of symmetry upon landing of the blade on water;
a first depending fin on said first side of said plane of symmetry at a first outer side of said blade; and a second depending fin on said second side of said plane of symmetry at a second outer side of said blade.
- 36. The blade of claim 35, wherein said first fin is angled toward said plane of symmetry from front to back and said second fin is angled toward said plane of symmetry from front to back.
- 37. The blade of claim 36, wherein said blade further comprises a third portion which defines a third surface on said first side of said plane of symmetry which directs water away from the plane of symmetry upon landing of the blade on water and said blade further comprises a fourth portion which defines a fourth surface on said second side of said plane of symmetry which directs water away from the plane of symmetry upon landing of the blade on water.
- 38. The blade of claim 37, wherein the blade defines between 69 and 114 square inches.
- 39. The blade of claim 37, wherein the blade defines between 82 and 101 square inches.
- 40. A method of varying the attack angle of a planing blade for use with a flying ski type recreational device that supports a seated human rider while the rider and the device are towed behind a powered watercraft, comprising the steps of:
providing a fuselage that removably attaches to any one of a plurality of rear planing blades; and selecting one rear planing blade and attaching the selected rear planing blade to the fuselage.
- 41. The method of claim 40, wherein the step of selecting one rear planing blade includes selecting one rear planing blade with a generally planar surface.
- 42. The method of claim 41, further comprising the steps of detaching the generally planar rear planing blade from the fuselage, placing a first blade support in a cut-out formed in the fuselage and reattaching the generally planar rear planing blade to the fuselage.
- 43. The method of claim 42, further comprising the steps of detaching the generally planar rear planing blade from the fuselage, moving the first blade support towards the rear of the generally planar rear planing blade, and reattaching the generally planar rear planing blade to the fuselage.
- 44. The method of claim 43, further comprising the steps of detaching the generally planar rear planing blade from the fuselage, replacing the first blade support with a second blade support, arranging the second blade support in the cut-out and reattaching the generally planar planing blade to the fuselage.
- 45. The method of claim 44, further comprising the steps of detaching the generally planar rear planing blade from the fuselage, moving the second blade support towards the rear of the generally planar rear planing blade, and reattaching the generally planar rear planing blade to the fuselage.
- 46. The method of claim 45, further comprising the steps of detaching the generally planar rear planing blade from the fuselage, replacing the generally planar rear planing blade with a curved rear planing blade having a pair of spaced apart upswept wings, removing the second blade support, and reattaching the curved rear planing blade to the fuselage.
- 47. The method of claim 46, further comprising the steps of detaching the curved rear planing blade from the fuselage, placing the first blade support in the cut-out, and reattaching the curved rear planing blade to the fuselage.
- 48. The method of claim 47, further comprising the steps of detaching the curved rear planing blade from the fuselage, reversing the orientation of the curved rear planing blade so that the curved rear planing blade has a pair of spaced apart frontswept wings, removing the first blade support, and reattaching the curved rear planing blade to the fuselage.
Parent Case Info
[0001] This application is a continuation of prior application Ser. No. 09/404,236 filed Sep. 23, 1999.
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09404236 |
Sep 1999 |
US |
Child |
09808307 |
Mar 2001 |
US |