The present patent application is a national stage of, and claims priority to, Patent Cooperation Treaty Application No. PCT/EP2020/051463, filed on Jan. 22, 2020, which application claims the priority of the German patent application DE 10 2019 101 656.8 of 23 Jan. 2019, the disclosures of which are incorporated in the present patent application by reference.
The disclosure relates to a hand-held wing for wind-powered sports such as foil surfing, in accordance with the preamble of the independent claim.
Such wing is described on the Internet under the name “Slingwing”. Basically, it is a kite having a leading edge and one single strut which are inflatable. At each of the center strut and the leading edge, holding straps are formed via which the user holds the inflatable wing during use, for example during foiling or during ice-skating or during skiing.
This inflatable wing adapted to the aerodynamics of kites is strongly deformed during use, especially at the high speeds reached during foiling, and thus the aerodynamics are deteriorated.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,563,969, a rigid wing is illustrated in which the leading edge and a boom are formed by a complex tubular design that spans a sailcloth (canopy). The leading edge is curved in an arc shape, when viewed in a top view. The boom is supported on the leading edge by a plurality of struts. Said struts are configured so that, when viewed in a front view, i.e., in the direction of approach of the wing, they impart to the leading edge a concave structure according to which the end portions (tips) of the wing are opened upwards from a central apex of the leading edge.
It is a drawback of this solution that the complex structure of the boom and the leading edge cause the total weight of the wing to be very high so that a use in water sports is possible only with appropriate buoyancy members. It is another drawback that the rigging and unrigging of the wing is very time-consuming due to the complex tubular structure. This hard tubular structure of the leading edge and the boom also entails considerable risk of injury for the user in the case of overthrow.
A similar rigid wing is shown in WO 95/05973 A1. In this solution, too, the leading edge and the boom are formed by a complex tube structure. The design has the same drawbacks as the wing according to the afore-discussed U.S. Pat. No. 4,563,969.
In DE 31 40 685 A1, a rigid wing is described in which the leading edge is configured by two V-shaped masts which are interconnected by a central boom and struts. Due to its tube structure, this wing, too, has a considerable weight which significantly impedes handling especially in water sports.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,448,961 a flat wing having a closed frame structure is described—such a solution is also useless for water sports due to the high weight, the time-consuming mounting/dismounting and the risk of injury.
On the other hand, the object underlying the disclosure is to provide a hand-held wing which allows for easy rigging and maintains an aerodynamically optimized profile even at high sailing velocities.
This object is achieved by a hand-held wing comprising the features of the independent claims.
Advantageous developments of the disclosure are the subject matter of the dependent claims.
The hand-held wing according to the disclosure is suited for wind-powered sports such as for foil surfing and the accompanying high velocities. The wing has a leading edge that is preferably designed to be inflatable, from which a boom extends, wherein the leading edge and the boom span a canopy. During use, the wing is held especially at the boom. The leading edge is curved, in a top view, approximately in an arc shape, delta shape, U shape or C shape away from a connection of the boom toward the leech (trailing edge) of the canopy. The leading edge is further approximately V-shaped or U-shaped in the non-approached or unloaded state in a front view viewed in the direction of approach, wherein this profile converges toward the boom. In other words, during use the profile opens upward away from the operator. Surprisingly, it turned out that by such distinct V or U profiling and the arc-shaped, delta-shaped or U-shaped or C-shaped configuration of the leading edge (when viewed in a top view) even at high wind and sailing speeds an aerodynamically optimized profile is formed which, on the one hand, automatically opens in gusts and thus reduces the resulting pressure to be supported by the user and, on the other hand, generates low aerodynamic resistance at the high sailing speeds. By appropriate inclination of the wing, a maximum sailing speed or else a maximum buoyancy for jumps or the like can be generated depending on the apparent wind direction.
In accordance with the disclosure, the boom is preferably configured as a rigid non-inflatable component. The term “rigid component” is understood to be a structure formed of a largely stiff material, which structure, however, can be designed to be easily dismountable or else telescopic. The boom is configured to facilitate holding of the wing during use.
The boom is preferably configured to include a sheathing for improving the grip fit/friction fit.
In an example, the approximately V- or U-shaped profile extends away from the leading edge toward the trailing edge of the canopy. I.e., the entire wing profile is profiled, in a front view (when viewed in the direction of attack), to open upwards.
The efficiency of the wing is further improved when the V- or U-angle is maximum in the connection area of the boom and decreases toward the tips. Accordingly, the angle of inclination with the horizontal (parallel to the connecting line through the tips) is preferred to range from 10° to 30°, preferably is more than 15°, especially preferred about 20° in the apex area. The “angle of inclination” is understood to be the angle which the respective area of the leading edge adopts when the wing is positioned in parallel to the water surface/useable surface, i.e., to the horizontal. The opening angle between the leading-edge areas tilted/inclined relative to each other consequently corresponds to the difference between 180° and double the angle of inclination (complementary angle to 180°). The trailing edge (leech) is configured to have a corresponding profile angle.
The aerodynamics are further improved when the angle of inclination in the tip area ranges from 0° to 20°, preferably is more than 1°, preferably about 5°.
In a variant of the disclosure, the wing is configured so that the mean angle of inclination, i.e., the angle from the apex of the leading edge to the respective tip, ranges from 5° to 20°, preferably is about 10°.
For adaptation to plural wing sizes, the boom can be designed to be telescopic or to consist of plural replaceable segments.
The device expenditure is especially low, when the boom is replaceably fastened to the leading edge and the trailing edge by means of a holding fixture. In this way, one single boom can be used for plural wings.
For minimizing the weight, it is advantageous to design the boom in tube shape.
The flying stability of the wing is further improved when the holding fixture of the boom is configured such that it obstructs rotation of the leading edge about its longitudinal axis.
Accordingly, the holding fixture is especially preferred to encompass portions of the leading edge and thus to suppress rotation.
In an alternative solution, the holding fixture can also penetrate the leading edge. In such configuration, appropriate receptacles for the holding fixture and, resp., the boom must be formed at the leading edge. Moreover, a channel into which the holding fixture or the boom can be inserted should be provided.
In an example of the wing, the boom is configured to be unstrutted. Such a solution is weight-optimized, on the one hand, and enables the user, on the other hand, to variably hold the boom and thus the wing depending on the respective sailing maneuver and the ambient conditions.
In an example of the wing, the center of canopy is distanced from the leading edge at least 30 percent, preferably more than 40 percent of the distance between the apex of the leading edge and the trailing edge (leech).
For further optimizing the approach profile, the leading edge and/or the canopy may be stiffened by means of stiffening members such as battens.
Those battens may in turn be curved and/or tapered for profiling the wing profile.
In an example, a batten extends from the leading edge to the trailing edge, said batten being positioned such that it is located in a vertical plane with the boom (when the wing is horizontally aligned).
To facilitate handling, a handle may preferably be provided at the leading edge in the connecting area of the boom.
In order to prevent the wing from being separated from the user during overthrow, the wing is designed to include a safety leash.
Applicant reserves the right to direct a separate independent claim to a wing having the afore-described V- or U-profile and a rigid non-inflatable leading edge.
The holding fixture for connecting the boom to the leading edge can be formed, for example, by a profile section which encompasses portions of the leading edge and is attached to the leading edge via suitable fasteners. Then the boom is inserted into or otherwise connected to the profile section.
In an alternative solution, a holding fixture for the boom is formed at the leading edge by means of profile sections or sailcloth. Said profile sections again encompass the leading edge in portions so that rotation of the leading edge is suppressed during use.
The boom preferably extends from the leading edge to the trailing edge without being directly or tightly connected to the canopy in the intermediate areas so that virtually the entire boom length is available as handle area. In this way, it is ensured that holding of the wing in all maneuvers can be optimally selected as preferred by the user. Moreover, the profile depth can be set by adjusting the boom length.
The structure of the wing is designed so that, in the approached state, i.e., when the wing is used, especially the opening angle is reduced in the area of the trailing edge. This means that the angle of inclination α of the trailing edge areas with the horizontal is increased during use. Accordingly, also the profile depth can increase in the approached state. The variation of the opening angle may be larger in the trailing edge area than in the leading edge area.
The boom is preferably fastened to the area facing away from the canopy at the apex of the leading edge.
The fastening is such that the wing can be laterally pivoted/inclined by rotating the boom about its longitudinal axis—this would not be possible by way of straps (handles), as they are not rigid and thus no torque can be applied.
In the following, examples of the disclosure will be illustrated in detail by way of schematic drawings, wherein:
The wing 1 includes an inflatable leading edge 6 which in a top view (from above in
In the shown example, the leading edge 6 is formed by a plurality of tube segments 18a, 18b, 18c, 18d, 18e (for reasons of simplification, only one half of the trailing edge 12 is provided with reference numerals) whose angle of incidence a with the horizontal in
This center of canopy 22 is selected so that the surfer 4 can optimally grasp the boom 16 detailed further below and thus can support the impacting wind forces in order to sail an optimum upwind course, for example.
For stiffening the wing profile, a center batten 23 and two battens 27a, 27b offset toward the tips 8, 10 are provided which extend between the leading edge 6 and the trailing edge 12 and are inserted in corresponding batten pockets of the canopy 14. The battens are inserted in a manner known per se with a certain pretension that is selected corresponding to the desired profiling or else is variable so that the profile can be adapted to different wind speeds. In
In the lateral view according to
As is moreover obvious from
The V-shape is especially clearly visible in the front view according to
In the described examples, the boom 16 is configured to be unstrutted—this is a substantial difference from the complex designs described at the outset in which the boom is configured to have a plurality of transverse and diagonal struts. In the solution according to the disclosure, the boom 16 can be detachably fastened to the apex 20 of the leading edge 6 via a holding fixture 25.
In the illustrated example, the holding fixture 25 has a supporting bracket 26 formed corresponding to the outer contour of the apex 20 and encompassing portions thereof. Said encompassing is carried out such that, in the case of comparatively high wind load, rotation of the tube, viz. the tube segments 18a forming the apex 20, in the arrow direction and thus twisting of the profile is reliably prevented.
In the direction of the boom 16, a receptacle 28 into which the boom 16 is inserted is connected to the supporting bracket 26. The end portions of the supporting bracket 26 and the receptacle 28 are connected via an arc-shaped handle 30 which facilitates handling of the wing 1 before and after use for the surfer 4. For example, when not being used, the wing 1 can be held at the handle 30 to have it fly in the wind. The holding fixture 5 and the boom 16 are preferably made from a lightweight material, such as from aluminum, fiber-reinforced plastic, carbon-fiber materials or any other high-strength lightweight construction materials. Due to the simple structure of the boom 16, the latter has a minor influence on the total weight of the wing 1.
The U structure of the handle 32 allows the wing 1 to be easily held for flying. As is especially shown in
Instead of the handle 30, handle 32 being integrated more or less in the boom structure, the handle may also be a strap at the approach side of the leading edge 6 so that the surfer can allow the wing 1 to fly while holding it with his/her hand, for example during surfing.
Said flat holding fixture may be a molded body, for example. In an especially simple example, the holding fixture 25 is made from sailcloth which is connected to the apex 20 of the leading edge 6 and is stabilized, where necessary, by appropriate stiffening members. Then the boom 16 can be inserted in turn into said holding fixture 25. In this example, too, the holding fixture 25 is designed so that the tube (leading edge 6) is prevented from rotating in the arrow direction by being supported by means of the boom 16.
In the afore-described examples, the front tube is designed—as described—to have a continuous bladder. In the example according to
A similar support ring 42 is provided opposite to the bearing ring 40 on the inner side of the outer cover 38 on which the left end portion in
Such a solution offers the advantage that the bearing rings 40 and the support rings 42 can be used virtually for any front tube diameter—merely the length of the support channel 36 must be adapted. In such a solution, the boom 16 is supported in a very stable manner so that the holding forces introduced by the surfer 4 and also the compressing forces transmitted by the front tube are reliably absorbed without the boom 16 being excessively deformed. The support channel 36 and the rings 40, 42 are preferably in the form of plastic injection-molded parts.
In all afore-described examples, the canopy 14 can be stabilized through battens or the like. Said battens may be conical or profiled to optimize the shape of flow of the canopy 14. Accordingly, also the leading edge 6 can be stiffened by suitable stiffening members so that the wing 1 maintains the shown aerodynamically optimized shape even when exposed to high loads.
Said battens or stiffening members can also be in the form of carbon-fiber tubes or the like.
In one example, the battens are profiled so that they are initially adapted to the diameter of the leading edge 6 (front tube) and then support the canopy 14. As a matter of course, battens can be inserted additionally or alternatively into the canopy 14 from the trailing edge 12.
In order to prevent the wing 1 from drifting off in the case of overthrow, the wing 1 is connected to the surfer 4, and especially to his/her arm, via a safety leash 44.
Thus is disclosed a hand-held wing which is preferably designed to include an inflatable leading edge which is designed to expand approximately V-shaped or U-shaped upwards (away from the surfer) in the direction of attack.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2019 101 656.8 | Jan 2019 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2020/051463 | 1/22/2020 | WO |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO2020/152198 | 7/30/2020 | WO | A |
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3487800 | Drake | Jan 1970 | A |
4533159 | Seidel | Aug 1985 | A |
4563969 | Le Bail | Jan 1986 | A |
4651665 | Drake | Mar 1987 | A |
5448961 | Ansteensen | Sep 1995 | A |
5826530 | Tuurna et al. | Oct 1998 | A |
Number | Date | Country |
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3140685 | Apr 1983 | DE |
3421503 | Dec 1985 | DE |
69414856 | Jun 1999 | DE |
102016113858 | Sep 2017 | DE |
1151918 | Nov 2001 | EP |
9505973 | Mar 1995 | WO |
Entry |
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German Search Report re DE102019101656.8 dated Dec. 3, 2019 with English machine translation (16 pages). |
International Search Report re PCT/EP2020/051463 dated Mar. 24, 2020 (2 pages). |
Written Opinion re PCT/EP2020/051463 (5 pages). |
European Patent Office 2nd European office Action, issued against correlated foreign application No. 20 701 589.2 1009 dated Dec. 14, 2022. |
Office Action issued against correlated DE application No. 10 2019 101 656.8 dated Apr. 19, 2023. |
Logosz, Instagram; https://www.instagram.com/p/-le3jFOAc8/?hl-fi; retrieved on Apr. 19, 2023. |
Logosz; Nov. 16, 2015 Instagram; https://www.instagram.com/p/-ljGSeOASj/; retrieved on Apr. 19, 2023. |
Tony Logosz on Instagram “Anyone up for getting smoked . . . ” Oct. 5, 2015. URL: https://www.instagram.com/b/2gmahy0AQ1/?taken-by=logosz [retrieved Apr. 19, 2023]. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20220119086 A1 | Apr 2022 | US |