Patent Application
20120329347
1. Description of Related Art
The invention generally relates to inflatable towable devices and, more particularly, to an inflatable towable device of simpler construction that provides superior comfort for the person riding the device.
2. Description of Related Art
Inflatable devices for recreational water or snow use exist. One category of such devices, referred to as “towables,” are designed to be towed behind a boat or other vehicle. These towable devices typically support one or more persons and include many designs ranging from tire inner tubes to more complex designs. The towable devices are designed to travel or skim across the surface of the water while occasionally bouncing off the surface when encountering a wave or similar disturbance in the water.
Prior art towables include a welded PVC inner bladder, and an outer cover. The PVC of the inner bladder is strong enough to withstand the substantial forces of being towed without rupturing; however, it is not a comfortable surface, so it is important to provide a more comfortable exterior. The outer cover is made of a softer flexible material such as polyester, nylon, or similar material, and may further include Neoprene and/or other similar materials to provide an even more comfortable riding surface for the rider.
The prior art teaches towables that include a PVC inner bladder and an outer comfort that provides the user with a comfortable riding surface. However, the prior art does not teach a towable that includes a PVC inner bladder along, without a cover, and instead covered with a flocking layer that provides the comfortable riding surface. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages as described in the following summary.
The present invention teaches certain benefits in construction and use which give rise to the objectives described below.
The present invention provides an inflatable device adapted for towing a rider over a surface, the inflatable device comprising an inflatable bladder having a top portion and a bottom portion; a towing attachment point attached to the inflatable bladder; and a flocking layer bonded directly to at least a part of the top portion, to form a rider receiving area, such that the rider can ride on the rider receiving area while the inflatable device is being towed via the towing attachment point.
A primary objective of the present invention is to provide an inflatable device having advantages not taught by the prior art.
Another objective is to provide an inflatable device that includes a flocking layer in place of an exterior cover.
A further objective is to provide an inflatable device that is less expensive to manufacture, and easier to inflate and prepare for use.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.
The accompanying drawings illustrate the present invention. In such drawings:
The above-described drawing figures illustrate the invention, an inflatable device 10 that is of simpler construction than prior art towables, yet provides superior comfort for the person riding the device 10. While the inflatable device 10 is especially suitable for use as a towable water-sport device and will be described herein as being used on water, the construction and techniques of the inflatable device 10 are useful and applicable for other related devices used on alternative surfaces as well, such as snow, ice, land, or other surfaces.
As shown in
The top portion 14 and the bottom portion 16 are both made of plastic material substantially impervious to passage of an inflation fluid, such as polyvinylchloride (PVC), and is typically inflatable with air or other appropriate fluid through a valve (not shown). While PVC is a one option, the term PVC as used herein is defined to include other fluid-impervious materials that are strong enough to withstand the significant forced imparted by towing. Alternative suitable materials may include, but not limited to polyester, EVA or other weldable or gluable plastic materials. Furthermore, although only one inflatable bladder 12 is shown in the figures, the device may include separately inflatable sections.
The inflatable bladder 12 of the present invention does not include a cover, but instead includes a flocking layer 18 laminated to the top portion 14. The flocking layer 18 may be bonded directly to at least a part of the top portion 14, to form a rider receiving area 15, such that the rider can ride on the rider receiving area 15 while the inflatable device 10 is being towed via the towing attachment point 22. The flocking layer 18 may be formed of any suitable material (e.g., velour). The term “laminated” is hereby defined to include any form of welding, gluing, or other form of attachment known in the art that forms a suitably strong attachment between the layers.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
While the present embodiment of
As used in this application, the words “a,” “an,” and “one” are defined to include one or more of the referenced item unless specifically stated otherwise. Also, the terms “have,” “include,” “contain,” and similar terms are defined to mean “comprising” unless specifically stated otherwise. Furthermore, the terminology used in the specification provided above is hereby defined to include similar and/or equivalent terms, and/or alternative embodiments that would be considered obvious to one skilled in the art given the teachings of the present patent application.
This application for a utility patent claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/500,718, filed Jun. 24, 2011
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61500718 | Jun 2011 | US |
