Patent Application
20230278679
The present invention relates to an inflatable standup paddleboard with a split deck pad.
Paddleboarding is a growing activity in this country. People engage in paddleboarding for many reasons, such as exercising, yoga, or simply relaxation. However, paddleboarding has high barriers to entry due to the size and cost of the paddleboards.
The cost of the paddleboard includes the cost of shipping the paddleboard. Currently, paddleboard manufacturers try to cut down on this cost by selling inflatable paddleboards. Inflatable paddleboards also make it easier for paddleboarders to transport their paddleboards. However, the space savings of inflatable paddleboards are still limited.
What is needed is an even more compact form of inflatable paddleboard. Accordingly, the present disclosure provides an inflatable standup paddleboard with a split deck pad. While paddleboards known in the art typically use deck pads having one integral piece, the present disclosure splits the deck pad into two or more parts. By doing so, the deflated inflatable paddleboard can be folded along one or more axes. This allows for a smaller spatial profile in transit, thus dramatically decreasing the cost of a standup paddleboard and/or allowing for additional peripherals to be stored alongside the improved inflatable standup paddleboard in traditional inflatable standup paddleboard containers.
In some embodiments, the split deck pad may be detachable from the body of the inflatable paddleboard. In this way, individual deck pads can be mixed and matched and more easily customized.
One general aspect includes a body, capable of being inflated from a deflated state to an inflated state, made of a buoyant material; a first deck pad positioned on an upper face of the body, at a first symmetrical distance from a longitudinal axis passing through a symmetrical center of the body; a second deck pad positioned on the upper face of the body, at a second symmetrical distance from the longitudinal axis; a valve stem positioned on a face of the body for inflating and deflating the body; and first and second fin boxes, adapted for receiving first and second fins, respectively, positioned on a lower face of the body.
Implementations may include one or more of the following features. The inflatable standup paddleboard system where the body may include a hollow cavity. The body may include an inner cavity having a filling suitable for aquatic use. The filling may include fibers sewn in a cross stitched pattern. The fibers may include PVC. The fibers may include TPU. The body further may include a tacky surface proximate to the first and second points of attachment of the deck pads. The first and second points of attachment are symmetrically positioned about the longitudinal axis. The upper and lower cylindrical rod have dimensions that are adapted to fit within the bag. The inflatable standup paddleboard system may include a modular paddle, said paddle may include: an upper cylindrical rod having an interior hollow cylinder and a handle attached to a distal portion of an outside of the upper cylindrical rod; a lower cylindrical rod having, on a proximal end of the rod, an extruding cylinder for interlocking with the interior hollow cylinder of the upper cylindrical rod, and a paddle interlocking component on a distal end of the lower cylindrical rod; an interlocking device for removably locking the upper and lower cylindrical rods; and a removably attachable blade having an upper hollow cylindrical component adapted to receive the paddle interlocking device. At least a first portion of fibers are sewn in a cross stitched pattern, and a second portion of fibers are sewn in a linear pattern. The valve stem is offset from the longitudinal axis. The first and second deck pads are integrally part of the body. The first and second deck pads further may include respective adhesive components adapted to adhere to a first and second point of attachment on the upper face of the body. The inflatable standup paddleboard system may include one or more carry handles positioned at a forward position on the body. The inflatable standup paddleboard system may include an action mount. The first and second fin boxes are located at approximately symmetrical points about the longitudinal axis. The inflatable standup paddleboard system may include: a bag adapted to hold the body when the body is in a deflated state; one or more straps adapted to store the body in the deflated state and; one or more poles positioned in the bag to provide additional structural integrity to the bag.
One general aspect includes an inflatable body made of a buoyant material, where the buoyant material may include PVC fibers sewn in a cross stitched pattern, and may include a substantially hollow cavity; a first deck pad integrally positioned on an upper face of the body, at a first symmetrical distance from a longitudinal axis passing through a symmetrical center of the body; a second deck pad integrally positioned on the upper face of the body, at a second symmetrical distance from the longitudinal axis; a valve stem positioned on a face of the body for inflating and deflating the body and positioned offset from the longitudinal axis; and first and second fin boxes, adapted for receiving elongated first and second fins, respectively, positioned on a lower face of the body, located at approximately symmetrical points about the longitudinal axis, where the elongated first and second fins have lengths of approximately nine inches.
Implementations may include one or more of the following features. The inflatable standup paddleboard system may include: an upper cylindrical rod having an interior hollow cylinder and a handle attached to a distal portion of an outside of the rod; a lower cylindrical rod having, on a proximal end of the rod, an extruding cylinder for interlocking with the interior hollow cylinder of the upper cylindrical rod, and a paddle interlocking component on a proximate end of the lower cylindrical rod; an interlocking device for removably locking the upper and lower cylindrical rods; and a removably attachable blade having an upper hollow cylindrical component adapted to receive the paddle interlocking device.
The accompanying drawings that are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification illustrate several embodiments of the disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure:
The present disclosure provides generally for an inflatable standup paddleboard (an inflatable “SUP”) having a split deck pad. The deck pad may be split into two or more components. This may allow for easier shipping, transport, and storage.
In the following sections, detailed descriptions of examples and methods of the disclosure will be given. The description of both preferred and alternative examples, though thorough, are exemplary only, and it is understood to those skilled in the art that variations, modifications, and alterations may be apparent. It is therefore to be understood that the examples do not limit the broadness of the aspects of the underlying disclosure as defined by the claims.
Referring now to
Body 101 may be made of a buoyant material suitable for watersports, such as fiberglass, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), epoxy resin, foam, plastic, or any combination or alloy thereof. Body 101 may include multiple layers of one or more of the foregoing materials. Body 101 may be rigid or flexible; the latter may be especially appropriate in the case of an inflatable SUP. The length of body 101 may be calculated based upon approximate heights and centers of gravity of anticipated riders. In exemplary embodiments, body 101 may, when uninflated, be easily compressible for storage.
The interior of body 101 may be a hollow cavity or may have a filling suitable for use on the water. In some embodiments, the interior of body 101 may include an inner cavity including woven or crisscrossed strings (or fibers) of an appropriate substance, such as additional PVC or TPU. In exemplary embodiments, inflatable SUP 100 may be manufactured or sewn using a cross stitch drop stitch method, which may allow for fewer internal strings within the interior of body 101. Sewing such a cross stitched pattern of fibers may improve the buoyancy, aquadynamics, or other desirable properties of body 101. However, this is not meant to be limiting; in other embodiments, at least some portion of the strings or fibers may be sewn in a linear pattern.
Deck pads 102 may be positioned on an upper face of body 101 in appropriate positions to allow a rider to position one leg or other support on a first deck pad 102 and another leg or support on a second deck pad 102. Inflatable SUP 100 is shown in
Deck pads 102 may be made of any material suitable for aquatic activities. Exemplary deck pads 102 may be made of material that is less likely to be slippery when wet, such as ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) compounds or cold cell foams, cork, wax, rubber, or other similarly slip-resistant materials.
In some embodiments, deck pads 102 may be integrated into body 101, such that deck pads 102 form integral components of body 101. In an alternative embodiment, deck pads 102 may comprise an adhesive or affixing method on a surface in contact with body 101, such as Velcro. This may, in turn, connect to a groove within body 101 (which may include a surface suitable to the adhesive or affixing method, such as another strip of Velcro). In this way, the deck pads 102 may be removably adhere to points of attachment on body 101. This may allow for additional customization of deck pads 102 and the look and feel of inflatable SUP 100. This also has additional utility, such as allowing for easier replacement of worn deck pads or easier cleaning of deck pads. In some embodiments, it may also be desirable to include a tacky surface around the points of attachment of deck pads 102 to body 101 to prevent water from entering into the interior of body 101.
Body 101 may also include features desirable for recreation or designed for easier use of inflatable SUP 100. For example, body 101 may include carry handles 103 to allow for easier transport of inflatable SUP 100. These handles may be positioned according to the mass distribution of inflatable SUP 100 or based upon an anticipated use condition of inflatable SUP 100. Body 101 may further include front carry handles 105; i.e., carry handles located at a forward position of body 101.
Body 101 may further include action mounts 104. Action mounts 104 may be receiving apparatus, such as grooves or D-rings, capable of supporting paddleboard accessories, such as a camera, a fishing rod holder, or a waterproof speaker.
Moreover, this lack of a central fin box may enable folding down the longitudinal axis. This folding may also be achieved with an offset valve 403 for inflating inflatable SUP 100 and one or more carry handles 402 central to an axis of the inflatable SUP. Valve 403 may include a valve stem that provides fluid access to the internal cavity of body 101 to allow for easy inflation of body 101. Valve 403 may include, via the valve stem, an attachment mechanism to receive compressed air, such as via a compressor.
Bag 300 further includes paddle 303. In exemplary embodiments, paddle 303 may be disassembled into two or more parts, as shown in
This modular paddle system may also allow for easier transport of inflatable SUP 100 in bag 300.
A number of embodiments of the present disclosure have been described. While this specification contains many specific implementation details, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of any disclosures or of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features specific to particular embodiments of the present disclosure.
Certain features that are described in this specification in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination or in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in combination in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable sub-combination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a sub-combination or variation of a sub-combination. A combination of each of these components may be considered an inflatable standup paddleboard system.
Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirable results.
Moreover, the separation of various system components in the embodiments described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all embodiments,
Thus, particular embodiments of the subject matter have been described. Other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims. In some cases, the actions recited in the claims can be performed in a different order and still achieve desirable results. In addition, the processes depicted in the accompanying figures do not necessarily require the particular order show, or sequential order, to achieve desirable results. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed disclosure.
This application claims priority to the U.S. Provisional Pat. Application 63/316,827 filed Mar. 4, 2023. The contents of these heretofore mentioned applications are relied upon and hereby incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63316827 | Mar 2022 | US |
