Patent Application
20070164550
Extreme sports like skating, surfing, snowboarding and skateboarding have grown tremendously in popularity in the past few decades. The world of in-line skating and snowboarding has become mainstream as is evidenced in the growing number of televised events, video games and general world-wide interest on the subject. All sporting goods and toy stores sell a wide variety of skates and boards to be used on a variety of terrains for all seasons. Wide arrays of accessories including ramps, rails and slides have evolved in order to increase the fun and challenges that these sports provide. Of course a proportionate number of safety products like knee, palm and elbow guards and helmets have evolved to-keep up with the increased risk of injury during these highly popular activities.
As part of the evolution of these sports people are constantly finding ways to increase their thrills and experiences by combining technologies together. For example, the sport of windsurfing uses a sail attached to a surfboard. Similarly, new sports using hand-held sails in conjunction with ice-skates, in-line skates and skateboards have been recently introduced. Thus, while many of these mobile devices are powered by the person using them, it is sometimes desirable to have an auxiliary method of propulsion.
There remains a need for a personal sailing device that is affordable, safe, lightweight, and easy to use for the novice yet offering new challenges for those more experienced in the art of using personal mobile devices such as in-line skates, skateboards, ice skates, skis, snowboards, scooters, kayaks, and the like (hereinafter “personal mobile devices”).
The present invention addresses the above need by providing a lightweight, portable, personal sail assembly for a user to hold while on a mobile personal device such as a skate board or in-line skates, for example. The sail assembly includes a sail connected to the ends of a pair of spaced, substantially parallel poles that the user holds onto, usually one in each hand. The poles may be provided in segments that are separable to allow the sail assembly to be packed into a compact arrangement when not in use. When in use, as wind fills the sail, the poles flex to allow the user to orient the sail assembly in a manner that achieves the desired propulsion. The user may move the poles further apart for more speed or closer together to slow down or stop. The sail may be attached to the ends of the poles in a manner allowing sliding movement of peripheral segments of the sail along limited lengths of a respective pole end. This feature enhances the sail's ability to change configuration and thus function according to the way in which the user handles the sail in the wind.
FIGS. 3A-D are perspective views of the sail of
A preferred embodiment of the inventive sail assembly and method of use is illustrated in
The flexible poles 14A, B may be made of any flexible, resilient material such as those used in the manufacturing of tent poles, kites or bows used in hunting. Thus, materials such as wood, plastic, graphite, KEVLAR, fiberglass, or a composite material, are appropriate candidates for the material from which poles 14A, B are manufactured. Each pole end 14a-d is attached adjacent a respective attachment point such as corner 12a-d of sail 12 such that poles 14A and 14B extend substantially parallel to one another adjacent opposite sides 12e,f of sail 12. Thus, while the sail attachment points or corners 14a-d are attached to the pole ends, sail sides 12e, 12f extending between corners 14a, 14b, and 14c, 14d, respectively, are not attached to the poles 14A,14B. This allows a large magnitude of billowing of sail 12 in the direction opposite to the flex of poles 14A, 14B as seen best in
As seen best in
A sliding stop assembly 20 is provided adjacent pole end 14a and includes first and second stop elements 22a,b which are attached in longitudinally spaced relation to pole 14A. The spacing between stop elements 22a,b may vary as desired but is preferably between about 0 and 10 inches. A pole end cap 24 is provided at each pole end 14a-d. In one possible embodiment of the invention, the user may be provided with a variety of different types and sizes of sails 12. In this embodiment, the user may quickly change one sail 12 for another and at least stop element 22b is removable such that with stop element 22b and end cap 24 removed from the pole, the pole end may be passed through a respective hole and grommet 16,18. Stop element 22b and end cap 24 are then reattached to the pole with grommet 18 captured between stop elements 22a and 22b. As stated above, since the diameter of grommet 18 is larger than the pole 14A, the grommet 18 and sail material 12 which surrounds it may slide freely along pole 14A between stop elements 22a and 22b.
As seen in
Referring now to FIGS. 3A-D and 4A, B, the manner of disassembling sail assembly 10 for transport will now be described. In order to make the sail assembly 10 more compact when not in use, each pole 14A, B may be separable into at least first and second pole segments 14e and 14f, although each pole may be separable into as many segments as desired. In the assembled condition seen in
When the sail assembly 10 is not in use, it may be quickly disassembled by pulling the pole segments apart at the connecting sleeve 30. As seen in
This preferred embodiment allows the sail assembly 10 to be disassembled quickly to a very small size for travel or stowing while remaining one interconnected unit. It will thus be appreciated that the portable sail assembly 10 of the invention provides a fun, safe, and economical way for a person of almost any age to experience the joy of using the power of the wind when used in conjunction with a personal mobile device.
