Wakeboard Release Mechanism

Abstract

Wakeboarding causes a large number of knee injuries, especially to the ACL. These injuries occur from large tensile, compressive and rotational forces on the knees. Rotational and compressive forces cause meniscus tears. Rotation and tensional forces lead to ACL tears. Knee injuries may be prevented by releasing both feet from the board simultaneously at a force lower than the ultimate strength of the ligaments in the knee. This novel device releases both feet within 0.25 of a second at a force under 268 lbs.

Description

[0001]The benefit of the Nov. 29, 2010 filing date of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61 / 417,530 is claimed under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) in the United States, and is claimed under applicable treaties and conventions in all countries.TECHNICAL FIELD[0002]This invention pertains to a mechanism that will allow for the near-simultaneous release of both feet from a wakeboard at a preset force.BACKGROUND ART[0003]Wakeboarding is a sport similar to waterskiing in which riders are pulled behind a motorized boat. However, unlike waterskiing, the objective of wakeboarding is to jump the wake produced by the boat and perform aerial maneuvers. Because riders become airborne, the sport is inherently more dangerous than waterskiing. Knee injuries, such as anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears, are common among wakeboarders, but there has not yet been a device aimed at reducing these injuries.[0004]Wakeboards are mechanically simple devices. Because they lack moving parts, they can typica...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This patent describes a new mechanism for releasing a wakeboard's feet from the board at a preset force to improve safety and reduce the risk of injury from both knee and head injuries. The mechanism uses a narrower plate design to prevent unexpected release from flexing of the plates. The preferred embodiment uses both aluminum and stainless steel for their corrosion resistance and light weight, with springs coated with a corrosion resistant coating like zinc. The invention should lead to a significant decrease in the number and severity of knee and head injuries while wakeboarding.

Problems solved by technology

Because riders become airborne, the sport is inherently more dangerous than waterskiing.

Knee injuries, such as anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears, are common among wakeboarders, but there has not yet been a device aimed at reducing these injuries.

When foam is used, it is encased in layers of plastic or fiberglass so that it lasts a long time.

There are several aspects of the design of wakeboards that cause them to be a hazard to the knees.

The large surface area of the board causes high forces to be placed on the knees due to water resistance in the event of a crash.

During use, the board is perpendicular to the line of motion, which causes high lateral forces to be transmitted to the knees.

Wakeboard bindings use stiffer materials than bindings for other water sports, which, while giving wakeboarders greater ankle support, also causes more stress to be transmitted to the knees, increasing the likelihood of knee injury.

This design leads to two scenarios that often cause knee injuries.

First, if a rider's bindings are too tight and do not release in the event of a crash, the large tensile forces imparted on the knee are often enough to strain or even tear ligaments in the knee.

If the rider is spinning when he / she hits the water, the rotation of the rider's body weight around the knee of the leg that did not release can cause severe knee injuries due to the large torsional stresses imparted on that knee.

The rider's front foot often comes out of its binding first, and the rotational inertia of the rider's upper body causes high torsional stress to be placed on the rider's back knee.

Knee braces are an option available to wakeboarders, but they are costly and usually only purchased after an initial injury to support a compromised knee.

In addition, knee braces protect the knee from buckling, but do not offer protection against tensile forces.

Wakeboarding conditions appear to put wakeboarders at particular risk for ACL injuries.

Because both of these types of motion occur often in wakeboarding, the ACL is particularly susceptible to injury.

The menisci are particularly vulnerable when there is rotation accompanied by a compressive force, as often happens during landings.

However, this is an imprecise method of release, and the force required for release can vary greatly.

Often, the force of the friction of the boots is greater than the strength of the knee, which can lead to severe injuries.

However, if the rider does not pull the board underneath the body in time, the large surface area of the board causes it to act like a parachute when it dips beneath the surface of the water, putting tremendous stress on the knees.

Furthermore, because the board decelerates so rapidly while the rider's upper body continues to move forward at about 22-25 mph (a common wakeboarding speed), the board can act as a pivot to slam the rider's head into the water, which can cause a concussion.

Images