Inflatable hydrofoil board
Patent Information
- Application Number
- FR2021002970
- Authority / Receiving Office
- FR · FR
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2021-03-24
- Publication Date
- 2025-01-17
- Estimated Expiration
- Not applicable · inactive patent
AI Technical Summary
Inflatable hydrofoil boards lack rigidity and are prone to leaks, requiring high inflation pressure and complex constructions, and they require a new board for different sailing conditions, leading to high costs and storage issues.
A modular design with a rigid support plate attached directly to the hydrofoil and connected to an inflatable board, allowing interchangeable inflatable sections for varying buoyancy and tail shapes, and a U-shaped recess for the mast to avoid airtight connections.
Provides rigidity and stability while reducing storage space and cost by allowing adaptation to different sailing conditions without needing a new board, and preventing air leaks through the U-shaped mast passage.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Description Title of the invention: Inflatable hydrofoil board Field of the invention The present invention relates to a modular inflatable hydrofoil board. It should be noted that the term "hydrofoil board" as used herein is intended to refer to any of the various types of hydrofoil boards available, including hydrofoil boards for windsurfing, wingsurfing, stand-up paddleboarding, kitesurfing, and surfboards. Background of the Invention Inflatable hydrofoil boards equipped with foils are widely used today, as are rigid hydrofoil boards. Hydrofoil boards, in general, require more or less volume depending on the type of use and the rider's ability. Large-volume rigid hydrofoil boards take up a lot of space for transport and storage. However, inflatable hydrofoil boards can be deflated, significantly reducing storage volume. The disadvantage of inflatable hydrofoil boards is that they are not as rigid as fully rigid hydrofoil boards, although they usually have a rigid foil support inside the inflatable hydrofoil board, sometimes extending from the deck to the underside of the board, or a rigid plate-like foil support glued to the underside of the inflatable hydrofoil board. In all cases, the inflatable structure is part of the overall structure between the rider standing on the inflatable hydrofoil board and the foil support, which creates the disadvantage of having too much flex and flexibility between and under the rider's feet. Additionally, it is very difficult in the case of smaller volume and lesser thickness inflatable hydrofoil boards to maintain a rigid inflatable structure without using very high inflation pressure thus requiring an ultra strong inflatable hydrofoil board construction to avoid an explosion. Other disadvantages of inflatable hydrofoil boards with foil supports integrated inside the inflatable structure are that the board is prone to losing air due to the complexity of the construction, and in the event of a leak, the board is difficult to repair. The disadvantages of all hydrofoil boards in general are that each hydrofoil board has a unique volume and it takes a completely new board to change the volume of the board to suit specific riding conditions, riding skills or types of hydrofoil board riding such as windsurfing, wingsurfing, stand up paddleboarding. paddle board "SUP", kiteboard "kitesurf", surfboard, which means that a new board is needed, with its high cost and additional storage space. The present invention aims to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages of existing hydrofoil boards, as described in the following description of the present invention. Summary of the invention The general purpose of the present invention is to have an inflatable hydrofoil board where the deck of the hydrofoil board is a rigid support plate element on which the rider stands, this same rigid support plate is directly attached to the hydrofoil and not to the inflatable board element for maximum rigidity, below the deck being the rigid support plate element and attached the inflatable board element of the hydrofoil board which can be interchangeable to create a modular hydrofoil board thus allowing to connect different inflatable board elements which each have their specific buoyancy and tail. The present invention can take the form of a complete hydrofoil board in one piece, cheaper to produce, or a modular board where the rigid support plate element is connected above the inflatable board element using screws or any other fastening solution, which allows the user to have a single rigid support plate element and several sections of the inflatable board element with different volumes and shapes to adapt to different sailing conditions and different types of sailing with hydrofoil boards for windsurfing, wingsurfing, stand up paddleboarding, kitesurfing, surfboards. This has the advantage of not needing a completely new board depending on the board volume needed, for example, no one would use a different sailboat to use a smaller sail, only changing to a smaller sail on the same boat is necessary. The specific U-shape of the rear part of the inflatable board element allows the hydrofoil to be connected below the rigid support plate element that incorporates the foil support and allows the foil mast to pass through the inflatable board element without any contact with the inflatable board element, thus avoiding the need for an airtight construction connected to the foil. Having the ability to connect a fin as a replacement for the hydrofoil allows learning to ride a hydrofoil board without a hydrofoil for practical and safety reasons. Brief description of the drawings Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which; [Fig.1] shows the complete hydrofoil board assembled, the inflation valve 1 is located at the front of the inflatable board element 2. Glued to the inflatable board element 2 is a mast foot base 3 for attaching a windsurf sail. Above the inflatable element 2 is connected a rigid support plate element 4 using screws or any fastening system 6. On the rigid support plate element 4, foot straps 5 are connected. The hydrofoil fixing screws 7 connect the hydrofoil 8 to the rigid support plate element 4, a leash connection 11 is positioned at the rear of the inflatable board element 2, [Fig.2] shows a bottom view of the assembled complete hydrofoil board where the rigid support member 4 can be seen on top of the inflatable board member 2, the specific U-shape of the rear end of the inflatable board member 2b allows the mounting plate 8b of the hydrofoil 8 to connect directly to the rigid support member 4 from below the board even when the inflatable board member 2 is attached to the rigid support member 4. [Fig.3] shows another bottom view of the complete foil board where one can see the specific U-shape of the recess 2b of the rear end of the inflatable board element 2 allowing the mast 8c of the hydrofoil 8 to pass without contact with the inflatable board element 2, the hydrofoil 8 being in the water under the foil board. [Fig.4] shows another view of the inflatable board element 2 detached from the rigid support plate element 4 with a clear view of the specific U-shape of the rear end 2b of the inflatable board element 2. The attachment points 6 positioned on the inflatable board element 2 can also be seen. [Fig.5] shows a view of the rigid support plate element 4 disconnected from the inflatable board element 2 which can also be used as a hydrofoil board without the inflatable board element 2, 8b and 8c are partially dotted not normally being visible with a top view. [Fig.6] represents a view of [Fig.5] where the rigid element of the support plate 4 is disconnected from the hydrofoil 8 and shows the foot strap inserts 5b. [Fig.7] shows the complete board assembled with a larger inflatable board element 2, equipped below with two glued fins 10, where the rigid support plate element 4 is mounted with a daggerboard 9. An additional rigid support plate element 4b is added to the deck of the elongated rear end of the inflatable board element 2. [Fig.8] represents the [Fig.7] bottom view of the assembled complete board where the specific U-shape of the rear end of the board element can be seen inflatable 2b to allow the fin 9 to be correctly positioned, the two glued fins 10 are positioned on the rear end below the inflatable board element 2, [Fig.9] represents [Fig.7] where the elements are detached from each other.
Claims
Claims
1. Inflatable hydrofoil board which comprises an inflatable board element (2) whose rear part is U-shaped (2b) allowing the passage of a foil mast (8c) which is attached to a rigid support plate element (4), characterized in that the deck of the hydrofoil board is a rigid support plate element (4) on which the pilot stands, this same rigid support plate (4) is directly attached to the hydrofoil (8) and not to the inflatable board element (2) for maximum rigidity, the rigid support plate element (4) disconnected from the inflatable board element (2) which can also be used as a hydrofoil board without the inflatable board element (2)
2. An inflatable hydrofoil board according to claim 1, wherein the rigid support plate member (4) can be connected or disconnected from the top of the inflatable board member (2) using fastening solutions (6).
3. An inflatable hydrofoil board according to claim 1, wherein the rigid support plate member (4) and the inflatable board member (2) can be interchangeable to create a modular hydrofoil board thus allowing different inflatable board members (2) to be connected which each have their own buoyancy and tail.
4. An inflatable hydrofoil board according to any preceding claim wherein a hydrofoil (8) may be replaced by a fin (9).