Deployable Wing and Leg Fin Body Surfing Device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Body surfing suits lack stability and control, particularly in rigorous wave conditions, due to rigid upper body portions and inadequately positioned buoyant materials, making it difficult for surfers to maintain direction and position on the wave without excessive exertion.
Innovation Solution
A body surfing device with a deployable wing and extendable leg fins, featuring a base with rotatable wing struts and leg fin cavities, allowing for adjustable positions and easy deployment/retraction to enhance stability and control, while also providing comfort and ease of movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a rigid structure is employed in the upper body portion, then structural strength is improved, but body bending flexibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The upper body portion is divided into multiple segments (chest piece, back piece, leg piece) that can move independently relative to each other. This segmentation allows the structure to maintain overall strength while enabling flexible body movements, as each segment can bend and move according to the surfer's natural motion without compromising the entire rigid structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs flexible materials and film-like structures in the upper body portion that can deform and move with the surfer's body. These flexible elements maintain structural integrity while allowing natural body bending and movement, resolving the contradiction between strength and flexibility.
2Stability of the object's composition
If buoyant materials are strategically placed, then stability and control are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The buoyant materials are integrated into the existing structure of the upper body portion, merging the buoyancy function with the structural components. This integration provides stability and control while avoiding the need for separate, complex buoyancy adjustment mechanisms, thus maintaining device simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The buoyant materials are positioned to automatically provide stability and control functions without requiring active adjustment or complex control systems. The buoyancy distribution is designed to self-regulate and maintain the surfer's position and orientation on the wave face.
3Ease of operation
If fins are extended for better wave interaction, then control and directionality are improved, but drag and exertion increase
Solution Approach 1:
The leg fins are made extendable and retractable, allowing the surfer to dynamically adjust their position based on wave conditions and riding requirements. The fins can be extended when additional control and directionality are needed, and retracted when minimal drag and exertion are desired, providing adaptability between control needs and energy conservation.
Solution Approach 2:
The extendable leg fins allow the surfer to pre-position themselves for optimal wave interaction before encountering challenging wave conditions. The fins can be extended in advance to provide control when needed, rather than requiring continuous exertion to maintain control throughout the entire surfing session.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device provides improved stability and control on waves, reduces exertion, and allows for multiple rides without fatigue, even in challenging conditions, by strategically placing buoyancy and using adjustable fins for better wave interaction.
Implementation Method 1
providing buoyancy in a preferred location and position with respect to the surface of the water
Implementation Method 2
Body surfing is known to be quite difficult and demanding on one's body, especially in more rigorous wave conditions
Data Source
AI summary
A body surfing device comprising a base and a wing attachment, having a wing strut and a wing extension that is rotatable between a deployed position, wherein the wing strut is substantially perpendicular to the base and wing extension, and a stowed position, wherein the wing strut and extension are substantially parallel to the base and the wing strut and extension are nested in a cavity located in the base. The base can also have extendable leg fins that extend between an extended position, wherein the leg fins extend from the back of the base, and a retracted position, wherein the leg fins are substantially nested in leg fins cavities located in the back of the base. The body surfing device may include levers or slide handles that, when actuated, move the wing attachment between the deployed and stowed positions and the leg fins between the extended and retracted positions.