Surfboard Fin Assembly with Adjustable Pin Guideways

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing surfboard fin systems lack the ability to dynamically adjust the attack angle during a ride while maintaining control and safety, as a fin capable of freely swinging through all angles would be difficult to manage and potentially dangerous.

Innovation Solution

A surfboard fin assembly featuring a blade with a base and pin guideways, including fin-stop pins that restrict the rotation of the fin within a predetermined range, allowing for adjustable attack angles up to 22.5 degrees, ensuring controlled movement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the fin is allowed to swing freely through all attack angles, then the surfboard can adapt to various conditions, but the surfboard becomes difficult to control and potentially dangerous

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveattack angle adjustment rangeVSAvoidcontrol difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The fin assembly incorporates a dynamic rotation mechanism that allows the fin to swing through a controlled range of attack angles during surfing. The rod connected to the fin enables rotational movement while the pin guideways provide guided motion paths, creating a dynamic system that adapts to wave conditions while maintaining control through mechanical constraints.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the attack angle parameter dynamically during use by allowing the fin to rotate to different angular positions. The pin guideways define specific rotation ranges, and the fin-stop pins can be repositioned along the guideways to adjust the maximum attack angle, enabling parameter optimization for different surfing conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Adaptability or versatility

If the fin-stop pins are positioned to allow greater rotation range, then performance is improved, but control and safety are compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefin rotation rangeVSAvoidcontrol stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The fin assembly incorporates a dynamic rotation mechanism that allows the fin to swing through a controlled range of attack angles during surfing. The rod connected to the fin enables rotational movement while the pin guideways provide guided motion paths, creating a dynamic system that adapts to wave conditions while maintaining control through mechanical constraints.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the attack angle parameter dynamically during use by allowing the fin to rotate to different angular positions. The pin guideways define specific rotation ranges, and the fin-stop pins can be repositioned along the guideways to adjust the maximum attack angle, enabling parameter optimization for different surfing conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If the pin guideways are designed with wide tops and narrow bottoms, then the fin-stop pins are trapped within the channel, but the structure becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefin-stop pin retentionVSAvoidguideway structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The pin guideways utilize a flexible geometric design with varying cross-sections (wide top, narrow bottom) that provide retention functionality without rigid mechanical constraints. The gradual transition in the guideway geometry creates a self-retaining structure that guides and traps the fin-stop pins through shape complementarity rather than complex mechanical features.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Data Source

PatentUS9896168B1Swing range adjustable fin assembly

Publication Date: 2018.02.20 WAVETECH FINS INC

AI summary

A swing-range adjustable fin assembly that fits into a standard finbox of a surfboard. A set of fin-stop pin guideways, each having a set of pin fixation locations, and a pin loading port, permit a user to load a pin, move it and fix it into a position where it will constrain the fin swing range. Also disclosed is a surfboard comprising such a swing-range adjustable fin assembly.