U.S. patent application number 10/661671 was filed with the patent office on 2004-07-08 for zero resistance surfboard.
Invention is credited to Dalton, Pamela Elizabeth.
Application Number | 20040132361 10/661671 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32684957 |
Filed Date | 2004-07-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040132361 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Dalton, Pamela Elizabeth |
July 8, 2004 |
Zero resistance surfboard
Abstract
I have created a proto-type invention for use on the surface
water, that consists of a standard 7'6" surfboard used to ride
ocean waves. The materials I used to create a reduced resistance
surfboard consist of small quartz stones and casting resin. I have
measured the top-side resistance of the surfboard with the bottom
textured side. The performance equates to an increase of 48% of the
surfboards ability to move on the water. By using weights, placed
in a container and tied to a length of rope draped over a pole, and
with the other end of the rope attached to the surfboard, and
allowing the surfboard to freely drift in a consistent river
current until, by adding additional weights into the container, the
rope stopped moving over the pole, and comparing the pound weight
balance point of one side to the other, I have concluded that my
invention has merit.
Inventors: |
Dalton, Pamela Elizabeth;
(San Diego, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
PAMELA DALTON
1711 PETRA Dr.
SAN DIEGO
CA
92104
US
|
Family ID: |
32684957 |
Appl. No.: |
10/661671 |
Filed: |
September 15, 2003 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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60412920 |
Sep 24, 2002 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
441/74 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B63B 32/40 20200201;
B63B 32/60 20200201; B63B 32/57 20200201; Y02T 70/10 20130101; B63B
32/50 20200201; B63B 1/34 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
441/074 |
International
Class: |
B63B 035/79 |
Claims
1. I, Pamela Elizabeth Dalton claim as my invention the textured
bottom surfboard, that I have titled the "zero resistance
surfboard" for use on the surface of water in the sport of surfing,
or riding ocean waves: I believe that the improved movement, and
enhanced performance of the surfboard on the surface of water is my
sole idea, and that the protections of a granted patent of my
invention of the embedding of a raised textured surface on the
water contact areas of surface water sporting equipment should be
granted to me for further development of a product with commercial
potential.
Description
[0001] I am an independent and sole inventor with no federally
sponsored research and development obligations. The title of my
invention, "Zero Resistance Surfboard" refers to the reduced
resistance to "drag", creating a faster and better performing type
of surfboard.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
[0002] By using a textured material applied to the bottom of
sporting equipment used for surfing or "riding" ocean waves, I have
produced a proto-type surfboard that has a measurable "lightness"
of movement on the water, (decrease in drag). I have used common
materials in a manner to produce a faster surfboard, and believe
that no one else has thought of this. I am not aware of any surface
water sports equipment that incorporates enhanced performance by
use of textured materials.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The sport of "surfing", or riding ocean waves is Hawaiian in
origin, and has become a world recognized sport with both amateur
and professional status. The size, shape, and composition of
surfboards have evolved many variations that reflect the
development of the sport over the past several decades. The common
surfboard used today has a hardened foam core and is covered with a
layer of casting resin that is sanded smooth to produce a slick
surface on both top and bottom of the board. The rider maintains
contact on top of the surfboard by rubbing a soft form of wax to
produce a layer that forms a mild adhesion factor for both foot and
body contact, and is a sticky or non-slippery area. It is commonly
thought that the smoother the material is, that contacts the water,
the faster the board will travel. However, naturalists and
scientists have observed that a textured surface actually moves
better through water, and an example and inspiration of which is
the rough surface of the skin of a shark. The idea of increased
performance by use of textured surface application is being
incorporated in the hull design of racing yachts, and is now in use
to enhance performance of U.S. Submarines. My area of interestest
is on the top of the water, and believe that my proto-type
surfboard has a unique modification that produces an enhanced
performance by use of the textured bottom that is in contact with
surface water.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0004] I have applied a textured surface to the bottom of a
standard 7'6" triple fin surfboard, of a commonly used type, that
is in use today. The textured surface consists of 1/4" or smaller
pieces of quartz (aquarium gravel) that were individually glued in
a spacing similar to skin pores. The small stones were glued to
hold them secure in place when the finishing casting resin would be
poured. I then taped the entire edge of the surfboard with plastic
masking tape that was lined with a one third diameter (of the
masking tape) layer of household aluminum foil. This prevents the
liquid resin from leaking over the edge (sticky tape stopping the
flow at the lower edge that comes in contact with the resin) and
the foil resists the hardened resin and will peel off the finished
product, providing a simple raised edge mold that contains the
poured resin until it sets.
[0005] To apply a liquid finishing layer of casting resin I placed
the board upside down and set in a way that would allow small areas
to be poured and allowed to harden. Like linking pancakes together,
the hardened areas would help to contain the liquid resin as it
hardened or "set". The position of the surfboard was shifted to
create level areas to continue with the `pancake" linking of areas
partially encasing the texture producing stones. The use of casting
resin is to make the textured area more permanent and durable when
put into use. I also used thin pre-formed acrylic strips (similar
to spaghetti noodles) available at craft and art stores, to help
hold the resin and provide a nice finished look until it set.
[0006] The area under the surfboard was lightly smoothed with a
metal file to take the points off the small stones so as not to cut
or scrape the handler or surfboard rider when in use. The edges
were also finished by sanding, again just to make the surfboard
nonabrasive for the user.
[0007] I then prepared a cover to keep the surfboard private for
actual testing in the water. I did not want to attract attention to
the textured surface, and have tried to maintain a low-profile. I
was delighted with the crisp feel and movement of my little board
in the water.
[0008] To quantify the improved effects of having a textured bottom
on a surfboard I went to the mouth of the San Diego river in Ocean
Beach, Calif., that is accessible to the public and is a local surf
area. I used an empty Clorox bottle that I cut an opening into, to
create a container that had a handle for a small diameter rope to
tie to, and an opening I could drop weights into. I then took my
covered board, a three foot length of bamboo, some small stones and
a twelve foot length of 1/4" mountain climbing rope (no stretch), a
zip-lock sandwich baggie, and my Clorox container to set up a
verification test. The river channel provided a consistent current
for the surfboard to free float upon. I tied the rope to the leash
attachment on the board, draped the rope over the bamboo pole that
I held in my hand and then suspended the Clorox container that was
tied to the other end of the rope with a few small stones in it. I
added stones until the surf board became stationary (no rope
feeding out). I then emptied the container and placed those stones
representing the weighted resistance of the textured side of the
surfboard in the moving water into the zip-lock bag, and put them
back into the container. I then inverted the surfboard (flipped it
to the other side) and repeated the measurement to compare with the
top side of the surfboard. This required more stones to achieve the
point where the rope no longer fed out.
[0009] I took the Clorox bottle and its contents to my local
grocery store and the manager allowed me to use the electronic
digital scale to comparison weigh the container and the bagged
rocks. It was a Spectra-Physics EAS equipped scale and had a
current certification stamp as being approved by Kathleen Turner,
Calif State Controller of weights and measures. I was impressed
with the results. The pound resistance of the surfboard on the
textured side measured 0.36, and on the un-textured, or top side
measured 0.74 lbs. I believe my proto-type surfboard has merit and
hope to develop this idea into a finished product.
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