U.S. patent application number 16/309196 was filed with the patent office on 2019-10-10 for short hydrodynamic designed water ski.
The applicant listed for this patent is UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INCORPORATED, X-SKIS INC.. Invention is credited to Luis Cantu, Peter G. Ifju, Alexander McGhee.
Application Number | 20190308697 16/309196 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 60663792 |
Filed Date | 2019-10-10 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190308697 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ifju; Peter G. ; et
al. |
October 10, 2019 |
SHORT HYDRODYNAMIC DESIGNED WATER SKI
Abstract
A compact water ski having a top surface, a bottom surface and a
rocker with an overall length of less than 36 inches and a means to
secure a foot to the top surface. The ski can be with or without a
fin. The bottom surface of the water ski can be decorated with
strakes and/or channels to allow for greater maneuverability and
stability.
Inventors: |
Ifju; Peter G.; (Newberry,
FL) ; McGhee; Alexander; (Gainesville, FL) ;
Cantu; Luis; (Clearwater, FL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INCORPORATED
X-SKIS INC. |
Gainesville
Clearwater |
FL
FL |
US
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
60663792 |
Appl. No.: |
16/309196 |
Filed: |
June 14, 2017 |
PCT Filed: |
June 14, 2017 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/US2017/037429 |
371 Date: |
December 12, 2018 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62350791 |
Jun 16, 2016 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B63B 32/20 20200201;
B63B 32/30 20200201; B63B 32/60 20200201 |
International
Class: |
B63B 35/81 20060101
B63B035/81 |
Claims
1. A compact water ski, comprising a top surface, a bottom surface
and a rocker, wherein the length is about 12 inches to about 36
inches and the width is about 5 inches to about 15 inches and the
top surface has a means to secure a foot.
2. The compact water ski according to claim 1, wherein the bottom
surface comprises one or more fins.
3. The compact water ski according to claim 1, wherein the bottom
surface lacks a fin.
4. The compact water ski according to claim 1, wherein the bottom
surface comprises one or more strakes and one or more channels.
5. The compact water ski according to claim 1, wherein the bottom
surface comprises one or more strakes.
6. The compact water ski according to claim 1, wherein the bottom
surface comprises one or more channels.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application Ser. No. 62/350,791, filed Jun. 16, 2016, the
disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its
entirety, including all figures, tables and drawings.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
[0002] Water skiing originated on Jun. 28, 1922 at Lake Pepin in
Lake City, Minn. by Ralph Samuelson when Ralph discovered that
leaning backwards with ski tips up leads to successful water skiing
with barrel staves. Ralph fashioned the first dedicated water skis
from lumber with leather strips for bindings. The first patented
water skis, Waller, U.S. Pat. No. 1,559,390 Oct. 27, 1925, attached
the tow rope to a bridle attached to the tips of the skis and from
the tips to a handle for the skier. From that inception, the
sophistication of water skis advanced for specialized or general
use. The most common skis used are known as combination pairs that
can be used as a pair or where one ski can be used for slalom
skiing. Combination skis have relatively wide tips for control and
are generally between 5 and 6 feet in length, 6 to 8 inches in
width, and 1/2 to 3/4 inches in thickness, although lengths of as
little as 4 feet are commercially available for children. Slalom
skiing is carried out with a single ski designed to make sharp
turns and reach high speeds, tending to have wide tails and flat
bottoms but more advanced slalom skiers use skis with more tapered
tails, beveled edges, and have concave or tunnel concave bottoms.
Trick skis are relatively short, generally 40 to 48 inches in
length and are relatively wide, generally 10 to 12 inches in width
where the skier uses a single ski that lacks a fin. Long and wide
ski pairs are manufactured for jumping. The most extreme water
skiing is barefoot, without any skis. Because of the extreme lack
of surface area on the water, the typically barefoot skiers must
ski at speeds of at least 35 miles per hour to achieve sufficient
lift.
[0003] Water skis are designed to be flexible, having a concave
shape with bevel edges that have a degree of rocker, which is its
tip to tail curvature. Typically, the concave shape spans the
entire bottom surface of the water ski. More concave surfaces
stabilize the ski at the cost of speed. Bevels can be sharp and
flat or soft and rounded for stability and speed or control in
turns, respectively. A highly flexible, or soft-flex, ski turns
easily and rides smoothly in rough water. A stiffer flex allows for
speed on flat water but is more challenging to turn. The outside
shape and width of a ski from tip to tail is important with wider
skis being more stable and easier to engage in deep water, but more
difficult to control in turns relative to a narrower ski. Skis with
less rocker are fast but require longer turning radii.
[0004] The concave base of skis normally has a "V-Bottom" with a
center rib from the tip of the ski to allow an easy maintenance of
a straight trajectory and to provide a pivot point to transfer
weight from edge to edge for beginners. A tunnel-concave design
employs a center concave having flat spots on each side of the edge
that act like pontoons. A full concave from edge to edge allows a
quick transition from edge to edge and holds strongly in a turn,
and is employed by competition and higher level skiers.
[0005] The sport of water skiing lacks a ski that is designed to
handle choppy water at speeds below 25 mph. To this end a design
suited for speeds of about 20 mph or less would be desired, yet at
such speeds a maneuverable ski would need to be small.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0006] Embodiments of the invention are directed to short
hydrodynamic water skis that permit use at low speeds. These
compact water skis are less than 36 inches in length with widths in
excess of five inches, though less than 15 inches. These compact
water skis can include one or more fins on the bottom surface or
the skis can be finless. The water skis can be decorated with
strakes and/or channels to enhance stability and
maneuverability.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 shows a top view and side view of a compact water
ski, according to an embodiment of the invention where the water
ski includes a fin in the tail.
[0008] FIG. 2 show cross-sections of the ski with a flat top and
various possible shapes of the bottom of the water ski, according
to embodiments of the invention, where the water ski includes a
fin.
[0009] FIG. 3A shows a bottom view of a finless water ski having
parallel strakes and/or channels, according to an embodiment of the
invention; and FIG. 3B shows a bottom view of a finless water ski
having non-parallel strakes and/or channels, according to an
embodiment of the invention.
[0010] FIG. 4 shows cross-sections of a water ski with a flat top
and various possible shapes of the bottom of the water ski,
according to embodiments of the invention, where the water ski
lacks a fin.
[0011] FIG. 5 shows a photographic reproduction of water skis with
a fin and equipped with a wakeboard boot according to an embodiment
of the invention.
[0012] FIG. 6 shows mechanical drawings of the tip, profile,
cross-section, and bottom of the water ski shown in FIG. 5, without
illustration of the fin.
DETAILED DISCLOSURE
[0013] A water ski design, according to embodiments of the
invention, is compact with lengths ranging from about 12 inches to
36 inches and widths from 5 inches to 15 inches. With such a
design, extreme maneuvering is possible due to a small inertia and
swing-weight. The compact water skis use traditional waterski
bindings, foot-straps or wakeboard boots as a means to secure the
skier's feet. In one embodiment of the invention, the ski
incorporates one or more fins. In an embodiment of the invention
the ski is finless for starting from flat surfaces, jumping ramps,
and grinding rails.
[0014] The ski's outline shape can vary, where: the tip can be
pointed, rounded, faceted or a combination shape; the rail, or
sides can be parallel, concave, or convex; and the tail can be
square, rounded, pointed, faceted or a combination, for example, as
shown in FIG. 1 for an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a
rounded tip with concave rails extend to a tail that has a rounded
point and an included fin. The ski can have an asymmetric shape
along the center line or mid-line where one ski is the mirror image
of the other ski. In an embodiment of the invention, as shown in
FIG. 1, the rocker-line has some scoop in the front and becomes
flat in the back, although the amount of scoop can vary
significantly. It can also have rocker along the entire length
without any flat. The length can be 12 to 36 inches, 12 to 30
inches, 12 to 24 inches, 16 to 30 inches, 16 to 24 inches, 20 to 30
inches, or 20 to 24 inches. The width can be 5 to 15 inches, 5 to
10 inches, 7 to 15 inches, 8 to 15 inches, 9 to 15 inches, or 9 to
12 inches.
[0015] In embodiments of the invention, the fore-section can be
narrower than the mid-section and the aft-section can be narrower
than the mid-section. In an embodiment of the invention, the
fore-section can be narrower than the mid-section and the
aft-section can be broader than the mid-section. In an embodiment
of the invention, the fore-section can be narrower than the
mid-section and the aft-section can be about equal in width to the
mid-section. In an embodiment of the invention, the fore-section
can be broader than the mid-section and the aft-section can be
about equal in width to the mid-section. In an embodiment of the
invention, the fore-section can be broader than the mid-section and
the aft-section can be narrower than the mid-section. The fore-,
mid- and aft-sections can be about one quarter to about one half of
the length of the water ski.
[0016] The bottom portion, according to embodiments of the
invention, can have a myriad of shapes, as illustrated in FIG. 2
for skis with fins. The skis with fins can have a flat, vee shape,
double concave, inverted vee, single concave or a multiple concave
shape, as indicated in FIG. 2. In an embodiment of the invention,
as shown in FIG. 3, the water ski can be without a fin but can have
features for the stabilization of the ski while in use. In an
embodiment of the invention, the water skis without a fin can
incorporate one or more strakes and\or one or more channels that
run parallel or non-parallel to the length of the ski, as indicated
in FIG. 4. The strakes and/or channels can be included with one or
more fins if desired. In an embodiment of the invention, the
strakes and/or channels extend from about the mid-section through
the aft-section. In an embodiment of the invention, the strakes
and/or channels extend trough the fore-section and through the
aft-section. In an embodiment of the invention, the strakes and/or
channels extend through the fore-section and to the aft-section. In
an embodiment of the invention, the strakes and/or channels extend
from the fore-section through the aft-section. The number of
strakes and/or channels can range from one to about 20, for
example, but not limited to three strakes and/or channels, four
strakes and/or channels, five strakes and/or channels, six strakes
and/or channels, or seven strakes and/or channels. The height and
depth of the strakes and channels, respectively, can vary over the
length of the ski, for example, but not necessarily, the strakes
and channels can gradually increase in height and depth towards the
back of the ski. The shapes of the strakes and channels can vary
over the width of the ski and these features can be of unequal
sizes and can be symmetric or asymmetric in shape, though
generally, but not necessarily, the features will be symmetrically
positioned relative to the center line of the ski. Combinations of
strakes and/or channels with skis with bottoms tat are overall vee,
flat, or concave, can expand the range of ski performance. These
can affect maneuverability, the ability to resist horizontal
loading without loss of traction, ability to handle choppy water,
interaction with ramps and rails and the overall rigidity of the
ski.
[0017] Top surfaces of the water skis, according to embodiments of
the invention, can be flat or can be convex or concave. The surface
can also include channels and/or strakes to direct water from the
top surface. The rocker can extend over the entire length of the
water ski, or can extend only to or through the mid-section.
METHODS AND MATERIALS
[0018] A compact water ski with a fin was constructed, as
photographically shown in FIG. 5. The dimensions of the water ski,
absent its fin, are given in FIG. 6. An expert water-boarder was
able to use the compact ski, having a width at approximately the
mid-line of about 10 inches and a length of about 24 inches, at
speeds below 20 mph.
[0019] It should be understood that the examples and embodiments
described herein are for illustrative purposes only and that
various modifications or changes in light thereof will be suggested
to persons skilled in the art and are to be included within the
spirit and purview of this application.
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