Surfboard with handle

Abstract

A surfboard with a deck (17), an electric drive for the surfboard (2), wherein one end of a rope (7) is fastened to the bow (4) of the surfboard (2) and another end of the rope (7) has a handle (8), wherein the drive is connected to a controller (21), which comprises a receiver (25) of a wireless remote control, and the handle (8) has an accelerator lever (23) which is connected to a transmitter (24) of the wireless remote control in a data conducting manner, and the transmitter (24) is arranged in the handle (8), and by actuation of the accelerator lever (23) control signals can be generated, which can be transmitted by the transmitter (24) as wireless signals and can be received by the receiver (25) and can be converted by the controller (21) into control values for the drive.

Claims

1. A Surfboard comprising: a deck (17), an electrical drive for the surfboard (2), wherein one end of a rope (7) is fastened to the bow (4) of the surfboard (2) and another end of the rope (7) has a handle (8), the drive is connected to a controller (21), which comprises a receiver (25) of a wireless remote control, and the handle (8) has an accelerator lever (23) which is connected to a transmitter (24) of the wireless remote control in a data conducting manner, and the transmitter (24) is arranged in the handle (8) and by actuation of the accelerator lever (23) control signals can be generated, which can be transmitted by the transmitter (24) as wireless signals and can be received by the receiver (25) and can be converted by the controller (21) into control values for the drive and the one end of the rope (7) can be releasably connected to the bow (4) and the other end of the rope (7) can be releasably fastened to the handle (8) characterized in that the surfboard has two types of construction and the rope is connected to the handle and the surfboard in a first type of construction and rope is detached from the handle and the surfboard in a second type of construction.

2. Surfboard according to claim 1, characterised in that the remote control preferably comprises a wireless remote control.

3. Surfboard according to claim 1, characterised in that the wireless remote control transmits wireless signals by pulse width modulation in an ISM band.

4. Surfboard according to claim 1, characterised in that the transmission of the wireless signals takes place in a 2.4-2.5 GHz ISM band.

5. Surfboard according to claim 1, characterised in that the handle (8) has a gripping portion (28) for the surfer (1) to grip with one hand, and during surfing a centre of force is arranged centrally in the gripping portion (28).

6. Surfboard according to claim 1, characterised in that the handle (8) is watertight.

7. Surfboard according to claim 1, characterised in that the handle (8) has an average density of ρ<1.0 g/cm.sup.3.

8. Surfboard according to claim 1, characterised in that the accelerator lever (23) is arranged internally in the handle (8).

9. Surfboard according to claim 1, characterised in that internally the accelerator lever (23) is pivotably arranged laterally on a connecting piece (30) between the gripping portion (28) and the fastening means (9).

10. Surfboard according to claim 1, characterised in that the accelerator lever is configured as a push button (23) which can be recessed in the gripping portion (28).

11. Surfboard according to claim 1, characterised in that the drive control includes the accelerator lever (23) which is arranged externally on the handle (8) so that it can be operated by a thumb of the hand of the surfer (1) gripping the handle (8).

12. Surfboard according to claim 1, characterised in that one end of the rope (7) is fastened releasably to the bow (4) by means of a fastening means (6).

13. Surfboard according to claim 1, characterised in that the other end of the rope (7) is fastened releasably to the handle (8) by means of a further fastening means (9).

14. Surfboard according to claim 1, characterised in that the further fastening means (9) for the other end of the rope is arranged spaced apart perpendicularly and centrally from the gripping portion (28).

15. Surfboard according to claim 1, characterised in that the fastening means (6) and/or the further fastening means (9) have a snap closure.

Description

(1) The invention is described with reference to three exemplary embodiments in seven drawings. In the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a surfboard according to the invention with a drive control according to the invention in the handle.

(3) FIG. 2a shows a handle in a first embodiment of the accelerator lever in a neutral position,

(4) FIG. 2b shows a detail of FIG. 2a,

(5) FIG. 3a shows a handle in the first embodiment of the accelerator lever in an acceleration position,

(6) FIG. 3b shows a view of a detail in FIG. 3a,

(7) FIG. 4 shows a handle with a second embodiment of a drive control,

(8) FIG. 5 shows a handle with a third embodiment of a drive control.

(9) FIG. 1 shows a surfer 1 on the surfboard 2 according to the invention while carrying on the sport. In principle, a surfboard is to be understood as a device on which the surfer 1 stands, kneels or sits and which floats on water 3 and ideally has sufficient buoyancy to support the surfer 1. Where appropriate, the buoyancy can be chosen to be only so great that, together with the forward propulsion of a drive, it is sufficient to support the surfer.

(10) The surfboard 2 has no sail; in the German language usage the sport would be classified as riding the waves.

(11) The surfboard 2 comprises a bow 4, to which the rope 7 is fastened with a preferably releasable fastening means 6. On the other end of the rope 7 a handle 8 is fastened to the rope 7 with a preferably releasable fastening means 9.

(12) The surfboard 2 has a jet drive 12 at the 11. The jet drive 12 is only illustrated schematically here. The jet drive 12 comprises an opening 13 as water inlet in an underwater surface of the surfboard 2 and a water channel 14 with a water outlet arranged on an end face of the stern 11. The water outlet is designed as a nozzle 16 which, where appropriate, is pivotably rotatable about an axis of rotation arranged vertically with respect to a deck 17. In the water channel 14 a rotor 18 is arranged, by which the water penetrating into the water channel 14 due to the weight of the surfer 1 is sprayed out of the nozzle 16, thereby providing propulsion for the surfer 1 with the surfboard 2. In a hull of the surfboard 2 a motor 19 for the rotor 18 is arranged which drives the rotor 18 by means of a drive train 20, and also arranged there is a controller 21 for the motor 19, by which an output of the motor 19 can be controlled and, in particular the speed of the surfboard 2 can be controlled thereby. Both the motor 19 and also the controller 21 are supplied with power by means of a battery 22.

(13) During surfing the surfer 1 grips the handle 8 of the surfboard 2 with one hand. It has been shown that as a result it is significantly easier for the surfer 1 to keep his balance on the surfboard 2, even while riding at relatively high speed round a curve and riding over waves. The handle 8 is connected to the releasable further fastening means 9 by the other end of the rope. The releasable further fastening means 9 may be, like the fastening means 6, a closure which can be opened without tools, in particular a snap closure or the like. An accelerator lever 23 which is integrated in the handle 8 can be operated with one finger or a plurality of fingers and controls a transmitter 24 of a remote control in the handle 8. The transmitter 24 interacts with a receiver 25 arranged on the controller 21 and together they form the remote control. A rechargeable battery 26 can be arranged in the transmitter 24 if required. In the case according to the invention the remote control exclusively controls the speed of the surfboard 2. Steering movements to right and left are achieved here by shifting the weight of the surfer 1.

(14) The handle 8 according to the invention must, on the one hand, perform the function that the surfer 1 can hold it firmly with considerable force and that in particular torques occur on the wrist joint of the surfer 1. On the other hand, while the handle is gripped it must be possible to operate the accelerator lever 23 easily.

(15) FIG. 2a and FIG. 3a show the handle 8 according to the invention which in its outer and inner periphery is approximately triangular with rounded corners and an ergonomically shaped gripping portion 28. The further fastening means 9 for the other end of the rope 7 is provided perpendicularly opposite the gripping portion 28, approximately at the centre of the gripping portion 28. The rope 7 can be knotted with its other end on the handle 8. However, the further fastening means 9 can also be designed as a snap closure or the like. When the handle 8 is gripped with the palm of the hand, the raised inwardly directed region of the gripping portion 28 is clasped by the palm. In the thickest region of the gripping portion 28 the centre of force is formed by the tensile force exerted by the surfer 1. During gripping the forefinger rests on the accelerator lever 23 which in this embodiment is configured as a push button 23. In FIG. 2a the push button 23 is illustrated in a raised position, the neutral position, in which no acceleration is provided. In FIG. 3a the push button 23 is illustrated in a pressed-in position, the acceleration position. The output of the motor 19 is increased linearly with the insertion depth of the push button 23. Naturally, other functional correlations between insertion depth and motor power are also conceivable. FIG. 3a shows the push button 23 pressed in. The hand of the surfer 1 is not illustrated.

(16) The push button 23 has a restoring mechanism, for example a restoring spring 29, which returns it to the neutral position when the handle 8 is released.

(17) A second embodiment of the handle 8 according to the invention is illustrated in FIG. 4. Apart from the accelerator lever 23 the handle 8 is configured as in the first embodiment. There the accelerator lever 23 is arranged pivotably on the outside of the handle 8. The accelerator lever 23 is arranged laterally on the outside of the handle 8. On a region of the gripping portion 28 remote from the other end of the rope, a lever surface 23a facing in the direction of the gripping portion 28 is arranged on the accelerator lever 23. The accelerator lever 23 can be operated by pressing the lever surface 23a. It can be operated by the thumb of the surfer 1 who grips the handle 8 with his right hand. For surfers who prefer to hold the handle with the left hand, the direction of movement of the lever 23 can be reversed.

(18) FIG. 5 shows a third embodiment of the accelerator lever 23 according to the invention. Here the accelerator lever 23 in turn is arranged in the interior of the handle 8, specifically on a lateral connecting piece 30 between the further fastening means 9 and the gripping portion 28. The accelerator lever 23 is configured as a pivotable accelerator lever 23 which can be pressed by the forefinger of the surfer 1. The accelerator lever 23 carries out a pivoting movement about a centre of rotation in the lateral connecting piece 30.

(19) Also, in the embodiments according to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the transmitter 24 (not shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5) with the battery 26 is arranged in the gripping portion 28. Only the mechanism for generating the control signals by actuation of the accelerator lever 23 has a different configuration; the electrical connection to the transmitter 24 and the transmitter have the same configurations. In each case one of the restoring springs 29 is also advantageously provided.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(20) 1 surfer 2 surfboard 3 water 4 bow 6 fastening means 7 rope 8 handle 9 further fastening means 11 stern 12 jet drive 13 opening 14 water channel 16 nozzle 17 deck 18 rotor 19 motor 20 drive train 21 controller 22 battery 23 accelerator lever/push button 23a lever surface 24 transmitter 25 receiver 26 battery 28 gripping portion 29 restoring spring 30 connecting piece