Water Sports Equipment

Abstract

A water sports device is provided in which a propulsion device has at least one sensor arrangement which is usable for position determination. A control unit of the water sports device is designed for generating control signals on the basis of signals from the sensor arrangement for the purpose of geofencing and/or homing. One or more controllable elements of the water sports device are activated by means of the control signals. Such elements may include a motor of the propulsion device, movable means for generating an alignment of a water jet (e.g. a wing, motor, rudder blade, a fin and/or nozzle), and/or retractable and extendable elements (a centerboard, a holding and/or hydrofoil device) which influence the floating properties of the water sports device.

Claims

1. A water sports device comprising: a floating body, and a propulsion device provided for propelling the water sports device, at least one sensor arrangement which is usable for position determination, said at least one sensor arrangement being configured together with a control unit for generating control signals on the basis of signals from the sensor arrangement for the purpose of geofencing and/or homing.

2. The water sports device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the position determination comprises the distance above ground.

3. The water sports device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the position determination comprises the determination of the geographical position.

4. The water sports device of claim 1, wherein the sensor arrangement and/or the control unit determines the distance to a deployment site.

5. The water sports device of claim 1, wherein the sensor arrangement determines the absolute or relative speed of the water sports device.

6. The water sports device of claim 1, wherein the control unit has means for comparing the position with an internally or externally predefined map for the purpose of generating control signals.

7. The water sports device of claim 1, further including an external monitoring device which is designed to transmit control signals generated on the basis of the position of the water sports device to the control unit.

8. The water sports device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is designed for communication with a control unit of a further propulsion device of the same or of a further water sports device.

9. The water sports device of claim 1, further including a second propulsion device, and a person region present between the two propulsion devices in a top view.

10. The water sports device of claim 1, further including a hydrofoil device which is fastened to the floating body by a holding device, wherein the hydrofoil device is arranged on a link of the holding device and has at least one hydrofoil, and wherein, in the operating position and during a forward movement, owing to buoyancy brought about by the hydrofoil device, the floating body can be transferred into a position spaced apart from a water surface.

11. The water sports device of claim 10, wherein the water sports device is designed for transferring the hydrofoil device from the operating position below the floating body into a rest and/or starting position close to the floating body or at least partially in the latter on the basis of the position of the water sports device.

12. The water sports device of claim 10, wherein the holding device has a further link which is pivotably mounted on or in the floating body at one end and pivotably arranged on the hydrofoil device at the other end.

13. The water sports device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the holding device has a drive via which the hydrofoil device is transferable from a rest and/or starting position into the operating position and/or from the operating position into the rest and/or starting position.

14. The water sports device of claim 13, wherein the drive has an energy store.

15. The water sports device of claim 10, wherein at least part of the propulsion device is detachably fixed to a receptacle of the hydrofoil device.

16. The water sports device of claim 1, further including a propulsion energy store of the propulsion device and a storage sensor for monitoring the propulsion energy store, wherein the water sports device is designed to reduce the power or to switch off the propulsion device on the basis of the signal from the storage sensor.

17. The water sports device of claim 11, wherein the propulsion device is operable both in the rest and/or starting position and in the operating position.

18. The water sports device of claim 1, wherein the water sports device has at least one sensor.

19. The water sports device of claim 1, wherein the propulsion device is designed for thrust control, and the control unit of the water sports device is designed for this purpose.

20. The water sports device of claim 26, wherein the control unit is designed for self-stabilization of the water sports device by means of the thrust vector control.

21. The water sports device of claim 10, wherein the propulsion device has a vector nozzle.

22. The water sports device of claim 1, further including a motor of the propulsion device which is arranged on the floating body side and which is connected in terms of drive to a propulsion element via an angularly and/or longitudinally movable propulsion train.

23. The water sports device of claim 10, further including at least one motion status sensor for determining the distance of the floating body and/or of the hydrofoil device from the water surface.

24. The water sports device of claim 1, further including an optical display unit.

25. The water sports device of claim 19, wherein the propulsion device is designed for automatic thrust control.

26. The water sports device of claim 19, wherein the propulsion device is designed for automatic thrust vector control.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] Reference is now made more particularly to the drawings, which illustrate the best presently known mode of carrying out the invention and wherein similar reference characters indicate the same parts throughout the views.

[0044] FIG. 1 shows the subject matter according to the invention in a side view.

[0045] FIG. 2 shows the subject matter according to FIG. 1 in a view from the rear.

[0046] FIG. 3 shows the subject matter according to FIG. 1 in a use situation.

[0047] FIG. 4 shows two subjects according to the invention in a further use situation.

[0048] FIG. 5 shows further subject matter according to the invention in a perspective view.

[0049] FIG. 6 shows the subject matter according to FIG. 5 in a starting and/or rest position.

[0050] FIGS. 7 and 8 show further subject matter according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0051] Individual technical features of the exemplary embodiments described below may also result, in combination with the features of the independent claim, in developments according to the invention. Where expedient, functionally equivalent parts are provided with identical reference signs.

[0052] A water sports device 2 according to the invention comprises a floating body 4 which is connected to a holding device 8 via a hydrofoil device 6. The hydrofoil device 6 comprises a plurality of links 10 which are arranged at one end in an articulated manner on the floating body 4 and at the other end in an articulated manner on the hydrofoil device 8. Via an internal drive 12 shown in dashed lines, the front links 10 in the direction of travel F, which are arranged on a common shaft, are moved. Via the coupling by means of a propulsion device 50 of the hydrofoil device 6, the rear links 10 in the direction of travel F are positively guided. In this respect, only a single, sufficiently dimensioned drive 12 is necessary.

[0053] The links 10 are designed to be flow-optimized with a smaller extent, as viewed in the direction of travel F, than transversely thereto (FIGS. 1 and 2). In addition, the inflow surfaces are rounded and the cross section of the links is designed in particular in the form of a drop or a wing.

[0054] In the present case, the propulsion device 50 is designed with a hubless impeller 52 (FIG. 2). The associated motor has a rotor, the inside of which forms the flow channel, and which is correspondingly hollow, with the blades 54 being fastened to the inside of the rotor. The rotor is mounted outside the flow channel on its outer side directed away from the flow channel and runs in a stator which is arranged in a propulsion body housing 56.

[0055] Two laterally protruding housing walls 58 (cf. FIG. 1) delimit two openings which are designed as inlet openings and are located on surfaces facing away from one another and through which the water ultimately expelled and accelerated through the outlet opening 60 reaches the inner flow channel beforehand. The propulsion device comprises the propulsion body housing 56 fixed in two receptacles 62 with an internal propulsion energy store, the motor designed as an internal rotor, including the propulsion element designed as a hubless impeller, and a control unit 70, which is designed with a man-machine interface for operating the propulsion device 50. Corresponding line means lead, for example, through the holding device 8 into the floating body 4 and are transmitted from there, for example wirelessly, to a hand-held device 90 of the user 86 operating the water sports device 2 (FIG. 4). The hand-held device 90 is part of the control unit 70 or is connected wirelessly thereto.

[0056] Such a hand-held device can be used, for example, to release or trigger the transfer of the hydrofoil device 6 with its hydrofoils 16 from the operating position shown into a starting and/or rest position, shown in FIG. 6, of the hydrofoil device 6 closer to the floating body 4.

[0057] According to the invention, the transfer can be effected automatically, for example, by control signals from a control unit 70, which is arranged in the floating body 4 and is therefore only shown in dashed lines, on the basis of its evaluation within the scope of the geofencing (FIG. 1). For this purpose, the control unit 70 receives signals from a sensor arrangement 74 via a signal line 72 shown dotted, with the sensor arrangement 74 comprising at least one sensor. Control signals are generated on the basis of these signals when an internally or externally predefined region in which the water sports device 2 may be driven is left. A control signal is automatically generated in the control unit 70 (cf. FIG. 3) only when a predefined limitation 83 of a region of use 82 of the water sports device 2 is left. This can be caused, for example, by the transition of the hydrofoil device 6 to the rest and/or starting position of the hydrofoil device 6 and, for example, by a throttling of the drive power of the propulsion device 50. For this purpose, the sensor arrangement is designed, for example, to record GPS signals or other localization signals and/or the distance above ground by means of a sound signal. For the latter, the underside of the floating body 4 has corresponding transmitting and receiving units 76. These are also coupled again to the control unit 70 via a corresponding signal line 72.

[0058] The foil board shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 can then be transferred back again to its deployment site in a manner controlled by weight shifting, even in the position shown in FIG. 6 for another exemplary embodiment. Alternatively or in addition, the foil board can also be designed according to FIG. 3 to determine the distance to a deployment site 78. For this purpose, for example, the transmission duration of a time-coded signal between a central monitoring device 80 assigned to the deployment site 78 and the water sports device 2 is determined. Such a monitoring device 80 can also be used by a user who has appropriate access rights to exercise further control options, in particular if the water sports device leaves a region of use 82 beyond its boundary 83.

[0059] The sensor arrangement 74 can also be supplemented by a communications unit, via which the control units 70 of two water sports devices 2 that are correspondingly in a synchronous mode with one another can communicate with one another, indicated by the signals 84 represented by a plurality of curved lines. In such a mode, for example, a person 86 qualified as an instructor can give a trainee 88 driving signals by means of the hand-held device 90 connected wirelessly to the control unit 70, said signals leading, for example, to the initiation of cornering by folding down the movable hydrofoils 16 of the hydrofoil device 6. In addition, the region of use of the water sports devices 2 is limited to a region 82 defined by geofencing by the correspondingly programmable control unit 70 (not shown here).

[0060] In principle, the further arrangement according to the invention according to FIG. 5 has the same effect. This water sports device 2, which is larger than that in FIG. 1, is likewise designed as a foil board which, however, is configured for use with two people in the people region 85. The hydrofoils 16 of the hydrofoil device 6 are located essentially between the propulsion devices 50, at least in a top or bottom view. The hydrofoil device 6 here comprises receptacles 62 for the propulsion devices 50, on which links 10 of the holding device 8 are arranged. These pivot from the operating position shown into a rest or starting position in which the propulsion device 50 is arranged closer to the floating body 4 and the links 10 are at least partially arranged in the recess 68 of the floating body 4 (FIG. 6). A screen 71 is arranged on the floating body 4 for better protection of the person standing or lying on the foil board. In the present case, the sensor arrangement 74 is located at the rear end of the foil board, in which the control unit 70 is also arranged. This is connected via signal and supply lines (not shown) to a rechargeable battery or to a propulsion storage unit of the propulsion devices 50, which are in each case arranged in the front part of the torpedo-shaped propulsion devices 50 within the propulsion body housing 56.

[0061] According to a further exemplary embodiment according to the invention, a plurality of capacitive sensors 36 are arranged along a link 10 of the holding device 8 to form a motion status sensor 32 (FIGS. 7 and 8). These extend uniformly over a large part of the link 10 along its longitudinal extent and, depending on whether they are arranged above or below a water surface 34 indicated in each case by dashed lines, send corresponding data to a control unit preferably arranged in the floating body 4. This allows the distance of the floating body 4 to the water surface 34 to be determined, whereupon, in the event of undesired conditions, the control unit can adjust, for example, the thrust of the propulsion device 50, which is integrated in the link 10, or an angular position of a hydrofoil 16.

[0062] The exemplary embodiment in FIGS. 7 and 8 also has an optical display unit 31 which is integrated in the floating body and which displays the distance of the floating body 4 to the water surface. The display unit 31 comprises a plurality of multicolored LED units 33 which are laminated into place, such that the distance to the water surface 34 can be displayed via the number and/or wavelength of the LED units 33 that are illuminated.