Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63H—MARINE PROPULSION OR STEERING
  • B63H8/00—Sail or rigging arrangements specially adapted for water sports boards, e.g. for windsurfing or kitesurfing
  • B63H8/20—Rigging arrangements involving masts, e.g. for windsurfing
  • B63H8/22—Rigging arrangements involving masts, e.g. for windsurfing for connecting wishbones to the mast

Definitions

• the present invention concerns a clamping device to constrain, also temporarily and removably, a boom to the mast of a sailboard used for practicing windsurfing
• Sailboards for practicing windsurf are known, each of which has a mast, made of composite material, for example carbon, with a height comprised between about 3 and about 6 meters, and attached to the board by means of an articulated joint.
• the sail or spanker is inserted on the mast, and defines the trim of the board in cooperation with a boom, attached in turn to the mast and used to orientate the sail with respect to the mast.
• the boom is tightened to the mast by means of a removable clamp element.
• a clamping device which comprises a pair of opposite jaws, which are associated with the two ends of the boom and are pulled one against the other in order to close vice-like against the outer surface of the mast.
• This known clamping device has the disadvantage that it does not allow a precise and controlled adjustment of the tightening force applied. Moreover, it may happen that, if tightened too much to the mast, the two jaws prevent the mast from bending without a break in continuity along its entire length.
• One purpose of the present invention is to achieve a clamping device to removably constrain a boom to the mast of a sailboard, which is simple to assemble and to use, and which at the same time, once assembled, will achieve a perfect clamping of the boom to the mast, substantially without preventing the mast from bending even in the constraint zone.
• Another purpose of the present invention is to achieve a clamping device which will achieve a very tight and rigid constraint of the boom and the mast, so that the user, when maneuvering the boom, can transmit his maneuver commands to the mast and can obtain an immediate response from the board to these commands, and that the performance of the sailboard in general is improved, especially in bowline conditions .
• the Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain these and other purposes and advantages .
• a clamping device is used to constrain a boom to the mast of a sailboard of the type used to practice windsurfing.
• the mast comprises a constraint zone, defined by a portion of its outer surface, and the boom comprises at least two ends able to be coupled in correspondence with the constraint zone of the mast, by means of constraining means, so that a transverse axis "X" joining the two ends of the boom intersects the mast, advantageously in a manner substantially orthogonal to a longitudinal axis "Y" of the mast .
• said constraining means comprises:
• said support element is disposed with play around the mast and does not interfere with it.
• the two clamping elements comprise two jaws and the support element comprises a ring, which can be made of metal material, carbon fiber or other very resistant material, with which two drawing elements are coupled, disposed on substantially opposite sides with respect to the longitudinal axis of the mast, and on which said thrust elements are able to discharge their force.
• the support element consists of two rigid parts, diametrically opposite and connected to each other by one or more drawing elements which limit their radial extension.
• the support element keeps the drawing elements separated from the mast, so that the clamping elements are the only parts that press laterally against the outer surface of the mast, in the constraint zone, thus determining, precisely, the constraint of the boom to the mast and leaving the latter free to bend on a plane passing through the longitudinal axis Y of the mast and substantially perpendicular to the transverse axis X joining the two ends of the boom.
• the solution according to the present invention thus allows the mast a greater and natural flexion and elastic reaction, extending the duration and improving the performance thereof.
• the device according to the present invention advantageously also allows to assemble asymmetrical booms to the mast, something which is not possible with many of the vice-type clamping devices of a known type.
• the drawing elements consist of two threaded stud bolts coupled with the support element
• the thrust elements consist, for example, of two threaded ring-nuts, blocks or nuts, coupled therewith by screwing.
• the drawing elements consist of two pins connected to the support element, and on which a thrust lever is pivoted, which with its rotation exerts an axial and centrifugal traction on the pins.
• the direct assembly of the boom to the mast is substantially facilitated for the user, and it has the advantage that it makes the sailboard more easily governed, since it is not necessary to use clamps, or handles or other relatively heavy clamping mechanisms.
• the boom used according to the present invention is at least 10 cm shorter, therefore having greater rigidity.
• the device comprises at least a guide element applied directly on the mast and defining at least an attachment seating with which a clamping element associated with the boom is selectively able to be coupled.
• the guide element is made solid with the structure of the mast and integrated therewith so as to define a substantially single body, or is made integral with a sleeve coupled axially and outside the mast.
• the attachment seating extends parallel to the mast for a certain length, so as to allow the adjustment of the height of the clamping element and hence of the height of the boom, for example, according to the height of the user.
• the solution that provides the sleeve allows to attach the sleeve to the mast at any desired height, which allows a further adjustment of the height of the boom irrespective of the length of the seating.
• the attachment seating or seatings of the boom are located on the face of the mast that faces towards the stern of the sailboard, or to port or starboard, so that the face of the mast facing towards the front is free and without protrusions and the baricenter of the mast-sail-boom system is displaced towards the stern.
• the attachment seating comprises guide means that extends longitudinally with respect to the mast
• the clamping element comprises screw means cooperating with mating threaded holes made at various heights on at least a bottom wall of the guide means itself, or, according to a variant, with at least a platelet inserted in the guide means and in turn cooperating with the outer walls of the guide means.
• the clamping element can be constrained to the guide by means of snap-in clamping means, or interference, which cooperate internally and/or externally with the walls of the guide.
• the attachment seating comprises one or more supports on each of which at least a threaded hole is made, with which in turn a mating screw is able to be screwed, cooperating with the clamping element.
• the two ends of the boom are associated with the mast so that the axis
• - fig. 1 is a lateral view of a sailboard using the device according to the invention
• -'fig. 2 is a section of the sailboard from II to II of fig. 1
• - fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the device in fig. 1, in an exploded condition
• - fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the device in fig. 3 in an assembled condition;
• - fig. 5 is a part section along the line from V to V of fig. 4;
• - fig. 6 is a first variant of the device in fig. 3;
• - fig. 7 is a second variant of the device in fig. 3;
• - fig. 8 is a partly sectioned lateral view of a third variant of the device in fig. 1;
• - fig. 9 is a plane section of the device in fig. 8.
• - fig. 10 is a partly sectioned lateral view of a variant of the device in fig. 8; - fig. 11 is a plane section of the device in fig. 10;
• - fig. 12 is a lateral view of another variant of the device in fig. 8;
• - fig. 13 is a plane section of another variant of the device in fig. 8; - fig. 14 is a section of a detail of the device in fig. 13;
• - fig. 15 is a lateral section of a detail of fig. 13;
• a device 10 according to the present invention is used in a sailboard 11 of the type used for practising windsurfing, in order to constrain a boom 18 to a mast 15.
• the sailboard 11 (figs. 1 and 2) comprises a plane or board 13 itself, which has an articulated joint 14 to which the base of the mast 15 is constrained.
• the mast 15 has a tubular section, a height comprised between about 3 and about 6 meters, and is made of composite material, for example carbon, fiber glass or other material with equivalent characteristics of resistance to stresses and flexibility.
• a sail 16 is able to be inserted on the mast 16.
• the boom 18 (fig. 2) is substantially oval in shape and is able to be constrained, at least temporarily, to the mast 15 in correspondence with a constraint zone 22.
• the boom 18 consists of two transverse elements 19 and 20, substantially symmetrical and consisting in turn of coupling tubular elements of a known type, able to be detached from each other to facilitate the transport and storage of the sailboard 11.
• the two transverse elements 19 and 20 are joined together in correspondence with a respective end which, during use, is facing towards the front of the sailboard 11, to which end the sail 16 is attached.
• each transverse element 19 and 20 is rotatably mounted on a ring-nut 24, by means of the male part of a threaded connection 28, of the male/female type attached to the ring-nut 24.
• the function of each ring-nut 24 will be explained hereafter.
• the rotatable assembly of the two ends 19a and 20a on the ring-nuts 24 allows the boom 18 to be able to oscillate with respect to a substantially horizontal axis X, which joins the same two ends 19a and 20a and which intersects the longitudinal axis X of the mast 15, making the sail 16 more maneuverable, especially in the operations to orient it with respect to the board 13.
• This oscillation also allows a greater absorption of the stresses due to the knocks of the board 13 on the waves, without entailing great elastic deformations of the transverse elements 19 and 20 of the boom 18.
• the device 10 comprises, in this case, a support ring 23 inserted with play and substantially coaxial around the mast 15, in correspondence with said constraint zone 22.
• the ring 22 is able to support the heads of two screws 25 which protrude laterally therefrom, in direction of the respective ends 19a and 20a of each transverse element 19 and 20 of the boom 18.
• the female part of the threaded element 28 of the corresponding ring-nut 24 can be brought near the corresponding screw 25, which acts as a drawing element, determining the attachment of the boom 18 to the support ring 23.
• the two screws 25 are radially and rotatably constrained to the support ring 23 by means of respective heads 25a (only one of which is shown in fig. 5) housed in a mating inner circular seating 23a of the support ring 23.
• the shafts of the two screws 25 protrude from respective eyelets 26, made on diametrically opposite sides on a lateral wall of the support ring 23.
• the eyelets 26 allow a selective angular orientation of the screws 25, so as to allow the positioning of each transverse element 19 and 20 of the boom 18 in a condition substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis Y of the mast 15. More generally, irrespective of the orientation of the respective screws 25, the axis X that joins the two ends 19a and 20a always intersects the mast 15, advantageously in correspondence with the longitudinal axis Y of the latter.
• the device 10 also comprises two clamping elements consisting of two jaws 27, each having two front surfaces 29 which, in use, contact under pressure the lateral parts of the mast 15 in the constraint zone 22.
• Each jaw 27 is shaped so as to define a central seating 30 (fig. 3) which allows to house, with play, a corresponding circular portion of the support ring 23.
• a through hole 31 is open on the central seating 30 and is able to allow the through housing of the corresponding screw 25.
• Each jaw 27 also comprises a thrust surface 32, substantially opposite the two front surfaces 29 and on which the ring-nut 24 is able to act due to the effect of its screwing on the screw 25.
• Each jaw 27 is advantageously made of a self-lubricating polyurethane material, such as for example Teflon® or suchlike, while the front surfaces 29 are made of a material with a high friction coefficient, such as for example synthetic rubber, natural rubber or other.
• the device 10 as described heretofore is assembled as follows .
• the support ring 23, provided with the respective screws 25, is inserted coaxially on the mast 15, until it is disposed in the constraint zone 22.
• the two jaws 27 are disposed so that the respective front surfaces 29 are in contact with the opposite lateral parts of the constraint zone 22, and so that the screws 25 emerge from the through holes 31.
• a cam-type clamping lever 224 is associated, for example of the type similar to those used for the removable clamping of bicycle hubs. In this way, a rotation of the clamping lever 224 around a pivoting axis determines the constraint of the boom 18 to the mast 15.
• two drawing pins 225 are provided, to the outer ends of which the corresponding clamping levers 224 are pivoted.
• the coupling of the mast 15 and the boom 18 is extremely stable and allows the user a better control of the sailboard 11 with respect to known solutions. Moreover, the device 10 has a lesser weight with respect to known solutions.
• each transverse element 19 and 20 is inserted in a seating 324 made in a respective clamping element 323 and is clamped thereto in a known manner, for example by screwing, interference, riveting or is attached by gluing.
• Two screws 325 are attached to the mast 15 in its constraint zone 22, and are disposed radial, on diametrically opposite sides, and substantially orthogonal with respect to the outer surface of the mast 15, at the same height with respect to the board 13.
• Each clamping element 323 comprises a head 326 which has a through hole 327 in which the respective screw 325 can be inserted, and which defines a compartment 328 accessible from outside in order to allow the user to screw a nut 330, cooperating with the inner surface of said compartment 328, onto the respective screw 325, in order to constrain the clamping element 323, and hence the transverse element 19, 20 of the boom 18, to the mast 15.
• the two screws 325 can be disposed at different heights with respect to each other and to the board 13, and oriented with respect to each other by an angle even other than 180°.
• the device according to the present invention comprises a ring 332 made of metal, plastic material or composite material, for example carbon, having an inner diameter equivalent to that of the mast 15, on which it is inserted.
• the head 326 comprises two protruding blocks 334 defining a seating 336, of size and shape mating with the width and thickness of the ring 32.
• the protruding blocks 334 are covered with elastomer material, for example rubber, able to allow an effective coupling with the outer surface of the mast 15.
• each screw 333 is screwed to constrain the clamping element 323 to the mast 15.
• the ring 332 is replaced by a pair of rings 337a and 337b, disposed concentric and free to rotate one with respect to the other, allowing to use booms 18 having the ends 19a, 20a oriented with different angles.
• the two rings 337a and 337b are not only able to be oriented with respect to each other, but also can be reciprocally distanced, thus allowing to use asymmetric booms 18 too.
• each transverse element 19 and 20 comprises a seating 424 at the respective ends 19a, 20a, the use of which will be explained later.
• a device 400 according to the present invention comprises two longitudinal guide elements 425, made solid with the outer surface of the mast 15 in correspondence with the constraint zone 22 so as to define a substantially single body with the mast 15.
• the guide elements 425 are disposed, in the preferential embodiment, on two opposite faces which, during use, face respectively port and starboard of the board 13, and each defines a sliding channel 442 having a length comprised, for example, between about 1 cm and about 60 cm.
• the device 400 also comprises two clamping elements 423, each of which is able to cooperate with one of the two guide elements 425 and has a body 428, at one end of which a pin 429 branches off and at the other end of which a supporting plate 431 is disposed.
• the pin 429 is able to be inserted in the seating 424 of the corresponding transverse element 19 or 20 in order to constrain the boom 18 to the clamping element 423, for example by means of a snap-in closure of the type comprising a button 432 associated with a spring 433 as shown schematically in figs. 14 and 15.
• the supporting plate 431 which is able to be disposed in contact with the outer surface of two walls 440 of the respective guide element 425, comprises a through hole 439 whose longitudinal axis, in use, is substantially orthogonal to said outer surface and in which a screw 438 is able to be inserted.
• the body 428 also comprises a compartment 441 (fig. 14) which allows to access the screw 438 or its head from outside.
• the clamping element 423 also comprises a platelet 434 inserted inside the channel 442 of the respective guide element 425, free to slide longitudinally therein, in cooperation with the inner surface of the two walls 440 of the relative channel 442.
• the platelet 434 has a threaded hole 437 which branches off radially with respect to the mast 15 and to which the screw 438 is able to be screwed, so that the supporting plate 431 and the platelet 434 are facing each other and kept distanced by the two walls 440.
• the coupling of the mast 15 and the boom 18 is extremely stable and allows the user a better control of the sailboard 11 with respect to known solutions.
• the device 400 has a lesser weight with respect to known solutions .
• the device 400 comprises only one guide element 425 and only one mating clamping element 423, and the pin 429 is inserted in a seating 424 made directly at one end of the boom 18.
• the guide element 425 is made on a sleeve able to be applied and attached in a known manner, for example by means of glue, on the mast 15.
• the guide elements 425 instead of the guide elements 425 it is provided to make one or more plate-type supports solid with the mast 15, each one equipped with at least a threaded hole to which a mating screw is able to be screwed, cooperating with the clamping element 423, for example in the manner described heretofore .
• a plate for example made of Teflon, to which the guide element 225 or the support itself is subsequently screwed.

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• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
• Clamps And Clips (AREA)
• Forklifts And Lifting Vehicles (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

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• 2006
  • 2006-02-23 EP EP06728442A patent/EP1755941A2/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2006-02-23 WO PCT/IT2006/000098 patent/WO2006090425A2/en not_active Ceased

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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