FR3018499A1 - AQUATIC VEHICLE FIXING MECHANISM - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a fixing arrangement for fixing a watercraft fin to a watercraft having a fin box, to be installed in a watercraft, such as a surfboard or its equivalent, designed to allow the fixing of fins removably to the aquatic vehicle. The present invention also relates to fins or other articles designed to be removably attached to the aquatic vehicle.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an attachment arrangement for attaching an aquatic vehicle drift to an aquatic vehicle having a drift box for installation in an aquatic vehicle, such as a board. surfboard or its equivalent, designed to allow removably attaching fins to the aquatic vehicle. The present invention also relates to fins or other articles designed to be removably attached to the aquatic vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION An aquatic vehicle, such as a surfboard, especially a vehicle on which a person is standing, kneeling or sitting when crossing water or standing on a wave, usually has least a drift located in a lower side of the aquatic vehicle, generally near the final end of the water vehicle. Such drifts play a number of functions, including: allowing the vehicle to move in a desired direction; facilitate the rotation of the vehicle; prevent the vehicle from slipping sideways; and to better control the movement of the vehicle, for example when taking a wave. The following description deals mainly with surfboards but it should be understood that the description also applies to any other aquatic vehicle (and board vehicle) designed to include drifts, such as sailing boats, rowing boats. paddle, life rafts, surf skis, kayaks and their equivalent. Some surfboards have fins forming an integral part of the vehicle in the lower side of the surfboard and, historically, most surfboards include such fins forming an integral part of the vehicle. These fins forming part of the vehicle are generally "glossy", which means they are integrated into the surfboard and made of fiber reinforced resin. The formation of such "frozen" drifts is quite laborious and makes the subsequent sanding and finishing of the board more difficult. Over the past twenty years or so, it has become more common for surfboards to incorporate drift systems including removable fins. Such drifting systems have many advantages, including: allowing the fins to be removed at the same time as the vehicle is moving; allow to easily replace damaged fins; and allow the use of drifts of different shapes or styles to choose from. These drift systems typically include at least one drift box embedded in the underside of the surfboard, adapted to receive at least one surfboard fin. Each drift box thus designed generally includes an open cavity designed to receive a base portion (or base member) of a surfboard fin. The fin can then be releasably attached to the surfboard by inserting the corresponding base portion (or base member) of the fin within the cavity (or cavities) of the fin box (or caissons). of drift). There are many known drift systems incorporating such an arrangement. A known and generally used drift system is described in US 5,464,369 under the trade name of Fin Control Systems Pty Ltd. This system comprises fins, each having two protruding base elements (or tongues) and, for each drift, two clevis housings installed in the underside of the surfboard. Each of the drift caissons has a cavity for receiving one of the basic elements. Each drift box also includes a locking screw for securing the base member within the drift box cavity. The above-mentioned drift system of US 5,464,369 has become excessively popular and widely used since the system allows the fins to be attached to a surfboard in a highly secure manner while allowing the fins to be easily removed from the surfboard. surf when desired. However, a disadvantage of the aforementioned system is that the installation and removal of the drift box fins requires a certain amount of time and requires the use of a tool (eg an Allen key) as the screws Locking devices must be threaded into or out of each cavity to secure or release the base elements of each drift (as desired). Another drift box operating in a manner similar to that described above is the drift box assembly disclosed in PCT AU 2008 001132, also known under the trade name Fin Control Systems Pty Ltd. The drift box described in PCT AU 2008 001132 includes two open cavities designed to receive the corresponding basic elements of a surfboard drift. These basic elements are designed to be fixed and released by means of locking screws (which can be threaded in the cavities or out of them). Each locking screw of this type is designed to support sideways against one side of a base member of the fin to hold it in place. Other known drift systems include systems incorporating a single drift box, with a single cavity, for each surfboard drift. Typically, such a drift system includes a relatively large drift box, with an elongate drift cavity for receiving the base member (s) of a fin. In such drifting systems, it is once again customary for each fin to be attached to the surfboard (i.e., the base member of the fin is attached to the interior of the body cavity. drift box) by means of a locking screw arrangement, such as that mentioned above. There is currently a need for an aquatic vehicle drift attachment mechanism designed to allow detachable attachments to the underside of an aquatic vehicle in a quick, easy and secure manner and preferably without the need for use a tool. PCT international patent application AU2013 000738 (WO 2013 163685) of the present applicant discloses a fastening mechanism for attaching an aquatic vehicle drift, a hook or the like to an aquatic vehicle, comprising a fastening arrangement comprising a biasing rod elastic and a projecting element cooperating with the biasing rod. The projecting element acts when the base portion of said fin is received in said first open cavity such that the biasing rod and the projecting member apply a force to the base portion of said fin to prevent drift retraction. out of the open cavity. International PCT Application Document AU2013001314 of the present applicant discloses a modified drift box construction providing an improved connection to the water vehicle, and in certain embodiments that can utilize the drift attachment mechanism of WO 2013 163685. The present description is based on the description of WO 2013 163685 to provide alternative modes of fastening mechanisms. The contents of W02013 163685 and 15 PCT AU2013 001314 are incorporated herein by reference. In addition, the present invention relates to fins or other articles designed to be easily and quickly attached to the aforementioned drift boxes or removed without the use of a tool. In the present invention, where a document, an act or an article mentioning knowledge is evoked or expounded, the reference to that reference or discussion does not imply that, on the priority date, the document, act or article or any combination thereof: (a) formed part of common general knowledge; or b) were known to be relevant in attempting to solve any problem set forth in this specification. Any reference to the known prior art does not make it possible to assume, unless stated otherwise, that said prior art is generally known to those skilled in the art concerned by the present invention on the priority date of the present application. . SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A first embodiment of the present invention provides an attachment arrangement for attaching an aquatic vehicle drift to an aquatic vehicle having a drift box, the drift box having a first open cavity designed to receive a basic portion of the water vehicle drift; the fastening arrangement comprising an elastic biasing rod and a projecting member cooperating with the biasing rod, said projecting member being adapted to act when the base portion of said fin is received in said first open cavity such that the stem of biasing and the projecting member applies a force on the base portion of said fin to prevent removal of said fin from said first open cavity.

The biasing rod may extend substantially parallel to a side surface of the base portion of said fin. In a first exemplary embodiment, the biasing rod and the projecting element are incorporated in the fin, preferably in a base portion of the fin, to cooperate with a drift box of the aquatic vehicle. The biasing rod and the protruding member may be incorporated into a cartridge assembly fitted into a cavity formed in the fin base. Preferably, the cartridge assembly comprises a cartridge body with a cavity in which the biasing rod and the projecting member are held. In another embodiment, the present invention relates to a fin designed to be installed in a drift box of an aquatic vehicle, said drift box including a first open cavity adapted to receive a base portion of the drift of an aquatic vehicle. the drift comprising: an elastic biasing rod and a projecting member cooperating with the biasing rod; said projecting member being adapted to emerge from the drift base portion when actuated by the biasing rod, to interlock with the drift box and to apply a force to the base portion of said fin to prevent withdrawal said drift out of said first open cavity. The biasing rod extends generally substantially parallel to a lateral surface of the base portion of said fin. It is preferred that the orientation of the biasing rod is also substantially parallel to the plane of the water vehicle. The biasing rod may be formed from any suitable material, such as titanium, steel (eg marine grade steel), fiberglass, carbon fiber or plastic (including reinforced industrial plastic). It is particularly preferred that the biasing rod is formed from titanium. The projecting element is preferably designed to abut a side surface of the drift box cavity. In a particularly preferred embodiment, a side surface of the first drift box cavity includes a lateral recess portion adapted to cooperate with the projecting member to retain the drift in the drift box cavity. Preferably, the biasing rod causes "snapping" of the protruding member into the lateral recess of the drift box cavity as the drift base portion is pushed into the cavity. The fin and the drift box typically have a front region and a rear region and the drift box preferably includes additional drift withdrawal prevention means positioned in said forward region. Preferably, the projecting element is positioned in the rear region. The additional drift retraction prevention means preferably comprise drift interlocking means. The drift interlocking means preferably comprises a slot or groove provided to receive a lateral projection such as a transverse pin placed on a front portion of the drift base. In another embodiment of the description, the attachment mechanism may be incorporated in the drift box, generally as described in WO2013 163685.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the projecting element is an annular shaped element positioned around said biasing rod. Preferably, this annular shaped member is adapted to pivot about said biasing rod. The annular shaped member preferably has a circumferential outer surface extending between two side surfaces, said circumferential outer surface having a convex profile between said side surfaces. This convex profile disperses more evenly through the ring-shaped member the load or force applied to the ring-shaped member when it intermesh with the side surface of the water vehicle drift box. The annular shaped member preferably rolls or rotates to reduce frictional wear on the well and facilitates "softer" installation and removal of the fin relative to the well. The annular shaped member is typically made from a durable non-corrosive polymer / plastic material (although a number of other suitable materials may be used). Acetal is a particularly preferred material for the ring-shaped element. Acetal is a common term for a relatively hard industrial plastic with high tensile strength, suitable for machining situations and highly rigid in operation. Typically, the embodiments of the present invention in which the biasing rod and the projecting member are formed in the fin are designed to be installed in a larger deck vehicle, such as a longboard or a standing paddle board typically having relatively thick drifts with thicker drift base portions for receiving the mechanism. However, the mounted drift embodiment can also be used for relatively smaller shortboard drifts, for example with adaptation of the drift base portion to be thicker than the drift body, with change. corresponding width of the cavity of the drift box. According to a second aspect of the present description, there is provided an aquatic vehicle drift box adapted to recév-o-ir a drift box according to ré embodiment of the aforementioned embodiment of the description. According to a third aspect of the description, there is provided a set of drift box and drift vehicle for use in a board vehicle, comprising a drift box as described above and an aquatic vehicle drift as described herein. -above.

According to a fourth aspect of the present description, there is provided an aquatic vehicle attachment device having a base portion comprising a fastening mechanism as described above. In a preferred embodiment, the water vehicle attachment device comprises a support junction member for connecting the attachment device to a support structure. This support junction member may comprise a hook member for connecting the water vehicle attachment device to a holding rod (for example a horizontal holding rod). The support joining member, such as a hook member, may be separated from the base portion of the water vehicle fastener by an intermediate section of the fastener. In another particularly preferred embodiment of this aspect of the invention, the hook member rests in a plane at right angles to the plane of the base portion.

Typically, the water vehicle attachment device described above is designed for use in a surfboard or other flatbed vehicle. The above preferred embodiment of the fourth aspect of the present disclosure allows a water vehicle attachment device, which includes a hook element, to be attached to a surfboard (or aquatic vehicle) which then allows the suspension of the surfboard (or any other aquatic vehicle) from a holding rod (for example a horizontal holding rod). In the above-mentioned preferred embodiment in which the hook member rests in a plane at right angles to the plane of the base portion, this allows to suspend a multitude of surfboards from the holding rod in a Sandwich training, thus allowing to store a greater number of surfboards on the holding rod.

As can be seen from the above description (and as explained and illustrated in more detail later in this description), an aquatic vehicle drift or other water vehicle attachment device, as described above-mentioned, can already be attached to a drift box, according to the above-mentioned corresponding description. This attachment is made, in the case of an aquatic vehicle drift, by inserting the base portion of the fin in the first open cavity of the drift box. This is typically achieved by embedding a forward portion of the drift (e.g., the drift section) with the drift nesting means of the drift box and then pivoting a trailing rearward portion of the drift toward the drift box. so that the base portion of the fin extends into the open cavity, thereby allowing the projecting means of this base portion to protrude into the lateral recess of the drift box cavity. In the case of another aquatic vehicle fastening device, such as a hook member (as described above), the fastening is performed by inserting the base portion of the fastener into the first open cavity of the drift box. This is typically achieved by nesting a front portion of the fastener with the drift nesting means of the drift box and then pivoting a rear portion of the fastener downwardly toward the drift box, so that the fixing mechanism of the base part of the fixing device acts as described above. In the aforementioned embodiments, the biasing rod and the projecting member may be respectively an elongate elastic member and a bulbous portion. The bulbous portion may be part of a flywheel member formed around the elongate shaft, the flywheel member configured to pivot about the shank as the fin and the drift are interlocked with each other. installing and / or removing the drift, to maintain the drift base portion in the drift box cavity once the drift is installed.

The biasing rod and the projecting member are incorporated in one of the drift or drift box with the other of the drift or drift box having a grooved portion (or sloped portion), the groove (or inclined portion) being configured to interlock with the extended portion.

A surface of the flywheel element may be configured to be placed within the grooved portion (or against the inclined portion). Other forms and embodiments of the description are also apparent from the description, drawings and claims. It should be appreciated that the features described herein may be provided in the device described herein either independently or in different combinations. Brief description of the drawings A detailed description of a preferred embodiment of a fastening mechanism incorporated in the drift device / casing according to the first aspect of the present invention is given below, while with reference to the figures following: Figures 1A and 1B are views (exploded) in perspective of an example of drift assembly and drift box. Figure 1B illustrates the edges tangent with the dashed lines. This embodiment is common to the present description and to the document WO2013 163685; Fig. 2A is a side cross-sectional view of an example of a centreboard and centreboard drift assembly; Figure 2B is a perspective view of the drift assembly and drift box of Figure 2A; Fig. 2C is a front cross-sectional view of the drift and drift box assembly of Fig. 2A; Figure 2D is a side view of the drift and drift box assembly of Figure 2A; Figure 2E is a front view of the drift and drift box assembly of Figure 2A; Figure 2F is a rear view of the drift and drift box assembly of Figure 2A; Figure 2G is a bottom perspective view of the drift and drift box assembly of Figure 2A; Figure 2H is a top view of the drift and drift box assembly of Figure 2A; Figure 21 is a bottom view of the drift and drift box assembly of Figure 2A; Fig. 3A is a side cross-sectional view of the drift assembly, and drift box of Fig. 2A, when the fin has been inserted into the device; Figure 3B is a perspective view from above of the drift and drift box assembly of Figure 3A; Figure 3C is a front cross-sectional view of the drift and drift box assembly of Figure 3A; Figure 4A is a side cross-sectional view of an example of a drift assembly and a right drift box; Figure 4B is a rear view of the drift and drift box assembly of Figure 4A; Fig. 4C is a cross-sectional front view of the drift and drift box assembly of Fig. 4B along the line C-C; Figure 4D is a side view of the drift and drift box assembly of Figure 4A; Figure 4E is a perspective view from below of the drift and drift box assembly of Figure 4A; Figure 4F is a cross-sectional side view of the drift and drift box assembly of Figure 4A, the drift being received by the device; Figure 4G is a perspective view from above of the drift and drift box assembly of Figure 4F; Fig. 5A is a side cross-sectional view of an example of a left-hand drift and drift box assembly; Figure 5B is a rear view of the drift and drift box assembly of Figure 5A; Figure 5C is a cross-sectional front view of the drift and drift box assembly of Figure 5C; Figure 50 is a side view of the drift and drift box assembly of Figure 5A; Figure 5E is a perspective view from below of the assembly, drift and drift box of Figure 5A; FIG. 5F is a cross-sectional side view of the drift and drift box assembly of FIG. 5A, the drift being received by the device; Figure 5G is a perspective view from above of the drift and drift box assembly of Figure 5F; Figure 6A is a perspective view from above of an exemplary drift device or box; Figure 6B is another perspective view from above of the drift device or box of Figure 6A; Figure 6C is a bottom perspective view of the drift device or box of Figure 6A; Figure 6D is another bottom perspective view of the drift device or box of Figure 6A; Figure 6E is a top elevational view of the drift device or box of Figure 6A; Figure 6F is a bottom elevational view of the drift device or box of Figure 6A; Figure 6G is a side elevational view of the drift device or box of Figure 6A; Figure 6H is another side elevational view of the drift device or box of Figure 6A; Fig. 61 is a rear end elevational view of the drift device or box of Fig. 6A; Figure 6J was deliberately omitted; Figure 6K is a front end elevational view of the drift device or box of Figure 6A; Fig. 6L is a cross-sectional view of the drift device or box of Fig. 6H along section line A-A; Figure 6M is a cross-sectional view of the drift device or box of Figure 61 along section line B-B; Fig. 6N is a cross-sectional view of the drift device or box of Fig. 6K along section line C-C; Figure 60 is a perspective view from above of the device or drift box of Figure 6A without cover 60; Figure 6P is an exploded view of the drift device or box of Figure 6A; Figure 6Q is another exploded view of the drift device or box of Figure 6A; Figure 7A is a perspective view from above of an example of device or right drift box; Fig. 7B is a front cross-sectional view of the drift device or box of Fig. 7A; Figure 7C is a top cross-sectional view of the drift device or box of Figure 7A; Figure 7D is a side cross-sectional view of the drift device or box of Figure 7A; Fig. 8A is a perspective view from above of an example of a left-handed device or box. Fig. 8B is a front cross-sectional view of the drift device or box of Fig. 8A; Figure 8C is a top cross-sectional view of the drift device or box of Figure 8A; Figure 8D is a side cross-sectional view of the drift device or box of Figure 8A; Fig. 9A is a side view of an example of a drift that can be used with a drift device or box described herein; Figure 9B is a perspective view from above of the fin of Figure 9A; Fig. 9C is a perspective view from below of the fin of Fig. 9A; Fig. 9D is a front view of the fin of Fig. 9A; Figure 9E is a rear view of the fin of Figure 9A; Fig. 9F is a cross-sectional view of the fin of Fig. 9A; Figure 9G is a top view of the fin of Figure 9A; Figure 9H is a bottom view of the fin of Figure 9A; Fig. 10A is a side view of an example of a right drift that can be used with a drift device or box described herein; Fig. 10B is a cross-sectional view of the fin of Fig. 10A; Fig. 10C is a rear view of the fin of Fig. 10A; Figure 10D is a perspective view from above of the fin of Figure 10A; Fig. 11A is a side view of an example of a left-handed dagger suitable for use with a drift device or box described herein; Fig. 11B is a cross-sectional view of the drift of Fig. 11A; Fig. 11C is a view of behind the drift of Figure 11A; Figure 11D is a perspective view from above of the fin of Figure 11A; Figures 12A-15D illustrate an alternative arrangement in which the attachment mechanism is incorporated in the drift base portion; Figs. 12A to 12C are a series of views showing the construction and assembly of a cartridge incorporating fastening mechanism components adapted to fit into a drift base portion or other device; Figs. 13A to 13D are a series of views showing the cartridge installed in the base portion of a fin; FIGS. 14A to 14E are orthogonal views and an elevational sectional view of a drift incorporating the cartridge; FIGS. 15A to 15C illustrate the drift installed in an aquatic vehicle; FIG. 15D is a section showing the off-center position of the attachment mechanism inside the drift base and the nesting with the drift box; FIGS. 16A-16C are a series of views showing the construction and assembly of a drift in which an elastic biasing rod and a projecting member are directly installed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT OR EMBODIMENTS An example of a fastening mechanism incorporated in a drift device or box 10 is illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B. In this particular example, the device 10 is used to maintain a first drift portion 15 in an aquatic vehicle, such as a surfboard or its equivalent (not shown). The device 10 may be formed to form an integral part of the aquatic vehicle or to be able to be inserted therein. As illustrated in Figures 1A and 1B, the device 10 may include a first cavity 20 having a cavity wall 25 (and further described below). The device 10 also includes an elastic elongate member which may be positioned partially along an elongated side of the cavity wall 25. Figure 1 also illustrates that the elongated elastic member may have an extension portion 35 the extension portion 35 extending out of the elastic member 30 through a recess 40 or opening into the elongated side of the cavity wall 25.

Therefore, when the first drift portion 15 is inserted into the first cavity 20, any of the elastic elongate member 30 and the extension portion 35 or a combination thereof may apply a force on the first drift portion 15 for holding the first drift portion 15 within the first cavity 20. Thus, in one particular example, the elastic elongate member is a resilient pin or pin and the extending portion 35 may comprise a bulbous portion 45, the bulbous portion 45 being configured to interlock with the first drift portion 15. In yet another example, the bulbous portion 45 may be a portion of a flywheel member formed around the elongate shaft , the flywheel member 35 being configured to move around the shank 30 upon engagement with the first drift portion 15, to maintain the first drift portion 15 For example, FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate that the pin 30 is a pin or its equivalent that can act as a spring to allow the flywheel member 35 to act as a trunk capable of maintaining the drift 50 in place. The device 10 can therefore take the form of a box that can maintain the drift and keep the pin in place. Figure 1 also illustrates that once the rod 30 inserted in the device 10, the insertion can be sealed by an end box 55 or its equivalent. The box 55 can prevent the rod 30 from coming out of the device 10.

In addition, FIGS. 1A and 1B also illustrate that the device may comprise one or more covers 55, 57, 60 that can be used to seal the extension portion 35 in the device 10. In a particular example, the cache end 55 is typically impervious to water and can hold both the stem 30 and the extension portion 35 therein. The side cover 57 may be optional, the stem 30 and the extension portion 35 being installable without the use of an opening sealingly closing the side cover 57. FIG. 6N illustrates one embodiment of the fin box 10 without the use of a side cover 57.

In yet another example, the first drift portion 15 may also include a grooved portion 65 on a side drift surface 70. The grooved portion 65 is typically configured to interlock with the extension portion 35. Thus, in one example a surface of the flywheel member 35, typically a curved surface, is configured to locate within the grooved portion 65. It should be appreciated that although the grooved portion 65 may be formed or take a shape such that it substantially conforms or coincides with the curved surface of the extension portion 35, a strict conformation or strict matching not being necessary. In these examples, the grooved portion 65 is configured to wind over the extension portion 35 and the extension portion 35 can then lock the first drift portion 15 into the first cavity 20. It should also be account that when the locking action occurs and that the first drift portion 15 is pushed inside the cavity, the rod 30 may flex and may remain slightly bent upon application of the force on the extension 35 thereby causing a force to be applied to the grooved portion 65 to maintain the first drift portion 15 within the first cavity 20. In a particular example, a force Laterally, either a downward force or a combination thereof may be applied to maintain the first drift portion within the device 10.

According to a particular example, during the insertion of the fin 50 inside the device 10, a second drift portion 90 is inserted at the start, the recess 85 provided on the second drift portion 90 interlocking with the protrusion 80 provided on the device 10 (inside the second cavity 75). Once the second drift portion 90 is in place, the first drift portion 15 is locked within the first cavity 20 by pressing downwardly on the fin 50 so that the groove 65 intermesh with the in extension 35 at least partly placed inside the first cavity 20. Thus, in another example, with reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B, a drift box 10 is provided for installation in an aquatic vehicle (not shown) said drift box 10 including a first open cavity 20 adapted to receive a base portion 18 of a water vehicle drift 50; and an elastic biasing rod 30 and a projecting member (also referred to herein as an extension) cooperating with the biasing rod 30. The projecting member 35 is designed / configured to abut the base portion 18 of said fin 50 when it is received in said first open cavity 20. The biasing rod 30 and the projecting member 35 are therefore designed to apply a force to the base portion 18 of said fin 50 to prevent removal of said fin 50 out of said first open cavity 20. As shown in Figures 1A and 1B, the biasing rod 30, when inserted into the fin box 10, is positioned adjacent the first open cavity 20. In a particular example , the biasing rod 30 extends substantially parallel to a lateral surface 16 of the base portion 18 of the fin 50. The projecting element 35 can thus abut against the lateral surface 16. It should further be taken into account that the drift box 10 may also include a side recess 22 where the biasing rod 30 is positioned within the side recess 22. - The side recess 22 and the first open cavity 20 are thus separated by an open wall (here called cavity wall) and emerging at a portion of the projecting element 35 through an opening (or a recess) 40 provided in the wall 25 to the Inside the first open cavity 20. The side surface 16 may comprise an inclined surface section (also described herein as a grooved portion) 65. The inclined surface section 65 is adapted to cooperate with the projecting element 35 so as to induce a force, oriented inward in the first open cavity 20, applied to the base portion 18 under the influence of the biasing rod 30. In a particular example, the subwoofer e 10 may have a front region 12 and a rear region 14. The projecting element 35 is typically positioned in the rear region 14.

The drift box 10 may include additional drift preventing means positioned in the front region 12. The drift preventing means may include drift interlocking means including a rim portion (hereinafter referred to as protrusion) 80 designed to cover a drift section (hereinafter referred to as a recess) 85 and to prevent movement of the fin 50 when the base portion 18 is received within the first open cavity 20. As described herein, the drift box 10 may comprise a second open cavity 75. Therefore, the first open cavity 20 may receive a first tongue of the base portion 18 of the fin 50 and the second open cavity 75 may receive a second tongue of the portion of base 18 of the drift 50. In this particular example, the first open cavity 20 is positioned in the rear region 14 and the second open cavity is positioned in the front region 12. In addition, the inclined surface section 65 of the base portion of said fin is positioned on the first tab. In addition, the flange portion 80 may be positioned within said second open cavity, and the drift section may be positioned on the second tongue of the base portion of the fin 50.

The flange portion may comprise a flange extending out of one end of said second open cavity and defining a recess between said flange and a base surface of said second open cavity, said recess being adapted to receive the cross section. drift, for example as illustrated in Figures 12A-12H of WO2013 163685. As set forth herein, the extending portion / projecting member 35 may be a ring-shaped or flying-type member positioned around the shank In a particular example, the annular shaped member is pivotable about said biasing rod. In yet another example, the annular shaped member need not necessarily be cylindrical in shape and may have a circumferential outer surface extending between two side surfaces, the circumferential outer surface having a convex profile between said surfaces. side.

In yet another example, particularly illustrated in FIGS. 2A, 3A, 4A, 4F, 5A, and 5F, the device 10 may also include a second cavity 75. The second cavity 75 may include a projection 80, the projection 80 being configured to be inserted into a respective recess 85 of a second drift portion 90 and to coincide therewith, thereby to maintain the second drift portion 90 within the second cavity 75. Thus, for example, any one of the projection 80 and the recess 85 or a combination thereof; and the extension portion 35 and the first drift portion 15 may snap together, and the fin 50 may be securely held within the device 10. In particular, it should be taken into account, for those skilled in the art, that the second drift portion 90 can be held within the second cavity 75 by a number of different mechanical elements / fasteners. Other examples of securing means for securing / holding the second drift portion 90 within a second cavity 75 are described below. In the examples illustrated in the figures, the first cavity 15 and the second cavity 75 are two distinct cavities placed inside the device 10. However, it should be realized that in some cases they may form a part of an elongated cavity (not shown). Certain advantages can be obtained by maintaining the two distinct cavities. That is, the bridge 95 between the two cavities may be configured to more securely hold the first and second drift portions 15,90 in respective first and second cavities 20,75. In addition, the bridge may include a deck section having an upper surface adapted to abut against a lower surface of an aquatic vehicle drift. It should be taken into account for the skilled person that many water vehicles such as surfboards or their equivalent may include one or more drifts. In a particular example, a surfboard may comprise a central drift and two lateral drifts (here called left and right drifts, when we look at the lower side of the surfboard with the tail of the surfboard the most low). Thus, although the features described herein may be applicable to any drift, the water vehicle may include slight variations depending on the location of the drift (and the presence or absence of a central drift). , a right drift or a left drift). An example of variation can be observed when comparing Figures 2C, 4C, and 5C. In these examples, FIGS. 2A to 3C show an example of central fin 50, where, as illustrated in FIG. 2C, the fin 50 is substantially perpendicular to the device 10. However, comparatively, the fins 50 of FIGS. 4C and 5C form an angle relative to the vertical of the device 10. Figure 4C is an example of right drift and Figure 5C is an example of left drift. Although the drifts described are configured to be inserted at any angle to the vertical, in a particular example, the angle is 7 to 9 degrees from the vertical. Therefore, the device 10 can also be modified to accommodate a variable insertion angle. As illustrated in FIGS. 4C and 5C, the first cavity 15 may comprise an opposing wall 28 forming a certain angle, said wall being opposed to the cavity wall 25 (typically a cavity wall for which the portion extension 35 spring through).

In other examples, FIGS. 6A to 6Q illustrate an example of a drift device or box 10, the device 10 being typically used in these examples for a central drift. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that, as shown in FIG. 6N, the extension portion 35 extends through the cavity wall 25 in a position in which it can easily coincide with the grooved portion 65 Correspondingly, the extension portion 35 does not necessarily need to protrude through the center of the cavity wall 25 and may, in this particular example, be offset from the center.

In addition, the device 10 illustrates the attachment points 98 for fixing the locking screws or any other suitable fastening means or its equivalent, to further fix the drift 50 to the device 10. It should be realized that the use of the locking screws or any other suitable fastening means may make it possible to fix different types of fins to the device 10. Thus in this particular example, the locking screw can be configured to extend inside the device. first cavity 20 for further securing a base portion of the fin 50 within the first cavity 20. A similar locking screw may be used for the second cavity 75, a locking screw being configured to extend to the first cavity interior of the second cavity 75 to further secure a tongue, base portion or equivalent thereof forming part of the fin 50 within the second cavity 75. Figs. 7A-7D are exe 10 device mples used with a right drift. In addition, Figures 8A-8D are examples of device 10 used with a left-hand drift. It should be noted and noted in particular for these figures that the examples illustrate that devices used for lateral drifts (such as left and right drifts) can be formed so as to be symmetrical images with respect to an axis one with respect to the other. In addition, Figures 7B and 8B illustrate the opposing wall 28 forming a certain angle, to allow for an insertion at a certain angle of the respective drifts. In the examples illustrated here, the device 10 substantially takes the form of a perfect eight, so that at least one profile of the device has substantially a perfect eight shape. In these examples, the first cavity 15 is positioned or formed within a first end 12 of the perfect eight and the second cavity 75 is formed within the second end 14 of the perfect eight.

It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the perfect eight shape of the device 10 may provide advantages such as allowing the device 10 to be part of the water vehicle and further enabling the drift portions to be locked to the vehicle. inside. The polished edges of the perfect eight shape also facilitate the manufacturing process. However, it should be realized that the device is not limited to this form and that other shapes that can offer the same functionality as the cavities are also incorporated in the present invention. FIGS. 9A to 9H illustrate examples of central drift 50 for use with a central device 10. FIGS. 10A to 10D illustrate examples of right drift 50 and FIGS. 11A to 11D illustrate an example of left drift 50. The left and right drifts right may in particular be images symmetrical with respect to an axis relative to each other.

In particular with reference to the fins 50, it should furthermore be taken into account that although the first drift portion 15 and the second drift portion 90 may be or may respectively comprise first and second tabs, it should be realized that any base portion of the fin 50 may be configured to be inserted into the first and second cavities 20, 75. Other variants of the fixed fin assembly are disclosed in WO2013 163685, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. content is incorporated by reference.

Figs. 12A to 15D and Figs. 16A to 16C illustrate two different embodiments of the attachment mechanism incorporated in a drift of the water vehicle. In FIGS. 118t-15D, the fastener mechanism is formed in a cartridge 4000, or cassette, installed in the base portion 4018 of a drift 4050. The cartridge is illustrated in FIGS. 12A-12C by following the sequence of FIG. 'assembly. The cartridge 4000 consists of an outer cartridge body 4002 providing a support frame for the elastic biasing rod 4030 and the flywheel type member 4035 which is placed, when assembled, within a placed cavity. 4004 opening side of the cartridge, the cavity having a central portion 4006 wider to receive the element 4030. At the ends of the cavity there are the end holes 4008 and 4009 acting to support the ends of the cavity. biasing rod, with one of the end holes 4008 forming a through hole to allow insertion of the rod during assembly of the cartridge. The other end hole 4009 may be either a through hole or a blind hole. As best shown in Figs. 13A to 13C and sectional views 14D and 15D, the projecting flywheel member has a diameter preferably coinciding with the width of the cartridge body 4002 and the biasing rod 4030 is supported in the cartridge with its axis offset center, so that a portion of the projecting element 4035 extends beyond the side of the cartridge and, when installed, beyond the side of the base portion of the cartridge. derivative. The construction of the elastic shaft 4030 and the flywheel element 4035 may be similar to those described above, for example with reference to Figs. 1A and 1B. The cartridge body 4002 may be formed with perforations 4012 to reduce weight thereof and may be formed from any suitable material and by any suitable means, for example molded from a plastic material such as nylon filled with glass, ABS, acetal. Figures 13A to 13D illustrate the installation of the cartridge within the base portion 4018 of a drift 4050, and Figures 14A through 14E illustrate a drift 4050 with the attachment mechanism cartridge 4000 installed in the drift base. The rear of the drift base portion 4018 includes a large elongated cavity 4014 for receiving the cartridge which can be secured in place by a friction / interference fit or alternatively / alternatively glued or welded in its place. The smaller cavities 4016 provided in the drift base portion 4018 serves to reduce the weight.

The width of the cartridge is preferably no wider than that of the drift base in which it is installed, except for the upper profile of the cartridge which preferably has a width slightly greater than the corresponding width of the slot of the cartridge. so that when these parts meet, an interference fit is formed. This creates a tighter fit between the drift base and the slit that reduces drift base oscillation (which is a desirable attribute to smoothly transfer surfer energy to drift). At the front of the drift base portion is a transverse pin 4019 projecting from both sides of the fin base, to interlock with the rails provided in the side surfaces of the fin box to fix the front of the the drift in the drift box. FIGS. 15A to 15C illustrate the sequence followed to install the drift of FIGS. 13A to 14E in the drift box of a flatbed vehicle. In Fig. 15A, the fin is inserted into the fin box at an angle, so that the protruding portions of the transverse pin 4019 are fed into the longitudinal rails 4021 on both sides of the fin box cavity.

The fin is then moved forward, moving the pin 4019 along the rails 4021, until the front of the drift base portion reaches the desired location within the housing cavity. derivative. The rear of the fin is pivoted downward (Figure 15B) to fit the fastening mechanism. When the projecting flywheel member 4035 contacts the side surface 4023 of the drift box cavity 4020, the pin 4030 flexes resiliently to allow the member 4035 to advance toward the side surface 4020. interior and snap into an undercut recess 4065 formed in the side surface of the drift box cavity (Fig. 15D). The elastic shaft 4030 remains slightly flexed when the fin is fully inserted, the spring force then provided by the rod 4030 helping to retain the element 4035 firmly in the undercut recess to maintain the fin attached to the fin casing. In addition to producing a lateral force between the drift base and the drift box cavity, the engagement of the member 4035 with the undercut recess can also provide a force vector downwardly on the drift. forcing the lower surface of the drift base against the base of the drift box cavity and retaining the slightly tapered cartridge interlocking by interference fit with the sides of the drift box cavity. This contributes to the stability of the drift nesting in the aquatic vehicle.

Removal of the drift from the water vehicle, for example for replacement or transport, is accomplished by pivoting the rear of the drift upward to bend the rod 4030 again and "snap" the fastening mechanism out of position. the drift box cavity, in a substantially opposite sequence with respect to the insertion sequence of Figures 15A-15C. The risk of unwanted de-nesting during the use of the water vehicle is low as it is not an angle in which the drift is normally operated. This cartridge embodiment has the advantage that the cartridge can be designed to be installed in a wide variety of different drift configurations or in other devices such as storage hooks, with less tooling cost. FIGS. 16A to 16C illustrate an alternative exemplary embodiment in which the elastic rod 4030 and the projecting element 4035 of the attachment mechanism are directly installed in the drift base 4018, rather than in an installed cartridge. in the drift base. The construction and operation of the embodiment of Figs. 16A to 16C are otherwise similar to those of Figs. 13A to 15D.

The embodiments of Figs. 12A to 16C utilize a transverse pin 4019 interlocking with the longitudinal rails 4021 to secure the front of the drift base into the drift box cavity. It will be appreciated that the description will be supplemented by other mechanisms for performing this function, including for example an arrangement similar to recess 85 and projection 80 of FIGS. 1A to 11D or a recess formed between a rim and a base surface of the drift box cavity, adapted to receive the drift section, for example as illustrated in Figures 12A-12H of WO2013163685.

Although the drift box of the first aspect of the present invention is first intended for use with aquatic vehicle drifts (e.g., surfboard drifts) of the second aspect of the present invention, so as to enable the easy attachment and adapted such fins drift box or detachment thereof (without the use of a tool), it is not limited to such use. For example, another device for attaching aquatic vehicles may be selectively attached to the corresponding drift box, or detached therefrom, substantially identically to the attachment or detachment of the aforementioned fins.

An example of such another device for fixing aquatic vehicles is a stirrup / hook device, not shown, for example generally as described and illustrated in FIGS. 29A to 29H of document WO2013 163685. As will be understood, this Hook device is designed to be connected to a surfboard (or other aquatic vehicle) so that the surfboard (or any other aquatic vehicle) can be suspended from a horizontal holding rod (or any similar structure). The base portion of the hook device may be configured to receive a fastener cartridge, for example as illustrated in FIGS. 12A-12C, or alternatively / alternatively for directly receiving a biasing rod and an element. protruding in a similar arrangement to the drift base shown in Figs. 16A-16C. It should be realized that although many different materials can be used for the drift box 10, it can be made from ABS (acrylonitrilebutadiene-styrene or any other plastics) or Zytel . The rod 30 or 4030 is typically formed from any resilient material such as high quality stainless steel or titanium which is also a robust material used in aquatic vehicles since this material generally does not degrade. or do not rust. The same robust material may also be used for the extension portion 35 or 4035. It will further be appreciated that the device 10 may be injection molded.

The cartridge body can also be formed from many different materials. Typically, the cartridge body is made from injection molded plastics, for example glass-filled nylon, ABS, acetal as preferred materials. It should also be taken into account that the described hook device can be formed from many different materials. Typically, this device is formed from suitable plastic materials relatively inexpensive and strong enough to suspend a surfboard (or any other aquatic vehicle) to a holding rod.

In this description, the terms indicating a direction, such as vertical, up, down, left, right, etc. or a rotation, shall be understood to indicate directions or rotations relative to the corresponding drawing rather than absolute directions or rotations unless the context so requires.

30 When used, the term "comprising" must be understood in its "open" meaning, that is, in the sense of "including" and is not limited to its "closed" meaning which is the meaning "consisting solely of". Corresponding meaning is assigned to the corresponding terms "understand", "understood" and "understands" when used. It will be understood that the invention disclosed and defined herein extends to alternative combinations of two or more individual features mentioned or apparent from the text. All these different combinations constitute various variants of aspects of the invention. Although particular embodiments of the present invention have been described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in other specific embodiments without departing from the essential features thereof. The present embodiments and examples are therefore considered in all respects as examples and not restrictively and any modifications that will occur to those skilled in the art are therefore included within the scope of the present invention.

Claims (14)

REVENDICATIONS1. A fastening arrangement for attaching an aquatic vehicle drift to an aquatic vehicle having a drift box, the drift box having a first open cavity configured to receive a base portion of the water vehicle drift; the fastening arrangement comprising an elastic biasing rod and a projecting member cooperating with the biasing rod, said projecting member being adapted to act when the base portion of said fin is received in said first open cavity such that the stem of biasing and the protruding element prevent removal of said drift from said first open cavity. The fastener arrangement of claim 1, wherein said biasing rod extends substantially parallel to a side surface of the base portion of said fin. A drift designed to be installed in an aquatic vehicle drift box, said drift box including a first open cavity adapted to receive a base portion of the water vehicle drift, the drift comprising: an elastic bias rod and a protruding member cooperating with the biasing rod, said projecting member being adapted to emerge from the drift base portion when actuated by the biasing rod, to interlock with the drift box and to apply force to the portion of said drift to prevent removal of said drift from said first open cavity. A device designed to be installed in an aquatic vehicle drift box, said drift box including a first open cavity adapted to receive a base portion of the device, the device comprising: an elastic biasing rod and a projecting member cooperating with the biasing rod, said protruding member being adapted to emerge from the base portion when actuated by the biasing rod, to interlock with the drift box and to apply force to the base portion to prevent removing said device from said first open cavity. 5. Device according to claim 4, wherein the device is a stirrup. A drift according to claim 3 or a device according to claim 4, the biasing rod and the projecting member being included in an attachment mechanism cartridge incorporated in the base portion of the fin or device, 7. A drift or device according to claim 6, the cartridge comprising a cartridge body supporting the biasing rod and the projecting member. 10 8. A drift or device according to claim 7, the projecting element extending beyond a lateral surface of the cartridge. The drift of claim 3, wherein a front portion of the base portion has a transverse pin configured to interlock with one or more rails in the drift well cavity and wherein the fastener arrangement includes the resilient biasing rod and the projecting member is positioned in a rear portion of the fin base. The drift of claim 3, wherein the securing mechanism constrains the drift base portion to interlock with a lower surface of the drift box cavity. The drift of claim 3, wherein the attachment arrangement comprises cooperating structures comprised of a forward portion of the drift base portion and a front portion of the drift box cavity for retaining the front portion of the drift base portion in the drift box cavity. A drift according to claim 11, wherein the cooperating structures comprise a projection provided in the drift box cavity received in a recess provided in the front of the drift base portion. 30 13. A fastener mechanism cartridge for installation in the fin according to claim 3 or a device according to claim 4, comprising a cartridge body, an elastic biasing rod and a projecting member biased by the rod. 14. Drift housing for installation in an aquatic vehicle, said drift housing comprising: a first open cavity adapted to receive a base portion of an aquatic vehicle drift; and an elastic biasing rod and a projecting member cooperating with the biasing rod, said projecting member being adapted to abut against the base portion of said centreboard when received in said first open cavity; wherein said biasing rod and said projecting member are adapted to apply a force to the base portion of said fin to prevent removal of said fin from said first open cavity.