GB2340049A - A kite - Google Patents

Description

2340049 A KITE This invention relates to kites and more particularly, but

by no means exclusively, to a kite in combination with a balloon.

GB-A-2280381 discloses a lighter-than-air kite comprising a kite and balloon combination in which the balloon is directly mounted on the sail of the kite and secured thereto so that the kite and balloon together form a single flying unit. This kite and balloon combination has considerable advantages over traditional kites in that it flies with or without wind. However, to do this reliably, a relatively large balloon is needed in order to obtain enough lift. Although very stable at low to medium wind speeds, the large balloon creates a loss of stability at high wind speeds. The kite and balloon combination tends to veer to the left or the right until it spins out of control and loses height as a result. Each kite and balloon combination tends to spin either to the right or the left depending upon its construction. The addition of stabilising weights, tails, drogues or extra fins gives some improvement but the improvement is not as good as required.

According to the present invention there, is provided a kite comprising a sail, a keel depending from the sail and means for releasably maintaining the keel in a deflected position.

This solves the stability problem far better than weights, tails or drogues without adding much weight and is easy to use.

Preferably, said means comprises releasable fastening means connectible between the keel and the sail. In this case, the releasable fastening means, advantageously, comprises hook and loop fastening means. One part of the hook and loop fastening means may be attached to the keel and the other part of the hook and loop fastening means may be secured to the sail and may extend laterally of the sail to opposite sides of the keel.

In a preferred embodiment, the kite is provided in combination with a balloon which is mounted on the sail of the kite and connected thereto so that the kite and balloon together form a single flying unit.

Preferably, the balloon is made of a non-stretchable plastics material and typically of metallic coated plastics material.

The invention will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of a kite and balloon combination, Figure 2 is a side view of part of one embodiment of a kite, which may be part of the kite and balloon combination shown in Figure 1, according to the present invention, with the releasable fastening means disconnected, Figure 3 is a side view of the part of the kite shown in Figure 2 with the releasable fastening means connected between the keel and the sail, and Figure 4 is an underside plan view of the part of the kite shown in Figure 3, and Figure 5 is an underside plan view, similar to Figure 4, but showing the releasable fastening means in an alternative fastening position.

Referring firstly to Figure 1 of the drawings, there is shown therein a kite 10 in combination with a balloon 11.

The kite 10 comprises a sail 12, a large kite keel 13 secured to the sail 12 over its entire length and a bracing strut 14 extending between the front and rear ends of the sail.

The balloon 11 is elliptical and is contained within a cover 15 which is permanently attached to kite sail 12, such as by stitching, or releasably attached to the kite sail 12, such as by hook and loop fasteners or sliding clasp fasteners.

The sides of the kite sail 12 are stretched out sideways by being attached to the balloon cover 15.

The cover 15 is secured around the balloon 11 by straps 16 and 17 provided with hook and loop fastening means.

A flying line 18 is attached to a mooring point 19 at the base of the keel 13.

The balloon 11 is preferably a mass produced "foil" balloon. This is made of a very thin non-rubber plastics material covered by metallic paint. These balloons do not stretch and as a result they do not leak helium like normal rubber balloons.

This enables them to remain airborne for very long periods of time.

The keel 13 of the sail is larger than on normal kites to improve stability in high winds.

A relatively large balloon 11 is needed in order to obtain enough lift. As stated previously, although very stable at low to medium wind speeds, the large balloon creates a loss of stability at high wind speeds.

In order to improve the stability of the kite and balloon combination, releasable fastening means is provided between the keel 13 and the sail 11 to deflect, and releasably maintain, the trailing edge of the keel out of the normal plane of the keel i.e. out of a plane which extends longitudinally of the sail and which bisects the kite and indeed the balloon. This causes the middle portion of the keel 13 to bellow outwardly as shown in Figures 4 and 5.

The releasable fastening means comprises first and second parts 20 and 21 of hook and loop fastening means, typically Velcro (RTM).

-5 The part 20 of the hook and loop fastening means is secured to the underside of the sail to the rear of the trailing edge of the keel 13 and extends laterally of the sail to opposite sides of the keel 13. The other part 21 of the hook and loop fastening means is secured to a trailing portion of the keel 13 and extends rearwardly of the keel 13. The part 21 can be connected to the part 20 on either side of the normal plane of the keel 13 to deflect, and releasably maintain, the trailing edge of the keel out of the aforesaid plane. By adjusting the connection between the parts 20 and 21 of the hook and loop fastening means, it is possible to adjust the angle of the trailing edge portion of the keel to counteract any tendency of the kite and balloon combination to veer to one side or the other. Once the optimum position has been found, the part 20 of the hook and loop fastening means can be marked to indicate the optimum position or the two parts 20 and 21 can be fixed together permanently by adhesive or staples.

The hook and loop fastening means can also be used to deflect the trailing edge of the keel in order to de-stabilise the kite if more movement is required, such as for scaring birds or attracting attention, on still days.

Although primarily designed for the kite and balloon combination described above, the invention can also be applied to normal kites not provided with balloons.

The hook and loop fastening means can be retro-fitted to existing kite and balloon combinations.

Claims (10)

-6CLAIMS

1. A kite comprising a sail, a keel depending from the sail and means for releasably maintaining the keel in a deflected position.

2. A kite as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means comprises releasable fastening means connectible between the keel and the sail.

3. A kite as claimed in claim 2, wherein said releasable fastening means 10 comprises hook and loop fastening means.

4. A kite as claimed in claim 3, wherein one part of the hook and loop fastening means is attached to the keel and the other part of the hook and loop fastening means is secured to the sail and extends laterally of the sail to opposite sides of the keel.

5. A kite as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sail has a triangular nose portion and a triangular tail portion together forming a diamond shape.

6. A kite substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 2 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.

7. A kite as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in combination with a balloon which is mounted on the sail of the kite and connected thereto so that the kite and balloon together form a single flying unit.

8. The combination as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the balloon is made of non-stretchable plastics material.

9. The combination as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the balloon is formed of metallic coated plastics material.

10. A kite and balloon combination substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.