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  Impact resistant surfboardUSPTO Application #: 20080032575Title: Impact resistant surfboard Abstract: Waterboards such as surfboards are described that are formed of a combination of a resilient foam core with an outer shell of polycarbonate or polyurethane. Such waterboards may further include fibrous material bonded to or embedded in the outer shell for additional strength. (end of abstract)
Agent: Wesley B. Ames - Escondido, CA, US Inventors: Michael D. Wyrsta, David S. Johnson USPTO Applicaton #: 20080032575 - Class: 441 74 (USPTO) The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20080032575. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001]NOT APPLICABLE. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002]The present invention relates to watersports equipment, especially waterboards such as surfboards, body boards, sailboards, and other buoyant waterboards, and to materials and methods for constructing such equipment. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003]The following discussion is provided solely to assist the understanding of the reader, and does not constitute an admission that any of the information discussed or references cited constitute prior art to the present invention. [0004]Board surfing and a variety of other water sports which utilize buoyant boards have become highly popular. Modern boards for these purposes, i.e., waterboards, are typically formed of a fiberglass-reinforced polyester or epoxy resin shell enclosing a low density core, usually a polystyrene or polyurethane foam. These foam materials have properties which have contributed to their common use in surfboard construction. They can readily be shaped, can be provided in a suitable density range, and are relatively inexpensive. [0005]In addition to the requirement for buoyancy, surfboards (and most other waterboards) should also provide a substantial degree of structural strength to accommodate the loads to which the board is subjected during use. Such structural strength (i.e., mechanical strength) is normally provided by a combination of construction elements. Because the polystyrene or polyurethane foam core of typical boards is weak, many boards incorporate a wood reinforcing member in the core in the form of a "stringer", thereby providing additional strength, as well as providing a reference line to assist a shaper in maintaining symmetry in the board during the shaping process. [0006]The stringer is normally placed by cutting the foam core member into two halves by means of a cut at right angles to the dorsal surface extending from the nose to the tail. A wooden stringer (i.e., a beam member) is placed between the two halves and fastened to each of them (e.g., using an adhesive). The wooden beam member is typically further secured to the dorsal and ventral surfaces of the core by adhering fiberglass fabric strips along its length. In effect, the wooden beam member, together with the adhered fiberglass strips, forms an "I-beam" which stiffens the entire board. Further major reinforcement is provided by a layer of fiberglass fabric reinforcement embedded in a polyester or epoxy resin coat covering the entire core member, i.e., a shell. [0007]A few variations of the basic surfboard construction indicated above have been described. [0008]For example, Shanelec, U.S. Pat. No. 4,961, describes surfboards which are formed by fusing expanded polypropylene beads in a mold under steam pressure. [0009]Esposito, U.S. Pat. No. 6,779,478 describes a "surfboard made of a high density ethyl vinyl acetate contained within a polyethylene shell." The surfboard is generally formed by shaping the ethyl vinyl acetate into the form of a surfboard, wrapping the shaped ethyl vinyl acetate with a protective polyethylene shell, and heating the polyethylene-wrapped shape to fuse the polyethylene with the ethyl vinyl acetate. [0010]Hamilton, U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,876 describes a surfboard which includes rails encapsulated with a tight woven band of fabric. [0011]Mollin, U.S. Pat. No. 6,652,340 describes a surfboard formed by joining two shell sections to create a hollow surfboard. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0012]The present invention is concerned with providing surfboards and other waterboards which are both stronger and more durable than conventional boards. These improvements are accomplished by utilizing different materials and/or material combinations in the construction of the boards. Desirably the low density core material is a resilient foam and the outer shell is formed using a polyurethane or polycarbonate, though polyester resins, epoxy resins and polyvinyl ester resins can also be used in forming the shell. Advantageously, these materials allow custom board construction using conventional forming techniques, but result in a board which is both stronger and more resistant to impact damage than conventional boards. In particular, use of such a resilient foam core makes the board much more resistant to local crush damage which occurs with conventional boards when a relatively small area is compressed, causing permanent local deformation (crushing) of the polystyrene or polyurethane foam core. [0013]Thus, in a first aspect the invention concerns a buoyant waterboard which includes an expanded, elastomeric plastic core and a polycarbonate or polyurethane shell which coats and is adhered to the core, or alternatively a polyester resin, epoxy resin, or polyvinyl ester resin shell can be used. [0014]In particular embodiments, the core comprises beads fused under steam pressure; the core comprises expanded polypropylene, porous expanded polypropylene, expanded polyethylene, porous expanded polyethylene, block polymers of polystyrene butadiene styrene (SBS), e.g., expanded SBS; the core has a density of 1-5 pounds per cubic foot (pcf), e.g., 3-4 pcf, 2-4 pcf, 2-3 pcf, or 2.2-2.6 pcf; the core includes surface visible reference marks and/or at least one reference line; the core includes a central longitudinal reference line or series of reference marks arranged along a central longitudinal line the core includes at least one reference line or mark and does not include a stringer. [0015]For additional strength, reinforcement can be added to the basic board. Thus, in certain embodiments, the waterboard includes a fibrous material bonded on the exterior of the core; the core includes a fibrous material in the interior of the core; the core includes longitudinally-oriented reinforcing material, where that reinforcing materials does not extend through the thickness of the core; the shell coating includes a fibrous material; fibrous material used in the core and/or in the shell is or includes glass fiber, KEVLAR.RTM., polyimide fiber, polyurethane fiber, and/or carbon fiber; the board includes a stringer, which may, in certain embodiments, be a perforated stringer, a wood stringer, a polyurethane stringer, a polypropylene stringer, a composite material stringer, or a plurality of such stringers. [0016]Shell coatings as specified above may be applied in a number of different ways, including but not limited to dipping, layer coating (e.g., hand layering), by adhesion of a solid sheet (e.g., using an adhesive or other bonding agent or using heat and pressure. [0017]In particular embodiments, the waterboard is a surfboard, a sailboard, a body board, a skimboard, or a skiboard. [0018]A related aspect of the invention concerns a method for making a buoyant waterboard, by forming a core in the desired shape of the waterboard from an expanded elastomeric plastic, and applying and adhering to that core a coating which is substantially a polycarbonate, polyurethane, polyester, epoxy, or polyvinyl ester resin, which may be free of fiber reinforcement, or may include fiber reinforcement. [0019]In particular embodiments, the board, the materials, and/or the construction is as specified for the preceding aspect or otherwise described herein. [0020]A related aspect of the invention concerns a waterboard blank dimensioned for shaping of a waterboard core (e.g., a surfboard core), or a rough finished waterboard core formed in the shape of a waterboard (e.g., a surfboard or other waterboard indicated above), made of a resilient plastic foam. Such resilient foam can be a foam as specified for an aspect above. Such blank may be contoured on lateral surfaces to approximate the outline of a waterboard (e.g., surfboard) while still requiring additional shaping to form a finished core. A rough finished waterboard core will at least approximate a particular waterboard shape, but may, in some case, require additional final shaping to create the desired core contours. Also, a rough finished waterboard core (or a blank) may include one or more stringers already in place (e.g., stringers made of materials as indicated above). Continue reading... Full patent description for Impact resistant surfboard Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Impact resistant surfboard patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Impact resistant surfboard or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Hand paddle Next Patent Application: Method for creating consistent large scale blade deflections Industry Class: Buoys, rafts, and aquatic devices ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Impact resistant surfboard patent info. 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