Load distribution harness, in particular for water sports
AssigneeNorth Actionsports B.V.
InventorsGuido Kreijkamp, Bartholomeus Gerardus Nicolaas Bootsma
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A load distribution harness for water based sports includes a stiffening shell provided with composite material. The stiffening shell has a support plate from fibre reinforced sheet material having thermoplastic matrix material with fibres embedded therein. The support plate is substantially C-shaped. The support plate extends continuously from a first end region that in use extends to a first end of the spreader bar, via a midsection that in use extends along the body of the user, preferably along the lumbar region of the user, to a second end region that in use extends to a second end of the spreader bar.
Claims23
A load distribution harness for water based sports, comprising:
- a body support that in use is connected to a spreader bar for connection to a pulling element, the body support and the spreader bar being connectable to each other so that the harness in use encircles the lower part of a torso of a user and distributes a pulling load exerted on the spreader bar over a lumbar region of the user, the body support including a stiffening shell provided with composite material, wherein the stiffening shell comprises a support plate from fibre reinforced sheet material having thermoplastic matrix material with fibres embedded therein, which support plate is substantially C-shaped and extends continuously from a first end region that in use extends to a first end of the spreader bar, via a midsection that in use extends along the lumbar region of the user, to a second end region that in use extends to a second end of the spreader bar,
- wherein the support plate includes a main sheet of the thermoplastic matrix material with continuous fibres embedded therein that extend continuously from the first end region via the midsection to the second end region,
- wherein the support plate comprises a further sheet of the thermoplastic matrix material with the continuous fibres embedded therein that is thermally bonded to the main sheet, and
- wherein the further sheet is superimposed on the main sheet as a local reinforcement, and leaves peripheral areas of the main sheet free.
A load distribution harness for water based sports, comprising:
- a body support that in use is connected to a spreader bar for connection to a pulling element, the body support and the spreader bar being connectable to each other so that the harness in use encircles the lower part of a torso of a user and distributes a pulling load exerted on the spreader bar over a lumbar region of the user, the body support including a stiffening shell provided with composite material, wherein the stiffening shell comprises a support plate from fibre reinforced sheet material having thermoplastic matrix material with fibres embedded therein, which support plate is substantially C-shaped and extends continuously from a first end region that in use extends to a first end of the spreader bar, via a midsection that in use extends along the lumbar region of the user, to a second end region that in use extends to a second end of the spreader bar, and in which a resistance against bending of the support plate in an opening or closing direction of the C-shape is lower at the end regions than at the midsection.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.