US 5,775,249 A · Adjustable camber inflatable sail

Abstract

The invention includes a two-piece adjustable camber wing-shaped inflatable sail for use as a main and or misin sail and a two-piece adjustable camber wing-shaped inflatable sail for use as a head sail, by contemporary sailing vessels with conventional sail rigs having a mast, boom, headstay, backstay, and sidestays. The main sail features a leading edge and physically separate main body, each having two inflatable cells; one port and starboard, enclosed in an outer cover. The main body will attach to the mast in a conventional manner. The leading edge of the main sail will attach to the front and side portions of the mast and feature two inflatable cell pockets; port and starboard, which to insert independent port and starboard semi-wedge shaped inflatable cells. The leading edge of the main sail will extend from just above the deck to the masthead. The leading edge of the head sail will attach to the headstay and feature two inflatable cell pockets; port and starboard, which to insert independent port and starboard semi-wedge shaped inflatable cells or a solid non-inflatable lightweight core. It will extend from just above the foredeck to the masthead. The main body portions of the main sail and headsail will each feature a center panel, two forward panels, two outer panels, bottom panel, and a plurality of horizontally positioned shaping panels that together form a two-chamber inflatable cell. The inflatable cells can be inflated or deflated independently to adjust the shape of the adjustable camber wing-shaped inflatable sails.

Claims33

Dependent claims

A two-piece adjustable camber wing-shaped inflatable sail for use as a main and or misin sail by contemporary sailing vessels with conventional sail rig having a mast, boom, headstay, backstay, and sidestays;

that features a leading edge portion and physically separate main body portion, each having two inflatable cells;
one port and one starboard, each enclosed in an outer cover to provide a means of producing forward propulsion that consists of;
a main two-chamber inflatable cell that forms the main body and trailing edge portions of said sail that is designed in a conventional semi-triangular sail shape with a series of attachments incorporated in to a common center panel of said cell to be attached to a conventional sail rig that includes a fixed mast and boom, compatible with the various sail rigs;
featuring independent port and starboard inflatable cells on either side of said center panel being substantially air-tight and of various size and shape depending on the size and dimensions of said sail enclosed in an outer cover attached along the leach portion of said cell;
and a physically separate two-chamber inflatable cell pocket that forms the leading edge portion of said sail that will attach to the forward and side portions of the mast, extending from the lower portion of the mast, just above the boom to within several inches above or below the masthead;
and will feature two mirror image chambers that form a semi-wedge shape around the mast with independent port and starboard inflatable semi-wedge shaped cells that are the same general shape as the inside portion of the two cell pocket chambers and are substantially air-tight and will fit snugly and expand into the inside portion of the two cell pocket chambers.

3 more elements

A two-piece adjustable camber wing-shaped inflatable sail for use as a foresail or headsail by contemporary sailing vessels with conventional sailing rigs having a mast, boom, headstay, backstay, and sidestays;

that features a leading edge portion and physically separate main body portion, each having two inflatable cells;
one port and one starboard, each enclosed in an outer cover to provide a means of producing forward propulsion that consists of:
a main two-chamber inflatable cell that forms the main body and trailing edge portions of said sail that is designed in a conventional semi-triangular sail shape with a series of attachments incorporated in to a common center panel of said cell to allow said cell to be attached to a conventional sail rig that includes a fixed mast and forestay, compatible with the various sail rigs;
featuring independent port and starboard inflatable cells on either side of said center panel being substantially air-tight, enclosed in an outer cover attached along the leach portion of said cell;
and a physically separate semi-arrowhead shaped leading edge cone that will form the leading edge portion of said sail, ranging in width from relatively wide near the bottom, near the fore deck of the sailing vessel to relatively narrow near the mast;
attaching to the headstay and extending from the lower portion of the headstay, just above the deck to within several inches above or below the point where the headstay attaches to the mast;
and will feature a two-chamber inflatable leading edge cone with two mirror image chambers with independent port and starboard inflatable semi-wedge shaped cells that are substantially air-tight and will fit snugly into and be of the same general shape as the inside portion of the two chambers and can be inflated and deflated independently to adjust the shape of the two-chamber inflatable leading edge cone.

4 more elements

that features a leading edge portion and physically separate main body portion, having two inflatable cells;
one port and one starboard, enclosed in an outer cover to provide a means of producing forward propulsion that consists of:
a main two-chamber inflatable cell that forms the main body and trailing edge portions of said sail that is designed in a conventional semi-triangular sail shape with a series of attachments incorporated in to a common center panel of said cell to allow said cell to be attached to a conventional sail rig that includes a fixed mast and forestay, compatible with the various sail rigs;
featuring independent port and starboard inflatable cells on either side of said center panel being substantially air-tight, enclosed in an outer cover attached along the leach portion of said cell;
and a physically separate semi-arrowhead shaped leading edge cone that will form the leading edge portion of said sail, ranging in width from relatively wide near the bottom, near the fore deck of the sailing vessel to relatively narrow near the mast;
attaching to the headstay and extending from the lower portion of the headstay, just above the deck to within several inches above or below the point where the headstay attaches to the mast;
and will feature a solid, light-weight inner core enclosed with a hard exterior cover.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Adjustable camber inflatable sail

Life of this patent

Adjustable camber inflatable sail

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims33