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US 7,802,534 B2Granted
Self propelled hydrofoil device with leverage-based control of drive foil
OwnerShane Cheninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A self-propelled hydrofoil device having front and rear foils, a support structure and a steering mechanism. The hydrofoil device is preferably configured such that a user can change the angle of attack of the drive foil and/or the height of the hydrofoil device in the water by placing the handle bar to a corresponding position. The steering mechanism is movably coupled to the user platform in a manner that provides a user with sufficient leverage to move the handle bar. A flexible steering-shaft joining member and dihedral foil configurations, among other features, are disclosed.
Claims25
A self propelled hydrofoil device, comprising:
- a front foil;
- a steering structure including a steering shaft that is substantially continuous and has a handle at one end and the front foil coupled to the other end;
- a second foil;
- a user platform that is wider than long and provided above the second foil;
- a plurality of vertically disposed members that descend from the user platform to the second foil to transfer a downward directed drive force from the platform to the second foil;
- and
- a support frame that couples to the steering shaft;
- wherein the steering shaft is pivotally coupled to the support frame wholly between the front foil and the second foil and extends continuously forward of the support frame coupling point to the front foil coupling end such that pivotal movement of the handle up and down imparts a see-saw movement on the steering shaft and the front foil, with downward movement of the handle causing the front foil to move upward and upward movement of the handle causing the front foil to move downward.
5 more elements
A self propelled hydrofoil device, comprising:
- a front foil;
- a steering structure including a steering shaft having a handle bar end and a front foil end, with a handle bar coupled to the handle bar end and the front foil coupled to the front foil end;
- a second foil;
- a user platform that is coupled to the second foil by an accompanying vertical support structure, the user platform and accompanying vertical support structure being wider than long;
- and
- a support frame coupled to the user platform;
- wherein the steering shaft is movably coupled to the support frame for movement relative to the support frame in a substantially vertical plane in the line of direction of movement of the device and the front foil is located wholly forward of the point of movable coupling of the steering shaft to the support frame;
- and
- wherein the device is configured to operate in a coast position and a drive position and be transitioned between these two positions by movement of the handle bar up and down by a user, movement of the handle bar up imparting a downward movement onto the front foil relative to the second foil and movement of the handle bar down imparting an upward movement onto the front foil, and wherein the front foil can be moved via movement of the handle bar through a range of motion including being above and below the coast position.
6 more elements
A self propelled hydrofoil device, comprising:
- a front foil;
- a steering structure includes a substantially continuous and longitudinally disposed steering shaft that has a front foil end coupled to the front foil and a handle end coupled to a handle;
- a second foil;
- a user platform that is wider than long and provided above the second foil, wherein wider is measured in a dimension substantially perpendicular to the line of straight forward travel of the device and long is measured in a dimension substantially parallel to the line of straight forward travel of the device;
- a plurality of vertically disposed members that descend from the user platform to the second foil to transfer a drive force from the user platform to the second foil;
- and
- a support frame that couples the steering structure to the user platform;
- wherein the steering shaft is pivotally coupled to the support frame for up and down movement at a point along the steering shaft that is between approximately 30% and 70% of the length of the steering shaft.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.