# US 9,039,471 B1 · Surfboard with air-film creating vents

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- Number: US 9,039,471 B1
- Document ID: US9039471B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 14/254,943
- Filed: 2014-04-17
- Granted: 2015-05-26
- Earliest claimed: 2014-04-17
- Applicants: Shaun Riddle
- Inventors: Shaun Riddle
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9039471B1

## CPC

- B63B 1/38: using air bubbles or air layers {gas filled volumes (waterborne vessels travelling on air cushions B60V3/06)}
- B63B 32/40: Twintip boards; Wakeboards; Surfboards; Windsurfing boards; Paddle boards, e.g. SUP boards; Accessories specially adapted therefor
- B63B 32/50: Boards characterised by their constructional features
- Y02T 70/10: Measures concerning design or construction of watercraft hulls
- B63B: SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING (arrangements of vessel ventilation, heating, cooling, or air-conditioning B63J2/00; floating substructures as supports of dredgers or soil-shifting machines E02F9/06)
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

An air vent that passes from the deck of a surfboard through to its bottom. The vent may have a wide variety of shapes. The trailing boundary of the vent's lower portion is preferably inclined forward toward the surfboard's nose. The inclination serves to prevent water flowing upward. Instead, air is entrained by the water flowing across the vent's bottom exit and pulled downward. A portion of the entrained air flows rearward out of the bottom exit along the surfboard's bottom. This entrained air forms an air film between the board's bottom and the surrounding water, thereby reducing friction.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A surfboard comprising:
a. a deck;
b. a bottom;
c. a tail;
d. a vent passing from said deck to said bottom, said vent including,
i. a top exit connecting said vent to said deck,
ii. a bottom exit connecting said vent to said bottom, said bottom exit including a leading boundary and a trailing boundary,
iii. said trailing boundary having an upper extreme and a lower extreme, and
iv. wherein said lower extreme of said trailing boundary is closer to said tail than said upper extreme.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A surfboard as recited in claim 1, wherein said lower extreme is inclined with respect to said deck, with an angle between said lower extreme and said deck being between 10 degrees and 60 degrees.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A surfboard as recited in claim 1, wherein said vent comprises a cylinder having a central axis.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

A surfboard as recited in claim 3, wherein said central axis is inclined with respect to said deck, with an angle between said central axis and said deck being between 10 degrees and sixty degrees.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A surfboard as recited in claim 1, further comprising a second vent passing from said deck to said bottom, said second vent including,
i. a top exit connecting said vent to said deck,
ii. a bottom exit connecting said vent to said bottom, said bottom exit including a leading boundary and a trailing boundary,
iii. said trailing boundary having an upper extreme and a lower extreme, and
iv. wherein said lower extreme of said trailing boundary is closer to said tail than said upper extreme.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

A surfboard as recited claim 1, further comprising:
a. a core;
b. a deck skin; and
c. a bottom skin.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

A surfboard as recited in claim 6, further comprising:
a. a wall skin bounding said vent; and
b. said wall skin being connected to said top skin and said bottom skin.

### Claim 8 (depends on 3)

A surfboard as recited in claim 3, further comprising:
a. a core;
b. a deck skin; and
c. a bottom skin.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

A surfboard as recited in claim 8, further comprising:
a. a wall skin bounding said vent; and
b. said wall skin being connected to said top skin and said bottom skin.

### Claim 10 (depends on 2)

A surfboard as recited in claim 2, further comprising:
a. a core;
b. a deck skin; and
c. a bottom skin.

### Claim 11

A surfboard, comprising:
a. a deck;
b. a bottom;
c. a tail;
d. an opening connecting said deck to said bottom, said opening including,
i. a top exit were said opening intersects said deck,
ii. a bottom exit where said opening intersects said bottom, said bottom exit including a trailing boundary, and
iii. said trailing boundary being tilted forward with respect to said deck.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

A surfboard as recited in claim 11, wherein an angle between said lower extreme and said deck is between 10 degrees and 60 degrees.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

A surfboard as recited in claim 1, wherein said opening comprises a cylinder having a central axis.

### Claim 14 (depends on 3)

A surfboard as recited in claim 3, wherein said central axis is inclined with respect to said deck, with an angle between said central axis and said deck being between 10 degrees and sixty degrees.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

A surfboard as recited in claim 11, further comprising a second opening passing from said deck to said bottom, said second opening including,
i. a top exit where said opening intersects said deck,
ii. a bottom exit where said opening intersects said bottom, said bottom exit including a trailing boundary, and
iii. said trailing boundary being tilted forward with respect to said deck.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

A surfboard as recited in claim 11, further comprising:
a. a core;
b. a deck skin; and
c. a bottom skin.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

A surfboard as recited in claim 16, further comprising:
a. a wall skin bounding said vent; and
b. said wall skin being connected to said top skin and said bottom skin.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

A surfboard as recited in claim 13, further comprising:
a. a core;
b. a deck skin; and
c. a bottom skin.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

A surfboard as recited in claim 18, further comprising:
a. a wall skin bounding said vent; and
b. said wall skin being connected to said top skin and said bottom skin.

### Claim 20 (depends on 12)

A surfboard as recited in claim 12, further comprising:
a. a core;
b. a deck skin; and
c. a bottom skin.