Towing system and method for a water sports apparatus
AssigneeHO Sports Company, Inc.
InventorsKevin D. Johnson, Daniel W. Meyers
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for towing a water sports apparatus over a body of water behind a towing vessel. The system includes a rider towline for coupling a rider of the water sports apparatus to the towing vessel. The rider towline includes a distal end adapted to the gripped by the rider, to enable the rider to be pulled over the body of water on the water sports apparatus during forward motion of the towing vessel. The towing system also includes a lift apparatus coupled with the rider towline and adapted to lift the rider towline during forward motion of the towing vessel, so that an uppermost point of the rider towline is above and behind the towing vessel.
Claims30
A towing system for towing a water sports apparatus over a body of water behind a towing vessel, comprising:
- a lift apparatus;
- a bridle line adapted to couple the lift apparatus to an attachment point on the towing vessel, where the lift apparatus is adapted to fly above and behind the towing vessel during forward motion of the towing vessel over the body of water;
- and
- a rider towline for towing a rider of the water sports apparatus, the rider towline having a distal end adapted to be held by the rider, and wherein the towline system is adapted so that, during flight of the lift apparatus, a portion of the rider towline is supported at an intermediate location along the bridle line between the lift apparatus and the attachment point.
A towing system for towing a water sports apparatus over a body of water behind a towing vessel, comprising:
- a rider towline configured to couple a rider of the water sports apparatus to the towing vessel, the rider towline including a distal end adapted to be gripped by the rider to enable the rider to be pulled over the body of water on the water sports apparatus during forward motion of the towing vessel;
- and
- a lift system coupled with the rider towline and adapted to lift the rider towline during forward motion of the towing vessel so that an uppermost point of the rider towline is above and behind the towing vessel.
A towing system for towing a water sports apparatus over a body of water behind a towing vessel, comprising:
- a lift apparatus;
- a bridle line having a distal end adapted to be connected to the lift apparatus and a proximal end adapted to be secured to the towing vessel;
- a rider towline having a distal end with a handle adapted to be gripped by a rider of the water sports apparatus and a proximal end adapted to be secured to the towing vessel;
- and
- a securing device positioned at an intermediate location along the bridle line and adapted to engage the bridle line and the rider towline so that, when the proximal end of the bridle line and the proximal end of the rider towline are secured to the towing vessel, a portion of the rider towline between the handle and the proximal end is drawn upward upon rising of the lift apparatus.
A method of towing a water sports apparatus and rider across a body of water, comprising:
- providing a towing vessel;
- attaching a lift apparatus to the towing vessel with a bridle line;
- providing a rider towline with a handle to be gripped by the rider;
- engaging the rider towline with the bridle line;
- and
- accelerating the towing vessel to a desired towing speed while the handle of the rider towline is held by the rider, thereby causing the lift apparatus to fly above and behind the towing vessel, where engaging the rider towline with the bridle line is performed so that, when the handle of the rider towline is gripped by the rider, the rider two line exceeds upward from the handle toward the bridle line and is supported at an intermediate location along the bridle line, the intermediate location being between the lift apparatus and the towing vessel.
A towing system, comprising:
- a lift apparatus comprising a kite or other airfoil, the kite or other airfoil having a body with a leading edge, a trailing edge, and two opposing edges therebetween, with a float disposed on each opposing edge enabling the kite or other airfoil to plane or skim over a surface while being towed below a speed that causes it to lift, and to lift off the surface and fully deploy at a speed between about 5 to about 18 miles per hours, and when fully deployed to provide a vertical, upwardly directed force to a line to a rider, enhancing the ability of a rider to jump off the surface, but generally allowing the rider to maintain contact with the surface during towing,
- wherein the body comprises a top surface portion with downwardly extending side surface portions and the opposing edges are bottom edges of the side portions.
A method of making a towing system, comprising a kite:
- structurally configuring a material into one or more panels forming the kite;
- providing means for coupling the kit to a bridle line;
- providing one or more floats in the kite enabling the kite to plane or skim over a water surface while being towed below a speed that causes it to lift;
- wherein the overall kite with floats is enabled to lift off the water surface and fully deploy at a speed between about 5 to about 18 miles per hours and when fully deployed to provide a vertical, upwardly directed force to a line to a rider, enhancing the ability of a rider to jump off the surface, but generally allowing the rider to maintain contact with the surface during towing;
- and
- wherein the body comprises a top portion with downwardly extending side surface portions and the opposing edges are the bottom edges of the side portions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.