Water sports board system

Abstract

Described herein is a water sports board system comprising an inflatable hull [102], a hard deck [104], and a vertical hydrodynamic member [106]. The inflatable hull includes a nose end [102a] and a tail end [102b]. The inflatable hull defines a vertical hydrodynamic member receiving opening [108], wherein the vertical hydrodynamic member receiving opening is extended from the tail end [102b] towards the nose end [102a] thereof. The hard deck is positioned onto or within the inflatable hull [102]. The vertical hydrodynamic member is adapted to be received within the vertical hydrodynamic member receiving opening in the inflatable hull through the tail end [102b] thereof. The vertical hydrodynamic member comprising a top portion [106a] supporting a flange plate [106d], such that the flange plate [106d] is fixedly attached to the inflatable hull [102].

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A water sports board system [ 100 ], comprising:
 an inflatable hull including a nose end [ 102   a ] and a tail end [ 102   b ], the inflatable hull defining a vertical hydrodynamic member receiving opening, [ 108 ], characterized in that:   the vertical hydrodynamic member receiving opening [ 108 ] is extended from the tail end [ 102   b ] towards the nose end [ 102   a ] thereof, such that the inflatable hull is capable of receiving a vertical hydrodynamic member [ 106 ] within the vertical hydrodynamic member receiving opening [ 108 ] through the tail end [ 102   b ] thereof.   
     
     
         2 . The water sports board system [ 100 ] as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the vertical hydrodynamic member [ 106 ] comprises one of a hydrofoil mast [ 106 ], a daggerboard [ 114 ], and a fin [ 116 ]. 
     
     
         3 . The water sports board system [ 100 ] as claimed in  claims 1 and 2 , wherein the inflatable hull [ 102 ] has an overall length defined between the nose end [ 102   a ] and the tail end [ 102   b ], such that the vertical hydrodynamic member receiving opening [ 108 ] has an opening length in a range of 10% to 50% of the overall length of the inflatable hull [ 102 ]. 
     
     
         4 . The water sports board system [ 100 ] as claimed in  claims 1 to 3 , wherein the vertical hydrodynamic member receiving opening [ 108 ] has a uniform width throughout the opening length. 
     
     
         5 . The water sports board system [ 100 ] as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the inflatable hull [ 102 ] further comprises at least one closing means capable of at least partially closing the vertical hydrodynamic member receiving opening [ 108 ] of the inflatable hull [ 102 ]. 
     
     
         6 . The water sports board system [ 100 ] as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the closing means comprises a zipper closing means, a Velcro closing means, and/or similar closing means. 
     
     
         7 . The water sports board system [ 100 ] as claimed in  claims 1 to 3 , wherein a width of the vertical hydrodynamic member receiving opening [ 108 ] is lesser at a portion closer to the tail end [ 102   b ] of the inflatable hull [ 102 ] than a portion distant from the tail end [ 102   b ] of the inflatable hull [ 102 ]. 
     
     
         8 . The water sports board system [ 100 ] as claimed in  claims 1 to 7 , wherein the inflatable hull [ 102 ] defines a top surface [ 102   c ] and a bottom surface [ 102   d ], and a first side surface [ 102   e ] and a second side surface [ 102   f].    
     
     
         9 . The water sports board system [ 100 ] as claimed in  claims 1 to 8 , further comprises a hard deck [ 104 ] positioned onto or within the inflatable hull [ 102 ]. 
     
     
         10 . The water sports board system [ 100 ] as claimed in  claims 1 to 9 , further comprises an attachment means [ 112   a - 112   h ] for attaching the hard deck [ 104 ] to each of the first side surface [ 102   e ] and the second side surface [ 102   f ] of the inflatable hull. 
     
     
         11 . The water sports board system [ 100 ] as claimed in  claim 10 , the attachment means comprises a bolt rope attachment means [ 112   a ], a zipper attachment means [ 112   b ], a lacing attachment means [ 112   c ], a snap attachment means [ 112   d ], a fixed strap attachment means [ 112   e ], a pressure friction attachment means [ 112   f ], a mount and strap attachment means [ 112   g ], and a buckle-type mount and strap attachment means [ 112   h].    
     
     
         12 . The water sports board system [ 100 ] as claimed in  claims 1 to 11 , wherein the vertical hydrodynamic member comprises a top end portion supporting a flange plate thereof, and a bottom end portion. 
     
     
         13 . The water sports board system [ 100 ] as claimed in  claims 1 to 12 , further comprises a hard deck [ 104 ] fixedly attached to the flange plate [ 106   d ] on the top end portion [ 106   a ] of the vertical hydrodynamic member [ 106 ]. 
     
     
         14 . The water sports board system [ 100 ] as claimed in  claims 1 to 11 , further comprises a mounting means positioned within the vertical hydrodynamic member receiving opening [ 108 ] of the inflatable hull [ 102 ]. 
     
     
         15 . The water sports board system [ 100 ] as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the mounting means comprises either of a mast mount extension [ 118 ], or a mast cassette [ 120 ]. 
     
     
         16 . The water sports board system [ 100 ] as claimed in  claims 14 and 15 , wherein the vertical hydrodynamic member [ 106 ] comprises a top end portion [ 106   a ] and a bottom end portion [ 106   b ], such that the top end portion [ 106   a ] of the vertical hydrodynamic member [ 106 ] is fixed to the mounting means. 
     
     
         17 . The water sports board system [ 100 ] as claimed in  claims 1 to 16 , wherein the inflatable hull [ 102 ] comprises a plurality of inflatable bladders made up of polymer composite material. 
     
     
         18 . The water sports board system [ 100 ] as claimed in  claims 1 to 17 , wherein the hard deck [ 104 ] is made up of wood, foam, carbon, polymer, and/or combination of such materials thereof. 
     
     
         19 . A water sports board system [ 100 ], comprising:
 an inflatable hull [ 102 ] including a nose end [ 102   a ] and a tail end [ 102   b ], the inflatable hull [ 102 ] defining a vertical hydrodynamic member receiving opening [ 108 ], wherein the vertical hydrodynamic member receiving opening [ 108 ] is extended from the tail end [ 102   b ] towards the nose end [ 102   a ] thereof;   a hard deck [ 104 ] positioned onto or within the inflatable hull [ 102 ]; and   a vertical hydrodynamic member [ 106 ] adapted to be received within the vertical hydrodynamic member receiving opening [ 108 ] in the inflatable hull [ 102 ] through the tail end [ 102   b ] thereof, the vertical hydrodynamic member [ 106 ] comprising a top portion [ 106   a ] supporting a flange plate [ 106   d ], such that the flange plate [ 106   d ] is fixedly attached to the inflatable hull [ 102 ].   
     
     
         20 . A method of assembling a water sports board system [ 100 ], the method comprising:
 flatly positioning an inflatable hull [ 102 ], the inflatable hull including a nose end [ 102   a ] and a tail end [ 102   b ], the inflatable hull defining a vertical hydrodynamic member receiving opening [ 108 ], wherein the vertical hydrodynamic member receiving opening [ 108 ] is extended from the tail end [ 102   b ] towards the nose end [ 102   a ] thereof;   fixedly attaching a hard deck [ 104 ] to a flange plate [ 106   d ] of the vertical hydrodynamic member [ 106 ]   positioning the hard deck [ 104 ] onto or within inflatable hull [ 102 ];   sliding a vertical hydrodynamic member [ 106 ] within the vertical hydrodynamic member receiving opening [ 108 ] through the tail end [ 102   b ], the vertical hydrodynamic member [ 106 ] comprising a top portion [ 106   a ] supporting the flange plate [ 106   d ] thereof that is connected to the hard deck.   
     
     
         21 . The method as claimed in  claim 20 , further comprising inflating the inflatable hull, [ 102 ], either before the step of positioning the hard deck [ 104 ] onto or within the inflatable hull [ 102 ], or after the step of fixedly attaching the hard deck [ 104 ] to the flange plate [ 106   d ] of the vertical hydrodynamic member [ 106 ]. 
     
     
         22 . The method as claimed in  claim 20 , further comprising attaching the hard deck [ 104 ] to the inflatable hull [ 102 ], using an attachment means.