Surfboard fin having a rearwardly offset bearing surface

Abstract

A fin for a surfboard, having a main body which comprises a first edge which is in contact with the board when the fin is secured to the board, a leading edge at the front and a trailing edge at the rear, a rear curve connecting the leading edge and the trailing edge, the trailing edge comprising a forwardmost front tip. The main body is extended rearwards by an arm which extends from a straight line which is perpendicular to the first edge and passes through the front tip of the trailing edge, as far as the rear curve, the arm having a length greater than approximately 8 cm.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit of the U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 045,799, filed on Sep. 4, 2014, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by way of reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to a fin for a surfboard, as well as to a surfboard having such a fin.[0003]Surfboards generally comprise, towards the rear of the board, one or more fins arranged in vertical planes, comprising, starting from the front, a leading edge forming a convex curve which, as it descends, is inclined rearwards, and then a lower edge substantially forming a tip, and, rising again at the rear, the trailing edge, generally with a concave curve.[0004]The fins constitute vertical planes which, in the longitudinal direction, cut through the water well to reduce drag and braking of the board and, in the lateral direction, offer high resistance, limiting transverse movement.[0005]The surfer can thus control ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This invention is a fin that can be used by surfers to enhance their performance. The fin has a rear part that forms a bearing surface, which is connected to the main body of the fin and is not very flexible. This allows for maximum bending between the rear part of the arm and the main body of the fin, which is connected to the board and is not very flexible. This design allows the fin to generate lateral twisting of the arm up to the rear end, which increases control during the turn and restores propulsion at the end of the trajectory when the surfer releases his weight. The arm also has a height reduction, with a bearing surface with a height greater than the height reduction, which enhances flexibility. The rear part of the arm is positioned outside the turbulence which occurs at the surface or along the board, which results in better control of the trajectory in medium or strong waves. The fin may also have two wings arranged symmetrically with respect to the plane of the main body of the fin, which ensures a degree of resistance to vertical movements.

Problems solved by technology

The fins known in the prior art are relatively compact assemblies with little lateral flexibility, which tends to limit under all circumstances the lateral drift of the rear part of the board.

However, this rear tip 34 directly attached to the main body 12 has a high rigidity in terms of lateral bending, such that the dynamic properties of the fin are quite poor.

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