Sailboard with removable floats

Claim 2

An accessory for a sailboard comprising a pair of relatively rigid elongated flotation members formed of synthetic plastic material, each flotation member having an inner side and a substantially flat upper surface extending from the inner side to an outer side, a sleeve to engage on the sailboard, the sleeve having opposed side edge portions and an upper web extending between the side edge portions, the side edge portions and web having a length substantially equal to the length of the inner sides of the flotation members and the side edge portions being shaped to engage side rails of the sailboard with the web closely engaging and overlying an upper surface of the sailboard, means to interconnect the side edge portions and extend across a lower surface of the sailboard to releasably secure the sleeve thereto, means to rigidly secure the side edge portions of the sleeve to respect flotation members, and the upper surfaces of the flotation members being substantially coextensive with the upper web so that, in use, the upper surface of the railboard extends across the flotation members and the flotation members and sleeve form a substantially rigid unitary structure with the sailboard with the side edge portions of the sleeve engaged with the sailboard side rails.

Claim 3

An accessory according to claim 1 wherein each said flotation member is formed of two separate float sections having interengaging longitudinal side edges whereby the separate float sections are releasably secured to each other.

Claim 4

An accessory according to claim 2 wherein front edge portions of said flotation members slope downwardly and rearwardly to assist movement through water.

Claim 5

An accessory according to claim 1 wherein said flotation members are hollow.

Claim 6

An accessory for attachment to a sailboard comprising: (a) a pair of relatively rigid flotation members, each member having a substantially flat upper surface; (b) attachment means on an inner, longitudinal side of each flotation member; (c) mounting means interconnecting the attachment means of each flotation member and the defining an opening to closely receive the sailboard, said mounting means having; (d) upper and lower web means extending longitudinally and transversely about the upper and lower surfaces of said sailboard thereby encompassing said sailboard between opposed side rails thereof; the upper web means being substantially coplanar with the flat upper surfaces of the flotation members and having a longitudinal dimension substantially equal to the length of the said inner side of each flotation member, and being continuous at least along that part of the upper web means adjacent each flotation member, the transverse dimension of the upper and lower web means being such that the flotation members are rigidly mounted to the opposed sailboard side rails to form a substantially unitary relatively rigid structure with the flat upper surfaces of the flotation members being substantially coextensive with the upper surface of the sailboard to thereby effectively extend the sailboard upper surface area.

Claim 7

An accessory for attachment to a sailboard comprising: (a) a pair of relatively rigid flotation members, each member having a substantially flat upper surface; (b) attachment means on an inner, longitudinal side of each flotation member; (c) mounting means interconnecting the attachment means of each flotation member and the defining an opening to closely receive the sailboard, said mounting means having; (d) upper and lower web means extending longitudinally and transversely about the upper and lower surfaces of said sailboard thereby encompassing said sailboard between opposed side rails thereof; the upper web means being substantially coplanar with the flat upper surfaces of the flotation members and having a longitudinal dimension substantially equal to the length of the said inner side of each flotation member, and being continuous at least along that part of the upper web means adjacent each flotation member, the transverse dimension of the upper and lower web means being such that the flotation members are rigidly mounted to the opposed sailboard side rails to form a substantially unitary relatively rigid structure with the flat upper surfaces of the flotation members being substantially coextensive with the upper surface of the sailboard to thereby effectively extend the sailboard upper surface area.

Claim 8

An accessory according to claim 5, wherein: (a) said flotation members are irremovably fixed to said mounted means by adhesive or welding.

Claim 9

An accessory according to claim 5 wherein: (a) said mounting means comprises a sleeve having a front wall and a rear wall with apertures therein corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of the sailboard to which the sleeve is to be fitted, the edges of said aperture and the front wall closely engaging the sailboard at a location along its length corresponding to the desired position of the sleeve on the sailboard, the cross-sectional area at such location being less than the greatest cross-sectional area of the sailboard.

Claim 10

An accessory according to claim 5, wherein said mounting means includes a lower web integral with said flotation member, said upper and lower web having a longitudinal dimension substantially equal to the length of said flotation members.

Claim 11

An accessory for a sailboard comprising a pair of relatively rigid flotation members, each flotation member having a substantially flat upper surface extending from one side toward an outer side, attachment means along said one side of each flotation member, a sleeve releasably attached by the attachment means to the flotation members, the sleeve releasably engaging with the sailboard with upper and lower webs of the sleeve and overlying contact engagement with respective upper and lower surfaces of the sailboard, the upper and lower web having a longitudinal dimension substantially equal to the length of the flotation members and having integral opposed side portions to rigidly mount each flotation member in a predetermined position relative to a respective side edge portion of the sailboard, the flotation members and sleeve forming with the sailboard a substantially unitary relatively rigid structure having a substantially coextensive upper surface formed of the said upper surfaces of the flotation members and the upper surface of the sailboard, and said attachment means comprises at least one longitudinally extending undercut projection on the flotation members and the opposed side portions of the sleeve are formed with complementary grooves whereby the flotation members are engaged with the sleeve by relative longitudinal sliding engagement of the projection within the groove.

Claim 12

An accessory for a sailboard comprising a pair of relatively rigid flotation members, each flotation member having a substantially flat upper surface extending from one side toward an outer side, attachment means along said one side of each flotation member, a sleeve releasably attached by the attachment means to the flotation members, the sleeve releasably engaging with the sailboard with upper and lower webs of the sleeve and overlying contact engagement with respective upper and lower surfaces of the sailboard, the upper and lower web having a longitudinal dimension substantially equal to the length of the flotation members and having integral opposed side portions to rigidly mount each flotation member in a predetermined position relative to a respective side edge portion of the sailboard, the flotation members and sleeve forming with the sailboard a substantially unitary relatively rigid structure having a substantially coextensive upper surface formed of the said upper surfaces of the flotation members and the upper surface of the sailboard, and said attachment means comprises at least one longitudinally extending undercut projection on the flotation members and the opposed side portions of the sleeve are formed with complementary grooves whereby the flotation members are engaged with the sleeve by relative longitudinal sliding engagement of the projection within the groove.

Claim 13

An accessory according to claim 9 wherein said projection on said flotation members extends from one end thereof to terminate at a position spaced from the other end thereof, said projection having a width which tapers inwardly from said one end.

Claim 14

An accessory according to claim 9, wherein said flotation members are irremovably fixed to said sleeve by adhesive or welding.

Claim 15

An accessory according to claim 9, wherein said sleeve has a front wall and a rear wall with apertures therein corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of the sailboard which the sleeve is to be fitted, the edges of said aperture in the front wall closely engaging the sailboard at a location along its length corresponding to the desired position of the sleeve on the sailboard, the cross-sectional area at such location being less than the greatest cross-sectional area of the sailboard.

Claim 16

An accessory for attachments to a sailboard, comprising: (a) a pair of relatively rigid flotation members, each member having a substantiall flat upper surface, (b) mounting means on one side of each flotation members to rigidly and releasably mount the flotation members to the sailboard, said mounting means having; (c) support members fixed along each side edge portion of said sailboard by connectors passing through the sailboard, said support members having outer side surfaces which are substantially parallel and are provided with longitudinally extending projection or groove means which cooperate with corresponding means on the said one side of the respective flotation members such that the flotation members are rigidly mounted to the opposed sailboard side rails to form a substantially unitary relatively rigid structure with the flat upper surfaces of the flotation members being substantially coextensive with the upper surface of the sailboard to thereby effectively extend the sailboard upper surface area.

Claim 17

An accessory for attachments to a sailboard, comprising: (a) a pair of relatively rigid flotation members, each member having a substantiall flat upper surface, (b) mounting means on one side of each flotation members to rigidly and releasably mount the flotation members to the sailboard, said mounting means having; (c) support members fixed along each side edge portion of said sailboard by connectors passing through the sailboard, said support members having outer side surfaces which are substantially parallel and are provided with longitudinally extending projection or groove means which cooperate with corresponding means on the said one side of the respective flotation members such that the flotation members are rigidly mounted to the opposed sailboard side rails to form a substantially unitary relatively rigid structure with the flat upper surfaces of the flotation members being substantially coextensive with the upper surface of the sailboard to thereby effectively extend the sailboard upper surface area.

Claim 18

An accessory according to claim 13 wherein said support members comprise relatively rigid elongated sections fixed to transversely extending tubes passing through said sailboard.

Claim 19

An accessory for attachment to a sailboard comprising: (a) a pair of relatively rigid flotation members, each member having a substantially flat upper surface; (b) mounted means on one side of each flotation member to rigidly and releasably mount the flotation members to the sailboard, said mounting means having a plurality of individual, undercut projections extending from inner side surfaces of each flotation member and wherein the side edge portions of said sailboard are formed with a corresponding number of recesses having keyhole-shaped access openings whereby said projections are received into said recesses and locked therein by relative longitudinal movements such that the flotation members are rigidly mounted to the opposed sailboard side rails to form a substantially unitary relatively rigid structure with the flat upper surfaces of the flotation members being substantially coextensive with the upper surface of the sailboard to thereby effectively extend the sailboard upper surface area.

Claim 20

An accessory for attachment to a sailboard comprising: (a) a pair of relatively rigid flotation members, each member having a substantially flat upper surface; (b) mounted means on one side of each flotation member to rigidly and releasably mount the flotation members to the sailboard, said mounting means having a plurality of individual, undercut projections extending from inner side surfaces of each flotation member and wherein the side edge portions of said sailboard are formed with a corresponding number of recesses having keyhole-shaped access openings whereby said projections are received into said recesses and locked therein by relative longitudinal movements such that the flotation members are rigidly mounted to the opposed sailboard side rails to form a substantially unitary relatively rigid structure with the flat upper surfaces of the flotation members being substantially coextensive with the upper surface of the sailboard to thereby effectively extend the sailboard upper surface area.