BODY MOUNTED SURFBOARD

• US 3,803,652 A
• Filed: 12/29/1972
• Issued: 04/16/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Henry K. Uyehara
• Original Assignee: Henry K. Uyehara
• Inventors: Uyehara, Henry K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Buchler, Milton
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sauberer, Paul E.
• Application Number:
  US05/319,893
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• Field of Search: 9/338,337,336,311,31E,31R,312,329 114/16A D34/41,42,43 272/1B,71
• US Class Current: 441/66
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 32/22 Bodyboards for surfing; Accessories specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 32/50 Boards characterised by their constructional features

Abstract

A board having a rigid body with a convex outer surface and a concave inner surface. The outer surface has ridges and grooves for directing movement and for maintaining directional stability. Rearward and inward curved semi-rigid members hold the surfboard on the frontal torso area of a wearer. Body encircling straps are used. A neck encircling member provides additional floatation at the neck area. The concave-convex surfboards with directional grooves are mounted directly on torso covering wet suits which provide the body encircling anchors.

Claims

1. A chest mounted surfboard comprising a relatively rigid body portion having a convex outer surface, having a breadth substantially extending across the chest of a wearer and having a length extending substantially from an area near a chin of a wearer along substantially all of a frontal portion of a torso of the wearer and having a concave inner surface for fitting against the body of a wearer, waist-engaging means connected to the body portion and extending rearward and inward for at least partially encircling a waist of the wearer, an upper body portion engaging means connected to the body of the surfboard apparatus and extending rearward and inward for at least partially encircling an upper portion of a wearer, the body portion tapering substantially uniformly and having a maximum thickness at a top and having a minimum thickness at a bottom and further comprising plural longitudinal directional orienting and stabilizing means on the external convex surface and extending in a direction from top to bottom and fore and aft along the surfboard.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the body engaging means comprise resilient cantilevers integrally connected to the surfboard body and curving rearward and inward substantially parallel to the surfboard body, whereby the mounting means are deflected and the surfboard is placed on the body.

3. The surfboard apparatus of claim 1 wherein the upper body engaging means comprises a neck encircling floatation augmenting collar formed at an angle to the surfboard.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the neck encircling means comprise opposite cantilevers which are curved rearward and inward from the surfboard body and which terminate in a gap for inserting the neck of a wearer.

5. The surfboard apparatus of claim 3 wherein the neck encircling means further comprise enlarged water displacement means for promoting and augmenting floatation in the area of the neck encircling means.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the directional stabilizing means comprises deep grooves mounted on the convex outer surface in a direction of top to bottom and fore to aft.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the directional stabilizing means comprise grooves extending along substantially the entire convex surface.

8. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the main body portion and the encircling means are inflatable.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the main body portion is constructed of rigid expanded foam material.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the body engaging means comprise portions of an upper torso wet suit and wherein the surfboard body portion is a substantially rigid section covering the chest and stomach area of the wet suit and firmly secured thereto.