Water sports performance system and method
DC CAFCFirst Claim
1. A water sports system for improving aerial characteristics of a performance by a performer using a water sports implement, the system comprising:
- a vessel behind which the performer is to be towed, the vessel including a bow, a stern, opposing starboard and port sides between the bow and the stern, and an operator station located amidships between the opposing sides;
a vertical support unit fitted to the vessel at a location proximate the operator station and positioned amidships, the vertical support unit having an upper portion at a height substantially above the level of the operator station and adapted for securing a tow rope thereto;
a tow rope attached to the upper portion of the vertical support unit for towing the performer therefrom;
first and second ballast tanks fitted onboard at opposing locations proximate the starboard and port sides, respectively, and extending toward the stern from only aft amidships; and
extracting means in fluid communication with the body of water for forcing water into the first and second ballast tanks for weighting down the vessel and controlling a wake created by the vessel.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Aerial characteristics in a wakeboard performance are improved with a vessel having a skeletal frame including starboard and port rigid vertical support structures fitted to opposing sides of the vessel with a horizontal bridging portion extending between the structures for attaching a tow rope. Further, ballast tanks are fitted onboard and only aft amidships of the vessel, at or above the waterline. The ballast tanks are filled with water during movement of the vessel using a water scoop which extracts water from the body of water upon which the vessel operates and forces the water into the ballast tanks during movement of the vessel through the body of water, weighting down the stern, thus lowering the vessel into the body of water and affecting the wake created by the vessel. By controlling the amount of water carried by the tanks, a desirable wake is formed for use by the performer. The weighting is controlled by controlling air venting to the ballast tanks. The tanks are emptied while the vessel is stopped, permitting them to drain.
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Citations
56 Claims
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1. A water sports system for improving aerial characteristics of a performance by a performer using a water sports implement, the system comprising:
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a vessel behind which the performer is to be towed, the vessel including a bow, a stern, opposing starboard and port sides between the bow and the stern, and an operator station located amidships between the opposing sides; a vertical support unit fitted to the vessel at a location proximate the operator station and positioned amidships, the vertical support unit having an upper portion at a height substantially above the level of the operator station and adapted for securing a tow rope thereto; a tow rope attached to the upper portion of the vertical support unit for towing the performer therefrom; first and second ballast tanks fitted onboard at opposing locations proximate the starboard and port sides, respectively, and extending toward the stern from only aft amidships; and extracting means in fluid communication with the body of water for forcing water into the first and second ballast tanks for weighting down the vessel and controlling a wake created by the vessel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A water sports system for improving aerial characteristics of a performance by a performer using a water sports implement, and being towed behind a vessel having a bow, a stern and an operator station between opposing sides, the system comprising:
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a vertical support unit adapted to be fitted to the vessel, the vertical support unit having an upper portion for extending to a height substantially above the level of the operator station and adapted for securing a tow rope thereto; first and second enclosed ballast tanks adapted to be fitted onboard along opposing starboard and port sides and only aft amidships of the vessel, the first and second ballast tanks having a length dimension for extending from amidships to proximate the stern of the vessel; extracting means in fluid communication with the body of water for forcing water into each of the first and second ballast tanks for weighting down the vessel and controlling a shape of a wake created by the vessel; and valve means operable between the extracting means and the first and second enclosed ballast tanks for controlling air venting to the ballast tanks and thus flow of water into each tank. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A water sports system for improving aerial characteristics of a performance by a performer using a water sports implement, the system comprising:
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a vessel behind which the performer is to be towed, the vessel including a bow, a stern, opposing starboard and port sides between the bow and the stern and an operator station located amidships between the opposing sides; a skeletal frame including a first relatively rigid vertical support structure fitted to the starboard side of the vessel at a location proximate the operator station, a second relatively rigid vertical support structure fitted to the port side of the vessel at a location proximate the operator station, and a generally horizontal bridging portion extending between upper portions of the first and second vertically extending support structures at a height substantially above the level of the operator station, the skeletal frame adapted for securing a tow rope thereto; a tow rope attached to the upper portion of the skeletal frame for towing the performer therefrom; a ballast tank fitted onboard and only aft amidships of the vessel; and a water scoop in fluid communication with the body of water and operable with the ballast tank for forcing water into the ballast tank and weighting down the vessel, thus lowering the vessel aft portion and controlling a wake created by the vessel while permitting planing thereof, the water scoop extracting the water from the body of water as the vessel moves through the body of water. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A water sports system for improving aerial characteristics of a performance by a performer using a water sports implement, the system comprising:
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a vessel behind which the performer is to be towed, the vessel including a bow, a stern, opposing starboard and port sides between the bow and the stern, and an operator station between opposing sides; a tow rope attached to the vessel for towing the performer therefrom; first and second ballast tanks fitted onboard at opposing locations proximate the starboard and port sides and only aft amidships of the vessel, wherein a lower most portion of each of the first and second ballast tanks is fitted at or above the waterline of the vessel when the tanks are substantially empty of water; a water scoop in fluid communication with the body of water for forcing water into each of the first and second enclosed ballast tanks for weighting down the vessel, thus lowering the vessel into the body of water and controlling a wake created by the vessel, the water scoop extracting the water from the body of water as the vessel moves through the body of water; and valve means operable between the extracting means and the first and second enclosed ballast tanks for controlling air venting to the ballast tanks and thus flow of water into each tank. - View Dependent Claims (33)
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34. A method for improving aerial characteristics of a performance by a performer using a water sports implement and being towed behind a vessel, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a vessel behind which the performer is to be towed, the vessel including a bow, a stern opposing starboard and port sides between the bow and the stern and an operator station located amidships between the opposing sides; fitting a vertical support unit to the vessel at a location proximate the operator station, the vertical support unit having an upper portion at a height substantially above the level of the operator station and adapted for securing a tow rope thereto; attaching a tow rope to the upper portion of the vertical support unit for towing the performer therefrom; fitting first and second ballast tanks onboard at opposing locations proximate the starboard and port sides, respectively, and only aft amidships of the vessel; towing the performer over a body of water; extracting water from the body of water and depositing the water into the first and second ballast tanks for weighting down the vessel and lowering the vessel into the body of water; and forming a desired wake to be used by the performer by controlling an amount of the water to be deposited into the first and second ballast tanks. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. A method for improving aerial characteristics of a performance by a performer using a water sports implement, while maintaining stability for the vessel, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a vessel behind which the performer is to be towed, the vessel including a bow, a stern, opposing starboard and port sides between the bow and the stern, and an operator station located amidships between the opposing sides; fitting a skeletal frame at a location proximate the operator station and extending thereabove, the skeletal frame including a first relatively rigid vertical support structure fitted to the starboard side of the vessel abeam the operator station, a second relatively rigid vertical support structure fitted to the port side of the vessel abeam the operator station, and a generally horizontal bridging portion extending between upper portions of the first and second vertically extending support structures at a height substantially above the level of the operator station, the skeletal frame adapted for securing a tow rope thereto; attaching a tow rope to the upper portion of the skeletal frame for towing the performer therefrom; fitting a ballast tank onboard and only aft amidships in the vessel; placing a water scoop in fluid communication with the body of water for forcing water into the ballast tank; towing the performer by moving the vessel through the body of water; and weighting down the vessel with a desired amount of water deposited into the ballast tank, thus lowering the vessel into the body of water and controlling a wake created by the vessel, the water scoop extracting the water from the body of water as the vessel moves through the body of water. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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54. A method for improving aerial characteristics of a performance by a performer using a water sports implement, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a vessel behind which the performer is to be towed, the vessel including a bow, a stern, opposing starboard and port sides between the bow and the stern, and an operator station between opposing sides; attaching a tow rope to the vessel for towing the performer therefrom; fitting first and second enclosed ballast tanks onboard at opposing locations proximate the starboard and port sides, respectively, and only aft amidships in the vessel and positioned such that a lowermost portion of each of the first and second ballast tanks is fitted at or above the waterline of the vessel when each of the first and second tanks are substantially empty of water; placing a water scoop in fluid communication between the first and second tanks and the body of water for forcing water into each of the ballast tanks as the vessel moves through the body of water; moving the vessel through the body of water; towing the performer; extracting water from the body of water and depositing an amount of water into the ballast tanks, thus adding weight aft; controlling the extracting and thus flow and amount of water deposited into the enclosed tanks by controlling venting of air to the tank; and shaping the wake for use by the performer. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56)
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Specification