Sail and method of manufacture thereof

• US 20040016381A1
• Filed: 07/21/2003
• Published: 01/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aaron Kiss
• Original Assignee: Aaron Kiss
• Inventors: Kiss, Aaron
• Granted Patent: US 6,886,483 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 114/102.29
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 9/067 Sails characterised by their construction or manufacturing process
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/12 the advertising matter being towed by the aircraft

Abstract

A sailboat sail includes a sheet of material that contains stretchable webs that assume a planar orientation when placed against a planar surface, but which can stretch into a sail or airfoil orientation when mounted to a sailboat and exposed to wind loading. The sheet includes at least two webs of PVC vinyl laminated together between which is disposed a scrim of polyester yarn. The yarn is cross-hatched in a predetermined directional pattern. The sail has informational content, such as advertising, printed thereon or otherwise imparted thereto. A method for manufacturing such a sail includes providing a sheet of the aforementioned sail material, printing on one or both sides of the sheet information content to be displayed while the sail is mounted upon a sailboat, and cutting the sheet into the shape of a sail. The sheet may be cut before or after the information is imprinted thereon.

Claims

1. A sail formed by a process comprising steps of:

providing a sheet of material containing stretchable webs that lay substantially flat when disposed against a planar surface, but which are capable of stretching under wind loading to assume a sail or airfoil shape, the sheet including at least two webs of PVC vinyl laminated together between which is disposed a scrim of polyester yarn, the yarn being cross-hatched in a predetermined directional pattern;

printing informational matter onto the sheet; and

cutting the sheet into the shape of a sailboat sail.

2. The sail of claim 1, wherein the process further includes mounting the sail to a sailboat.

3. The sail of claim 1, wherein the sail is a headsail.

4. The sail of claim 1, wherein the sail is a mainsail.

5. The sail of claim 1, wherein the weight of the sheet is in the range of 10 to 30 ounces per square yard.

6. The sail of claim 7, wherein the weight of the sheet is in the range of 15 to 16 ounces per square yard.

7. The sail of claim 1, wherein the sheet of material is opaque.

8. A method of manufacturing a sail comprising:

providing a sheet of material containing stretchable webs that lay substantially flat when disposed against a planar surface, but which are capable of stretching under wind loading to assume a sail or airfoil shape, the sheet including at least two webs of PVC vinyl laminated together between which is disposed a scrim of polyester yarn, the yarn being cross-hatched in a predetermined directional pattern;

cutting the sheet into the shape of a sailboat sail; and

printing informational matter onto the sheet.

9. The method of claim 8, further including mounting the sail to a sailboat.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the sail is a headsail.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the sail is a mainsail.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the weight of the sheet is in the range of 10 to 30 ounces per square yard.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the weight of the sheet is in the range of 15 to 16 ounces per square yard.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the sheet of material is opaque.

15. A sail comprising:

a sheet of material in the shape of a sail adapted to be functionally employed on a sailboat, the material containing stretchable webs that assume a planar orientation when placed against a planar surface, but which can stretch into a sail or airfoil orientation when mounted to a sailboat and exposed to wind loading, the sheet including at least two webs of PVC vinyl laminated together between which is disposed a scrim of polyester yarn, the yarn being cross-hatched in a predetermined directional pattern; and

printed informational matter disposed on at least a portion of at least one surface of the sheet.

16. The sail of claim 15, wherein the sail is a headsail.

17. The sail of claim 15, wherein the sail is a mainsail.

18. The sail of claim 15, wherein the weight of the sheet of material is in the range of 10 to 30 ounces per square yard.

19. The sail of claim 18, wherein the informational matter includes at least one of textual information and graphics.

20. The sail of claim 15, wherein the sheet of material is opaque.