This application claims priority to, and the benefit of, the earlier filing date of US provisional patent application entitled “Lido 14 Centerboard with Integral Arm” filed on Mar. 11, 2022, Ser. No. 63/319,187, pursuant to 35 USC 119—the contents of all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND
Field of the Technology

The invention relates to the field of centerboards for sailboats and, in particular, a centerboard with an integral arm for a Lido 14 sailboat.

Description of the Prior Art

A centerboard is retractable keel-like structure held vertically in the water below a sailboat which provides the forces necessary to sail toward the wind. Centerboards are commonly utilized in sailboats that are intended to be stored where there is a little clearance below the boat for a permanently affixed structure—such as those launched on a beach or in sailboats intended to be operated in shallow water. Centerboard equipped boats often contain a compartment within the hull, often referred to as a centerboard trunk, for the centerboard to be stowed into.

The Lido 14 is a 14-foot-long centerboard equipped sailboat designed and manufactured by the W. D. Schock Corporation (herein WDS). The Lido 14 was first offered for sale in early 1958 and was offered continuously well into the 21st century. Over that period, there were two distinct versions of the boat: the now called Classic Series produced from 1958 thru approximately 1995, and the 6000 Series produced thereafter. Both the Classic Series and 6000 Series versions of the Lido 14 sailboat employ a pivoting centerboard that is controlled by a rope that, when pulled, rotates the centerboard upward into a centerboard trunk.

All Classic Series Lido 14 sailboats were equipped with a centerboard consisting of two distinct components: 1) a body, and 2) a metal arm. The centerboard arm greatly reduces the effort needed to rotate the centerboard into its trunk and also provides a means to accurately control the deployed position of the centerboard by having the arm come to rest against a stopping surface built into the centerboard trunk.

Over the many years of production of the Classic Series, the materials used in manufacturing the centerboard changed but the overall functionality and structure did not. The first edition centerboard consisted of a solid wood body 1 with a bronze metal arm 2 attached as seen in FIG. 1. The bronze metal arm 2 as seen in greater detail of FIG. 2 consists of an arm 3 and a corresponding plate 4 which would sandwich the wood body there between and a plurality of fasteners 5 used to attach the arm 3 to the body 1. The second iteration of the centerboard consisted of two fiberglass reinforced plastic shells with an aluminum arm sandwiched in between. The final version of the centerboard produced by WDS for the Classic Series Lido 14, as seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, consisted of two fiberglass reinforced plastic shells 6 with a stainless-steel metal arm 7 disposed there between.

However, the metal arms proved to be difficult to manufacture accurately, were difficult to install into/onto the centerboard body, were prone to structural failure, and often caused damage to the centerboard trunk. With these issues in mind, an armless centerboard was designed for the subsequent 6000 Series sailboats; the armless design resulted in another set of problems. All told, the arm is beneficial to the functionality of the sailboat but using metal in the construction of the arm has been problematic.

As a direct result of the problems of the original Classic Series equipment described above, third parties designed and fabricated replacement versions of the centerboard; they too largely failed to resolve all the centerboard arm related problems.

The current invention is a centerboard that eliminates these centerboard arm related problems by incorporating the arm directly into the design/construction of centerboard body; the body and arm of the centerboard being of unitary construction.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The current invention provides a centerboard comprising a body and an arm extending from the body, wherein the body and the arm are of unitary construction. As used herein, the term “unitary construction” refers to the process of constructing or manufacturing a product or item as a single piece or unit.

In one embodiment, the body of the centerboard includes a head defined at a proximal end of the body, wherein the arm extends from a surface of the body adjacent to the head. In some instances, the head also includes a first edge that is disposed parallel to a longitudinal axis of the body and a second edge comprising a curvature configured to provide a quarter-circle profile, wherein the arm comprises a curvature approximately matching the curvature of the second edge.

In another embodiment, the centerboard further includes a tab disposed on a proximal end of the arm. The tab extends from the proximal end of the arm in a direction approximately parallel to a longitudinal axis of the body.

In a further embodiment, the centerboard also includes a plurality of gybe bumps that are disposed on the head. In some embodiments, at least one of the plurality of gybe bumps is adjacently disposed to a junction between the arm and the head. In some embodiments, gybe bumps are disposed on each (port and starboard) longitudinal surface of the head.

The invention also provides a centerboard which consists of unitary construction comprising a body and an integrally formed arm extending from the body.

While the apparatus and method has or will be described for the sake of grammatical fluidity with functional explanations, it is to be expressly understood that the claims, unless expressly formulated under 35 USC 112, are not to be construed as necessarily limited in any way by the construction of “means” or “steps” limitations, but are to be accorded the full scope of the meaning and equivalents of the definition provided by the claims under the judicial doctrine of equivalents, and in the case where the claims are expressly formulated under 35 USC 112 are to be accorded full statutory equivalents under 35 USC 112. The disclosure can be better visualized by turning now to the following drawings wherein like elements are referenced by like numerals.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of the prior art comprising a centerboard including a body comprised of wood with a metal arm attached.

FIG. 2 is a magnified view of the prior art seen in FIG. 1, specifically a metal arm and its associated parts that are used to couple the metal arm to the wood body.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the prior art comprising a centerboard including a body comprised of fiberglass reinforced plastic and an embedded metal arm.

FIG. 4 is a magnified cross-sectional view of the prior art seen in FIG. 3 illustrating how a metal arm is embedded within the fiberglass reinforced plastic.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the current invention which provides a centerboard comprising a unitary body and arm.

FIG. 6 is a side view illustrating of the centerboard seen in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a magnified top view illustrating the centerboard seen in FIG. 5.

The disclosure and its various embodiments can now be better understood by turning to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments which are presented as illustrated examples of the embodiments defined in the claims. It is expressly understood that the embodiments as defined by the claims may be broader than the illustrated embodiments described below.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Greater detail of the centerboard of the current invention may be seen in FIGS. 5-7 where it is denoted generally by reference numeral 10. The centerboard 10 body 12 is comprised of a head 14 disposed at its proximal end, a tip 16 at its distal end, and is substantially rectangular in shape with a hydrodynamic cross section between the head 14 and tip 16. The portion of the body 12 between the head 14 and the tip 16, is responsible for generating the lifting forces necessary to sail toward the wind. The tip 16 comprises an angled slope or profile to reduce hydrodynamic drag and to fit within the confines of the centerboard trunk.

In some embodiments, the head 14 of the centerboard 10 comprises a first edge 26 that is substantially parallel with a longitudinal axis 28 of the body 12 of the centerboard 10, and a second edge 30 being curved or quarter-circle profile as best seen in FIG. 6. The centerboard 10 further comprises an arm 20 which extends over the second curved edge 30 of the head 14. The arm 20 is configured to reach outward and over the correspondingly shaped curved portion of the centerboard trunk of the Classic Series sailboat that the centerboard 10 may be disposed in. Disposed at the proximal tip or end of the arm 20 is a tab 22 that is orientated approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis 28 of the centerboard 10. Adjacent to the distal end 32 or base 32 of the arm 20 is a gybe bump 24, which is a slightly raised portion of the surface of the head 14 that controls the angle of the centerboard 10. A gybe bump 24 is defined on both sides of the centerboard 10 as best seen in FIG. 7. While the gybe bump 24 may be seen as on either side of the centerboard 10 as being substantially adjacent to the junction of the arm 20 and the body12, it is to be expressly understood that each of the gybe bumps 24 may be disposed anywhere along the head 14 which may prove advantageous in controlling the centerboard 10 while in use.

The centerboard 10 is of unitary construction, namely wherein the body 12, the arm 20, and the various specific features associated therewith consist of a single piece or portion of uniform material. In other words, the centerboard 10 uses the same materials and manufacturing processes to build the arm 20 as is used with the body 12. The centerboard 10 is preferably comprised of contemporary manufacturing materials and methods, such as forged or molded composites, to ensure optimal performance and cost.

Benefits of the unitary construction include the reduction of manufacturing steps, fewer labor hours to construct. For example, the manufacturing steps of cutting, bending, welding, polishing a traditional stainless steel metal arm and embedding it within the body are all eliminated from the manufacturing process.

When in use or disposed within a trunk of a Lido 14, or other sailboat, the centerboard 10 may be raised or rotated out of the water by pulling a rope or line that is attached to the arm tab 22. Compared to an armless centerboard, arm 20 reduces the amount of force needed to rotate the centerboard 10 into the centerboard trunk.

Many alterations and modifications may be made by those having ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the embodiments. Therefore, it must be understood that the illustrated embodiment has been set forth only for the purposes of example and that it should not be taken as limiting the embodiments as defined by the following embodiments and its various embodiments.

Therefore, it must be understood that the illustrated embodiment has been set forth only for the purposes of example and that it should not be taken as limiting the embodiments as defined by the following claims. For example, notwithstanding the fact that the elements of a claim are set forth below in a certain combination, it must be expressly understood that the embodiments includes other combinations of fewer, more or different elements, which are disclosed in above even when not initially claimed in such combinations. A teaching that two elements are combined in a claimed combination is further to be understood as also allowing for a claimed combination in which the two elements are not combined with each other, but may be used alone or combined in other combinations. The excision of any disclosed element of the embodiments is explicitly contemplated as within the scope of the embodiments.

The words used in this specification to describe the various embodiments are to be understood not only in the sense of their commonly defined meanings, but to include by special definition in this specification structure, material or acts beyond the scope of the commonly defined meanings. Thus if an element can be understood in the context of this specification as including more than one meaning, then its use in a claim must be understood as being generic to all possible meanings supported by the specification and by the word itself.

The definitions of the words or elements of the following claims are, therefore, defined in this specification to include not only the combination of elements which are literally set forth, but all equivalent structure, material or acts for performing substantially the same function in substantially the same way to obtain substantially the same result. In this sense it is therefore contemplated that an equivalent substitution of two or more elements may be made for any one of the elements in the claims below or that a single element may be substituted for two or more elements in a claim. Although elements may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, it is to be expressly understood that one or more elements from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination and that the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.

Insubstantial changes from the claimed subject matter as viewed by a person with ordinary skill in the art, now known or later devised, are expressly contemplated as being equivalently within the scope of the claims. Therefore, obvious substitutions now or later known to one with ordinary skill in the art are defined to be within the scope of the defined elements.

The claims are thus to be understood to include what is specifically illustrated and described above, what is conceptionally equivalent, what can be obviously substituted and also what essentially incorporates the essential idea of the embodiments.