FR2845970A1 - Kite, has sliding mechanism that links one front line with corresponding back line by sliding lines in traction between locked position of lines and jettisoning position of back line to take wind out of sail - Google Patents

Abstract

The kite (27) has a sail (8) linked to a grappling bar (10) of a user through two front lines and two back lines. A sliding mechanism links one front line with a corresponding back line by sliding the lines in traction between a locked position of the lines and a jettisoning position of the back line to take a wind out of the sail. The mechanism has a component fitted with flash holes and a junction tip between the lines.

Description

SECURED TRACTION KITE

  The present invention relates to a so-called "four-line" traction kite, comprising a wing connected to a grip bar of the user by means of two lines.

front and two back lines.

  It finds a particularly important although not exclusive application in the field of the safety of users of "kite surfing" or "fly surfing" for competition, pleasure or learning. "Kite surfing", a name which has no equivalent in French but which could be translated by "surfboard towed by a kite", consists of a small surfboard with a fin and a kite which comprises a wing, that is to say a piece, for example of parachute fabric which in one embodiment is partially pre-inflated or else is shaped under the pressure of the wind to develop a bearing surface, of the device for maneuvering the wing which is done by means of lines or ropes connected to a control bar held by the user and of a harness, dinghy harness type, threaded at the level

of the user's kidneys.

  The wing allows you to tow the surfboard on water or snow. When the wing is tilted upwards, the user and the board are projected upwards and can thus perform spectacular jumps of several meters, or even tens of meters, before falling back down while hovering thanks to the wing

then forming a parachute.

  It is thus possible to pull edges by jumping regularly with jumps of several

tens of meters.

  It is understood that the use of kite surfing can present risks in particular in the event of loss of control of the kite. Security devices were therefore sought very early on to resolve loss of control. Known systems

  have drawbacks, however.

  Indeed, the size of the existing security systems and the lack of freedom of movement they offer, in a context where the practice has developed without any effective security control system, including in competition, has 15 trained users, especially if they are initiated, to practice kite surfing with a system

simplified but insufficient.

  The user, thanks to a releasable carabiner generally welded to his harness, is connected to the end of the front lines by a end which slides inside the grasping bar by the user. The opening action of the carabiner generates the separation of the pilot and his helm and this release leads to an uncontrollable loss of the wing, which suddenly becomes a source of danger for other users.

people on the site.

  Such a system is preferred because it is little

  bulky and easy to use and in fact requires only one action.

  Beginners and kite surf builders

  add to this system a cable connected by one end to a portion of the rear line, it-

  even connected to the edge of the wing and the other end of which is generally attached to the user's wrist. Such a safety system called "leash" in 5 Anglo-Saxon languages makes it possible not to lose the wing

  when opening the releasable carabiner.

  The cable can also be constituted by an elastic end. Unfortunately, this "leash" does not allow total freedom of movement and beginners a little

  seasoned then tend to remove it quickly.

  The releasable system connected to the end of the front lines also has the drawback of not being able to be actuated if one is also hooked by the "harness end" of the bar, in particular to relieve the traction on the arms , unless the latter is also releasable. However, it is then necessary to activate two consecutive releasable systems

in case of critical situations.

  This double system, although theoretically satisfactory, is too complicated in practice and

is not used.

  However, the security problem is serious since there are currently several deaths in the world per year 25 due to the impossibility of dropping quickly and

  easily sailing in critical situations.

  In practice, there are essentially two

  kinds of users, the expert user and the novice user. They don't need the same type of security.

  Beginner's safety will be respected if all of the manufacturer's instructions are followed. The safety of the expert is not as demanding since the experience acquired over the hours of practice will allow him to keep better control

  of his wing whatever the situation.

  The security he needs is therefore rather of the “air bag” type as a last resort before an accident.

  However, this security does not currently exist.

  Indeed, in the daily practice of the kite in four lines, the expert user does not put into play the system of high security harnesses because it would be at the cost of the loss of his kite

  or in defiance of his freedom of evolution.

  In summary, the major drawbacks of the solutions of the prior art, in the context of the "four line" kite, are linked to the difficulties of activating the safety system when one is hooked to the harness by the "end" of the bar harness, unable to activate said system when the line on which it is hooked breaks, to increased bulk when adding a fifth line ("leash") attached to the wrist or harness, which greatly reduces freedom

evolution of the user.

  The present invention aims to provide a kite that better meets those previously known requirements of practice, in particular in that it provides a kite provided with a safety system of an extremely simple handling both for the user expert only for the beginner, while allowing 30 increased freedom of development thanks to a

less bulk.

  The user can easily recover his wing

  after operating the system.

  It is also possible in one embodiment to choose the side to be released, which makes it possible, for example, to absorb the break in the lines.

forward or backward.

  It is enough for the user not wanting to use a "leash" to hang on a carabiner releasable at the "end" of the fronts and it is ready. On the other hand, beginners who do not wish to be fixedly hooked, must imperatively wear the "leash" to be sure not to lose the wing. The "leash" can then advantageously be fixed at the level of the releasable carabiner. When the bar is released, which supposes that the user is no longer hooked by the front lines, there can therefore be automatic opening of the carabiner and

thereby opening the wing.

  In all cases, with a simple gesture, all the traction stops, since simply by pulling or pushing on the opening of the releasable system, on one side or the other of the bar, the wing

  is released but still easily recoverable.

  For this purpose, the present invention proposes in particular a traction kite called "four lines", comprising a wing connected to a gripping bar of the user by means of two front lines and two rear lines, characterized in that at least one front line is connected to a corresponding rear line through line sliding means between a position for blocking the two lines in traction and a position for releasing the rear line

to vent the wing.

  In advantageous embodiments, recourse is had to one and / or the other of the following arrangements: the sliding means comprise an elongated element secured to a lateral edge of the wing, said element being provided at each of its ends with a passage lumen with a junction end of the front and rear lines between them and the front line has a specific locking stop to come to cooperate with the end of the elongated element in blocking position, when the rear line is in traction; the rear line comprises a blocking stop fixed to said rear line near the bar, adapted to cooperate with the other end of the elongated element, after sliding along said element, to prevent said rear line from is fully unwound; - the elongated element is removable; - the elongated element is of adjustable length to adapt to different types of wings; - The end of the element located on the side of the rear line is provided with a pulley or a deflection axis promoting sliding; the elongated element is a rigid tube - the elongated element is formed of a rigid or substantially rigid rod, the end openings being formed by holes drilled in the ends of said rod or in protruding tabs 30 forming rings integral with the ends of said rod; - the kite has two sliding elements respectively arranged on each of the two sets of front line / rear line of the kite, allowing a choice for the user in the side to drop; - The sliding means are structurally integrated into the lateral edge of the wing, during the manufacture of the latter; the kite comprises means for releasing the rear line under tension corresponding to the sliding means, comprising a wedge channel 1o of an end ball of the rear line in the gripping bar by the user and a pusher suitable for bringing said end ball to the view of a liberating channel pierced in the wall of said bar; - the rear drop line is extended by a wire connected to the bar allowing the user to bring said rear line after opening the security system, to be able to reconnect his

wing and take it off again.

  The invention will be better understood on reading the

  description which follows of embodiments given by way of nonlimiting examples. The description refers to the accompanying drawings in which:

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a kite surf user provided with a kite comprising the sliding means according to a

  first embodiment of the invention.

  Figure 2 is a perspective view of the means

  sliding of the kite of Figure 1, 30 comprising a tube.

  FIG. 2A shows a partial view of one end of a sliding tube according to another

  embodiment of the invention.

  FIG. 3 shows a traction kite according to another embodiment of the invention in the traction position and in the release position (dashed line). Figures 4A and 4B show an elongated member used with the embodiment of Figure 3, in two different length adjustment positions. Figure 5 is a partial schematic sectional view of one end of the gripping bar showing an embodiment of means for releasing the pre-line connected to the rear dropable line

of the wing.

  Figures 6A, 6B and 6C are schematic, partial top views of the end of the bar of Figure 5, showing three stages of release

  of the pre-line authorizing the release.

  Figure 1 shows a kite surf 1 in operation. A user 2 in position on a small surfboard 3 is towed by a kite 4 said in four lines, namely two front lines 5 and 6 connected on one side to the leading edge 7 of the wing 8 and the on the other side, connected to each other by a third cord 9, itself connected through

  the gripping bar 10, to the user's harness 2, and two rear lines 12 and 13, connected on one side to the trailing edge 14 of the wing and on the other side, respectively, to each of the 30 bar ends 10.

  According to the embodiment of the invention more particularly described here of the kite 4, the starboard forward line 5 is connected to the aft starboard line 12, through sliding means 15

from the back row.

  The means 15 comprise a sliding tube 16 (see also Figure 2), for example 5 made of plastic or aluminum, of small diameter, for example of internal diameter between 1.5 cm and 3 cm, fixed to a lateral edge 17 of

wing 8.

  More specifically, the front line 5 is connected to the rear line 12 for example by a junction end

  18 held in the tube 16 in the locked position.

  The front line 5 in fact has, in a fixed manner at its end on the side of the wing, a blocking ball 19, of diameter greater than that of the internal diameter of the tube, the end 20 of the tube when the

rear line 12 is in traction.

  The rear line 12 also includes a blocking stop, for example formed by a ball 21 fixed on the line, with a diameter 20 greater than that of the internal diameter of the tube, near the bar 10, c ' that is to say for example at 1 m, but arranged before the release device

  fast for example formed by a releasable carabiner.

  When the rear line 12 is suddenly released, the traction 23 on said line stops.

  On the other hand, the traction 24 on the front line 5 will cause the junction end 18 to unwind, then the rear line 12 through the tube 16 until it comes

in abutment on the ball 21.

  FIG. 2A gives a partial view of another embodiment of the tube 16 ′ of the invention, comprising a pulley 25 facilitating the sliding of the rear line 12 during the release. Note that the tube is provided with belts 26 at its ends, which will allow its removable attachment to the wing 8 of the

Kite.

  FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of a traction kite 27 according to the invention.

  In the following description, we will use the

  same reference numbers to designate the same items. The wing 8 is here provided with an elongated element 28 10 comprising a rod 29 for example made of aluminum, for example fixed removably on the lateral edge 30 of the wing by straps 31 (cf. FIG. 4A and 4B) . The rod 29 is provided at each of its ends 15 32 and 33 with a ring 34 for passing the end 18 of

  junction between the front 5 and rear 12 lines, which runs between the two rings 34 along the rod.

  The rings 34 are of diameters smaller than

  diameters of the locking balls 19 and 21.

  More specifically, FIGS. 4A and 4B show a telescopic rod which makes it possible to adapt the length dimension of the rod to that of the lateral edge of the wing, thanks to an adjustment pin 35, which cooperates with holes. regularly drilled in the rod 36 slidingly mounted inside the tube 37

in a manner known in itself.

  In the embodiment of Figure 3, the rear line 12 releasable is extended by a wire 38 connected to the bar, for example integrated into said bar, wound around a coil (not shown) which will allow the user not to lose the rear line and bring it back after opening the

security system 22.

  We will now describe how the

  kite with reference to figure 3.

  When the user finds himself in an uncontrollable situation, and this without letting go of his bar, which is an important advantage since this prevents the loss of the wing, he triggers the security system formed by

the releasable carabiner 22.

  The rear line 12 (cf. wing in phantom) then unwinds along the sliding means (rod 10 29) until the ball 21 comes into abutment on the ring 34, the front line 5 always attached to the user relaxing. Wing 8 is then vented, and the user can recover his hand on

  the situation without having let go of the bar 10.

  Then he just has to bring the rear line thanks to the wire 38 to be able to reconnect his wing and

take it off again.

  The wire 38, is for example automatically rewound in the bar, when the user 20 gradually recovers the end of the line

rear 15.

  Another embodiment of the release system has been described with reference to FIGS. 5 and GA to 6C

  than that formed by the releasable carabiner 22.

  In this non-limiting embodiment, the rear line 39 is provided at its end with a small ball 40 which locks in normal operation on a stop 41 forming a locking wedge, fixed inside a sliding end 42 of 30 the bar 43. The stop 41 is for example of rectangular trapezoidal section, the slope of the side which cooperates with the ball is directed towards the center of the bar. The small ball 40 is arranged to slide along a slot 44 of width less than the diameter of the ball, said slot being provided (cf. FIG. 6A to 6C) in the bar and therefore the end

sliding opposite.

  When the sliding end 42 is pushed towards the bar (arrow 45, the ball runs along the slot until it reaches an enlarged end part 46 which releases the ball from the bar, and

  thereby drops the back line.

  As it goes without saying and as it results from what

  above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments more particularly described.

  On the contrary, it embraces all the variants, and in particular those where the wing has two safety devices 15 on either side.

Claims (12)

  1.Tight kite (4, 27) called "four 5 lines", comprising a wing (8) connected to a bar (10) for gripping the user (2) via two front lines (5, 6) and two rear lines (12,13), characterized in that at least one front line (5) is connected to a corresponding rear line 1o (12) through means (15) for sliding the lines between a position for blocking the two lines (5, 12) in traction and a position for releasing the rear line (12) to vent the wing.   2. Kite (4, 27) according to claim 1, characterized in that the sliding means (15) comprise an elongated element (16, 16 ', 29) integral with a lateral edge (17, 28) of the wing, said element being provided at each of its ends with a lumen (20, 34) for passage of a junction end (43) of the front (5) and rear (12) lines between them, and in that the front line (5) has a locking stop (19) suitable for coming to cooperate with the end (20, 34) of the elongated element (16, 16 ', 25 29) in the locking position when the line back (12) is in traction.   3. Kite (4, 27) according to any one of   previous claims, characterized in that the rear line (12) comprises a locking stop (21) 30 fixed to said rear line and suitable for coming   cooperate with the other end of the elongated element, after sliding along said element, to prevent said rear line from being unwound entirely. 4. Kite according to any one of   previous claims, characterized in that   the elongated element (16, 16 ', 29) is removable. 5. A kite according to claim 4, characterized in that the elongated element (29) is of adjustable length to adapt to different types of wings. 6. Kite according to any one of   previous claims, characterized in that the end of the element (16 ') situated on the side of the rear line is provided with a pulley (25) or an axle   of reference favoring the sliding.   1S 7. Kite according to any one of   previous claims, characterized in that   the elongated element (16, 16 ') is a rigid tube.   8. Kite according to any one of   Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the elongate element (29) is formed by a rigid rod (36, 37) or   substantially rigid, the end openings being formed by holes drilled in the ends of said rod or in protruding tabs (or rings (34) integral with the ends (32, 33) of said rod.   9. Kite according to any one of   previous claims, characterized in that it comprises two sliding elements respectively disposed on each of the two sets of front line 30 / rear line of the kite, allowing a   choice for the user in the side to drop.   10. Kite according to any one of   previous claims, characterized in that the   sliding means are structurally integrated into the lateral edge of the wing, during the manufacture of the latter.   11. Kite according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it   comprises means for releasing the rear line under tension corresponding to the sliding means, comprising a channel (44) for jamming a ball (40) at the end of the rear line (12) in the gripping bar (10) by the user (2) and a pusher (42) capable of bringing said end ball (40) facing a liberating channel (46)   drilled in the wall of said bar.   12. A kite according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the   rear line (12) which can be released is extended by a wire (38) connected to the bar (10) allowing the user (2) to bring said rear line (12) after opening the security system, in order to be able to reconnect his wing and take it off again.