The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 24, 2002
Filed:
Jan. 29, 2001
Cory Roeseler, Hood River, OR (US);
Andreas H. von Flotow, Hood River, OR (US);
Hood Technology Corporation, Hood River, OR (US);
Abstract
When it is beneficial for a towing craft, such as a boat, to tow from a point high above its center, an airfoil can be fastened to a tether for improved roll and yaw stability. In the case of a wakeboarder, the upward tow angle afforded by a tall tower improves the wakeboarder's performance, but it causes the towboat to roll excessively when the wakeboarder pulls to the side. An aerodynamic surface can be linked to the tether to safely oppose the rolling moment of the wakeboarder. When the wakeboarder pulls out to the side of the towboat, the angle of attack on the aerodynamic surface increases proportionally, and the lateral forces approximately cancel. The boat proceeds safely with little or no roll perturbation.