Abstract:
A power surfboard is disclosed to include a surfboard equipped with an engine and a propeller for propelling on the sea against sea waves, a rudder pivotally provided at the bottom side of the surfboard, and a collapsible control handle coupled to the surfboard for turning by the user to bias the rudder during wave riding.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a surfboard for wave riding and more particularly, to a power surfboard that is equipped with an engine and a propeller. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   A surfboard is a floating board specifically designed for wave riding on the sea. It is not easy to ride a surfboard on sea waves. It needs skill to ride a surfboard on a sea wave. A skillful person can ride a surfboard on a sea wave without much effort. However, it requires much effort to carry a surfboard from the beach to a certain distance in the sea, and the player becomes exhausted soon when enjoying wave riding. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is therefore the main object of the present invention to provide a power surfboard, which uses an engine and a propeller to help the user move the surfboard to a suitable location in the seat for riding sea waves. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the power surfboard comprises a surfboard equipped with an engine and a propeller for propelling on the sea against sea waves, a rudder pivotally provided at the bottom side of the surfboard, and a collapsible control handle coupled to the surfboard for turning by the user to bias the rudder during wave riding. According to an alternate form of the present invention, the power surfboard comprises a surfboard equipped with an engine and a propeller for propelling on the sea against sea waves, a rudder column pivoted to a coupling block at the bottom side of the surfboard, a rudder affixed to the rudder column, and two handles fixedly fastened to the rudder columns at two sides for operation by the user to bias the rudder column and the rudder relative to the surfboard. Further, the surfboard is provided with a safety belt that can be fastened to the user&#39;s hand or leg so that the user can quickly pull the surfboard back when fallen to the sea during a wave riding. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a power surfboard according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 1-1  is an enlarged view of a part of  FIG. 1  showing the cover mounted with a rubber packing member. 
       FIG. 1-2  is an enlarged view of a part of  FIG. 1  showing the cover mounted with a screw. 
       FIG. 2  is an elevational view, partially exploded, of the power surfboard according to the first embodiment of the present invention, showing the control handle set in the operative vertical position. 
       FIG. 3  is similar to  FIG. 2  but showing the control handle set in the collapsed horizontal position. 
       FIG. 4  is a side plain view of the power surfboard according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view in an enlarged scale of a part of the power surfboard according to the first embodiment of the present invention, showing the mounting arrangement of the control handle. 
       FIG. 6  is a schematic side view of a part of the power surfboard according to the first embodiment of the present invention, showing the locking operation of the hinge (I). 
       FIG. 7  is a schematic side view of a part of the power surfboard according to the first embodiment of the present invention, showing the locking operation of the hinge (II). 
       FIG. 8  is an exploded view of a power surfboard according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 8-1  is a schematic drawing showing the connection operation between the angled coupling bar at the bow and the coupling device at the body of the power surface board. 
       FIG. 9  is a perspective exploded view of a power surfboard according to the third embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 10  is a perspective exploded view of a power surfboard according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1˜4 , a power surfboard  1  in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention is shown comprising an engine  13  and a propeller  131  that are operated to propel the power surfboard  1  on the sea, enabling the user to enjoy wave riding, a rudder  23  provided at the bottom side for directing wave riding of the power surfboard  1 , and a control handle  2  provided at the top side for controlling the direction of the rudder  23 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 5˜7  and  FIGS. 1˜4  again, the control handle  2  is coupled to the power surfboard  1  by a hinge  21 . The hinge  21  comprises a first leaf  211 , which is coupled to the control handle  2 , and a second leaf  214 , which is pivotally connected to the first leaf  211  and fixedly fastened to the power surfboard  1 . The first leaf  211  has a peripheral notch  212  on the middle of one side edge thereof, and a transversely extended locating groove  213 . The second leaf  214  has a screw rod  215  pivoted thereto. The screw rod  215  is mounted with a retaining rod  216  and a locknut  217 . When in use, lift the control handle  2  from the collapsed horizontal position shown in  FIG. 3  to the operative vertical position shown in  FIG. 2  to close the first leaf  211  and the second leaf  214 , and then lift the screw rod  215  from the horizontal position shown in  FIG. 6  to the vertical position shown in  FIG. 7  to engage the screw rod  215  into the peripheral notch  212  of the first leaf  211 , and then rotate the locknut  217  to lower the retaining rod  216  and to engage the retaining rod  216  into the transversely extended locating groove  213 , and therefore the hinge  21  is locked in the close position and the control handle  2  is locked in the operative vertical position as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 5 . Further, a rudder column  22  is pivotally provided at the bottom side of the second leaf  214  of the hinge  21  and inserted through a through hole  16  in the power surfboard  1  and a mounting through hole  231  of the rudder  23  and then secured to the rudder  23  by a resilient retainer  222 . The resilient retainer  222  is inserted into the hollow bottom end of the rudder column  22 , having two retaining portions  223  respectively engaged into respective locating holes  221  at two sides of the peripheral wall of the hollow bottom end of the rudder column  22  (see  FIGS. 1 ,  4  and  5 ). The resilient retainer  222  can be removed from the rudder column  22  by forcing the retaining portions  223  inwards into the inside of the hollow bottom end of the rudder column  22 . When lifted the control handle  2  to the operative vertical position, the control handle  2  is coupled to the rudder column  22 , and therefore the user can turn the handle  2  to bias the rudder  23  and to further control the direction of wave riding. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1˜7  again, the power surfboard  1  further comprises a pedal switch  141  for operation by the user&#39;s foot to switch on/off the engine  13 . A meshed guard  132  is fixedly fastened to a back end of the surfboard  1  with screws  1321  to protect the propeller  131 . A battery  14  is mounted inside the power surfboard  1  and electrically connected to the engine  13  through the pedal switch  141  to provide electricity to the engine  13 . A battery indicator  15  is provided at the top side and adapted to indicate power level of the battery  14 . The power surfboard  1  has an inside chamber  11  that accommodates the engine  13  and the battery  14 . The inside chamber  11  is covered with a cover  12 . The cover is sealed with a rubber packing member  121  (see  FIG. 1-1 ) and affixed to the power surfboard  1  by screws  122  (see  FIG. 1-2 ). The surfboard  1  further provides a safety belt  161  for fastening to the user&#39;s hand or leg during wave riding. 
   FIGS.  8  and  8 - 1  show a power surfboard according to the second embodiment of the present invention. According to this embodiment, the power surfboard  1  has a detachable bow  19 . The power surfboard comprises a front hinge plate  17  transversely provided at the front side of the body thereof near the bottom, and two coupling devices  18  bilaterally disposed at the front side of the body above the front hinge plate  17 . The front hinge plate  17  comprises a plurality of knuckles  171  axially aligned in a line. Each coupling device  18  comprises a receiving hole  181  and a retaining rod  182  suspended in the receiving hole  181 . The retaining rod  182  has a retaining groove  1821  at the back side. The bow  19  comprises a hinge plate  191  transversely provided at the back side near the bottom, and two angled coupling bars  193  bilaterally disposed at the back side above the hinge plate  191 . The hinge plate  191  comprises a plurality of pivot pins  192  respectively coupled to the knuckles  171  of the front hinge plate  17  to hinge the bow  19  to the body of the power surfboard  1 . Each angled coupling bar  193  comprises a retaining spring strip  194 . The retaining spring strip  194  has an engagement block  1941 . The engagement block  1941  has a beveled guide face  1942 . During installation, the angled coupling bars  193  of the bow  19  are respectively aimed at the coupling devices  18 , and then the bow  19  is attached to the front side of the body of the power surfboard  1  to insert the angled coupling bars  193  into the receiving holes  181  of the coupling devices  18 , and then move the bow  19  sideways relative to the body of the power surfboard  1  to engage the pivot pins  192  into the knuckles  171  and to force the engagement blocks  1941  of the angled coupling bars  193  into engagement with the retaining grooves  1821  of the retaining rods  182  of the coupling devices  18  respectively. By means of pushing the retaining spring strip  194  of each angled coupling bar  193  backwards to disengage the respective engagement block  1941  from the retaining groove  1821  of the retaining rod  182  of the respective coupling device  18  and then moving the bow  19  transversely relative to the body of the power surfboard  1  in the reversed direction, the bow  19  is detached from the power surfboard  1  to reduce storage space during delivery of the equipment. Because the engagement block  1941  of the retaining spring strip  194  of each angled coupling bar  193  has a beveled guide face  1942 , the user can conveniently disengage the angled coupling bars  193  from the coupling devices  18 . 
     FIG. 9  shows a power surfboard according to the third embodiment of the present invention. According to this embodiment, the power surfboard  3  comprises a bottom coupling block  31 , a rudder column  41  pivoted to the bottom coupling block  31  and holding a rudder  42 , and two handles  4  respectively fastened to the rudder column  41  at two sides. When surfing, the user is lying prostrate on the power surfboard  3  with the hands holding the handles  4  to control the direction of the rudder  42 . The power surfboard  3  further comprises an engine  32  and a propeller  321  for propelling the power surfboard  3  on the sea, an on/off switch  34  for controlling the operation of the engine  32 , a meshed guard  322  fixedly fastened to the back end by screws  3221  to protect the propeller  321 , and a safety belt  35  provided at one side for fastening to the user&#39;s hand or leg. 
     FIG. 10  shows a power surfboard according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is substantially similar to the embodiment shown in  FIG. 9  with the exception that the embodiment shown in  FIG. 10  eliminates the aforesaid rudder column  41 , rudder  42  and two handles  4 . 
   A prototype of power surfboard has been constructed with the features of  FIGS. 1˜10 . The power surfboard functions smoothly to provide all of the features discussed earlier. 
   Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.