Paddleboard paddle system

A paddleboard paddle system is convertible from a single paddle to a double-paddle and has a paddle handle including a hand aperture and thumb aperture in the paddle portion. A paddleboard paddle has a first paddle portion and a second paddle portion that can be connected to form a double-paddle, or a paddle having a paddle portion on opposing end of the paddle arm. A paddle arm is the rod or extension from the paddle portion that is typically used to guide the paddle through the water. A user may use the single paddle while standing on the paddle board or may connect the second paddle portion to produce the double-paddle to use while sitting on the paddleboard or for use in a kayak. Also, a user may use a double-paddle while standing. The paddle handle may be gripped by the user to guide the opposing end through the water.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a paddleboard paddle system that is convertible from a single paddle to a double-paddle and has a paddle handle including a hand aperture and thumb aperture in the paddle portion.

Background

Paddleboarding has become very popular and the paddle typically used has just one paddle portion and is held at the end of the paddle arm. Many people however like to rest or alternate from standing to sitting on the paddle board. The single paddle is not very effective when sitting as the user has to switch from one side to another to keep the paddleboard moving in a straight line.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is directed to a paddleboard paddle system that is convertible from a single paddle to a double-paddle and has a paddle handle which includes a hand aperture and may include a thumb aperture in the paddle portion. An exemplary paddleboard paddle has a first paddle portion and a second paddle portion that can be connected to form a double-paddle, or a paddle having a paddle portion on opposing ends of the paddle arm. A paddle arm is the rod, shaft or extension from the paddle portion that is typically used to guide the paddle through the water. A user may use the single paddle while standing on the paddle board or may connect the second paddle portion to produce the double-paddle to use while sitting on the paddleboard or for use in a canoe or kayak. Also, a user may use a double-paddle while standing, wherein the paddle handle on a first paddle portion may be gripped by the user to guide the opposing end and opposing paddle portion through the water.

An exemplary paddleboard paddle may be connected by connecting a first paddle arm coupled with a first paddle portion with a second paddle arm from a second paddle portion by a coupling device, which may be a collar that is configured on one of the paddle arms. A coupling device such as a collar, may be tighten to secure the two paddle arms together, A first paddle arm may be slightly smaller in diameter than a second paddle arm and be configured to slide within the second paddle arm, wherein the paddle arms are concentrically coupled paddle arms, one configured within the other. In this concentric embodiment, the collar may be configured on the outer paddle arm, or the paddle arm with a larger diameter for receiving the first paddle arm. A tightening clamp may be configured with the collar to secure the collar anywhere along the length of the other paddle arm. A coupling device may include a lever, which may be coupled with a collar. The lever may be opened to reduce the pressure and friction between the concentrically coupled paddle arms and closed to tighten the outer paddle arm down around the first paddle arm. A coupling device may be an internal coupling device configured inside a paddle arm, whereby rotation of one paddle arm with respect to the other secures the two paddle arms together in a desired location to produce a double-paddle having a desired length. The paddle arms may be slid to lengthen or shorten the length of the paddle arm between the two paddle portions and then rotated to fix this length. A paddle arm from a first paddle portion may connect with a second paddle portion directly as well.

An exemplary first paddle portion may have a length adjustable portion to enable the first paddle arm of the first paddle portion to be adjusted in length as desired. A paddle arm extension may extend from the paddle portion and the length adjustable portion may be more proximal to the connection end. The length adjustable portion may be slide over, for example the paddle arm extension and then be secured in position to change the length of the paddle arm of the first paddle portion. Again, any suitable tightening feature may be used including, but not limited to, an internal coupling device, a collar, or a collar with a clamp or lever tightening feature.

An exemplary paddle portion comprises a paddle handle or an aperture or set of apertures in the paddle portion to enable gripping the paddle portion to maneuver the opposing paddle portion through the water. An exemplary paddle handle comprises a hand aperture and a thumb aperture with a grip portion configured therebetween. The hand aperture may be larger in area than the thumb aperture, such as about 30% greater or more, about 50% greater or more, about 100% greater in area or more and any range between and including the percentages provided. The hand aperture may be configured more proximal to the paddle end of the paddle than the thumb aperture. The grip portion may be rounded or comprise curved surfaces to provide a more comfortable grip.

An exemplary paddleboard paddle comprises a closure flap that may be used to cover the hand and thumb apertures when the paddle portion is used as a paddle to propel a water craft, such as a paddleboard. The closure flap may be detachably attachable and may clip onto the paddle board portion, such as into the apertures. In an exemplary embodiment, the closure flap is coupled to the paddle portion by a pivot and the closure flap can be rotated about the pivot from a closed position, wherein it covers the hand and thumb apertures to an open position, wherein the hand and thumb apertures are exposed and open. A latch may be configured to hold the closure flap in an open and/or closed position. A closure latch may be configured on an opposing side of the hand and thumb apertures from the pivot whereby the closure flap will extend across the hand and thumb openings from the pivot to the closure latch. The open latch may be configured on the same side or end of the pivot and may be configured proximal to the paddle end, wherein the closure latch is configured proximal to the paddle arm. A closure flap may rotate from open to closed along a length axis of the paddle, wherein the pivot extends orthogonally to the length axis of the paddle. A user may open and close the closure flap as required for the intended use.

One or both of the paddle portions may have a paddle handle with a closure flap. In an exemplary embodiment, only one of the paddle portions has a paddle handle and may have a closure flap that is pivotably engaged with the paddle portion.

A first paddle arm extends from a first paddle portion and may have a paddle arm extension that extends to an extended end, when the paddle is a single paddle or to a connection end when the paddle is a double paddle. A paddle arm extension may extend from the paddle arm and may be detachably attachable. Also, a length adjustable portion of the paddle arm, which may be the paddle arm extension, may be configured to slide with respect to the first or second paddle arm to adjust the length of the paddle arm. The second paddle arm may have a similar construction with a second paddle arm extension coupled to the second paddle arm. The first and second paddle arms may be connected together to form a paddle arm that extends from the first paddle portion to the second paddle portion. The first paddle arm, second paddle arm or paddle arm extending between the first and second paddle portions may have a length of about 0.5 m or more, about 0.75 m or more, about 1 m or more, about 1.5 m or more, about 2 m or more about 2.5 m or more and any range between and including the length values provided.

The paddle panel is the portion of the paddle portion that is configured to be moved through the water to propel a water craft, such as a boat, a paddleboard and the like. The paddle panel may be tear drop shaped and be a thin sheet or of material having a thickness of no more than about 3 cm, or no more than about 2 cm and the like. The paddle panel may have some curvature or contoured surfaces to aid in propelling the water when forced through the water.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

As shown inFIG.1, a person is sitting on a paddleboard20and is holding an exemplary paddleboard paddle30having a first paddle portion40and a second paddle portion60on opposing ends of the paddle arm36or shaft to produce a double-paddle15. The first paddle portions comprise a paddle handle42and the second paddle portion has a paddle handle62. The first paddle handle includes a hand aperture43and thumb aperture45configured under a closure flap46and likewise the second paddle handle includes a hand aperture63and thumb aperture configured under a closure flap66. The user is sitting so he is holding the paddle by the first paddle arm53and second paddle arm73extending from the first paddle portion40and second paddle portion60, respectively. The first and second paddle arms are coupled together by a connection collar75. The first paddle portion has a length adjustable portion54to allow the length from the first end32to the second end34of the paddleboard paddle30to be adjusted. This paddleboard paddle system10enables versatility in the use of the paddleboard paddle from having two paddle portions to having a single paddle portion. A paddle portion retainer17is configured on the paddleboard20to retain one of the first or second paddle portions when the paddleboard paddle is converted into a single paddle13, as shown inFIG.3. The paddleboard paddle30has a length from a first paddle end52to second paddle end72, at the end of the second paddle panel61.

As shown inFIG.2, a person is standing on a paddleboard20and is holding an exemplary paddleboard paddle30by the paddle handle42of the first paddle portion40. Their hand extends through the hand aperture43and their thumb extends through the thumb aperture45. There is a grip portion between the hand and thumb apertures that allows the person to manipulate the paddleboard paddle to drive the second paddle portion60through the water to propel the paddle board. The closure flap46is opened to expose the hand and thumb apertures on the first paddle portion and the closure flap66of the second paddle portion60is closed to prevent water from passing through the hand and thumb apertures. InFIG.1, the closure flap was closed on both the first and second paddle portions as the user was using both paddle portions to paddle through the water.

As shown inFIG.3, a person is standing on a paddleboard20and is holding an exemplary paddleboard paddle30by the single-paddle handle58on the connection end50of the first paddle arm53. The paddle panel41of the first paddle portion is in the water with the closure flap46in a closed orientation to prevent water from passing through the hand aperture43and thumb aperture45. The second paddle portion60is on the paddleboard20and is retained by the paddle portion retainer17.

Referring now toFIGS.4to6, the first paddle portion40of a paddleboard paddle30has a paddle handle42comprising a hand aperture43and a thumb aperture45configured in the paddle panel41. A closure flap46is configured to rotate to open and close the hand and thumb apertures. As shown inFIG.4, the closure flap is rotated over about a pivot47to latch with the closure latch49to close the hand aperture and thumb aperture. As shown inFIG.5, the closure flap46is rotated about the pivot47and is now secured in the open latch48to expose the hand aperture43, and the thumb aperture45. As best shown inFIG.6, a grip portion44is configured between the hand and thumb apertures and may be rounded or have a curved or radiused surface to provide some comfort as a grip for a user's hand. Also note that the closure flap46has a contoured portion144to extend over the curved grip portion44. The paddle handle42can be exposed or closed depending on the orientation of the closure flap46in either an open or closed position.

The first paddle portion40has a paddle arm53that extends from the paddle panel41. The paddle arm extension56may be detachably attachable to the paddle arm53, as shown inFIG.6.

As shown inFIG.7, the paddle arm53or paddle arm extension56may extend to a length adjustable portion54, wherein the length of the paddle portion can be changed according to a user's preference. The length adjustable portion may slide into or over the paddle arm or paddle arm extension and then be secured by a length adjustment collar55. This single paddle13extends to the connection end50of the first paddle portion. The length adjustable portion54may have a ball or closure on the end for use to manipulate the paddle during use.

As shown inFIG.8, the second paddle portion60is being coupled to the first paddle portion40by the connection end70being inserted over the connection end50of the first paddle portion. A connection collar75on the second paddle portion may be configured to retain the first and second paddle portions together in a desired position. Length markings57may be configured on the length adjustable portion54of the paddle arm53of the first paddle portion40. A paddle arm53may include a paddle arm extension56that extends from the paddle arm and a length adjustable portion54may be configured to slide with respect to the paddle arm extension to change the length of the paddle arm.

Referring now toFIGS.9to11, an exemplary paddleboard paddle system comprises a paddleboard paddle30that can be converted from a single paddle13or first paddle portion40to a double-paddle15as shown inFIGS.10and11. The second paddle portion60may be detachably attached to the first paddle portion by connection of the connection end70with the connection end50of the first paddle portion. The length of the single-paddle may be adjusted and the length of the double paddle portion may be adjusted by the length adjustable portion54of the first paddle portion and the amount of overlap of the second paddle arm73over the first paddle arm53when the two paddle portions are connected. The paddle system may include a connection collar75, such as on the connection end of the second paddle portion60for connecting the first paddle portion to the second paddle portion. Also, the first paddle portion may include a length adjustment collar55that enables the length adjustable portion54to be changed in length and then locked down in a desired length. The length adjustable portion of the first paddle portion may be concentric with the paddle arm53for length adjustment.

As shown inFIG.10, the paddleboard paddle30has a length33from a first end32to a second end34and a length axis14that extends along the paddle arm36from the first paddle portion40to the second paddle portion.

As shown inFIG.12, an exemplary paddleboard paddle system10comprises a paddleboard paddle30that is a double-paddle15having a first paddle portion40coupled to a second paddle portion60by a connection collar75. The connection collar has a connection lever77that is shown in an open position in the enlarged portion of the view. The connection end50of the first paddle portion or paddle arm53is slid into the paddle arm73of the second paddle portion and moved to a desired position before the connection lever is closed to secure the first paddle arm to the second paddle arm. The second paddle portion60has a paddle handle62in the paddle panel61. The paddle handle has a closure flap66configured over the hand aperture63, grip portion64and thumb aperture65. The paddle handle rotates about a pivot67from an open latch68to a closure latch69.

As shown inFIGS.13and14, an exemplary paddleboard paddle system comprises a second paddle portion60and second paddle arm extension76having a ball-aperture configuration for detachably attaching the second paddle arm extension to the second paddle portion60, or more particularly to the second paddle arm73. The second paddle arm extension76may comprise the ball90of the ball-aperture coupler and the second paddle arm may comprise the aperture92for receiving the ball. The ball may extend partially though the aperture to retain the second paddle arm extension to the second paddle arm. The ball may be pushed inward to release the two components to detach them. The arm end74of the second paddle arm73may be slid over the coupler end84of the second paddle arm extension76. A connection collar75may be configured on the connection end of the paddle arm extension for coupling with the first paddle arm extension56, as shown inFIG.12.