GB2149385A

GB2149385A - A container

Info

Publication number: GB2149385A
Application number: GB08428417A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jeremy Dale
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-11-10
Filing date: 1984-11-09
Publication date: 1985-06-12
Also published as: GB8329987D0; GB8428417D0

Abstract

A container (11) for mounting on a sail board comprises an upwardly open base part (12) having a bottom wall from which extend upstanding side walls (13, 14, 15, 16) defining an opening with a surrounding rim (20). A cover or lid (23) has a main cover wall (24) with a depending rim (25) for making a watertight seal (with the aid of peripheral sealing members) with the rim (20) of the base part (11). Means for attaching the container to a sail board (Figs. 2 and 3) comprise a surrounding strap, from which extend attachment straps releasably engageable with fittings on the sail board deck. The surrounding strap fits in recesses 21, 22. The sail board mast and sail converts into a tent (Fig. 5). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A container The present invention relates to a container, particularly to a container adapted for attachment to a sail board.

Board sailing has become increasingly popular in the last few years with the advent of extremely buoyant light weight materials and the invention of the universal jointed mast with combined boom and hand rail. However, the sporting exercise taken using such sail boards has been limited conceptually by its derivation from surf boards. These latter can only be used in surf conditions and, typically, can only be ridden in one direction (the direction of the incoming wave) and then only for the duration of the water slope after this has become sufficiently steep and before the wave has fully broken. This period of time is relatively short for any one wave so that the ride time is measured in seconds rather than minutes.The average user of a sail board has consequently considered himself lucky to be able to sail his board for what is comparatively a longer time period since he is no longer dependent on the wave for propulsive energy. When sail boards are used in restricted conditions, such as on a lake or reservoir, the length of time taken to sail from one side to the other may be measured in minutes, and this has led to the development of a sail board as an item of sporting equipment more intended for competitive or at least short term use than for general relaxation.On the open sea or in rivers there are less restrictions on the distance which a sail board could cover, but because of its history of development and limitation on use in other environments, open sea sail boarding is generally restricted to short excursions out from the shore rather than in any serious "cruising" from one place to another.

Another reason why sail boards have not been used for any distances lies in the fact that, by its nature the board has no storage space for food or spare clothing or the like so that sail board users have very much considered themselves as "day trippers".

The present invention seeks to provide a sail board with means for containing ancillary equipment, food, clothing or the like to enable use of the sail board to be extended beyond the mere "ride" situation.

According to one aspect of the present invention, therefore, a container for mounting on the sail board comprises an upwardly open base part having a bottom wall from which extend upstanding side walls defining an opening with a surrounding rim, a cover part having a main cover wall with a surrounding clip or flange for making a water tight seal with the said rim of the base part, and means for attaching the container to a sail board by releasable fasteners engageable with mounts on the deck of the board.

Because sail boards occasionally get out of hand and are blown flat by the wind, or are subject to over balancing in variable wind conditions, it is absolutely essential that any container for use on a sail board be entirely water tight even when totally immersed in water, otherwise the contents would become drenched and ruined.

It is a feature of the present invention that the releasable fasteners are provided in the form of straps incorporating means for attachment to the mounts on the deck of a sail board which are already provided for receiving foot straps in adjustable positions. It is envisaged that when "cruising" or otherwise engaging in an extended journey on a sail board the available alternative foot strap positions will not all be required (these are generally used for "tuning" the board for racing and other competitive activities) so that the mounts for foot straps in positions which are not intended for immediate use are available for securing the container.

The base part of the container may be provided with recesses in the lower face of the bottom walls thereof for receiving that part of the mounting strap or straps which passes or pass beneath the bottom of the container when it is attached to a sail board. This allows particular economy to be achieved because a single strap can be used both for retaining the cover part and base part of the container together and for attaching the container as an assembly to the sail board.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the rim of the base part of the container comprises a peripheral flange portion parallel to the general plane of each wall and the inner face of which is coplanar with the inner face of each wall, whilst the outer face of the flange portion is spaced inwardly of the corresponding face of each associated wall and joined thereto by a shoulder defined by a peripheral rebate. A resilient sealing member may be housed in the said peripheral rebate for cooperation with the rim of the flange on the lid or cover part of the container.

Further or alternative sealing means may be provided by a second resilient sealing member positioned for cooperative sealing engagement with the edge of the peripheral rim of the base part of the container and that part of the lid or cover part which is engaged by this periphery of the rim when the container is closed.

It is preferred that the base part of the container is formed in one piece as a unitary plastics moulding the base part of which may be flat or slightly concave to match the slightly convex shape of the deck of a sail board.

Likewise, it is preferred that the lid or cover part of the container is formed in one piece as a unitary plastics moulding. This constructional technique allows close dimensional tolerances to be achieved and makes complete water tightness of the container assembly possible.

If, as suggested above, a single strap is used for maintaining the container assembly in its closed configuration and for attaching the container to the deck of the sail board, it is convenient to have a single buckle on the base part of the container holding two separate sections of the enclosing strapping. The ends of the strap can then be joined together to effect closure of the container and two spurs or side straps attached at intermediate points of the single length of the strapping may be provided for holding down the container onto the deck.

The present invention also comprehends the combination of a said board with a waterproof container mounted on the deck thereof by deck mountings which may be the mountings already-provided for the adjustable foot straps.

As a further extension of the inventive idea, the mast of the sail board may be used as a ridge pole in a tent frame construction including additional tent poles sections of which may be housed within the mast, which is made hollow for this purpose; and the sail itself may be used as a tent cover over the tent pole and attached to a ground sheet having a triangular door flap. The ground sheet may be stored within the container during sailing use of the sail board.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a container constituring an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view on a small scale illustrating the container fitted in position on a surfboard; Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the strapping arrangement for the container of Figs. 1 and 2; Figures 4A and 4B are partial sectional views taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 1, illustrating the cover in a closed position and partly open position respectively; Figures 4C and 4D are partial sectional views, similar to those of Figs. 4A and 4B, of an alternative embodiment;; Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view of the sail board mast and sail in use as a tent with auxiliary equipment constituting part of the invention; and Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of an alternative fixing.

Referring now to the drawings, the container illustrated in Fig. 1 comprises an integrally moulded unitary base part 11 having a bottom wall 16 and four upright side walls 12,13,14,15 extending therefrom. The corners between adjacent side walls are rounded in plan.

At the upper edges the walls 1 2-1 5 define a rim 1 7 having a rectangular rebate 1 8 defining a shoulder 1 9 and an upstanding narrow flange 20. The shoulder 1 9 extends around the flange 20 in the form of a strap.

The bottom 1 6 has a cruciform groove comprising two arms extending parallel to the sides 1 3,1 5 and 12,14 respectively. These grooves open into the bottom edge of each wall at or adjacent the mid-point of the bottom edge, and only the two openings, referenced 21,22 into the bottom edges of the walls 12,13 can be seen in Fig. 1. The purpose and function of these grooves will be described in greater detail in relation to Figs.

2 and 3.

The container is closed by a cover 23 of unitary moulded construction comprising a cover wall 24 with a surrounding depending flange 25 transverse the general plane of the wall. As can be seen in Figs. 4a and 4b the shoulder 1 9 of the base part of the container is formed by moulding the rim of the container with an inwardly offset upper flange portion 20 so that the thickness of this portion is substantially the same as the thickness of the wall portion 1 3 in Figs. 4a and 4b. Like the corners at the meeting of adjacent walls in the base part, the corners of the depending flange 25 are rounded. The cover wall 24 is composed of four isosceles triangles having contiguous equilateral edges meeting at a central point which is raised above the general plane of the cover so that this presents a slightly domed appearance.

A channel section sealing element 27 is fitted around the lip of the rim 20 and a similar sealing element 28 is fitted over the shoulder 1 9 to receive the rim of the flange 25 of the cover 23 when this is fitted over the base part 11. The sealing element 27 engages the inner face of the depending flange 25 and, as can be seen in Fig. 4a seals firmly against the inner corner between the cover wall 24 and the depending flange 25 when the cover 23 is fitted fully into position. In this position the bottom edge 29 of the depending flange 25 engages into the channel 30 in the channel element 28 lodged on the shoulder 19 to form an additional seal to ensure that the container is entirely water tight. In an alternative arrangement (not shown) the sealing element 30 is simply in the form of an elongate strip of soft, resilient material having a circular elliptical or rectangular section, against which the rim of the flange firmly engages when the container is closed. Snap-engageable detents may also be provided to ensure that the lid is held in its closed position even without the aid of the straps.

The manner in which the container is mounted on to a sail board will now be described with relation to Figs. 2 and 3. Fig.

3 illustrates the strapping arrangement with the container shown only in outline form so that the configuration of the strap can be more clearly seen. As is known, sail boards are provided with deck mounts 31 spaced along the rear portion of the deck surface to provide alternative positions for the foot straps. These are not all used at the same time, however, and assuming foot straps in a relatively forward position are in use on the board illustrated in Fig. 2 then two of the more rearwardly located mounts 31, only one of which is visible in Fig. 2, can be used for securing the container 11 in position.Attachment to these mounts is effected by a bayonet plug 32 to which are attached short strap sections 33, 34 respectively, which latter are attached to spaced points on a single strap 35 which passes completely around the container 11 to form loops lying in generally orthogonal planes and identified as loops 36 and 37.

These loops are joined at the bottom by a square buckle 38 having four slots 39, 40, 41, 42 parallel to adjacent edges. The two loops 36, 37 are formed by passing a free end 43 of the strap 35 under the container 11 and through the slot 41 from beneath the buckle 38. The free end 43 is then passed downwardly through the adjacent slot 42 in the contiguous edge and passed around the container 11 to form the loop 37 which ends where the strap passes through the slot 39 in the edge of the buckle 38 opposite the slot 42. The strap then passes through the slot 40 and up around the container to meet the trailing end 44 to which it is attached by means of a quick release buckle 45.The arms of the loops 36, 37 lying under the bottom wall 1 6 of the container are lodged in the cruciform recesses 21, 22 so that there is no downward projection of strapping beneath the bottom wall 1 6. Because of this, as the strap sections 33, 34 are tightened onto the mounts 32, the bottom wall 1 6 of the container 11 is pulled firmly onto the deck of the sail board. The buckle 38 is not essential, however, and the two loops 36, 37 may be formed alternatively with the single strap by crossing and folding the two sections of strapping over one another where they meet at the middle of the bottom of the container.

The additional features illustrated in Fig. 5 comprises a pair of tent poles 50, 51 which are telescopically housed within the mast 52 of the sail board and which have spiked ends 53, 54 for engaging the ground through respective holes 55, 56 in a triangular ground sheet 57 having a triangular forward flap 58.

The mast 52 is fitted to the tent poles 50, 51 at one end and its other end rests on the ground to form a tetrahedron two faces of which are covered by sail 59 and the other two faces of which are constituted by the first triangle of the ground sheet 57 and the flap 58 which can be used as a tent door. The windows 60 which are provided in a sail board sail conveniently act as tent windows.

The dimensions of the tent are such that this will provide only sleeping accommodation and a small amount of storage, but is intended for casual or occasional use rather than as a longer term housing arrangement.

Figs. 4C and 4D are similar to Figs. 4A and 4B, but illustrate an alternative embodiment.

In Figs. 4C and 4D the same reference numerals are used to identify corresponding components, with the addition of an apostrophe. In this alternative embodiment the container wall 13' and rim 20' are exactly identical as in the previously described embodiment, and the cover wall 24' with depending flange 25' is also likewise identical.

In place of the seals 27, 28, this embodiment has a single resilient seal 70 of resilient material such as foam rubber or elastomeric plastics, which is secured to the lid in the angle between the cover wall 24' and the depending flange 25'. The upper edge of the rim 20' of the container presses into this resilient seal when the lid is closed on the container to make a watertight closure.

In Fig. 6 is shown a fixing arrangement which replaces the fixing to the board comprising the deck mounts 31, the buckle 32 and the strap 33. In the case of the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 6 a screw threaded fixing element 70 is secured permanently to the board by drilling a hole in an appropriate location and securing the element 70 in place with adhesive. A buckle 71, comprising a flat rigid plate 72 having loosely engaged thereon a loop 73 with a slidable jaw 74 can then be secured to the fixing 70 by means of a screw 75 which can be engaged into the screw threaded interior bore 76 of the element 70.

A short length of strap similar to the strap 33, but with a free end, can then be attached to the buckle 71 by passing it through the loop 73 and then through the jaw 74 to form clamping engagement. Because the fixing elements 76 can be positioned in any desired location, rather than having to make do with pre-arranged fixings such as the fixings 31, two such elements can be positioned a distance apart corresponding approximately to the length of the casing so that the straps replacing the straps 33 and 34 extend closely adjacent the wall of the container and are not inclined as in Fig. 3. This is illustrated in broken outline in Fig. 6.

Claims

1. A container for mounting on a sail board, comprising an upwardly open base part having a bottom wall from which extend upstanding side walls defining an opening with a surrounding rim, a cover part having a main cover wall with a surrounding lip for making a watertight seal with the said rim of the base part, and means for attaching the container to a sail board by releasable fasteners engageable with mounts on the deck of the sail board.

2. A container as claimed in Claim 1, in which the said releasable fasteners are straps incorporating means for attachment to the said mounts on the deck of the board.

3. A container as claimed in Claim 2, in which the said mounts on the deck of the board are footstrap mounts with which the said board is provided for receiving footstraps in adjustable positions.

4. A container as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3, in which the base part of the container is provided with, recesses in the lower face of the bottom wall thereof for receiving that part of the mounting strap or straps which passes or pass beneath the bottom of the container when it is attached to a sail board.

5. A container as claimed in any preceding Claim, in which the rim of the base part of the container comprises a peripheral flange portion parallel to the general plane of each wall and the inner face of which is coplanar with the inner face of each wall, whilst the outer face of the flange portion is spaced inwardly of the corresponding face of each associated wall and joined thereto by a shoulder defined by a peripheral rebate.

6. A container as claimed in Claim 5, in which a resilient sealing member is housed in the said peripheral rebate for cooperation withthe rim of the flange on the lid or cover part of the container.

7. A container as claimed in Claim 6, in which the lid or cover part of the container is further provided with a second resilient sealing member for cooperative sealing engagement with the edge of the peripheral rim of the base part of the container.

8. A container as claimed in any preceding Claim, in which the base part of the container is formed in one piece as a unitary plastics moulding.

9. A container as claimed in any preceding Claim, in which the lid or cover part of the container is formed in one piece as a unitary plastics moulding.

10. A container as claimed in any of Claims 2 to 9, in which a single strap is used to connect the container to the sail board and to hold the two parts of the container together in the closed configuration.

11. A container as claimed in Claim 10, in which two sections of the said strap are held at the top of the container by a single buckle having two sets of openings for the passage of the two separate sections of the strap.

1 2. A container as claimed in any of Claims 1, 2, or 4 to 11, when dependent thereon, in which the mounts on the deck of the board each comprise a buckle releasably secured to a permanent fixing member secured to the board.

1 3. A container as claimed in Claim 12, in which the said permanent fixing member comprises a screw socket embedded in the board for receiving a screw threaded fixing element by which the buckle can be secured thereto.

14. A container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

1 5. A combination comprising a sail board having mounted thereon a container as claimed in any preceding Claim.

16. A combination as claimed in Claim 15, in which the mast of the sail board is hollow and houses subsidiary poles usable as supports to hold the mast on the ground as a tent ridge pole; the sail of the sail board being fitted over the mast in the manner of a tent cover to constitute a waterproof awning.