Surfboard Cover

The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 (a) to Australian Application No. 2024901226 filed on Apr. 30, 2024, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

The present invention generally relates to surfboard cover and more particularly to a surfboard cover for multiple surfboards.

Surfboard are typically large items that can be challenging to transport without damage. While a surfboard can be transported in, or on, a passenger vehicle for local trips, longer trips may be more difficult. Transporting one or more surfboards on a bus, train or plane risks damage to the boards during handling or from other luggage during transit.

A surfboard cover may be used to transport one or more surfboards for journeys such as air travel. Typically, the exterior of a surfboard covers is made from a soft material with a layer of foam padding providing addition protection. The foam padding is located under the soft material of the external layer of the surfboard cover. Such a construction provides some protection for the surfboards with the foam padding providing protection from scratching and minor bumps. The lightweight construction allows the surfboard cover to be folded into a compact shape when not in use.

Surfboard covers may be used to transport one or more surfboards. When transporting multiple surfboards, the surfboard cover may provide some protection between each of the surfboards to minimise damage. Typically, surfboard covers separate surfboards with a 3-5 mm foam flat padded divider that may be lined to provide wear protection for the foam. The padded dividers are a flat sheet that provides some protection between each of the surfboards in the surfboard cover.

It is desired to address or alleviate one or more disadvantages or limitations of the prior art, or to at least provide a useful alternative.

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form which will be elaborated upon below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope for the claimed subject matter.

One or more embodiments of the present invention comprise a divider for positioning between a bottom surfboard and a top surfboard, the divider comprising: a divider base for placing between a first and a second surfboard, the divider base being a flexible sheet; and a surfboard nose support attached to the divider base, the surfboard nose support being a padded support for providing protection for a nose region of at least one of the top and bottom surfboards. In one embodiment a position of the surfboard nose support is adjustable in a longitudinal direction.

In one embodiment the nose support is adjusted by rolling the nose support in a flexible region of the divider base.

In one embodiment, the divider has a plurality of padded supports attached to the divider base and each of the padded supports are located between the bottom and the top surfboard.

In one embodiment, the divider further comprises a mid-surfboard support for providing support for a mid-section of the top surfboard.

In one embodiment the nose support is taller than the mid-surfboard support.

In one embodiment the mid-surfboard support is at least one longitudinally extended pad attached to the divider base.

In one embodiment the mid-surfboard support is two longitudinally extended pads located either side of a central longitudinal line of the divider.

In one embodiment, the divider further comprises: a tail surfboard support, the tail surfboard support being a padded support for providing protection for a tail region of at least one of the first and the second surfboards.

In one embodiment, the divider has a plurality of padded supports, including the nose support, the divider holding a first of the plurality of padded supports in a predetermined position relative to a second of the plurality of padded supports in a longitudinal direction along the divider.

In one embodiment, the divider is substantially located between the bottom and the top surfboard.

In one embodiment the nose support is taller than the tail surfboard support.

In one embodiment the tail support is taller than the mid-surfboard support.

Also disclosed is a surfboard cover for two or more surfboards, the surfboard cover comprising: a top portion and a bottom portion; and the divider.

In one embodiment the divider is hingedly connected to an interior of the surfboard cover.

In one embodiment the divider is removably attached to the interior of the surfboard cover.

In one embodiment, a portion of an edge of the flexible sheet is attached to a side of the surfboard cover.

In one embodiment, a portion of the divider having the surfboard nose support attached is located outside of the edge of the flexible sheet attached to the interior of the surfboard cover.

In one embodiment an exterior of the surfboard cover has an exterior nose protection region as part of the top and bottom portions.

In one embodiment the exterior of the surfboard cover has an exterior tail protection region as part of the top and bottom portions.

In one embodiment the surfboard cover includes a nose bumper to provide protection for the top and the bottom surfboards along an edge of the surfboard cover.

In one embodiment the surfboard cover includes a tail bumper to provide protection for the top and the bottom surfboards along an edge of the surfboard cover.

In one embodiment the surfboard cover further comprises at least one internal compression strap running laterally across the top and the bottom surfboards to hold the top and the bottom surfboards in place.

In one embodiment the surfboard cover further comprises at least one top portion padding on the upper portion of the surfboard cover, located at a nose end of the surfboard cover and providing support for a nose of the top surfboard.

In one embodiment, the surfboard cover further comprises: an exterior nose protection region as part of the top and bottom portions; and an exterior tail protection region as part of the top and bottom portions, wherein the exterior nose protection region and the exterior tail protection regions are substantially rigid region of the surfboard cover

In one embodiment the exterior nose protection region and the exterior tail protection region are constructed from multi-layered, laminated material.

The following description, given by way of example only, is described in order to provide a more precise understanding of one or more of the embodiments. In the figures, like reference numerals are used to identify like parts throughout the figures.

Surfboards are transported together inside one cover with one or more surfboards. Due to the curve of a surfboard, placing weight on top of a surfboard, or placing a surfboard upside down, may place a large amount of force on the tip of the nose and the tail of the surfboard, with the nose of the surfboard having a greater force applied than the tail. This extra force can damage the surfboard, particularly on the nose. The disclosed exterior surfboard cover protection system and the internal surfboard protection system provide raised padded support between surfboards and reduce surfboard movement within the cover to reduce damage to the boards.

Disclosed is a divider for positioning between a bottom surfboard and a top surfboard. The divider can be used in a surfboard cover and includes a divider base for placing between a first and a second surfboard, the divider base being a flexible sheet. The divider also includes a surfboard nose support attached to the divider base, the surfboard nose support being a padded support for providing protection for a nose region of at least one of the top and bottom surfboards.

show an exterior of a surfboard cover, withshowing an exterior of a top portion,showing an exterior of a bottom portion andandshowing sides of the surfboard cover. The surfboard cover may be used for one or more surfboards and is formed from two parts, the bottom portion, or base, and the top portion, or lid. The bottom and top portions may be joined using a zipper, or other fastener that allows opening and closing, or attachment and detachment between the bottom and top portions. The zipper goes around all, most, or a substantial portion, of a perimeter of the surfboard coverto allow opening. At least one part of the bottom and top portions are connected permanently with a material connection that operates in a hinged manner to allow the top portion to hinge open from the bottom portion. In one embodiment, the zipper extends around the whole perimeter of the surfboard cover, allowing the top portion to detach from the bottom portion. The zipper may have one or more zipper pulls.

The surfboard cover top portion exteriorhas an exterior nose protection regionand an exterior tail protection region, shown inwhile a surfboard cover bottom portion exteriorhas an exterior nose protection regionand an exterior tail protection region, shown in. The exterior nose protection regions ofandprovide impact resistance as well as forming part of a rigid, substantially rigid, or semi-rigid, protection region at the nose of the surfboard in the surfboard cover. The exterior tail protection regions ofandprovide impact resistance as well as forming part of a rigid, substantially rigid, or semi-rigid, protection region at the tail of the surfboard in the surfboard cover. A nose protection region is formed from the exterior nose protection regionsand, along with rigid, substantially rigid, or semi-rigid, sides between the nose protection regions. Similarly, rigid, substantially rigid, or semi-rigid, sides are located between the exterior tail protection regionsandto form a tail protection region.

The exterior of the exterior nose protection regionsand, as well as the exterior tail protection regionsand, are constructed from multi-layered, laminated material. The exterior layer is a tough, impact resistant material, such as moulded EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate). Underneath the impact resistant material of the outer layer is a rigid, substantially rigid, or semi-rigid, polyurethane board to provide padding between the surfboards in the bag and the exterior. Underneath the padding layer is a lining layer that provides a lining for the inside of the surfboard cover, the lining layer may be visible on the interior of the surfboard cover.

The surfboard cover top portion exteriorhas two closable ventilation openingsthat are openable to allow external air inside the surfboard cover and assist with removing moisture inside the surfboard cover. The closable ventilation openingsmay be waterproof zippers or other suitable fasteners that provide waterproof closure. The closable ventilation openingsare spaced apart to provide ventilation over the length of the surfboard cover. Also located on the surfboard cover top portion exteriorare a handleand a handlethat can be used when moving the surfboard cover. Having the handleand the handlelocated on the surfboard cover top portion exteriorprovides handles to move the surfboard coverbefore opening.

A nose handleis located at the top of the surfboard cover. A side handleis attached to a front sideof the surfboard cover. On either side of the edge handleare a carry a strap attachment pointand a carry strap attachment pointwhich provide mounting points for a carry strap for the surfboard cover. Also on the front sideare opening security strapsthat can be disconnected straps. When connected, the opening security strapprovide redundancy to the zipper for keeping the top and bottom portions closed. A back sidehas handlesto allow carrying of the surfboard coveron the back side.

The front sideand the back sidemay have a multi-layered, laminated construction. In one embodiment, the laminated construction has a 900D nylon exterior that covers a polyurethane board, which provides rigidity, as well as foam padding. The inside of the surfboard coverhas a Tarpee™ lining. The exterior of the front sideand the back sideprovide protection against impacts as well as being abrasive resistant for when the surfboard coveris dragged along the ground. In one embodiment, the laminated construction of the front sideand the back sidestarts in line with an end of the exterior nose protection regionsandnose and the tail protection regionsand.

An interior of the surfboard cover will now be described in relation to. The surfboard cover interior is configured to accommodate two or more surfboards while also providing protection to the surfboards. The surfboards are arranged in a stacked configuration with an underside of the top surfboard sitting on the topside of a bottom surfboard. The surfboard cover provides protection for the nose and tail of the surfboards using the exterior surfboard cover protection, described above. The internal surfboard protection provides protection for the nose and tail of the surfboards, as well as protection between each surfboard in the surfboard cover. As will be described, the internal surfboard protection includes a surfboard divider, a nose protection section attached to the interior of the top portion of the surfboard cover, as well as nose and tail bumpers. The three components of the internal surfboard protection provide protection for the surfboards in the surfboard cover, including protection for the nose of tail of the surfboards.

show details of the removable nose and tail bumpers that are located in a bottom portion of the surfboard cover.shows a top down view of a bottom portion interiorof the surfboard cover. The bottom portion interiorhas a bottom surfaceand internal compression straps. Each of the internal compression strapsrun laterally across the surfboard cover and are used to hold surfboards, such as a top and a bottom surfboard, in place in the surfboard cover and prevent movement. While two internal compression strapsare shown, alternative arrangements using more straps, or a single strap, may be used instead. At the nose end of the bottom portion interioris a removable padded nose bumperto provide protection for the nose of the surfboards along an edge of the surfboard cover. The removable padded nose bumperforms part of the nose protection and combines with the exterior nose protection regionsandto form a rigid, substantially rigid, or semi-rigid, protection zone for the nose of the surfboards. The removable padded nose bumper, the exterior nose protection regionand the bottom portion exterior nose protection regionmeet to form a nose protection structure in which a nose of one or more surfboards may be placed. That is, the exterior nose protection regionis a top, the bottom portion exterior nose protection regionis the bottom and the removable padded nose bumperis the side, with the top and bottom being supported by the side when the bottom surfboard cover is closed.

At the tail end of the bottom portion interioris a removable padded tail bumperto provide protection for the tail of the surfboards along an edge of the surfboard cover. The removable padded tail bumperforms part of the tail protection and combines with the exterior tail protection regionsandto form a rigid, substantially rigid, or semi-rigid, protection zone for the tail of the surfboards in the surfboard cover. The removable padded tail bumper, the exterior tail protection regionand the bottom portion exterior tail protection regionmeet to form a tail protection structure in which a tail end of one or more surfboards may be placed. That is, the exterior tail protection regionis a top, the bottom portion exterior tail protection regionis the bottom and the removable padded tail bumperis the side, with the top and bottom being supported by the side when the bottom surfboard cover is closed.

Both the removable padded nose bumperand the removable padded tail bumpercan be removed from the bottom portion interiorto allow cleaning, replacement or to allow the surfboard cover to flatten when not in use. The removable padded nose bumperand the removable padded tail bumperare attached to the surfboard cover by an attachment mechanism, such as hook and loop fasteners, buckles or by placing them inside pockets sown into the bottom portion interior.

shows a padded bumper cross section. The padded bumper cross sectionhas an outer layerthat faces the interior of the surfboard cover. The outer layeris made from a nylon rip stop material and may be stitched. A middle layer is formed from an inner foam layermade from 15 mm polyurethane foam to provide padding between the surfboards in the surfboard cover and impacts on the exterior of the surfboard cover. A base layerprovides wear resistance between the padded bumper and the inner lining of the bottom portion interior. The base layermay also be made from a nylon rip stop material. The outer layerand the base layermay be made from a colour that provides contrast to the interior of the surfboard cover. The above padded bumper cross sectionprovides one example of the construction for the removable padded nose bumperand the removable padded tail bumper. Other materials or thicknesses of materials for the inner foam layermay also be used.

shows a surfboard dividerfor placing between two surfboards. The surfboard divideris placed between two surfboards, on the topside of the bottom surfboard and the underside of the top surfboard. The underside of the top surfboard rests directly on the visible surface of the surfboard dividerof. In one embodiment, the surfboard dividerincludes one or more padded supports on a flexible sheet, or flexible planar surface. The surfboard dividerprovides protection to the flat surfaces of the surfboards and may be independent of side protection for the surfboards. The surfboard dividerprovides planar support to the top or bottom surfaces of the surfboards and positions two or more padded regions between the top and bottom surfboards. The surfboard dividerholds the two or more padded regions in a predetermined position between the two surfboards. That is, a first of the two or more padded regions is held in a predetermined positions relative to a second of the two or more padded regions. The supports may be held position in a longitudinal direction along the divider, a lateral direction, or both. As shown in, wherein the surfboard divideris substantially located between the bottom and the top surfboard and each of the padded supports may be located between the bottom and top surfboards.

If the surfboard cover is designed for two surfboards then a surfboard cover has a single divider. If the surfboard cover is designed for three surfboards, then the surfboard cover has two surfboard dividers. The surfboard cover has a divider to be placed between each of the surfboards. The purpose of the surfboard divideris to provide protection and support for the adjacent surfboards to reduce potential damage to the surfboards in the surfboard cover.

The surfboard dividerhas a divider base, which is a material layer made from a suitably tough and strong material such as a woven polyurethane, like Tarpee™. The divider basemay be a flexible sheet, or flexible planar surface. The divider baseis attached to the surfboard cover at divider attachmentand placed between a top and bottom surfboard. Typically the divider attachmentis a region where the divider baseis sewn to a side of the bottom portion of the surfboard cover and allows the surfboard dividerto be fold and provide a hinged, or flexible, connection between the surfboard coverand the surfboard divider. The divider attachmentprovides a hinged connection to an interior of the surfboard cover. Alternatively, the divider attachmentmay be removably attached using a fastener such as hook and loop fastener, a zipper, snap lock fastener, or buckles. As shown, a portion, or region, of an edge of the divider baseis attached to a side of the surfboard cover, shown between forward lineand rear line, with forward lineand rear linebeing shown for reference only. From the forward lineto the nose end of the divider baseis a region located outside of the edge of the flexible sheet attached to the interior of the surfboard cover. The surfboard dividermay be considered to have three regions. A nose end, not attached to the interior of the surfboard cover, from forward lineto the nose. A second region is an attached region between the forward lineand the rear line. A third region is a tail end, not attached to the interior of the surfboard cover, from the rear lineto the tail end.

The surfboard dividerhas three padded regions, one for the nose, the middle and the tail of the surfboards, each attached to the divider base. The nose region padding is a surfboard nose supportthat is a padded strip that runs laterally, or substantially laterally, across the surfboard cover and the surfboards. The nose supportis a padded support for providing protection for a nose region of at least one of the top or bottom surfboards and is attached to the divider base. As will be described in relation, a position of the surfboard nose supportcan be adjusted in longitudinal direction, towards the nose or tail of the surfboard cover. The surfboard nose supportprovides support for a nose region of at least one of the top and the bottom surfboards. The adjustment of the position of the surfboard nose supportallows the surfboard dividerto provide support for surfboards with different lengths.