WO2007124553A1

WO2007124553A1 - Saddle

Info

Publication number: WO2007124553A1
Application number: PCT/BR2007/000109
Authority: WO
Inventors: Pedro Luís Ferreira DA SILVA
Original assignee: Da Silva Pedro Luis Ferreira
Priority date: 2006-04-29
Filing date: 2007-04-27
Publication date: 2007-11-08
Also published as: BRMU8600796U

Abstract

A saddle ensemble (1) composed by the overlapping of a series of layers: a saddletree (2), a damping element (3), an accommodation cover (4) and an external cover. The objective of the present invention is to provide a comfortable and durable saddle at an affordable price for being able to be manufactured in industrial scale.

Description

SADDLE

Field of the Patent

The present patent refers to a new constructive arrangement of a saddle, which is new and has important functional and technological improvements, according to the most modern concepts of engineering and according to the required technical specifications. It has particular functional characteristics, endowed with the fundamental requirements of novelty and inventive step, resulting in a series of real and extraordinary technical, practical and financial advantages, Prior Art

Saddles are equipment used on horses and that are placed on the horse's ridding back whereon the horseman mounts. In the market, there are several models and types of saddles, which vary according to the equestrian modality, the countries of origin and their tradition. Most of the saddles derive from the European models (English) or North American ones (Western). The appropriate use of saddles is of great importance for the horseman as well as for the horse, as far as performance, comfort and safety are concerned.

As it is well known in the art, saddles are normally manufactured with a structure called saddletree. The saddletree is traditionally manufactured with wood, metal, leather and fabrics, or with plastics, resins, fibers or polymers. The saddletree forms a true cradle, on which the saddle is placed using leather, fabrics, foams, rubber, plastics or another different finishing, which are predominantly made of leather or other synthetic material.

The conventional wooden, metal, leather or fabric saddletrees normally support very comfortable saddles. However, they present an elevated cost due to their manual manufacturing procedure, which involves highly specialized labor and an elevated production^' time. Besides this^' drawback, another problem is the fact that the materials used present deformation and wear out because of usage and exposure to the environment. The saddletree made with synthetic materials, such as fibers and resins, plastics and other polymers, can be manufactured on an industrial scale using molds, moulds and other equipment. This makes their manufacturing significantly easier and it also reduces costs. There is also the advantage of these materials being more resistant and easier to define their flexibility characteristics and desired weight. These saddletrees, however, present the drawback of framing harder saddles, which are less comfortable for the riders, presenting discomfort mainly in the bones of the riders' pelvis, generating acute pain and even lesions. Brief Description of the Patent As time went by, several studies were carried out in order to improve these saddles, trying to minimize these inconveniences and therefore eliminate the comfort difference between saddles with plastic saddletrees and the ones with conventional saddletrees (wood and metal). As a result, the present constructive arrangement introduced in the object of the present patent was developed, which enabled a design based on an innovative product with saddletrees manufactured with polymeric materials and comprising a damping system. The object of the present patent can be used with all models and types of saddles and it eliminates the comfort drawback that a saddle with plastic saddletree has compared to a saddle with a conventional saddletree.

Such innovative saddletree comprises, in its polymeric frame, a damping element. The main structure is manufactured ϊri polymeric material and, due to the light flexibility of its material and its anatomic shape, there is a better fitting of the equipment on the animal's back, which gives more comfort to horse and rider. The upper aft portion of the main structure comprises a set of parallel grooves that promotes a greater mechanical resistance of the structure, less weight and consequently more duration of the equipment. The upper central portion of this structure presents a hollow that is the support base for fitting the incorporated damping element.

The damping element can be manufactured with rubber, gel or any other polymer or material that presents damping features. This element is a body that can have several different shapes, being the one illustrated herein similar to a pair of predominantly semicircular wings, and on its lower surface, it is composed by a set of protuberances in the shapes of rectangles, which have the function of assisting the fitting of the damping element in the support base of the main structure and have also the function of assisting in the damping efficiency.

The damping element is placed inside, integrated to the main structure, in such manner to minimize the physical shocks between the saddle and the bones of the pelvic region of the horseman while riding. According to studies and to practical experiments, the damping system covers this area near the pelvis of the human body, which is the main contact point of the body with the saddle and the most susceptible to impacts during the usage of the saddle. Consequently, the pelvic region becomes the focus of eventual pain or inconveniences. On the main structure with the incorporated damping element, as in the conventional saddletrees, covers of foam and resilient material are overlapped and, on top of them all, a leather, textile or synthetic material cover is placed. In such manner, the present innovative saddle is ^' composed, presenting functional and manufacturing improvements in relation to the prior art products. Its manufacturing time is faster, the materials used make the product light in weight besides making it more comfortable and durable. The manufacturing of the present saddle can be carried out in an assembly line, which greatly reduces the time and cost of the procedure.

It is, therefore, an objective of the present patent to provide a constructive arrangement applied to a saddle, which works in an adequate matter with quality and safety, using an ensemble based on polymeric material and on a damping system.

Brief Description of the Drawings

In order to obtain a clear view of the object of the present patent, some figures with reference numbers were attached hereto, being:

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the saddle of the present patent;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the saddle of the present patent with the damping element correctly placed on the main structure;

Figure 3 is a lower perspective view of the damping element of the present patent. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment

According to the attached figures, the saddle of the present patent comprises a saddle ensemble (1) composed by the overlapping of a series of layers: saddletree (2), damping element (3), accommodation cover (4) and an external cover (not shown). The saddletree (2) is a section shaped body, preferably in "V" shape, slightly flexible, with a smaller width in its central portion (6); a greater width in its fore portion (5), which forms the support for a better fixation of the saddle on the^' animal's back; and a greater width on its aft portion (7), which forms the base where the rider's lower back is supported.

The aft portion (7) comprises a set of parallel and longitudinal grooves (8), which gives a greater mechanical resistance to the saddletree. The aft portion (7) also comprises a hollow (9) in a predominantly semicircular shape, covering the contact points of the bones of the rider's pelvis with the saddle while riding. This hollow (9) is also where the damping element (3) is placed.

The damping element (3) is manufactured with a shock absorbing material. Such damping element (3) can have different shapes, preferably a pair of semicircular bodies (10), which are united and placed next to each other, having the shape of wings. The lower surface of the damping element (3) comprises a set of protuberances shaped as rectangular prisms (11), which have the function of assisting the fitting of the damping element (3) in the support base of the main structure and have also the function of assisting in the damping efficiency.

In order to complete the saddle ensemble (1), the accommodation cover (4) is placed on the saddletree (2) and on the damping element (3), such cover (4) presents a shape that is similar to the shape of the upper surface of the saddletree (2), covering all the saddletree (2). The accommodation cover (4) is a body having a great thickness and made with a soft and malleable material, which gives the desired comfort to the rider.

We have no knowledge of any saddle with the same set of features of the object of the present patent. Therefore the object of the present patent is of great importance, vested with unique innovative features and consequently vested with the requirements of novelty and inventive step, deserving, therefore, full patent protection according to the terms and conditions of the Law.

Claims

CLAIM

1-"SADDLE", characterized for comprising a saddle ensemble (1 ) composed by the overlapping of a series of layers, being a saddletree (2), a damping element (3), an accommodation cover (4) and an external cover, being the saddletree (2) a section shaped body, preferably in "V" shape, slightly flexible, with a smaller width in its central portion (6); a greater width in its fore portion (5), which forms the support for a better fixation of the saddle on the animal's back; and a greater width oh its aft portion (7), which forms the base where the rider's lower back is supported; the aft portion (7) comprises a set of parallel and longitudinal grooves (8), which gives a greater mechanical resistance to the saddletree (2); the aft portion (7) also comprises a hollow (9) in a predominantly semicircular shape, covering the contact points of the bones of the rider's pelvis with the saddle while riding; the hollow (9) is also where the damping element (3) is placed, the damping element (3) is manufactured with a shock absorbing material and formed by a semicircular body (10) that has a shape similar to the shape of a pair of wings; the lower surface of the damping element (3) comprises a set of protuberances in the shapes of rectangular prisms (11); the accommodation cover (4) presenting a shape similar to the upper surface of the saddletree (2) is placed on the saddletree (2) and on the damping element (3); the accommodation cover (4) is a body with great thickness and is manufactured with a soft and malleable material; an external cover made with leather or synthetic material is placed on the saddletree (2), on the damping element (3) and on the accommodation cover (4) and it covers all the ensemble (1 ).