Steering device for a surfboard

Abstract

A steering device for a surfboard includes a steering unit, a driving unit and a transmitting unit. The steering unit is operable for controlling a movement of the surfboard. The driving unit includes a base seat secured to a board body of the surfboard, a rotatable linking member disposed in the base seat, and a drive arm mounted with a handle. The drive arm is rotatable and substantially untwistable, is connected to the linking member, and extends outwardly of the base seat. Rotation of the drive arm drives the linking member to rotate, thereby driving operation of the steering unit via the transmitting unit.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A steering device adapted to be used in a surfboard, the surfboard having a board body that has a head and a tail, and a power unit that is mounted to the tail for propelling the board body, said steering device comprising:
 a steering unit operable for controlling a moving direction of the board body;   a driving unit including
 a base seat that is adapted to be secured fixedly to the head of the board body, 
 a linking member that is disposed in said base seat and that is rotatable about a driving axis, 
 a drive arm that is flexible and substantially untwistable, and that has
 a connecting end registered with the driving axis and connected to said linking member, and 
 an access end opposite to said connecting end along a longitudinal axis of said drive arm and extending outwardly of said base seat, said drive arm being rotatable about the longitudinal axis for driving rotation of said linking member about the driving axis, and 
 
 a handle that is secured fixedly to said access end of said drive arm; and 
   a transmitting unit interconnecting said linking member and said steering unit, such that the rotation of said linking member about the driving axis drives operation of said steering unit via said transmitting unit.   
     
     
         2 . The steering device of  claim 1 , wherein said handle of said driving unit is ring-shaped, and has a holding section substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said drive arm at said access end of said drive arm. 
     
     
         3 . The steering device of  claim 1 , wherein said transmitting unit includes a sleeve adapted to be secured to the board body, a cable extending through said sleeve and having opposite ends, a driving steering lever connected to one of the opposite ends of said cable, and a driven steering lever connected to the other one of the opposite ends of said cable, said driven steering lever having a distal end that is opposite to said one of the opposite ends of said cable and that is connected pivotally to said steering unit, said driving steering lever having a distal end that is opposite to the other one of the opposite ends of said cable and that is connected pivotally to said linking member, said driving steering lever being movable by said linking member to move said driven steering lever via said cable when said linking member is rotated by rotation of said drive arm in a rotational direction, thereby actuating the operation of said steering unit to turn the board body in the rotational direction. 
     
     
         4 . The steering device of  claim 1 , the power unit being configured as a jet pump having a water outlet, wherein said steering unit including a fluid-guiding tube that is adapted to be connected pivotally to jet pump and that is adapted to be in fluid communication with the water outlet, and that is connected pivotally to said distal end of said driven steering lever, such that rotation of said linking member in a rotational direction drives said fluid-guiding tube to rotate in an opposite rotational direction. 
     
     
         5 . The steering device of  claim 1 , wherein said drive arm of said driving unit has a torque tolerance along the longitudinal axis of said drive arm within 5 degrees. 
     
     
         6 . The steering device of  claim 1 , wherein said drive arm of said driving unit has a flexible tubular wall and a plurality of angularly spaced apart steel cables that extend along and that are embedded in said tubular wall. 
     
     
         7 . The steering device of  claim 6 , wherein each of said steel cables is composed of a plurality of steel strands. 
     
     
         8 . The steering device of  claim 6 , wherein said surrounding tubular wall of said driving unit is made of rubber. 
     
     
         9 . The steering device of  claim 1 , wherein said driving unit further includes a drive seat extending along the driving axis and interconnecting said connecting end of said drive arm and said linking member. 
     
     
         10 . The steering device of  claim 1 , wherein said driving unit further includes a bearing interposed between said base seat and said drive arm.