U.S. patent application number 10/339726 was filed with the patent office on 2003-05-22 for magnetic snow equipment attachment system.
Invention is credited to Jacobs, Robert A..
Application Number | 20030094788 10/339726 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46281822 |
Filed Date | 2003-05-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030094788 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Jacobs, Robert A. |
May 22, 2003 |
Magnetic snow equipment attachment system
Abstract
A snowboard or snowskate having ferrous metal plates inlaid into
the top surface is attracted to magnet housing assemblies embedded
in the soles of the rider's boots. The magnet housing assemblies
increase the strength of the magnets housed within them to a point
sufficient to overcome the strong G forces induced from the sudden
upward thrust of the rider's legs during an airborne maneuver.
Inventors: |
Jacobs, Robert A.;
(Campbell, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
GREGORY SMITH & ASSOCIATES
3900 NEWPARK MALL ROAD, 3RD FLOOR
NEWARK
CA
94560
US
|
Family ID: |
46281822 |
Appl. No.: |
10/339726 |
Filed: |
January 8, 2003 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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10339726 |
Jan 8, 2003 |
|
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10011328 |
Oct 22, 2001 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
280/612 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63C 17/262 20130101;
A63C 17/01 20130101; A63C 17/26 20130101; A63C 10/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
280/612 |
International
Class: |
A63C 009/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A snowboard or snowskate for use with a boot or shoe having
magnetic properties, the snowboard or snowskate comprising: a board
body, a first ferrous plate attached to said board body proximate a
front edge of said board body, and a second ferrous plate attached
to said board body proximate a back edge of said board body.
2. The snowboard or snowskate of claim 1, wherein said first plate
is elongated and located on a horizontal portion of said board body
adjacent an upturned portion of said board body.
3. The snowboard or snowskate of claim 1, wherein said first plate
is located with an edge between 0 and 5 inches from a back edge of
the board body.
4. The snowboard or snowskate of claim 1, wherein said second plate
is round and located on an upturned portion of said board body.
5. The snowboard or snowskate of claim 1, wherein said second plate
is located with an edge between 0 and 10 inches from a front edge
of the board body.
6. The snowboard or snowskate of claim 1, wherein said first plate
is elongated and located on a horizontal portion of said board body
adjacent a first upturned portion and with an first plate edge
between zero and 10 inches from a front edge of the board body, and
wherein said second plate is round and located on a second upturned
portion of said board body with an edge between zero and 5 inches
from a rear edge of the board body.
7. The snowboard or snowskate of claim 1, wherein said first plate
has a width between 1 to 6 inches and a length between 2 inches and
18 inches.
8. The snowboard or snowskate of claim 1, wherein said second plate
has a width between 1 to 7 inches and a length between 2 and 18
inches.
9. The snowboard or snowskate of claim 1, further comprising a
mounting plate, said mounting plate attaching said first ferrous
plate to said board body.
10. The snowboard or snowskate of claim 9, wherein said mounting
plate includes a bumper located proximate a forward edge
thereof.
11. The snowboard or snowskate of claim 9, wherein said mounting
plate includes a boot scraper.
12. The snowboard or snowskate of claim 11, wherein said boot
scraper has a plurality of ridges.
13. The snowboard or snowskate of claim 11, wherein said boot
scraper is located proximate a rear edge of said mounting
plate.
14. The snowboard or snowskate of claim 9, wherein said mounting
plate is formed of neoprene.
15. The snowboard or snowskate of claim 1, further comprising a
mounting plate, said mounting plate attaching said second ferrous
plate to said board body.
16. The snowboard or snowskate of claim 1, further comprising a
first mounting plate and a second mounting plate, said first
mounting plate attaching said first ferrous plate to said board
body, and said second mounting plate attaching said second ferrous
plate to said board body.
17. The snowboard or snowskate of claim 16, further comprising a
top layer on said board body, a top surface of said top layer being
flush with a top surface of said first and second mounting
plates.
18. The snowboard or snowskate of claim 1, further comprising a top
layer on said board body, a top surface of said top layer being
flush with a top surface of said first and second ferrous
plates.
19. A sole for footwear used with a snowboard or snowskate having
magnetic properties, the sole comprising: a sole sized and
configured to connect with the footwear, a sole cavity located
within said sole, a ferrous pole piece sized and configured to fit
within said sole cavity and having a magnet cavity located within
said ferrous pole piece, and a magnet located within said magnet
cavity, wherein said ferrous pole piece and magnet are connected
with said sole and located at least partially within said
cavity.
20. The sole of claim 19, further comprising a base plate attached
to said ferrous pole piece.
21. The sole of claim 19, further comprising a second ferrous pole
piece attached to said base plate and having a second magnet cavity
located therein and a second magnet located within said second
cavity.
22. The sole of claim 19, wherein said ferrous pole pieces are
spaced apart such that a portion of said sole of the footwear may
be located between said ferrous pole pieces.
23. In combination: a snowboard or snowskate, comprising: a board
body, a ferrous plate attached to said board body, a boot,
comprising: a boot upper, a sole, a sole cavity located within said
sole, a ferrous pole piece sized and configured to fit within said
sole cavity and having a magnet cavity located within said ferrous
pole piece, and a magnet located within said magnet cavity, wherein
said ferrous pole piece and magnet are connected with said sole and
located at least partially within said cavity, wherein said magnet
and ferrous pole piece providing sufficient attraction with said
ferrous plate to keep said board proximate said boot during normal
aerial maneuvers.
24. The combination of claim 23, wherein said ferrous plate is a
first plate attached to said board body proximate a front edge of
said board body, and further comprising a second ferrous plate
attached to said board body proximate a back edge of said board
body.
25. The combination of claim 23, further comprising a base plate
attached to said ferrous pole piece.
26. The combination of claim 25, wherein said ferrous pole piece is
attached to said base plate with a rivet.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO OTHER APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of application
Ser. No. 10/011,328, filed Oct. 22, 2001, the specification of
which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to snow equipment, and more
particularly to a snowboard or snowskate that remains magnetically
held against the rider's shoes or boots while the rider is
performing maneuvers.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The sports of skateboarding and snowboarding have reached
new heights of popularity in recent years. A skateboard includes a
board with wheels attached to the underside and is designed for
riding on a sidewalk or in a specially designed skate-park. A
snowboard includes a board with a waxed underside and bindings for
securing the feet of a rider to the snowboard, and is designed
primarily for riding on a snow-covered slope or in a specially
designed snow-park.
[0004] Riding a skateboard is similar to riding a snowboard in that
a rider assumes a sideways stance on both types of boards. However,
there are two primary differences. The first is that in skateboard
riding, the rider's feet are free to leave the surface of the
skateboard, whereas in snowboarding, the rider's feet remain
securely attached to the snowboard. The second difference is the
fact that skateboarding is done on a hard surface (sidewalks or
wooden floors) and snowboarding is done on a soft surface (snow).
Skateboard riding has evolved to include a host of well known
tricks such as Ollies, kickflips, shovits, etc. To perform these
tricks on a skateboard there are two essential requirements. First,
the rider's feet must be free to leave the surface of the
skateboard when required, and second, the tricks must be performed
on a hard surface. The second requirement of a hard surface is the
most important. This is because the basis of almost all modern
skateboard tricks is a maneuver called the Ollie. The Ollie is a
technique used by skaters to spring their skateboard into the air
so that it remains firmly against their feet as they hop over
obstacles or grind rails. To perform this maneuver the skater
accelerates himself upward by suddenly straightening his legs and
raising his arms. During the jump, his rear foot exerts a much
greater force on the tail of the skateboard than the front foot
does on the nose, causing the board to pivot about the rear wheel.
As the tail strikes the ground, the ground exerts a large upward
force on the tail. The result of this upward force is that the
board bounces upward and stays with the rider throughout the
maneuver being performed. Without a hard surface, the Ollie would
be virtually impossible to perform.
[0005] In recent years, attempts have been made to transfer the
maneuvers performed on skateboards into the sport of snowboarding.
However, for the reasons described in the above paragraph, most
modern skateboard maneuvers require that the rider has the ability
to remove his feet from the board, and that the maneuvers be
performed on a hard surface allowing the rider to Ollie the board
when needed. Since snowboards have bindings that secure the rider's
feet to the board, and are used on a soft surface like snow,
performing today's modern skateboard tricks on a snowboard is very
difficult if not impossible. What is needed is a snow gliding
apparatus that allows the rider's feet to become easily detached at
will, but also stays securely attached to the feet during airborne
maneuvers to allow a simulation of the Ollie maneuver. A prior art
snow-gliding apparatus such as U.S. Pat. No. 6,290,249 to Wolf
provides a snowboard that is slightly larger than a skateboard with
no foot binding system. This snow-gliding apparatus allows the
rider the ability to remove his feet when needed, however it does
nothing to address the issue of keeping the board firmly against
the rider's feet when hopping over obstacles or grinding rails.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention uses a specially designed snowboard or
snowskate with 2 thin ferrous metal plates inlaid into the top
surface of the body of the board. These thin ferrous metal plates
are attracted to magnet housing assemblies embedded in the soles of
the rider's shoes or boots. The magnet housing assemblies, by
nature or their geometry and material, increase the strength of the
magnets housed within them to a point sufficient to keep the board
firmly attached to the rider's feet and overcome the strong G
forces induced from the sudden upward thrust of the rider's legs
during an airborne maneuver. The magnet housing assemblies are also
designed and embedded into the soles of the rider's shoes such that
the rider can break free of the board at will by slightly rotating
the foot at the ankle. The size and position of the inlaid ferrous
metal plates with respect to the magnet housing assemblies embedded
in the soles of the rider's shoes or boots allows the rider to use
the standard positioning and movement of the feet required by most
snowboard, snowskate, and skateboard maneuvers. The present
invention also allows the rider full use of the hands and arms for
balance and stability rather than for holding the board to the feet
throughout airborne maneuvers.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a magnetic snowskate in
accordance with the present invention.
[0008] FIG. 1B is an exploded view of the magnetic snowskate.
[0009] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the mounting plate for the
oval ferrous metal plate.
[0010] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the mounting plate for the
round ferrous metal plate.
[0011] FIG. 4A is a perspective view of the magnet housing
assembly.
[0012] FIG. 4B is a perspective exploded view of the magnet housing
assembly.
[0013] FIG. 5A is a perspective exploded view of the specially
molded rubber sole including the magnetic housing assembly.
[0014] FIG. 5B is a perspective view of the bottom face of the
specially molded sole.
[0015] FIG. 6A is a perspective view of the placement of the
specially molded soles on the magnetic snowskate.
[0016] FIGS. 6B & 6C are sectional views of the magnet housing
assembly sitting on the thin ferrous metal plates.
[0017] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a magnetic snowskate with an
extra ferrouse metal plate.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] A preferred embodiment of the present invention is
illustrated in the drawing figures. FIG. 1A shows a perspective
view and FIG. 1B shows an exploded view of a snowskate or snowboard
10 with a specially designed body 12. The body 12 may be the
standard size for snowboards or for snowskates. In the preferred
embodiment, the body 12 of the board 10 is comprised of laminated
maple layers, however, any other wood, plastic or laminated fibrous
materials could be used. Mounted to the top surface of the body 12
are two mounting plates 20, 40 and a top layer 14 of the board 10.
The mounting plates 20, 40 may be formed of neoprene or other soft
and/or nonskid materials, or the mounting plates may be cast,
milled or otherwise formed of metal or other suitable materials.
The top layer 14 may be a structural layer of the board 10 or it
may be a nonskid material such as EVA, neoprene, rubber, etc. or
other surface material. A ferrous metal plate 24, 44 is mounted
within each of the mounting plates 20, 40.
[0019] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the front mounting plate 20.
The front mounting plate 20 has an oval cut, milled, molded or
otherwise formed cavity 22. FIG. 3 shows an enlarged view of the
rear mounting plate 40. The rear mounting plate 40 has a circular
cut, milled, molded or otherwise formed cavity 42. Into these
cavities 22, 42 an oval ferrous metal plate 24 and an round ferrous
metal plate 44 are fastened using any desired attachment mechanism,
such as adhesive, nails, screws, etc. 26, 46. In the embodiment
shown, six small screws 26 are used to attach the oval ferrous
plate 24. Seven larger screws 28 are used to attach the front
mounting plate 20 to the body 12 of the board 10. The rear ferrous
plate 44 is attached using 4 small screws 46. Depending on the
shape and size of the ferrous plates 24, 44 and the mounting plates
20, 40, the size and number of screws or attachment means may be
changed. The circular and oval shaped ferrous metal plates 44, 24
act as a means to secure the board 10 to the rider's feet by
attracting a magnet housing assembly 50, shown in FIG. 4A, embedded
in a specially molded sole 52, shown in FIG. 5A, of the rider's
boot.
[0020] Optionally, the front mounting plate 20 may have additional
features, including a scraper 32, designed to allow the user to rub
his or her boot or shoe against the scraper 32 prior to placing the
boot or shoe against the appropriate ferrous plate 24, 44. The boot
scraper 32 may be formed of ridges, as shown, or may be discrete
bumps or a brush. Another optional feature is a raised bumper or
stop 30 located at or near the front of the mounting plate 20. The
stop 30 prevents the rider's front foot from sliding too far
forward. In the embodiment shown, the stop 30 is a raised, curved
projection that is integrally molding with the mounting plate 20.
However, other embodiments could use other shapes, such as a
plurality of bumps, a straight line or other projection. The stop
30 could also be attached separately to the mounting plate 20 or
the body 12 of the board 10.
[0021] FIGS. 4A, 4B, 5A and 5B show the preferred embodiment of the
specially molded sole 52 and the magnet housing assembly 50 of the
rider's shoes or boots. The sole 52 may be flexible, semi-rigid or
rigid. For easier peel off or twisting for removal of the sole 52
from the snowskate 10, there may be advantages in using the
flexible version of the sole 52. The magnet housing assembly 50,
shown in FIGS. 4A & 4B, has a base plate 54, steel pole pieces
56, two magnets 58, and two rivets 60. The base plate 54 may be
anywhere from 0.5 to 3.0 inches wide, more preferably between 1.0
and 2.5 inches wide, and most preferably between 1.5 and 2.25
inches wide. The base plate 54 may be anywhere from 0.5 to 5.0
inches long, more preferably between 1.5 and 4.0 inches long, and
most preferably between 2.5 and 3.5 inches in length. The thickness
of the plate 54 may be anywhere from 0.02 to 0.25 inches, more
preferably between 0.03 and 0.125 inches, and most preferably
between 0.04 and 0.9. The base plate 54 shown is and elongated oval
approximately 1.75 inch wide by 3.15 inches long and having a
thickness of 0.047 inch. In other embodiments, other sizes and
shapes of plates 54 may be used. For example, if a single circular
magnet 58 and pole 56 is used, the plate 54 may be round. If three
magnets 58 are used, then the plate 54 might be a triangle with or
without rounded corners. Four magnets 58 might use a round, square
or diamond shape depending on the orientation of the magnets 58 and
the holding force needed. In other embodiments, the plate 54 might
be omitted entirely. In this case, the pole piece 56 would be
adhered directly to the shoe or boot or an interlocking lip might
be used to hold the pole piece 56 in place.
[0022] In the preferred embodiment, two circular pole pieces 56 are
fastened to the base plate 54 using solid rivets 60 at the center
of the circular pole pieces 56. The rivet 60 may attach the pieces
tightly together to inhibit movement between the base plate 54 and
the pole pieces 56, or the rivet 60 may be fit loosely to allow the
pole piece 56 to pivot slightly with respect to the base plate 54,
thereby allowing the pole piece 56 to align with the body 12 of the
board 10. In other embodiments the pieces 54, 56 may be connected
by any other type of secure attachment mechanism, such as adhesive,
nut and bolt, resistance spot welds, etc. In the current
embodiment, the pole pieces 56 are cups formed of steel, iron or
other ferrous material. The pole pieces 56 have an outer diameter
anywhere between 0.5 and 2.0 inches, more preferably between 0.75
and 1.5 inches, and most preferably between 1.0 and 1.4 inches. The
thickness of the wall of the pole 56 may be anywhere between 0.05
to 0.5 inches, more preferably between 0.07 and 0.4 inches, and
most preferably between 0.1 and 0.15 inches. The pole 56 has a
depth in the range of 0.1 to 0.75 inches, more preferably between
0.15 and 0.5 inches, and most preferably between 0.2 and 0.4
inches. In the embodiment shown, the cup has an outside diameter of
approximately 1.25 inch, a wall thickness of 0.125, and a depth of
0.25 inches.
[0023] The magnets 58 are inserted into the circular pole pieces 56
and held in position by way of the magnetic attraction between the
magnets 58 and the pole pieces 56. The magnets 58 are sized to fit
closely within the cavity formed by the pole piece 56. Although
other magnets may be used, currently the magnets 58 used are
neodymium-iron-boron. The magnets 58 are inserted such that one
magnet 58 has polar north facing outward and the other magnet 58
has polar south facing outward. This orientation of the magnets 58
assures that the magnets 58 do not repel one another when the rider
steps on the ferrous metal plates 24, 44 of the board 10.
[0024] The magnet housing assembly 50 is inserted and cemented into
the shallow oval shaped cavity 62 and circular holes 64, shown in
FIG. 5A, of the specially molded sole 52. The thickness of the sole
52 is such that the face of the neodymium-iron-boron magnets 58 and
the rim of the steel pole pieces 56 are flush with the bottom face
66 of the sole 52, as seen in FIG. 5B. The upper side of the molded
sole 52 is shaped such that it can be used as the sole of a boot or
shoe, such as snowboarding boots, ski boots, athletic shoes, etc.
In alternate embodiments, the sole may be attached to the user's
foot or current boot or shoe with other attachment systems. In this
case, the sole may be a flat piece that has straps and buckles,
hook and loop fastener, etc. extending out the sides to wrap around
the foot and/or boot of the user. Although not necessary, it may
provide additional security if a band of the sole extends between
the poles 56 of the magnet housing assembly 50, as shown.
[0025] The positions of the ferrous metal plates 24, 44, in the
preferred embodiment of the magnetic board 10, are such that the
rider's feet can be placed in the same standard riding positions as
that of any conventional snowboard or snowskate, as illustrated in
FIGS. 6A, 6B and 6C. The front plate 24 is located such that the
front edge of the plate 24 may be anywhere between 0 and 10.0
inches from the front edge of the body 12, more preferably between
3.0 and 9.0 inches, and most preferably between 5.0 and 8.0 inches.
The front plate 24 may be of any suitable size, such as in the
range of 1.0 by 2.0 inches to 6.0 by 18.0 inches, more preferably
between 2.0 by 3.0 inches and 5.0 by 12.0 inches, and most
preferably between 3.0 by 6.0 inches and 4.0 by 10.0 inches. The
thickness of the front plate 24 is in the range of 0.01 inches to
1.0 inch, more preferably between 0.05 and 0.5 inches, and most
preferably between 0.1 and 0.25 inches. In the embodiment shown,
the front plate 24 is an elongated oval shape with the width at
maximum of approximately 3.5 inches, length 6.5 inches and a
thickness of 0.104 inch. The front plate 24 may extend up into the
upturned portion of the body 12, if desired.
[0026] In most cases, the rear plate 44 is closer to the end of the
body 12. The rear plate 44 may have its rear edge anywhere from 0
and 5.0 inches from the back edge of the board body 12, more
preferably between 0.1 and 3.0 inches, and most preferably between
0.25 and 2.0 inches. The rear plate 44 may be of any suitable size,
such as in the range of 1.0 by 2.0 inches to 7.0 by 18.0 inches,
more preferably between 2.0 by 3.0 inches and 6.0 by 12.0 inches,
and most preferably between 3.0 by 6.0 inches and 5.0 by 10.0
inches. The thickness of the rear plate 44 is in the range of 0.01
inches to 1.0 inch, more preferably between 0.05 and 0.5 inches,
and most preferably between 0.1 and 0.25 inches. In the embodiment
shown, the rear plate 44 is round with a diameter of approximately
4.0 inches and a thickness of 0.104 inch. The rear plate 44 may
extend into the horizontal portion of the board body 12, if
desired.
[0027] FIG. 7 shows an alternate version 70 of the snowskate with
an additional ferrous plate 72 located between the front plate 24
and rear plate 44. This additional plate 72 allows the user
additional versatility in foot placement on the snowskate 70.
[0028] The sole 52 of one boot or shoe is placed approximately over
the circular ferrous metal plate 44 in the tail of the board 10.
The sole 52 of the other shoe is placed approximately over the oval
shaped ferrous metal plate 24 in the nose of the board 12. With the
rider's feet in the standard riding position, the magnet housing
assemblies 50 embedded in the soles 52 are positioned over the
ferrous metal plates 24, 44. The sizes and shape of the ferrous
metal plates 24, 44 are such that the magnet housing assemblies 50
do not have to be positioned exactly over the plates 24, 44. This
allows the rider the ability to shift foot position while riding,
thereby allowing better stability and control. With the rider's
feet in the standard riding position, the magnetic flux from the
inner facing poles of the magnets 58, as seen in FIG. 6B, is
focused through the steel pole pieces 56, around the outer surface
of the magnets 58, through the ferrous metal plates 24, 44 and back
into the opposite outward facing poles of the magnets 58, to make a
complete magnetic circuit. This magnetic circuit created by the
magnet housing assembly 50 provides a holding force much greater
than that which could be provided by the magnets 58 alone. This is
because the individual magnets 58 cannot carry the high fluxes that
the steel pole pieces 56 can. Therefore, the steel pole pieces 56
focus the magnetic flux so that the flux per unit area at the
contact point of ferrous metal plates 24, 44 is higher than the
flux per unit area at the interface between magnets 58 and pole
pieces 56. It is through the use of the magnet housing assemblies
50 that the board 10 can remain securely attached to the rider's
boots as the boots are thrust vertically upward during an airborne
maneuver. Far less force is required to break the magnetic circuit
if a rotational force is applied to the magnet housing assembly 50,
as shown in FIG. 6C. A rider can assert this rotational force by
rotating the boot heel over toe and bending at the ball of the
foot. It is in this way that the rider can detach from the board 10
at will, such as when the rider needs to get clear of the board 10
for safety reasons.
[0029] Since the board is symmetric from side to side, the board
may be used in either normal (left foot forward) or goofy (right
foot forward) footed stance without any adjustment to the board or
the boots of the rider. This allows for great versatility in riding
style. The quick step on attachment of the magnetic binding also
allows the user to quickly attach his or her second foot to the
board 10 when exiting a ski lift.
[0030] Many features have been listed with particular
configurations, options, and embodiments. Any one or more of the
features described may be added to or combined with any of the
other embodiments or other standard devices to create alternate
combinations and embodiments.
[0031] Although the examples given include many specificities, they
are intended as illustrative of only a few embodiments of the
invention. Other embodiments and modifications will, no doubt,
occur to those skilled in the art. For example, the embodiment
shown has two magnets used in each housing. In alternate
embodiments, fewer or more magnets may be used in each housing and
more than one housing could be used in each boot. Further
variations could include an embodiment with additional housings
located in one or both of the boots. Thus, the examples given
should only be interpreted as illustrations of some of the
preferred embodiments of the invention, and the full scope of the
invention should be determined by the appended claims and their
legal equivalents.
* * * * *