U.S. patent application number 11/795090 was filed with the patent office on 2008-11-06 for snowboard and skis for use in loose snow.
This patent application is currently assigned to HiTurn As. Invention is credited to Jorgen Karlsen.
Application Number | 20080272576 11/795090 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35209764 |
Filed Date | 2008-11-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080272576 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Karlsen; Jorgen |
November 6, 2008 |
Snowboard and Skis for Use in Loose Snow
Abstract
A snowboard comprising a board on which two bindings are mounted
on the board's surface at a distance apart approximately
corresponding to around 1/3 of the board's length, where the board
is designed with inwardly curved edge portions, the board having
greater width at both ends at the transition to the tips (A-A) than
at the middle (B-B), with upwardly curved tips (3,4), possibly with
a slightly more moderate tip at one end, or skis comprising a ski
on which a binding is mounted slightly behind the middle of the
ski, where the ski is designed with inwardly curved edge portions,
the ski having a greater width at both ends at the transition to
the tips (A-A and C-C) than in the middle (B-B), with upwardly
curved tips (3,4), and normally a slightly more moderate tip at the
rear, characterised by the combination of features which are known
separately, but which together form the basis for a new design with
improved dynamics in special applications, which features comprise:
The base is divided into a right running surface (2) and a left
running surface (1). The running surfaces form an angle with each
other which everywhere is less than 90 degrees. The angle which the
running surfaces form with each other is smaller in the middle than
at the transition to the tips, with the result that the right (2)
and the left (1) running surfaces substantially form a more acute
angle with each other in the transition from the narrowest cross
section at the middle towards each of the tips
Inventors: |
Karlsen; Jorgen; (Hovik,
NO) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MERCHANT & GOULD PC
P.O. BOX 2903
MINNEAPOLIS
MN
55402-0903
US
|
Assignee: |
HiTurn As
Raufoss
NO
|
Family ID: |
35209764 |
Appl. No.: |
11/795090 |
Filed: |
January 12, 2006 |
PCT Filed: |
January 12, 2006 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/NO2006/000013 |
371 Date: |
April 11, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
280/609 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63C 5/03 20130101; A63C
5/0422 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
280/609 |
International
Class: |
A63C 5/04 20060101
A63C005/04 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 13, 2005 |
NO |
20050221 |
Claims
1. A snowboard or ski for use in loose snow, the snowboard
comprising a board on which two bindings are mounted on the board's
surface at a distance apart approximately corresponding to around
1/3 of the board's length, where the board is designed with
inwardly curved edge portions the skis comprising a ski on which a
binding is mounted slightly behind the middle of the ski, and the
ski is designed with inwardly curved edge portions, the board/ski
having greater width at both ends at the transition to the tips
(A-A and C-C) than at the middle (B-B), with upwardly curved tips
(3,4), possibly with a slightly more moderate tip at one end,
wherein: the base is divided into a right running surface (2) and a
left running surface (1) which together forms a downwardly directed
apex in the entire length of the board/ski along the partition line
between the two surfaces seen in a cross direction of the
board/ski, whereby each of the running surfaces form an angle with
the ground, where the sum total of these two angles is less than 90
degrees everywhere along the length of the board/ski, and that. the
angle which the running surfaces form with each other is smaller in
the middle than at the transition to the tips.
2. A snowboard/ski according to claim 1, wherein the right (2) and
the left (1) running surfaces substantially form a more acute angle
with each other in the transition from the narrowest cross section
at the middle towards each of the tips.
3. A snowboard/ski according to claim 1, wherein the right and left
running surfaces are of approximately equal width.
4. A snowboard/ski according to claim 1, wherein the angle which
the two running surfaces form with each other does not increase
continuously from the said smallest cross section, but that it may
vary somewhat both ways particularly in the middle, the principal
rule being that the angle increases towards the tips, and that the
angle between the running surfaces ends up by being more acute at
the front and the rear than at the narrowest point.
5. A snowboard according to claim 1, wherein when the board is
pressed against a flat surface on the right running surface, the
left steel edge will overall be at least 1 mm above the surface,
preferably at least 2 mm.
6. A snowboard according to claim 1, wherein when the board is
pressed against a flat surface on the right running surface, the
left steel edge at the transition to the widest tip will be at
least 3 mm above the surface, preferably at least 6 mm.
7. A ski according to claim 1, wherein when the ski is pressed
against a flat surface on the right running surface, the left steel
edge overall will be at least 0.5 mm above the surface, preferably
at least 1 mm.
8. A ski according to claim 1, wherein when the board is pressed
against a flat surface on the right running surface, the left steel
edge at the transition to the widest tip will be at least 1 mm
above the surface, preferably at least 3 mm.
Description
[0001] The invention relates to either 1) a snowboard consisting of
a board on which are mounted two bindings on the surface of the
board, at a distance apart approximately corresponding to 1/3 of
the board's length, where the board is designed with inwardly
curved edge portions, the board having a greater width at both ends
at the transition to the tips, and where the board has upwardly
curved tips, possibly with a slightly more moderate tip at one end,
or
2) it involves a pair of skis on which a binding is mounted
slightly behind the middle of each ski, and where the skis are
designed with inwardly curved edge portions, the skis having a
greater width at both ends at the transition to the tips and where
the skis have upwardly curved front tips and normally a smaller
rear tip, although the size of the rear tip is not a significant
factor in the invention.
[0002] Both board and ski will hereinafter be called board, even
though both are alluded to.
[0003] Most skis and snowboards today are normally designed with a
flat base between the tips at the two ends. For steering, the board
is edged and the weight is distributed between the feet in the two
bindings.
[0004] From Norwegian patent application no. 981056 a snowboard is
known with a base completely or partly divided into three running
surfaces. The object of this patent, however, is to provide optimum
dynamics when riding the boards on snow on ordinary slopes. A flat
middle portion has therefore been indicated between the sloping
secondary bases.
[0005] Similarly, from Norwegian patent application no. 301964 a
ski is known with a base completely or partly divided into three
running surfaces. The object of this patent, however, is to provide
optimum dynamics when skiing on snow on ordinary slopes. A flat
middle portion has therefore been indicated between the sloping
secondary bases.
[0006] It is assumed that boards and skis with a keel are also
known, i.e. running surfaces which form an angle with one another,
but what distinguishes the invention from these variants is that in
this case both the right and left running surfaces are twisted in a
very special way.
[0007] The present invention is based on the described patents, but
a substantial potential for improvement has been tested and found
for use in powder snow and at transitions from right to left turn
and vice versa.
[0008] This is achieved according to the invention by completely
removing the flat central base surface, with the result that the
board consists solely of a right and a left running surface, where
these always form a certain angle with each other along the entire
length of the board, and the two running surfaces meet
approximately along the middle of the board viewed in the
longitudinal direction, and from the middle towards each of the
tips the running surfaces form a substantially increasing angle
with each other.
[0009] The advantage of this solution in powder snow is that by
having a certain amount of upward curve the whole way the object is
achieved that during edging the board does not cut into the snow so
easily, since in loose snow there is too little resistance from the
snow, and better dynamics are achieved by the board being flatter
relative to the snow, since the board thereby floats more easily
over the snow instead of digging into it. With a board of this
kind, for example, a board that is adjusted at an angle of 20
degrees at the foot will be able to be at an angle of 16 degrees to
the snow in the running surface closest to the snow.
[0010] The advantage in transitions from right turn to left turn
and vice versa is that since the board/ski cannot lie in a neutral
central position (ref. the flat middle portion in the said patent),
the steel edges at the front and rear will be at a height above the
ground on the running surface which is not active, immediately
before the skier changes turning direction, thereby substantially
reducing the risk of catching the opposite edge, also relative to
the board and ski according to the two aforementioned
publications.
[0011] When testing the known ski and snowboard models, it was
found that they gave a limited improvement in powder snow, and the
surprising discovery was made that the best result was obtained by
maximising the right (2) and left (1) running surface
respectively.
[0012] In powder snow it is at the front and rear, i.e. in the
board's widest portions, that the board has the greatest tendency
to dig down into the snow. Thus it is important for the board's
running surfaces to form a substantially progressively increasing
angle to each other from the middle of the board, viewed in the
longitudinal direction, with the result that the running surface
that digs into the snow always forms a smaller angle with the snow
in the board's widest portion compared with in the middle, and that
the running surface in the middle forms a smaller angle than the
angle the whole board forms with the snow.
[0013] On this basis, therefore, it is the object of the invention
to provide an improved snowboard/ski specially adapted to achieve
better dynamics on powder snow, as well as more reliable
transitions when skiing on harder surfaces. This is achieved by a
snowboard/ski which is characterised by the features which will
appear in the patent claims.
[0014] The invention solves this special problem for snowboards by
means of the special design of the two running surfaces which form
a fairly small angle with each other in the middle of the board,
but where this angle substantially increases in the forward
direction towards the board's widest portions.
[0015] When riding in loose snow, a large part of the board will
abut against the snow. Thus it is important for this portion to be
as large as possible, and if twisted running surfaces are to be
employed, the largest possible running surface against the snow is
obtained when the running surface lies flatter than the angle of
the board as a whole, by dividing the whole running surface in two,
so that approximately half can constitute the running surface
nearest the snow, which can then give an extra lift as the running
surface does not dig down into the snow so much.
[0016] As far as the tips are concerned there is a certain amount
of freedom to decide whether to let the base surfaces in the tips
maintain the angle of the running surface all the way to the front
or to let them flatten out, although this is of little importance,
since it is the running surfaces that determine most of the board's
dynamic characteristics.
[0017] It is an advantage if the surface of board is flat at the
binding attachments across a width which at least corresponds to
the underside of a regular binding, thereby preventing the board
from being deformed when the binding is attached to the board. The
same applies to skis.
[0018] It makes little difference to the concept whether the
board/ski is symmetrical or not, either in relation to the
longitudinal axis or the transversal axis. Thus there are 3
fundamental elements in the invention: [0019] 1. The base is
divided into a right running surface and a left running surface.
[0020] 2. The running surfaces form an angle with each other which
everywhere is less than 90 degrees. [0021] 3. The angle which the
running surfaces form with each other is smaller in the middle than
at the transition to the tips, with the result that the right and
left running surfaces substantially form a progressively more acute
angle with each other in the transition from the narrowest cross
section at the middle towards each of the tips.
[0022] The invention will now be illustrated in greater detail by
means of the embodiments illustrated in the drawings, in which:
[0023] FIG. 1 illustrates the underside of a snowboard. The base is
divided into a right running surface 1 and a left running surface
2, and these two running surfaces form a certain angle in the
dot-and-dash line. The angles depicted in the cross sections are
somewhat exaggerated in order to demonstrate the increasing angle
from the middle towards the tips. On the right a side view of the
board is also shown. An indication is also given that the angle
increases fairly steadily from the middle of the board. This is an
arbitrarily chosen embodiment (easy to draw). The same applies to
the top of the ski which is at the same height above the ground
when the "keel" is pressed against the snow, this being the easiest
way to draw it and not an exact preferred embodiment.
[0024] FIG. 2 illustrates the shape of a ski, viewed from above in
the left-hand figure. The base is divided into a right running
surface 2 and a left running surface 1, and these two running
surfaces form a certain angle in the dot-and-dash line. The angles
depicted in the three cross sections are somewhat exaggerated in
order to demonstrate the increasing angle from the middle towards
the tips. The ski is then also illustrated viewed from the side. In
this variant an ordinary short rear tip is chosen, even though
longer rear tips have increased in popularity. An indication is
also given that the angle is fairly constant over a portion in the
middle, before increasing steadily. This is an arbitrarily chosen
embodiment. The same applies to the top of the ski which is at the
same height above the ground when the "keel" is pressed against the
surface, this being the easiest way to draw it and not an exact
preferred embodiment.
* * * * *