U.S. patent application number 13/110908 was filed with the patent office on 2011-11-24 for splitboard with truncated edging.
Invention is credited to Allister Horn.
Application Number | 20110285109 13/110908 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44971876 |
Filed Date | 2011-11-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110285109 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Horn; Allister |
November 24, 2011 |
SPLITBOARD WITH TRUNCATED EDGING
Abstract
A splitboard is disclosed comprising two longitudinal halves,
each longitudinal halve comprising inner sidewalls partially
wrapped in metal edging to reduce performance inefficiencies
associated with metal edging spanning the length of the inner
sidewalls.
Inventors: |
Horn; Allister; (Brighton,
VT) |
Family ID: |
44971876 |
Appl. No.: |
13/110908 |
Filed: |
May 18, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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61347174 |
May 21, 2010 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
280/608 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63C 2203/06 20130101;
A63C 5/02 20130101; A63C 5/03 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
280/608 |
International
Class: |
A63C 5/02 20060101
A63C005/02 |
Claims
1. A splitboard with truncated inside edging, the splitboard
comprising: a left longitudinal ski with an upwardly rising tip and
an upwardly rising tail, the left longitudinal ski comprising: a
planar upper surface, a planar lower surface, an inner edge,
partially wrapped in metal edging spanning less than eighty percent
of the total longitudinal length of the left longitudinal ski; and
a right longitudinal ski with an upwardly rising tip and an
upwardly rising tail, the right longitudinal ski detachably
connected along its inner sidewall to the inner sidewall of the
left longitudinal ski, the right longitudinal ski comprising: a
planar upper surface, a planar lower surface, an inner edge,
partially wrapped in metal edging spanning less than eighty percent
of the total longitudinal length of the right longitudinal ski.
2. The splitboard of claim 1, wherein the metal edging comprises
metal plating recessed into the inner edge.
3. The splitboard of claim 1, wherein the inner edges are partially
layered with non-metallic material to provide grip as well as
protection.
4. The splitboard of claim 1, wherein the metal edging is recessed
into the top surface, the lower surface, and the inner edge.
5. The splitboard of claim 1, wherein the recesses are formed by
routing one or more grooves into the inner edge.
6. The splitboard of claim 1, wherein the inner edges are wrapped
in a plurality of metal edging spanning non-continuous portions of
the inner edge.
7. The splitboard of claim 1, wherein the metal edging is affixed
to the inner edges using one of screws, adhesive, and clamps.
8. The splitboard of claim 1, wherein the metal edging is more
resistive to compressive longitudinal forces than the either
longitudinal ski.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of, and claims
priority to, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/347,174
entitled "A Splitboard with Truncated Edging," filed on May 21,
2010 for Alister Horn, which is incorporated herein by
reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] This invention relates to snow skis, and more particularly
relates to splitboards with enhanced performance
characteristics.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Snowboards and skis are well-known to those of skill in the
art, and have been widely used by winter sport enthusiasts for
decades. Splitboards comprise snowboards that can be separated into
two longitudinal halves. These halves can be used as skis to step
up slopes in the same manner that alpine touring skis and telemark
skis are used. The two longitudinal halves of splitboards can also
be coupled together to form a snowboard.
[0006] When the two longitudinal halves are coupled together, the
splitboard is said to be in snowboard mode. When the two
longitudinal halves are apart, the splitboard is said to be in
touring mode, and the two longitudinal halves are used as
backcountry touring skis.
[0007] The sides of snowboards and skis can be wrapped in metal
edging, which protects the sides from water and collision, and
which provides grip when a skier skies or traverses across snow and
ice. Splitboards typically have additional metal edging so that
both halves are fully wrapped, similar to a ski. The drawbacks of
metal edging is that it adds additional overall weight to the ski,
snowboard or splitboard. As splitboards have an additional inside
metal edge, relative to snowboards, there is additional weight.
Furthermore, additional metal edging compromises the flex pattern
of the splitboard, creating an unintended feel; and the metal
edging creates additional "swing" weight when moving from
side-to-side, affecting maneuverability of the board (i.e. a
greater moment of force which a splitboarder must overcome).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] From the foregoing discussion, it should be apparent that a
need exists for a splitboard which benefits from the grip
performance imparted by metal edging, but does not suffer from the
decreased weight and maneuverability performance characteristics
that accompany the metal edging. Beneficially, such an apparatus
would overcome the many of the difficulties with prior art by
providing a splitboard with truncated inside edging installed in
key areas where the edging is most beneficial.
[0009] The present invention has been developed in response to the
present state of the art, and in particular, in response to the
problems and needs in the art that have not yet been fully solved
by currently available mattresses. Accordingly, the present
invention teaches a splitboard with truncated inside edging. The
present invention has been developed to provide a splitboard with
truncated inner edges. The splitboard comprises a left longitudinal
ski with an upwardly rising tip and an upwardly rising tail. The
left longitudinal ski comprises a planar upper surface, a planar
lower surface, and an inner edge, partially wrapped in metal edging
spanning less than eighty percent of the total longitudinal length
of the left longitudinal ski.
[0010] The splitboard also comprises a right longitudinal ski with
an upwardly rising tip and an upwardly rising tail. The right
longitudinal ski is detachably connected along its inner sidewall
to the inner sidewall of the left longitudinal ski. The right
longitudinal ski comprises a planar upper surface, a planar lower
surface, an inner edge, partially wrapped in metal edging spanning
less than eighty percent of the total longitudinal length of the
right longitudinal ski.
[0011] In further embodiments, the left longitudinal ski and the
right longitudinal ski further comprise outside lateral sidewalls
wrapped with metal edging. In still further embodiments, the inner
edges are partially layered with non-metallic material to provide
grip as well as protection.
[0012] These features and advantages of the present invention will
become more fully apparent from the following description and
appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention
as set forth hereinafter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] In order that the advantages of the invention will be
readily understood, a more particular description of the invention
briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific
embodiments that are illustrated in the appended drawings.
Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments
of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be
limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and
explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of
the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0014] FIG. 1 is lower side perspective view of a splitboard in
snowboard mode with truncated inside edging in accordance with the
present invention; and
[0015] FIG. 2 is lower side perspective view of a splitboard in
touring mode with truncated inside edging in accordance with the
present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0016] Many of the functional units described in this specification
have been labeled as modules, in order to more particularly
emphasize their implementation independence. Reference throughout
this specification to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," or similar
language means that a particular feature, structure, or
characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is
included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus,
appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment," "in an embodiment,"
and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not
necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment.
[0017] Furthermore, the described features, structures, or
characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable
manner in one or more embodiments. In the following description,
numerous specific details are provided. One skilled in the relevant
art will recognize, however, that the invention may be practiced
without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods,
components, materials, and so forth. In other instances, well-known
structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in
detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention.
[0018] FIG. 1 is a lower side perspective view of a splitboard 100
in snowboard mode with truncated inside edging in accordance with
the present invention. The splitboard 100 comprises a left
longitudinal half 102a, a right longitudinal half 102b, left inside
edging 104a, right inside edging 104b, left outside edging 106a,
right outside edging 106b, a left lateral sidewall 108a, and a
right lateral sidewall 108b.
[0019] The longitudinal halves 102a-b each comprise a plank-shaped
ski, with a planar upper surface and planar lower surface, or base.
In the shown embodiment, the left longitudinal half 102a and the
right longitudinal half 102b comprise upwardly rising tips and
tails at opposing ends of the longitudinal halves 102a-b.
[0020] The longitudinal halves 102a-b may be formed of and comprise
any material commonly known to those of skill in the art, including
aluminum, glass fiber, Kevlar, wood, UHMW, titanium, carbon fiber,
and other polymers and composite materials.
[0021] The longitudinal halves 102a-b comprise outside lateral
sidewalls 108a-b, or outside lateral edges. The lateral sidewalls
108a-b may comprise a layering of ultra high molecular weight
polyurethane (UHMW) to improve strength, flex pattern, and grip
characteristics.
[0022] When the two longitudinal halves 102a-b are coupled
together, the splitboard 100 is said to be in snowboard mode. When
the two longitudinal halves 102a-b are apart, the splitboard is
said to be in touring mode, and the two longitudinal halves 102a-b
are used as backcountry touring skis.
[0023] In the shown embodiment, the outside lateral sidewalls
108a-b are wrapped with outside metal edging 106a-b.
[0024] The left longitudinal half 102a is detachably connected to
the right longitudinal half 102b along their inner edges using
means well-known to those of skill in the art. The longitudinal
halves 102a-b are connectable such that the connected splitboard
100 is rigid across its x, y and z axes, and capable of
withstanding the forces of skier snowboarding down a mountain
surface on the splitboard 100.
[0025] The inside metal edging 104a-b also spans a portion of the
length of the splitboard 100 along the inside edges of the
longitudinal boards 102a-b, and is more particularly described
below in relation to FIG. 2.
[0026] Because the metal edging 104a-b does not span the entire
length of the splitboard 100, the metal edging 104a-b is
truncated.
[0027] The inside sidewalls 202a-b may be partially layered with a
non-metallic material to provide grip as well as protection,
including ceramic based materials, wood, stone, crystal, glass
and/or organic materials. The metal edging 104a-b may also comprise
other materials having similar properties to metals, including
similar densities, flexibility, melting points, freezing points
and/or durability.
[0028] In some embodiments, the inside metal edging 104a-b spans a
plurality of section of the inner sideway (i.e. inner wall). In
these embodiments, the inner edge may comprise metal edging 104a-b
across the mid-section of the inner edge, as well as across the
some of the forward and rear portions of the inner walls.
[0029] In some embodiments of the present invention, only one
longitudinal half of the spitboard 100 comprises inside edging
104a-b. In these embodiments, the inside edging may be wrapped
around only the side of the splitboard predominately used by a
particular skier.
[0030] In other embodiments, the metal edging 104a-b is recessed
into the inner walls and into the top surface, but not recessed
into the lower surface. In these embodiments, the inner edging
104a-b may serve as fin, guide, wing or rudder directing the
splitboard and longitudinal halves through the snow.
[0031] FIG. 2 is lower side perspective view of a splitboard 200 in
touring mode with truncated edging in accordance with the present
invention. The splitboard 200 comprises a left longitudinal half
102a, a right longitudinal half 102b, left inside edging 104a,
right inside edging 104b, left outside edging 106a, a right outside
edging 106b, a left inside sidewall 202a, a right inside sidewall
202b, a left lateral sidewall 108a, and a right lateral sidewall
108b.
[0032] The longitudinal halves 102a-b, the outside edging 106a-b,
and lateral sidewalls 108a-b are substantially described above in
relation to FIG. 1.
[0033] The left inside edging 104a and the right inside edging 104b
comprise any rigid metal plating layering over or upon the inner
sidewalls 202a-b. In various embodiments, the inside edging 104a-b
may span a distance of one centimeter to more than one hundred
centimeters in length across the inner sidewalls 202a-b. The inside
edging 104a-b, in some embodiments, is centered along the inside
sidewalls 202a-b relative to ski bindings on the upper surface of
the splitboard 200.
[0034] In some embodiments of the present invention, the inside
edging 104a-b overlays a portion of the upper planar surface and/or
the lower planar surface to provide grip, or "bite", to ensure that
a skier who is putting the inside sidewalls 202a-b into contract
with snowy and/or icy surfaces has as much contract from the inside
edging 104a-b as possible.
[0035] The portions of the inside sidewalls 202a-b not wrapped with
inside edging 104a-b may be layered with UHMW plastics, or other
materials well-known to those of skill in the art.
[0036] By wrapping only a portion of the inside sidewalls 202a-b
with inside edging 104a-b, the splitboard 200 demonstrates improved
performance characteristics.
[0037] The existing inside edging 104a-b protects the core of the
splitboard 200 from moisture infiltration and collision. The
relatively small length of the inside metal edging 104a-b provides
almost all of the grip that a full length ski surrounded with metal
edging would have, because the inside edging 104a-b is centered, in
some embodiments, beneath the bindings that skiers are using to
push down on the splitboard 200.
[0038] The downward force exerted by a skier on the splitboard 200
is greatest directly beneath the binding where the truncated inside
edging is located, and diminishes rapidly longitudinally across the
board. This provides an adequate amount of grip.
[0039] Additionally, the greatly shortened pieces of metal edging
allow for reduced total weight of the splitboard, reduced "swing"
weight (moment of force of the splitboard), and a more natural and
lively flex pattern of the splitboard that more closely resembles
that found on snowboards. All three factors are of great importance
to experienced practitioners of the sport, or skiers.
[0040] In various embodiments of the present invention, the length
of the left inside edging 104a may not be congruent with the length
of the right inside edging 104b. The lengths of both the left and
right inside edging 104a-b may be predetermined or preselected to
be optimal based on measurement data indicative of the foot used
most or hardest by one or more skiers, the ratio that the left leg
is used to the right leg of a skier in downhill skiing, and the
like. Likewise, the left inside edging 104a may comprise a harder,
denser, or more flexible version of metal edging than the right
inside edging 104b to accommodate different riding styles and/or
preferences.
[0041] The metal edging 104a-b may be wrapped around the inner
edges 202a-b using screws, adhesives, clamps, or nails. In other
embodiments, the inner edging 104a-b is slid into a recessed slot
within the inner edges 202a-b or the lower surfaces of the
longitudinal halves 102a-b.
[0042] The present invention may be embodied in other specific
forms without departing from its spirit or essential
characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in
all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of
the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims
rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come
within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be
embraced within their scope.
* * * * *