EP1593412B1 - Snowboard - Google Patents

Description

Technical area

The invention relates to the field of snow sliding sports. It is more particularly a board structure incorporating a visible metal element through the upper protective layer, conferring decor effects volume particularly attractive.

Previous techniques

In general, a board for gliding on snow, such as a ski, a surf or the like, comprises an internal structure which is composed of a core possibly covered with one or more generally fibrous reinforcements. This internal structure is covered with a protective upper layer which generally comprises the decor of the upper face. This decoration can be obtained by screen printing on the underside of this layer of different colored patterns, which are reflected through this protective layer.

It is conceivable that the screen printing processes make it possible to produce patterns of a great variety, but which are exclusively planar, since they are made on the lower face of this protective layer. In some cases, relief effects can be obtained when the underside of the protective layer is deformed by the texture of the underlying fibrous reinforcement. However, these deformations are of very limited reasons, since they are generated by the slight variations in the thickness of the reinforcement, which is generally a textile structure.

The document EP 1 375 190 A discloses a gliding board according to the preamble of claim 1.

One of the objectives of the invention is therefore to allow the formation of decorative effect by means of elements which are easy to handle in the context of the manufacturing processes of the boards, and which allow to obtain at leisure multiple relief effects .

Presentation of the invention

The invention therefore relates to a gliding board especially on snow which has an upper protective layer covering the internal structure of the board. This internal structure includes a core and possible reinforcements.

According to the invention, this board is characterized in that it comprises a metal plate disposed between the upper layer and the internal structure of the board. This wafer is located at a transparent zone of the upper protective layer, that is to say in a zone through which the underlying elements are apparent. This plate has at least one recess, made on its upper face, and inside which penetrates the material of the upper protective layer to form a recessed area.

In other words, the characteristic wafer has recessed areas that are visible from the top of the board, these hollow areas being partially or completely filled by the polymer material which forms the upper protective layer. In this way, this material, marrying substantially the shape of the recessed areas, generates meniscuses that increase the feeling of relief by magnifying effects.

The use of metallic materials for the wafer makes it possible to obtain reflective effects which may be variable depending on the degree of polishing or brushing or more generally on the surface state of the wafer. This metal part also has the advantage of withstanding the high pressures and temperatures observed during the various operations, including injection implemented during the manufacture of the board.

In practice, it is possible to make recessed areas matching very varied patterns. In particular, it is possible to make recesses that are through, and then let appear the internal structure of the board through the upper layer of protection. These recesses can be made in different ways, and in particular by machining or preferably by chemical etching.

In practice, the material used to make the wafer is based on a metal selected from the group comprising aluminum, stainless steel, nickel or brass in particular. These metals can be used alone or in alloy. There may be mentioned alloys known under the name ARCAP (based on copper, nickel, tin, zinc, manganese, aluminum, lead, iron or titanium). The wafer may have a thickness of between 0.1 and 0.8 millimeters depending on the depth of the patterns that it is desired to produce.

In practice, the wafer may be glued under the upper protective layer by means of a hot-melt film, thus allowing the manipulation of the upper protective layer during the operations of placing in a mold.

In the particular case where the recesses of the wafer are through, and that the board includes a reinforcement, this reinforcement can penetrate partially inside the recess of the wafer, and in turn form a meniscus that increases the effects of relief.

Advantageously in practice, the upper face of the wafer may also include an identification mark of the board, which may be made individually by the engraving or machining processes mentioned above.

Brief description of the figures

• La figure 1 est une vue générale en perspective sommaire de la zone avant d'un ski équipé de la plaquette caractéristique.
• Les figures 2 et 3 sont des vues en coupe de planche de glisse équipées de plaquettes caractéristiques possédant des évidements respectivement traversants et non traversants.

The manner of carrying out the invention, as well as the advantages which result therefrom, will emerge from the description of the embodiments which follow, in support of the appended figures, in which:

• The figure 1 is a general perspective perspective view of the front area of a ski equipped with the characteristic pad.
• The Figures 2 and 3 are sectional views of gliding board equipped with characteristic pads having recesses respectively through and not through.

Way of realizing the invention

As already mentioned, the invention can be implemented on different types of gliding board including skis or surfs.

The front of the ski (1) shown in figure 1 has a characteristic plate (2) arranged under the upper protective layer (3) in a zone (4) where the latter is transparent. More specifically, this upper protective layer (3) covers the internal structure of the board formed of the core (5), any lateral reinforcement elements (6) and a sole. However, other types of structure can accommodate a top layer of protection (3) without the invention being limited to the form illustrated in FIG. figure 1 .

The upper protective layer (3), made from a conventional polymer material, generally has on its underside a layer of lacquer or other pigment defining totally planar patterns.

The absence of this layer of lacquer in the transparent zone (4) makes it possible to leave visible the reinforcement (10) which is generally constituted by a fibrous web, and for example of a fabric made of glass fibers impregnated with an epoxy resin, or a thermoplastic resin.

As illustrated more precisely in figure 2 , the characteristic wafer (2) has a recess (12) dug through the wafer (2). This recess can be achieved in various ways, including chemical etching techniques by which it is possible to control the depth of the recess. Other machining or laser engraving techniques may be employed, especially in the case where the recess (12) is through, as illustrated in FIG. figure 2 .

Chemical etchings linking various masking steps make it possible to generate recesses having several depth levels, thus increasing the relief effects.

As illustrated in figure 2 during molding operations, the upper protective layer (3) tends to penetrate slightly inside the recess (12) to form a recessed area or meniscus. This meniscus (13) comes into contact with a complementary meniscus (14) formed in the reinforcing layer (10) which penetrates into the recess (12) from below.

An adhesive film (21) enables the wafer (2) to be bonded under the upper protective layer (3) to facilitate handling of the assembly during molding operations.

Insofar as the reinforcement (10) is pre-impregnated with a resin, a barrier film (16) is interposed between the reinforcement (10) and the upper protective layer (3), passing under the plate (2). . This barrier film (16) makes it possible to avoid any migration and agglomeration of resin under the upper protective layer (3).

As already said, the meniscus (14) formed by the reinforcement (10) at the recess (12) makes the curvature of the fibers that compose it more visible than the meniscus (13) of the upper protective layer. plays a magnifying effect.

Relief effects can also be achieved by using wafers that have non-through recesses as illustrated in FIG. figure 3 . Such a recess (22) is slightly filled by the meniscus (23) formed by the protective layer (3). To facilitate the positioning of the wafer (20), an adhesive film (21) can be placed on the upper face of the plate (20) to ensure the bonding of the lower face of the upper protective layer (3).

Multiple patterns can be made on the apparent face of the characteristic wafer. Among these patterns, one can realize distinctive signs of the brand of the manufacturer of the board.

In a more personalized way, it is possible to make distinctive signs to identify such or such rental organization or leisure owner of the snowboard. At a higher level of personalization, these patterns may include an individual and unique indication, thus allowing to identify the ski by a number or the name of its owner possibly. This identification has a character of inviolability, since it is necessary to destroy the upper layer of protection if it is desired to eliminate it.

It follows from the foregoing that the boards according to the invention have the advantage of being able to benefit from decorative effects with three-dimensional relief aspects, while being relatively simple to implement.

Claims (9)

1. A board (1) for gliding, in particular on snow, having a protective upper layer (3) covering the internal structure of the board, including the core (5) and any reinforcements (10), and having a metal plate (2) arranged between the protective upper layer (3) and the internal structure of the board, said plate (2) having at least one recess (12) formed on its upper face, inside which the material of the protective upper layer (3) penetrates, characterized in that said plate (2) is located level with a transparent region (4) of the protective upper layer (3), to create a hollow region.
2. The gliding board as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the recess or recesses (12) pass fully through and reveal the internal structure of the board through the protective upper layer (3).
3. The gliding board as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the plate (2) is bonded under the protective upper layer (3) by means of an adhesive film (21).
4. The gliding board as claimed in claim 1, the internal structure of which includes at least one reinforcement (10), characterized in that the reinforcement (10) lying below the protective upper layer (3) penetrates partially inside the recess (12) of the plate (2).
5. The gliding board as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that it has a film (16) interposed between the plate (2) and the reinforcement (10).
6. The gliding board as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the recess is formed by chemical etching.
7. The gliding board as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the plate is made of a material based on a metal selected from the group comprising aluminum, stainless steel and brass.
8. The gliding board as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the plate has a thickness of between 0.1 and 0.8 mm.
9. The gliding board as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the upper face of the plate (2) has a mark for identifying the board.

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