Improvement of snowboard with bindings
The invention relates to a snowboard with bindings located in front of and behind the central part of the board, where each of the bindings is located on a spring device, with the result that the part of the binding on which the boots are placed does not touch the snowboard during normal loading. The springing effect of the device is substantially in the vertical direction.
During their run snowboarders will perform a number of quick turns, and it is also highly popular to perform jumps, which preferably should be as high as possible. In order to make these jumps possible, the slopes are generally prepared so as to provide the skier with this kind of challenge.
The object of the present invention is to create a snowboard which offers greater possibilities of performing high jumps without the need for any special preparation of the slopes. However, this possibility of performing high jumps should not be at the cost of reducing the board's turning ability, which means that the board should retain the rapid turning reaction of an ordinary board. A further favourable feature of this design is that when the skier jumps to a great height, a cushioning of the landings is also achieved.
This object is achieved by a snowboard of the type mentioned in the introduction, which is characterized by what is indicated in the patent claims.
It is known in the prior art to provide spring elements on skis between binding and ski. The main object of all the known devices has been to cushion impacts or distribute the pressure, as opposed to the invention which is intended to provide the snowboard with a certain amount of "trampoline effect". With regard to the prior art, we refer to WO 83/03360 which discloses a damping element for a ski, together with the French patent publications 271681 1 , 2643275 and 2602979, all of which disclose damping devices intended for skis. In the prior art the bindings are located in the ski's longitudinal direction, i.e. rotated 90° relative to what applies to a snowboard. In all the publications the attachment means for the boots are at the front and rear, which is impossible on a snowboard, and spring elements which are employed thereon therefore behave in a fundamentally different manner from what takes place on a snowboard, where the retention of a quick reaction when edging is a basic element in the invention.
It may also be mentioned that so-called jumping shoes exist, where under a normal shoe there is placed a spring element which can give rise to a certain form of "trampoline effect", but in this case the sole object is to cause a jumping effect without stringent requirements regarding vertical springing. The spring devices in the invention may be designed in many ways, e.g. as spring elements under each binding, or as a common spring element in the form of a top board, or something between these two extremes. We shall now look at some drawings and possible embodiments of the invention. Since the bindings are reasonably alike on both feet, only one binding with associated spring device is usually illustrated. The bindings are generally not located symmetrically about the snowboard's central transverse axis, but usually slightly at an angle according to the individual skier's preference and the snowboard's area of application. Most of the figures deal with devices which are only affixed to the normal attachment points for snowboard bindings, and can be quite easily mounted on ordinary boards. Fig. 2 illustrates a snowboard made with two integrated shafts, while in figures 1 and 8 the device is attached in the middle of the board in a separate bracket, which can be retrofitted or integrated in the snowboard. In the drawings the following is illustrated: Fig. 1A is a side view of a snowboard with spring bindings, illustrated here with single-shaft hinges 37 placed in the middle of the board 1. Fig. IB is the same viewed from above. The shaft does not need to be through-going, and an attachment on each side may suffice.
Fig. 2A is a side view of a snowboard, illustrated here with single-shaft hinges 37 integrated in the board. Normal binding attachments 9 in the snowboard may be used as an attachment for the spring. Fig. 2B is the front (or rear) part viewed from above.
Fig. 3 A is a side view of the snowboard, illustrated here with single-shaft hinges 37 placed on a bridge 32 between the normal binding attachments 9 on the snowboard. The bridge has length regulation to enable it to be adapted to different distances between the binding attachments. Fig. 3B is the same viewed from above.
Fig. 4 is a side view. The cylinder 5 provides combined vertical stiffening and spring housing. There may be 1 or 2 cylinders on each side of each
binding. Instead of cylinders vertical ribs may be used combined with a spring 4.
Fig. 5 is a side view of the binding on a horizontal channel 8 which has a spring effect. Great torsional rigidity can be obtained here with wide profiles which are most rigid at the end. Diagonal stiffening may also help. In this case, however, we have chosen to perform stiffening transversely with a three-shaft hinge, with the result that it is substantially the spring characteristic which the channel must have in this case.
Fig. 6 is a side view, illustrating a tube profile 1 1 with a spring effect, with screw connection 29, 30 above and below, thus enabling it to be easily inserted between the boot and the board. In a similar way the countless quick-release bindings which are on the market can be adapted in order to be able to change quickly from skiing with the device to without it and vice versa. This applies to most of the figures illustrated.
Fig. 7 A is a side view of a spring binding with horizontal oblong tube 1 1 as the spring device. Great torsional rigidity can be achieved here with wide profiles which are most rigid at the end.
Fig. 7B is the same viewed from above.
Fig. 7C is a cross section X-X of a possible spring profile with stronger materials on the outside in order to improve the torsional rigidity. The dotted core is envisaged as more of a light filler material.
Fig. 7D is a cross section X-X of a possible spring profile which is thicker at the end in order to improve torsional rigidity.
Fig. 7E is the same cross section of a possible spring profile which is thicker while being inclined downwards at the end in order to improve the torsional rigidity. This is possible for fairly horizontal portions. If the upper half is made slightly wider than the lower half, the upper half can be slightly more inclined than the lower half without further restricting the spring effect. Fig.
7E is not compatible with 7 A or 7B.
Fig. 8A is a side view of a secondary board 34, hereinafter called a top board, attached to the middle of the snowboard. Fig. 8B is the same viewed from above.
Fig. 8C illustrates two cross sections, one approximately in the middle of the arm 36 and the other in the middle of the snowboard.
Fig. 9 is a side view illustrating two three-shaft hinges 22 located with the shafts across the board. Between the lower shafts 26 is located the plate 27 which is affixed to the board, and between the upper shafts 24 is located the plate 28 to which the binding is affixed. Two possible spring types are illustrated here, and the most natural option is to select the same type of spring on both sides. Other types of spring may be an air cushion or air ring, elastic plastic or other types of springs.
Fig. 10A is a view from in front of the snowboard, illustrating a spring device in the form of a partly flattened tube. Fig. 10B illustrates the same principle, but in a slightly different form, where the spring is more vertical under the heel than under the toe, with the result that, with the same rigidity in the material, it will be more easily compressed at the toes than at the heel. Fig. IOC is the same viewed from the side.
Fig. 11A is a side view of a possible type of hinge located centrally under the binding.
Fig. 1 IB illustrates the same hinge, viewed from in front.
(The axes of rotation 15, 16, 17). In the central section one rod 16 is inserted in a cylinder 18. The rod 16 is rigidly attached to the rods 15 by an arm 14, and the rods 15 are rigidly interconnected 20, while a second arm 19 rigidly connects the cylinder 18 with the rods 17. The rods 15, 17 rotate in attachment points 21.
Fig. 12A is a side view, illustrating two two-shaft hinges 23 which are placed in the normal manner on the board's longitudinal axis. Fig. 12B is a view from above of the rigid U-loop of one of the hinges.
Fig. 13A is a side view. Two spring bindings are interconnected by a bar 32 which can be adjusted longitudinally on the board. Under each binding there is located at least one spring device, illustrated here by a conical spring. A three-shaft hinge on each binding is assumed to be sufficient to ensure rigidity when turning. In order to attain more longitudinal rigidity, a two- shaft hinge 23 may be used on each side.
Fig. 13B is a side view. Two spring bindings are interconnected by a tube of adjustable length. Here the spring is placed inside the tube, influencing the central shaft 25. Several possible solutions for the connection between the
bindings are illustrated for skateboards in our parallel patent application "Skateboard with spring effect". A possible improvement is to have the bar 33 attached to the board 1 and have the springs inclined slightly downwards at the binding 3.
The figures are illustrated with many different types of springs, and not always the type of spring which is considered optimal. This is to show that most types of spring can be used in the devices.
In the figures the following terms are used:
I . Snowboard 2. Tip
3. Binding
4. Spring, used here as an extended term for a spring element.
5. External cylinder/rib
6. Internal cylinder/rib 7. Laminated spring.
8. Horizontal channel
9. Existing attachment for snowboard binding
10. Attachment between laminated spring and upper plate 28
I I . Tubular spring 12. Hole for gaining access with screwdriver in order to screw the spring on to the board
13. Serrated, conical attachment plate for rotation of the binding or device
14. Tube part rigidly affixed between the bars 15, 16
15. Rods attached under the spring's upper part 16. Rods in the central section
17. Rods attached to the spring's lower part
18. Cylinder in the central section on the outside of the rods 16
19. Tube part rigidly affixed between the cylinder 18 and the rods 17
20. Connection of the rods 15 21. Attachments permitting the rods 15, 17 to rotate about their axis
22. Special hinge with three joints
23. Special hinge with two joints
24. Upper shaft
25. Centre shaft 26. Lower shaft
27. The device's lower plate which is affixed to the board
28. The device's upper plate, on to which a normal binding/shoe is affixed
29. Screw lock, male
30. Screw lock, female 31. Spring air cushion or elastic material
32. Rigid profile or tube between the bindings
33. Bar from the spring in tube 32 to the centre shaft 25
34. Top board
35. Attachment in the middle of the snowboard 36. Arm on top board
37. Single-shaft hinge
38. Arm from hinge
39. Screw attachments which lock at 90 degrees rotation
As can be seen in the embodiments which are illustrated in the drawings, there are many possibilities for variation of the design of a spring device in order to provide the desired spring effect in the vertical direction, while maintaining the rigidity necessary for precise guidance of the board. The invention is intended to comprise not only the illustrated embodiments, but also further modifications thereof, which it would be superfluous to illustrate them here. The drawings per se should be illustrative of the various embodiments.
Figs. 1, 2 and 3 illustrate three ways of locating a transverse single-shaft hinge 37 in order to obtain rapid turn reaction. The advantage of a single- shaft hinge is that it is extremely stable, and provides very good parallelism between binding and snowboard across the board. The disadvantage is that the binding is not always completely parallel to the board in the longitudinal direction. This problem diminishes the longer the distance is between hinge and binding. In all three embodiments the arm 38 is made as rigid as possible, balanced against the requirement for it also to be as light as possible.
In one embodiment, the spring device consists of springs on both sides of each binding 3. The bindings are restricted to vertical movements of vertical guides such as ribs or cylinders, where the internal part 6 fits exactly into the external part 5 (see fig. 4). In order to achieve good manoeuvrability of the
board, it has to be edged without delay when the feet tilt the board to one edge or the other.
In a second embodiment the spring device is in the form of a deep channel formed on the side. Fig. 5 of the drawing illustrates a possible embodiment of this principle, with a material which has adapted vertical elasticity so as to achieve optimal spring effect, but the torsional rigidity is great, with the result that the board is edged quickly when the skier wants to turn. This is really a special version of a laminated spring, where a spring is only used on one side with rigid transition to the plate under the bindings. In order to further ensure a rapid turning reaction, a three-shaft hinge may be inserted.
In a further embodiment the spring device is in the form of a partly flattened tube (fig. 7). In the middle of the top there is preferably a flat portion with a width approximately the same as the bindings for attachment of bindings, and on the bottom there is preferably a flat portion with holes or other attachment device for affixing to the snowboard in existing attachments on the board. It is considered favourable for the lower flat portion either to have a thickened area on the bottom of the tube, or to be slightly recessed, with the result that the rest of the tube is raised above the snowboard and can also be pressed down on the bottom. Instead of ensuring torsional rigidity by means of profiles as illustrated in figs. 7C, D, E, a three-shaft hinge may be inserted in the tube, corresponding to that illustrated in fig. 5.
The attachment points for the spring device can either be adapted to suit existing holes or another attachment for bindings in the snowboard, thus making new attachments unnecessary, or the board may be envisaged substantially manufactured with this system in mind, where separate attachment devices are used.
A spring device should have almost maximum torsional rigidity for a given vertical spring effect. In order to achieve this without the use of hinges or vertical guides, the usual practice will be to place more material and perhaps also make a thicker profile along the edges than on the middle of "the spring", viewed relative to the board's longitudinal axis. Similarly, an edge profile which offers resistance to the edge being pressed down more than the rest of the spring will act in the same direction. Some sections of designs
with these characteristics are illustrated in fig. 7. For the top board the arm 36 will be of such a shape that it provides great torsional rigidity.
Fig. 8 A illustrates a top board, which is placed over the snowboard without being in contact with it at the bindings when the loading is normal, and the top board 34 extends from one binding to the other in such a manner that the bindings 3 are no longer attached to the snowboard 1 but to the top board 34, and the top board transfers its weight to the snowboard approximately halfway between the bindings. The top board is envisaged here as being so torsionally rigid that there are no other devices for ensuring rapid edge reaction, even though a three-shaft 22 hinge (not shown) at each of the bindings would have ensured faster edge reaction. The advantage of having the weight transferred to the middle of the snowboard is that during edging the snowboard can more easily twist the steel edges at the front and rear upwards, with the result that the steel edges do not carve so deeply down into the snow.
When the skier presses his foot on one side of the board, the board should edge. It is expedient to insert mechanisms for this purpose. The rigidity between binding and snowboard, particularly for forces which rotate the binding about the board's longitudinal axis, may be achieved in several ways, including the following: a) transverse hinges, with one, two or three shafts, causing the binding also to be parallel to the board's transverse axis when the skier presses down on one side, and where there are several shafts, these are parallel, or b) vertical guidance ribs which lock the angle between binding and snowboard, or c) spring profiles which have the right amount of flexibility and great torsional rigidity, with the result that the spring in itself has the necessary torsional rigidity. Making the spring thicker/stronger furthest away from the board's central longitudinal axis is one way of achieving this. Furthest away from the board's central longitudinal axis, use may also be made of edge profiles which provide particularly great resistance against the edge's bending down without the whole spring following. The arm 36 on the top board will have a high degree of flexibility and torsional rigidity with an elliptical shape.
Fig. 1 1 illustrates a three-shaft hinge 22 which is stiffened so that all three axes 15, 16, 17 will be parallel at any time. The principle for stiffening parallel to the transverse axis is illustrated here. The hinge may be designed in many ways. It will often be expedient for the upper 15 and lower 17 shafts to be inserted in upper 28 and lower 27 plates respectively, while the connections 14, 19 are placed outside the upper and lower plates, and if in addition the centre shaft has the possibility of extending right down to the snowboard outside the plates, a hinge is obtained which permits the upper plate 28 to extend right down to the lower plate 27 during maximum loading. This is advantageous since it is desirable to achieve the spring effect with least possible build-up. If the upper 28 and lower 27 plates are rigid, it is possible to attach the arms 19, 14 to points on the plates, with the result that the upper and lower shafts are more imaginary. This requires the centre shaft 16, 18 to be rigidly connected to 14, 19. The most practical position for the hinge is across the board's longitudinal axis. 100% torsional rigidity (minus tolerance and elasticity in the hinges) it thereby obtained, and the bindings will be have identical vertical spring effect on both sides, while no such restrictions exist in the longitudinal direction. The object that the board can have spring bindings while still reacting almost as rapidly as ordinary boards when edging is achieved by this means.
In fig. 12 a vertical spring effect is achieved by a two-shaft hinge 23 placed in the normal fashion on the board's longitudinal axis. The hinge may be attached on each side in the lower plate 27, and made as illustrated in fig. 12B more in the form of a rigid U. Since the hinge only has two shafts, the bindings will be moved slightly in the board's longitudinal direction when the bindings are moved vertically. Double hinges with two shafts will also restrict the binding's rotation about an axis parallel to the transverse axis, with the result that the plane 27 of the binding is approximately parallel to the plane 28 of the snowboard at any time. This can be seen as positive in relation to three-shaft hinges 22 which do not produce this restriction longitudinally, and which in some cases provide too little support in this direction. An air cushion 31 is illustrated here as a spring. The spring must be designed for the small longitudinal movement undertaken by the upper plate 27 when acting as a spring. A two-shaft hinge may be particularly advantageous when the skier wishes to jump forwards on flat ground. If two-
shaft hinges are used in pairs, they must always be facing in the same direction.
All bindings are envisaged attached in such a manner that they can easily be rotated in the plane of the board in order to be adapted to the skier's wishes regarding angle of the bindings relative to the board's longitudinal direction. In this area several systems exist which may be used, including an attachment plate for the board which is round with a serrated and V-shaped edge which clamps a conical hole in the binding in the desired position. This is illustrated in figs. 7 A and B in the attachment between device and snowboard. Alternatively, the rotation may be moved up to the binding's attachment to the device.
Many illustrations are shown with the springs placed on the side of the binding in order to have the binding as low as possible. Apart from the fact that the bindings become slightly higher, there is nothing to prevent the springs being placed under the binding, as illustrated in some places.
Most of the devices are illustrated attached to the board in a small area, corresponding to the standard attachment point 9 for present day snowboard bindings. There is no reason why one should not depart from these attachment points, and devices may be envisaged which are attached to the board on both sides of the shoe, or in the middle.
The springs will generally be adapted so that they are more rigid under the heel than the toe, either by asymmetrical positioning or the use of different springs under toe and heel. An additional device which locks the binding to the board may easily be added, with the result that one can choose whether a spring effect is desired or not.