Land vehicles – Skates – Runner type
Reexamination Certificate
1997-08-01
2001-02-06
Hurley, Kevin (Department: 3619)
Land vehicles
Skates
Runner type
Reexamination Certificate
active
06182998
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a shock-absorbing device for gliding boards, such as an alpine ski, a cross-country ski, a monoski, or a snowboard. It relates as well to a ski equipped with such a device.
DESCRIPTION OF BACKGROUND AND RELEVANT INFORMATION
While on the snow, the currently available skis are subjected to shocks or more or less extended bending stresses which cause the ski to vibrate. These vibrations are for the most part negative parasitic effects which cause the loss of adherence between the ski and the snow, which adversely affects the steering and stability of the ski.
Various solutions have already been proposed in order to improve the vibrational behavior of a ski. The document FR-A-2 575 393 proposes to arrange a device of shorter length with regard to the supporting length of the ski and its positioning occurs in the zones that are predetermined as a function of the types of vibration which it is desirable to absorb.
Another more recently published solution in the document FR-A-2 675 392 consists of taking up the flexion forces applied to the ski through one flexion blade of which one end is fixed to the ski and the other end is linked to an interface made of a viscoelastic material which is subjected to the shearing of the blade. The interface can either be connected directly above the ski, or can be attached to the inner surface of a stirrup or of a protection spoiler.
One of the main advantages of such a design is to obtain a satisfactory shock-absorption of the vibrations by using a system whose height space requirement on the ski is reduced to a minimum. The shock-absorbing effect is accompanied by a dynamic stiffening of the ski, a function of the length of the flexion blade and of the shear strength opposing the free end of the ski. Conversely, the static rigidity of the ski is not affected by the arrangement of such a system since no prestress is opposed to the free end by the shock-absorption means which operates in shearing.
However, the bending stresses are not the only stresses which appear when operating the ski.
When the ski is moving on the snow, it is subjected to three types of fundamental stresses: the bending stresses, the torsional stresses and the stresses of “lateral deformation.” In addition to these stresses, the vibrating phenomena occur at certain speeds as a function of irregularities of the terrain, which in turn generates flexional and torsional deformation of the ski in various ways.
The torsional stresses or vibrational phenomena of the ski appear either in raised regions, or more frequently in turns when the downhill ski imparts substantial pressure on the inner edge. It can also be observed that the torsional stresses are maximum on the external zones of the ski and are for the most part oriented at a 45 degree angle with respect to the longitudinal axis. Furthermore, the stresses vary along the ski and increase in the direction of each of the ends, at the shovel and tail. Unusually larger skis, such as powder snow skis, are subjected to more stress at the ends; and there does not exist any device which permits the stresses to be absorbed in an efficient manner.
None of the prior art devices provide a satisfactory solution for diminishing the various stresses and vibratory phenomena.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is thus to propose a device which absorbs both flexional deformation and torsional deformation of the portions of the gliding board that are most exposed to these phenomena.
To this end, the invention concerns a shock-absorbing device for a gliding board. The device includes:
two transmission rods laterally spaced apart,
at least one fixed connection making it possible to rigidly connect the first ends of both rods to the gliding board,
at least one casing adapted to be connected rigidly to the board at a certain distance from the fixed connection, which has an opening for the introduction of a retractable portion of each rod, and a housing containing a viscoelastic material which is in contact with the longitudinal sliding surface along a certain length, at least, of the retractable portion of each rod; said material being biased in shearing during the displacement of each rod portion in the housing.
According to another characteristic of the invention, the two rods are oriented with respect to each other in a substantially parallel manner.
The invention equally relates to a ski, particularly of the alpine type, including the shock-absorbing device. The transmission rods are oriented substantially in the longitudinal direction, each being offset on either side of the vertical median plan P. The more the rods are laterally offset in relation to this plane, the more the torsional shock-absorbing effect proves efficient.
Thus, the device is particularly sensitive to flexional deformations of the elongated beam which constitutes the ski, as well as to torsional deformations thereof. The device is also particularly adapted to powder snow skis, whose front and rear widths are greater than normal.
According to a complementary characteristic, the ski includes a first device located between the shovel zone and the mounting zone of the bindings, and a second device located between the mounting zone of the bindings and the tail zone.
It is in these areas, in effect, that the bending is maximum, whereas it is necessary to improve the contact between the ski and the snow.
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Huyghe Christian
Phelipon Axel
Greenblum & Bernstein P.L.C.
Hurley Kevin
McKinley Kevin
Salomon S.A.
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