A BOARD FOR USE IN SKATEBOARDING OR OTHER EXTREME SPORTS AND A METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SUCH A BOARD

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a board for use in skateboarding or other extreme sports. Customizable performance parameters for the board comprising board flexibility, board pop-up, shock absorption and/or strength are determined. In order to achieve the customizable performance parameters to tune the properties of the board, the method includes selecting (i) a core, (ii) a plurality of layers of plastic and/or plastic-composite material for forming an upper structure, a lower structure and a peripheral structure and (iii) an interface between the core and the upper and/or lower structures.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to boards for sports like skateboarding where specific properties of the board can be important to performance and safety in the sport. in particular, the present invention may relate to a skateboard with a central reinforcement element.

BACKGROUND

A skateboard traditionally includes three major parts: the deck (the board upon which the rider stands), the trucks (the construction that attaches the wheels to the deck), and the wheels. Originally, decks were made of wood, but later they were also made of aluminium, fibreglass, and plastic. The rear part of the deck is bent upward to form the kicktail, as is the front (“nose”) on modern designs. The truck includes an axle, a hangar (which houses the axle), and a cushion that both absorbs shocks and provides flexibility for steering.

Boards are measured length in a longitudinal direction between a first end and a second end, a width measured along a transverse direction between a first edge and a second edge, and a height measured between a bottom and a top. Most skateboards are about 80 cm long and 23 cm wide. One variation of the skateboard is the longboard, which can run from 96 to 152 cm length.

During conventional use of a skateboard, a user places one or both feet on the board, and the feet are generally oriented in a substantially transverse direction of the board. Acrobatic acts are performed and for this reason skateboarding is often considered one of the so-called extreme sports. Skateboarding as a sport features tricks performed in a real or simulated urban environment with stairs, rails, ledges, and other obstacles. Acrobatic acts of jumping and then landing again on the ground are often performed. During use boards are subjected to substantial forces, especially when landing on the ground after the user has performed a jump. Forces can be impulse or continuous forces in several directions. The board may also be subjected to twisting forces. Forces are often in the form of impulses.

Important attributes of a board include board flexibility, board pop-up, strength, and board weight.

A board traditionally includes a core, reinforcements above and below the core. Reinforcements below the core are those closest to the ground when the board slides or rolls under normal conditions of use. Reinforcements above the core are those furthest from the ground when the board rolls under normal conditions of use. Traditionally the board has a sandwich structure.

Acrobatic performances are easier with a lighter board and there is effort to reduce weight. But whilst reducing weight, it is also important to have a board that is strong, that has a flexibility and pop-up that matches the experience, weight, and skill of the user. The structure of the deck is critical in achieving these attributes. At the same time, the possibility of board customisation is important to provide the user with the desired feeling according to the user's skill and the user's own weight.

Boards described in prior art use a core and reinforcements above and below the board in a sandwich structure. For example, EP2000180B1 teaches a board having a core extending along the surface and having upper and lower reinforcement layers made of natural or synthetic fibres. The construction is a sandwich structure. Similarly, CN100534556C discloses another sandwich structure where the core and the upper and lower layers are held by adhesive. All sandwich structures potentially suffer from risk of delamination. It is also difficult to achieve a combination of low weight, high strength, and flexibility.

There is the need for a board structure that does not suffer from risks of delamination, and whilst being lightweight can offer an optimal combination of strength, bob-up, and board flexibility. There is a further need to customise a combination of attributes of a board whilst being able to manufacture such custom board economically.

SUMMARY

The present invention provides a board that can provide an excellent combination of low weight, high strength, and flexibility whilst also having high durability.

A core of the board may include a material of a higher density than a material of adjacent layers. The core may include a material having a higher young's modulus than the material of the adjacent layers. The core may have a higher flexural stiffness than the adjacent layers.

The present invention therefore provides methods of manufacturing boards and boards in accordance with the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Examples of preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described by referring to the accompanying drawings:

FIGS. 1a to 1c show an isometric view, a side view and a top view of a typical board deck.

FIGS. 2a and 2b show sections of the board deck of the current invention, post processing.

FIG. 3 is a section of the board deck of the current invention, pre-processing.

FIG. 4a is a three-dimensional exploded view of the board deck of the current invention, pre-processing showing a number of material layers above and below the core.

FIG. 4b is a three-dimensional exploded view of the board deck of the current invention, pre-processing showing a number of material layers above and below the core in an alternative arrangement.

FIG. 5a is a three-dimensional view of the board deck of the current invention, pre processing where multiple layers can be seen from outside.

FIG. 5b is a section of the board deck of the current invention, pre-processing showing a number of material layers above and below the core.

FIG. 5c is a section of the board deck of the current invention, pre-processing showing a number of material layers above and below the core.

FIG. 6a is a partial exploded view showing the core and the material that encloses the core.

FIG. 6b is a view of a progressive cut showing the core and the surrounding layers.

FIG. 6c is a view of an exploded view showing the core and the surrounding layers.

FIG. 7a is a three-dimensional view of an alternative shape of the core having a hollow central region.

FIGS. 7b and 7c are three-dimensional section views showing the board deck of the current invention, having a core with a hollow central region in pre-processing and post-processing states.

FIG. 8 is a three-dimensional exploded view of pre-processed board deck of the current invention, showing multiple layers above and below the core.

FIG. 9 is a section of the board deck of the current invention showing a post-processing view with a board characterised by presence of slots or cuts.

FIG. 10 is a schematic illustration of section of the board deck of the current invention showing a pre-processing view with a board characterised by the use of at least two layers of continuous fibre reinforced thermoplastic.

FIG. 11a to 11c are schematic illustrations of sections of the board deck of the current invention showing an embodiment where the thermoplastic matrix is embedded with pockets of lightweight material.

FIGS. 12a and 12b are schematic illustrations of sections of the board deck of the current invention showing an embodiment where the core includes several strips of reinforcing materials that extend continuously along the length of the board deck.

FIG. 13 is a schematic illustration of a top view of the board deck of the current invention showing an embodiment where the core includes several strips of reinforcing materials that do not extend continuously along the length of the board deck.

FIG. 14 is a schematic illustration of a top view of the board deck of the current invention showing an embodiment where the core includes several strips of reinforcing materials that do not extend continuously along the length of the board deck while the plastic matrix contains pockets of lightweight material.

FIG. 15a is a schematic illustration of a section view of the board deck of the current invention showing an embodiment where the core includes a hollow structure wherein pockets of lightweight material are present in the plastic matrix within the central hollow area of the core.

FIG. 15b is a schematic illustration of a top view of the board deck of the current invention showing an embodiment where the core includes a hollow structure wherein pockets of lightweight material are present in the plastic matrix within the central hollow area of the core.

FIG. 16a is a schematic illustration of a top section view of the board deck of the current invention showing an embodiment where the core includes a continuous longitudinal structure wherein pockets of lightweight material are present in the plastic matrix at each of two longitudinal sides.

FIG. 16b is a schematic illustration of a side section view of the board deck of the current invention showing an embodiment where the core includes a continuous longitudinal structure wherein pockets of lightweight material are present in the plastic matrix at each of two longitudinal sides.

FIGS. 17a and 17b. are schematic illustration of sections of the board, without a core material, before and after the fusing of the layers of plastic matrix material.

FIG. 18 is a schematic illustration of a board with variable stiffness along the longitudinal direction.

FIG. 19 is an example of a possible interface to capture user preferences for board customisation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention refers to board deck for use as skateboard or longboard in extreme sports, having a length measured along a longitudinal direction between a first end and a second end, a width measured along a transverse direction between a first edge and a second edge, as well as a thickness measured between a bottom and a top. The board has customizable performance parameters including board flexibility, board pop-up, and strength, which can be customized economically during manufacture. The board deck includes a core extending along a surface, a lower structure located beneath the core, an upper structure located above the core, and a peripheral structure around the core wherein said lower structure, upper structure, and peripheral structure including plastic or plastic composite materials. The board deck is characterized in that said lower, upper, and peripheral structures include multiple layers of plastic or plastic-composite materials which during manufacture are heated to above melting point and then allowed to cool so that said multiple layers fuse and resolidify to form a monolithic structure. The core is therefore encapsulated by a monolithic plastic or plastic composite structure and the properties of the board are defined by a combination of attributes of the core, of the upper structure, lower structure, and peripheral structure and the interface between the core and the upper and/or lower surfaces. Adjustment of the manufacturing parameters such as the number of layers and the structure of the core provides tuneable properties of the board.

The plastic material includes polypropylene (PP) composite containing PP copolymer as matrix and stretched PP homopolymer as reinforcement.

FIGS. 1a to 1c show an isometric view, a side view, and a top view of a typical board deck (1). The board deck has a rear part of the deck that is bent upward to form the kicktail (2a), and a front “nose” (2b). A core at the centre of the deck provides main structural support (300). The load has a length L in a longitudinal direction between a first end and a second end, a width W measured along a transverse direction between a first edge and a second edge, and height H measured between the bottom and the top surface.

FIGS. 2a and 2b show sections of the board deck of the current invention, post processing. The board (1) includes a core (301) which is surrounded by a support structure (100) that is essentially monolithic. The interface (401) between the core (301) and the surrounding support structure (100) may have different degrees of adhesion. The surrounding structure is fused. A key characteristic of this invention is that the core is surrounded by plastic material. This means that the edges of the core are not exposed and are not visible from the outside.

In one embodiment, the core includes a honeycomb structure which may be characterised in that upper and lower skins of the honeycomb include of a fabric of polypropylene-based thermoplastic, which have a thickness between 0.05 mm and 3 mm, most preferable between 1 mm and 2 mm. The material said skin of the honeycomb can be for example “Self-reinforced” thermoplastic composites which is a plastic matrix (PP, Polyester) plus same class fibres.

FIG. 3 is a section of the board deck of the current invention, pre-processing. Multiple layers of plastic material (101) surround the core (301). During manufacture, plastic material is available in sheets which are cut to shape and stacked together below the core, surrounding the core, and above the core to completely encapsulate the core. The sandwich structure is then placed in a mould and heated at approximately 160° C. such that they melt and fuse together. It is then allowed to cool to room temperature and solidify into a monolithic plastic structure that surrounds the core.

FIG. 4a is a three-dimensional exploded view of the board deck of the current invention, pre-processing showing a number of material layers above and below the core. The sheet of plastic or plastic composite material is cut to the correct shape for each layer and then layers are stacked together. First the layers below the core (113) are stacked, the core is then placed on top of the lower layers (113) and is “dressed around” or surrounded by a stack of middle layers (112). Finally, the upper layers (111) are placed so that the core is completely surrounded by layers of plastic and/or plastic composite. The number of upper layers (111) and bottom layers (113) are arranged according to the thickness needed to deliver the required mechanical properties of strength, flexibility, and pop-up. The number of middle layers is arranged so that the total thickness of the stack of middle layers (112) is equal to the thickness of the core.

FIG. 4b is a three-dimensional exploded view of the board deck of the current invention, pre-processing showing material layers above and below the core in an alternative arrangement. In this arrangement the number of bottom layers (113) is greater, thus resulting in a thicker bottom section when the layers are fused together into a monolithic structure.

The thickness of the layers of plastic material ranges from 0.05 mm to 3 mm and is preferably from 0.05 mm to 1 mm. In a preferred embodiment the plastic material is polypropylene (PP). Preferably the plastic material includes PP composite containing random PP copolymer as matrix and stretched PP homopolymer as reinforcement.

FIG. 5a is a three-dimensional view of the board deck of the current invention, pre-processing where multiple layers (110) can be seen from outside. This is the view before the layers are heated to be fused together.

FIG. 5b is a section of the board deck of the current invention, pre-processing showing material layers above and below the core. This view shows an approximately equal number of bottom layers (113a) of plastic material and upper layers (111a) of plastic material. One other alternative arrangement is shown in FIG. 5c. In this embodiment the number of material layers above the core (111b) is greater than the number of layers below the core (113b).

FIG. 6a is a partial exploded view showing the core and the material that encloses the core, the middle layers (120). The middle layers (120) have a cut-out area (140) to accommodate the core (301) so that the core is surrounded by plastic material.

FIG. 6b is a view of a progressive cut showing the core and the surrounding layers. The core (301) sits on the bottom layers (131) and is surrounded by a plurality of middle layers (121,122). Upper layers (116,115) then are placed on top of the core and middle layers. FIG. 6c is a view of an exploded view showing the core and the surrounding layers.

In FIGS. 4a, 4b, 6a, 6b, the core is shown as rectangular block. In some embodiments the core may be an essentially rectangular prism, while in other embodiments the core may be of a different shape. The core may be elongate. The core may extend along at least 50%, at least 75%, at least 80% or at least 85% of the length of the board (1). The core may extend along at least 30%, at least 40%, at least 50% or at least 60% of the width of the board (1).

FIG. 7a is a three-dimensional view of an alternative shape of the core. In this embodiment a ring-shaped core (304) has a hollow central region (305). The ring-shaped core (304) is surrounded by plastic material in a similar way as any other core shape and the hollow central region (305) is filled with layers of plastic or plastic-composite material.

FIGS. 7b and 7c are three-dimensional section views showing the board deck of the current invention, having a core with a hollow central region in pre-processing and post-processing states. In the pre-processing state as shown in FIG. 7b, the layers of plastic and/or plastic composite material are distinct and form a sandwich structure. In the post processed state as shown in FIG. 7c, the layers of plastic material are fused together to form a monolithic structure.

FIG. 8 is a three-dimensional exploded view of pre-processed board deck of the current invention, showing multiple layers above and below the core. This embodiment shows a ring-shaped core (304) including a hollow central region (305) which is filled with layers of plastic material (125). The number of layers above the core (123), and the number of layers below the core (126) can be selected to produce a desired overall thickness and the desired combination of board strength, flexibility, and pop-up.

It is also possible that the core may include a non-uniform cross-sectional area.

Apart of the layers of plastic material above and below the core, board properties of strength, flexibility, and pop-up are also determined by the shape, thickness, material properties, and other attributes of the core. For example, the core may include slots or cuts at the upper or lower surface of the core body.

FIG. 9 is a section of the board deck of the current invention showing a post-processing view with a board characterised by presence of slots or cuts. These slots or cuts can result in controlled and anisotropic flexibility of the core so that the behaviour of the board can be fine-tuned to the exact behaviour desired by a user. Typically, slots or cuts have a relatively small width and/or depth. These slots or cuts during fusing of the plastic material will be filled by plastic material. The presence of slots has a double effect: 1) the core has increased flexibility and if desired in an anisotropic manner, and b) there is increased adhesion between the core and the plastic material.

The core includes of several layers of high strength composite material which are heated and pressed to form a single body. Each layer of the core material has a thickness between 0.05 mm and 3 mm. The core material typically includes carbon fibre reinforced plastic. The carbon fibres may have orientation in both along the length of the board and along the width of the board. Different kitting patterns of carbon fibres are known the produce different mechanical properties. In some embodiments, anisotropy may be desired while in other embodiments anisotropy is undesired and knotting patters are arranged to minimise anisotropy. The core is generally manufactured separately.

FIG. 10 is a schematic illustration of section of the board deck of the current invention showing a pre-processing view with a board characterised by the use of at least two layers of continuous fibre reinforced thermoplastic. As illustrated by FIG. 10, a structure that behaves like a core may be formed by the use of at least two thin layers of strong material (309a, 309b) wherein these layers are separated by layers of plastic material (118). In effect this sandwich structure (310) upon processing and fusing of the plastic layers, behaves as a strong core. The benefit is that a core is effectively created in exactly the same process and sequence as the rest of the layers are being stacked up. This saves time and material cost, while at the same time enables a thinner and lighter board to be created for the same desired stiffness and strength. The layers of strong material are preferably out of a fabric of polypropylene-based thermoplastic of a thickness between 0.05 mm and 3 mm, most preferable between 1 mm and 2 mm. The material for layers 309a, 309b can be for example “Self-reinforced” thermoplastic composites which is a plastic matrix (PP, Polyester) plus same class fibres. It is light, stiff and very tough.

FIGS. 11a to 11c are schematic illustrations of sections of the board deck of the current invention showing an embodiment where the thermoplastic matrix is embedded with pockets of lightweight material. A key performance attribute of the board is weight. To reduce weight, areas that are not subjected to high stress are filled with lightweight material. By the term “lightweight material” we specifically mean material with density less than the density of the matrix of plastic material (101) that surrounds the core (301). In one preferred embodiment, this lightweight material is balsa wood. Balsa wood typically has a density of 160 Kg/m³, which is 5 times less than the density of the plastic material which has a density of 800 kg/m³. A wide range of other materials may be used, provided that these materials can withstand pressures of 10 to 20 Bar and can withstand temperatures up to 160 deg C. during processing of the board sandwich structure. The pockets of lightweight material (151) are distributed along the matrix area above and below the core (301). The distribution of these pockets is generally even, but this is not always necessary. In these figures the pockets of lightweight material (151) are illustrated as being square. This is only indicative, and these pockets can in practice be of any shape. These pockets (151) may be placed both above and below the core as illustrated in FIGS. 11a to 11c, and it is also possible that pockets of lightweight material may also be placed only above or only below the core (301). In another embodiment (not shown) the size of the pockets of lightweight material is not the same for all pockets.

FIGS. 12a and 12b are schematic illustrations of sections of the board deck of the current invention showing an embodiment where the core (301) includes several discrete strips (311,312,313) of reinforcing materials that extend continuously along the length of the board deck. FIG. 12a shows a top view with the strips of reinforcing material shown in a longitudinal orientation along the main axis of the board deck. FIG. 12b shows a section X-X that illustrates schematically the position of reinforcing slips (314,315,316) along the thickness of the board deck. In this configuration as illustrated in FIGS. 12a and 12b, there are nine reinforcing strips. Therefore, the core as an element of the board deck includes several discrete reinforcing strips within a matrix of plastic material.

FIG. 13 is a schematic illustration of a top view of the board deck of the current invention showing an embodiment where the core includes several strips of reinforcing materials (that do not extend continuously along the length of the board deck. In this embodiment reinforcing strips do not extend continuously along the entire length of the board deck but extend in pairs. In the illustration of FIG. 13, three pairs (317a, 317b; 318a, 318b; 319a, 319b) are shown.

FIG. 14 is a schematic illustration of a top view of the board deck of the current invention showing an embodiment where the core includes several strips of reinforcing materials (317a, 317b; 318a, 318b; 319a, 319b) that do not extend continuously along the length of the board deck while the plastic matrix (101) contains pockets of lightweight materials (151).

FIG. 15a is a schematic illustration of a section view of the board deck of the current invention showing an embodiment where the core includes a hollow structure wherein pockets of lightweight material are present in the plastic matrix within the central hollow area of the core. The structure of the core (305) is similar to the one described in FIG. 7a. The hollow area (305) of the core is filled with plastic material of the matrix, and within this material are pockets of lightweight material (151). These pockets of lightweight material are surrounded by plastic material of the matrix (152). In a preferred embodiment the lightweight material is Balsa wood.

FIG. 15b is a schematic illustration of a top view of the board deck of the current invention showing an embodiment where the core includes a hollow structure wherein pockets of lightweight material (151) are present in the plastic matrix (152) within the central hollow area (305) of the core.

FIG. 16a is a schematic illustration of a top section view of the board deck of the current invention showing an embodiment where the core (301) includes a continuous longitudinal structure wherein pockets of lightweight material (151) are present in the plastic matrix (101) at each of two longitudinal sides. The areas at each of the longitudinal sides of the core are subjected to lower values of stress, and the placement of pockets of lightweight material there does not significantly reduce the strength of the board when it contributes to reducing the overall weight of the board.

FIG. 16b is a schematic illustration of a side section view of the board deck of the current invention showing an embodiment where the core (301) includes a continuous longitudinal structure wherein pockets of lightweight material (151) are present in the plastic matrix (101) at each of two longitudinal sides. It can be seen from this figure that the pockets of lightweight material (151) are at the same level as the core (301).

FIGS. 17a and 17b. are schematic illustration of sections of the board, without a core material, before and after the fusing of the layers of plastic matrix material. Layers (119) as illustrated in FIG. 17a are first stacked together and then heated near of just over the melting point and pressed to cause them to fuse and form a monolithic structure (103) as illustrated in FIG. 17b. The plastic material includes polypropylene (PP) composite containing PP copolymer as matrix and stretched PP homopolymer as reinforcement.

FIG. 18 is a schematic illustration of a board with variable stiffness along the longitudinal direction. Variable stiffness can be desirable in different situations. For example, stiffer end sides along the longitudinal direction and less stiff central region may provide a better pop-up characteristic and allow the user to have a more responsive board as far as pop-up behaviour is concerned. Other characteristics of the behaviour of the board may also be optimised and customised to the preferences of a user by utilising regions of lower or higher stiffness. Variable stiffness can be obtained by adjusting, during manufacture, of the thickness and/or density of the reinforcing layers or reinforcing strips, or more broadly adjusting the characteristics of the reinforcing structure. In one embodiment shown in FIG. 18, a higher stiffness and the end portions of the board along the longitudinal direction is achieved by having additional reinforcing strips at the end regions (322) as compared to the reinforcing strips along the length of the board (321) so that a higher density of reinforcing strips (321,322) is achieved.

In a preferred embodiment the manufacturing of the core includes the steps of:

• • Cutting layers of core material to the desired shape.
  • Stacking the desired number of layers.
  • Heating the layers and subjecting them to pressure to form a fused structure.
  • Allowing the structure to cool and solidify.

Typically, the core material has a melting temperature above 180° C. whereas the melting temperature of the plastic material is below 180° c., preferably below 170° C. The core includes multiple layers which are cut to shape, stacked together, heated to a temperature between 180 deg C. and 240 deg C. and pressed to bond or fuse together, so that upon cooling the core is a single solid body.

In one embodiment, the core top and/or bottom surface is rough and/or undulated. This offers improved adhesion between the core and the plastic material.

In a preferred embodiment, the core and the players of plastic material are placed in a mould and heated together to fuse the layers of plastic material before the core is fully cooled to room temperature. Therefore, when the core is cooled to below 100° C., so that it is in a stable solid form and can be handled safety, it is placed together with the layers of the plastic material in a second mould. In this second mould the materials are heated together to about 160° C. so that the plastic material melts and fuses together to produce a monolithic structure. At this temperature, which is below the melting point of the core, the core remains solid and retains its shape.

A selection of temperatures and pressures are selected so that different degrees of adhesion between core and surrounding plastic can be achieved as may be desired. The degree of adhesion between the core and the surrounding plastic material is one of the variables can influence the board properties, and specifically board flexibility and pop-up.

The board further includes a layer with printed graphics and a protective layer at the outer surface.

One preferred method of manufacture of a board as herein described, includes preparing a core as a single body, said core including a plurality of layers which are fused together by application of heat and pressure cutting a plurality of layers of a lower structure cutting a plurality of layers of a peripheral structure to a shape to create a hollow space to accommodate the shape of the core, and placing said layers of said peripheral structure on top of the layers said lower structure, placing said core into said hollow space of the peripheral structure, cutting a plurality of layers of said upper structure, and placing said layers of said upper structure on top of the core and the layers said peripheral structure to form a sandwich assembly, placing said sandwich structure into a press mold preheating said sandwich structure to a temperature between 8° and 100° C., applying a pressure of 10 to 20 Bar onto the sandwich structure while raising the temperature to 150 to 160° C. for a period of 5 to 10 minutes, allowing the sandwich structure to cool to 60 deg C. while said sandwich structure is within the press mold, removing said sandwich structure from said press mold and allowing it to cool to room temperature.

The customization of boards can be based the following parameters:

• • a) User weight
  • b) Shock absorption
  • c) Pop-up
  • d) Strength

FIG. 19 is an example of a possible interface to capture user preferences for board customisation.

User weight is entered as an actual number in Kgs. For shock absorption, pop-up and strength which as performance parameters, the user can enter relative values. The user can also assign a priority among there three performance parameters. For example, one use may designate as first priority pop-up and second priority shock-absorption.

Based on user preferences an algorithm makes a selection of the most appropriate board for that user, among a finite number of standardised boards. For example, for production efficiency there may be five standardised boards. Based on the user selections, an algorithm determines which of the five standard boards is closest to the optimal conditions.

At the level of board structure, customisation is achieved by the core structure, the number of layers above the core and the number of layers below the core.

The present disclosure provides, in accordance with the following clauses:

A1. A board for use in skateboarding or other extreme sports, having a length measured along a longitudinal direction between a first end and a second end, a width measured along a transverse direction between a first edge and a second edge, as well as a thickness measured between a bottom and a top, and having, during manufacture, customizable performance parameters including board flexibility, board pop-up, and strength, the board including a core extending along a surface, the board including a lower structure located beneath the core, an upper structure located above the core, and a peripheral structure around the core wherein said lower structure, upper structure, and peripheral structure including plastic or plastic composite material characterized in that said lower, upper, and peripheral structure include multiple layers of plastic or plastic-composite material which during manufacture is heated to near and/or slightly above melting point and then allowed to cool, so that said multiple layers fuse and resolidify to form a monolithic structure so that said core encapsulated by a monolithic plastic or plastic composite structure and wherein the properties of the board are defined by a combination of attributes of the core, of the upper structure, lower structure, and peripheral structure and the interface between the core and the upper and/or lower surfaces wherein adjustment of said attributes provides tunable properties of the board.

A2. A board according to any preceding clause, wherein the plastic material is arranged in layers which are stacked together and then heated and pressed to fuse and melt so that a monolithic structure is produced.

A3. A board according to any preceding clause, wherein pressure of 10-20 Bar is applied within an autoclave environment.

A4. A board according to any preceding clause, wherein the plastic material includes polypropylene (PP), preferably the plastic material includes PP composite containing PP copolymer as matrix and stretched PP homopolymer as reinforcement.

A5. A board according to any preceding clause, wherein there is an equal thickness of plastic material above and below the core.

A6. A board according to any preceding clause, wherein the thickness of plastic material above and below the core is not equal, and the wherein the number of layers of plastic material above the core in relation to the number of layers of plastic material below the core are arranged in a way as to produce the desired properties of the board for flexibility, strength, and pop-up for a given board weight.

A7. A board according to any preceding clause, characterized in that said core includes of several layers of high strength composite material which are heated and pressed to form a single body.

A8. A board according to any preceding clause, characterized in that each of the layers of the core material has a thickness between 0.05 mm and 3 mm, said layers being stacked together prior to heating and fusing.

A9. A board according to any preceding clause, characterized in that said layers of said core include carbon fibre reinforced plastic.

A10. A board according to any preceding clause, characterized in that the core includes an essentially ring-shaped body having a hollow central region.

A11. A board according to any preceding clause, characterized in that the core includes multiple layers which are cut to shape, stacked together, heated to a temperature between 180° C. and 240° C. and pressed to bond or fuse together, so that upon cooling the core is a single solid body.

A12. A board according to any preceding clause, characterized in that the core includes a top and or bottom surface of rough and/or undulated surface.

A13. A board according to any preceding clause, characterized in that the core includes a plurality of slots or cuts at the upper or lower surface of the core.

A14. A board according to any preceding clause, characterized in that the core includes a non-uniform cross-sectional area.

A15. A board according to any preceding clause, wherein the lower structure further includes a layer with printed graphics and a protective layer at the outer surface.

A16. A board according to any preceding clause, wherein the core includes several discrete reinforcing strips within a matrix of plastic material.

A17. A board according to any preceding clause, wherein the plastic matrix surrounding the core, at the same level as the core, includes pockets of lightweight material.

A18. A board according to any preceding clause, wherein said pockets of lightweight material include balsa wood.

A19. A board according to any preceding clause, having a method of manufacture of including preparing a core as a single body, said core including a plurality of layers which are fused together by application of heat and pressure cutting a plurality of layers of a lower structure cutting a plurality of layers of a peripheral structure to a shape to create a hollow space to accommodate the shape of the core, and placing said layers of said peripheral structure on top of the layers said lower structure, placing said core into said hollow space of the peripheral structure, cutting a plurality of layers of said upper structure, and placing said layers of said upper structure on top of the core and the layers said peripheral structure to form a sandwich assembly, placing said sandwich structure into a press mold preheating said sandwich structure to a temperature between 8° and 100° C., applying a pressure of 10 to 20 Bar onto the sandwich structure while raising the temperature to 150 to 160° C. for a period of 5 to 10 minutes, allowing the sandwich structure to cool to 60 deg C. while said sandwich structure is within the press mold, removing said sandwich structure from said press mold and allowing it to cool to room temperature.

A20. A board according to any preceding clause, wherein said board is customized by allowing a user to enter at an interface his weight and performance parameters including pop-up, shock-absorption, and strength, and define priorities among the properties of at least pop-up, shock-absorption, and strength, characterized in that based on user entries an algorithm makes a selection of the most appropriate board for that user among a finite number of standardized boards and wherein said customization is achieved by appropriate selection of the core structure, the number of layers above the core and the number of layers below the core.

A21. A board for use in skateboarding or other extreme sports, having a length measured along a longitudinal direction between a first end and a second end, a width measured along a transverse direction between a first edge and a second edge, as well as a thickness measured between a bottom and a top, said board includes a core extending along a surface, the board including a lower structure located beneath the core, an upper structure located above the core, and a peripheral structure around the core wherein said lower structure, upper structure, and peripheral structure including plastic or plastic composite material characterized in that said lower, upper, and peripheral structure include multiple layers of plastic or plastic-composite material which during manufacture is heated to near and/or slightly above melting point and then allowed to cool, so that said multiple layers fuse and resolidify to form a monolithic structure so that said core encapsulated by a monolithic plastic or plastic composite matrix structure and wherein the properties of the board are defined by a combination of attributes of the core, of the upper matrix structure, lower matrix structure, and peripheral matrix structure characterized in that said upper matrix structure and/or said lower matrix structure and/or said peripheral structure include(s) pockets of lightweight material, said lightweight material having a density less than 400 Kg/m3.

A22. A board according to any preceding clause, further characterized in that said core includes several discrete reinforcing strips within a matrix of plastic material.

A23. A board for use in skateboarding or other extreme sports, having a length measured along a longitudinal direction between a first end and a second end, a width measured along a transverse direction between a first edge and a second edge, as well as a thickness measured between a bottom and a top, including of plastic material and characterized in that the plastic material is arranged in layers which are stacked together and then heated and pressed to fuse and melt so that a monolithic structure is produced and wherein the plastic material includes polypropylene (PP) composite containing PP copolymer as matrix and stretched PP homopolymer as reinforcement.

A24. A board according to any preceding clause, wherein said board is customized by the number of layers that are stacked together and then fused to form a monolithic structure.

A25. A board according to any preceding clause, wherein said board is customized by allowing a user to enter at an interface his weight and performance parameters including pop-up, shock-absorption, and strength, and define priorities among the properties of at least pop-up, shock-absorption, and strength, characterized in that based on user entries an algorithm makes a selection of the most appropriate board for that user among a finite number of standardized boards and wherein said customization is achieved by appropriate selection of the number of layers.

A26. A board according to any preceding clause, wherein within the layers of plastic material are inserted pockets of lightweight material, said lightweight material including balsa wood.

A27. A board for use in skateboarding or other extreme sports, having a length measured along a longitudinal direction between a first end and a second end, a width measured along a transverse direction between a first edge and a second edge, as well as a thickness measured between a bottom and a top, the board including a core extending along a surface, the board including a lower structure located beneath the core, an upper structure located above the core, and a peripheral structure around the core wherein said lower structure, upper structure, and peripheral structure including plastic or plastic composite material characterized in that said lower, upper, and peripheral structure include multiple layers of plastic or plastic-composite material which during manufacture is heated to near and/or slightly above melting point and then allowed to cool, so that said multiple layers fuse and resolidify to form a monolithic structure so that said core is encapsulated by a monolithic plastic or plastic composite structure and wherein the properties of the board are defined by a combination of attributes of the core, of the upper structure, lower structure, and peripheral structure, characterized in that the plastic material includes polypropylene (PP), preferably the plastic material includes PP composite containing PP copolymer as matrix and stretched PP homopolymer as reinforcement.

A28. A board according to any preceding clause characterised in that there is variable rigidity along the longitudinal direction of the board between the first end and the second end, wherein said variable rigidity is achieved through variation of the reinforcing layers or structure.

Claims

1-25. (canceled)

26. A method of manufacturing a board for use in skateboarding or other extreme sports, wherein the board comprises: upper and lower surfaces extending along a length between first and second ends and across a width perpendicular to the length, the board having a thickness between the upper and lower surfaces; anda core, a lower structure located beneath the core and forming the lower surface, an upper structure located above the core and forming the upper surface and a peripheral structure around the core and between the upper and lower structures,

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein during the arranging step the plurality of layers are stacked together as a sandwich structure with the core located within a hollow space of at least one layer of the plurality of layers for forming the peripheral structure, overlain by at least one layer of the plurality of layers for forming the upper structure and underlain by at least one layer of the plurality of layers for forming the lower structure.

28. The method according to claim 26, comprising at least one of: cutting at least one of the plurality of layers for the a lower structure;cutting at least one of the plurality of layers for the peripheral structure with a hollow space for accommodating the core; andcutting at least one of the plurality of layers for the a upper structure.

29. The method according to claim 26, wherein during the forming step: the plurality of layers are heated and pressed to fuse and melt so that the monolithic structure is produced;a pressure is applied in the range of from 10 bar to 20 bar inclusive; and/orthe pressure is applied within an autoclave environment.

30. The method according to claim 26, wherein: the upper and lower structures have the same or different thicknesses above and below the core; and/orthe thicknesses and/or number of the plurality of layers forming the upper and lower structures are selected for achieving the customizable performance parameters for a given board weight.

31. The method according to claim 26, comprising forming the core from a plurality of core layers.

32. The method according to claim 31, comprising forming the core by at least one of: cutting the plurality of core layers to shape, such as from sheets of material;stacking the plurality of layers together; andfusing the plurality of core layers to form a single core body upon cooling, optionally by heating and pressing, optionally by heating to a temperature in the range of between 180° C. and 240° C.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein in that each of the core layers has a thickness between 0.05 mm and 3 mm inclusive and wherein the core layers are stacked together prior to fusing.

34. The method according to claim 26, wherein at least one core layer comprises carbon fibre reinforced plastic and/or high strength composite material;the core comprises an essentially ring-shaped body having a hollow central region; and/ortop and/or bottom core surfaces of the core are rough, are undulated, comprise a plurality of slots or cuts in the core and/or comprise a non-uniform cross-sectional area.

35. The method according to claim 26, wherein the core comprises several discrete reinforcing strips within a matrix of plastic material.

36. The method according to claim 26, comprising: providing a user interface for receipt of inputs including a user weight, selections of the customisable performance parameters and a priority order of the selected customisable performance parameters; anddetermining the customizable performance parameters for the board based upon receipt of user inputs via the user interface.

37. The method according to claim 36 wherein the selection step is performed by a computer system comprising at least one processor implementing an algorithm, wherein, based upon on the user inputs, the algorithm makes a selection of the most appropriate board for that user amongst a finite number of standardized boards and/or selects (i) the composition of the core, (ii) the number and/or composition of the layers forming each of the upper structure, peripheral structure and/or lower structure and/or (iii) the interface.

38. A board formed according to the method of claim 26.

39. A board for use in skateboarding or other extreme sports, wherein the board comprises: upper and lower surfaces extending along a length between first and second ends and across a width perpendicular to the length, the board having a thickness between the upper and lower surfaces; anda core, a lower matrix structure located beneath the core and forming the lower surface, an upper matrix structure located above the core and forming the upper surface and a peripheral matrix structure around the core and between the upper and lower matrix structures, wherein:the lower, upper and peripheral matrix structures comprise a plurality of layers of plastic or plastic-composite material fused together as a monolithic plastic or plastic composite matrix structure and the core is encapsulated within the monolithic structure;the properties of the board are defined by a combination of attributes of the core, of the upper matrix structure, lower matrix structure, and peripheral matrix structure; andthe upper, lower and/or peripheral matrix structure comprise pockets of lightweight material, said lightweight material having a density less than 400 Kg/m3.

40. The board according to claim 39, further wherein said core comprises several discrete reinforcing strips within a matrix of plastic material.

41. The board according to claim 40 wherein there is variable rigidity along a longitudinal direction of the board between the first end and the second end, wherein said variable rigidity is achieved through variation of the reinforcing layers or structure.

42. A board for use in skateboarding or other extreme sports, wherein the board comprises: upper and lower surfaces extending along a length between first and second ends and across a width perpendicular to the length, the board body having a thickness between the upper and lower surfaces; anda plurality of layers extending between the upper and lower surfaces and fused together as a monolithic structure, wherein the plurality of layers comprise polypropylene (PP) composite containing PP copolymer as a matrix and stretched PP homopolymer as reinforcement.

43. The board according to claim 42, wherein within the at least one of the plurality of layers comprises pockets of lightweight material, said lightweight material comprising balsa wood. wherein the polypropylene (PP) composite extends throughout at least 75% of the volume of the board.

44. The board according to claim 42, further comprising a core, a lower structure located beneath the core and forming the lower surface, an upper structure located above the core and forming the upper surface and a peripheral structure around the core and between the upper and lower structures, wherein: the lower, upper and peripheral matrix structures comprise the plurality of layers fused together as a monolithic structure and the core is encapsulated within the monolithic structure; andthe lower, upper and peripheral matrix structures comprise the PP composite.

45. The board according to claim 42 wherein there is variable rigidity along a longitudinal direction of the board between the first end and the second end, wherein said variable rigidity is achieved through variation of the reinforcing layers or structure.