The present invention relates to a snow sliding equipment such as a ski, monoski, snow board, or the like. It concerns more particularly an improvement relative to a sliding board comprising a support base and a complementary element intended for receiving the retention binding of the user's boot.
Over the past few years, the practice of sliding as a sports activity has become more and more adapted and developed with the practitioners of said sport making every increasing demands with respect to product quality. This is the case, for example, with respect to the sport of sliding on snow.
Numerous models of snow sliding boards are already known, and specifically ski models which comprise a beam of elongated shape, whose front extremity is raised to form the spatula, while the lower surface comprises a sliding sole bordered by metal edges.
In spite of efforts developed by the equipment builders to satisfy their clientele, to this day, there does not exist a ski which fully combines user comfort and satisfactory performance on the ski slopes, regardless of type of terrain, and regardless of type of user. Certain tentative endeavors have been made, such as for example the constructions disclosed in French Patents 2 670 392 and 2 675 391. However in order to satisfy the diversity imposed by the market, each equipment builder proposes a sizeable number of models, each of which presents its own characteristics. This requires the manufacturer to handle a significant number of models, which reduces production series and adds significantly to the fabrication costs. Applicant, with its ski disclosed by French Patent No. 2 726 193 has already proposed a ski construction according to which a body is provided on which a foot plate is fixed, and different foot plates can correspond to one body. However, in spite of enormous progress afforded by said constructions, there exists the realization that improvements are still possible.
The present invention proposes multi-use skis, formed by a support base and a complementary element, the combined shapes of which give the whole ski its required characteristics, as well as comfort in handling the ski. In addition, the structure of the ski according to the invention permits limiting the number of stiffnesses for the same model.
Thus, the sliding board according to the invention is of the type which comprises a principal part, which is called body or support base, on the upper surface of which is fixed, at least in the zone of the sole-plate, a complementary longitudinal element intended to receive the retention binding or bindings of the boot of the user, said support base having the shape of an elongated beam comprising a sliding sole, whose front extremity is raised in order to form a spatula, and is characterized in that the complementary longitudinal element is in the shape of an elongated plate, whose width, measured between its lateral edges is smaller than the width of the support base and at least one of its lateral edges comprises a hollow profile, in a manner so that the complementary element would include a front part connected to a rear part by a smaller size zone and in that the lateral retention of the complementary element is realized, at least in part, by embedment of the complementary element within a housing realized in the support base, which comprises at least one lateral retention edge comprising an internal lateral projection intended to cooperate with the hollow profile of the complementary element.
According to an additional characteristic, the length of the complementary element ranges between 30% and 60% of the length of the support base.
According to another characteristic, the housing realized in the support base is a built-in housing, limited laterally by two lateral retention edges, projecting laterally relative to the surface of the bottom of the housing and whose central zone includes for each of the edges an internal lateral projection extending towards the median plane.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the smaller size zone of the complementary element is approximately located in the central zone of the complementary element and each of the lateral edges comprises a hollow profile; thus, the left lateral edge comprises a left hollow profile, while the right lateral edge comprises a right hollow profile.
It should be added, according to said preferred embodiment, that the hollow profiles have a round profile, while the corresponding projections have a complementary round shape so that each of the projections form one retention projection, making sure of lateral and longitudinal retention of the complementary element relative to the support base.
According to an alternate embodiment, the complementary element is formed by two adjacent individual and independent complementary elements, each of the individual elements comprising its own hollow profile on its external lateral edge, which is supported laterally on the corresponding edge of the support base, while the internal lateral projections of the edge cooperate with the corresponding hollow profile.
It should be noted that a set of several different complementary elements can correspond to a given support base, said elements can either be of different lengths, different thickness, or have different mechanical characteristics intended to confer to the ski formed by the support base and its complementary element, different performance characteristics.
It should also be added that several complementary elements of different lengths and different shapes can correspond to a given support base, notably at the level of their front and rear extremities.
According to another alternate embodiment, several complementary elements correspond to a given support base, with at least one of said complementary elements including at least one disengagement from the extremity in the front and/or in the rear and in that the housing and notably its bottom surface is designed to cooperate with one or the other of the complementary elements, whose front and/or rear extremity comprise at least one zone in stepped-up form in such manner so as to correspond to the disengagement of the extremity or extremities of the complementary element.
According to another alternate embodiment, the complementary element is formed by two adjacent individual complementary elements, while it may be provided that these latter may be separated by a longitudinal space, which includes an intermediate element having shock-absorbing properties. Said element is, for example, of elastically deformable material such as of caoutchouc, of rubbery elastomer, of visco-elastic cacutchouc or of any equivalent material.
According to other variations, an intermediate element is provided which possesses shock-absorbing properties, and which is located between the complementary element and the lateral retention edge or edges.
Still further advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments.
Other characteristics and benefits of the invention are apparent from the description below in comparison with the attached drawings, which are provided by way of example only, and are not limited to same.
a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6e are transverse sectional views of the support base only, according to sections A—A, B—B, C—C, D—D, E—E of
a, 7b, 7c, 7d, 7e are sectional views according to A—A, B—B, C—C, D—D, E—E, in larger scale of the ski, i.e. of the support base equipped with its complementary element.
a, 19b, 19c indicate in bird's eye view, three different skis, formed by an identical support base but equipped with either one of the complementary elements of the preceding Figure.
a, 23b, 23c, 23d, 23e, and 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d, 24e are views similar to
The ski bearing general reference 1 is a group of elongated shapes having a median longitudinal vertical plane P of general symmetry whose front is raised in order to form the spatula 8.
The ski 1 is formed by a principal part which we are going to call body or support base 2 on the upper surface of which is fixed, at least in a foot-plate zone 4, a complementary element 3 intended to receive the retention binding of the boot of the user.
The support base 2 is the element which is in contact with the snow and has the shape of an elongated beam, presenting on its lower surface a sliding sole 6 bordered laterally by lateral edges 7a, 7b made of metal.
The support base 2 is an elongated beam whose front extremity is raised in order to form a spatula 8 of the ski. Said support base 2 has its own thickness, slope line, width and stiffness distribution and can be on any type and any form.
Consequently, the elongated beam forming the support base 2 can be of any known design type such as for example, sandwich type, box type, mixed mode and formed by a group of elements and components known on their own.
With particular reference to
The width T1 of the complementary element 3, i.e., the width T1 measured between its lateral edges 9a, 9b is smaller than the width T2 of the support base 2 at the location of measurement. According to a characteristic of the invention, the complementary element 3 is designed so that at least one of its lateral edges 9a and/or 9b comprises a hollow profile 12a and/or 12b, in such fashion that said complementary element 3 includes a front portion 13 connected to a rear portion 14 by means of a smaller size or narrow 15 zone. It should be noted that the length L1 of the complementary element 3 is smaller than the length L2 of the support base 2. By way of example, one noes that the length L1 of the complementary element 3 can comprise between 30% and 60% of the length L2 of the support base 2. Consequently, the length L1 of the complementary element can, for example, have a length ranging between 50 and 100 centimeters.
According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the smaller sized zone 15 is located approximately in a central zone 16 of the complementary element 3 and each of the lateral edges 9a, 9b comprises a hollow profile 12a, 12b. Thus, the left lateral edge 9a comprises a left hollow profile 12a; whereas, the right lateral edge 9b comprises a right hollow profile 12b.
As is the case with respect to the support base 2, the complementary element 3 has its own configuration and structure. It has its own distribution in regarding to thickness, size and stiffness and can be of any construction type. Consequently, said complementary element 3 can be a single block element realized out of one single material. However, it can also be designed in any other fashion, such as for example, so that the front portion 13 is of a different material and/or conception than the rear portion 14.
The support base 2 is such that the upper surface comprises a housing or pocket 17 realized it the support base intended to assure retention, specifically lateral retention, of the complementary element 3 in said support base 2.
According to a characteristic of the invention, the lateral retention of the complementary element 3 is realized by at least one lateral internal projection 18a, 18b protruding towards the median plane P and intended to cooperate with the corresponding hollow profile 12a, 12b of the complementary element 3.
In the preferred design mode of the invention, the housing 17 realized in the support base 2 is an embedded housing, limited in lateral direction by two lateral edges for lateral retention 19a, 19b protruding relative to the bottom surface of the housing 20 and whose central zone comprises for each of the edges an internal lateral projection 18a, 18b.
Thus, the support base 2 comprises a right edge 19b including a right projection 18b and a left edge 19a including a left projection 18a.
It is understood that according to the preferred mode of the invention, the right projection 18b is prolonged toward the front by a right front edge 19′b and toward the rear by a right rear edge 19′b, while the left projection 18a is prolonged toward the front by a left edge 19′a and toward the rear by a left rear edge 19′a.
Precisely, according to the preferred mode, the hollow profiles 12a, 12b have a round profile, while the corresponding projections 18a, 18b have a complementary round shape. Thus, each of the projections forms a retention projection assuring lateral and longitudinal retention of the complementary element 3 in relation to the support base 2.
It is understood, of course, that the hollow profile or profiles 12a, 12b as well as the projecting profile or profiles 18a, 18b can have other shapes as is illustrated in
In addition, the left retention projection 18a with its left front edge 19′a and its left rear edge 19″a is symmetrical relative to plane P of the right projection 18′b with its right front edge 19′b, its rear edge 19″b. The arrangement, however, may also be different, such as for example as represented in
With reference to
Consequently, several complementary elements of different lengths can correspond to a given support base 2 and, for example, three complementary elements 3′a, 3′b, 3′c with different lengths L1, L2, L3 as is illustrated in FIG. 13. Likewise, to one given support base 2 can correspond several complementary elements 3″a, 3″b, 3″c with different thickness e1, e2, e3 as is illustrated in FIG. 14. It should also be noted that several complementary elements 3′″a, 3′″b, 3′″c with different mechanical characteristics can correspond to a given support base 2, as is illustrated in
Fixation of the complementary element 3 on the support base 2 takes place, of course, by embedment in the corresponding housing 17, but also be connection of its lower surface 21 with a bottom surface 20 of housing 17, said connection might be realized, for example, by means of glue, or welding. Said connection can be done on the entire surface of the complementary element 3 or only on a portion of the surface, such as for example, in the zones of the front portion 13 and the rear portion 14.
Needless to say, it can also be provided that the connection of the complementary element 3 on the support base 2 is realized mechanically, such as, for example, by embedding the projection 22 in the corresponding holes 23, as illustrated in FIG. 16.
One notes that the thickness 2 of the complementary element 3 can be constant, as shown in
In addition, the lower surface 21 of the complementary element 3 can be level, as is illustrated in
One has already noted previously that a set of several complementary elements can correspond to a given support base.
According to the preferred mode of the invention illustrated an
According to the variation illustrated in
According to the design variation of
According to the design mode illustrated in
Thus, according to the design mode represented in
The lateral element or elements having shockabsorbing properties 311a, 311b-311′a, 311′b of design modes according to
It should be added that the external flanks of the lateral edges 19a, 19b are of beneficial round shape.
It is understood, of course, that the invention is not limited to the embodiment modes described and represented by way of example, but includes also all equivalent techniques as well as combinations of same.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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01 15287 | Nov 2001 | FR | national |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20030146599 A1 | Aug 2003 | US |