IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0605696
(2009-10-26)
|
등록번호 |
US-8794658
(2014-08-05)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
5 인용 특허 :
63 |
초록
▼
Suspension systems are provided for skis. In some implementations, the suspension system includes a spring-like element and a support structure configured to attach one end of the spring-like element to the central half of the longitudinal running length of a ski body. The spring-like element is con
Suspension systems are provided for skis. In some implementations, the suspension system includes a spring-like element and a support structure configured to attach one end of the spring-like element to the central half of the longitudinal running length of a ski body. The spring-like element is configured so that the opposite end of the spring-like element contacts the ski body at a contact point on the front-most or rear-most fifth of the longitudinal running length of the ski body, and applies a downward force at the contact point such that the degree of free camber of the ski is increased relative to the natural free camber of the ski body without the suspension system attached.
대표청구항
▼
1. A suspension system for a ski, the suspension system comprising: a compressible element having a first free end and a second free end that is opposite of the first free end, wherein the first free end and the second free end are separated by a first distance when the compressible element is in an
1. A suspension system for a ski, the suspension system comprising: a compressible element having a first free end and a second free end that is opposite of the first free end, wherein the first free end and the second free end are separated by a first distance when the compressible element is in an uncompressed state; anda support structure having an elevated platform configured to be attached to a boot binding, the support structure being attached to the first free end of the compressible element at a point spaced above and out of contact with an upper surface of a ski body, the support structure being configured for attachment to a central half of a longitudinal running length of the ski body;the second free end of the compressible element being configured for attachment to the ski body at an attachment point on a front-most or rear-most fifth of the longitudinal running length of the ski body,wherein attaching the suspension system to the ski body causes the compressible element to be preloaded in a compressed state wherein (i) the first free end and the second free end are separated by a second distance that is less than the first distance and (ii) the compressible element applies a first downward force at said attachment point such that a degree of free camber of the ski body is increased relative to a natural free camber of the ski body without said suspension system attached. 2. The suspension system of claim 1, wherein the compressible element is a first compressible element, further comprising a second compressible element also having first and second free ends that are opposite of each other and that are separated by a third distance when the second compressible element is in an uncompressed state, wherein the first free end of each of the compressible elements is attached to the support structure at different attachment points that are both spaced above and out of contact with the upper surface of the ski body, wherein the second free end of one of the compressible elements is configured for attachment to the ski body at an attachment point on the front-most fifth of the longitudinal running length of the ski body and the second free end of the other compressible element is configured for attachment to the ski body at an attachment point on the rear-most fifth of the longitudinal running length of the ski body, andwherein attaching the suspension system to the ski body causes the second compressible element to be preloaded in a compressed state wherein (i) the first free end and the second free end of the second compressible element are separated by a fourth distance that is less than the third distance and (ii) the second compressible element applies a second downward force at the respective attachment point on the ski body such that the degree of free camber of the ski body is increased relative to the natural free camber of said ski body without said suspension system attached. 3. The suspension system of claim 2 wherein said suspension system increases the free camber of the ski body to which it is attached by at least ¼″ relative to the natural free camber of the ski body without said suspension system attached. 4. The suspension system of claim 2 wherein at least two of the compressible elements are attached to the central half of the longitudinal running length of the ski body by a support structure that is attached to the central third of the longitudinal running length of the ski body. 5. The suspension system of claim 2 wherein the suspension system is configured to provide the ski body to which it is attached with a spring rate that diminishes as the ski body is flexed from a normal unloaded state or a predetermined state of deflection to a state of greater deflection. 6. The suspension system of claim 2 configured so that at a predetermined degree of deflection of the ski body to which it is attached, the spring rate exhibited by the ski body will be at least 25% less than a maximum spring rate exhibited by the ski body at lesser degrees of deflection. 7. The suspension system of claim 2 wherein the ski body, during the first 0.5 inch of deflection, exhibits a maximum spring rate that is at least 150% of the average spring rate exhibited during the following 0.75 inch of deflection. 8. The suspension system of claim 1 further comprising a boot binding carried by the support structure. 9. The suspension system of claim 1 wherein the support structure is releasably attachable to the ski body. 10. The suspension system of claim 1 comprising additional compressible or rigid element(s) in the support structure configured so that at a predetermined degree of deflection of the ski body to which it is attached, upon further deflection said ski body exhibits a spring rate greater than that exhibited immediately prior to said predetermined state of deflection. 11. The suspension system of claim 10 wherein said predetermined state of deflection is adjustable. 12. The suspension system of claim 11 wherein said adjustability can be applied independently to the forward longitudinal half and rearward longitudinal half of the ski body to which it is attached. 13. The suspension system of claim 11 further comprising a mechanism that changes the vertical position of said compressible or rigid elements with respect to the said support structure, thereby providing said adjustability. 14. The suspension system of claim 1 wherein the compressible element comprises one or more springs selected from the group consisting of bow springs, leaf springs, coil springs, torsion springs, torsion bars, gas springs, gas shocks, and elastomers. 15. The suspension system of claim 1, wherein the support structure is hingedly attached to the first free end of the compressible element. 16. The suspension system of claim 1, wherein the support structure is configured for attachment to the ski body such that when a skier is coupled to the boot binding substantially an entire weight of the skier of will be transferred to the central half of the longitudinal running length of the ski body. 17. A suspension system for a ski, the suspension system comprising: a first compressible element and a second compressible element, wherein each compressible element has a first free end and a second free end that is opposite of the first free end, wherein the first free ends are separated from the second free ends by natural distances when the compressible elements are uncompressed; anda support structure configured to be attached to the central half of a longitudinal running length of a ski body, the support structure being attached to one free end of each of the compressible elements at different attachment points that are both spaced above and out of contact with an upper surface of the ski body;wherein attaching the suspension system to the ski body causes a free end of the first compressible element that is not attached to the support structure to contact said ski body at a contact point on the front most fifth of the longitudinal running length of the ski body and a free end of the second compressible element that is not attached to the support structure to contact said ski body at a contact point on the rear most fifth of the longitudinal running length of the ski body, and wherein each free end that is in contact with said ski body applies a respective downward force at the respective contact points such that at a predetermined degree of deflectionthe ski body will exhibit a spring rate at least 25% less than the maximum spring rate exhibited by said ski body prior to said predetermined degree of deflection. 18. The suspension system of claim 17 configured so that in order to deflect the ski body 0.25 inch, it is necessary to apply a force of 15 pounds or greater. 19. A suspension system for a ski, the suspension system comprising: at least a first restraining element having a first free end and a second free end that is opposite of the first end, the first free end being configured for attachment to the front quarter of a longitudinal running length of a ski body; andat least one support structure configured for attachment to a central half of the longitudinal running length of the ski body, the at least one support structure being attached to the second free end of said first restraining element at a position along the central half of the longitudinal running length of said ski body at a point spaced above an upper surface of the ski body,wherein attaching the suspension system to the ski body causes the first restraining element to bend the ski body to a lesser degree of free camber than an unrestricted free camber that would be exhibited by the ski body without the suspension system attached, and wherein attaching the suspension system to the ski body applies a tensile load to the first restraining element between the first and second free ends. 20. The suspension system of claim 19 wherein, at a predetermined degree of deflection, the ski body to which the suspension system is attached will exhibit a spring rate at least 25% less than a maximum spring rate exhibited by said ski body prior to said predetermined degree of deflection. 21. The suspension system of claim 19 wherein the support structure is releasably attachable to the ski body. 22. The suspension system of claim 19 further comprising one or more compressible element(s) in the support structure configured so that at a predetermined degree of deflection of the ski body to which the suspension system is attached, further deflection causes the ski body to exhibit a spring rate greater than that exhibited immediately prior to said predetermined state of deflection. 23. The suspension system of claim 22 wherein said predetermined state of deflection is adjustable. 24. The suspension system of claim 23 wherein said adjustability can be applied independently to a forward longitudinal half and a rearward longitudinal half of the ski body. 25. The suspension system of claim 19 further comprising an adjustment device configured to allow the degree to which the free camber is restrained to be adjusted, thereby also adjusting a preloading of a tip or a tail of the ski body to which the suspension system is attached. 26. The suspension system of claim 19 further comprising a second restraining element having a first free end and a second free end that is opposite of the first end, the first free end of said second restraining element being configured for attachment to the rear quarter of the longitudinal running length of said ski body, said at least one support structure being attached to the second free end of said second restraining element at a position along the central half of the longitudinal running length of said ski body at a point spaced above the upper surface of the ski body, wherein attaching the suspension system to the ski body causes the second restraining element to bend the ski body to a lesser degree of free camber than the unrestricted free camber that would be exhibited by the ski body without the suspension system attached, and wherein attaching the suspension system to the ski body applies a tensile load to the second restraining element between the first and second free ends.
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