Background- Field of Invention

This invention relates to shock absorbing devices for snowboards, specifically to such devices which mitigate uneven terrain while enhancing the performance of the snowboard

Background-Description of Prior Art

Snowboarding has evolved from a fledgling sport in the 70's to a huge recreational and commer¬ cial enterprise in the 90's There have been many recent advances in board and binding technol¬ ogy, but only one which specifically addresses the issue of shock absorpuon This is simply a high-density foam pad which is mounted under the boarder's boot. Because this concept has been used in many other similar applications, it isn't patented Quite frankly, it isn ^' t effective ei¬ ther.

Although snowboarding is similar to snow skiing in many ways, there are some salient differenc¬ es. Most notably, the boarder's legs are fixed in a transverse position on a single board, which precludes any independent movement of the legs. The boarder executes turns by angling the knees in concert with rotauon and angling ol the torso. As such, one can turn as quickly as on skus, and, surprisingly, go just about as fast. Although the feel of charging down a slope is somewhat akin to surfing a large wave, one does not have the convenience of simply falling off the board should a fall be in the making Instead, the attached board can become a veritable tor¬ sion bar on the body, which has resulted in a spate of injuries unique to snowboarders.

One of the pπmary causes of falls and snowboard-specific injuries is bumps, and how the board¬ er negotiates them. Unlike in skiing, where the legs are independent, the boarder's legs are in a fixed position, which reduces their avaιlable"'travel," or ability to absorb the shock of a bump Teaπng of the collateral ligaments in the knee can result from pitching forward due to this decreased absoφtive capacity A prime example of the need for additional shock absoφtion is apparent when snowboarding in tresh snow over a hard sub-layer In this situation, the whole body is constantly receiving unpredictable jolts Thus, in the interest of preventing injunes, and adding a new dynamic to the "feel" of the board, I submit the following designs.

Since similar designs as those descπbed for snowboards may be used for skus and in-line skates, I have also covered these possibilities in this applicaUon. However, in the interest of simplicity, unless otherwise specified, all designs will be referred to as snowboard suspension systems

Objects and Advantages

Accordingly, several objects and advantages of the present invention are: a) to provide a simple means for absorbing shocks from bumpy terrain, while allowing for optimal edge control. b) to create an entirely new dynamic for the snowboarder - a more lively "'feel," and enhanced turning capability. c) to provide a means for the boarder to move forward on level terrain without undoing the bindings, by "bouncing" the board back and forth - similar to what skateboarders do. d) to minimize the possibility of injury from rough terrain - decrease the amount of wear and tear on the boarder's body. e) to increase the possibilities in "freestyle" boarding, due to the springier dynamic.

0 to allow for a greater range of weight distribution and fore-aft transference of weight during a turn. g) to make the sport more appealing to older people, whose bodies aren't as resilient as they once were.

Still further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing de¬ scription and drawings.

Drawing Figures

All drawings are side views.

Figure 1 shows a standard snowboard with bindings attached. The generic looking binding illus¬ trated is meant to represent both "soft" and "plate" bindings. Please bear in mind that most snowboarders mount the boot/ binding obliquely to the board, not parallel to it.

Figure 2 shows a simple spring-type snowboard suspension system with bottom stop.

Figure 3 shows a hinge-type snowboard suspension system with damper.

Figure 4 demonstrates how the various suspension systems are mounted on the board (hinge-type snowboard suspension system with baffles shown).

Figure 5 shows a cant.

Figure 6 shows a cant placed under a spring-type snowboard suspension system with bottom stop.

Figure 7 shows a compound spring-Type snowboard suspension system.

Figure 8 shows a hinged compound snowboard suspension system with dampers.

Figure 9 shows a scissor-type snowboard suspension system.

Figure 10 shows a telescoping-type snowboard suspension system.

Figure 11 shows a parallelogram-type snowboard suspension system with damper.

Figure 12 shows a cantilevered full-length snowboard suspension system with damper.

Figure 13 shows a hinge-type snowboard suspension system with damper adapted to fit a pair of in-line roller skates.

Reference Numerals In Drawings

21 baffle

22 snowboard

23 bottom stop

24 boot/binding 5 spπng hinge 6 hinge 7 mounting plate 8 damper connector 9 binding plate 0 damper 1 connection plate 2 cant 3 scissor arms 4 telescoping damper 5 slanted arms 6 skate boot 7 wheels

Description-Figs. 1 to 13

Figure 2 shows the most elemental version of the snowboard suspension system. It's simply a piece of springy material bent to form a mounting plate 27. and binding plate 29. The fulcrum is a spring hinge 25. It may be fabricated from spring steel (preferably stainless), or some form of composite with fiber reinforcement. A bottom stop 23 may be placed anywhere between the hinge and distal end of the mounting plate 27. Another version incorporates a regular hinge 26 as the fulcrum (as in figure 3), and a damper 30 may be included as a replacement for the spring hinge 25. All the figures on page 1 deal with simpie snowboard suspension systems, as opposed to the compound snowboard suspension system shown in figs. 7 and 8. In all cases, the snowboard suspension system is mounted between the board and the boot/binding.

Figure 4 demonstrates the placement of a hinge-type snowboard suspension system with dampers and baffles. Any of the other versions except for figures 12 and 13 have similar placements.

The cant pictured in figure 5 can be made out of any water and temperature-resistent high durometer (preferably over 80) material. It may be a simple angle, or a compound angle, usually between 4 and 15 degrees, depending on the preferences of the boarder. All boot/binding 24 svs¬ tems are mounted on the top of the binding plate 29.

In the hinge-type snowboard suspension system with damper pictured in figure 3, a damper con¬ nector 28 may be used to connect the binding plate 29 with the damper 30 in any fashion which maximizes vertical movement of the binding plate 29. The damper 30 can be a variety of things - air/oil shocks, rubber, elastomers, springs, air bladders - any combination or anything which is resilient and has rebound characteristics. Attachments of the boot/binding 24 to the binding plate 29, or the mounting plate 27 to the board 22 are achieved through the standard means - screws, slots, glues, or any other strong fastening systems. Current systems for attaching bindings to snowboards are adequate.

The compound spring-type snowboard suspension system pictured in figure 7 is the same material as the snowboard suspension system pictured in figure 2, but configured in an S curve, so as to provide vertical compression to the side of each angle. This increases the available travel and allows for a more level binding plate 29.

In the compound hinge-type snowboard suspension system in figure 8 the mounting plate 27 is articulated with the connection plate 31 via a hinge 26. The connection plate 31 then articulates with the binding plate 29 via another hinge 26. On one side (in this case the left), there is a damper 30 between the binding plate 29 and the connection plate 31. On the other side, there is another damper between the connection plate 31 and the mounting plate 27. These dampers are comprised of the same materials as previously described. They may also be connected to the plates (27,29.31) via damper connector 28 type pieces, such that maximum vertical travel is fa¬ cilitated. Placement of the damper 30 so that a cantilevered configuration is achieved is also possible.

In the scissor-type snowboard suspension system pictured in figure 9, the mounting plate 27 is connected to two scissor arms 33 via hinges 26. They cross each other at another hinge 26, and then connect to the binding plate 29 via two more hinges 26. Horizontal movement of both ends of the scissor arms 33 is accomplished through anything which allows the hinge free horizontal movement, while limiting lateral and vertical play. There are many possible permutations of this design too broad to cover, thus the illustration and description are simplified.

The telescoping snowboard suspension system pictured in figure 10 tncoφorates two telescoping dampers 34 between the mounting plate 27 and the binding plate 29 The attachment in both these areas is very strong, to limit any lateral play ( a must for edge control), while allowing for vertical travel. Ideally, they should be very similar to the front forks on a motorcycle - a damp¬ ing member which slides back and forth on a piston, or plunger. As long as the telescoping members are machined to close enough tolerances ( in the 008- 014 range) the damping mecha¬ nism within each telescoping damper 34. can be any of the aforementioned mateπals - coil spπngs, elastomers, air/oil combination, or simply air pressure.

In the parailelogram-type snowboard suspension system pictured in figure 11, the mounting plate 27 articulates with the slanted arms 35 via hinges 26 The hinges 26 also serve to connect the binding plate 29 with the slanted arms 35 A damper 30 may be placed between the mounting plate 27 and the slanted arms 35, or the binding plate 29 and the slanted arms 35 Anything which allow s for damping of the vertical movement of of the binding plate 29 ts fine The damp¬ ers 30 may be anv of the aforementioned mateπals

In the cantilevered full-length snowboard suspension system pictured in figure 12, both boot/bindings 24 are mounted on a single binding plate 29 This articulates with the mounting plate 27 via a broad hinge 26. A damper 30 can be placed anywhere between the hinge and the mid-section of the binding plate 29 to maximize the cantilevered effect As an alternative, the damper may also be placed towards, or beyond the end (and attached via a damper connector 28) ot the binding plate 29

With the hinge-type suspension system with damper adapted to fit in-line roller skates pictured in figure 13 there are several special design considerations As the hinge must be decreased in width (to roughly the width of the wheels, compared to the width of a snowboard), it isn't as inherently strong as with the snowboard, and must therefore be of larger diameter. Also, the binding plate 29 and mounung plate 27 must be thicker in order to counter the lateral thrust which is applied from the skater ^' s stπde A piston-type air/oil damper 30 is the best choice for shock absoφtion and rebound. The shaft of the piston allows for increased lateral control and stability More spπng and less dampening are desirable qualities of the damper 30, as it's impor¬ tant not to absorb, but enhance the lateral thrust from the skater s stπde. Top and bottom attachments of the damper 30 must be of sufficient strength to minimize lateral play duπng the stπde

Operation - Figures 1 through 13

The central concept ol the vaπous versions of the snowboard suspension system is to allow for vertical travel of the boot/binding 24. while limiting any hoπzontal movement or rotauon. This gives the boarder the advantage of having bumps dampened, while still allowing for maximum edge control. All the versions illustrated address this dynamic, with varying degrees of shock absoφtion and damping.

In each of the designs illustrated on page one, the binding plate 29 moves radially in relation to the hinge (25,26), decreasing the distance to the mounting plate 27, th".s absorbing shocks that would normally be felt by the boarder A bottom stop 23 may be incoφorated to prevent the binding plate 29 from bottoming out on the mounting plate 27 Also, a baffle system made of rubber or some other flexible mateπal may be placed between the binding plate 29 and the mounting plate 27 in order to prevent the buildup of ice or snow

The compound spπng-type snowboard suspension system pictured in figure 7 works similarly to the first two but adds another curve to allow for more travel

All the snowboard suspension systems pictured in figures 8-11 have the advantage of maximum travel coupled with relative constant fore-aft angle despite compression of the binding plate 29. Of these, the hinged compound snowboard suspension system with dampers (pictured in figure 8) is the most simple, and is thus the preferred embodiment. Any vertical forces are dampened by the angle of the connecϋon plate 31 becoming more acute from the dampers 30 compressing, thus allowing the binding plate 29 to move towards the mounting plate 27.

The scissor-type snowboard suspension system pictured in figure 9 allows for vertical travel of the binding plate 29 by increasing the acute angle on the scissor arms 33. In the telescopmg-type snowboard suspension system pictured in figure 10. the binding plate 29 moves in relation to the mounung plate 27 via telescoping dampers 34

In the parallelogram-type snowboard suspension system pictured in figure 11. there is great pos¬ sibility of vertical travel as long as the damper( s) 30 are mounted outside of the slanted arms 35. in order to provide clearance

In the cantilevered full-length snowboard suspension system pictured in figure 12, the binding plate 29 moves radially in relation to the hinge 26. decreasing the distance to the mounting piate 27 The cantilevered damper 30 allows for vertical travel This design approximates the "feel" of a standard board, due to both bindings being mounted on the binding plate 29. instead of moving independently This is neither an advantage or disadvantage, simply another choice for those who prefer it In order tor this to work optimally, the mounting piate 27 must extend to the area below where the rear bindings 24 are mounted. The mounting plate must also be of a semi-flexible mateπal, in order to allow for free flexion of the board

In each version the boot/binding 24 is always mounted on the binding plate 29. and the snowboard suspension system is secured to the snowboard 22 via the mounting plate 27. This al¬ lows for alter-market fitting ot snowboard suspension systems, m addition to fitting πght from the factory As previously mentioned, either "soft ^" or "plate" bindings may be used

Use of these snowboard suspension systems is very simple. The boarder simply attaches the boot bindings 24. and proceeds as they wouid on a standard board without snowboard suspension system . exuberant with the enhanced "feel" of the board

The suspension system for in-line roller skates pictured in figure 13 is well-suited for inclusion in production skates. However, there are some possibilities tor alter-market products. Anything which allows for a flex-free connection between the bottom of the boot 24, and the binding plate 29 is fine. One possibility is to offer a system wherein the hinge 30 and mounung plate 27 are an integral unit, and can be changed on a given skateboot by removing them at the hinge 30. and re¬ placing them with a similar assembly that offers different performance features.

Conclusion, Ramifications, and Scope of Invention

There are many possibilities for further elaborations of these basic designs In terms of mateπals usage, the most desirable combinations would be those that offer lightweight and strength. Any of the carbon fiber reinforced composites, or alloys would ft the bill Whatever mateπal is used should be resistant to temperature extremes, UV radiaUon, corrosion, chipping, breaking, or other forms of breakdown. All fittings should be stainless steel, or some other corrosion-resist- ent mateπal. The actual snowboard suspension system may be mounted with the fulcrum or hinge 26 mounted towards the front or back. This is largely dependent on fore-aft angular con¬ siderations of the boarder. A baffle 21 system may be incoφorated in order to keep snow entirely out of the area of compression A vanety ol dampers 30 may be used, ranging trom simple air bladders to sophisticated air/oil shocks and torsion bars A configuration which allows for pro¬ gressive damping by combining vaπous dampers 30 is the most desirable The "feel" of the snowboard suspension system will be determined by the relative spπnginess and travel of each configuration Every snowboard suspension system could be custom-tailored to the individual boarder by adjusting vertical travel, spπnginess, damping, sideways deflection, and placement ot the snowboard suspension system on the board These factors would be influenced by the boarder's skill weight interests (e g freestyle or racing), and preferred terrain

The hinged and hinged-compound type snowboard suspension system (as in figures 3 and 8) are the most flexible in terms of allowing for the aforementioned customized configurations Ab such, they are the prelerred embodiments. By adjusting the placement of the dampers 30 rela¬ tive to the hinges 26, first through third class levers can be incoφorated In addition, by varying the durometer of each damper 30. progressive rebound and damping can be attained Different durometer dampers 30 may be used on front and back, depending on the conditions A cantile¬ ver -style configuration is the most desirable in terms of maximizing the amount of travel in relation to compression of the damper 30 For the current use, compression-type dampers 28 would be preferred over elongation-type dampers. Any other design considerations would be dictated by cost, available mateπals and desired performance features

These types of suspension systems can also be adapted to fit downhill skus. The only real differ¬ ence is a greater emphasis on controlling fore-aft flexion which has been done with the designs pictured in figures 8-11 Not only do these systems allow for increased shock absoφtion, but, as with snowboards , they alter the "feel" of the ski in rather interesϋng ways

The hmge-type snowboard suspension system with damper adapted to fit in-line skates (as pic¬ tured in figure 13) is a significant improvement over current fixed systems insofar as it dampens shocks and significantly enhances the teel of the skates due to the rebound effect and energy re turn. Alterations may be in the form ot the other designs descπbed herein The fulcrum, or hinge 26 may be placed further back, and a damper positioned in front, as well as behind it A lock¬ out mechanism could be incoφorated which keeps the suspension system from working, should that be desirable Vanous damper 30 combinations could be offered for different weights and abilities

Accordingly, the reader will see that the vaπous designs for a snowboard suspension system cov¬ ered by this application have the following advantages over current board/binding configura- uons:

- they provide a way to quickly customize the feel of the board

- they minimize the possibility of injury from rough terrain

- they provide a means for the boarder to move forward on level terrain without undoing the bindings, by "bouncing" the board back and forth - similar to what skateboarders do

- they create an entirely new dynamic for the snowboarder - a more lively "feel," and enhanced turning capability

- they provide a simple and effective means ot absorbing shock from bumpy terrain for snow boarders, skiers, and skaters alike

- they increase the possibilities in "freestyle ^' boarding, due to the spπngier dynamic and adjustability

- they allow for a greater range of weight distπbuuon and transference of weight duπng a turn

- they make the sport more appealing to older people, whose bodies aren t as resilient as they once were

Although the descπpUon above contains many specificities, these should not be construed as lim- lϋng the scope of this invention, but as merely providing some illustrations of some of the pres¬ ently preferred embodiments of this invention The basic concept of a binding plate 29 which moves vertically in relation to a mounung plate 27 and has a means for damping or enhancing this movement is the central feature of these designs To my knowledge, there are no precedents in the pnor art which these designs emulate Thus the scope of these designs should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given