Sliding board, particularly a ski

Abstract

The invention relates to a sliding board, particularly a ski, and a manufacturing method, comprising a sliding surface (4), an upper shell (2), a core (3), optionally steel edges (10), an upper web (12) and a lower web (11), and comprising at least one interface element (10), which is joined by means of anchoring elements (7) to the sliding board body and which is provided for mounting at least one binding element on the top surface of the sliding board. The anchoring elements (7) are hook-like elements, which are placed inside openings (5) in the upper shell (2) and, optionally, in additional sliding board parts extending above the core (3), which engage under the upper shell (2) and the optional additional sliding board parts, and which are secured in the sliding board by foam material that is introduced during the production of the sliding board.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is a 35 U.S.C. §371 national phase conversion of PCT/EP2004/001655 filed Feb. 20, 2004, which claims priority of Austrian application no. A 352/2003 filed Mar. 7, 2003, which are incorporated herein in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a sliding board, in particular a ski, with a running surface, an upper shell, and a core, optionally with steel edges, an upper web and a lower web, and with at least one interface element, connected to the sliding board body by means of anchoring elements, for arranging at least one binding element on the upper side of the sliding board.

The invention also realates to a method for the production of a sliding board, in particular a ski, with a running surface, a core, an upper shell, and at least one interface element, optionally with steel edges, an upper web and a lower web, which are built up in layers and interconnected in a mold under pressure and heat.

2. Related Art

A sliding board with a profiled rail system, consisting of at least one rail extending in the longitudinal direction of the sliding board, the rail being connected to the sliding board body by a dowel connection or anchoring via at least one formed-on dowel or dowel portion, is known from EP-A-1 161 972. The fastening of the profiled rails is effected on the finished sliding board and consequently merely replaces the otherwise usual screw fastenings. In order to provide a sliding board with a premounted profiled rail system, it is therefore necessary to carry out fastening and mounting operations on the finished sliding board.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a sliding board which does not have this disadvantage.

According to aspects of the product and method inventions, hook-like anchoring elements which are inserted into openings in the upper shell and optionally in additional sliding board components extending above the core, engage under the upper shell and the optional additional sliding board components, and are secured in the sliding board by foamed material introduced during sliding board manufacture.

The interface element, which constitutes the connection for the binding parts to be arranged on the sliding board, is therefore integrated during manufacture of the sliding board, so that the usual fastening operations, such as screwing-on, may be dispensed with. The manufacture of such a sliding board is very simple, economical and reliable and the procedure for arranging bindings—ski bindings, ski binding parts or snowboard bindings—is rationalized considerably.

The handling of the sliding board during manufacture, after assembly but before being presed together, is further simplified by virtue of the fact that the anchoring elements are inserted so as to make a positive connection.

According to another feature of the invention, the foamed material secures the anchoring elements against loosening from the positive connection. Only a small amount of foamed material therefore needs to be introduced. The foamed material is preferably introduced in the course of the operation in which the sliding board is pressed in the mold, so that the manufacture of the sliding board may be carried out in an efficient way.

According to another aspect of the invention, the holes in the upper shell and in the optional additional sliding board components may comprise a first hole part of larger diameter and a second hole part of smaller diameter, and the anchoring elements may have a foot part and a neck part, the neck parts being adapted to fit tightly into the smaller hole parts and the foot parts all being oriented in the same direction. A positive fit of the anchoring elements is thus ensured in a constructionally simple and advantageous way, as the anchoring elements merely have to be inserted into the larger hole parts and then displaced into the smaller hole parts. These features facilitate positioning and holding of the anchoring elements during the construction of the sliding board before it undergoes the molding and pressing operation.

The foamed material preferably fills at least one opening in an additional sliding board component which is arranged below the sliding board components provided with the holes. By virtue of this, the anchoring elements are to a great extent embedded in the foamed material and a durable connection of the anchoring elements to the sliding board body is ensured. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, this opening is provided at least in the upper web of the sliding board.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features, advantages and details of the invention are now described in greater detail with reference to the drawings, which represent an illustrative embodiment and in which:

FIG. 1 shows a top view of the upper shell of a ski made according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a side view of an interface element on the ski;

FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal section through the ski, taken along line III-III in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 4 shows a cross section through the ski taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

The ski 1 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 has an upper shell 2, a core 3, a running surface 4, steel edges 10 and a lower web 11 extending between these. An upper web 12 is located between the upper shell 2 and the core 3. The upper shell 2 forms the top surface and the longitudinal sides of the ski 1. In the embodiment illustrated, the core 3 is a flexible core, which can be made of wood, of plastic, of light metal or the like. Composite constructions, honeycomb structures, other open structures, and structures with chambers are also possible. The core 3 can also be a laminated core constructed with a number of prepreg layers.

In particular, the core is enclosed by a prepreg layer 14. The prepreg layer 14 contains fabric or scrim made of fibers, for example made of glass or aramid, embedded in a plastic material, for example epoxy resin or phenolic resin. The enclosed core 3 forms what is known as the torsion box of the ski 1.

Further, the ski 1 may comprise additional layers and intermediate layers (not illustrated) made of various materials, for example rubber or metal. All the parts of the ski 1 may be prefabricated and premolded parts.

To arrange a ski binding part or a ski binding on the upper side of the ski 1, two guide elements 6 profiled in a rail-like configuration are provided in the embodiment shown. The pair of guide elements 6 extends symmetrically in relation to the longitudinal axis of the ski 1 and is connected to the latter in the following way. As FIGS. 2 and 3 show, a number of anchoring elements 7 are provided on the underside of each guide element 6, which elements are L-shaped or hook-shaped and may have a neck part 7a, which extends perpendicularly to the ski upper side and may be cylindrically shaped, and a foot part 7b attached to the neck part and extending in particular horizontally, the foot parts 7b of the anchoring elements 7 of a guide element 6 preferably pointing in the same direction.

The rail-like guide elements 6, which are steel or plastic profiles for example, are provided with profiled parts 6a, which are attached laterally, in each case pointing toward the ski edges so as to allow a base-plate or other binding part to be pushed on. Other designs for the guide elements are of course also possible.

Inserting holes 5 are provided in the upper shell 2 of the ski 1 for inserting the anchoring elements 7. Each hole 5 has a hole part 5a with a larger diameter and a hole part 5b with a smaller diameter, which give the holes 5a keyhole shape when seen in top view. A large-area opening 12a enclosing the holes 5, which is rectangular for example when seen in top view, is provided in the upper web 12. FIG. 1 shows the outer contour of this opening 12a in broken lines. It can be seen from FIG. 2 that the height (dimension a) of the foot parts 7b of the anchoring elements 7 corresponds to the thickness of the upper web 12 and the vertical dimension b of the neck parts 7a corresponds to the thickness of the upper shell 2. The diameter of the neck parts 7a of the anchoring elements 7 is adapted to the diameter of the hole parts 5b of smaller diameter. It should be mentioned at this point that additional layers can be introduced into the ski construction at least locally in the region of the upper web 12 and the upper shell 2, in order to adapt this region of the ski to the anchoring elements 7.

To anchor the anchoring elements 7 in the ski 1 constructed in layers but not as yet pressed, the guide elements 6 are inserted through the holes 5 in the upper shell 2. By displacing the guide elements 6 in the direction of the hole parts 5b of smaller diameter, the neck parts 7a enter into engagement with these hole parts 5b. By virtue of this, a positive fit of the neck parts 7a in the hole parts 5b of smaller diameter is produced. The free spaces created behind the anchoring elements 7 in the holes 5 in the region of the hole parts 5a with the larger diameter and the free space formed by the opening 12a are filled with foamed material. The foamed material 9 can be introduced via supply ducts (not shown) provided by the ski construction. The foamed material filling operation preferably takes place after the unfinished ski has been introduced into the mold, before or during the pressing operation. FIGS. 3 and 4 show the regions filled with foam 9. FIG. 4 also shows that the guide elements 6 are made in such a way that, resting on the upper shell 2, they cover the holes 5 completely.

Instead of the rail-like guide elements 6 illustrated, one-piece profiled rail elements, base-plates for any positioning and fixing devices for ski binding parts or the like, or other plates, can also be provided with the anchoring elements 7 made according to the invention, and may be anchored according to the invention.

The invention has been described with reference to a ski. The invention can of course also find application in other sliding boards, for example snowboards.

Although the present invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments thereof, many other variations and modifications and other uses will become apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the present invention is not limited by the specific disclosure herein.

Claims

1-7. (canceled)

8. A sliding board comprising a running surface, an upper shell, and a core therebetween; and

at least one interface element, connected to the sliding board by anchoring elements, for arranging at least one binding element on the upper side of the sliding board,

wherein the anchoring elements are L-shaped parts which are connected to the interface element and are disposed in keyhole-shaped openings in the upper shell and have free portions which engage under the upper shell and are secured in the sliding board by cured foamed material which fills the openings.

9. The sliding board as claimed in claim 8, wherein said sliding board further comprises additional components disposed between said upper shell and said core and said free portions of said anchoring elements further engage with said additional components.

10. The sliding board as claimed in claim 8, wherein the anchoring elements are inserted in tight engagement in said holes.

11. The sliding board as claimed in claim 10, wherein the foamed material secures the anchoring elements against loosening from said tight engagement.

12. The sliding board as claimed in claim 9, wherein the openings in the upper shell and in the additional sliding board components have a first hole part of larger diameter and a second hole part of smaller diameter, and the anchoring elements have a foot part and a neck part, the neck parts being adapted to engage tightly in the smaller hole parts and the foot parts all being oriented in the same direction relative to the corresponding neck parts.

13. The sliding board as claimed in claim 8, wherein the openings in the upper shell have a first hole part of larger diameter and a second hole part of smaller diameter, and the anchoring elements have a foot part and a neck part, the neck parts being adapted to engage tightly in the smaller hole parts and the foot parts all being oriented in the same direction relative to the corresponding neck parts.

14. The sliding board as claimed in claim 8, wherein the foamed material fills at least one opening in an additional sliding board component which is arranged below the sliding board components provided with the holes.

15. The sliding board as claimed in claim 14, wherein the opening is provided at least in the upper web.

16. A method of manufacturing a sliding board comprising a running surface, an upper shell, and a core therebetween, and at least one interface element having hook-like anchoring elements, for arranging at least one binding element on the upper side of the sliding board, comprising the steps of:

inserting said hook-like anchoring elements into openings in the upper shell,

engaging said anchoring elements under the upper shell, and

securing said anchoring elements in the sliding board by introducing foam material into said openings and curing said foam material.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the foam material is introduced into said openings while pressing said sliding board in a mold.

18. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein said sliding board has additional components below the upper shell and above the core, and further comprising the step of engaging said hook-like anchoring elements with said additional components.