Glide board

Abstract

The invention relates to a glide board having at least one entropy-elastic inlay arranged at any position on the glide board between its top layer and the layers thereunder. In accordance with the invention, the region of the surface beneath which the entropy-elastic inlay is disposed in raised with respect to the remaining glide board surface.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a glide board having at least one entropy-elastic inlay arranged at any position on the glide board between its top layer and the layers thereunder. Glide boards within the meaning of the invention can, for example, be skis or snowboards.

[0002] When skiing, for example, vibrations (waves of energy) caused by bumps in the ground over which the ski glides and absorbed by the ski are transmitted to the skier via the binding. This results, among other things, in great physiological strain on the skier and in a negative effect on skiing performance. To reduce this strain, the knocks (waves of energy) running from the ski blade over the ski front to the ski center should be damped in as many different frequency ranges as possible.

[0003] It is already generally known, for example from EP 419 779 A1 to attach a plate for absorbing vibrations to the ski body, said plate being made of a top layer with bending strength and an intermediate layer of less bending strength underneath it. In addition, in a ski already described there, an absorber slide block made of an entropy-elastic layer is mounted near to the surface in the binding region in the ski body.

[0004] On the other hand, a manufacturing method for a ski is already described in DE 39 14 189 A1, in which a so-called shell ski is manufactured, which also has an entropy-elastic absorber layer in the binding region below the top layer.

[0005] It is the object of the invention to further develop a glide board such that its capability to absorb impact energy (energy waves) when skiing is improved even further.

[0006] This object is solved in accordance with the invention starting from a generic glide board by the characterizing features of claim 1. According to this, the region of the top layer beneath which the entropy-elastic inlay is disposed is raised with respect to the remaining glide board surface. An entropy-elastic layer is therefore provided here which is thick in comparison with the other layer structure and which has a corresponding elasticity.

[0007] Preferred embodiments of the invention can be seen from the dependent claims following on from the main claim.

[0008] The entropy-elastic inlay, which acts as a friction body, can accordingly be disposed between the upper ply and the top layer. Alternatively, however, the upper ply or the upper plies can be received in the regions of the entropy-elastic inlay so that the entropy-elastic inlay extends into the recessed regions of the upper ply or upper plies.

[0009] The entropy-elastic inlays can be disposed on the glide board in dependence on the desired absorption behavior of said board, with the entropy-elastic inlays extending, for example, from the middle of the glide board up to its tip or from the middle of the glide board up to its end.

[0010] Alternatively, the entropy-elastic inlays can be disposed with respect to the sides in the region between the middle and the tip of the glide board and between the middle and the end of the glide board in each case to the sides with respect to the imagined center line of the glide board. Generally, combinations of the above-mentioned arrangements are naturally also possible.

[0011] In accordance with another preferred embodiment, the entropy-elastic inlays can be disposed both in the edge region of the surface and in the region of the sides. In this case, the advantage arises that in addition to the vibration absorption, knocks, for example from another ski or to the ski upper edge from a deflectable pole, can be absorbed easily.

[0012] The at least one entropy-elastic inlay can advantageously have such a high resilience behavior that after the pressing of the glide board into a shape with a smooth surface in those regions where it is disposed, it results in a bulge of the surface layer beyond the otherwise smooth glide board surface. A glide board having a three-dimensional surface structure can thus be created on the basis of the entropy-elastic inlays.

[0013] The entropy-elastic inlays can be covered by a forced layer on one side or on both sides. Such a forced layer can consist of a thin stainless steel layer, a thin aluminum layer, a correspondingly thin polyester film, epoxy fiberglass laminates or epoxy carbon laminates. The forced layers have such thin dimensions that the three-dimensional bulges in the surface in the region of the entropy-elastic layers can arise themselves without any corresponding counter-pieces in the mould cover and thus by a corresponding arching of the entropy-elastic layer after the removal from the mould cover.

[0014] The entropy-elastic inlay can consist of natural or synthetic rubber materials. The natural rubber material can here consist of natural raw rubber interlaced with 1 to 10 weight percent of sulfur. The synthetic rubber material can consist of a co-polymer of styrene and butadiene. The entropy-plastic inlay can consist of a foam which is manufactured from a natural or synthetic rubber material.

[0015] In accordance with another advantageous aspect, the visco-elastic absorption layer can also be employed from a mixed-cell polyether urethane (PUR) such as is marketed under the trade name of “Silomerg®”.

[0016] Alternatively, the entropy-elastic inlays can consist of thermoplastic elastomers.

[0017] Further details and advantages of the invention are explained with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawing, in which

[0018] FIG. 1 shows a section through an embodiment of a ski in accordance with the invention;

[0019] FIG. 2 shows a representation in accordance with FIG. 1 of a second embodiment in accordance with the invention;

[0020] FIG. 3 shows a schematic section through a mould and a ski disposed therein during the manufacturing process;

[0021] FIG. 4 shows a section through the ski of FIG. 3 after removal from the mould;

[0022] FIG. 5 and

[0023] FIG. 6 show top views of different embodiments of the ski in accordance with the invention in which the entropy-elastic layers are disposed at different points;

[0024] FIG. 7 shows a section through another embodiment of a ski in accordance with the invention and an enlarged portion (FIG. 7a);

[0025] FIGS. 8 and 9 show schematic sectioned representations through again different embodiments of a ski in accordance with the invention (with correspondingly enlarged detail representations as FIG. 8a and FIG. 9a).

[0026] A ski 10 conventional per se is shown in section in FIG. 1. It is a so-called shell ski which covers a top layer 12 in the form of a shell. The lower side of the ski has—as usual—a glide surface 20 and steel edges 22 attached to the respective sides. A core 18 and a upper ply 14, which can also be formed with multiple layers, are disposed on the inside. Reference can also be made to, for example DE 39 14 189 A1, for the manufacture of the conventional ski in the previously described sections. The upper ply 14 in the embodiment such as is shown in FIG. 1 consists, for example, of epoxy fiberglass, laminate or prepreg, aluminum or epoxy carbon laminate or prepreg. An entropy-plastic friction body 16 is disposed between the upper ply 14 and the top layer 12 and consists in the present embodiment of foam manufactured on the basis of a synthetic rubber material, for example as a co-polymer made of styrene and butadiene. The entropy-plastic inlay is disposed centrally in the embodiment shown here and extends, as cannot be seen in more detail in FIG. 1 in the section representation here, from the ski middle to the ski tip, with the entropy-plastic layer 16 bulging outwardly. The means that the part of the top layer 12, beneath which the entropy-plastic layer 16 is disposed, bulges outward so that a raised region projecting over the glide board surface is created.

[0027] The embodiment in accordance with FIG. 2 essentially corresponds to that of FIG. 1. Here, however the upper ply 14 is interrupted in the region in which the entropy-plastic layer 16 is disposed so that the entropy-elastic layer 16 extends between the ski core 18 and the top layer 12.

[0028] The special features of the manufacturing process of a ski in accordance with the invention can be explained with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 3 shows a cross-section through a ski 10 during its pressing between a top mould part 24 and a bottom mould part 26, in which an entropy-plastic inlay 16 is disposed between the top layer 12 and the core, which is not indicated individually in FIG. 3. The upper ply 14 is interrupted in the region of the entropy-elastic inlay 16.

[0029] FIG. 4 shows the ski manufactured by means of the molding procedure in accordance with FIG. 3 after the removal from the mould 24, 26. Due to the resilience behavior of the entropy-elastic inlay, the surface layer 12 is pressed outwards in the region in which the upper ply 14 is interrupted so that a corresponding raised region, as shown here, can be achieved. A more or less high elevation can thus be achieved due to the resilience behavior of the entropy-elastic inlay. The three-dimensional design of the ski surface achieved in this way can be achieved without the mould cover of the upper part of the mould 24 having to have a three-dimensional design, as was necessary in accordance with the prior art.

[0030] FIGS. 5 and 6 show positions for entropy-elastic layers 16 on the ski 10. In FIG. 5, for example, in each case an entropy-elastic inlay is disposed at the center line of symmetry of the layer in the front part of the ski and in the rear part of the ski.

[0031] In FIG. 6, a ski 10 is again shown in which the entropy-elastic inlays 16 are attached to the sides in the region in front of and behind the binding between the top layer and the core. In this way, an absorption of edge impacts is also achieved in addition to the vibration absorption.

[0032] The entropy-elastic inlays can advantageously consist of foam materials which are manufactured from natural or synthetic rubber materials. Thermoplastic elastomers can also be employed. The weight of the ski can be substantially reduced by the use of these light materials. It was previously necessary to make use of prepregs or thermoplastic plastic inlays with correspondingly designed mould covers for the three-dimensional design of surfaces; as a result, it was comparatively more difficult to make a ski with a three-dimensionally designed surface.

[0033] A further embodiment of the ski in accordance with the invention is shown in FIG. 17, in which the upper ply 14 is drawn down at the sides over the core 18 as a shell. The entropy-plastic or visco-elastic layer 16 is disposed both in the edge region of the surface 13 and in the region of the sides 10. The advantage of this embodiment can be found in that in addition to the vibration absorption, knocks on the upper ski edge such as can occur due to an edge impact from another ski or a deflectable pole are absorbed substantially better than with a design where the entropy-elastic absorption layer is only disposed at the surface in the region of the upper edge.

[0034] Embodiments are shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 in which the absorbers are executed as a forced-layer absorption system. A one-sided forced layer is provided in the embodiment in accordance with FIG. 8. The entropy-elastic layer 16 is covered here with respect to the surface by a top forced layer 23.

[0035] The visco-elastic layer in the embodiment in accordance with FIG. 9 is covered both at the top by the top forced layer 23 and at the bottom by a lower forced layer 24.

[0036] Layers made, for example, of stainless steel in thicknesses of 0.025 mm, 0.038 mm, 0.051 mm, 0.127 mm or 0.254 mm can be used as forced layers. Layers made of aluminum can also be used which have a thickness of 0.127 mm, 0.203 mm, 0.254 mm or 0.305 mm. Polyester films with a thickness of 0.036 mm can also be used, as can epoxy fiberglass laminates or epoxy carbon laminates. It is important that the resilience force of the visco-elastic layer is sufficient, despite the forced layers, to achieve the wanted three-dimensional shaping after the ski is removed from the mould. The forced layers on the other side must be selected so thinly that the three-dimensional shaping of the surface in the region of the visco-elastic layers can also occur with forced layers without any corresponding counter-pieces in the mould cover, that is after removal from the mould.

[0037] In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the entropy-elastic absorption layers consist of mixed-cell polyether urethane (PUR). Such a cell polyether urethane is known under the trade name of “Silomer®”.

Claims

1. A glide board having at least one entropy-elastic inlay arranged at any position on the glide board between its top layer and the layers thereunder,

characterised in that

the region of the surface beneath which the entropy-elastic inlay is disposed is raised with respect to the remaining glide board surface.

2. A glide board in accordance with

claim 1, characterised in that at least one entropy-elastic inlay is disposed between the upper ply and the surface layer.

3. A glide board in accordance with

claim 1, characterised in that the upper ply or the upper plies is/are recessed in the regions of the entropy-elastic inlay and that the entropy-elastic inlay extends into the recessed regions of the upper ply or upper plies.

4. A glide board in accordance with any of

claims 1 to

3, characterised in that the entropy-elastic inlays extend, starting from the middle of the glide board, up to its tip or from the middle of the glide board up to its end.

5. A glide board in accordance with any of

claims 1 to

3, characterised in that the entropy-elastic inlays are disposed with respect to the sides in the region between the middle and the tip of the glide board and between the middle and the end of the glide board in each case to the sides with respect to the imagined centre line of the glide board.

6. A glide board in accordance with

claim 1, characterised in that the entropy-elastic inlay is disposed both in the edge region of the glide board surface and in the edge region of the sides.

7. A glide board in accordance with any of

claims 1 to

6, characterised in that at least one entropy-elastic inlay has such a high resilience behaviour that after the pressing of the glide board into a shape with a smooth surface in those regions where it is disposed, it results in a bulge of the surface layer beyond the otherwise smooth glide board surface.

8. A glide board in accordance with any of

claims 1 to

7, characterised in that the entropy-elastic inlays a recovered on one side or on both sides by a forced layer.

9. A glide board in accordance with

claim 8, characterised in that layers made of stainless steel, aluminium, polyester film, epoxy fibreglass laminates or epoxy carbon laminates are employed as forced layers.

10. A glide board in accordance with any of

claims 1 to

9, characterised in that the at least one entropy-elastic inlay consists of natural or synthetic rubber materials.

11. A glide board in accordance with

claim 10, characterised in that the natural rubber material for the manufacture of the entropy-elastic inlay consists of natural raw rubber interlaced with 1 to 10 weight percent of sulphur.

12. A glide board in accordance with

claim 10, characterised in that the synthetic rubber material serving the manufacture of the entropy-elastic inlay consists of a co-polymer made of styrene and butadiene.

13. A glide board in accordance with

claim 10, characterised in that the entropy-elastic inlay consists of foam manufactured from natural or synthetic rubber materials.

14. A glide board in accordance with

claim 10, characterised in that at least one entropy-elastic inlay consists of thermoplastic elastomers (TPE).

15. A glide board in accordance with

claim 10, characterised in that the entropy-elastic inlay consists of cell polyether urethane (PUR).