A self-propelled, one-wheeled vehicle may include a suspension system configured to provide arcuate, generally vertical motion of a board relative to an axle of a central wheel assembly when the vehicle encounters obstacles and bumps on a riding surface. Illustrative suspension systems may include a shock absorber and a swingarm that couple the wheel assembly to the board.

A skateboard truck for supporting a skateboard is disclosed. The truck includes a suspension device for allowing tilt and wheel turning and includes a return to level response to tilting. The truck includes features for allowing adjustment of the steering ratio.

An impact damping mat comprises a base layer having a base surface with a plurality of protuberances, a damping layer overlying the base layer, a load distribution layer overlying the damping layer and an upper layer overlying the load distribution layer and having a planar top surface. The materials and dimensions of the layers cooperate to provide a selected rebound characteristic and a selected sound reduction characteristic.

One-person vehicle (1) for urban transport comprising a transport deck (2) for one user of the vehicle (1), trucks (3) for the displacement of said transport deck (2), and control arms (4) for said trucks (3) which are attached to said transport deck (2) so that they can pivot with respect to said trucks (3) when the user swings the deck (2) for changing the traveling direction of the vehicle (1), and is characterized by the fact that each of said trucks (3) comprises a pivot (5) to be inserted into one of said control arms (4) and a damper assembly (19) which is interposed between the pivot (5) and the arm (4) rotating about said pivot (5), allowing said damper assembly (19) to compensate on said arm (4) the weight force that swings the deck (2) and to drive the return to the centre of said arm (4) when said force yields.

The invention relates to a sports item (1), comprising a carrier (3) for a coupling device (25) for accommodating a user and including at least one distributing device (2) for the loads and/or forces to be transmitted to the sports item (1), which at least one distributing device (2) connects the carrier (3) to the sports item (1) via a joint arrangement, the latter having at least one pivoting arm (4, 5; 6, 7), which is pivotably connected, in each case via a joint (8, 9; 10, 11), to the sports item (1) at one arm end of the pivoting arm and to the carrier (3) at the other arm end of the pivoting arm, wherein the carrier (3) is movable from a starting position, counter to the restoring force of at least one elastic restoring element, to a balancing position in which the carrier is brought closer to the sports item (1). The sports item (1) according to the invention is characterized in that the at least one restoring element is an elastically deformable spring element (12; 13), which is held at one end on the carrier (3) and at the other end on the sports item (1).

A shock-absorbing bushing is provided for a skateboard and includes a first layer and a second layer. The first layer has first value of hardness. The first layer is provided with a through hole. The second layer has a second value of hardness. The second layer is coupled to an outside surface of the first layer. The first layer and the second layer are formed of plastic materials coupled together as a unitary body and exhibiting at least two different values of hardness, such as being flexible in the interior and stiff in the exterior, or being stiff in the exterior and flexible in the interior. The skateboard shock-absorbing bushing is mountable to the skateboard by for example being coupled to an axle of a retainer seat to which a roller support frame is mounted.

A movable dasher board system optimizes user safety in a hockey rink or similar arena. A bottom structure, provided by a sliding bottom surface or roller assembly, has low friction characteristics, typically a .sub.s of 0.05 or less with respect to ice if a sliding surface, or if roller bearings an effective coefficient of rolling friction 0.04 or less. A dasher board assembly is operatively connected to and extends upwardly from the bottom structure. Biasing and impact force absorbing devices (such as pneumatic or hydraulic or spring-encasing telescoping tubes, or foam, gel, or compression springs) bias the bottom structure and dasher board assembly to a desired position and absorb the impact of a human hitting the dasher board assembly to minimize the possibility of injury to the human. The system may be installed in a pre-existing rink or other arena.

A movable dasher board system optimizes user safety in a hockey rink or similar arena. A bottom structure, provided by a sliding bottom surface or roller assembly, has low friction characteristics, typically a .sub.s of 0.05 or less with respect to ice if a sliding surface, or if roller bearings an effective coefficient of rolling friction 0.04 or less. A dasher board assembly is operatively connected to and extends upwardly from the bottom structure. Biasing and impact force absorbing devices (such as pneumatic or hydraulic or spring-encasing telescoping tubes, or foam, gel, or compression springs) bias the bottom structure and dasher board assembly to a desired position and absorb the impact of a human hitting the dasher board assembly to minimize the possibility of injury to the human. The system may be installed in a pre-existing rink or other arena.

The present invention discloses a flat ground cross-country type roller skate comprising a skate body (1), wherein a wheel assembly at a lower part of the skate body, wherein the wheel assembly comprises a mourning seat (6) used to mount the skate body (1) and a hoisting mechanism disposed on the mounting seat (6). There are at least three wheel assemblies disposed on the hoisting mechanism, and each wheel assembly can hoist independently under the action of the hoisting mechanism. Thus, the wheel assemblies of the roller skate can be hoisted independently so as to adapt to various roads with uneven surface.

The present invention provides a bidirectional energy-transfer system comprising: a thermally and/or electrically conductive concrete, disposed in a structural object; a location of energy supply or demand that is physically isolated from, but in thermodynamic and/or electromagnetic communication with, the thermally and/or electrically conductive concrete; and a means of transferring energy between the structural object and the location of energy supply or demand. The system can be a single node in a neural network. The thermally and/or electrically conductive concrete includes a conductive, shock-absorbing material, such as graphite. Preferred compositions are disclosed for the thermally and/or electrically conductive concrete. The bidirectional energy-transfer system may be present in a solar-energy collection system, a grade beam, an indoor radiant flooring system, a structural wall or ceiling, a bridge, a roadway, a driveway, a parking lot, a commercial aviation runway, a military runway, a grain silo, or pavers, for example.