An impact absorbing ski binding interface device includes an elongated top plate having a toe end and a heel end adapted to engage a boot toe and a boot heel, respectively, and a bottom plate adapted to engage a ski, thereby securing the device between the boot and ski. A plurality of constant force spring linkages between the top plate and the bottom plate include a constant force spring linkage between the toe end and the bottom plate, and a constant force spring linkage between the heel end and the bottom plate, such that each of the constant force spring linkages have an opposed pair of deformable members for exerting a counterforce to vertical displacement forces between the top plate and the bottom plate for load mitigation.

A self-propelled, one-wheeled vehicle may include a suspension system configured to dampen up and down motion of a board relative to the axle of a central wheel assembly when the vehicle encounters obstacles and bumps on a riding surface. Illustrative suspension systems include a shock absorber, a rocker, a pushrod, bell cranks, and/or a swingarm that couple the axle to the board. The suspension system may be disposed completely below a foot deck of the vehicle.

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.

A resilient platform assembly has a playing deck with horizontally disposed deck panels. Each deck panel has a pair of foot flanges on the bottom of the deck panels. Receiving shoes are attached to the deck panels and configured to receive the foot flanges of the deck panels. A transverse member, perpendicular to the horizontally disposed deck panels, includes a plurality of notches. Each notch is cut in the transverse member in a predetermined spacing pattern. The receiving shoes are installed in the notches and the deck panels are attached to the transverse member through the receiving shoes. Resilient mounts connect the transverse member to a support assembly and allow relative motion between the transverse member and the support assembly. The resilient mounts include a first spring capture assembly attached to the support assembly, a second spring capture assembly attached to the transverse members, and a plurality of springs disposed between the first spring capture assembly and the second spring capture assembly.

A skateboard truck that includes an inertia drive attached to a wheel. The inertia drive causes an inertial mass (i.e. flywheel) to turn at a higher speed then the wheel. During “pumping” of the skateboard the wheels accelerate and an inertia drive helps propel the skateboard given its inertia combined with the wheel inertia. The inertia drive may be configured to maintain skateboard stability at high speeds.

An electric weight sensing skateboard using one or more strain gauge systems to detect rider-induced strain on one or both trucks, an inertial sensor to detect accelerations and balance position, and wheel speed sensors. Throttle is controlled by rider position, for example, lean forward to increase speed, lean back to slow down. Several drive methods include a driver position detection velocity setpoint control, torque setpoint control, and direct velocity/torque control. A throttle remote is note required. Rider weight activates the motors.

A self-propelled, one-wheeled vehicle may include a suspension system configured to dampen up and down motion of a board relative to the axle of a central wheel assembly when the vehicle encounters obstacles and bumps on a riding surface. Illustrative suspension systems include a shock absorber, a rocker, a pushrod, bell cranks, and/or a swingarm that couple the axle to the board. The suspension system may be disposed completely below a foot deck of the vehicle.

The present invention relates to sports equipment, namely, to roller skates design enabling an athlete to achieve high speed of movement with better comfort and improved motion control, in particular, in case of movement on a lower quality road surfaces. Roller skates consist of two skates—right and left ones, each comprising a spatial rectangular frame with its upper surface adapted to be attached to a frame of the corresponding shoe, either left or right one, and its lower side having two pairs of rollers pivotally attached thereto such that the rollers may rotate being in contact with the roadway and the rollers' axes are parallel to the frame plane, and according to the invention each pair of front and rear rollers of each skate is pivotally attached to the corresponding Z-shaped wheel arm, either front or rear one, which has its central section pivotally attached to the corresponding smaller side of the spatial rectangular frame, and the distance between the axes of the inner rollers of a skate is greater than the distance between the axes of the external rollers. The present invention is aimed to provide such roller skates, which would be more reliable and safe due to increased stability of the skates during movement, also in case of lower quality road surface and during cornering. This objective is achieved by way of creating conditions for uniform distribution of the load arising from the weight of the athlete during movement among all four rollers of each skate, even when moving on a lower quality road surface.

A system for securing a snowboard binding to a snowboard may be an intermediary between the snowboard binding and the snowboard. In some embodiments, the system includes an expandable snowshoe attachment device. The system for securing a snowboard binding to a snowboard may include an upper piece and one or more lower pieces. The upper piece may be configured to attach to a lower surface of a baseplate of a snowboard binding. The one or more lower pieces may be rails. The rails may be fastened to a snowboard. The upper piece may include one or more extensions. The one or more extensions may deploy to increase a bottom surface area of the upper piece. Increasing the bottom surface area of the upper piece may increase the flotation of the upper piece on surfaces such as snow.

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.