CARVING SIMULATOR FOR ALPINE SKIING

Abstract

The invention relates to sports training devices, specifically to carving simulators for alpine skiing. A simulator includes a base having arcuate guide rails, a movable platform disposed thereon with leg platforms, which are rotatably installed on bearing walls, a support post having a horizontal section and a dynamic suspension. The dynamic suspension consists of a safety belt with an elastic suspension halyard connected to a roller drive mechanism installed in a cavity of a tubular horizontal section of the support post.

Claims

1. A carving simulator for alpine skiing, comprising a base having arcuate guide rails, a movable platform disposed thereon with leg platforms which are rotatably installed on bearing walls thereof, a support post having a dynamic suspension fixed to a horizontal section of the dynamic suspension, a safety belt with a connected suspension halyard, wherein the suspension halyard is connected to a horizontal section of a support post and is movable due to a roller drive mechanism.

2. The carving simulator for alpine skiing according to claim 1, wherein the roller drive mechanism is installed inside the tubular horizontal section of the support post with the tension rollers installed in a cavity and dynamically connected with the suspension halyard.

3. The carving simulator for alpine skiing according to claim 1, wherein the arcuate guide rails are made with a rise in a central part relative to the horizontal plane and can be made with opposite bending of side parts, and wherein the central part of the rails is configured above their side parts.

4. The carving simulator for alpine skiing according to claim 1, wherein bearing walls of the movable platform and the leg platforms are inclined forward at an angle of 5-25 degrees to the vertical axis, and the axis of rotation of the leg platforms is at an angle of 5-25 degrees to the horizontal plane.

5. The carving simulator for alpine skiing according to claim 1, wherein the base is further comprises movable holders having a drive mechanism and slalom poles.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The essence of the invention is explained with the help of the following drawings:

[0018] FIG. 1A carving simulator for alpine skiing (front view);

[0019] FIG. 2A carving simulator for alpine skiing (top view);

[0020] FIG. 3A carving simulator for alpine skiing (side view);

[0021] FIG. 4A horizontal section of a dynamic suspension with a roller drive mechanism;

[0022] FIG. 5A main platform with rotating leg platforms;

[0023] FIG. 6A carving simulator for alpine skiing with slalom poles, simulating poles on the track, and their drive mechanism;

[0024] FIG. 7A front view of a carving simulator for alpine skiing with rails made with a rise in their central part and with the opposite bending of their side parts; and

[0025] FIG. 8A carving simulator for alpine skiing (general view).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] A carving simulator comprises a base 1 having rigidly fixed arcuate guide rails 2 with a movable platform 4 installed thereon with the help of roller wheels 3 with front 5 and rear 6 bearing walls, on which, in turn, the leg platforms 7 are rotatably installed with protruding element 8 to support the athlete's shins. The movable platform 4 is connected to the base 1 by an elastic cord 9, which counteracts the centrifugal force and the reaction of the movable platform 4, returning it to its central position. A support post 10 with a tubular horizontal section 11 is fixed on the base 1. Arcuate guide rails 2 have a length of about 3 meters, allowing an athlete to move to the right and left with maximum amplitude, simulating real track conditions, wherein guide rails 2 are arcuate in the horizontal plane and are made with a rise in their central part 12 relative to the horizontal plane and may be made with opposite bending of their side parts 13, providing that the central part 12 of the rails is above their side parts 13 (FIG. 7), This increases the edge angle of the skis (feet), which corresponds to the sport turns and more accurately simulates the state of an athlete's body in the active phase of the turn when he or she attacks the slalom poles installed on the slope. An additional (removable) support 14 can be fixed on the base 1 of the simulator to maintain the balance of an athlete. The simulator is equipped with the dynamic suspension which consists of a safety belt 15 with an elastic suspension halyard 16 fixed to it and connected to a roller drive mechanism which consists (FIG. 4) of four tension rollers 17 installed in a cavity of the tubular horizontal section 11 of the support post 10. When moving, a skier is actually suspended on the dynamic suspension, which simulates the counteraction to the centripetal force and gravity and does not allow the athlete to fall. Thus, the athlete, moving along the guide rails to the right and left and being suspended on the dynamic suspension, will be able to freely imitate the alpine skiing turn technique in general. According to another embodiment, the proposed simulator comprises additional equipment designed exclusively for athletes who train for slalom and giant slalom (FIG. 7) Additional equipment is installed in front of the athlete and is attached to the base 1 of the simulator using a hinge mechanism 18. The main bearing element is the movable holders 19 with the slalom poles 20 installed thereon. Movable holders 19 are mounted on the hinges of the hinge mechanism 18, providing that the distance between the hinges of the hinge mechanism can be changed. In the free position, slalom poles are tilted forward from the skier and away from the vertical plane. Movable holders 19 are connected to a lever 21 for lifting them. The lever 21 is made in the shape of a triangle and has several holes for changing the lever arm. One end of an elastic cord 22 is attached to a lever 21 and then its other end is attached to the movable platform 4 through a system of sheaves 23.

[0027] The carving simulators for alpine skiing in accordance with the claimed invention is used as follows.

[0028] First, an athlete puts on the safety belt 15 in such a way that the anchor points of the suspension halyards 16 to the belt are placed opposite the hip joints and its lower strap passes below the gluteal muscles to hold the athlete's body in a better way. The athlete stands on the leg platforms installed on the movable platform 4 and fastens the ends of the suspension halyards 16 to the safety belt 15. Then the athlete begins to swing the movable platform 4 to the right and left making pendulum movements, moving right and left on the wheels of the movable platform 4 along arched rails 2. At the same time, the suspension halyard 16 moves inside the tubular horizontal section 11 of the support post 10 along tension rollers 17 installed in its cavity. The elastic cord 9 helps the athlete return to his or her starting position and, after stretching, it pushes the skier to the center of the simulator. When performing the exercises, novice athletes can hold on to the additional support 14 to maintain their balance, whereas advanced athletes can do the exercises with or without slalom poles. Athletes can imitate various techniques of alpine skiing, for example, they can take a downhill skiing stance and practice the turns corresponding to this discipline. Additionally, for example, when the athlete is in a suspended turn stance (hanging on the elastic suspension halyard), in one turn, he or she can change the angle of attack and edging with a direct swinging both by using his or her own weight and due to external influence (with the help of a coach). Another important aspect of working with a simulator is static work. This is especially important for beginners. The elastic suspension halyard 16 is replaced with the non-elastic halyard having an adjustable length. After that, the skier is suspended in the turn and the coach or instructor can set the correct stance corresponding to the moment of the turn, i.e. physically correct the position of the legs and arms and set the correct angulation and position of the athlete's body. To practice the avalement turn or speed carving technique by a sudden flexion and extension of the knees, the design provides for the replacement of the shape of guide rails with rails having a bend in their central part 12 in the horizontal plane and a possible opposite bend in their side parts 13. When using such guide rails for the simulator, the athlete, moving along them in the middle of the arc of the simulator (which corresponds to the active phase of edging between turns), tightens his legs. To practice slalom or giant slalom, additional equipment including slalom poles 20 and their drive mechanism is installed on the carving simulator for alpine skiing. During the movement of the platform to the right or left, the elastic cord 22 is pulled and pulls the lever 21, resulting in the rise of movable holders 19 with slalom poles 20 toward the athlete, thereby simulating their attack, which corresponds to the passage of the track on a real slope. Movable holders 19 with slalom poles 20 rise toward the athlete one by one, depending on the position of the movable platform 4. The sequence of lifting movable holders 19 can be changed by changing the ends of the elastic cord 22, attached to the levers 21, from right to left. To practice the slalom technique, the right holder is used when the movable platform 4 is positioned on the right (the left holder is used when the platform is on the left), therefore, in this case, the holder 19 will rise toward the athlete's body; and on the contrary, in the case of giant slalom training, the left holder 19 is used when the movable platform 4 is positioned on the right, and, accordingly, the right holder is used when it is on the left, i.e. the holder will rise toward the athlete's shoulder and forearm, which corresponds to the technique of passing sports tracks in these disciplines.

[0029] Thus, the proposed invention allows to create a simple and easy-to-maintain carving simulator for alpine skiing, aimed at developing the muscle memory of the athlete to perform a correct modern carving turn: provides a quick response of the dynamic suspension to the movements of the athlete, ensuring the correct inclination of the lower leg forward; and also makes it possible for the athlete to practice the avalement turn technique or fast edging, slalom and giant slalom turns, and for the coachto establish the correct position of the athlete's body in one or another phase of the turn, both in dynamics and in the static suspended state. The author's experience shows that such changes in the design help both beginners and advanced skiers learn and develop the skills of a modern carving turn much faster through repeated repetition of exercises that directly affect the muscular and articular memory of the skier and develop the coordination, accuracy, and automatism of movements and, as a result, this ensures quick and error-free transition of reinforced skills into actions in real conditions.