Abstract
A skateboard top includes a laminate structure of a plurality of adhesive and press bonded wood veneers, with specified sections of some of the wood veneer layers removed and replaced with non-wood reinforcement layers integrated within the structure at both ends to increase durability through the prevention of wear and tear and impact related chipping and delamination. The usable life span of a typical skateboard comprising a plurality of wood veneer layers adhesively bonded into a single laminate structure is shortened by the impact chipping and following delamination of the skateboard which occurs during regular use. The disclosure discloses that by removing certain layers of wood and replacing with non-wood fiber reinforced layers comprised of a matrix of thermoset resin and multi-layer multi axial fiber reinforcements of glass or carbon or Kevlar, impact chipping is reduced and the durability and useable life span is increased.
Claims
1. A skateboard top comprising a plurality of layers of hardwood veneer layers.
2. A skateboard top of claim 1, wherein the layers have a natural wood grain orientation running either parallel or perpendicular to the major axis of the skateboard top.
3. A skateboard top of claim 1, wherein 5 of the layers have grain orientation running parallel to the major axis and 2 of the layers have grain orientation running perpendicular to the major axis of the skateboard top.
4. A skateboard top of claim 3, wherein the 2 layers with grain running perpendicular to the major axis of the skateboard top have been modified with an omni directional strength material placed at both ends of the major axis of the skateboard top.
5. A skateboard top of claim 4, wherein the omni directional strength material is comprised of a non-wood material.
6. A skateboard top of claim 4, wherein the omni directional strength material may be a stitched or woven layer of fibers saturated with an adhesive.
7. A skateboard top of claim 4, wherein the adhesive may be comprised of a thermoset epoxy.
8. A skateboard top of claim 4, wherein the adhesive may be comprised of a thermoset polyurethane.
9. A skateboard top of claim 4, wherein the omni directional strength material may be comprised of fiberglass.
10. A skateboard top of claim 4, wherein the omni directional strength material may be comprised of nylons, aramids or polyester engineering thermoplastics.
11. A skateboard top of claim 4, wherein the omni directional strength material may be comprised of a solid engineering thermoplastic sheet.
12. A Skateboard top of claim 4, wherein the omni directional strength material is equal in thickness dimension to the adjacent veneer.
13. A skateboard top of claim 11, wherein the adhesive may be comprised of a thermoset epoxy.
14. A skateboard top of claim 11, wherein the adhesive may be comprised of a thermoset polyurethane.
15. A skateboard, comprising the skateboard top of claim 1.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0041] FIG. 1: Isometric view of the skateboard top assembled with truckssteering devices, and the wheels and components required to affix the wheels to the trucks and the trucks to the bottom major surface of the skateboard top.
[0042] 1a is the upper surface of the skateboard top, where the user places his or her feed to stand and control the direction of the skateboard.
[0043] 1b: indicates with a dotted line the major axis of the skateboard top. 1c: indicates with a dotted line the minor axis of the skateboard top.
[0044] FIG. 2: is an angled isometric view of the skateboard top assembled with the trucks and wheels.
[0045] 2a: indicates the mounting nuts and bolts for affixing the trucks and wheels to the bottom major surface of the skateboard top.
[0046] FIG. 3: Isometric view of the skateboard top and it's bottom major surface 3a, with trucks (2x) 3d mounted along the major axis 3b. Minor axis of the skateboard top is noted at 3c
[0047] FIG. 4: side view of assembled skateboard top and trucks and wheels, 4a indicates the location of the formed ends of the skateboard top.
[0048] FIGS. 5-9 illustrate some but not all components of hardwood veneers which are used to make the multiple layered skateboard top.
[0049] FIG. 5: end view of the assembled skateboard top and trucks and wheels, 5a indicating the area near the end of the skateboard's major axis where impacts are common, and also the zone where the disclosure's omni directional reinforcement is located.
[0050] FIG. 6: top view of one of the hardwood veneer plies which comprise layers 1,2,4,6,7. 6a indicates the overall shape of the skateboard top veneer, and 6b indicates the natural wood grain direction running parallel to the major axis of the skateboard top.
[0051] FIG. 7: top view of one of the hardwood veneer plies which comprise layers 3 and 5. 7a indicates the overall shape of the skateboard top veneer, and 7b indicates the natural wood grain direction running parallel to the minor axis of the skateboard top. FIG. 7 is a layer which is integral to common skateboards, and is one which the disclosure modifies as shown in in FIG. 8
[0052] FIG. 8: top view of the hardwood veneer noted in FIG. 7, with ends removed at 8a (both ends). 8b indicates the overall shape of the skateboard top veneer.
[0053] FIG. 9: Top view of the hardwood veneer noted in FIG. 8, with Omni Directional Strength Material placed at both ends indicated at 9a. 9b indicates the overall shape of the skateboard top veneer.
[0054] FIG. 10: The order of layering of the veneers after application of the adhesive, but before placement into the hydraulic press. [0055] 10a is the top layer of the hardwood veneer, with natural wood grain direction running parallel to the major axis of the skateboard top [0056] 10b is the next layer of the hardwood veneer, with natural wood grain direction running parallel to the major axis of the skateboard top [0057] 10c is the next layer of the hardwood veneer, and is the modified hardwood veneer, with the omni directional material located at both ends of the major axis, and the natural wood grain of the hardwood veneer running parallel to the minor axis of the skateboard top [0058] 10d is the next layer of the hardwood veneer, with natural wood grain direction running parallel to the major axis of the skateboard top [0059] 10e is the next layer of the hardwood veneer, and is the modified hardwood veneer, with the omni directional material located at both ends of the major axis, and the natural wood grain of the hardwood veneer running parallel to the minor axis of the skateboard top [0060] 10f is the next layer of the hardwood veneer, with natural wood grain direction running parallel to the major axis of the skateboard top [0061] 10g is the bottom layer of the hardwood veneer, with natural wood grain direction running parallel to the major axis of the skateboard top
[0062] FIG. 11: This isometric view is of the orientation of veneers, which the pressed shape of the skateboard indicated by the raised ends. This view is to teach the location of the modified veneers 11c and 11e within the location of all hardwood veneer plies. [0063] 11a is the top layer of the hardwood veneer, with natural wood grain direction running parallel to the major axis of the skateboard top [0064] 11b is the next layer of the hardwood veneer, with natural wood grain direction running parallel to the major axis of the skateboard top [0065] 11c is the next layer of the hardwood veneer, and is the modified hardwood veneer, with the omni directional material located at both ends of the major axis, and the natural wood grain of the hardwood veneer running parallel to the minor axis of the skateboard top [0066] 11d is the next layer of the hardwood veneer, with natural wood grain direction running parallel to the major axis of the skateboard top [0067] 11e is the next layer of the hardwood veneer, and is the modified hardwood veneer, with the omni directional material located at both ends of the major axis, and the natural wood grain of the hardwood veneer running parallel to the minor axis of the skateboard top [0068] 11f is the next layer of the hardwood veneer, with natural wood grain direction running parallel to the major axis of the skateboard top [0069] 11g is the bottom layer of the hardwood veneer, with natural wood grain direction running parallel to the major axis of the skateboard top
[0070] FIG. 12 is an isometric view of the skateboard top with the trucks and wheels affixed. [0071] 12a and 12b indicate the area which the reinforced omni directional strength material is embedded within the shape of the skateboard top, at both of the ends of the major axis.
[0072] FIG. 13 is an enlarged isometric view of one of the ends of the skateboard top of FIG. 12, at area 12a. [0073] 13a and 13b indicate the presence of the disclosure's omni directional strength material embedded in the pressed hardwood veneer skateboard top, visible from the edge of the laminate structure 13c.
[0074] FIG. 14 is an isometric view of an example of a piece of hardwood veneer, indicating the 3 axes of grain fiber direction (14d), including radial (14a), longitudinal (14b) and tangential (14c).
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0075] In illustration of the terminology used in the preferred embodiments of the disclosure, FIG. 14 of the drawings teaches the 3 axes of fiber grain direction in wood, with the grain indicated at (14d), and the radial axis of wood at (14a), and the longitudinal axis of wood at (14b), and finally the tangential axis of wood at (14c).
[0076] Referring to the figures of the embodiment now, FIG. 3 describes the disclosure of the skateboard top as it is assembled with the trucks and wheels (3d) onto the bottom major surface of the skateboard top (3a). The trucks and wheels are shown affixed to the skateboard top in FIG. 2, by 8 machine screws and nuts mounted through drilled holes in skateboard top at (2a). It is important now to note the skateboard top axes in FIG. 1, with the major axis (1b) running between the two ends, and the minor axis (1c) running from side to side or perpendicular to the major axis (1b).
[0077] The preferred embodiment of this disclosure of a skateboard top with integral anti-chipping/anti-delamination reinforcement layers comprising non grain omni-directional strength materials has three dimensional curved surfaces pressed into the skateboard top as FIG. 4 indicates in side view. At both ends of the longitudinal axis a portion the skateboard top is bent up (4a), away from the major bottom surface of the skateboard top FIG. 3 (3a). The disclosure is located within this portion of the skateboard top, and in part is exposed to the edge of the skateboard at both ends. FIG. 5 (5a) shows and end view of the assembled skateboard and top, with the area noted at (5a) as a common impact and damage area.
[0078] The disclosure can be illustrated best by separating each individual component layers shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, comprising the laminated hardwood veneer layers in the different grain orientations. Looking to FIG. 6, this is a layer cut to the desired shape of the skateboard top (6a) and hardwood veneer wherein the natural grain direction of the wood (6b) is oriented parallel to the major axis of the skateboard top. FIG. 7 shows a layer cut to the desired shape of the skateboard top (7a) and hardwood veneer wherein the natural grain direction of the wood (7b) is oriented perpendicular to the major axis of the skateboard top.
[0079] FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 show the method of placing the disclosure of integral anti-chipping/anti-delamination reinforcement layers comprising non-grain omni-directional strength material into the layer indicated in FIG. 7. Portions of the ends of the hardwood veneer layer are removed as shown in FIG. 8 at (8a). In FIG. 9, the non-grain omni-directional strength material (9a) is inserted and affixed to the wood veneer (7b). The material is then cut to the shape of the skateboard top (9b).
[0080] Now that we have described 2 of the 7 layers comprising the disclosure of the skateboard top, FIG. 10 shows the order of the total layers of the skateboard top, using multiple layers as described in FIG. 6 and FIG. 9. The top layer hardwood veneer (10a) will have affixed to it layer (10b), then layer (10c) with it's portions of integral anti-chipping/anti-delamination reinforcement layers comprising non grain omni-directional strength material, then layer (10d), and affixed to that is layer (10e) also with it's integral anti-chipping/anti-delamination reinforcement layers comprising non grain omni-directional strength material, then affixed to that is layer (100, and affixed to that is layer (10G) which comprises the bottom major surface for the skateboard top.
[0081] The layers are affixed and bonded into a 3 dimensional shape shown in exploded side view of FIG. 11, showing the portions of the skateboard top layers which are bent upwards away from the bottom major surface of the skateboard top as indicated at (11a), (11b), (11c), (11d), (11e), (11f), (11g).
[0082] After the individual wood layers are bonded together using adhesives and press molded to shape into a single structure as shown in FIG. 12, position of the integral anti-chipping/anti-delamination reinforcement layers comprising non grain omni-directional strength material is shown at position (12a) and (12b) in hidden view as indicated by the dotted lines.
[0083] A close-up view is helpful to see the detailed layering of all the veneers, including the veneers of the disclosure which include the integral anti-chipping/anti-delamination reinforcement layers comprising non grain omni-directional strength material. FIG. 13 shows an end portion of the skateboard top bonded and laminated veneer structure. The visible layers of integral anti-chipping/anti-delamination reinforcement layers comprising non-grain omni-directional strength material are shown at (13a) and 13b.
[0084] The disclosure teaches to replace sections of the #3 and #5 wood veneer plies in said common 7 ply skateboard top with a non-grain, omni directional strength material, and in particular replacement in the portions of the 7 ply skateboard top directly adjacent to the impact areas at the ends of the major axis.
[0085] Replacement of the ends of the #3 and #5 wood layers with the omni-directional strength material is performed before the layers are laminated together. Wood layers #3 and #5 are modified to make shorter than the adjacent plies, and pieces of the omni directional strength material are set in place as the individual veneers have the adhesive applied and the stack of 7 total plies is assembled prior to placement in the hydraulic forming press.
[0086] The problem of other skateboard constructions can be solved through the use of this disclosure. The problem of failure via chipping or delamination of wood layers through impacts can be reduced or eliminated, with the substitution of the omni directional strength material where the weaker #3 and #5 wood layers are subject to compressive impact forces at the ends of the skateboard top along the major axis. Because the strength of the omni-directional strength material is greater in compression than wood veneer, substitution of omni directional strength material in place of the wood veneer increases the durability, impact strength and lifespan of the skateboard top structure.
[0087] The preferred non grain, omni directional strength material can be, but not limited to, a single layer or multitude of layers of bi axial, tri axial or quad axial fiberglass cloth or weave, which is saturated with a resin matrix acting as an adhesive between the fiberglass fibers to themselves, and between the fiberglass layer and the adjacent major surfaces of the wood veneers. Other non-grain, omni directional strength materials can be a solid engineering thermoplastic sheet, or, woven or stitched layers of fabrics using non glass fibers such as nylons, aramids or polyester blends. The thickness dimension of the omni directional strength material must be the same as the wood layer material it replaces.
