SNOWBOARD, ASSEMBLY, AND TRAINING ACCESSORY

Abstract

A snowboard, snowboard assembly, and snowboard accessory for converting a snowboard into training snowboard. There is a board and a pivot member/strip. The pivot member/strip is elongated member protruding from the underside of the board along the main axis of the board. The pivot member/strip has a base width that is greater than a width of the flat bottom of the strip and greater than a height of the strip. The flat bottom of the strip is flanked by beveled edges along each side and at the front and back. The strip is either integral to the board or is couple thereto by a coupling structure (e.g. adhesive, binding, snaps, clips). The strip has a trapezoidal cross-section. Flanking beveled edges may have an acute angle with respect to the base and/or an obtuse angle with respect to the flat bottom surface.

Claims

1. A snowboard, comprising: a. a board having an underside and a main axis that extends along the longest length of the board; and b. a pivot member, being an elongated member protruding from the underside of the board and extending along the main axis of the board, wherein the pivot member includes: i. a length which is a longest distance between two ends of the pivot member, ii. a height which is a greatest orthogonal distance from the underside of the board to an underside of the pivot member, iii. a base at the coupling between the pivot member and the board including a base width which is a greatest distance between two opposite edges of the pivot member orthogonal to each of the length and height, wherein the base width is greater than the height, iv. a flat bottom surface having a bottom width which is a distance between opposite side-to-side edges of the flat bottom surface of the pivot member, wherein the bottom width is less than the base width; and v. a pair of flanking beveled edges coupling the flat bottom surface to the base, the flanking beveled edges having an acute angle with respect to the base and an obtuse angle with respect to the flat bottom surface.

2. The snowboard of claim 1, wherein a front and rear of the pivot member are beveled.

3. The snowboard of claim 1, wherein the pivot member extends along the longest length of the snowboard.

4. The snowboard of claim 1, wherein the pivot member has a trapezoidal cross-section.

5. The snowboard of claim 4, wherein the trapezoidal cross-section includes a pair of rounded corners.

6. The snowboard of claim 1, wherein the bottom width is greater than the height.

7. A snowboard assembly, comprising: a. a board having an underside and a main axis extending from front-to-back of the board; and b. a pivot member coupled to the underside of the board along a middle portion from side-to-side thereof and aligned with the main axis of the board, the pivot member including: i. a coupling structure coupling the pivot member to the board; and ii. a strip coupled to the coupling structure, the strip having a base and a bottom surface opposite the base, wherein the base is wider than the bottom surface and the bottom surface is flat.

8. The snowboard assembly of claim 7, wherein the bottom surface is wider than a longest distance between the base and the bottom surface.

9. The snowboard assembly of claim 7, wherein the coupling structure is selected from the group of coupling structures consisting of: an adhesive layer, screws, bolts, rivets, snaps, clips, tongue-and-groove, latches, and bindings.

10. The snowboard assembly of claim 7, wherein the coupling structure is selectably couplable and non-destructably detachable from the board.

11. The snowboard assembly of claim 7, wherein the strip has a trapezoidal cross-section.

12. The snowboard assembly of claim 7, wherein the strip does not have a uniform height from front-to-back.

13. The snowboard assembly of claim 7, wherein the strip extends less than a full length of the board.

14. The snowboard assembly of claim 7, wherein the base extends a full width of the board at least at one region thereof.

15. A snowboard accessory for converting a snowboard into a training snowboard, consisting of: a. a coupling structure that couples to an underside of a snowboard; and b. a strip coupled to the coupling structure, the strip having a base and a bottom surface opposite the base, wherein the base is wider than the bottom surface and the bottom surface is flat.

16. The snowboard accessory of claim 15, wherein the strip has a trapezoidal cross-section with rounded bottom corners.

17. The snowboard accessory of claim 15, wherein the coupling structure is an adhesive layer.

18. The snowboard accessory of claim 15, wherein the coupling structure is a binding.

19. The snowboard accessory of claim 15, wherein the strip does not have a uniform height from front-to-back.

20. The snowboard accessory of claim 15, wherein the strip is beveled both side-to-side and front-to-back.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] In order for the advantages of the invention to be readily understood, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments that are illustrated in the appended drawing(s). It is noted that the drawings of the invention are not to scale. The drawings are mere schematics representations, not intended to portray specific parameters of the invention. Understanding that these drawing(s) depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not, therefore, to be considered to be limiting its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawing(s), in which:

[0029] FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a snowboard accessory, according to one embodiments of the invention:

[0030] FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a snowboard accessory, according to one embodiments of the invention;

[0031] FIGS. 3-5 are cross-sectional views of the snowboard accessory of FIG. 2, according to one embodiment of the invention;

[0032] FIG. 6 is a bottom-perspective photograph of carve tape coupled to an underside of a snowboard, according to one embodiment of the invention;

[0033] FIGS. 7-9 show a plurality of cross-sectional views of various embodiments of snowboard assemblies, according to various embodiments of the invention;

[0034] FIGS. 10-12 show a plurality of elevational side views of various embodiment of snowboard assemblies, according to various embodiments of the invention;

[0035] FIG. 13 is a bottom-perspective view of a snowboard assembly, according to one embodiment of the invention; and

[0036] FIG. 14 is a bottom-perspective view of a snowboard assembly, according to one embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0037] For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawing(s), and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications of the inventive features illustrated herein, and any additional applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated herein, which would occur to one skilled in the relevant art and having possession of this disclosure, are to be considered within the scope of the invention.

[0038] Reference throughout this specification to an embodiment, an example or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, characteristic, or combinations thereof described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases an embodiment, an example, and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment, to different embodiments, or to one or more of the figures. Additionally, reference to the wording embodiment, example or the like, for two or more features, elements, etc. does not mean that the features are necessarily related, dissimilar, the same, etc.

[0039] Each statement of an embodiment, or example, is to be considered independent of any other statement of an embodiment despite any use of similar or identical language characterizing each embodiment. Therefore, where one embodiment is identified as another embodiment, the identified embodiment is independent of any other embodiments characterized by the language another embodiment. The features, functions, and the like described herein are considered to be able to be combined in whole or in part one with another as the claims and/or art may direct, either directly or indirectly, implicitly or explicitly.

[0040] As used herein, comprising, including, containing, is, are, characterized by, and grammatical equivalents thereof are inclusive or open-ended terms that do not exclude additional unrecited elements or method steps. Comprising is to be interpreted as including the more restrictive terms consisting of and consisting essentially of.

[0041] Snowboards come in several different styles, depending on the type of riding intended:

[0042] Freestyle: Generally shorter with moderate to soft flex. Freestyle boards are typically twin-tip in shape (mirror image along the lateral axis) to enable riding both ways. Incorporates a deep sidecut for quick/tight turning. Used in the pipe and in the park on various jumps and terrain features including boxes, rails, and urban features

[0043] Park/Jib (rails): Flexible and short to medium length, twin-tip shape with a twin flex and an outward stance to allow easy switch riding, and easy spinning, a wider stance, with the edges filed dull is used for skateboard-park like snowboard parks.

[0044] Freeride: Longer than freestyle and park boards. Moderate to stiff in flex and typically directional (versus twin-tip). Used from all-mountain to off-piste and backcountry riding, to extreme big-mountain descentsin various types of snow from groomed hard-packed snow to soft powdery snow.

[0045] Powder: Highly directional boards that typically have a rockered nose and tapered shape (wider tip than tail).

[0046] All-Mountain: Most common. A mix between freeride and freestyle boards. The jack of all trades, master of none. Commonly directional or directional twin in shape (twin-tip and centered stance but with more flex on the front)

[0047] Racing/Alpine: Long, narrow, rigid, and directional shape. Used for slalom and giant slalom races, these boards are designed to excel on groomed slopes. Most often ridden with a hard plastic snowboard boot (similar to a ski boot), but also ridden recreationally with soft boots, particularly by riders in Europe.

[0048] Splitboard: A snowboard which splits in half lengthwise, and allows the bindings to be quickly connected to hinges aligning them longitudinally on the board, allowing the halves of the boards to function as cross country skis. Used with removable skins on the base of the board, which easily slide forward on snow but not backwards, they allow a snowboard to easily travel into the backcountry. Once the rider is ready to descend, the board halves can simply be joined back together.

[0049] Dual snowboards: two boards, one at each foot. An innovation which allows one to walk on the pistes and perform new tricks.

[0050] Learning how to ride a snowboard is substantially more difficult than learning to ski. It is harder to remain upright, as you are resting on a single touch point, and it is harder to turn, as all parts of your body come into play with proper turning. The following is an example of instruction given to snowboarders in regards to making turns:

[0051] To turn on a snowboard, you need to think about the following: your head, shoulders, hips, knees and feet. Each of the steps below, contain a specific technique of movements for that exact body part mentioned.

[0052] On a snowboard, people usually forget how important the head is. Typical mistakes are looking at the board or straight down the valley. To keep orientation and avoid surprises while riding your snowboard: keep your head up, look in your riding direction, and spot and plan your next turn.

[0053] When initiating turns on your snowboard, always start with turning your head first and look in the direction you want to go. Do this even before you start turning your snowboard. The shoulders and the snowboard work closely together and follow each other when you are riding. When turning your head and shoulders, the snowboard will automatically follow your head and shoulder rotation. Essentially, your head and shoulders are the steering wheel. To improve your turns with correct movements of the shoulders, you should: turn your head and shoulders in the direction you want to ride, then, use your core muscles to turn the snowboard under you, and control the speed of your turns with the speed you turn your shoulders.

[0054] While rotating your head and shoulders in your turns, your hips will also start to turn. To test this and practice the motions: Place your hands on your hips, make some smooth turns and feel how your hips are working, You don't want your hips to go back and forth, so keep the hips over the center of the board, moving in rotational motions

[0055] When you start using your knees to turn on your snowboard, you can really start to advance your riding. Taking the motions from the head, shoulders and hips and moving them further down through the body, you can initiate your turn and get on your edge much earlier. This will help you control your speed and direction, which is especially good for riding steep slopes. The easiest way to get the knees turning is to: while riding heelside, turn your knees towards the nose of the snowboard, or when riding toeside, turn your knees towards the tail of the snowboard

[0056] The movement of the feet makes a huge impact on your riding, as the feet are directly mounted to the snowboard. Practice paddling your feet while turning on your snowboard. Think about initiating the turn with pressure on the front foot and finishing with pressure on the back foot. When you are turning toeside, start with pressure on your front foot toes, and end the turn on your backfoot toes. When you are turning heelside, start with pressure on the front foot heels and end the turn on your backfoot heels.

[0057] FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrates side elevational views of a pair of different snowboard accessories, according to two embodiments of the invention. Each figure shows a pivot member 20 (aka carve tape or tape) having beveled front and rear regions (front 21, rear 25, front bevel 26 and 34, rear bevel 28) and a thicker (height) middle region that does not have a consistent/uniform height through the length thereof (i.e. it gets progressively thicker in height from left to right in the illustrated figure (front-to-back of the carve tape) until it reaches the right end (front of the carve tape) where the front bevel 26 and 34 reduces the height sharply). Each tape includes a coupling structure 24 (an adhesive layer) and 32 (an array of fasteners (e.g. screws)) coupled to a strip 22 and 30. The coupling structure couples to an underside of a snowboard to convert that snowboard into a training snowboard.

[0058] The illustrated carve tapes are slightly thicker towards a front middle region as compared to a rear middle region, but in various embodiments they may be the same thickness or thinner/thicker than shown. While the term carve tape is used throughout, such term does not limit the structure of the carve tape to a flexible substrate. The pivot member of a particular carve tape may be rigid or flexible. It may be straight/flat and/or include curved regions. There may be regions thereof that are rigid and regions that are flexible. In one non-limiting example, a middle region is more rigid and less flexible than front and rear regions, which may be bent to mate up with curvature of a snowboard. Such difference in rigidity may come merely from reduced thickness or may come from being composed of different materials and/or layers of materials.

[0059] In one non-limiting embodiment, there is a pivot member having a coupling structure for coupling to an undersurface of a snowboard. The pivot member is an elongated structure that extends the full length of the snowboard when coupled thereto. There is a flat region along the length thereof. The flat region provides a stable position for the board where it is not tipped to either side, but when the board is tipped, it amplifies the cut that the board makes in the snow, this aiding in two things: 1) the turning power of the board while tipped, and 2) the feel of that turning power and therefore increasing the impression and learning of the user with respect to how to turn and why to tip when turning. The pivot member is wider than it is thick/deep so that this effect is amplified.

[0060] In one non-limiting embodiment, there is a snowboard accessory that helps a beginning snowboarder learn how to snowboard quicker with less fear. Such may help to know how to turn both right and left also while reducing their overall speed. There may be a center piece of material (e.g. rubber) used to create a pivot on a snowboard that is attached (e.g. with an adhesive and/or a screw). It may be disposed along the center of a snowboard to create that pivot point/ridge. It may be a molded piece that is attached to a snowboard. Alternatively, it may be molded with the snowboard when it is being formed.

[0061] It may be that the center strip is wider than it is tall and/or extends the full flat under-surface of the board. The strip may have a beveled front and back. A region between the bevels may have a rounded rectangular cross-section corners on the corners away from the board. The strip may be about 1.5 inches wide and/or about 0.5 inches deep/thick. It may be between about 2.5 inches wide and 1 inch wide. It may be between about 0.25 inches and 0.75 inches deep/thick. The strip may have rounded corners that leave a flat middle region so that when you pivot then the strip bites differently.

[0062] In one nonlimiting embodiment, there is a strip/pivot member having a rectangular cross-section in the middle region thereof and a circular segment (sector bounded by a cord) cross-section at front and back regions thereof. Other cross-sectional shapes may be present in various embodiments, including but not limited to elliptical, elliptical segments, triangular, trapezoidal, and the like and combinations thereof.

[0063] In one non-limiting embodiment, there is a strip/pivot member that is composed of one or more material types and/or configurations including but not limited to: rubbers, plastics, woods, metals, ceramics, composites, woven materials, pressed materials, molded materials, cast materials, natural and/or artificial fibers, and the like and composites thereof.

[0064] In one non-limiting embodiment, there is a strip/pivot member having a bottom surface composed of a material and/or having a configuration that slows the rider down as compared to the bottom surface of the snowboard. Such may include materials and/or structures having higher frictional coefficients than waxed wood. Such may include ridges, grooves, channels, and the like that may be oriented substantially orthogonal to the line of travel of the snowboard while in operation. Such may simply occur because of the fact that the strip/pivot member interrupts the normal flat undersurface of the board.

[0065] In one non-limiting embodiment, there is a coupling structure such as but not limited to: adhesive, epoxy, welding, clips, snaps, tongue-and-groove, friction-fittings, bolts, buckles, ties, buttons, cables, hook-an-eye fasteners, nails, pegs, nuts, pins, retaining rings, rivets, bands, staples, stitches, straps, anchors, zippers, flanges, frogs, grommets, clasps, clamps, and the like and combinations thereof.

[0066] FIGS. 3-5 are cross-sectional views of rear, middle, and front portions, respectively of the snowboard accessory of FIG. 2, according to one embodiment of the invention. There is a pivot member 30 having a thin beveled rear portion 36 with an angled surface 38 that is thinner than a middle portion shown in FIG. 4. The middle portion in FIG. 4 is thicker than a front beveled portion shown in FIG. 5. The illustrated figures show rounded trapezoidal cross-sections, as the flat bottom surfaces of each portion are flanked by beveled sides that are not orthogonal to the base (dotted lines show the horizontal base axis and a corresponding vertical axis orthogonal thereto that is not colinear with the flanking beveled edges on each side of the strip 40 and 50. Thus the illustrated strip of FIGS. 2-5 is beveled both side-to-side and front-to-back.

[0067] The illustrated cross-sectional views show that the material thereof is thicker (top to bottom measurement) in the middle and tapered to varying degrees at the front and back. Further, these views show that the bottom-most part of each is flat, flanked by curved ends. Additionally, the views illustrate that the pivot member is wider than it is thick, in each view.

[0068] FIGS. 6, 13 and 14 are bottom-perspective views of various snowboard assemblies, according to various embodiments of the invention. In each, the coupling member for the carve tape may be a double-sided adhesive tape disposed between the pivot member and the board. The illustrated boards have carved tape that extends most of the length of the board, but not all of the length of the board. The illustrated carve tape extends to about the region of the front and back of each board where the board curves upward. The illustrated carve tape is positioned to be below each of the bindings of the board and therebetween. The illustrated carve tape extends along a main axis of the associated board and is centrally located along the underside thereof.

[0069] FIGS. 7-9 show a plurality of cross-sectional views of various embodiments of snowboard assemblies, according to various embodiments of the invention. In each is shown a board 70 coupled to a pivot member 72, 74, 76, respectively, wherein each pivot member has a differently shaped cross-section. Pivot member 72 is pill-shaped with a flat bottom surface that is slightly smaller than its base (the base is the flat surface adjacent to the board) and has rounded corners. Pivot member 74 is an isosceles trapezoid and has a larger base with respect to the board than the pill-shaped pivot member 72. Pivot member 76 is also an isosceles trapezoid but its base extends the entire side-to-side width of the board.

[0070] Each of the various illustrated pivot members provides for a different handling when turning and a different bite into the snow. It may be that the smaller pivot members provide a larger bite, and thus more help for novice snowboarders.

[0071] Accordingly, it may be that pivot member 72 is for beginners, pivot member 74 is for more advanced beginners, and pivot member 76 is for novices that are about to transition to not using a pivot member at all with their board.

[0072] The illustrated pivot members may be integral to the board 70, may be coupled thereto by a coupling that is selectably coupleable (i.e. one may choose to couple the structures together with a coupling structure such as but not limited to an adhesive layer), may be nondestructably detachable (i.e. removable without damaging the associated structures, such as but not limited to with selectably decouplable snaps, clips, bindings, contact adhesives). Where a progression of pivot members is used in training, it will be useful to have pivot members that can be removed from a board without damaging the board and/or without damaging the pivot member. Thereby the board and/or pivot members are reusable.

[0073] The height of each pivot member may be measured from the base to the flat bottom surface, i.e. a distance going orthogonal from an underside of the board to the flat bottom of the pivot member/strip. The base width may be measured as a greatest distance between two opposite edges of the pivot member orthogonal to each of the length and height. The flat-bottom width may be a distance between opposite side-to-side edges of the flat bottom surface of the pivot member.

[0074] FIGS. 10-12 show a plurality of elevational side views of various embodiment of snowboard assemblies, according to various embodiments of the invention. There is shown a plurality of snowboard assemblies, each with boot bindings 81 coupled to a board 80, but with diverse strips/pivot members 82, 84, and 86 coupled thereto. Pivot member 82 extends a full length (front-to-back) of the board 80 and is not beveled on the front and back. Pivot member 84 is beveled on the front and back and extends the entire horizontal length of the board. Pivot member 86 is beveled on the front and back and extends only partially along the length of the board, but extends slightly beyond where the bindings are attached.

[0075] It is understood that the above-described embodiments are only illustrative of the application of the principles of the present invention. The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiment is to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.

[0076] For example, although the

[0077] Additionally, although the figures illustrate

[0078] It is also envisioned that

[0079] It is expected that there could be numerous variations of the design of this invention. An example is that the

[0080] Finally, it is envisioned that the components of the device may be constructed of a variety of materials,

[0081] Thus, while the present invention has been fully described above with particularity and detail in connection with what is presently deemed to be the most practical and preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications, including, but not limited to, variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use may be made, without departing from the principles and concepts of the invention as set forth in the claims. Further, it is contemplated that an embodiment may be limited to consist of or to consist essentially of one or more of the features, functions, structures, methods described herein.