ANTI-SLIP DECK FOR SPORTS BOARD

Abstract

The present disclosure refers to an anti-slip pad for a sliding sports board, as for example water sports boards, snowboards or skateboards, said pad comprised mostly of cork.

Claims

1. An anti-slip pad for a sports board, comprising: 90%-97% (w/w) of a cork with a granulometry of 0.5-10 mm; and 3%-10% (w/w) of an agglutinating agent.

2. The anti-slip pad according to claim 1, wherein the cork is 94%-97% (w/w) and has the granulometry at 0.5-10 mm and wherein the agglutinating agent is 3%-6% (w/w).

3. The anti-slip pad according to claim 1, wherein the granulometry varies between 0.5-2 mm.

4. The anti-slip pad according to claim 1, wherein the agglutinating agent comprises 1-15% (w/w) of cork.

5. The anti-slip pad according to claim 1, wherein the agglutinating agent comprises 2-10% (w/w) of cork.

6. The anti-slip pad according to claim 1, wherein the agglutinating agent is selected from the group consisting of: polyurethane synthetic resin, phenolic synthetic resin, phenol formaldehyde resin, melamine resin, resin of plant origin, enzyme-based resin, urea formalin resin, thermoplastic resin, aqueous-based polyurethane, and mixtures thereof.

7. The anti-slip pad according to claim 6, wherein the polyurethane synthetic resin is an aliphatic polyurethane resin comprising an acrylate copolymer.

8. The anti-slip pad according to claim 1, wherein a density of the anti-slip pad at 20 C. has a range of 150 kg/m.sup.3 to 460 kg/m.sup.3.

9. The anti-slip pad according to claim 1, further comprising at least an additive selected from the group consisting of dyes, fragrances, emulsifiers, stabilizers, waterproofers, and combinations thereof.

10. The anti-slip pad according to claim 1, wherein the pad has a thickness has a range between 1 mm and 10 mm.

11. The anti-slip pad according to claim 1, wherein the pad further comprises a plurality of protuberances for reducing user's slippage.

12. The anti-slip pad according to the claim 11, wherein the protuberances are circular, triangular, square, pentagonal, hexagonal or combinations thereof.

13. The anti-slip pad according to claim 1, wherein the pad further comprises an adhesive layer able to adhere the anti-slip pad to a surface of the sports board.

14. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

16. (canceled)

17. The anti-slip pad according to claim 1, wherein the anti-slip pad defines a traction pad for a surface of the sports board.

18. A sports board comprising: a board having a board surface; and an anti-slip pad on the board surface, the anti-slip pad comprising: 90%-97% (w/w) of a cork with a granulometry of 0.5-10 mm; and 3%-10% (w/w) of an agglutinating agent.

19. The sports board according to claim 18, wherein the board is selected from the group consisting of: a surfboard, a paddleboard, a skimming board, a windsurf board, a kitesurf board, a wakeboard, a kneeboard, a wakesurf board, a wakeskate board, a snowboard, and a skateboard.

20. A process for producing an anti-slip pad comprising 90%-97% (w/w) of a cork with a granulometry of 0.5-10 mm and 3%-10% (w/w) of an agglutinating agent, comprising the steps of molding and/or machining of the anti-slip pad to an intended shape.

21. The process of claim 20, wherein the anti-slip pad is machined to the intended shape, and wherein the anti-slip is machined of three parts previously formed and glued to each other.

22. The process of claim 21, wherein the three parts comprise a base part, an intermediate parallelepiped part and an end parallelepiped part, wherein the base part receives the intermediate parallelepiped part and the end parallelepiped part by gluing in a T over the base part.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0084] The following figures provide preferred embodiments for illustrating the description and should not be seen as limiting the scope of the disclosure.

[0085] FIG. 1: Schematic representation of the moulding process.

[0086] FIG. 2: Schematic representation of a mono-block for machining, side and front view.

[0087] FIG. 3: Schematic representation of the construction process of a mono-block by overlapping parts for machining, side and front view.

[0088] FIG. 4: Schematic representation of a part viewed from the front.

[0089] FIG. 5: Schematic representation of a part viewed from the side.

[0090] FIG. 6: Schematic representation of a part viewed from the back.

[0091] FIG. 7: Schematic representation of a part viewed from a back perspective for demonstrating absence of unions.

[0092] FIG. 8: Schematic representation of a part viewed from above.

[0093] FIG. 9: Schematic representation of a detail in perspective from the side of the rear kicktail for demonstrating the absence of unions and the part design.

[0094] FIG. 10: Schematic representation of a detail in perspective from the side of the rear kicktail for demonstrating the design with the softened shapes.

[0095] FIG. 11: Schematic representation of a shading marking in the part of the functional design contribution for softening the zones subject to aggressions (peripheral zones).

[0096] FIG. 12: Schematic representation of a detail of the edge design.

[0097] FIG. 13: Schematic representation of the construction of a mono-block by overlapping parts.

[0098] FIG. 14: Picture of the lower surface of the anti-slip pad herein disclosed.

[0099] FIG. 15: Picture of side detail of the anti-slip pad demonstrating the absence of tensions or fragilities between the pattern cross grid and kicktail.

[0100] FIG. 16: Picture of the finished anti-slip pad and wherein the pattern cross grid of the pad comprises hexagonal protuberances.

[0101] FIG. 17: Anti-slip pad known in the state of the art in ethylene vinyl acetate viewed from the front.

[0102] FIG. 18: Anti-slip pad known in the state of the art in ethylene vinyl acetate viewed from the side.

[0103] FIG. 19: Anti-slip pad known in the state of the art in ethylene vinyl acetate viewed from the back.

[0104] FIG. 20: Anti-slip pad known in the state of the art in ethylene vinyl acetate construction process.

[0105] FIG. 21: Anti-slip pad known in the state of the art in ethylene vinyl acetate above perspective.

[0106] FIG. 22: Anti-slip pad known in the state of the art in ethylene vinyl acetate below perspective.

[0107] FIG. 23: Anti-slip pad known in the state of the art in ethylene vinyl acetate below perspective with unions' light blue lines.

[0108] FIG. 24: Fourier transform infra-red spectrum of a sample of the anti-slip pad known in the state of the art in alveolar synthetic material (foam) (a) versus reference spectrum of the substance (b): poli[(ethylene)-co-(vinyl acetate)] (EVA) copolymer.

[0109] FIG. 25: Microscopic visualization of the inclusions of cork material (suberous tissue) of a sample of the anti-slip pad known in the state of the art, in vestigial presence along the poli[(ethylene)-co-(vinyl acetate)] polymeric matrix. Observations made by digital microscopy, with a magnifying factor 50x.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0110] The present disclosure refers to an anti-slip pad for a sliding sports board, as for example water sports boards or snowboards.

[0111] In an embodiment, the anti-slip pad herein disclosed is a mono-block part that may be produced by a machining process or a moulding process.

[0112] In order to compare the pad of the present disclosure with pads already existing in the market, a quantitative/compositional analysis was carried out resorting to digital microscopy techniques (FIG. 25) and Fourier transform infra-red spectrum (FIG. 24) of a state of the art copy, for example Ecocork traction pad. This state of the art copy is anti-slip pad in alveolar synthetic material (foam), aimed at assembly in surfboards.

[0113] With a view to characterizing the composition of said alveolar synthetic material, a qualitative analysis thereof was carried out resorting to techniques of infra-red spectroscopy with an attenuated total reflectance (ATR) accessory. To that end, an insulation of small fragments representative of the alveolar material under study was carried out obtained by micro-lamination of the state of the art pad, followed by apposition thereof on the crystal plate of the ATR accessory. After exposing the fragments to infra-red radiation, it was possible to obtain the characteristic absorption wavelengths inherent to the composition of the alveolar synthetic material in study, as well as, the absorption intensities thereof.

[0114] Based on the structural information from the qualitative interpretation of the main infra-red spectrum (FIG. 24) of the state of the art pad, complemented by a research exercise on spectra library (ST Japan-Spectra Libraries), it is possible to conclude that the state of the art pad is in its almost entirely made of a poli[(ethylene)-co-(vinyl acetate)] (EVA) copolymer. With a markedly less expressive presence (vestigial) it was further possible to determine the dispersed occurrence of small cork fragments, over the powdery form and distributed randomly along the alveolar synthetic matrix (FIG. 25).

[0115] Table 1 compares the percentages by weight of cork incorporated in the anti-slip pad herein disclosed with the state of the art pad. These values were determined after microscopic analysis of a known portion of the state of the art pad (test specimen) and subsequent (approximate) quantification of the volume of the cork particles included in that portion. Upon conversion into weight, after an approximate deduction of the characteristic density of each component (copolymer and cork) it is possible to estimate the percentage by weight incorporated in the state of the art pad.

TABLE-US-00001 State of the art pad (estimate of the percentage by weight of cork Pad herein disclosed incorporated in the pad) 90%-97% (w/w) of cork 0.08% (w/w) of cork

[0116] The volume of the analysed portion of the test specimen was 500 mm.sup.3; the total volume of cork particles included in the analysed portion of the test specimen was 1.07 mm.sup.3; the total weight of the analysed portion of the test specimen was 129 mg; the total weight of the cork particles included in the analysed portion of the test specimen was 0.10 mg. Therefore, the estimate of the percentage by weight of cork incorporated in the pad is 0.08% (w/w) of cork.

[0117] The present disclosure may be obtained by a moulding process comprising the following steps: [0118] defining by computer-aided design-computer-aided manufacturing CAD-CAM the mould of the part and elements in the constitution thereof from the fixed section, constituted by the clamping plate and cavity, and by the movable part, constituted by the male, wedges, extraction plates and stop plate; [0119] manufacturing the metallic mould and complementary components thereof, the mould being constituted by two half matrices, cavity and plug that together form in the inside thereof the part's geometry; [0120] assembling the fixed and movable section of all components constituting the mould; [0121] mixing the cork granules with the agglutinating agent with 90%-97% (w/w) of cork, 3%-10% (w/w) of an agglutinating agent and with a granulometry of 0.5-10 mm, preferably 0.5-2 mm, even more preferably 0.5-1 mm; [0122] injecting the mixture into the mould; [0123] extracting the moulded part.

[0124] In an embodiment, the CNC milling is the most used process for producing the mould, the turning and drilling are also much used processes for producing the components that are part of the mould.

[0125] In an embodiment, the anti-slip pad herein disclosed may be produced by machining, that is, resorting to a mechanical buffing process aiming at giving the intended shape to the anti-slip pad.

[0126] in an embodiment, the machining processes that may be used include sawing, levelling, turning, milling, among others.

[0127] The obtention method of the present disclosure according to the machining process comprises the following steps: [0128] designing the anti-slip pad in a computer-aided design-CAD software; [0129] based on the geometry built in the CAD, the computer-aided manufacturing-CAM system calculates the movements and trajectories of the tool for performing the manufacturing operation; preparing a cork agglomerate block with the correct dimensions for the machining thereof and with 90%-97% (w/w) of cork, 3%-10% (w/w) of an agglutinating agent and with a granulometry of 0.5-10 mm; [0130] preparing a cork agglomerate block with the correct dimensions for the machining thereof, preferably 94%-97% (w/w) of cork, 3%-6% (w/w) of an agglutinating agent and with a granulometry of 0.5-10 mm; [0131] cutting the block into subunits if necessary; [0132] glueing/uniting the subunits corresponding to the kicktail and the raised centre arch over the subunit corresponding to the pattern cross grid forming a single part or mono-block; [0133] fixing the block in the CNC milling machine; [0134] sending the code with the trajectories and movements of the operations calculated in the computer-aided manufacturing-CAM for the machine to start machining the block; [0135] initiating a general buffing; [0136] machining protuberances that may present various circular, triangular, square, pentagonal, hexagonal shapes or combinations thereof; [0137] machining the outer contour of the block; [0138] removing the part from the machine; [0139] applying the manual finishing.

[0140] With the present disclosure, glueing/union of one or more cork blocks may occur, however, how cork subunits are arranged so as to avoid fragility of the final product, is something different from the way ethylene vinyl acetate pads, already known in the state of the art, are produced.

[0141] In an embodiment, said subunits are glued resorting to suitable adhesive materials and with a viscosity varying between 4000-15000 mPa.Math.s at 20 C., preferably 9000-14000 mPa.Math.s at 20 C., even more preferably 10000 mPa.Math.s at 20 C.

[0142] In an embodiment, said subunits are glued resorting to suitable adhesive materials and with a density varying between 1.20-1.60 g/ml at 20 C., preferably 1.47-1.59 g/ml at 20 C.

[0143] In an embodiment, the adhesive materials may be polyurethane-based or a dispersion of polyvinyl alcohol, among others. In an embodiment, the adhesive materials may also be mono-component reactive glue, polyurethane-based or a dispersion of polyvinyl alcohol, of medium viscosity.

[0144] In an embodiment, the anti-slip pad may further be cut in two parts, three parts, four parts or five parts. This disclosure has the advantage of eliminating the fragility points and provides adhesion to the surface without any tension, because the surface to be glued is completely flat.

[0145] Although particular embodiments of the present disclosure have merely been represented and described herein, the subject matter expert will know how to introduce modifications and replace some technical features with equivalent ones, depending on the requisites of each situation, without leaving the scope of protection defined by the appended claims. The disclosed embodiments are combinable. The following claims set out particular embodiments of the disclosure.