651results about "Ski-brakes" patented technology

A snowboard binding has a support structure with a base plate and side plates that project from the base plate. Tension cables, which hold a single instep element, are attached to the side plates. The instep element extends from a toe region of the boot up to at least its instep region. A single tensioning device for the tension cables is independent of a pivoting position of a heel element.

Selected patterns of lights are displayed on a recreational conveyance such as a snowboard according to the motion of the board. A selection of patterns is stored in a processor memory, the motion of the board is measured (for example with accelerometers) and a pattern is selected from memory based on the measured motion. Then lights on the board are blinked on and off in the selected pattern. Accelerometer inputs are analyzed and a series of states is derived for each accelerometer axis. A series of states can be analyzed as a set to select a different pattern. Also, the magnitude of the states (such as duration, speed, or intensity) may affect the pattern selected. The process may be adaptive, so that the analyzing step further analyzes user weight or past snowboarding style to set adaptive thresholds for selecting patterns.

Gliding board devices and methods of making gliding board devices wherein at least a portion of the device is formed of a bulk amorphous alloy material are provided. The gliding board device including an upper reinforcing element that covers at least the upper surface of the device; a lower reinforcing element; a sliding element; a pair of running edges; and a core of filler material disposed between the upper and lower elements, wherein at least one of the upper reinforcing element, lower reinforcing element and pair of running edges are formed from an amorphous alloy.

A skate having a skate boot with a non-lasted boot shell, the shell having a first non-lasted three-dimensional sub-shell and a second non-lasted three-dimensional sub-shell, the second sub-shell being interior to and adjoining the first sub-shell, the first sub-shell comprising a first material having a first density and the second sub-shell comprising a second material having a second density, the second density being less than the first density, the shell being shaped so as to have a heel portion, an ankle portion, a lateral portion, a medial portion, and a sole portion; and a ground-engaging assembly disposed on an underside of the skate. Additional sub-shells are possible. Methods of manufacturing the skate boot shell, including molding and build-up, are also disclosed.

A skate boot for receiving the foot, the ankle and adjacent leg section of an intended user. The skate boot includes an upper. The upper defines a dorsal upper section and a substantially opposed plantar upper section, a rear upper section extending outwardly from and substantially peripherally to the plantar upper section and an opening allowing the user to insert the foot within the skate boot. The upper includes a deformable region for facilitating the elastic dorsiflexion of the upper between an initial upper configuration and a dorsiflexed upper configuration wherein the dorsal upper section is closer to the rear upper section than in the initial upper configuration, the deformable region being substantially more elastically deformable than adjacent upper portions of the upper and providing an elastic force biasing the upper towards the initial configuration upon dorsiflexion of the upper.

An article of footwear comprising a molded unitary support structure preferably constructed of substantially continuous fibers aligned in one or more defined orientations disposed within a hardened resin matrix and methods of manufacturing is disclosed. The unitary support structure comprises a plurality of wall structures including a sole that extends generally from a front end region configured to underlie the toe region of the foot to a back end region configured and side wall structures that extend from the sides of the sole. The wall structures are partitioned from one another to facilitate flex and provide structural and functional independence between partitioned regions. The vertical and longitudinal locations of the partitions are configured to coincide with defined locations relative to the foot so as to facilitate natural movement bending in the foot while also providing the needed support as well as the desired flexibility in attached ground engaging structures. An upper portion overlies and conforms to the wall structures of unitary support structure and extends from its perimeter regions to further encapsulate the foot and provide comfort, fit and performance traditionally obtained from lasted articles of footwear. A preferred method of manufacture includes the steps of forming a male mold, overlaying it with plies of substantially continuous groups of aligned fibers oriented in defined directions to form an uncured pre-form construct of the unitary support structure, which is then cured in a female mold, partitioned and incorporated into an article of footwear. Regions of the wall structures including the sole may be formed to include variations in strength, flexibility and / or elastic modulus in one or more directions.

A skate boot or other piece of footwear is provided with a flexible midfoot section that is not rigidly connected to either a sole and / or base of the boot, in order to adjustably tighten around the bottom, sides, and / or top of the wearer's midfoot to provide arch support and uniform snugness. The midfoot section is in a “hammock” type arrangement while the bail and heel portions of the wearer's foot rests on the footbed over the respective sole portions.

A method of making a snowboard or ski so that the bottom surface of the snowboard or ski is capable of bowing into a desired longitudinal curvature, with a circular arc being the preferred shape, in order to enable a "perfect" turn to be carved. The method comprises the steps of selecting a desired longitudinal curvature of the snowboard during turns, determining the desired curvature of the snowboard at a plurality of cross-sectional portions thereof in order to achieve the desired curvature, and selecting the cross-sectional area moments of inertia at each of the plurality of cross-sections to provide the desired curvature. The thickness of the core of the snowboard is the preferred design variable. The center section of a snowboard designed in accordance with this method has smaller average area moment of inertia than one or both of the front and rear mounting zones. Snowboards designed and constructed in accordance with this method exhibit improved turning performance, particularly in sharp, tight turns.

An article of footwear comprising a pliable upper component and a molded unitary support structure formed of a plurality of wall stuctures and methods of manufacturing are disclosed. Some embodiments include a sole and first and second side wall structures extending therefrom and partitioned from one another. The sole and the first and second side wall structures may be in part or entirely constructed of multiple layers of fibers having different orientations from one another and disposed in a hardened resin matrix. The pliable upper component comprises outer and inner panels that overlap the inner and outer surfaces of one or more of the side wall structures and are conjoined thereto.

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for a collapsing approach ski for maneuvering over terrain in a climbing and sliding fashion, with a traction component operative below the sliding surface on the underside of the ski to facilitate climbing uphill without substantially interfering with sliding downhill. It combines the advantages of a snowshoe, including a large surface area, a toe cleat that claws into the terrain and a lifting of the front tip with each step, with the advantages of an approach ski, including a fibrous skin for added traction climbing uphill and an ability to slide down hill. A stretchable portion in the skin adjacent to a hinge in the ski permits the ski to be compactly collapsed without removing the skin, for easy packing and storage while not in use. For climbing up a steep incline, a removable fixed cleat provides added traction, and a heel riser reduces the strain on the lower leg and Achilles tendon region of the skier.

A boot which has a tongue structure which includes at least first and second cables attached to the sides of the tongue, a guide channel associated with each cable, and a cable tensioning device connected to the cables and which is movable between first and second positions to respectfully tighten and loosen the cables. The tongue structure acts to maintain the foot in the boot and in a preferred embodiment, the tongue includes an outer somewhat rigid shell and an inner elastic layer.

A sporting boot comprising a thermoformed outer shell having a heel portion for receiving the heel of a foot, an ankle portion for receiving the ankle and medial and lateral side portions for receiving the medial and lateral sides of the foot. At least one of the medial and lateral side portions comprises a skirt portion integrally formed with and extending therefrom, the skirt portion being folded inwardly to form a sole having an upper surface for facing the plantar surface of the foot.

A goalie skate protective shell defines an interior cavity adapted for receiving a goalie ice skate boot. A holder is unitarily formed as part of a sole of the shell and has an open ended, lengthwise extending groove. At least two transversely extending bores are formed in the holder and receive fasteners which extend through the bores and apertures formed in a plurality of legs projecting from a blade mounted in the groove in the holder to removably affix the blade to the holder.

A snow ski has at least one channel formed in the running surface to expose the inner sides of the ski edges for translating the force exerted by the ski during a turn and creating positive engagement with the skiing surface. The channel may extend the length of the ski or only a portion thereof. The channel forms edge tips on the ski edges where the inner sides are exposed. The edge tips may have different shapes to improve the bite on the skiing surface.

A snow glider is provided having a design that facilitates gliding through snow rather than skidding. The snow glider has an extremely narrow waist width combined with an elevated binding assembly to promote positive engagement with a skiing surface during use. The glider body waist is between 25-44 mm at its narrowest point. A further embodiment of the snow glider ski has secondary edges for effecting multiple, changeable turning radii in a single ski.

A boot binding system is shown for use especially on skiboards, having a binding plate, boot supports, bails, a lever, a resilient material, and a size adjustment locking mechanism. Boot supports and binding plate are complimentary shaped for slideable affixation to each, without requiring additional fasteners. A simple fastener locks the relative position of the boot support on the binding plate while also immobilizing any boot support motion. In the locked position, the fastener mates with counterbores in the binding plate's surface. The binding plate is rectangular in top view and its longitudinal edges have a chamfer, which complements a chamfer on the boot supports. The binding plate has mounting holes in its central region, which are used to affix the binding to a skiboard. Resilient material exists between the binding plate and the skiboard, thereby allowing the skiboard to flex more freely. The boot supports have slots to retain the bails. The lever also has a slot to accept a bail. The binding is simple to manufacture and assemble making it cost competitive for production. An alternate embodiment includes a version that eliminates the need for resilient material. A second alternate embodiment eliminates the central mount and mounts to the skiboard in the region of the boot supports.

An interface element (10) used on a gliding board, said element being inserted between the sole (20) of the user's boot and the top side of the board (8) so as to take the thrust exerted toward the board by the user at least at the front end of the sole, and which comprises at least one zone (11, 12, 15) made of a thermoformable material capable, after exposure to heat, of matching the imprint of at least the front end (21) of the sole (20) of the boot so as to fill the volume between the top side (8) of the board and the sole of the boot (20).

An improved snowboard binding system allows the snowboarder to maintain full control of the snowboard while also allowing the snowboarder to rotate the feet during the operation of the snowboard without the requirement of manual adjustment. A binding base (22) is attached to the snowboard and contains a circular, downward-facing surface (23) having several discontinuities. A boot catch structure (26) is attached to the user's boot and has a corresponding number of upward facing planar surfaces (27) that fit into the base surface discontinuities. Engagement of the binding is accomplished by the insertion of the boot catch into the binding base and relative rotation of the two parts. The binding system is equipped with a locking plate (24) that guards against accidental release of the binding system.

A raising platform (6) is intended for mounting on the upper surface (3) of a board (1) for gliding over snow in order to receive and to raise the bindings securing a user's boot to a board (1) for gliding over snow.The raising platform (6) is divided into two longitudinal parts (9, 10) that are each placed directly on the upper surface (3) of the board (1) for gliding over snow and that are connected together by at least one bridge (11).