Sliding equipment and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

Provided is a sliding apparatus having excellent sliding properties and low frictional resistance with a snow surface or ice surface. The sliding apparatus for sliding on a slide object (snow surface or ice surface) has a slide surface (1) that contacts the slide object. This slide surface (1) is divided into a plurality of regions (1A, 1B, 1C) each having the surface arithmetic average roughness Ra different from one another, these plurality of regions (1A, 1B, 1C) being disposed in order along the longitudinal direction. The surface arithmetic average roughness Ra of a front region (1A), which is the region that first contacts the slide object during sliding, is less than the surface arithmetic average roughness Ra of a rear region (1B), which is positioned further rearward in the sliding direction than the front region (1A), among the plurality of regions (1A, 1B, 1C).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a sliding tool and a method for manufacturing the same.

Background Art

[0002] Sliding tools for sliding on snow or ice (for example, snow ski boards for sliding on snow, ice skate shoes for sliding on ice) are smoothed and lubricated on the sliding surface in order to reduce the frictional resistance between the snow surface or ice surface and improve the sliding performance. For example, in the case of a snow ski board, the sliding surface is smoothed and lubricated by grinding with fixed abrasive grains and a wax film formed by applying wax. However, although the conventional snow ski board is smoothed and lubricated on the sliding surface, there is still room for further improvement in the sliding performance.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the problems of the prior art as described above, and to provide a sliding tool having a low frictional resistance between the snow surface or ice surface and excellent sliding performance, and a method for manufacturing the same.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] To solve the aforementioned problems, a sliding device according to one aspect of the present invention is a sliding device for sliding on an object, wherein the object is a snow surface or an ice surface, and has a sliding surface that contacts the object, the sliding surface is divided into a plurality of regions with different arithmetic mean roughness Ra of the surface, these plurality of regions are arranged sequentially along the longitudinal direction, and the gist of the invention is that the arithmetic mean roughness Ra of the surface of the front region, which is the region that first contacts the object during sliding, is smaller than the arithmetic mean roughness Ra of the surface of the rear region, which is located behind the front region.

[0006] Furthermore, another embodiment of the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a gliding device, the gist of which is a method for manufacturing a gliding device according to one embodiment described above, comprising a polishing step of polishing the front area using a slurry-like polishing composition containing abrasive particles. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The gliding device according to the present invention has low frictional resistance with snow or ice surfaces and excellent gliding performance. Furthermore, the method for manufacturing the gliding device according to the present invention can produce a gliding device that has low frictional resistance with snow or ice surfaces and excellent gliding performance. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a bottom view of a snow ski, which is one embodiment of a gliding device according to the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a snow ski cut by a plane perpendicular to its longitudinal direction. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of the configuration of multiple regions formed on the sliding surface. [Figure 4] This figure shows another example of the configuration of multiple regions formed on the sliding surface. [Figure 5] This figure shows yet another example of the configuration of multiple regions formed on the sliding surface. [Figure 6] This graph shows the change in the coefficient of dynamic friction during sliding. [Figure 7]This graph shows the coefficient of kinetic friction when skis slide across a snow surface. [Figure 8] This graph shows the coefficient of kinetic friction when skis slide across a snow surface. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] One embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. Note that the following embodiments are merely examples of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Furthermore, various modifications or improvements can be made to the following embodiments, and such modified or improved forms may also be included in the present invention.

[0010] One embodiment of the sliding device according to the present invention will be described using snow skis as an example. However, snow skis are just one example of the sliding device according to the present invention, and the sliding device according to the present invention is not limited to snow skis. As can be seen from Figure 1, the shape of the sliding surface 1 of the snow skis according to this embodiment is an elongated rectangle (strip), but the shape of the sliding surface 1 is not particularly limited and may be other shapes. Examples of the shape of the sliding surface 1 include a circular shape, an elliptical shape, a triangular shape, a square shape, a pentagonal shape, a hexagonal shape, a linear shape, and so on.

[0011] One embodiment of the skiing device according to the present invention is a skiing device for gliding on snow. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the skiing device according to this embodiment comprises an elongated, roughly plate-shaped core material 10, a sole 12 disposed on the bottom side of the core material 10, and edges 14 disposed on both sides of the sole 12 in the width direction. The core material 10 is made of, for example, wood or fiber-reinforced resin. The sole 12 is made of a resin such as polyethylene (e.g., high molecular weight high-density polyethylene, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene), polypropylene, polybutene, polyacetal, polymethacrylate, or polytetrafluoroethylene. The edges 14 are made of, for example, metal.

[0012] The exposed surface of the sole 12 constitutes the bottom surface of the snow ski, and this bottom surface forms the gliding surface 1 that contacts the snow surface during gliding. The gliding surface 1 is divided into several regions 1A, 1B, and 1C (three in the example of Figure 1) with different arithmetic mean surface roughness Ra (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "surface roughness Ra"), and these regions 1A, 1B, and 1C are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the gliding surface 1 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "gliding direction"). The surface roughness Ra was measured in areas other than the grooves found in the structure and scales. Furthermore, regions with different surface roughness Ra refer to regions where the range of the mean ± 1σ (standard deviation) of the surface roughness Ra within the region does not overlap when measured using the method described later.

[0013] Furthermore, among the multiple regions 1A, 1B, and 1C, the forward region 1A, located in front of the center of the sliding direction (i.e., towards the direction of travel), includes the portion d-d' that first contacts the snow surface, which is the object being slid, during sliding. The surface roughness Ra of this forward region 1A is smaller than the surface roughness Ra of the region that contacts the object at the rearmost point in the sliding direction. Here, the region that contacts the object at the rearmost point in the sliding direction is included in the rear region 1B, which is located behind the forward region 1A in the sliding direction (i.e., opposite to the direction of travel).

[0014] In other words, in the snow skis according to this embodiment, the region that first contacts the snow surface during skiing is smoother than the region that contacts the snow surface at the rearmost point in the skiing direction. Hereinafter, the region 1C located between the front region 1A and the rear region 1B may be referred to as the "intermediate region". Furthermore, in the snow ski according to this embodiment, the gliding surface 1 may be composed of two regions: a front region 1A and a rear region 1B (see Figure 3).

[0015] Furthermore, in the ski board according to the present embodiment, a region 1D (different from the front region 1A) having a surface roughness Ra different from that of the front region 1A may be provided in a region further forward of the portion d-d' that first contacts the snow surface during sliding (see FIG. 4). Here, polishing is performed on a region 1 mm or more behind the sliding direction from the portion d-d' that first contacts the snow surface during sliding to reduce the surface roughness Ra. However, for the region 1D in front of the portion d-d' in the sliding direction with respect to the portion d-d' that first contacts the snow surface during sliding, polishing may be performed so as to have a surface roughness Ra different from that of a region 1 mm or more behind the sliding direction from the portion d-d' that first contacts the snow surface during sliding, or polishing may not be performed.

[0016] Furthermore, in the ski board according to the present embodiment, the boundary line between the front region 1A (polished region) and the rear region 1B or the intermediate region 1C (for example, unpolished region) may be a straight line orthogonal to the sliding direction, or may be a curve. For example, it may be a semi-elliptical curve as shown in FIG. 5.

[0017] Note that the sliding surface 1 may be divided into four or more regions having different surface roughnesses Ra. In this case, a plurality of intermediate regions 1C may be arranged between the front region 1A and the rear region 1B. The surface roughness Ra of the intermediate region 1C is not particularly limited. For example, it may be larger than the surface roughness Ra of the front region 1A and smaller than the surface roughness Ra of the rear region 1B, or may be the same as the surface roughness Ra of the rear region 1B. Also, when a plurality of intermediate regions 1C are arranged between the front region 1A and the rear region 1B, the surface roughnesses Ra of these plurality of intermediate regions 1C may all be the same, or some may be the same and others may be different, or all may be different. For example, between the front region 1A and the rear region 1B, intermediate regions 1C with a surface roughness of 0.30 μm or less and intermediate regions 1C with a surface roughness of 0.4 μm or more may be arranged alternately in a striped pattern.

[0018] Conventional snow skis have a gliding surface that is not divided into multiple regions with different surface roughness Ra, but rather the entire gliding surface forms a single region. However, the gliding surface 1 of the snow ski according to this embodiment is divided into multiple regions with different surface roughness Ra, as described above. Therefore, it is thought that the frictional resistance between the gliding surface 1 and the snow surface during gliding is significantly reduced, and thus the snow ski according to this embodiment has extremely excellent gliding performance. The mechanism is estimated to be as follows, according to the inventors' research.

[0019] The frictional resistance between the gliding surface 1 and the snow surface varies depending on the surface roughness Ra of the gliding surface 1, but also on the surface roughness Ra of the snow surface. For example, an untouched snow surface has a high surface roughness Ra, and for such a snow surface, a lower surface roughness Ra of the gliding surface 1 results in lower frictional resistance between the gliding surface 1 and the snow surface. On the other hand, the snow surface after skis have glided is smoothed by the skis' movement, resulting in a lower surface roughness (Ra). For such a snow surface, a higher surface roughness (Ra) of the skiing surface 1 reduces the frictional resistance between the skiing surface 1 and the snow surface.

[0020] Furthermore, if the entire gliding surface 1 is smooth, there is concern about increased frictional resistance due to the liquid bridging force of water (including water generated by friction) present at the interface between the gliding surface 1 and the snow surface. However, in the present invention, because the surface roughness of the rear region 1B is high, the liquid bridging force acting between the sliding surface 1 and the snow surface is reduced, and as a result, it is considered possible to prevent an increase in frictional resistance. However, the present invention is not limited to this mechanism.

[0021] In this embodiment, the snow ski has a relatively small surface roughness Ra in the front region 1A of the gliding surface 1 (for example, Ra 0.12 μm). Therefore, when gliding on a snow surface with a large surface roughness Ra, the frictional resistance between the gliding surface 1 and the snow surface is significantly reduced, resulting in excellent gliding performance. When gliding, the snow surface is smoothed by contact with the front region 1A, and its surface roughness Ra decreases. However, the rear region 1B of the gliding surface 1 (for example, Ra 0.75 μm), which has a relatively large surface roughness Ra, then contacts this smoothed snow surface. As a result, the frictional resistance between the gliding surface 1 and the snow surface is significantly reduced when gliding on the smoothed snow surface. Therefore, the snow ski in this embodiment has excellent gliding performance. The same effect as described above is achieved even if a small amount of water is present between the gliding surface 1 and the object being glided (snow surface, ice surface).

[0022] The surface roughness Ra of the front region 1A and rear region 1B of the sliding surface 1 is not particularly limited, but the surface roughness Ra of the front region 1A is preferably 0.30 μm or less, more preferably 0.25 μm or less, even more preferably 0.22 μm or less, even more preferably 0.19 μm or less, even more preferably 0.16 μm or less, particularly preferably 0.13 μm or less, and may also be 0.10 μm or less (for example, 0.09 μm or less).

[0023] Furthermore, the surface roughness Ra of the rear region 1B is preferably 0.40 μm or more, more preferably 0.45 μm or more, and even more preferably 0.50 μm or more. Moreover, the surface roughness Ra of the rear region 1B is preferably 5.0 μm or less, more preferably 3.0 μm or less, even more preferably 2.0 μm or less, even more preferably 1.5 μm or less, and particularly preferably 1.0 μm or less.

[0024] If the surface roughness Ra of the front region 1A and rear region 1B of the sliding surface 1 is within the above range, the overall frictional resistance of the sliding surface 1 is reduced, and the gliding performance is improved. The surface roughness Ra of the sliding surface 1 can be measured using a stylus-type or laser-type measuring instrument. The entire front region 1A and rear region 1B may have a surface roughness Ra within the above range, or only a part of them may have a surface roughness Ra within the above range.

[0025] When measuring surface roughness Ra using a stylus-type measuring instrument, the SURFCOM 1500 DX surface roughness measuring instrument manufactured by Tokyo Seimitsu Co., Ltd. can be used, and the DM43801 can be used as the measuring terminal. The measurement should be performed along the sliding direction, avoiding recesses in the structure, with a measurement length of 0.3 mm and a measurement speed of 0.03 mm / sec. Alternatively, the surface roughness Ra may be determined from the height information after applying least-squares linear correction to the obtained cross-sectional curve, and the average value of measurements taken at multiple locations may be adopted as the surface roughness Ra. A filter (e.g., a Gaussian filter) can be used during measurement. When measuring surface roughness Ra using a laser-type measuring instrument, the surface roughness Ra can be measured using the method described in the embodiment below, for example.

[0026] When a structure is formed on the running surface 1, it is preferable that not only the surface roughness Ra of the front region 1A of the running surface 1, but also the surface roughness Ra of the inner surface of the structure (especially the structure formed in the front region 1A) is small, as this further improves gliding performance. The structure is a shallow groove for draining water during skiing, and it extends in a direction parallel to the skiing direction. The cross-sectional shape of this groove (the shape of the cross-section when the groove is cut by a plane perpendicular to the skiing direction) is not particularly limited, but an isosceles trapezoid shape is preferred. In a groove with an isosceles trapezoidal cross-section, the part corresponding to the longer base of the isosceles trapezoid becomes the opening of the groove.

[0027] The depth of the groove with an isosceles trapezoidal cross-section is not particularly limited, but may be between 30 μm and 40 μm. The width of the opening of the groove with an isosceles trapezoidal cross-section (length of the longer base of the isosceles trapezoid) is not particularly limited, but may be between 100 μm and 200 μm. The width of the groove bottom of the groove with an isosceles trapezoidal cross-section (length of the shorter base of the isosceles trapezoid) is not particularly limited, but may be between 50 μm and 150 μm. The spacing between adjacent grooves may be between 0.3 mm and 1.0 mm.

[0028] The forward region 1A includes, among multiple regions, the region that first contacts the object being slid during sliding (for example, the region located furthest forward in the direction of sliding). However, the position of the region that first contacts the object being slid during sliding in the direction of sliding can change depending on various conditions. For example, it can change depending on conditions such as the type of object being slid, the state of the object being slid (for example, the snow quality if the object being slid is a snow surface), and the mass of the object (or person) standing on the sliding equipment (i.e., the load applied vertically downward to the sliding equipment).

[0029] Therefore, the position of the forward region 1A in the sliding direction on the sliding surface 1 should be set to the optimal position according to the above conditions (usage conditions of the sliding equipment). Alternatively, assuming that the above conditions may change to some extent, the forward region 1A may be set to a wide range so that sufficient effect is achieved under any conditions within the range of expected changes. When setting the forward region 1A to a wide range, it is preferable that the lower limit of the mass of the object (or person) on the sliding equipment be set to 0 kg.

[0030] The size (e.g., length and area) of the front region 1A and rear region 1B of the sliding surface 1 is not particularly limited. For example, the maximum length of the front region 1A in the sliding direction is not particularly limited as long as it includes the portion d-d' that first contacts the object being slid during sliding, but it is preferably 1 mm or more, more preferably 1 cm or more, even more preferably 5 cm or more, and particularly preferably 8 cm or more. Also, the maximum length of the front region 1A in the sliding direction may be 1 / 10 or more of the maximum length of the sliding surface 1 in the sliding direction, 1 / 5 or more, 1 / 4 or more, or 1 / 3 or more (e.g., 1 / 2 or more). Furthermore, the maximum length of the front region 1A in the sliding direction is preferably 2 / 3 or less of the maximum length of the sliding surface 1 in the sliding direction, and may be 1 / 2 or less.

[0031] The maximum length of the rear region 1B in the sliding direction is preferably 1 / 4 or more of the maximum length of the sliding surface 1 in the sliding direction, more preferably 1 / 3 or more, and can also be 1 / 2 or more. Furthermore, the maximum length of the rear region 1B in the sliding direction is preferably 2 / 3 or less of the maximum length of the sliding surface 1 in the sliding direction, and more preferably 1 / 2 or less. Here, the maximum length in the sliding direction of the forward region 1A and the rear region 1B on the sliding surface 1 is the length in the sliding direction between the foremost and rearmost parts in the sliding direction in both the forward region 1A and the rear region 1B.

[0032] The method for adjusting the surface roughness Ra of the gliding surface 1 is not particularly limited, but a method of adjusting the surface roughness Ra of the gliding surface 1 by abrasive processing is preferred, and a method of polishing the gliding surface 1 using a slurry-like polishing composition containing abrasive particles is particularly preferred. That is, the method for manufacturing a gliding tool (e.g., snow skis) according to this embodiment includes a step of abrasive processing of the front region 1A, for example, a polishing step of polishing the front region 1A using a slurry-like polishing composition containing abrasive particles.

[0033] For example, by interposing a slurry-like polishing composition between the polishing cloth and the sliding surface 1, and then pressing the polishing cloth against the sliding surface 1 while moving the polishing cloth and the sliding surface 1 relative to each other to create friction, the sliding surface 1 can be polished. By appropriately selecting the type of polishing method and the type of slurry-like polishing composition used for polishing according to the sliding direction position of the region, the surface roughness Ra of the front region 1A and the surface roughness Ra of the rear region 1B can be adjusted to desired values.

[0034] Conventional snow skis have their gliding surfaces abrasively processed using abrasive tools with fixed abrasive grains (e.g., grinding wheels, files). Subsequently, to improve the lubricity of the gliding surface, a solid wax such as paraffin wax is applied, followed by surface treatment such as scraping or brushing, resulting in a surface roughness Ra of approximately 0.7 μm. However, conventional methods for polishing the gliding surface of snow skis to a smoother level than this have not been feasible. However, with a polishing method using the slurry-like polishing composition described above, the surface roughness Ra of the gliding surface 1 can be reduced to, for example, 0.30 μm or less.

[0035] Here, a slurry-type polishing composition usable for polishing the sliding surface 1 will be described. The slurry-type polishing composition contains abrasive particles and a liquid medium, in which the abrasive particles are dispersed in the liquid medium to form a slurry. This slurry-type polishing composition may optionally contain additives.

[0036] The type of abrasive grain is not particularly limited and includes aluminum oxide, silicon oxide, cerium oxide, zirconium oxide, zircon, titanium oxide, manganese oxide, silicon carbide, boron carbide, titanium carbide, titanium nitride, silicon nitride, titanium boride, tungsten boride, etc. One type of abrasive grain may be used alone, or two or more types may be used in combination.

[0037] The average secondary particle diameter of the abrasive grains is preferably 15 μm or less, more preferably 5 μm or less, even more preferably 3 μm or less, even more preferably 1 μm or less, even more preferably 0.5 μm or less, particularly preferably 0.3 μm or less, most preferably 0.2 μm or less, and may also be, for example, 0.15 μm or less. A smaller average secondary particle diameter of the abrasive grains results in fewer scratches on the gliding surface 1 after polishing, a superior surface roughness Ra, and a tendency towards a smoother surface. The average secondary particle diameter of the abrasive grains can be measured by, for example, dynamic light scattering, laser diffraction, laser scattering, pore electrical resistance, etc.

[0038] The concentration of abrasive grains in the slurry-type polishing composition is preferably 45% by mass or less, more preferably 30% by mass or less, and even more preferably 25% by mass or less. Lower concentrations of abrasive grains result in better dispersibility and cost reduction. Furthermore, the concentration of abrasive grains in the slurry-type polishing composition is preferably 2% by mass or more, more preferably 7% by mass or more, even more preferably 10% by mass or more, particularly preferably 12% by mass or more, and may also be, for example, 17% by mass or more. Higher concentrations of abrasive grains result in increased polishing speed.

[0039] The types of additives are not particularly limited, and for example, pH adjusters, etching agents, oxidizing agents, water-soluble polymers, corrosion inhibitors, chelating agents, dispersion aids, preservatives, and fungicides may be added to the slurry-like polishing composition as desired. One type of additive may be used alone, or two or more types may be used in combination.

[0040] The liquid medium is a dispersion medium or solvent for dispersing or dissolving each component, such as abrasive particles and additives. The type of liquid medium is not particularly limited and includes water, organic solvents (e.g., oils and fats, alcohols, ethers), etc. The liquid medium may be used alone or in a mixture of two or more types, but it is preferable that it contains water.

[0041] The polishing composition may also be in compound form. The compound polishing composition is almost the same as the slurry polishing composition, except that the concentration of the liquid medium is lower and it is semi-solid (grease-like). The types of abrasive grains, liquid medium, and additives used are the same as those used in the slurry polishing composition, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0042] Next, we will describe the abrasive cloths that can be used to polish the gliding surface 1. The material of the abrasive cloth is not particularly limited and includes cloth, nonwoven fabric, suede, polyurethane foam, polyethylene foam, porous fluororesin, etc. In addition, both abrasive cloths containing abrasive grains and abrasive cloths without abrasive grains can be used. Furthermore, the polishing surface of the abrasive cloth may be provided with grooves that allow the slurry-like polishing composition to accumulate. These grooves may be provided for the purpose of making it easier for the polishing composition to reach the center of the object to be polished and for the purpose of making it easier to remove polishing debris. Furthermore, flocked cloths and woven fabrics made of fibers such as wool and nylon (examples of flocked cloths and woven fabrics include carpets) can also be used as abrasive cloths. Alternatively, the gliding surface 1 may be polished using a brush made of fibers such as nylon, or a sponge made of resin such as urethane resin, phenolic resin, or epoxy resin instead of an abrasive cloth. When adjusting the surface roughness Ra of the inner surface of the structure, for example, polishing may be performed using a flocked cloth or woven fabric with a pile length equal to or greater than the groove depth of the structure.

[0043] Furthermore, polishing of the sliding surface 1 may be performed using a polishing device that has the function of holding and moving an abrasive cloth to perform polishing, or a polishing worker may manually move a hand polisher to which an abrasive cloth has been attached, or a polishing worker may manually move the abrasive cloth while holding it. Alternatively, the sliding surface 1 may be fixed in place, and the hand polisher to which an abrasive cloth has been attached may be moved by a robotic arm or the like to perform polishing of the sliding surface 1.

[0044] Thus, if the gliding surface 1 is configured as described above, the frictional resistance between the gliding surface 1 and the snow surface during gliding will be significantly reduced, resulting in extremely excellent gliding performance for the snow skis. Furthermore, if the gliding surface 1 having the above configuration is coated with a lubricating layer 16, which is a film of lubricating material (see Figure 2), the lubricity of the gliding surface 1 will be further increased, and the frictional resistance between the gliding surface 1 and the snow surface during gliding will be further reduced, thus further improving the gliding performance of the snow skis. In other words, the gliding surface 1 of the snow ski according to this embodiment may be coated with a lubricating layer 16, as shown in Figure 2. When the gliding surface 1 is coated with a lubricating layer 16, the lubricating layer 16 may be applied to the entire gliding surface 1, or it may be applied only to the front region 1A.

[0045] By coating the sliding surface 1 with the lubricating layer 16, the lubricity of the sliding surface 1 is improved. The size of the contact angle of pure water in the forward region 1A is not particularly limited, but it is preferably 90° or more, more preferably 95° or more, and even more preferably 100° or more. The contact angle of pure water in the forward region 1A can be measured using, for example, a portable contact angle meter PG-X+ manufactured by Matsubo Co., Ltd. (pure water drop volume is 1.5 μL).

[0046] When coating the sliding surface 1 with a lubricating layer 16, a polishing step is performed in which the sliding surface 1, including the forward region 1A, is polished using a slurry-like polishing composition containing abrasive grains. After that, a coating step is performed in which the lubricating layer 16 is applied to the forward region 1A of the sliding surface 1, which has been polished to a surface roughness Ra of, for example, 0.30 μm or less.

[0047] It is, of course, preferable to form a smooth surface for the lubricating layer 16. When forming a smooth surface for the lubricating layer 16, the surface roughness Ra may be reduced to, for example, 0.30 μm or less by polishing the surface of the lubricating layer 16. The thickness of the lubricating layer 16 is not particularly limited. Even if the surface roughness Ra of the front region 1A of the sliding surface 1 after polishing exceeds 0.30 μm, the same effect as described above may be achieved if the surface roughness Ra of the surface of the lubricating layer 16 covering the front region 1A is reduced to 0.30 μm or less.

[0048] The method for forming the lubricating layer 16 on the gliding surface 1 is not particularly limited, and general methods such as roll coating, spray application, and brush application can be used without any problems. Furthermore, the type of lubricating material used to form the lubricating layer 16 is not particularly limited, and general lubricating materials such as petroleum-based lubricants (e.g., paraffin-based liquid wax, paraffin-based hot wax), mineral-based lubricants, fluorine-based coating materials, glass-based coating materials, and resin-based coating materials can be used. The properties of the lubricating material are also not particularly limited, such as solid, grease-like, or liquid.

[0049] Among the above lubricating materials, petroleum-based lubricants (such as paraffin-based liquid waxes) and glass-based coating materials are more preferred, with paraffin-based liquid waxes and glass-based coating materials being particularly preferred. Glass-based coating materials are lubricating materials that contain glass, and when a film is formed using a glass-based coating material, a film containing glass is formed. An example of a glass-based coating material is G Guard NEO, manufactured by Rinrei Co., Ltd. Examples of paraffin-based liquid waxes include the BASE MISSION LQD series and MARVEL LQD series manufactured by Hayashiwax.

[0050] In this embodiment, the present invention has been described using snow skis as an example of gliding equipment, but the type of snow skis is not particularly limited. For example, snow skis for Nordic skiing competitions or snow skis for alpine skiing competitions may be used. Even with snow skis for Nordic skiing competitions, snow skis for ski jumping competitions or snow skis for cross-country skiing competitions may be used.

[0051] Furthermore, the sliding equipment according to the present invention is not limited to snow skis. For example, examples of sliding equipment for sliding on snow other than snow skis include snowboards, chair skis, sleds, and snowmobiles. Snowmobiles are equipped with sled-like members instead of wheels for steering, so the present invention can be applied to these sled-like members.

[0052] Furthermore, the type of snow surface on which the gliding equipment according to the present invention is used is not particularly limited; for example, it can be used on fresh snow, compacted snow, granular snow, and artificial snow. Furthermore, while the snow temperature of the snow surface on which the gliding device according to the present invention is used is not particularly limited, it is preferable to use the gliding device according to the present invention on a snow surface with a snow temperature of 0°C or lower. Furthermore, while the ambient temperature when using the gliding device according to the present invention is not particularly limited, it is preferable to use the gliding device according to the present invention at an ambient temperature of, for example, 3°C or lower.

[0053] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to gliding equipment for gliding on snow, but can also be applied to gliding equipment for gliding on ice or water. That is, the surface on which gliding is performed is not limited to a snow surface, but may be an ice surface or a water surface. Even in the case of gliding equipment for gliding on ice or water, if the configuration of the gliding surface is the same as in the case of snow skis according to the present embodiment, the above-mentioned effects can be obtained when gliding on ice or water, just as with gliding equipment for gliding on snow.

[0054] Examples of gliding equipment for sliding on ice include ice skates, sleds, and curling stones. If the gliding equipment is, for example, ice skates, the configuration of the gliding surface of the metal blade that contacts the ice surface can be the same as that of snow skis according to the present embodiment.

[0055] There are no particular restrictions on the type of ice skates used; for example, ice hockey skates, speed skating skates, or figure skating skates are all acceptable. Similarly, there are no particular restrictions on the type of sled used; for example, bobsleigh sleds, luge sleds, or skeleton sleds are all acceptable.

[0056] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, comparative examples, and reference examples. [Reference example] A plate-shaped member manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials Corporation was polished to a surface roughness Ra of 0.06 μm and used as the test specimen for Reference Example 1. Additionally, a plate-shaped member manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials Corporation was polished to a surface roughness Ra of 0.4 μm and used as the test specimen for Reference Example 2.

[0057] The surface roughness Ra of the test specimen was measured using a VK-X200 laser microscope manufactured by Keyence Corporation. The magnification was 1000x, and the measurement area size was 284 μm × 213 μm. The surface roughness Ra was determined from the height information of 1024 pixels × 768 pixels within the measurement area. A Gaussian filter (λs = 0.25 μm, λc = 0.08 mm) was applied during the measurement.

[0058] Next, the abrasive surface of the test specimen was slid against ice as the mating material, and the coefficient of dynamic friction of the abrasive surface of the test specimen was measured. First, the test specimen was placed on a flat plate made of ice. The test specimen was placed so that the abrasive surface, which is the sliding surface, was in contact with the flat plate (ice surface). The ice forming the flat plate was made from pure water. The surface temperature of the flat plate was -0.7°C. Then, using a static and dynamic friction measuring instrument TL201Tt manufactured by Trinity Lab Co., Ltd., the coefficient of dynamic friction was measured at 145 g / cm². 2 The coefficient of dynamic friction was measured by sliding a test specimen on a flat plate while applying pressure. The sliding was performed by reciprocating 500 times along a straight path of 70 mm in each direction. The sliding speed was 100 mm / s. The results are shown in the graph in Figure 6.

[0059] First, by observing the surface of the ice plate before and after sliding, it was found that the surface of the ice plate became smoother due to the sliding. Next, from the graph in Figure 6, it can be seen that in the initial stages of sliding, the coefficient of dynamic friction is smaller in Reference Example 1 than in Reference Example 2, but once the number of reciprocating cycles exceeds approximately 50, the coefficient of dynamic friction becomes smaller in Reference Example 2 than in Reference Example 1.

[0060] These findings confirm that a polished surface with a low surface roughness Ra is effective for ice with a relatively rough surface, while a polished surface with a relatively high surface roughness Ra is effective for ice with a relatively smooth surface. It was also found that the coefficient of dynamic friction changes depending on the surface roughness of the ice.

[0061] [Examples 1 and 2] Next, the coefficient of dynamic friction was measured using snow skis. First, the snow skis of Example 1 will be described. Stone processing was performed on the entire bottom surface (exposed surface of the sole) of the snow skis using a structure machine to remove the structure that had been applied to the bottom surface of the snow skis. Subsequently, the bottom surface of the snow skis was divided into three regions of the same area, arranged sequentially along the direction of skiing (the longitudinal direction of the snow skis) (see Figure 1). The region located furthest forward in the direction of skiing was designated as the front region, the region located furthest back in the direction of skiing as the rear region, and the region located between the front and rear regions as the intermediate region. The region that first contacts the snow surface during skiing is included in the front region.

[0062] Then, the front region, including the area that first contacts the snow surface during skiing, was mirror-polished using a slurry-type polishing composition and polishing cloth. The surface roughness Ra of the front region after mirror polishing was measured at four arbitrary locations and was 0.15 μm (mean ± 1σ (standard deviation) was in the range of 0.10 to 0.20 μm). Although mirror polishing was not performed on the rear region, the surface roughness Ra of the rear region was also measured at four arbitrary locations and was found to be 0.53 μm (mean ± 1σ (standard deviation) in the range of 0.42 to 0.64 μm).

[0063] Furthermore, a glass-based coating material, G Guard NEO, manufactured by Rinrei Co., Ltd., was applied to the surface of the front region and dried to form a lubricating layer. The surface roughness of the front region coated with the lubricating layer was measured at four arbitrary locations and was 0.12 μm (mean ± 1σ (standard deviation) was 0.09 to 1.5 μm).

[0064] Next, ski wax manufactured by Gallium Co., Ltd. was applied to the surface of the rear region and the intermediate region to create a lubricating film. After removing the excess lubricant using a scraper and brush, the surface roughness Ra of the rear region and intermediate region was measured at four arbitrary locations and was 0.76 μm (mean ± 1σ (standard deviation) was 0.53 to 1.00 μm).

[0065] The length of the snow skis is 1.6m. The soles are made of polyethylene. Furthermore, the exposed surface of the soles does not have any structures (shallow grooves for draining water during skiing) or scales. In addition, the slurry-like polishing composition used to polish the soles consists of 20% by mass of silica with an average secondary particle size of 100nm and 80% by mass of pure water (pH=10). The material of the polishing cloth used to polish the soles is suede.

[0066] Furthermore, the surface roughness Ra of the bottom surface of the snow skis was measured using a VK-X200 laser microscope manufactured by Keyence Corporation, similar to the test specimens described above. The magnification was 1000x, and the measurement area size was 284 μm × 213 μm. Forty-eight straight lines were drawn along the direction of skiing in the measurement area, and line roughness analysis (multi-line analysis) was performed. The surface roughness Ra was then calculated from the height information of 1024 pixels for each straight line, and the average value of the 48 straight lines was adopted as the surface roughness Ra of the bottom surface of the snow skis. Note that no Gaussian filter was used during the measurement.

[0067] Furthermore, the lubricity of the front and rear regions was evaluated by the contact angle of pure water, which exhibits water repellency. The contact angle of pure water was measured using a portable contact angle meter PG-X+ manufactured by Matsubo Co., Ltd. (pure water drop volume: 1.5 μL). As a result, the contact angle of the front region was 95.5°, and the contact angle of the rear region was 115.5°.

[0068] Next, the snow skis of Example 2 will be described. The snow skis of Example 2 are the same as the snow skis of Example 1, except that a structure is formed on the exposed surface of the sole. To match the surface condition of the bottom of the snow skis to that of Example 1, the entire bottom surface of the snow skis was stone-processed using a structure machine. After removing the structure that had been applied to the bottom surface of the snow skis, stone processing was performed again to form a new structure.

[0069] Furthermore, when measuring the surface roughness Ra of snow skis with a structure, the measurement was taken in areas that did not include the structure. The surface roughness Ra of the front region after mirror polishing was measured at four arbitrary locations and was 0.13 μm (mean ± 1σ (standard deviation) in the range of 0.10 to 0.16 μm). Similarly, although the rear region was not mirror polished, the surface roughness Ra of the rear region was measured at four arbitrary locations and was 0.65 μm (mean ± 1σ (standard deviation) in the range of 0.53 to 0.77 μm).

[0070] [Comparative Examples 1 and 2] Next, the snow skis of Comparative Example 1 and Comparative Example 2 will be described. The snow ski of Comparative Example 1 has the same stone processing applied to it as the snow ski of Example 1, and the entire bottom surface of the snow ski is the same as the surface condition of the rear region of the snow ski of Example 1. The snow ski of Comparative Example 2 is the same as the snow ski of Comparative Example 1, except that a structure is formed on the exposed surface of the sole.

[0071] The coefficient of dynamic friction of the snow skis manufactured in Examples 1 and 2 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2 was measured when they were sliding on a snow surface. The measurement method was as follows: The snow skis were placed on the snow surface with the bottom surface (sliding surface) in contact with the snow surface, and a 55 kg weight was placed on the top surface of the snow skis. The snow skis were then pulled by a rope with the front area facing forward, and slid in a straight line for 7 m on the snow surface to measure the coefficient of dynamic friction. The sliding speed was 300 mm / s. The surface temperature of the snow was -0.7°C or -4.2°C. The coefficient of dynamic friction was calculated from the tensile force applied to the rope during sliding. The results are shown in Table 1 and the graphs in Figures 7 and 8.

[0072] Table 1 and the graphs in Figures 7 and 8 show that, regardless of the presence or absence of structure, the dynamic friction coefficient of the snow skis in the examples was equivalent to or lower than that of the snow skis in the comparative examples, and their gliding performance was equivalent to or better. Furthermore, the dynamic friction coefficient of the snow skis in the examples decreased as the surface temperature of the snow surface increased. As a result, the difference in dynamic friction coefficient between the snow skis and the snow skis in the comparative examples became larger at higher surface temperatures, and the gliding performance was superior to that of the snow skis in the comparative examples at higher surface temperatures. In particular, the dynamic friction coefficient was lower when the surface temperature of the snow surface was -0.7°C or higher.

[0073] [Table 1]

[0074] [Example 3] Example 3 was manufactured in the same manner as Example 2, except that the area of ​​the front region on the bottom surface of the snow ski was 30.3%, and the entire bottom surface of the snow ski was coated with a paraffin-based liquid wax (MARVEL LQD-02 manufactured by Hayashi Wax) to create a lubricating layer, and the excess lubricant was removed using a brush.

[0075] The surface roughness Ra of the front region coated with the lubricating layer was measured at four arbitrary locations and was 0.195 μm (mean ± 1σ (standard deviation) was 0.164 to 0.226 μm). The surface roughness Ra of the rear and intermediate regions was measured at four arbitrary locations and was 0.521 μm (mean ± 1σ (standard deviation) was 0.461 to 0.581 μm).

[0076] [Example 4] Example 4 was manufactured in the same manner as Example 2, except that the area of ​​the front region on the bottom surface of the snow ski was 12.1%, and the entire bottom surface of the snow ski was coated with a paraffin-based liquid wax (MARVEL LQD-02 manufactured by Hayashi Wax) to create a lubricating layer, and the excess lubricant was removed using a brush.

[0077] The surface roughness Ra of the front region coated with the lubricating layer was measured at four arbitrary locations and was 0.195 μm (mean ± 1σ (standard deviation) was 0.164 to 0.226 μm). The surface roughness Ra of the rear and intermediate regions was measured at four arbitrary locations and was 0.521 μm (mean ± 1σ (standard deviation) was 0.461 to 0.581 μm).

[0078] [Example 5] Example 5 was manufactured in the same manner as Example 2, except that the area of ​​the front region on the bottom surface of the snow ski was 30.3%, and the lubricant used to coat the rear and middle regions with a lubricating layer was a paraffin-based liquid wax (MARVEL LQD-02 manufactured by Hayashi Wax), and the excess lubricant was removed using a brush.

[0079] The surface roughness Ra of the front region coated with the lubricating layer was measured at four arbitrary locations and was 0.144 μm (mean ± 1σ (standard deviation) was 0.109 to 0.179 μm). The surface roughness Ra of the rear and intermediate regions was measured at four arbitrary locations and was 0.521 μm (mean ± 1σ (standard deviation) was 0.461 to 0.581 μm).

[0080] [Comparative Example 3] Comparative Example 3 was manufactured in the same manner as Comparative Example 2, except that a paraffin-based liquid wax (MARVEL LQD-02 manufactured by Hayashi Wax) was used to coat the entire bottom surface with a lubricating layer, and excess lubricant was removed using a brush.

[0081] The dynamic friction coefficient of the snow skis manufactured in Examples 3, 4, and 5, and Comparative Example 3, was measured when gliding on a snow surface. The measurement method was the same as in Examples 1 and 2 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2. In addition to the same measurement conditions as in Examples 1 and 2 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2, the dynamic friction coefficient was also measured under conditions of a snow surface temperature of -0.7°C and a gliding speed of 900 mm / s. The results are shown in Table 2.

[0082] As can be seen from Table 2, the coefficient of dynamic friction of the snow skis in Examples 3, 4, and 5 was lower than that of the snow ski in Comparative Example 3, indicating superior gliding performance. Furthermore, the comparison between Example 3 and Example 5 suggests that using paraffin-based liquid wax as a lubricant in the forward region provides superior gliding performance compared to using glass-based coating materials.

[0083] [Table 2] [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 1. Sliding surface 1A...Anterior area 1B...Back area 1C...middle area 1D... The area in front of the sliding direction of the part that first makes contact with the object being slid. d-d'...the part that first makes contact with the object being slid on during gliding. 12... sole 16...Lubricating layer

Claims

1. A sliding device for sliding on an object, The object to be skied on is a snow surface or an ice surface. The sliding surface has a sliding surface that contacts the object to be slid, and the sliding surface is divided into a plurality of regions with different arithmetic mean roughness Ra, and these plurality of regions are arranged sequentially along the longitudinal direction. A sliding device in which, among the plurality of regions, the arithmetic mean roughness Ra of the surface of the front region, which is the region that first contacts the object to be slid during sliding, is smaller than the arithmetic mean roughness Ra of the surface of the rear region located behind the front region.

2. The sliding device according to claim 1, wherein the arithmetic mean roughness Ra of the surface of the front region is 0.30 μm or less, and the arithmetic mean roughness Ra of the surface of the rear region is 0.40 μm or more.

3. The sliding device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the front region, whose surface arithmetic mean roughness Ra is smaller than that of the rear region, has a maximum length of 1 mm or more in the longitudinal direction.

4. The gliding device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the front region is coated with a film of paraffin-based liquid wax or a glass-based coating material.

5. A sliding method comprising sliding on an object to be slid using the sliding device described in claim 1 or claim 2.

6. A method for manufacturing a gliding device according to claim 1 or claim 2, comprising a polishing step of polishing the forward region using a slurry-like polishing composition containing abrasive particles.

7. A method for manufacturing a gliding device according to claim 4, comprising: a polishing step of polishing the front region using a slurry-like polishing composition containing abrasive particles; and a coating step of coating the front region with a film of paraffin-based liquid wax or glass-based coating material after the polishing step.

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