Skateboard Deck with Longitudinal Ribs and Apertures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional skateboard decks are too stiff to allow axial rotation, preventing dynamic conformity to the ground and limiting the rider's experience.
Innovation Solution
A skateboard deck design featuring longitudinally stiff ribs and rotationally flexible apertures, allowing for rotational spring constants between 1.50 and 2.35 foot-pounds/degree, enabling axial rotation while maintaining longitudinal stiffness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the plywood deck is made stiff enough to support the rider's weight, then the longitudinal strength is improved, but the rotational flexibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The deck incorporates ribs with varying heights at different longitudinal positions, creating local variations in stiffness. The ribs are taller near the trucks to provide longitudinal strength and support, while being shorter or absent in the rotational zone to allow rotational flexibility. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by making different parts of the same structure have different mechanical properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The deck is segmented into functionally distinct zones: rigid support zones with tall ribs near the trucks for longitudinal strength, and flexible rotational zones with shorter or no ribs in between. This segmentation allows the deck to simultaneously achieve longitudinal stiffness where needed and rotational flexibility where needed, resolving the contradiction through spatial separation of functions.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the deck is made rigid to prevent sagging between trucks, then the longitudinal stability is improved, but the ability to conform to ground contours deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The deck uses locally differentiated rib heights to create rigid zones over the trucks for longitudinal stability and prevent sagging, while creating flexible zones in between with shorter ribs that can bend and conform to ground contours. This local quality variation resolves the contradiction by applying different stiffness characteristics to different spatial locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The deck transitions from a static, uniformly rigid structure to a dynamic structure with variable stiffness characteristics. The ribbed design allows the deck to rigidly support loads over trucks while dynamically flexing in rotational zones to adapt to changing ground conditions, resolving the contradiction between stability and adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
A skateboard deck that is both stiff in one dimension and flexible in another dimension is disclosed. The deck includes an elongated body characterized by a longitudinal axis, a plurality of ribs, and a plurality of apertures. The plurality of ribs are long, narrow beams oriented substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis and integral with the bottom of the elongated body. The plurality of apertures are distributed in a plurality of rows also oriented substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis. The ribs and rows of apertures are interposed in an alternating pattern across the width of the deck. The resulting deck is stiff in the longitudinal direction yet flexible with respect to rotation about the longitudinal axis. The deck is therefore flexible enough to enable the front and rear trucks to rotate with respect to one another while still being rigid enough to withstand the weight of the rider.