GB2288544A - A ski slope - Google Patents

Abstract

A ski slope (2) having an artificial skiing surface (4) comprising a plurality of roller members (6), the roller members (6) being arranged such that at least some of them are angularly arranged roller members (6) which extend other than at an angle of 90 degrees to a notational longitudinal centre line (8) of the ski slope (2). <IMAGE>

Description

A SKI SLOPE This invention relates to a ski slope and, more especially, this invention relates to a ski slope having an artificial skiing surface.

Ski slopes having an artificial skiing surface made of a matting are well known. The matting is usually made of nylon fibres. When skiers are skiing over the matting, a considerable amount of friction is generated between the matting and the base of the skis.

This friction slows the skier down and if the ski slope is not very steep, then the skiers ski too slowly and the ski slope is not exciting enough. This in turn means that skiers tend not to use the ski slope. If the ski slope is made steeper in order to get faster skiing, then the ski slope often looks too steep and many skiers are frightened to use the ski slope due to its steep gradient. Thus again the skiers tend not to use the ski slope.

Another problem associated with the known ski slopes having the artificial skiing surface made of matting is that of wear of the matting. More specifically, as skiers travel across the matting, their skis continuously bend and erode the matting fibres.

This is especially so in dry weather when the friction between the matting and the base of the skis is considerable. The wear of the matting means that the matting has to be changed frequently, and this is expensive. The friction generated between the matting and the base of the skis is also disadvantageous in that it causes the base of the skis to become unduly hot, often causing the nylon base of the skis to start to shrink and/or causing skiers to burn their hands by touching the hot base of the skis at the end of a ski run.

It is an aim of the present invention to reduce the above mentioned problems.

Accordingly, in one non-liMiting embodiment of the present invention there is provided a ski slope having an artificial skiing surface comprising a plurality of roller members, the roller members being arranged such that at least some of them are angularly arranged roller members which extend other than at an angle of 90 degrees to a notional longitudinal centre line of the ski slope.

The angle for the angularly arranged roller members is determined by the desired steepness of the ski slope and the desired speed of skiing. The nearer that the angularly arranged roller members get to the angle of 90 degrees to the notional centre line of the ski slope, the faster is the speed of skiing. The angularly arranged roller members enable sufficient friction to be created that skiers can stop by turning their skis in a usual skiing manner. If the angularly arranged roller members were just at an angle of 90 degrees to the notional longitudinal centre line, then the turned skis would tend to just slide over the top of the roller members. However, with the angularly arranged roller members, sufficient friction is able to be produced to enable skiers to stop in a normal skiing manner.Thus the ski slope of the present invention can be used to give fast skiing on ski slopes which are not of too steep a gradient, which in turn means that people do not become bored due to slow skiing and people do not become frightened due to a ski slope having too steep a gradient. Still further, the roller members will not need constant changing such as is the case with matting.

The ski slope may be one in which the angularly arranged roller members are such that some of them extend at an acute angle to the notional longitudinal centre line of the ski slope, and some of them extend at an obtuse angle to the notional longitudinal centre line of the ski slope. With such an arrangement, substantially 50% of the angularly arranged roller members may extend at an acute angle and substantially 50t of the angularly arranged roller members may extend at an obtuse angle. If desired, the angularly arranged roller members may be arranged in groups of four making a diamond shape.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the ski slope may be one in which the angularly arranged roller members all extend in the same direction and thus all make the same type of angle to the notional centre line of the ski slope.

If desired, the angularly arranged roller members may be arranged to make different angles at different sect ions of the ski slope in order to give the ski slope faster and slower skiing sections. Such an arrangement may enhance skiing excitement on the ski slope.

In one embodiment of the invention the ski slope is one in which all of the roller members are the angularly arranged roller members. In another embodiment of the invention, the ski slope is one in which some of the roller members are the angularly arranged roller members, in which some of the roller members are such that they are transversely arranged roller members which extend at an angle at 90 degrees to the notional longitudinal centre line, and in which the transversely arranged rollers are positioned at one or more places on the ski slope where it is desired for skiers on the ski slope to increase their ski speed and not to stop. Such an arrangement may be used to increase skier enjoyment from using the ski slope.

The ski slope may be one in which the angularly arranged roller members are fixed in a predetermined angular position. Alternatively, the ski slope may be one in which the angularly arranged roller members are adjustable so that their angular position can be adjusted. Where the angularly arranged roller members are adjustable, they are preferably adjustable in situ on the ski slope. Thus adjustments can easily be made to increase or decrease the speed of skiing of skiers on the ski slope. The adjustable angularly arranged roller members may be adjustable when removed from the ski slope if desired.

The roller members may each comprise a roller pivotally supported at each of its ends. The roller may be pivotally supported between a pair of upstanding support members.

The rollers may be mounted to flex, in order to give a more comfortable feel to skiers skiing on the ski slope.

The roller members will usually be made of a plastics material. The rollers of the roller members may be coated with a friction-reducing material. The same material as used for the base of skiis may be employed.

The ski slope may include plug members for fitting between gaps in the roller members. The plug members may be used to stop fallen skiers possibly putting their fingers or hands in the gaps. The plug members may also be effective to stop rubbish accumulating in the gaps. A presently preferred plug member is a dished plug member made of a plastics material. Other types of plug members may be employed.

The ski slope may be one having a return path comprising a plurality of roller members which are all arranged at an angle of 90 degrees to the notional longitudinal centre line of the return path. The return path may thus have a pulley for pulling skiers to the top of the ski slope and the skiers will be able to be pulled to the top of the ski slope with a minimum of friction between their skis and the roller members.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows schematically part of a ski slope in use; Figure 2 is an enlarged view of part of the ski slope shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is yet a further enlarged view showing skis passing over angularly arranged roller members; Figure 4 shows in detail a first arrangement of angularly arranged roller members for the ski slope of Figure 1; and Figure 5 shows in detail a second arrangement for angularly arranged roller members for the ski slope of Figure 1.

Referring to Figures 1 to 4, there is shown a ski slope 2 having an artificial skiing surface 4 comprising a plurality of roller members. The roller members are arranged such that some of them are angularly arranged roller members 6 which extend at an angle other than 90 degrees to a notional longitudinal centre line 8 of the ski slope 2. The angularly arranged roller members 6 are such that they are arranged in groups of four making a diamond shape as shown in Figure 4. Thus substantially 50% of the angularly arranged roller members 6 extend at an acute angle to the notional centre line 8, and substantially 50% of the angularly arranged roller members 6 extend at an obtuse angle to the centre line 8.

As can be seen from Figures 1, 2 and 3, the ski slope 2 is one in which the majority of the roller members are the angularly arranged roller members 6.

However some of the roller members are tranversely arranged roller members 10 which extend at an angle of 90 degrees to the centre line 8. The transversely arranged roller members 10 are positioned at one or more places on the ski slope 2 where it is desired for skiers on the ski slope 2 to increase their ski speed and not to stop.

The angularly arranged roller members 6 are fixed in their predetermined angular positions. If desired however the angularly arranged roller members 6 may be adjustable so that their angular positions can be adjusted, for example in situ on the ski slope 2.

As can be seen from Figure 4, the angularly arranged roller members 6 each comprise a roller 12 pivotally supported at each of its ends between a pair of upstanding support members 14. The roller 12 and the support members 14 are preferably made of a plastics material. Any suitable and appropriate plastics material may be employed.

The angularly arranged roller members 6 can be arranged on the ski slope 2 such that good skiing speeds are achievable with a ski slope 2 of minimum gradient.

The essential facilities for good dry slope skiing, for example by a skier 16 on skis 18, are thus provided by the ski slope of the present invention. Still further, the angularly arranged roller members 6 and the transversely arranged roller members 10 can be manufactured such that they do not require constant replacing as occurs with artificial skiing surfaces.

Referring now to Figure 5, there is shown a ski slope element 20 which is formed as shown to have a plurality of flat skiing areas 22 and a plurality of troughs 24. Roller-location members 26 are positioned at the intersection of each set of four troughs 24 as can be seen from Figure 5. Each roller-location member 26 has a concave recess 28 for receiving one end of a bearing or central axle of a roller (not shown). The end of each bearing or central axle can be positioned under gravity in its concave recess 28 or, more preferably, it can be fixed in position, for example by screws, glue or any other suitable and appropriate fixing means. In order to form a ski slope, a plurality of the ski slope elements 20 are connected together by any suitable and appropriate connection means.

The ski slope element 20 is preferably made from a plastics material that is flexible and that is also not adversely affected by winter and summer temperatures. The ski slope element 20 can advantageously be molded to shape.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings have been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, a dished plug member (not shown) made of a plastics material may be employed for fitting between gaps 16 in the angularly arranged roller members 6. The dished plug members may be effective to stop fallen skiers putting their hands or fingers in the gaps 16, and also for stopping rubbish accumulating in the gaps 16. The ski slope 2 may also have a return path (not shown) comprising a plurality of roller members which are all arranged at an angle of 90 degrees to a notional centre line of the return path. Various constructions for the roller members may be employed. The ski slope of the present invention can be arranged to flex to accommodate undulations in the underneath support material for the artificial skiing surface 4.

Claims (19)

1. A ski slope having an artificial skiing surface comprising a plurality of roller members, the roller members being arranged such that at least some of them are angularly arranged roller members which extend at an angle other than 90 degrees to a notional longitudinal centre line of the ski slope.

2. A ski slope according to claim 1 in which the angularly arranged roller members are such that some of them extend at an acute angle to the notional longitudinal centre line of the ski slope, and some of them extend at an obtuse angle to the notional longitudinal centre line of the ski slope.

3. A ski slope according to claim 2 in which substantially 50% of the angularly arranged roller members extend at an acute angle, and in which substantially 50% of the angularly arranged roller members extend at an obtuse angle.

4. A ski slope according to claim 3 in which the angularly arranged roller members are arranged in groups of four making a diamond shape.

5. A ski slope according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the angularly arranged roller members all extend in the same direction and thus all make the same type of angle to the notional centre line of the ski slope.

6. A ski slope according to any one of claims 1 to 4 in which the angularly arranged roller members are arranged to make different angles at different sections of the ski slope in order to give the ski slope faster and slower sking sections.

7. A ski slope according to any one of claims 1 to 4 in which all of the roller members are the angularly arranged roller members.

8. A ski slope according to any one of claims 1 to 6 in which some of the roller members are the angularly arranged roller members, in which some of the roller members are such that they are transversely arranged roller members which extend at an angle of 90 degrees to the notional longitudinal centre line, and in which the transversely arranged rollers are positioned at one or more places on the ski slope where it is desired for skiers on the ski slope to increase their skiing speed and not to stop.

9. A ski slope according to any one of the preceding claims in which the angularly arranged roller members are fixed in a predetermined angular position.

10. A ski slope according to any one of claims 1 to 8 in which the angularly arranged roller members are adjustable so that their angular position can be adjusted.

11. A ski slope according to claim 10 in which the adjustable angularly arranged roller members are adjustable in situ on the ski slope.

12. A ski slope according to any one of the preceding claims in which the roller members each comprise a roller pivotally supported at each of its ends.

13. A ski slope according to claim 12 in which the roller is pivotally supported between a pair of upstanding support members.

14. A ski slope according to any one of the preceding claims in which the roller members are mounted such that they flex when they are skied over.

15. A ski slope according to any one of the preceding claims in which the roller members are made of a plastics material.

16. A ski slope according to any one of the preceding claims and including plug members for fitting between gaps in the roller members.

17. A ski slope according to claim 16 in which the plug members are each a dished plug member made of a plastics material.

18. A ski slope according to any one of the preceding claims and having a return path comprising a plurality of roller members which are all arranged at an angle of 90 degrees to a notional longitudinal centre line of the return path.

19. A ski slope substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.