WO2001066202A1

WO2001066202A1 - Cross-country ski for skiing especially on ice

Info

Publication number: WO2001066202A1
Application number: PCT/NO2001/000089
Authority: WO
Inventors: Odd Gunnar Burmo
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-03-08
Filing date: 2001-03-05
Publication date: 2001-09-13
Anticipated expiration: 2002-09-08
Also published as: AU2001244874A1; NO20001183L; NO20001183D0; NO309895B1

Abstract

The invention relates to a cross-country ski for skiing especially on ice, ice-covered surface. The invention includes a combination of a ski-body (1) with suitable tension as a bearing surface, with an upper surface (2) with ski binding (10) and an underside (3), where dual-blades (4), like those for speed skating, are connected in a front and rear coupling assembly in the longitudinal direction. The distance between the blades in the same pair can be equal to the width of the ski-body, and between the dual-blades in the same pair there are connected a flat body (11), with an easy glide base, which has a distance to the edges of the exchangeable blades. The glide base will act like a ski on snow at bad ice quality and at snow conditions. Both coupling assemblies allow movement about a horizontal axis, but not much, or any movement about a vertical axis. The invention utilizes the springiness of the ski-body to both as shock absorber and power to the kick. The invention has models for both skiing techniques and can be equipped with a brake system consisting of a handbrake (8) connected to a brake block (7). The invention creates a new winter activity especially for skiing on ice-covered surface and will give great speed on hard ice and will fit at frozen lakes and on icy ski tracks. In use the invention typically can be used in the same way as ordinary cross-country skis are used on snow.

Description

CROSS-COUNTRY SKI FOR SKIING ESPECIALLY ON ICE

The present invention relates to a cross-country ski for skiing on ice, ice- covered surface, where it generally will be impossible to go on ordinary skis and difficult, to go skating.

Conventionally recreation and training equipment for use on ice in the winter has included ice-skates as racing skates mentioned in US-PS 475.926, 10539.641 and 568.547, and recreation equipment described in US-PS 1.013.154 and 3.879.047.

The skates, which are described in US-PS 475.926, 539.641 and 568.547, are used for skating on ice of good quality. They are produced with longer blades than common, but the longest are not longer than 50 cm, as described in US-PS 568.547.

Recreation equipment as described in US-PS 3.879.047, John MacDonald, is adjusted after the foot size of the user. It includes an essentially flat upper part, which support the users foot and a lower part, which has ice contact, which is shaped for moving round it's longitudinal direction for ski control. This type of ski is planned to be used on an icy downhill, or on a flat icy area where the participant are towed.

Other recreation equipment, which can be used on either ice or snow, is described in US-PS 1.013.154 by L.W. Greening 02.01.1912. In the same way as the equipment described in US-PS 3.879.047, this equipment shall be used on an icy downhill. It includes a foot chassis, which support the users foot, a blade where the ends are bended up and a vertical bar placed in the rail, such as the equipment can be used by persons with different highs without unnecessary leaning.

Patent 944561 - A63C1/26 -"Skate", of 28.1 1.94, deal with a body connected to the blade and a vertical edge. The blade is metallic, metal ceramics, or produced of another material, and fastens with a connection that can be taken away.

Constantly someone makes different attempts to replace snow with artificial gliding surface, as roller skates and roller skis. It is known different types of roller skis, Patent 137074, 28.12.77, Patent 141827, 16.09.77 and Patent number 306287, 10.01.95, where a ski body are used as a bearing surface equipped with front and rear wheels or rollers.

A common winter activity is skiing. A participant in this activity is dependent on the user's kick-off with legs and ski sticks, to move the user's body over the snow and on the snows conditions. The skier needs a sufficient quantity of snow to go on the snow, and the snow must be of good quality, not too coarse, or icy. Ice can affect on the skier so the skier loses control and the balance when skiing on the surface.

A recreation equipment which can be used on an uneven, or rough ice, typically on frozen lakes in winter, is described in Patent NO 178689- Int.Cl.:A63C5/04 - "Winter training equipment". This Patent deals with equipment, which can be used on any type of ice in the same manner as skiing with cross-country skis on snow. The equipment components are including a ski-body with an upper surface and a lower surface where a rail is connected. The ski-body with the rail has a length more than 91 cm and are preferentially longer than 106 cm. In the claims it's mentioned that a thin rail blade (14) is connected to the lower surface (23) of the ski-body (12), in the longitudinal direction. The rail blade (14) has a front end, a middle part and a rear end. The rail blade is characterised in that the lengths is at least 75 cm and bended to a radius of at least 60 m. The edges of the rail blades are sharpened in the middle part, but the edges on the front and the rear, are not sharpened. The inventor, Edmund L. Merle Smith from US, claims that the invention can be used on any type of ice, in the same way as skiing with cross country skis on snow, and claims that the invention create a new winter sport activity, especially when the snow and the ice-conditions not are satisfactory for conventionally winter activities, as skating or cross country skiing. When using the equipment in patent NO 178689 the equipment will be stiff by the very fact that the rail blade is connected to the groove (24). The springiness of the ski-body is gone and is not used. The ski also seems heavy. In some hilly and broken country the ski would have problems to follow the terrain, and seems not to be fitted.

Snow and rain and coldness, create sheet of ice, icy tracks and icy areas. Coldness without snow gives frozen lakes, canals and rivers.

The present invention relates to a new type of cross-country ski, where the springiness of the ski is used as a springboard when the user go skiing in skating technique, in a new construction, where the springy ski-body is connected to the dual -blades to the underside of the tip and to the underside of the tale of the ski. The present invention is a combination of skis and skates, a kind of hybrid.

A main intention with the present invention is to create new winter equipment for smooth surface, coarse or hilly ice surfaces, where it will be impossible to go skiing with ordinary cross country skis. Skates are not especially fitted on hilly ice and on icy ski tracks. A skate has no springiness and are not springy for the user. When skating the user basically train legs and the lower part of the body and not the upper body. Skiing is accepted as one of the best training forms, since the whole body is being used in the movements.

A combination of skates and skis will influence on the user, who will be able to go more "softly" in a more springy way. The springiness of the ski will influence to the movement in ski skating. In the skate movement the ski will be more like a spring and "spring back", and "give" power to the user such that the user could get powerful kicks and greater speed. In use the present invention typically can be used in the same way as ordinary cross-country skis are used on snow. The user can use ordinary ski boots, for connection to ski bindings on the present invention. These and other features of the cross-country ski according to the present invention will be more apparent and clear from the following detailed description of three embodiments thereof, given as a non limiting example only, and with reference to the figure of the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the free technique ski model.

Fig. 2 is a side view of an especially "classic" model, equipped with 2 pair of dual blades in front, and 1 pair of blades in the rear.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the free technique ski model, equipped with a hand brake system, where the brake system is in function.

The present invention includes a combination of a ski -body (1) with suitable tension as a bearing surface, with an upper surface (2) with ski binding (10), an underside (3), where dual-blades (4) are connected in a coupling assembly in the longitudinal direction under the tip and the tail of the ski. Both coupling assemblies allow movement about a horizontal axis, but not much movement about a vertical axis. The stability will make it possible for the dual-blades to follow same line. The distance between the blades in the same pair can be equal to the width of the ski-body. Between the dual-blades in the same pair there are connected a flat body with an easy glide base, which has a distance to the edge of the blades. The blades can be exchangeable. On the coupling assemblies (5) there can be an adjustable switch for adjusting the hardness of the shock absorber, which is current when the ice is uneven or rough. The stiffness of the ski -body can be chosen after the weight of the user, or the physically qualifications of the user.

If the blades should go through the ice surface, because of bad ice quality, the easy glide base (11) will act like a ski on snow, and prevent an accident as a sudden stop could cause. This is common known with ordinary ice-skates. The same base will also make it possible to go skiing on snow conditions. A variant of the present invention for icy roads with roughness can in front be equipped with two or more dual-blades (4) connected after each other to a coupling assembly. It will then be easier for the dual-blades to follow a bumpy surface. Preferentially these front dual -blades should be half the length of the rear pair.

A variant of the present invention is a "classic" model, preferentially with a connection of a plate, as a base equipped with a material, which can grip into the ice surface, when the user kicks. When gliding, this plate is over the surface. The stiffness of the ski-body can be chosen after the weight of the user, as ski for snow condition. This plate can be adjustable in height in such a way that the user, when heavy loaded, can adjust up the plate, so it don't touch the surface below, in the gliding phase.

The present invention can be equipped with a brake system. A brake block (7), preferentially placed on the underside of the ski-body right under the users heel, which can be activated in a suitable way by pulling up a spring-loaded handbrake (8) of a suitable type, with an easy to handle grip (9) of suitable type, preferentially connected to the outside of the ski-body right in front of the ski binding (10) in a suitable way.

The brake block (7) can consist of a plate of a suitable material, preferentially equipped with studs to the underside and connected in a suitable way that it has a slanting position in such a way that the front is higher than the rear end of the plate, when it's not in function. The rear end should have a distance to the ground of approximately 1,0 cm. Under braking this slanting position is kept up.

Preferentially the handbrake (8) could be an arm of a suitable material with a length of approximately 30 cm, which has full effect when this arm has a right up position. The user can use the brake when "sitting down" and then pull up the handle grips (9). The user will have good contact with the ground and good ski control. The speed can be great and it can be necessary for the user to have possibilities to a quick stop, and an easy handled brake system is for own safety to recommend.

The bow of the ski -body can be used as a springy function. Ski bindings, ski boots and ski sticks will be the same as in ordinary skiing on snow. Blades, preferentially shorter blades like those for speed skating, is connected outside of a plate with an easy glide base to one unit, preferentially in such way that the width is equal the width of the ski-body. The edges of the blades are lower than the easy glide base, for good contact with the ice surface.

The object of the present invention is to provide a new means for crosscountry skiing especially for ice conditions, which can be used in the same way as for ordinary cross-country skiing. This can let this winter activity happen where it is little or nothing of snow, and when the snow conditions are bad for ordinary skiing, and then for ice-covered surfaces of several types.

When using the invention the user has ski boots and fastens each boot into a ski binding on each ski. The user uses two ski sticks to go skiing and moving forwards, on the frozen surface. Power is transmitted from the feet, during the push-off phase in skating, to the ski and to the dual-blades under the tip and the tail. In the gliding phase all blades have ice contact, but in the push-off phase in free technique, only the inner blades have contact and the pressure against the icy surface is equally distributed under each inner blade.

The combination of ski with springiness and dual-blades on smooth, hard ice, together with use of ski sticks, can give great speed and possibilities to go longer excursions on for example frozen roads, frozen lakes and so on, a new winter activity. The user will have a springy "walk" in contrast to an ordinary ice-skater, who completely have no shock absorber in the users skate. It is common known that modern running shoes have advanced shock absorbers in their soles. Because of the dual-blade system, cracks in the sheet of ice will be no problem. A single blade could be dangerous to go on under similar conditions.

The especially novelty are the combination of ski and skates, a kind of hybrid.

The description and drawings are to be understood thus that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, bur merely as a basis for the claims.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS 1. Cross-country ski for skiing on ice, ice-covered surface, characterised in that it consists of the combination of a ski-body (1) with suitable tension as a bearing surface, with an upper surface (2) with ski binding (10) and an underside (3), where one or more pairs of dual-blades (4) are connected in a coupling assembly (5) in the longitudinal direction, under the tip and the tail of the ski-body.

2. The invention according to claim 1, characterised in that the underside of the middle part of the "classic" model are equipped with an adjustable plate (6) for grip when the user kick.

3. The invention according to claim 1, characterised in that the dual-blade in each pair (4) are connected outside to a flat body (11) with an easy glide base, which has a distance to the edge of the exchangeable blades, preferentially in the same distance as the width of the ski-body (1).

4.The invention according to claim 1, characterised in that the coupling assembly point (5) for the dual-blades (4) can have an adjustable shock absorber.

5. The invention according to claim 1, characterised in that the dual- blades (4) can be moved up and down about a horizontal axis, but not much, or any movement about a vertical axis, in such a way that the edges of the blades lies on the same horizontal line when not loaded.

6.The invention according to claim 1, characterised in that it can be equipped with a brake system consisting of a spring loaded handbrake (8) of a suitable type with an easy to handle grip (9), preferentially connected to the outside of the ski-body (1) right in front of the ski binding (10), with a brake block (7) preferentially placed on the underside of the ski-body right under the users heel.