Split snowboard
OwnerDonald Ruzickainventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for providing a ski-snowboard device capable of skinning in an uphill ski mode and skiing in a downhill snowboard mode. The system may include two skis with inner and outer edges having substantially concave side cuts, and an insert that fits into the space between the inner edge side cuts of each of the two skis. The concave side cuts of the inner edges of the skis may have a groove formed in each, and a mating tongue on each side of the insert can fit into the grooves in a downhill snowboard mode. The tongue-and-groove connection may improve the torsional stiffness of the board, and the concave side cuts may allow a user to better grip when skiing and eliminate the step of switching the skis when used as sides of the snowboard.
Claims19
A ski-snowboard system for downhill snowboarding and uphill skinning, the system comprising:
- a first ski having an outer edge with a substantially concave outer edge side cut and an inner edge with a substantially concave inner edge side cut, the inner edge side cut having a greater degree of curvature than the outer edge side cut, at least a portion of the inner edge having a cutaway therein forming a first ski inner edge groove;
- a second ski having an outer edge with a substantially concave outer edge side cut and an inner edge with a substantially concave inner edge side cut, the inner edge side cut having a greater degree of curvature than the outer edge side cut, at least a portion of the inner edge having a cutaway therein forming a second ski inner edge groove;
- an insert having a substantially convex first edge with a first tongue extending from the first edge, the first tongue to engage the first ski inner edge groove, the insert having a substantially convex second edge with a second tongue extending from the second edge, the second tongue to engage the second ski inner edge groove;
- and
- the system having a first uphill configuration in which the first ski and second ski are separated, and a second downhill configuration in which at least a portion of the inner edge of the first ski is attached to at least a portion of the inner edge of the second ski to form a snowboard and the insert is fitted between the first ski and the second ski, with the first tongue of the insert engaging the first ski inner edge groove and the second tongue engaging the second ski inner edge groove to increase a torsional stiffness of the second downhill configuration.
A ski-snowboard system comprising:
- a first ski having an outer edge and an inner edge with a substantially concave shape;
- a second ski having an outer edge and an inner edge with a substantially concave shape,
- an insert having a substantially convex first edge and a substantially convex second edge;
- and
- the system having a first configuration and a second configuration;
- wherein when the system is in the first configuration, the first ski and second ski are separated, the first ski inner edge facing the second ski inner edge;
- and
- wherein when the system is in the second configuration, at least a portion of the inner edge of the first ski is attached to at least a portion of the inner edge of the second ski to form a snowboard and the insert is fitted between the first ski and the second ski.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.