Digitally controlled variable stiffness sporting equipment
AssigneeVerispellis Skis & Snowboards, Inc.
InventorsAra Nazarian, Edward K. Rodriguez
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system, method, and apparatus for an athlete to variably control the flexibility and stiffness parameters of a piece of athletic equipment to select a desired performance characteristic of the equipment based on the stiffness parameter. According to certain embodiments discussed herein, an item of sporting equipment may be embedded, impregnated, lined, or encased using nitinol components, wherein the nitinol components may themselves be treated using a specific method in order to achieve the desired transformation results, as described below.
Claims16
A system comprising:
- an item body that comprises a first end and a second end;
- a component formed of a thermally responsive material that transitions between a first state and a second state, the first state corresponding with a first physical property and the second state corresponding with a second physical property;
- a heating element proximate to the component formed of the thermally responsive material;
- and
- an input module comprising one or more processors and a switch mechanism that includes a push-button that comprises an open state and a closed state to receive a user input that initiates the heating element and causes the heating element to apply a temperature change to the thermally responsive material based on a property of the user input, the property including a duration of the input, wherein the duration of the input indicates a period of time in which the push-button is detected in the closed state, and wherein the input causes the component to transition between at least the first state and the second state.
A method for adjusting a property of an item of sporting equipment comprising:
- receiving an input at an input component associated with the item of sporting equipment, the input comprising an input property, the input component comprising a switch mechanism that includes a push-button that comprises an open state and a closed state;
- and
- causing a heating element to impart a phase change to a component formed of a thermally responsive material based on the input property of the input, the input property including a duration of the input, wherein the duration of the input comprises a period of time in which the push-button is detected in the closed state.
An apparatus comprising:
- an item body that comprises a first end and a second end;
- a component formed of a thermally responsive material that transitions between a first state and a second state, the first state corresponding with a first physical property and the second state corresponding with a second physical property;
- a heating element proximate to the component formed of the thermally responsive material;
- and
- an input module comprising one or more processors and a switch mechanism that includes a push-button that comprises an open state and a closed state to receive a user input that initiates the heating element and causes the heating element to apply a temperature change to the thermally responsive material based on a property of the user input, the property including a duration of the input, wherein the duration of the input indicates a period of time in which the push-button is detected in the closed state, and wherein the input causes the component to transition between at least the first state and the second state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.