US 12,636,568 B2Granted

Portable ski and snowboard edge sharpener and method of using the same

OwnerWilliam E. Durell, Thomas E. Durellinventors

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Abstract

A ski or snowboard edge sharpener may include an abrasive grinding wheel, a belt-driven drive train or direct drive system that connects a motor and grinding wheel drive mechanism and decreases the grinding wheel's speed of rotation relative to the speed of the motor, a grinding wheel mount allowing selection and use grinding wheels of different grits and materials and grinding wheel controls allowing the control of the cut depth and the grinding wheel angles relative to the longitudinal and transverse planes of the ski edge surface to be sharpened. In some embodiments, the sharpener may alternatively include a grinding wheel and motor that drives the grinding wheel drive mechanism. Such configurations may allow repeated sharpening of a ski edge at specific/chosen angles with a specific/chosen surface finish. A position lockdown device that is part of each of the control mechanisms may be included.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A sharpener for a ski or snowboard comprising:

a motor;
a motor shaft driven by the motor;
a grinding wheel that is directly driven by the motor via direct connection of the motor shaft to the grinding wheel;
a main bearing external to the motor;
a base plate in a first plane adjacent the motor and having a surface that engages the ski or snowboard;
an edge guide proximate to the base plate, the edge guide for guiding the grinding wheel into contact with an edge of a subject ski or snowboard, the edge guide comprising two edge guide surfaces or rollers that engage a side of the ski or snowboard being sharpened and are adjustable laterally towards or away from the side of the edge of the ski or snowboard;
and
a second plate adjacent and in lateral contact with the base plate, wherein the motor is rigidly mounted to the second plate, the second plate being in a second plane adjacent the first plane and configured to tilt in a first axis to thereby adjust a vertical angle between the grinding wheel and an edge of the ski or snowboard;
wherein movement of the grinding wheel's position is limited to movement in two axes comprised of the first axis, established by rotation of a first plane of the base plate against a second plane of the second plate and defined by a difference in angle between the first plane and the second plane, and a second axis defined by a difference in angle between an instantaneous plane formed by contact points of the two edge guide surfaces or rollers and a plane parallel to a grinding face of the grinding wheel.

6 more elements

A sharpener comprising:

a base plate defining a first plane;
a motor positioned at least partially within a case adjacent the base plate;
a motor shaft engaged with the motor;
a grinding wheel that is directly driven by the motor via direct connection of the motor shaft to the grinding wheel;
a main bearing external to the motor;
and
a tilt plate adjacent and proximate to the base plate and supporting the case, a first edge of the tilt plate selectively movable about a first edge of the base plate such that an angle between the tilt plate and the base plate and a vertical angle between the grinding wheel and an edge of the subject ski or snowboard may be selectively adjusted and set;
and
one or more of:
wherein the case and the motor are rigidly attached to the tilt plate, which enables precise control of the grinding wheel's engagement of the edge of the ski or snowboard based on the angle between the tilt plate and the base plate, the vertical angle between the grinding wheel and the ski edge, and a horizontal angle between the grinding wheel and the ski edge;
wherein the tilt plate is coupled to the base plate by a hinge arrangement that includes one or more hinges, such that the tilt plate is rigidly attached to base plate except for movement allowed by the one or more hinges;
wherein the motor shaft, the arbor, and the grinding wheel are rigidly attached to form an assembly that is mounted as a unit positioned in a second plane arranged to have a shared axis with the first plane, the second plane being coaxial with a first axis of the motor shaft, the arbor, and the grinding wheel;
wherein the assembly and second plane are configured in a rotating arrangement with the base plate and first plane such that the assembly and the base plate pivot along a second axis that serves as a fixed point of rotation between the first plane of the base plate and the second plane associated with the assembly, and thereby enable the assembly to pivot, via the second plane, in a repeatable angular relationship with the base plate via the first plane in only established planar angles defined by the pivot.

10 more elements

A sharpener for a ski or snowboard comprising:

a base plate defining a first plane;
a motor positioned at least partially within a case adjacent the base plate;
a motor shaft engaged with the motor;
a grinding wheel that is directly driven by the motor via direct connection of the motor shaft to the grinding wheel;
a main bearing external to the motor;
a tilt plate adjacent and proximate to the base plate and supporting the case, a first edge of the tilt plate selectively movable about a first edge of the base plate such that an angle between the tilt plate and the base plate and a vertical angle between the grinding wheel and an edge of the subject ski or snowboard may be selectively adjusted and set;
and
a slide movable into stepped slots to permit selective adjustment of the angle between the tilt plate and the base plate;
wherein the motor shaft, the arbor, and the grinding wheel are rigidly attached to form an assembly that is mounted as a unit positioned in a second plane arranged to have a shared axis with the first plane, the second plane being coaxial with a first axis of the motor shaft, the arbor, and the grinding wheel;
wherein the assembly and second plane are configured in a rotating arrangement with the base plate and first plane such that the assembly and the base plate pivot along a second axis that serves as a fixed point of rotation between the first plane of the base plate and the second plane associated with the assembly, and thereby enable the assembly to pivot, via the second plane, in a repeatable angular relationship with the base plate via the first plane in only established planar angles defined by the pivot.

7 more elements

A sharpener for a ski or snowboard comprising:

a base plate defining a first plane;
a motor positioned at least partially within a case adjacent the base plate;
a motor shaft engaged with the motor;
a grinding wheel that is directly driven by the motor via direct connection of the motor shaft to the grinding wheel;
a main bearing external to the motor;
an edge guide proximate to the base plate, the edge guide for guiding an edge of a subject ski or snowboard into contact with the grinding wheel;
and
an edge guide slide positioned within an edge guide slot, wherein the edge guide slide is configured to adjust an angle between vertical co-planar surfaces of the edge guide and the base plate;
wherein the motor shaft, the arbor, and the grinding wheel are rigidly attached to form an assembly that is mounted as a unit positioned in a second plane arranged to have a shared axis with the first plane, the second plane being parallel and coaxial with a first axis of the motor shaft, the arbor, and the grinding wheel;
wherein the assembly and second plane are configured in a rotating arrangement with the base plate and first plane such that the assembly and the base plate pivot along a second axis that serves as a fixed point of rotation between the first plane of the base plate and the second plane associated with the assembly, and thereby enable the assembly to pivot, via the second plane, in a repeatable angular relationship with the base plate via the first plane in only established planar angles defined by the pivot.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/161,630Filed 28 Jan 2021 · continuation
Priority: 22 Jul 2014
Published: US 2021/0339114 A14 Nov 2021
Granted: 26 May 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

A63C 11/06
For treating skis or snowboards: edge-sharpeners
B24B 3/006
Sharpening cutting edges, e.g. of tools; Accessories therefor, e.g. for holding the tools: for edges of skis, snowboards or the like
B24B 27/0084
Other grinding machines or devices: the grinding wheel support being angularly adjustable
B24D 15/066
Specially designed for sharpening cutting edges: for sharpening skate blades, i.e. blades having two sharp edges defined by three surfaces…

Family

Application61/999,259Us provisional application · filed 22 Jul 2014
Application14/804,490Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 21 Jul 2015
Application15/851,151Parent of this continuation · filed 21 Dec 2017
US 9,878,415 B1Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 30 Jan 2018
US 2021/0339114 A1Pre-grant publication · published 4 Nov 2021
US 10,905,938 B2Parent of this continuation
Application15/851,151Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2018/0111037 A1Published application
US 12,636,568 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.