# US 5,342,077 A · Snow surfboard having asymmetric characteristics > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,342,077 A - Document ID: US5342077A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 07/738,379 - Filed: 1991-07-30 - Granted: 1994-08-30 - Earliest claimed: 1990-07-30 - Assignees: Skis Rossignol S.A. - Inventors: Roger Abondance - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5342077A ## CPC - A63C 5/03: Mono skis; Snowboards - A63C 5/075: Vibration dampers - A63C: SKATES; SKIS; ROLLER SKATES; DESIGN OR LAYOUT OF COURTS, RINKS OR THE LIKE (water skis B63B32/00, B63B34/00) ## Abstract A snow surfboard having symmetric construction, but endowed with asymmetric characteristics, a vibration absorption device, composed of at least one vibration absorption element (7, 8), inside or outside of surface (9) of the surfboard, having a relatively small mass, positioned asymmetrically so as to cause vibrations to be absorbed predominantly on the back side (4). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A snow surfboard having asymmetric characteristics, comprising a gliding board having an upper surface constituting means for supporting a person thereon oriented askew relative to the length of said board, said board being totally symmetric with respect to its median longitudinal axis, said board having a back side and a front side, the distance between which constitutes a width of said board, but wherein, in order to give it asymmetric behavior characteristics, said gliding board is provided with a vibration absorption device composed of at least one vibration absorption element (7, 8), said vibration absorption device (7, 8) having a relatively small mass and being positioned asymmetrically with respect to a median longitudinal axis (12) of said surfboard and extending only art way across the width of said board, so that absorption created by said absorption device is preponderantly on said back side (4) of said surfboard. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) Snow surfboard according to claim 1, wherein said absorption device comprises one vibration absorption element (8) placed on back side (4) of said surfboard aligned substantially parallel to said median longitudinal axis. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) Snow surfboard according to claim 1, wherein said absorption device comprises one vibration absorption element (8) which is placed at a slant with respect to said longitudinal axis (12) of the surfboard and which transects said longitudinal axis so that its front side part (8') has a smaller surface area than its back side part (8"). ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) Snow surfboard according to claim 1, wherein said absorption device comprises a pair of vibration absorption elements (7, 8) which have dimensions so that vibration absorption on said back side (4) is greater than the vibration absorption (7) on front side (3). ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) Snow surfboard according to claim 1, wherein said absorption device comprises a pair of vibration absorption elements (7,8) which are positioned so that vibration absorption on said back side (4) is greater than the vibration absorption (7) on front side. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) Snow surfboard according to claim 1, wherein the vibration absorption device is external and indications are placed on the surfboard to allow "goofy" or "regular" users themselves to position said vibration absorption device (7, 8) where indicated. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) Snow surfboard according to claim 1, wherein the vibration absorber is outside and comprises at least one vibration absorption element composed of a layer of viscoelastic material held in place by a high elasticity module plate. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) Snow surfboard according to claim 1, wherein the vibration absorber comprises at least one vibration absorption element including a viscoelastic material. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) Snow surfboard according to claim 2, wherein the vibration absorption device is external and indications are placed on the surfboard to allow "goofy" or "regular" users themselves to position said vibration absorption device (7, 8) where indicated. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) Snow surfboard according to claim 2, wherein the vibration absorber is outside and comprises at least one vibration absorption element composed of a layer of viscoelastic material held in place by a high elasticity module plate. ### Claim 11 (depends on 3) Snow surfboard according to claim 3, wherein the vibration absorber is outside and comprises at least one vibration absorption element composed of a layer of viscoelastic material held in place by a high elasticity module plate. ### Claim 12 (depends on 4) Snow surfboard according to claim 4, wherein the vibration absorption device is external and indications are placed on the surfboard to allow "goofy" or "regular" users themselves to position said vibration absorption device (7, 8) where indicated. ### Claim 13 (depends on 4) Snow surfboard according to claim 4, wherein the vibration absorber is outside and comprises at least one vibration absorption element composed of a layer of viscoelastic material held in place by a high elasticity module plate. ### Claim 14 (depends on 5) Snow surfboard according to claim 5, wherein the vibration absorption device is external and indications are placed on the surfboard to allow "goofy" or "regular" users themselves to position said vibration absorption device (7, 8) where indicated. ### Claim 15 (depends on 5) Snow surfboard according to claim 5, wherein the vibration absorber is outside and comprises at least one vibration absorption element composed of a layer of viscoelastic material held in place by a high elasticity module plate. ### Claim 16 A snow surfboard having asymmetric characteristics, comprising: a gliding board having a median longitudinal axis (12) and which is totally symmetrical with respect to said median longitudinal axis, said board having a back side (4) and a front side (3), the distance between which constitutes a width of said board, and an upper surface constituting means for supporting two feet of a person thereon with at least one of the feet being oriented at an angle from said median longitudinal axis of 10.degree. to 45.degree.; and asymmetric behavior means for providing said board with asymmetric behavior characteristics, said asymmetric behavior means comprising an exterior vibration absorption device capable of placement by a user and composed of at least one vibration absorption element (7, 8) extending at least partly in the longitudinal direction of said board, said vibration absorption device being disposed preponderantly along said back side (4) of said surfboard and having a small mass relative to said board and positioned asymmetrically with respect to said median longitudinal axis so as to extend only part way across the width of said board. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) A snow surfboard according to claim 16, wherein said absorption device comprises a pair of vibration absorption elements (7, 8) which have dimensions so that vibration absorption on said back side (4) is greater than the vibration absorption (7) on said front side (3). ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) Snow surfboard according to claim 16, wherein said absorption device comprises a pair of vibration absorption elements (7, 8) which are positioned so that vibration absorption on said back side (4) is greater than the vibration absorption (7) on said front side. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) A snow surfboard according to claim 16, wherein said vibration absorption device comprises at least one vibration absorption element composed of a layer of viscoelastic material. ### Claim 20 A snow surfboard having asymmetric characteristics, comprising: a gliding board having a median longitudinal axis (12) and which is totally symmetrical with respect to said median longitudinal axis, said board having a back side (4) and a front side (3), the distance between which constitutes a width of said board, and an upper surface constituting means for supporting two feet of a person thereon with at lest one of the feet being oriented at an angle from said median longitudinal axis of 10.degree. to 45.degree.; and asymmetric behavior means for providing said board with asymmetric behavior characteristics, said asymmetric behavior means comprising a vibration absorption device composed of a pair of vibration absorption elements (7, 8) which have dimensions so that vibration absorption on said back side (4) is greater than vibration absorption on said front side, said vibration absorption device having a small mass relative to said board and being positioned asymmetrically with respect to said median longitudinal axis so as to expand only part way across the width of said board, wherein said vibration absorption elements are aligned substantially parallel to said median longitudinal axis, a first said vibration absorption element being disposed midway between said median longitudinal axis and said back side, and a second of said pair of vibration absorption elements being disposed substantially midway between said front side and said median longitudinal axis, said vibration absorption elements being composed of a layer of viscoelastic material held in place by a high elasticity module plate.