Snow rider
OwnerKarl Reiniginventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The Snow Rider provides a rider with a platform that is stable, simple to use, and provides a significant amount of control for the rider. The Snow Rider makes use of two pairs of parallel-oriented articulated skis that are interconnected by a platform on which the rider's bindings are attached. The front and back end of the platform are connected to respective front and rear articulated segments of the pair of skis via control linkages which include trucks that translate leaning by the rider into a redirection of the Snow Rider and by simultaneously operable outriggers which get the skis up on edge and in contact with the snow as they are turned. The rider can either face the direction of motion as with skis or perpendicular to the direction of motion as with a snowboard.
Claims14
A surface rider system for enabling a rider to ride over a surface and execute turns thereon, comprising:
- a platform, having a center line segment extending along its length from a first end to a second end, for supporting rider;
- a pair of skis, wherein each of the skis comprise first and second articulated segments, each on opposite sides of and oriented substantially parallel to the center line segment of the platform;
- and
- first and second control linkages for attaching a first of the two articulated segments of each of the pair of skis to the platform at a location proximate to the first end of the platform and a second of the two articulated segments of each of the pair of skis to the platform at a location proximate to the second end of the platform, respectively, and responsive to the rider shifting their weight to either side of the center line segment of the platform as the surface rider moves either down an inclined surface or towed across a substantially flat surface, for simultaneously and synchronously redirecting a center line segment of each of the articulated segments to provide a variable turning radius and twisting of the articulated segments about their center line segments to engage the surface with an edge of the articulated segments, comprising:
- first and second spring loaded linkages, connected to juxtaposed ends of the first and second segments of the first and second skis, respectively, for providing a flexible connection that allows for relative motion between the two skis that includes rotation about the center line segment of the platform to allow the rider to vary the relative degree to which the front and back skis are turned and rotated by the rider shifting their weight on the platform and to provide a return force to bring the skis back to being in line when not overcome be the force of the riders shifting their weight.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.