Metal edge members for skis having varied lengthwise stress-strain ratio and skis including such members

Claim 2

A cracked edge member for use as a component in a ski, said member comprising an elongated one piece metal body; said body having one leg providing a runner portion for the edge; a plurality of laterally extending gaps traversing said runner portion to sub-divide the latter in internally continuous segments; said body having another leg comprising connecting means interconnnecting adjacent ones of said runner segments; and ones of said connecting means having a greater resistance to bending than others of said connecting means.

Claim 3

A cracked edge member for use as component in a ski, said member comprising an elongated one piece metal body; said body having one leg providing a runner portion for the edge; a plurality of laterally extending gaps traversing said runner portion to sub-divide the latter into segments, said segments being serially disposed lengthwise from one end of said body to the other end of said body; and said body having another leg comprising connecting means interconnecting adjacent ones of said runner segments, ones of said connecting means having a progressively increasing resistance to bending progressing longitudinally from one end of said body toward the other end of said body whereby said body acts as a tensile spring with a progressively increasing spring rate measured longitudinally from said one end of said body to said other end of said body.

Claim 4

A cracked edge member for use as component in a ski, said member comprising an elongated one piece metal body; said body having one leg providing a runner portion for the edge; a plurality of laterally extending gaps traversing said runner portion to sub-divide the latter into segments, said segments being serially disposed lengthwise from one end of said body to the other end of said body; and said body having another leg comprising connecting means interconnecting adjacent ones of said runner segments, ones of said connecting means having a progressively increasing resistance to bending progressing longitudinally from one end of said body toward the other end of said body whereby said body acts as a tensile spring with a progressively increasing spring rate measured longitudinally from said one end of said body to said other end of said body.

Claim 5

A unitary metal cracked edge member for use in a ski, said member comprising: a series of longitudinally adjacent interconnected segments; said member including a plurality of longitudinally extending zones with each zone consisting of a plurality of segments of substantially equal length; and the length of each of the segments in any particular zone being different than the length of each of the segments in an adjacent zone to impart to each zone a spring rate which is different from the spring rate of an adjacent zone.

Claim 6

A unitary metal cracked edge member for use in a ski, said member comprising: a series of longitudinally adjacent interconnected segments; said member including a plurality of longitudinally extending zones with each zone consisting of a plurality of segments of substantially equal length; and the length of each of the segments in any particular zone being different than the length of each of the segments in an adjacent zone to impart to each zone a spring rate which is different from the spring rate of an adjacent zone.

Claim 7

A one-piece metal member for use as an edge component in a ski, said member comprising: a series of longitudinally adjacent segments; means integral with said segments for interconnecting adjacent ones of said segments; said segments being arranged in groups consisting of a multitude of segments of substantially equal length to define longitudinally adjacent zones in said member; and each of the segments in any particular zone being of a length which is different from the length of each of the segments in an adjacent zone to impart to the particular zone a spring rate which is different from the spring rate of the adjacent zone.

Claim 8

A one-piece metal member for use as an edge component in a ski, said member comprising: a series of longitudinally adjacent segments; means integral with said segments for interconnecting adjacent ones of said segments; said segments being arranged in groups consisting of a multitude of segments of substantially equal length to define longitudinally adjacent zones in said member; and each of the segments in any particular zone being of a length which is different from the length of each of the segments in an adjacent zone to impart to the particular zone a spring rate which is different from the spring rate of the adjacent zone.

Claim 9

A cracked edge member for use as a component in a ski, said member comprising: an elongated one-piece metal body including a runner portion for the edge; a plurality of laterally extending gaps traversing said runner portion to sub-divide said runner portion into a series of adjacent segments; connecting means on said member for interconnecting adjacent ones of said segments; said runner portion including a plurality of longitudinally extending zones with each of said zones containing a plurality of said segments of substantially the same length; and each segment in any particular zone being of a length which is different from the length of each segment in an adjacent zone to impart to said particular zone a spring rate which is different than the spring rate of an adjacent zone.

Claim 10

A cracked edge member for use as a component in a ski, said member comprising: an elongated one-piece metal body including a runner portion for the edge; a plurality of laterally extending gaps traversing said runner portion to sub-divide said runner portion into a series of adjacent segments; connecting means on said member for interconnecting adjacent ones of said segments; said runner portion including a plurality of longitudinally extending zones with each of said zones containing a plurality of said segments of substantially the same length; and each segment in any particular zone being of a length which is different from the length of each segment in an adjacent zone to impart to said particular zone a spring rate which is different than the spring rate of an adjacent zone.

Claim 11

A cracked edge member for use as a component in a ski, said member comprising: an elongated one-piece metal body having opposite ends and a mid portion; said body having one leg providing a runner portion for the edge; a plurality of laterally extending gaps traversing said runner portion to sub-divide the latter into segments; said runner portion including a plurality of zones extending longitudinally from one end of said runner portion to at least approximately the mid portion thereof, each of said zones containing a plurality of said segments; and each of the segments in a first zone at said one end of said runner Portion being of a length which is shorter than the length of each of the segments in a second zone adjacent said first zone, and each of the segments in said second zone being of a length which is shorter than the length of each of the segments in a third zone which is adjacent said second zone to impart to said first zone a spring rate which is less than the spring rate of said second zone, and to impart to said second zone a spring rate which is less than the spring rate of said third zone.

Claim 12

A cracked edge member for use as a component in a ski, said member comprising: an elongated one-piece metal body having opposite ends and a mid portion; said body having one leg providing a runner portion for the edge; a plurality of laterally extending gaps traversing said runner portion to sub-divide the latter into segments; said runner portion including a plurality of zones extending longitudinally from one end of said runner portion to at least approximately the mid portion thereof, each of said zones containing a plurality of said segments; and each of the segments in a first zone at said one end of said runner Portion being of a length which is shorter than the length of each of the segments in a second zone adjacent said first zone, and each of the segments in said second zone being of a length which is shorter than the length of each of the segments in a third zone which is adjacent said second zone to impart to said first zone a spring rate which is less than the spring rate of said second zone, and to impart to said second zone a spring rate which is less than the spring rate of said third zone.

Claim 13

In a ski having a front shovel portion, an intermediate lengthwise portion, and a rearward tail portion; cracked edge members mounted on said ski and extending lengthwise therealong from said front shovel portion of said ski to substantially said rearward tail portion of said ski; said cracked edge members comprising a series of interconnected segments; said ski including a series of longitudinal zones extending from said front shovel portion rearwardly toward said intermediate lengthwise portion; each of said zones containing a plurality of said segments of substantially equal length; and the length of each said segments in zones nearer said front shovel portion of the ski being less than the length of each of said segments in zones further from said front shovel portion of the ski to impart to zones nearer said front shovel portion a spring rate which is lower than the sprig rate of zones further from said front shovel portion of said ski.

Claim 14

In a ski having a front shovel portion, an intermediate lengthwise portion, and a rearward tail portion; cracked edge members mounted on said ski and extending lengthwise therealong from said front shovel portion of said ski to substantially said rearward tail portion of said ski; said cracked edge members comprising a series of interconnected segments; said ski including a series of longitudinal zones extending from said front shovel portion rearwardly toward said intermediate lengthwise portion; each of said zones containing a plurality of said segments of substantially equal length; and the length of each said segments in zones nearer said front shovel portion of the ski being less than the length of each of said segments in zones further from said front shovel portion of the ski to impart to zones nearer said front shovel portion a spring rate which is lower than the sprig rate of zones further from said front shovel portion of said ski.

Claim 15

In a ski having a front shovel portion, an intermediate lengthwise portion, and a rearward tail portion; means forming a cracked edge mounted on said ski and extending lengthwise therealong from said front shovel portion to substantially said rearward tail portion of said ski; said cracked edge comprising a series of connected segments; said cracked edge including a series of longitudinal zones extending rearwardly from said front shovel portion; each of said zones containing a plurality of said segments of substantially equal length within a particular zone; and the length of the segments in the zone at said front shovel portion of said ski being less than the length of the segments in any zone rearwardly thereof to impart to said front shovel portion of the ski a higher vibration damping characteristic than is imparted to the remainder of the ski.

Claim 16

In a ski having a front shovel portion, an intermediate lengthwise portion, and a rearward tail portion; means forming a cracked edge mounted on said ski and extending lengthwise therealong from said front shovel portion to substantially said rearward tail portion of said ski; said cracked edge comprising a series of connected segments; said cracked edge including a series of longitudinal zones extending rearwardly from said front shovel portion; each of said zones containing a plurality of said segments of substantially equal length within a particular zone; and the length of the segments in the zone at said front shovel portion of said ski being less than the length of the segments in any zone rearwardly thereof to impart to said front shovel portion of the ski a higher vibration damping characteristic than is imparted to the remainder of the ski.

Claim 17

The ski of claim 8, wherein each zone consists of segments of a progressively increasing length the greater the distance of the greater zone from the shovel portion as taken at least to the intermediate lengthwise portion of the ski to provide in the ski zones of progressively lower vibration damping characteristics as measured from the front shovel portion of the ski rearwardly to the intermediate lengthwise portion of the ski.

Claim 18

In a ski having a front shovel portion, an intermediate binding portion, and a rearward tail end portion; means forming an edge member mounted on said ski and extending lengthwise therealong from said front shovel portion to substantially said rearward tail portion of said ski; said edge member comprising a series of segments and means interconnecting adjacent ones of said segments; the part of said edge member between said front shovel portion and said binding portion of the ski being divided into a series of longitudinally extending zones; each of said zones consisting of a plurality of said segments of substantially equal length within a particular zone; the length of the segments within a particular zone being longer than the length of the segments of any zone between the particular zone and the front shovel portion of the ski to impart to the ski zones of progressively increasing spring rate as taken from the front shovel portion to the binding portion of the ski.

Claim 19

In a ski having a front shovel portion, an intermediate binding portion, and a rearward tail end portion; means forming an edge member mounted on said ski and extending lengthwise therealong from said front shovel portion to substantially said rearward tail portion of said ski; said edge member comprising a series of segments and means interconnecting adjacent ones of said segments; the part of said edge member between said front shovel portion and said binding portion of the ski being divided into a series of longitudinally extending zones; each of said zones consisting of a plurality of said segments of substantially equal length within a particular zone; the length of the segments within a particular zone being longer than the length of the segments of any zone between the particular zone and the front shovel portion of the ski to impart to the ski zones of progressively increasing spring rate as taken from the front shovel portion to the binding portion of the ski.

Claim 20

The ski of claim 10, wherein said edge member consists of one continuous segment from substantially said binding portion to said rearward tail end portion of the ski to impart a constant high spring rate to the part of the ski between said binding portion and said rearward tail end portion.

Claim 21

In a ski having a front shovel area, an intermediate binding area, and a rearward tail end area; means forming an edge member mounted on said ski and extending lengthwise therealong from said front shovel area to said rearward tail end area of said ski; said edge member comprising a series of segments between said front shovel area and approximately said binding area of said ski with means interconnecting adjacent ones of said segments; and said member further comprising a single uninterrupted segment from said binding area to said rearward tail end area of said ski to provide the ski with a lower spring rate forward of the binding area and a substantially higher spring rate rearward of the binding area of the ski.

Claim 22

In a ski having a front shovel area, an intermediate binding area, and a rearward tail end area; means forming an edge member mounted on said ski and extending lengthwise therealong from said front shovel area to said rearward tail end area of said ski; said edge member comprising a series of segments between said front shovel area and approximately said binding area of said ski with means interconnecting adjacent ones of said segments; and said member further comprising a single uninterrupted segment from said binding area to said rearward tail end area of said ski to provide the ski with a lower spring rate forward of the binding area and a substantially higher spring rate rearward of the binding area of the ski.