Adjustable ski suspension and ski tip stiffener devices

Abstract

An adjustable ski suspension device for use on skis and snowboards provides increased comfort, speed, and edge control to the user. An optional ski tip stiffener device permits adjustment of ski tip dampening and overall ski stiffness to accommodate different snow conditions.

I claim:  
     
         1 . An adjustable suspension device for snow skis, the suspension device comprising: 
 a riser plate fixedly mounted to a top surface of a snow ski;    a bottom plate fixedly mounted on top of said riser plate;    a top plate, spaced above said bottom plate, and movably attached thereto by means of four or more side bar members coupled to said bottom plate arid said top plate;    toe and heel retention members of a conventional ski boot binding attached on top of said top plate;    an elastomer insert removably positioned between said top and bottom plates to provide resistance to relative motion between said top and bottom plates; and    a spring device mounted to said top and bottom plates proximate forward ends thereof to provide a desired degree of preloading of said top plate against said elastomer insert and to provide additional resistance to relative motion between said top and bottom plates.    
     
     
         2 . An adjustable suspension device for snow skis as in  claim 1 , wherein said riser plate is shorter than said bottom plate.  
     
     
         3 . An adjustable suspension device for snow skis as in  claim 1 , wherein said spring device comprises an elastomer spring device.  
     
     
         4 . An adjustable suspension device for snow skis as in  claim 1 , wherein said spring device comprises an air spring device.  
     
     
         5 . An adjustable suspension device for snow skis as in  claim 1 , wherein said spring device comprises a coil spring device.  
     
     
         6 . An adjustable suspension device for snow skis as in  claim 1 , wherein said spring device incorporates a dampener element.  
     
     
         7 . An adjustable suspension device for snow skis as in  claim 1 , wherein said spring device comprises a leaf spring device.  
     
     
         8 . An adjustable suspension device for snow skis as in  claim 7 , wherein said leaf spring device comprises: 
 a leaf spring mounting plate forwardly extending from said bottom plate;    a leaf spring member having a proximal end fixedly attached to a forward end of said top plate; and    a pair of connecting bars hingedly connected between distal ends of said leaf spring mounting plate and said leaf spring member.    
     
     
         9 . In combination with said adjustable suspension device for snow skis of  claim 1 , a ski tip stiffener device mounted forward of said adjustable suspension device.  
     
     
         10 . The combination of  claim 9 , wherein said ski tip stiffener device comprises: 
 a retainer member fixedly mounted at a forward end of said bottom plate;    a stiffener rod retained by said retainer member and extending forwardly therefrom; and    a dampening disc mounted at a forward end of said stiffener rod and adapted for being adjustably urged against the top surface of said ski proximate the tip end thereof.    
     
     
         11 . A ski tip stiffener device comprising: 
 a retainer member mounted on a top surface of a ski forward of a conventional toe retention member of a ski boot binding;    a stiffener rod retained by said retainer member and extending forwardly therefrom; and    a dampening disc mounted at a forward end of said stiffener rod and adapted for being adjustably urged against the top surface of said ski proximate the tip end thereof.    
     
     
         12 . A device for mounting to a snow ski, the device comprising: 
 a riser plate fixedly mounted to a top surface of the snow ski;    a bottom plate fixedly mounted on top of said riser plate; and    toe and heel retention members of a conventional ski boot binding attached on top of said top plate.    
     
     
         13 . An adjustable suspension device for snow skis, the suspension device comprising: 
 a top plate, spaced above a ski, and movably attached thereto by means of four or more side bar members coupled between said top plate and said ski;    toe and heel retention members of a conventional ski boot binding attached on top of said top plate;    an elastomer insert removably positioned between said top plate and said ski to provide resistance to relative motion between said top plate and said ski; and    a spring device mounted to said top plate and to said ski proximate a forward end of said top plate to provide additional resistance to relative motion between said top plate and said ski.    
     
     
         14 . An adjustable suspension device for snowboards, the suspension device comprising: 
 a bottom plate fixedly mounted to a top surface of a snowboard;    a top plate, spaced above said bottom plate, and movably attached thereto by means of four or more side bar members coupled between said bottom plate and said top plate;    an elastomer insert removably positioned between said top and bottom plates to provide resistance to relative motion between said top and bottom plates; and    a retainer cable connected between said top and bottom plates to provide a desired degree of preloading of said top plate against said elastomer insert.