Abstract:
The present invention provides a water slider that features an electrically insulative body extending along a longitudinal axis and having opposed surfaces with a perimeter edge extending therebetween. An electrical conductor is positioned upon one of the surfaces; and a discharge connector is in electrical communication with the electrical conductor and disposed upon said perimeter edge. The electrical conductor may be one or more of a plurality of configurations.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    This invention relates to sliders used to traverse bodies of water and, more particularly, to sliders and techniques for the manufacture thereof for control the friction between the slider and the water as they traverse the same. 
         [0002]    There is evidence of people sliding over bodies of water for over 5,000 years. The earliest people known to slide over bodies of water are distant relatives of the Sami that used skis to slide over crystalline water ice, commonly referred to as snow. The earliest form of slider is simply described by its name, ski with translates from Old Norse meaning “a stick of wood”. 
         [0003]    Slider technology has over the years from that of a pair of substantially planar substrates, commonly referred to as skis, to a single board having much greater width that the skis, referred to as a snowboard. In addition great strides are being undertaken to improve the performance of sliders through use of material science to reduce friction between the slider and the body of water in contact therewith, in this manner, the speed at which the slider travels over the body of water for a given driving force is inversely proportional to the amount of friction present. Friction occurs from a variety of circumstances, such as dry friction. Dry friction results from dry snow particles touching the slider. Capillary suction may cause friction and results from liquid water adheres to the slider, production a vacuum. Contaminant friction may also reduce the speed of the slider. Contaminant friction results from the presence of unwanted material present between the slider and the body of water in contact therewith. Examples of unwanted material include dirt, pollen, rock, dust and the like. Static electricity also generates friction. Static electricity is produced as a slider produced from hydrophobic impregnated polymer TEFLON or UHMW-OE traversing the traverses. 
         [0004]    There is a need, therefore, to provide techniques to reduce friction between sliders and bodies of water in contact with the slide. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY 
       [0005]    The present invention provides a water slider that features an electrically insulative body extending along a longitudinal axis and having opposed surfaces with a perimeter edge extending therebetween. An electrical conductor is positioned upon one of the surfaces; and a discharge connector is in electrical communication with the electrical conductor and disposed upon said perimeter edge. The electrical conductor may be one or more of a plurality of configurations. In one embodiment the electrical conductor includes a plurality of spaced apart conductive paths in superimposition with the one of the opposed surfaces and encapsulated by the insulative body. The electrical conductor is also described as including a plurality of spaced apart conductive paths extending across a width of the one of the opposed surfaces and further including a conductive layer covered by a portion of the electrically insulative body; with adjacent paths being in electrical communication and forming an oblique angle therebetween. The electrical conductor is also described as including a plurality of spaced apart conductive paths extending parallel between opposed regions of the discharge connector. The electrical conductor is also described as including first and second sets of conductive paths, with the first set extending across a width of one of the opposed surfaces, with adjacent paths being in electrical communication and forming an oblique angle therebetween. The electrical paths of the second set extending transversely to the first set. The electrical conductor is also described as comprising a conductive coating disposed upon the one of the opposed surfaces. In yet another embodiment; the electrical conductor includes a conductive coating covering the entire area of the one of the oppose surfaces. These and other embodiments are discussed more fully below. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  bottom view of a prior art snowboard in accordance with the present invention with electrical conductors being absent; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  a side view of the snowboard shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  bottom view the snowboard shown in  FIG. 1  shown the electrical conductors; 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  bottom view the snowboard shown in  FIG. 3  in accordance with a first alternate embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  bottom view the snowboard town in  FIG. 3  in accordance with a second alternate embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is a detailed view of the snowboard body, shown in  FIG. 2 , in accordance with a third alternate embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  is a detailed view of the snowboard body, shown in  FIG. 6 , in accordance with a fourth alternate embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0013]      FIG. 8  bottom view the snowboard shown in  FIG. 7  in accordance with a fifth alternate embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a snowboard  10  includes a body  12  having opposed surfaces  14  and  16  and a perimeter surface  15 , which extends therebetween. A pair of bindings  18  and  20  is fixedly attached to surface  14 . Bindings  18  and  20  are known in the art and function to securely attach a foot covering of a user (not shown), typically a boot, to body  12 . Snowboard  10  has a width measured transversely to a longitudinal axis  22  of body  12 . The width of body  12  is greatest at regions  24  and  26  located on opposing ends of longitudinal axis  22  and is most narrow at a portion of body  12  located between regions  24  and  26 , referred to as a waist  28 . Body  12  is typically formed from semi-rigid construction that allows flexing of board  12  when supported at its longitudinal extremities and pressured in the center. The length of body  12  is generally approximately 4-7 times the maximum width of body  12 . The maximum width of board is at regions  24  and  26 , tapering to a minimum width waist  28  that is typically 70% to 90% of the maximum width. Typically, the maximum width is from about 9 to 113 inches and the length of board  12  measured along longitudinal axis  22  is from 4 to 6 feet. Bindings  18  and  20  are positioned in waist  28  to facilitate control over the movement of snowboard  10  by application of weight/force of the use. Disposed about perimeter  15  is strip of conductive material  34 , typically formed from metal, such as aluminum. Portions of material  34  located proximate to waist  28  provide sufficient friction between the snow and board  12  so to facilitate control of board  12  in response to the weight/force, e.g., to control the turning of board  12  as the same traverses over crystalline water, i.e., snow. 
         [0015]    Surface  16  is constructed to move over snow with little friction. To that end, surface  16  may be fabricated from any suitable material. For example, surface  16  may comprise a layer polymer-based materials, such as polytetrafluoroethylene, PTFE, ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene, UHMWPE and the like. In one embodiment, body  12  may be of unitary construction, i.e., the entire body  12  is fabricated from the poly-based material. 
         [0016]    Referring again to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , in the example, shown, body  12  includes a core  30  fabricated from any suitable material laminated with fiberglass. Examples of material that may be laminated include wood, aluminum, composite honeycomb, foam and/or resin. Examples of wood that may be employed include beech, poplar, bamboo and birch. However, it should be understood that virtually any material may be used to fabricate core  30 . The desired attributes of the material from which core  30  is fabricated is to minimize weight while providing desired damping, rebound, strength and flex. Surface  16  is typically integrally formed with abuse  32  portion of board  12 . As a result, base portion  32  is generally fabricated using the materials discussed above with respect to surface  16 . It is desired, however, that base portion  32  include amorphous regions suitable to adhere to wax. In this manner, wax may be applied to surface  16  to facilitate providing board  12  with variety of operational characteristics dependent upon the environment in which board  12  will be used and the person preferences of the user. As a result, it is desired that surface. Base portion  32  is attached to core typically with suitable adhesives. Base, which is attached to core  1  portion that contacts the snow. 
         [0017]    Referring to both  FIGS. 2 and 3 , snowboard  10  is configured to reduce friction between base portion  32  and the snow by attenuating, if not ending, the build-up of static electricity between surface  16  and snow. To that end, base portion  32  includes an electrical conductor  60  in electrical communication with both surface  16  and material  34 . With this configuration, electrical conductor  60  allows static electricity proximate to surface  16  to propagate to material  34  and be discharged in the region of the snow not in superimposition with snowboard  10 . To that end, electrical conductor  60  and material  34  may be manufactured from any suitable electrically conductive material such as aluminum, copper, gold and allows thereof. As such, material  34  operates as a discharge connector. To facilitate discharge of static electricity into the snow, electrical conductor  60  includes a plurality of spaced-apart conductive paths  61 - 70 . Adjacent paths  61 - 70  form an oblique angle  72  therebetween and an oblique angle  74  with respect to longitudinal axis  22 . It should be understood, however, that virtually any configuration of electrical conductor may be employed. For example, the electrical conductor may include a plurality of spaced apart conductive paths  161 - 164  extending parallel between opposed regions of discharge connector  134 , shown in  FIG. 4 . Although paths  161 - 164  are shown extending parallel to longitudinal axis  122 , the may form any angle with respect thereto, include orthogonal and oblique angles. 
         [0018]    Alternatively, the electrical conductor may include first and second sets of conductive paths, shown in  FIG. 5 . The first set extending across a width of base portion  32  and adjacent paths  261 - 270  being in electrical communication and forming an oblique angle  274  therebetween. Electrical paths  275 - 278  of the second set extend transversely to the first set and parallel to one another. Although paths  275 - 278  are shown parallel to longitudinal axis  222 , this is not necessary. Rather they may form any angle with respect to longitudinal axis  222 , such as orthogonal and oblique angles. 
         [0019]    In yet another embodiment, base portion  332  may be formed from an electrically conductive material, shown in  FIG. 6 . Electrical conductive material from which base portion  332  may be manufactured may include any polymer based material impregnated with conductive material, such as graphite. An example of such material is sold under the mark DURASURF™ ASC, available from Crown Plastics Co. Inc, of Harrison, Ohio. To facilitate conduction of static electricity away from base portion  332 , a plurality of conductive wires  360  are disposed in core  330  of board  312 . Conductive wires  360  are partially encapsulated by core  330  in that a segment of each of conductive wires  360  contacts base portion  332 . 
         [0020]    Referring to both  FIGS. 6 and 7 , alternatively conductive wires  460  may be embedded in base portion, which may or may not be formed from electrically conductive material, e.g., base portion  432  may be fabricated from the same material as base portion  332  or base portion  32 , shown in  FIG. 2 . Referring again to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , wires  360  and  460  are in electrical communication with discharge conductor  34 , shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0021]    Referring to both  FIGS. 4 ,  6  and  7 , conductive wires  360  and  460  may have the same orientation as conductive paths  161 - 164 . Alternatively, a sub portion or all of wires  360  or  460  may extend transversely, if not orthogonally, to longitudinal axis across the width of base portion  32 , shown as wires  561 - 568 , shown in  FIG. 8 . As shown, wires  561  and  562  are disposed proximate one end of body  12 , and wires  567  and  568  are disposed at an opposing end. Wires  563 - 566  are disposed proximate to waist  528 . It should be understood that conductive wires  460  may be employed without the use of an electrically conductive surface  412 , i.e., surface may be electrically non-conductive. In this fashion, inductive coupling of the static electricity to conductive wires facilitates transmission of the same to discharge conductor  34 , shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0022]    While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of the specific embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements as would be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, while the invention has been described as being used in conjunction with a snow board, it may be employed in other systems for use on crystalline water, such as skis, sleds, snow sit skis and snowmobile treads employing rubber. In addition, the invention may be employed in systems for use on liquid water such as water skis, wake board, jet ski hulls, boat hulls, windsurf board hulls and water sit skis. Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.