Patent Publication Number: US-6655700-B1

Title: Shock-absorbing apparatus

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/108,077, filed Jun. 30, 1998, and now U.S. Pat. No. 6,296,258 and entitled, “SNOWBOARD SHOCK-ABSORBING APPARATUS”, in the name of inventors Michael Timothy Higgins and Robert John Caputo. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a shock-absorbing apparatus that is compatible with a variety of boards and binding systems. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Snowboarding and wakeboarding have seen tremendous growth in recent years. They are activities that can be enjoyed almost anywhere so long as there is suitable terrain, such as a snow/ice covered slope, mountainside, sculpted terrain (such as half-pipe embankments), a sand dune having a sufficient grade or a suitable lake or ocean. A user is attached to an approximately flat board (“board”) which has an approximately flat bottom that allows it to slide down terrain or board through water. The board also has a front end (“tip”), back end (“tail”), a top surface, a bottom surface, and two sides which are typically bounded by parallel bottom side edges. The front end and back end may be symmetrically shaped. The front and back ends are relative terms—the front end is the end closest to the direction of travel, while the back end is the end farthest from the 20 direction of travel. The distance between the two sides defines the width of the board with the width much shorter than the length of the board, giving the board a high length to width ratio. 
     A user is coupled to the board through an attachment system that includes at least one binding and one boot. The orientation of the bindings, as in a snowboard or wakeboard, typically provide two stances although the stances may be modified by the user depending on the type of terrain and activity anticipated. The first stance, known in the boarder vernacular as a “regular foot” stance, includes having the user ride with the left foot placed closest to the tip or to the direction of travel. The second stance is sometimes referred to as the “goofy foot” stance and includes having the right foot placed closest to the tip or to the direction of travel. When using either one of two above stances, the terms, “toeside” edge or “heelside” edge, are sometimes used to refer to one of the two parallel bottom side edges. The “toeside” edge refers to the side edge nearest to the user&#39;s toes and the heelside edge refers to the side edge nearest to the user&#39;s heels. The bindings are attached to the board and typically remain within a fixed orientation during use. The bindings are attached near the top surface of the board, minimizing the amount of spacing between a user&#39;s boots and the top surface of the board. 
     The board is designed to provide various levels of flexibility, depending on the type of terrain or activity anticipated by the user. A stiff flexing board gives the user greater “feel” or feedback than does a softer flexing board, enabling the user to cut better turns. A stiffer board also permits the user to induce greater stress on the board, such as when racing, without the board distorting greatly, enhancing turning accuracy and responsiveness of the board. However, both types of boards tend to transfer mechanical energy, i.e., shocks, vibration and jitter caused by use and which vary depending on terrain or activity, are directly transferred to the user, increasing the user&#39;s level of fatigue and discomfort. 
     Accordingly, a need exists for a shock-absorbing apparatus that can absorb mechanical energy applied to a board or to a user, while remaining compatible with existing boards, bindings, and boots for a variety of “board” sports such as snowboarding, water skiing, snow skiing, wakeboarding, or skateboarding. 
     Moreover, a need exists for a shock-absorbing apparatus that can absorb mechanical energy applied to a board or to a user while enhancing a user&#39;s ability to cut turns on the board. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A shock-absorbing apparatus disposed between a binding and a board has a bottom plate for coupling to the board, a top plate or binding platform to receive the binding, and bearing-biasing assemblies coupled between the bottom plate and the top plate. Each bearing-biasing assembly includes a bearing assembly and a biasing assembly where the bearing assembly is disposed coaxially with the biasing assembly. The bearing-biasing assembly is responsive to mechanical energy encountered by the binding platform or the board during use by enabling the binding platform to swivel or pivot from or move along an axis intersecting a top surface of the board. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a shock-absorbing apparatus mated to fit to a step-in binding and a board in accordance with a first specific embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the shock-absorbing apparatus shown in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3A is a top view of the shock-absorbing apparatus shown in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3B is a sectional view taken along line  3 B— 3 B of FIG. 3A of the shock-absorbing apparatus shown in FIG.  3 A. 
     FIG. 4A is a perspective view of a bearing assembly in accordance with a first specific embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4B is an exploded view of the bearing assembly shown in FIG.  4 A. 
     FIG. 5A is an exploded perspective view of a biasing assembly in accordance with a first specific embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 5B is a perspective view of a biasing element for use with a biasing assembly in accordance with an alternative first specific embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a plate forming part of a binding platform in a accordance with a first specific embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 7A is a top view of the plate shown in FIG.  6 . 
     FIG. 7B is a sectional view taken along line  7 B— 7 B of FIG.  7 A. 
     FIG. 7C is a sectional view taken along line  7 C— 7 C of FIG.  7 A. 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a hub forming part of a binding platform in accordance with a first specific embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 9A is a top view of the hub of FIG.  8 . 
     FIG. 9B is a sectional view taken along line  9 B— 9 B of FIG.  9 A. 
     FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of a shock-absorbing apparatus mated to fit to a binding and a board in accordance with a second specific embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 11 is another exploded perspective of the apparatus of FIG. 10 view without the binding or board being shown. 
     FIG. 12 is an exploded side elevational view of the apparatus of FIG. 10 showing the orientation of a boot, binding, shock-absorbing apparatus and board in accordance with a second specific embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the apparatus of FIG. 10 assembled onto a board. 
     FIG. 14 is a side elevational view of the assembly shown in FIG.  13 . 
     FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view of a shock-absorbing apparatus in accordance with a third specific embodiment of the preset invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Embodiments of the present invention are described herein in the context of a shock-absorbing apparatus. Those of ordinary skill in the art will realize that the following detailed description of the present invention is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. Other embodiments of the present invention will readily suggest themselves to such skilled persons having the benefit of this disclosure. Reference will now be made in detail to implementations of the present invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The same reference indicators will be used throughout the drawings and the following detailed description to refer to the same or like parts. 
     In the interest of clarity, not all of the routine features of the implementations described herein are shown and described. It will, of course, be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made in order to achieve the developer&#39;s specific goals, such as compliance with application- and business-related constraints, and that these specific goals will vary from one implementation to another and from one developer to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time-consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of engineering for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure. 
     The invention is described in use with a board such as a snowboard or a wakeboard. However, those of ordinary skill in the art will realize that the invention may be adapted and utilized in other types of sports such as water skiing, snow skiing, and skateboarding. For example, those of ordinary skill in the art will realize that the top plate, botton plate, and binding systems may vary between a sno ski and a showboard. However, the bearing-biasing assembly may be adapted to the varying top plate, bottom plate,and/or binding system. 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a shock-absorbing apparatus mated to fit to a step-in binding and a board in accordance with a first specific embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the shock-absorbing apparatus shown in FIG.  1 . FIG. 3A is a top view of the shock-absorbing apparatus shown in FIG.  1 . FIG. 3B is a sectional view taken along line  3 B— 3 B of FIG. 3A of the shock-absorbing apparatus shown in FIG.  3 A. 
     Referring to FIGS. 1,  2 ,  3 A and  3 B, a shock-absorbing apparatus  10  in accordance with a first specific embodiment of the present invention is shown having a binding platform  12  and a four biasing assemblies  14 ,  16 ,  18 , and  20 . Biasing assemblies  14 ,  16 ,  18 , and  20  are coupled between a plate  22  and a top surface  24  of a board  26 . Binding platform  12  is shown coupled to board  26  and a step-in binding  28  through four bearing assemblies  30 ,  32 ,  34 , and  36  which attach a hub  38  of platform  12  to a set of apertures  40  defined in a pattern in the board  26 . 
     In accordance with the first specific embodiment of the present invention, bearing assemblies  30 ,  32 ,  34 , and  36  permit platform  12  (and thus step-in binding  28  and its attached user) to pivot or swivel from and move along axis  42 , while also providing a rugged construction design which will enable biasing assemblies  14  through  20  to absorb the shocks and bumps (“mechanical energy”) encountered by apparatus  10  during use. Axis  42  is any axis which intersects top surface  24  although axis  42  may intersect top surface  24  at an approximately perpendicular angle. Besides providing ruggedness, bearing assemblies  30 ,  32 ,  34 , and  36  also allow platform  10  to be mounted in a standard hole pattern found in many common boards, adding versatility to apparatus  10 . 
     FIG. 4A is a perspective view of a bearing assembly in accordance with a first specific embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4B is an exploded view of the bearing assembly shown in FIG.  4 A. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 4A and 4B, bearing assemblies  30 ,  32 ,  34 , and  36  each include a bolt  50  having a threaded portion  52 , a stand-off  54 , and a spherical bearing  56 . Spherical bearing  56  includes a sleeve  58  and a sphere  60  with a cylindrical cavity for which bolt  50  is placed, as shown. This enables sleeve  58  to swivel  62 , rotate  64 , and/or slide  66  along axis  68 . Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize the amount of movement along axis  68  is limited by a head portion  69  of bolt  50  and stand-off  54 . Spherical bearings are known to those of ordinary skill in the art and are available from W. M. Berg, Inc., 499 Ocean Avenue of East Rockaway, N.Y. Each bearing assembly used is attached to platform  12  at sleeve  58  and to board  26  at threaded portion  52 . This permits platform  12  and board  26  to swivel and move or slide along axis  42  (see FIG.  1 ). 
     In accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention, bearing assemblies  30 ,  32 ,  34 , and  36  may be arranged to fit with non-standard hole patterns, such as that found on the well-known Burton™ snowboard or any wakeboard. 
     The number of biasing assemblies and bearing assemblies used and the pattern used to position the assemblies in accordance with the present invention are not intended to be limited in any way. Other configurations may be used that are within the scope and spirit of the herein disclosure and which may be evident to those of ordinary skill in the art. 
     FIG. 5A is an exploded perspective view of a biasing assembly in accordance with a first specific embodiment of the present invention. 
     Referring to FIG. 5A, biasing assemblies  14 ,  16 ,  18 , and  20  each include a swivel assembly  80  and a biasing element  82  which are bounded by a top portion  84  and a bottom portion  86 . Top portion  84  and bottom portion  86  are sometimes referred to herein as a retainer and foot, respectively. Swivel assembly  80  includes a threaded lid  88 , a coupler  90 , and a socket  94  having a threaded outside surface  96  configured to receive lid  88 . 
     Biasing element  82  may be any type of biasing element that can provide biasing along an axis  98  although in accordance with a presently preferred embodiment of the present invention biasing element  82  is a spiral spring. Spiral springs are known to those of ordinary skill in the art and are available from Smalley Steel Ring Company of Wheeling, Ill. The spiral spring used in accordance with one specific embodiment provides full compression at 52 pounds of force and is formed using a wire having a rectangular cross-section (not shown). 
     FIG. 5B is a perspective view of a biasing element for use with a biasing assembly in accordance with an alternative first specific embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 5B is a perspective view of a biasing element  83  in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention. Biasing element  83  includes at least eleven disc springs providing full compression at 52 pounds. Disc springs are known by those of ordinary skill in the art and are sometimes referred to as “Belleville springs.” The disc springs described herein are available from Century Spring Corporation of Los Angeles, Calif. 
     The use of a spiral spring or disc springs as a biasing element is not intended to be limiting in any way but is illustrative of the type of biasing elements that may be used in the present invention. Other types of springs and biasing elements such as elastomeric components may be used without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention. 
     The number of springs used is not intended to be limiting in any way. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize from this disclosure that any number of springs may be used, depending on the type of springs used and the size of biasing assembly used to house the springs, among other things. 
     When coupled to plate  22 , biasing assemblies  14 ,  16 ,  18 , and  20  provide shock absorbing properties to platform  12  (and hence to a user attached to platform  12  via binding  28 ). Each biasing assembly is coupled to a bottom surface  99  (see FIG. 7C) of plate  22  through the use of coupler  90  having a first end  91  and a swivel portion  92 . Coupler  90  is fixed to plate  22  at first end  91 . When received by socket  94 , swivel portion  92  enables the biasing assembly to absorb mechanical energy transferred from board  26  through biasing element  82  at angles offset from axis  98 . When combined with bearing assemblies  30 ,  32 ,  34 , and  36  in FIG. 1, each swivel portion and socket with the bearing assemblies permit platform  12  to swivel at angles offset from axis  42 . 
     In accordance with a first specific embodiment of the present invention, coupler  90  is a button head screw (not shown) having a button head portion and a threaded portion. The button head portion forms swivel portion  92  of coupler  90  and the threaded portion forms first end  91 . The use of a button head screw is not intended to be limiting in any way. Other embodiments may be used such as a separate set screw (not shown) having a threaded first end and threaded second end and a separate swivel portion having a threaded portion for receiving the threaded second end of the separate screw. The first end of the set screw is fixed to plate  22  and the second end is fixed to the threaded portion of swivel portion  92 . 
     Top portion  84  may have an inner threaded surface and bottom portion  86  may have an outer threaded surface top portion  84 . Both threaded surfaces are sized to interlock with each other so that top portion  84  can be “screwed-on” to bottom portion  86 . This not only enables top portion  84  and bottom portion  86  to retain socket  94  and biasing element  82 , but provides a biasing element adjustment feature. 
     Specifically, top portion  84  has a first end  100  having an aperture  102  having a size defined by an inner edge  104 . Lid  88  has top end  106  having a size defined by outer edge  108 . The position along axis  98  of first end  100  determines the maximum travel of lid  88  (and hence the maximum travel of biasing element  82  along axis  98 ) and the amount of preset bias provided by biasing element  82 . Thus, maximum travel and the amount of present bias provided by biasing element  82  may be selected simply by increasing or decreasing the amount top portion  84  is screwed onto bottom portion  86 . 
     When used with bearing assemblies  30 ,  32 ,  34 , and  36 , biasing assemblies  14 ,  16 ,  18 , and  20  enable binding platform  12  to swivel (as discussed above) and/or slide along axis  42  in a damped manner in response to mechanical energy, such as jolts, bumps, and vibration, encountered during use. This provides an independent suspension feature to platform  12  since board  26  can move along axis  42  (relative to platform  12 ) and do so even though its top surface  24  may be in a plane which is not perpendicular to axis  42 . 
     This ability by platform  12  to swivel and/or slide along axis  42  by board  26  through bearing assemblies  30 ,  32 ,  34 , and  36 , while damped by biasing assemblies  14 ,  16 ,  18 , and  20  results in a smoother ride and more precise handling characteristics for the user. The user&#39;s position along a plane intersecting axis  42 , such as the plane provided by binding platform  28 , does not change even though board  26  may move along and/or swivel about axis  42  during use. This gives the user better control of board  26 , such as edge control, and better feedback as to the terrain traveled upon because the user&#39;s sense of position relative to the plane intersecting axis  42  is not unnecessarily affected by the shock absorbing movements of bearing assemblies  30 ,  32 ,  34 , and  36  and biasing assemblies  16 ,  18 , and  20 . 
     In addition, binding platform  12 , bearing assemblies  30 ,  32 ,  34 , and  36 , and biasing assemblies  14 ,  16 ,  18 , and  20  together act to create a raised stance for the user. This reduces or eliminates the possibility of toe or heel drag during use, such as when making turns in soft snow or in rough terrain. The raised stance also enhances the ability of a user to transfer more power to the edges during turns. 
     In FIGS. 1,  2 ,  3 A and  3 B, since hub  38  is coupled to bearing assemblies  30 ,  32 ,  34 , and  36 , hub  38  remains rotationally fixed relative to axis  42 . However, this aspect of the present invention is not intended to be in any way limiting. A single bearing assembly may be positioned along vertical axis  42 , permitting hub  38  to not only to swivel and a move along axis  42  but also to rotate about axis  42 . However, to ensure ruggedness and dependability, more than one bearing assembly is preferably used. 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a plate forming part of a binding platform in accordance with a first specific embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7A is a top view of the plate shown in FIG.  6 . FIG. 7B is a sectional view taken along line  7 B— 7 B of FIG.  7 A. FIG. 7C is a sectional view taken along line  7 C— 7 C of FIG.  7 A. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a hub forming part of a binding platform in accordance with a first specific embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9A is a top view of the hub of FIG.  8 . FIG. 9B is a sectional view taken along line  9 B— 9 B of FIG.  9 A. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 6,  7 A,  7 B,  7 C,  8 ,  9 A and  9 B, plate  22  includes a surface  120  which is configured to receive a flange  122  forming an outer edge  124  for hub  38 . This permits plate  12  to rotate about axis  42  (see FIG. 1) even though hub  38  is rotationally fixed by bearing assemblies  30 ,  32 ,  34 , and  36 . Both surface  120  and flange  122  have a plurality of apertures  126  which are shaped to receive at least one screw, such as screw  128  in FIG.  1 . This permits plate  22  to be rotated about axis  42  to a selected position and then set at that position by screw  128 . Any number of screws may be used although at least four screws are used in a presently preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     The use of a hub and plate in the manner described above is not intended to be limiting in any way. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that binding platform  12  may be made into a single piece, more than two pieces, or any other number of pieces without departing from the inventive concepts described herein. For example, platform  12  may be integrally formed into a single piece which does not have a plate portion which may be selected to have a position about axis  42  but is fixed to a hub portion which is in turn, fixed to board  26 . The user&#39;s stance may be adjusted by rotating step-in binding  28  to a selected position and then held in that position by attaching binding disc  130  (see FIG. 1) to hub  38  using screws  132 ,  134 ,  136  and  138  to attach to a hole pattern formed on hub  38 . The hole pattern may be a standard hole pattern which matches the hole patterns on binding disc  130 , although other hole patterns may be used, such as a hole pattern found on a Burton™ binding. 
     Those of ordinary skill in the art will now recognize that step-in binding  28  includes teeth (not shown) which form edge  140  and binding disc  130  also includes teeth (not shown) at its outer edge  142 . This enables step-in binding  128  to be interlocked with binding disc  130  when binding disc  130  is attached using screws  132 ,  134 , 136 , and  138  to threaded holes on hub  38 . In accordance with a specific embodiment of the present invention, screws  132 ,  134 ,  136 , and  138  are flat head screws although any convenient type of screw or fastener may be used without departing from the scope or spirit of the herein disclosure. 
     A second specific embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 10,  11 ,  12 ,  13  and  14 . FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of a shock-absorbing apparatus mated to fit to a step-in binding and a board in accordance with a second specific embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is another exploded perspective of the apparatus of FIG. 10 view without the step-in binding or board being shown. FIG. 12 is an exploded side elevational view of the apparatus of FIG. 10 showing the orientation of a boot, binding, shock-absorbing apparatus and board in accordance with a second specific embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the apparatus of FIG. 10 assembled onto a board. FIG. 14 is a side elevational view of the assembly shown in FIG.  13 . 
     A novel shock-absorbing apparatus is shown having a bottom plate  202  coupled to the board  204 , a top plate  206  to receive the binding  208 , and four bearing-biasing assemblies  210   a ,  210   b ,  210   c , and  210   d . Each of the bearing-biasing assemblies ( 210   a ,  210   b ,  210   c , and  210   d ) have a bearing assembly  212  (shown in FIG. 12) and a biasing assembly  214  (shown in FIG. 12) where the bearing assembly  212  is disposed coaxially about the same axis  215  as biasing assembly  214  and the biasing assembly  214  is oriented to press against the bottom plate  202 . The top plate  206  is shown coupled to a step-in binding  208  that may be connected to the top plate  206  using four connectors  216   a ,  216   b ,  216   c , and  216   d , such as a screw. The boot  300  of a user is then attached to the binding  208  as shown in FIG.  12 . Those of ordinary skill in the art will realize that any type of binding, such as strap-in bindings, may be used and as such, the number or type of connectors may vary and is not intended to be limiting. Moreover, the number of assemblies used in this invention is not intended to be limiting. Furthermore, as previously described, the bottom plate and top plate may vary based pon the sport such as skiing or skateboarding. For example the hub of the bottom plate may not be necessary when the bearing-biasing assembly is used on a ski board. Thus, those of ordinary skill in the art will realize that the present invention may be addapted for use in any other sporting apparatus. 
     The bearing assemblies  212  and biasing assemblies  214  are coupled between the top plate  206  and the bottom plate  202 . In accordance with the second specific embodiment of the present invention, the bearing assemblies  212  permit the top plate  206  (and thus the step-in binding  208  and its attached user) to pivot or swivel from and move along axis  218 , while also providing a rugged construction design which will enable biasing assemblies  214  to absorb the shocks and bumps (mechanical energy) encountered by the apparatus during use. Axis  218  is any axis that intersects the top surface of the board  204  at an approximately perpendicular angle. Besides providing ruggedness, bearing assemblies  212  also provide stability for the biasing element  220  in the biasing assemblies  214 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 10,  11  and  12 , the bearing assemblies  212  each include a socket  222 , a connector  224 , an O-ring  226 , a lid  228 , and a top portion or retainer  230 . The connector  224 , such as a bolt, has a threaded portion  232  and a head  234 . The head  234  is placed within the socket  222  and the  0 -ring  226  is placed on the connector  222  between the head  234  and threaded portion  232 . The lid  230  has a top surface  236 , having an aperture  238 , and a bottom surface  240 . The top surface  236  is larger in diameter than the bottom surface  240  such that when the lid  228  is placed on top of the socket  222 , the bottom surface  240  of the lid  228  fits within the socket  222  thereby forming a cylindrical cavity between the lid  228  and socket  222 . The connector  224  is placed within the cylindrical cavity such that the threaded portion of the connector  232  extends through the aperture of the lid  238  and the connector head  234  and  0 -ring  226  fits within the cylindrical cavity. The  0 -ring  226  placed between the connector head  234  and threaded portion  232  fills the cylindrical cavity between the lid  228  and the socket  222  and allows the connector  224  to pivot or swivel from and move along axis  218  especially when one side of the bearing assemblies is fully adjusted, as further described below. The top portion or retainer  230  has a circular threaded inner surface  242  of a size large enough to encompass the lid  228  and socket  222 . Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that any connector may be used, such as a screw, and will realize that the amount of movement along axis  218  is limited by the connector head. Each bearing assembly  212  is attached to an aperture  244  in the top plate  206  at threaded portion  232 . This permits the user to swivel and move or slide along axis  218 . 
     The number of biasing assemblies and bearing assemblies used and the pattern used to position the assemblies in accordance with this embodiment of the invention are not intended to be limiting in any way. Other configurations may be used that are within the scope and spirit of the herein disclosure and which may be evident to those of ordinary skill in the art. 
     The biasing assemblies  214  are coaxial with the bearing assemblies  212  as shown in FIG.  12 . Each biasing assembly  214  includes a biasing element  220  that is bounded by the socket  222  and a mating groove  246  of a bottom portion  248  in the bottom plate  202 . The biasing element  220  may be any type of biasing element that can provide biasing along axis  218 , such as the elastomeric cylindrical biasing element, which may be made of polyurethane, as shown in FIG.  12 . Those of ordinary skill in the art will realize that other biasing elements may be used, such as the spiral spring as shown in FIG. 5A or the Belville Spring of FIG.  5 B. The elastomeric cylindrical biasing element may provide full compression at various pounds of force such as between 75-135 pounds, 135-225 pounds, or 225-300 pounds depending upon, for example, the weight of the user. 
     The biasing element  220  mates with a groove in the bottom surface  252  of the socket  222  and a mating groove  246  of the bottom plate  202 . The top portion or retainer  230  has a threaded inner surface  242  and the bottom portion  248  has an outer threaded surface  254  such that both surfaces are sized to interlock with each other so that the top portion  230  can be “screwed-on” to the bottom portion  248 . When coupled to the top plate  206  through the connection of top portion  230  and bottom portion  248 , biasing assembly  214  provides shock-absorbing properties to the top plate  206  (and hence to the user attached to the top plate via the binding). The position along axis  218  of the top portion  230  determines the maximum travel of the biasing element  220  along axis  218 . Thus, the maximum travel and the amount of present bias provided by the biasing element  220  may be selected simply by increasing or decreasing the amount the top portion  230  is screwed onto the bottom portion  248 . 
     The diameter of the top portion  230  and bottom portion  248  may vary based upon the biasing element used. However, both should be of a size large enough to allow the biasing element to displace throughout the cavity when force is applied onto the biasing element. 
     FIGS. 13 and 14 show the apparatus assembled on a board  204 . The biasing assembly  214  not only enables top portion  230  and bottom portion  248  to retain biasing element  220  and provide a biasing element adjustment feature, but allows the user to adjust the height of the apparatus. This reduces or eliminates the possibility of toe or heel drag during use, such as when making turns in soft snow or in rough wakes. The additional height also enhances the ability of a user to transfer more power to the edges during turns. Furthermore, this embodiment allows the user the freedom to choose what height, if any, that is comfortable for the user. For example, a user may decide to only raise one side of the apparatus such as assemblies  210   a  and  210   d  and lower the opposite side of the apparatus such as assemblies  210   b  and  210   c.    
     The number of biasing elements used is not intended to be limiting in any way. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize from the herein disclosure that any number of springs may be used, depending on the type of springs used and the size of the biasing assembly used to house the springs, among other things. 
     Bearing assemblies  212  and biasing assemblies  214  enable a board to swivel (as discussed above) and/or slide along axis  218  in a damped manner in response to mechanical energy, such as jolts, bumps, and vibrations, encountered during use. This provides an independent suspension feature to the board since the board can move along axis  218  (relative to the platform) and do so even though the top plate may be in a plane which is not perpendicular to axis  218 . Furthermore, as described above, this allows a user to have better control of the board, such as edge control, and better feedback as to the terrain traveled upon because the user&#39;s sense of position relative to the plane intersecting axis  218  is not unnecessarily affected by the shock absorbing movements of the bearing assemblies and biasing assemblies. 
     As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the bottom plate  202  has a hub  256  that has a top surface  258 , a bottom surface  260 , and at least one aperture  262 . The hub  256  is coupled to the board  204  by four connectors  264   a ,  164   b ,  264   c , and  264   d , such as a screw, which goes through aperture  262  and holes  302  in the board  204 . The hub  256  thus remains rotationally fixed relative to axis  218 . The number of connectors  264   a ,  264   b ,  264   c , and  264   d  used to secure the hub  256  to the board  204  is not intended to be limiting in any way. A single connector may be used to connect the hub  256  to the board  204 , however, to ensure ruggedness and dependability, more than one connector is preferred. 
     The bottom surface  260  of the hub  256  has a plurality of teeth  266  to with mate with a plurality of grooves  268  in a circularly shaped surface of the bottom plate  202 . The connection between the teeth  266  and groove  268  allows the bottom plate  202  (and thus the apparatus) to be securely fixed to the board  204 . Furthermore, this allows bottom plate  202  to rotate about axis  218  by unconnecting the connectors  264   a ,  264   b ,  264   c  and  264   d , lifting hub  256  (and thus releasing the teeth  266  from the grooves  268 ), and rotating bottom plate  202  to the desired position. The hub  256  is then reconnected to the bottom plate  202  via the mating of the teeth  266  and grooves  268  and to the board  204  via the connectors  264   a ,  264   b ,  264   c  and  264   d . The teeth  266  and groove  268  connection prevents the bottom plate  202  from rotating about axis  218  and secures bottom plate  202  (and thus the apparatus) to the board  204 . 
     FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view of a shock-absorbing apparatus in accordance with a third specific embodiment of the preset invention. 
     In yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention as shown in FIG. 15, the bearing-biasing assemblies  210   a ,  210   b ,  210   c  and  210   d  are attached directly to the bindings  208  at an aperture (not shown) in the binding  208  with the threaded portion  232   a ,  232   b ,  232   c  and  232   d . This eliminates the redundancy of having a top plate for the apparatus and the bottom plate of the binding. As shown in FIG. 15, there are four bearing-biasing assemblies  210   a ,  210   b ,  210   c  and  210   d . The number of assemblies are not intended to be limiting and any number of assemblies may be used. 
     While embodiments and applications of this invention have been shown and described, it would be apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure that many more modifications than mentioned above are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims.