16 patents in this list
Updated: April 15, 2024
This page showcases various innovative approaches to reduce the cost of skateboards while maintaining their quality and performance.
Skateboarding is a popular sport and recreational activity enjoyed by people of all ages. However, the cost of skateboarding equipment can sometimes be a barrier for individuals who want to start or continue skateboarding. By reducing the cost of skateboards, it becomes more accessible and affordable for a wider range of enthusiasts, allowing more people to engage in this exciting activity.
Reducing the cost of skateboards without compromising on quality and performance poses various technological challenges. The materials used in skateboards directly impact their durability and performance. Finding cost-effective alternatives to traditional materials like maple wood is crucial. Additionally, optimizing manufacturing processes and implementing innovative design principles can help achieve cost reductions. Maintaining a balance between cost reduction and maintaining high standards of safety and performance is key in developing affordable skateboards.
KARSTEN MANUFACTURING CORPORATION, 2023
Multi-material skateboard deck that is lightweight, durable, and maintains shape. The deck has a core of resilient maple wood layers surrounded by stiffening layers made of fiber-reinforced polymer. The fiber-reinforced layers absorb stress and provide strength, allowing the deck to be lighter than traditional all-wood decks. The fiber-reinforced outer layers also better retain shape compared to wood. This improves durability and reduces weight. The deck layers are laminated and molded together. The deck has a specific stacking order of resilient and stiffening layers to balance stiffness and weight savings.
James Blackmarr Wursthorn, 2022
A high performance skateboard with reinforced layers for durability and specific flex characteristics. The skateboard has an upper layer, lower layer, and core layer sandwiched together. Reinforcing material is adhered between the layers using an adhesive. The reinforcing material has center, anterior, and posterior sections aligned with the skateboard truck mounting points. This provides targeted reinforcement without adding excess weight. The reinforcing material can be woven carbon fiber fabric or other high strength materials. The skateboard construction allows tuning flex, durability, and weight for optimal performance in skateboarding.
Feng Jiang, 2022
An integrated plastic skate with a molded inner sleeve and outer shell that eliminates the need for separate shoe components like liners and insoles. The skate has an injection molded plastic shell that encloses the molded inner sleeve in one step, eliminating the need for manual assembly and joining processes like stitching, gluing, and pressing. This provides a lighter weight, more integrated and seamless skate that is easier to manufacture and more environmentally friendly.
Acton, Inc., 2022
Electric skateboard with a unique design that has a single motor driving both front and rear wheels through a differential setup. The skateboard has a deck with a battery case underneath. The motor is mounted in one wheel and connected to the other wheel through a shaft. This allows both wheels to rotate in the same direction for simple and efficient propulsion. The battery, electronics, and wheels are enclosed in the deck and frame assembly. The deck thickness is greater than the battery to protect it. The frame has an opening that aligns with the deck opening. This allows a cover plate to seal the battery compartment.
Strongwell Corporation, 2021
A deck board assembly system that combines the benefits of pultruded deck boards for strength and stiffness with the aesthetic and UV resistance of extruded decking surfaces. The system involves a pultruded attachment device with recessed screw channels and snap-on decorative end caps that attaches to deck framing. This is coupled to an extruded capping piece that snaps onto the pultruded attachment. The pultruded board provides structural support and the extruded cap adds appearance and UV resistance. The pultruded attachment allows recessed screw heads and snap-on end caps to prevent interference with the extruded cap. The pultruded attachment also has vertical ribs and horizontal flanges for stiffness. The pultruded board is made by pultrusion and the extruded cap is made by extrusion.
Jeremy Fox, 2021
A skateboard rail attachment with improved strength, durability, and ease of installation compared to conventional slide rails. The attachment has a throughbore with an enlarged intermediate section between the sliding surface and mounting surface apertures. The enlarged section encapsulates part of the fastener head, preventing it from protruding and creating weak points. The head is also restricted from moving relative to the rail axis. This allows a flush mount between the rail and deck, eliminating wobble. The rail can be fastened directly to the deck without pilot holes or templates. The enlarged head section fills the expanding deck area as the screw threads in.
eBoardStuff, 2020
Skateboard wheel mount that allows using wheels with different core configurations without needing specific mounts for each wheel type. The mount has lugs with different shapes that engage various apertures in the wheel cores. Some lugs fit circular apertures and others fit non-circular apertures with ribs. This compatibility across multiple wheel core types enables using a single mount with interchangeable wheels having different core configurations.
Westey Raymond Chapman, 2020
Reduced material deck board design that saves weight compared to solid boards without compromising strength. The deck board has hollow sections inside with concave flanges at the outer edges. This reduces material compared to solid boards. The concave flanges fit snugly with complementary anchor structures to secure the boards. The hollow interior reduces weight while the arch shape maintains strength.
Alfred C. Williams, Jr., 2020
Double-kingpin skateboard truck with adjustable turning and stability for improved safety and performance. The truck has a keyway slot in the intermediary member and an L-shaped keyway bolt. Riser washers can be added between the base plate and intermediary member to adjust the height. This allows tight turning for tricks like slalom and sidewalk surfing, or higher for stability at speed. The keyway prevents the kingpin from rotating in the intermediary member, preventing metal-to-metal contact and breakage.
TAICANG CHE ZHONG BAO LEISURE PRODUCTS CO., LTD., 2020
Swing roller skate with a novel manufacturing process that allows for a lighter, more compact design with improved appearance compared to traditional swing roller skates. The skate has a plastic panel with an aluminum insert that is injection molded into the plastic. The aluminum insert has rounded through holes that match the plastic panel holes. This allows the aluminum to be hidden inside the plastic, providing strength without adding bulk. The skate also has features like concave sections, arc edges, and nylon anti-wear bars to further enhance the appearance and functionality.
Tommy Board, Inc., 2018
Oversized wheeled board for street surfing that provides a smooth and enjoyable riding experience closer to water skiing than traditional skateboarding. The board is at least 4 feet long and has a flexible deck made of layers of soft materials like foam, urethane, carbon fiber, or fiberglass. The deck's flexibility provides a smoother ride compared to rigid skateboard decks. It also has riser plates between the trucks and deck filled with an elastomer to absorb shocks. The flexible deck and shock-absorbing components make the board feel more like a wakeboard on land.
LITHE INDUSTRIES, LLC, 2018
Skateboard deck construction method to improve strength, durability, and performance compared to standard decks. The method involves using composite layers, protective tipfills, and side edges. The composite layers are precut and inlayed into the tipfills and side edges to protect the composite. This prevents chipping and delamination. The tipfills and side edges are made of materials like plastic to further protect the inner layers. The composite layers, like carbon fiber, reduce weight while increasing strength. The composite inlay, tipfills, and side edges provide better protection and durability compared to just composite layers or just wood layers.
WOOD STRUCTURE, 2018
A lightweight, easy-to-install skateboard ramp that is self-supporting and can be made from expanded polystyrene foam. The ramp has a fixed skating surface connected to tenons embedded in mortises in the foam. This allows the ramp to rest directly on the ground without needing a separate frame structure. The foam blocks can be connected by mortise-and-tenon joints that expose openings for inserting the tenons. This simplifies construction compared to framed ramps with separate skating surfaces. The foam blocks are also easy to transport and can be connected in multiple pieces for larger ramps.
Razor USA LLC, 2018
Personal mobility vehicle like an electric skateboard with a small motor and rear wheel drive that allows for a lightweight and portable electric vehicle at a low cost. The skateboard has a swiveling front wheel, a powered rear wheel, and an optional extendable auxiliary wheel.
George William ILIFFE, III, 2018
Skateboard trucks that are highly maneuverable, controllable, lightweight, and structurally superior compared to traditional skateboard trucks. The trucks have features like a defined pivot recess on the base plate, offset hanger pivot, and customizable hanger widths that improve maneuverability, stability, and control. This allows skateboarders to execute tricks with easier learning curves and better performance.
Dash Electric, Inc., 2018
Modular kit for retrofitting non-motorized skateboards with electric power. The kit allows users to easily convert their existing skateboards to electric ones by swapping out wheels, attaching a battery pack, and connecting a control unit. The modular components like the motorized wheels, battery, and controller can be detached and replaced individually. The kit includes connectors on the housings to join them together. This lets users upgrade components as needed instead of replacing the entire board. The kit can also be removed to convert back to a non-motorized skateboard.
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