Ski Simulator

Summary:
Device consists of platforms located between main platform and rotating platforms with ski bindings and harness with a dynamic suspension connected to a skier. Platforms installed with the possibility of rotation around their axis, each imitates the position of the slope, position or movement of skis, or skier’s body.

Full Description:
Ski Simulator of Igor Koshutin
For demonstrating and helping the novice skiers/racers
to learn the essential constituent parts of skiing

The invention relates to the field of sport, in particular to ski training simulators, particularly devices for exercises and slalom skills, as well as devices for entertainment.

The foundation of the present invention is based on providing conditions for the full simulation of the skier’s movement on a real skiing/slalom track by installing additional platforms, each of which imitates an axis of movement of the slope, skis, or skier’s body.

The main goal of the simulator is to demonstrate and help the novice skier/racer learn the essential constituent parts of skiing such as tipping, flexing, extending, transition, counterbalancing and counteracting, upper body position and motions, etc. and put the trainee’s body in the correct positions and provide him/her with muscle memory to remember these positions and motions as much as possible before he/she gets to the real slope.

Direction of the slope in a simulator should not be static; otherwise there would be further complications with the suspension and design of the simulator. Therefore, in the design of the claimed simulator, the direction of the slope is changing not only relative to the body, because the body constantly rotates left and right, but relative to the main lower platform 1 as well, so the direction of the slope becomes dynamic.

The purpose of the simulator is to simulate the position of the body, rather than the position or direction of the slope; therefore the platform is rotating. The body’s inclinations are simulated by lateral movement of the platform left-right along the arced guides/rails. The radius and length of the arc are defined depending on real conditions, or special conditions for various categories of skiers: beginners and more experienced skiers; slalom or giant slalom, and others.

The objective is achieved by different platforms, located between the main platform 1 and the rotating left-right platforms 9 and 10 with ski bindings. The different platforms are installed with the possibility of rotation around their axis, each of which imitates the position of the slope, position or movement of skis, or the skier’s body. And the skier has a harness connected with a dynamic suspension.

The said features have the following specific design solutions:

Construction and mounting of the platform 1 provides movement that simulates an angular movement of the body during the turns.
Construction and mounting of the platforms 2 and 3 provides movement simulating change in the direction of the slope “α” relatively to the body of a skier. Mounting of the platforms 2 and 3 provides the change of inclination angle simulating changing angle of the ski slope “β” relative to the horizon.

Construction and mounting of the platform 4 provides movement simulating change of ski center location relative to a direction perpendicular to direction of the slope.

The platforms 5 and 6 for the left and right skis are mounted on the top of the platform 4. Construction and mounting of the platforms 5 and 6 provides movement that simulates an increased distance between the centers of the skis during the turns.

The platforms 7 and 8 are installed on the platforms 5 and 6 respectively with the possibility of rotation around their axis, perpendicular to the surface of the platforms 5 and 6 simulating rotation skis (boots) around the vertical axes perpendicular to the slope during the turns.

The platforms 9 and 10 are installed on the platforms 7 and 8 respectively. They can be made in the form of real skis with possibility of rotation around two axes parallel to the skis and located on the left and right edge of the skis simulating tipping of the skis during the turns.

The axis of rotation of the platforms 2, 3 and 4 are located at a distance from each other so when a skier inclines, his/her body applies pressure to the left or right side and the platforms rotate respectively and platform 1 moves along the guides/rails.

Each platform is equipped with a system of elastic/spring elements that return a platform to the neutral position when the pressure releases.

Stiffness/resistance of the spring elements is determined so that by the increasing pressure from the skier platforms begin to move in a certain sequence: platform with a greater stiffness/resistance rotates after the platform with a lesser stiffness.

Platform mounted on top of each other using a set of coasters or bearings, for example, cylindrical bearings of various diameters, such as a "Lazy Susan".

Suspension is connected with counterweights, or springs, or bungee cords, through the pulleys. Weights or resistance are determined depending on the weight of the skier.

A harness is mounted on the body of a skier's center of gravity and connected to the ceiling or frame through the pulleys and elastic elements.

Listed above are new features (additional platforms that simulate positions of the ski slope, body of a skier, harness coupled with a dynamic suspension) in collaboration with well-known features (base platform, platform with ski bindings) provide identification of the new features of the invention and achieving the technical result of the invention - the multiple repetition of the cyclical movements of the body, legs, and feet of a skier in the conditions simulated by the ski simulator. The proposed design of the simulator allows getting consumer properties relating to the technical result, which is the impact on a skier, as are maximal close/similar, taken together, to the impact in real conditions of slalom runs with the relevant skills and experience.

One of the challenges the novice skier/racer faces is to overcome the psychological barrier that prevents the body from leaning forward during the flexing, but which allows you to perform more edgy and sharp turns along the arc of the smaller radius. When skiing along the arcs the centrifugal force and centripetal acceleration keep the skier’s body in the inclined position. That is, it would be impossible to keep the body in the same position standing on the ground without movement, and, of course, it would fall. Instructors often use ski poles or other supporting devices trying to demonstrate a correct position of the body and reproduce its inclination during the real skiing/racing, but it is difficult without movement. Position of the body supported by the poles resembles the correct position, but is still far from it. After a static demonstration using ski poles or other supports instructors usually move to a dynamic demonstration on the run. Typically that part of the coaching is the most challenging and lengthy.

Before a trainee will begin to learn the correct skiing/racing technique, it takes quite long time - it could be hours, days, weeks, depending on the various factors, such as physical training, attitude, desire, weather, congestion of the ski slope, instructor’s experience, and many other factors. The instructor has to not only demonstrate the correct technique, but also watch, analyse, identify mistakes, and give recommendations. An instructor cannot stop the trainee at some point on the go and “fix the bugs”. This process involves many repetitions, the ups and downs, and even crashes and injuries that may interrupt the learning process for a long time and even discourage a trainee from further training. The cost of the ski lessons is an important factor as well.

It should be noted that skiers usually do not use poles on the run. The poles are used during moving on the flat ground or climbing up to the hill. That is, any kind of supporting devices in the ski simulators move them away from the real situation.

As it was noted above, it is impossible to reproduce the centrifugal force and centripetal acceleration in any device without a real movement. The main purpose of the simulator is reproduction of movement, body position, and work of certain muscle groups as close as possible to the real conditions.

In order to free hands, just like during real skiing/racing, a harness 20 (Fig. 16) with a suspension (Fig. 17) is used in the simulator. The suspension must be dynamic, i.e. it must be always in tension. The body moves continuously and changes its position. Thus, the distance between the attachment point on the body and the attachment point on the ceiling or frame is changing continuously as well. Vertical amplitude is small, but it still exists, so there should be no slack. Hence, a suspension through pulleys 21 is connected to the springs 22, or bungee cords 23, or counterweights.

A harness 20 should be worn so that it doesn’t impede the trainee’s movements; the mounting points 24 should be in the center of body gravity, or a little lower and behind in the area of the hips, closer to the buttocks (Fig. 18, 19, 20). The suspension connected to the harness at the rear side of the body would not hamper the motions. That feature distinguishes this type of harness from all known harnesses (used by climbers, steeplejacks, etc.) that are specially designed in such a way to keep body hanging vertically, i.e. mounting points must be far above the center of gravity of the body.

The distance “L” between attachment points on the ceiling or frame of each pair of suspension approximately equals to the amplitude of the horizontal movement of the trainee’s body. This distance can be adjusted depending on height, weight, training level, trainee’s aggressiveness, etc., because different people would incline, flex, extend, move left-right with different amplitudes.

So, this type of suspension and attachments achieve three objectives:

First, elastic elements with lesser stiffness can be utilized. That is, by using pulleys the workload applied to elastic elements decreases. A suspension can stretch twice more than amplitude of the body motion and at the same time, tension changes are negligible, so it might be assumed that it remains the same.

Secondly, when the body moves left and right, a direction of tension remains almost the same as well.

Thirdly, when the body moves left and right, the pulleys, and hence, the attachment points on the harness, remain roughly at the same level.

Problem this idea/invention addresses:
One of the challenges the novice skier faces is to overcome the psychological barrier that prevents the body from leaning forward during the flexing, but which allows you to perform more edgy and sharp turns along the arc of the smaller radius. When skiing along the arcs the centrifugal force and centripetal acceleration keep the skier’s body in the inclined position. It would be impossible to keep the body in the same position standing on the ground without movement. Instructors often use ski poles or other supporting devices trying to demonstrate a correct position of the body and reproduce its inclination during the real skiing. Position of the body supported by the poles resembles the correct position, but is still far from it. After a static demonstration using ski poles or other supports instructors usually move to a dynamic demonstration on the run. Typically that part of the coaching is the most challenging and lengthy.

Before a trainee will begin to learn the correct skiing technique, it takes quite long time depending on the various factors. The instructor has to not only demonstrate the correct technique, but also watch, analyse, identify mistakes, and give recommendations. An instructor cannot stop the trainee at some point on the go and “fix the bugs”. This process involves many repetitions, the ups and downs, and even crashes and injuries that may interrupt the learning process and even discourage a trainee from further training.

Skiers usually do not use poles on the run. The poles are used during moving on the flat ground or climbing up to the hill. That is, any kind of supporting devices in the ski simulators move them away from the real situation.
The simulator allows reproducing movement, body position, and work of certain muscle groups as close as possible to the real conditions. The simulator allows demonstrating and helping the novice skier/racer to learn the essential constituent parts of skiing such as tipping, flexing, extending, transition, counterbalancing and counteracting, upper body position and motions, etc. and put the trainee’s body in the correct positions and provide him/her with muscle memory to remember these positions and motions as much as possible before he/she gets to the real slope.

Attached files:
2012-0425. SKI SIMULATOR. ENG (drawings).pdf
2012-0613. Patent_Provisional_Koshutin_Spec.pdf
2012-0613. Patent_Provisional_Koshutin_Dwg.pdf

Patents:
US 61,661,591
UA 72,443

Asking price: [CONTACT SELLER]
Available for consultation? Yes

Invention #11937
Date posted: 2014-02-17


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