Abstract:
A pocket ski seat for suspension between poles is formed of a strap that is folded over at the ends and stitched at the sides to form pockets for the ends of the poles. The strap is approximately 4 inches wide, being sufficiently strong to withstand concentrated loading against the pole ends and sufficiently stiff laterally to prevent gathering when loaded by a seated user.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to portable seats, and more particularly seats of the type that are suspended from upstanding poles such as ski poles.  
           [0002]    Portable seats for skiers are known, being disclosed, for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,874,687 and 4,065,140 to Cadwalader, 3,902,731 to Fagen, and 4,456,284 to Saka. Most of these are impractical principally for considerable complexity and consequent fabrication costs. The device disclosed in the Cadwalader &#39;140 patent, while not particularly complex, does require specialized equipment and rather complex set-up procedures for manufacture. Instead of being an assembly of straps, buckles, and pocket members, the Cadwalader &#39;140 device is a woven tubular member wherein the tubular configuration is interrupted at spaced intervals, having woven-in slits for receiving the ends of ski poles, and woven-in closures for defining the ends of pockets that are engaged by the poles. The dimensions of the finished article are defined by programming of a loom that produces a series of the articles, which are subsequently severed, the severed ends being heat-sealed to prevent unraveling. This Cadwalader device exhibits additional disadvantages, in that it is particularly weak at points of engagement with the ends of the poles, in that one wall only of the tubular structure resists puncturing by the ends of the poles. When the device is of sufficiently heavy construction to resist such puncture, it then becomes excessively heavy and cumbersome in that the same density is present in both walls of the tubular structure for the full length of the article. Further, the central portion of the device is subject to lateral gathering under the load of a seated occupant as a result of the tubular construction, with consequent discomfort to the occupant.  
           [0003]    Thus there is a need for a portable seat for suspension between poles, that avoids the disadvantages of the prior art.  
         SUMMARY  
         [0004]    The present invention meets this need by providing a strap-type seat for supporting a user between a pair of upstanding poles such as ski poles. The seat is particularly strong, yet is light in weight, easy to manufacture, and is not subject to gathering under load. In one aspect of the invention, the seat includes elongate strap member having opposite end portions folded into facing relation to respective adjacent portions of the strap member; respective laterally spaced pairs of side seams fixedly joining side extremity regions of the end portions to corresponding side extremity regions of the adjacent portions of the strap member to form respective pocket cavities for receiving respective ends of the poles. Each pocket cavity has a pattern width of at least 2.5 inches between its side seams and a pattern pocket length of at least 1.25 times the pattern width from the inside of its fold to distal extremities of the corresponding side seams in a flattened condition of the seat. The pocket cavities are thus configured for receiving end portions of the pole members when the pole members have outside circumferences of up to approximately 4.75 inches, the seat being supported by axial compressive loading of the poles when the ski seat is tensioned by supporting the user. The overall length of the seat is between approximately 40 inches and approximately 70 inches for supporting a normal size range of users on poles of appropriate length for use as ski poles. Preferably the strap member has an overall width of not less than 3 inches in the flattened condition for enhanced comfort of the user. The strap member can be of uniform width for vacilitating manufacture thereof. The uniform overall width of the strap member preferably approximately 4 inches for further enhancing the user&#39;s comfort, and the pocket widths are not less than approximately 2.75 inches for accommodating larger diameter poles which may have attached wrist straps.  
           [0005]    Preferably the strap member is formed of a woven material for providing a desired combination of lateral stiffness and longitudinal flexibility. The woven material is preferably woven in a manner that defines the uniform width of the strap member for resistance to unraveling. The woven material includes at least one material selected from the group consisting of NYLON, RAYON, and polyester.  
           [0006]    The side seams can include stitching. The side seams are preferably reinforced in the regions farthest from the folds that define bottoms of the pocket cavities, that region being subjected to more concentrated loading in use of the seat. When the side seams include stitching the reinforcing can include multiple folded segments of the stitching. Also, or in the alternative, the reinforcing can include an installed rivet projecting through both layers of the strap member in the region of each seam farthest from the fold.  
           [0007]    Preferably the pattern pocket lengths are not greater than approximately twice the pattern widths of the pocket cavities for conserving material of the strap member, and for facilitating access to wrist straps that may be on the poles. A preferred overall length of the ski seat for accommodating a usual range of user body types and sizes is between approximately 52 inches and approximately 58 inches.  
           [0008]    In another aspect of the invention, a method for forming the pocket ski seat includes providing an elongate strap member; folding opposite end portions of the strap member into facing relation to respective adjacent portions of the strap member; forming respective laterally spaced pairs of side seams for fixedly joining side extremity regions of the end portions to corresponding side extremity regions of the adjacent portions of the strap member to form respective pocket cavities between the end portions and the adjacent portions of the strap member, the folds between the end portions and the adjacent portions of the strap member defining an overall length of the ski seat between approximately 40 inches and approximately 70 inches in a flattened condition of the ski seat, and each pocket cavity having a pattern width of not less than approximately 2.75 inches between the side seams thereof and a pattern pocket length of not less than 1.25 times the pattern width between the corresponding fold and distal extremities of the corresponding side seams in the flattened condition; and reinforcing each of the side seams proximate the distal extremity thereof, thereby forming the seat to receive end portions of the pole members to provide supportive engagement with the pole member end portions and loading the pole members in axial compression when the ski seat is tensioned by supporting the user between the pole members.  
       
    
    
     DRAWINGS  
       [0009]    These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings, where:  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a skier seated on a portable pocket seat according to the present invention, the seat being slung between the skier&#39;s ski poles;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is a perspective view as in FIG. 1, showing the ski poles in a crossed orientation;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the seat of FIG. 1 in a flattened condition;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4 is a fragmentary detail view of an end portion of the seat in the flattened condition of FIG. 3; and  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 5 is a detail view as in FIG. 4, showing an alternative configuration of the seat of FIG. 3. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION  
       [0015]    The present invention provides a novel portable seat for suspension between poles, that is particularly strong, yet light in weight, inexpensive to provide, and comfortable to use. With reference to FIGS.  1 - 4  of the drawings, a portable seat  10  according to the present invention can be suspended between a pair of poles  11  for supporting a seated user  12 . In FIGS. 1 and 2, the user is a skier wearing skis  13  and the poles  11  are ski poles. The portable seat  10  includes an elongate strap member  14 , end portions  16  of which are folded over as indicated at  18  in facing relation to adjacent portions  19  of the strap  14 , each of the end portions  16  being secured by a laterally spaced pair of side seams  20 .  
         [0016]    As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the strap  14  has a width W, the seat  10  having an overall length L that is typically between 30 inches and 70 inches as described below. The side seams  20  join respective side extremity portions  22  of the end portions to corresponding side extremity portions  24  of the adjacent portions  19  to form respective pocket cavities  26  at opposite ends of the portable seat  10 , the pocket cavities  26  each having a pattern pocket length l between the corresponding fold  18  and distal extremities of the side seams  20 , and a pattern width w between the seams  20  in a flattened condition of the seat  10 . The width W of the strap  14  is sufficient to allow the pattern width w to be large enough for the pocket cavities  26  to receive the ends of the poles  11 . An exemplary pole end of circular cross-section having a diameter of 1.25 inches has a circumference of approximately 4 inches. In order to receive this exemplary pole end, the pattern width w would have to be at least 2 inches, but after allowance for a reasonable thickness of the strap member  14  and local flexure thereof at the seams  20 , the pattern width would have to be somewhat greater, approximately 2.5 inches, for example, for the pocket cavity  26  to readily accept the pole end. In this example, further locating the side seams only 0.125 inch from side extremities of the strap member  14  results in the strap width W being 2.75 inches, which is considered a practical minimum. Preferably, the strap width is somewhat greater, for permitting the side seams  20  (and preferred reinforcements thereof as described below) to extend farther within the Width W, for accommodating poles having wrist 7  straps at the ends as are typical of ski poles, and allowing for somewhat larger pole ends, as well as for providing enhanced comfort for the seated user  12  by improved distribution of the supported load. Accordingly, a preferred strap width W is approximately 4 inches, a corresponding preferred pattern width w of the pocket cavities  26  is not less than approximately 2.75 inches, which allows for the side seams  20  and any reinforcement thereof to extend up the 0.625 inch inwardly from opposite sides of the strap member  14 .  
         [0017]    As further shown in FIG. 4, the side seams  20  are reinforced proximate the distal ends thereof by multiple folded segments of the stitching as indicated at  30 .  
         [0018]    Additionally or in the alternative, and with further reference to FIG. 5, reinforcements in the form of respective rivets  30  are installed proximate the distal ends of the side seams  20 .  
         [0019]    The pocket lengths l are sufficiently great to insure that the ends of the poles  11  remain engaged in the pocket cavities under the full loading of the user  12 . However, it is desired that the end portions  16  of the strap member not be excessively long, for permitting use of wrist straps of the poles  11 , if present, and for conserving material of the strap member  14 . It is believed that the required pocket length l is also roughly proportional to the pattern width w of the pocket cavities  26 , being preferably not less than 1.25 nor greater than approximately 2 times the width w. In the preferred configuration wherein the width W of the strap member  14  is 4 inches, the pocket length l can be approximately 5.625 inches, which is within the above-described preferred range. Based on the above, and in consideration of an expected range of body types and sizes of the user  12 , a preferred range for the overall length L os the portable seat  10  is from approximately 40 inches to approximately 70 inches, a more preferred range being 52 inches to 58 inches, 55 inches being most preferred.  
         [0020]    As indicated above, the material of the strap member  14  should be relatively stiff laterally for preventing gathering under load in regions thereof to be contacted by the user  12 , yet relatively flexible longitudinally for facilitating folding at the end portions  16 , and sufficiently strong in tension to withstand concentrated loading at points of contact with the ends of the poles  12 . In consideration of the above, single-ply woven strap material is particularly preferred, in that woven construction provides a desired combination of strength, stiffness, and flexibility, the single-ply configuration (in contrast to tubular configurations) imparting lateral stiffness for resistance to gathering, and the woven side extremities, not being cut so as to have exposed strand ends, is not subject to unraveling. A particularly suitable material for the strap member  14  is commercially available as N 7500 GN 4-inch Natural strap, from Atlas Sales and Marketing of Huntington Beach, Calif., that material including NYLON, RAYON, and polyester, and having a thickness of approximately 0.12 inch. Other materials, of course can be used, preferably including at least one of the components of the N 7500 GN material identified above.  
         [0021]    Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions are possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not necessarily be limited to the description of the preferred versions contained herein.