SKI COVER AND METHOD FOR PRODUCTION THEREOF

Abstract: A ski cover (1) intended to be transported upon a vehicle roof rack, is made in one piece with one end thereof closed and closable by means of a removable cap (2) which has been formed by first making the cover closed and then cut at one end thereof. The cover is near to the open end thereof provided with a plurality of channels (5) extending transversely around the cover, reinforcing the construction and permitting connection of a yoke (16) guided in one of said channels and designed so as to support a shaft (21) for transport wheels (23) as well as acessories which enable the securing of a suitcase (24) or the like to the cover.

Description: SKI COVER AND METHOD FOR PRODUCTION THEREOF Recently ski covers intended to be secured to roof racks for vehicles have been developed. These known ski covers in most cases consist of an elongated box made from plastic material, the upper side of which being designed as a cap. This- design makes it rather difficult to reach the skis when the cover is located upon the roof of a vehicle, since it is necassary to l ift them out of the box and further the box itself in order to obtain suffi¬ cient rigidity has to be designed with a relatively thick wall respect- ively with reinforcements, which makes it heavy and bulky, making it difficult to transport. Especially in those cases when ski equipment as well as suitcases and similar objects are to be transported from a vehicle to a winter sport establishment or the like this is disad¬ vantageous. The object of the invention therefore has been to provide a ski cover, which is l ight in weight and easy to transport and from which skis and ski sticks may be easily removed also when the cover is on place on the roof rack of a vehicle. A further object has been to provide a ski cover, which is designed so as to be easily and rapidly connected to transport wheels and/or a coup¬ ling device for connection of suitcases and similar objects to the cover. In order to fulfill these and other objects the invention has the charac¬ teristics of the claims. The accompanying drawings illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the in- vention as well as some detail arrangements. In the drawings, Fig. 1 illustrates the new ski cover in a side view and with removed cap. Fig. 2 shows the ski cover seen from the right hand end in fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on a bigger scale of parts of the ski cover. Fig. h is a partial section through the side wall of the ski cover as well as a plan view of the corresponding part of the cover. Fig. 5 shows in a front view and in a side view a yoke for connecting transport wheels to the cover. Fig. 6 shows a wheel shaft intended to cooperate with the yoke in fig. 5. Fig. 7 shows the ski cover, provided with transport wheels and with a suitcase connected thereto, and Fig. 8 finally is a perspective view of the right hand end in fig. 1 of the ski cover but provided with cap, partly broken. The new ski cover in the drawings is generally designated as 1 and has the right hand end as seen in fig. 1 open but closable by means of a cap denoted 2. The ski cover is made in one single piece by means of a blowing procedure well known in the art and where a hose made from a thermpplastic material in heated condition and after having had at least one end thereof closed is blown up such that it substantially fills a parted mold from which it receives its shape. By this method a rigid construction is obtained also when a relatively thin-walled mate¬ rial is used. In the illustrated embodiment the hose has been substanti¬ ally closed at both ends giving as a result a substantially closed pro¬ duct. By cutting of the right hand end part of the so obtained product 1,2 according to fig. 1 a part 2 is obtained, which after having been completed in some respects constitutes the cap of the ski cover. The ski cover is intended to be transported on the roof of a vehicle. To this end a roof rack with transversal , preferably tubular beams of substantially rectangular section are used. Securing means 3 respectively k can be applied to the beams and are provided to cooperate with the under side of the ski cover, in a manner to be described In connection I with fig. 3, which on- a bigger scale shows a number on consecutive length sections of the ski cover 1 with parts belonging thereto. As appears from this figure the ski cover itself is formed with a plur¬ ality of grooves 5 extending around the product, which have been formed by bringing the wall material to form a plurality of channels extending around the product. In the lower surface of the cover 1 there are pro¬ vided laterally extending openings, from which a rear opening 6 and an intermediate opening 7b have only a mo derate extension in the length direction of the cover but an opening a in front of them is wider for a purpose which will appear from the fol lowing description. The particular securing means 3, which is provided to cooperate with the openings 7a,7b in the front portion of the cover has an obliquely extending tongue 8 and an upwardly directed projection 9 at a distance therefrom and the securing means in question is provided with a screw 10 for securing the securing means to one of the lateral beams of the roof rack. The particular securing means k , which is provided to cooperate with the opening 6 in the rear portion of the cover has a yoke 11 formed as an inverted U and this yoke of course just like the securing means 3 has a screw for securing it to one of the beams of the roof rack. By this design it will be possible to rapidly and easily fasten the ski cover to the roof rack. The cover is first lifted up to the roof rack and displaced so that the tongue 8 will be in register with the opening 7a in the under side of the cover. In this position the cover takes a somewhat incl ined position such that the tongue 8 can enter through the opening 7a and the cover can be pushed forwards such that the tongue will catch the wall portion between the openings 7a and 7b. The latter opening 7b has such an extension in the length direction of the cover that the upwardly projecting portion 9 without too much of clearence can enter said opening when the cover is permitted to swing down to a horizontal position. The distance between the securing means 3 and k respectively i- between the openings 7b and 6 are so chosen that the yoke 11 will pass through the opening 6 thereby locking the cover against displacement as well as against turning around a vertical axis. ' By arranging inside the cover a locking device 12, provided with a slid¬ ing bolt 13 which as appears from fig. 2 in the active position thereof locates itself under that transverse part 11' of the yoke 11 but which by means of a device (not shown) can be retracted for releasing the yoke, the cover is effectively locked against swinging upwardly when said device engages the yoke, and is ra idly and effectively released when the device is out of engagement since the operations now described are just repeated in a reverse mode. By means of the arrangements now described the cover may be rapidly and effectively secured to a roof rack respectively removed therefrom. To achieve that the cover will be easily carried it is preferably pro¬ vided with a handle 1 according to fig. . This handle is provided at one side of the cover and consists in the most simple form of a strip of plastic material having the ends thereof widened 15a, 15b. Said ' -εresseL-ihcoucJi widened portions are when slightly heated;openings ϊϊi the cover. In order to further facilitate the transport of the ski cover it is de¬ signed so as to be easily provided with transport wheels. For this purpose a partly resilient yoke 16 according to fig. 5 is used. This yoke comprises a relatively rigid rail 17, preferably made by puπch- ing of sheet metal of proper thickness a blank which at a distance from the ends thereof is provided with eleoπgated openings l8a,l8b for a pur¬ pose to be described. To the ends thereof are secured somewhat resilient shanks 19a,19b which preferably are made from steel wire string and which have their free ends formed as shooks or loops 20a,20b. A wheel shaft of the kind shown in fig. 6 cooperates with the yoke 16. This shaft, which is generally designated as 21, has two pairs of axial ly spaced circular pieces 22a, 22b secured to the shaft. From fig 7 appears that the yoke is inserted In one of the channels 5 of the cover such that the bent portions 20a,20b thereof hold the wheel shaft 21, which carries o transport wheels 23. By this arrangement it is thus possible to provide the cover with trans¬ port wheels rapidly and by simple measures. - /•"αTjKEJ OMPI The ski cover i frequently used during winter vacations. In such in¬ stances the transport to a winter sport area often takes place by car. Usually not only ski equipment but also luggage such as suitcases has to be transported to and from the hotel or the like. As appears from fig. 7 the new ski cover is so designed that It permits transport also of a suitcase 2k or the like. For this purpose an accessory 25 shown in fig. 8 is used which consists of a first rail 26 which near to the ends thereof has elongated openings 27a, 27b for a purpose to be further explained. At the under side of the rail are secured hooks 28a,28b which are so dimensioned and located at such a distance from each other, that they when a displacement to the right in fig. 8 of the accessory 25 takes place will pass through the openings 1δa,l8b in the yoke 16. By means of a belt or the like inserted through the openings 27a,27b the rail is effectively secured to the cover At the middle point thereof the rail 26 is connected to another rail 29, extending at right angles thereto and which in the free end thereof has an elongated opening for a belt or the like and which adjacent to its opposite ends is bent at right angles to form of support surface 31 for a suitcase or similar object. Also in this support surface there is pro- vided an opening for a belt. By the aid of the accessory now described it will be possible to attach easily and rapidly to the cover luggage such as a suitcase or the li e which is intended to rest against the support surface 31 and to be tied by means of belts or strips introduced through the openings 27a, 27b, 30 and 32. The new ski cover is further so designed that it will be possible to re¬ move skis, ski sticks and the like from the cover also when the latter Is on place on a vehicle roof rack. For this purpose the cover is as mentioned designed so as to have one end thereof open. In order to rapidly close this opening the cap 2 pre¬ ferably is designed in the manner shown in fig. 8. The main part of the cap 2, which has been received by cutting the cover is provided with a resilient yoke with the general designation 33- This yoke has a web portion 34, which follows the rear side of the cap out¬ wards and which is secured thereto by means of rivets 35 or the like. One flange 36 of the yoke similarly follows one side of the cap 2 re¬ spectively the corresponding side of the cover. In the free end thereof the flange 36 is bent substantially semlcircularly 37 for cooperation with the web portion 38 of a locking yoke 39 forming part of a locking and stretching device 40 of the known construction which is named vichy water closure. The second flange kV of the cover extends through an opening in the end wall of the cap and then follows the Interior side of the cap and pro¬ trudes into the cover and is bent at right angles to have one portion 42 projecting into the space in front of the rear flange portion 3 of the cover. By means of this arrangement the cap can easily be hooked on the open end of the cover in which case the bent portion 42 of the yoke at the same time will serve as a hinge for pivoting the cap between an open position and the closed position illustrated in fig. 8. The design with the channels formed adjacent to the open end of the cover contributes to the stability of the cover. IjUREAt QMPI

Claims: CLA I MS 1. Ski cover, characterised in that it includes an elongated cover (1) made in one piece and having one end thereof open and possible to close by means of a cap (2) intended to close said opening. 2. Ski cover as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the cover (1) is substantially rectangular in section and adjacent to the open end thereof has transversal channels (5) formed in at least three of the outer surfaces of the wall portions extending at right angles to each other. 3. Ski cover as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the cover in the bottom surface thereof has two longitudinally spaced openings (6,7a) which are elongated and extend transversal ly and from which one has an extension in the length direction of the cover which just exceeds with a small amount the width of a yoke (11) projecting from a first securing means (4) secured to the roof rack while the other one (7a) has such an extension that it permits a relative displacement between the cover (1) and a second securing means (3) attached to the roof rack and provided with an upwardly projecting, substantially hook shaped means (8) and that in the interior of the cover is provided a sliding bolt (13) which can be controlled from the open end of the cover and which is provided to catch the yoke (11) projecting through one of said openings in order to rapidly fix the cover to a roof rack. 4. Ski cover as claimed in claims 1-3, characterised in that the second securing means in addition to the substantially hook shaped means (8) has an upwardly projecting part (9) which is intended to be introduced in a further opening (7b) in the cover (1). 5. Ski cover as claimed in claims 1-2, characterised in that a wheel shaft (2) provided with wheels (23) is detachably connectable to the cover (1) by means of a yoke (16) which has the web portion (17) thereof guided in one of the channels (5) in one side of the cover and the flanges (19a, 19b) thereof are shaped so as to catch ai.d shaft (21), which is guided in pre¬ ferably the same channel in the cover but located opposite to the first mentioned channel. 6. Ski cover as claimed in claims 1-4, characterised in that the yoke (16) which holds the wheel shaft (21) in place has securing means (l8a, 18b) for a unit (25) designed to permit connection of suitcases and other kind of luggage to the cover. 7. Ski cover as claimed in claim 6, characterised in that the yoke (16) has openings (1δa,l8b) in which may be inserted projections (28a,28b) from a rail (26) of the unit (25), said rail further having fastening means for strips embracing the cover and that said rail is connected to a second rail (29) which is perpendicular thereto but extending in substantially the same plane one end thereof being bent to form a support surface (31) for a suitcase or the like. 8. Ski cover as claimed in claim 1, characterised In that the cap (2) which preferably comprises a part separated from the cover to form the opening thereof has a bent member (33) which has a bent portion (42) which may be inserted In an opening (43) in one side of the cover to permit the swinging of the cap relative to said side and which with one part thereof (34) bridges the distance between said side of the cover and an opposite side thereof and that the latter part continues in a portion (36) extending at right angles thereto, said portion having the free end thereof formed (37) for detachably connection to a spanning device (38-40) attached to the cover. 9. A method for producing a ski cover according to claim 1, characterised in that a blank in the form of a hose after having been closed at both ends in a heated condition is blown to contact with a mold enclosing the hose and that the hollow in both ends closed product so obtained then is cut near to one end thereof by means of a transverse cut. 10. A method according to claim 6, characterised in that the short cut off part (2) and the remaining part of the hollow product is provided with means (33,40,43) enabling the detadable connection of the cut off part with the remaining part of the hollow product in the shape of re¬ movable cap.

Inventors: KAISER GEORG, KAISER, GEORG
Applicants: KAISER GEORG, KAISER, GEORG
Application year: 1984
Main classification: A63C11
IPC codes: A63C11