An improved pole for skiing and trekking

Abstract: The pole comprises a shaft (2) at one axial end of which a small basket (6,6a) is replaceably mounted by means of a removable bayonet-type attachment device which comprises locking means (30) capable of preventing relative rotation between the shaft (2) and the basket (6,6a) once the latter is fixed to the shaft (2) in the operating position.

Description: The subject of the present invention is an improved pole for skiing and trekking according to the preamble of the main claim. In the field mentioned above, poles are currently used, generally of the type with telescopic shaft, at the opposite end from the handle of which there is removably mounted a small basket. A typical technique for the mounting of the said basket is that of screw-threaded connection between the hub of the latter and the shaft of the pole. This technique, however, has the drawback that the basket is potentially subject to unscrewing during use. Another known technique provides for the basket to be mounted on the shaft of the pole by means of a bayonet-type connection. Also in this case the basket is still potentially subject to loss, or the system for mounting it on the shaft is relatively complex. The principal aim of the invention is that of providing an improved pole functionally and structurally designed so as to make it possible to overcome all the drawbacks involved with reference to the above-mentioned prior art. This aim is fulfilled by a pole as defined in the claims which follow. The characteristics and advantages of the invention will become clear from the following detailed description of one of its preferred embodiments illustrated by way of non-limiting example with reference to the appended drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view in side elevation of a pole according to the present invention, Figure 2 is a perspective view in partial section of a detail of the pole in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a view in front elevation and in partial section of the detail in Figure 2, Figures 4 and 5 are plan views of two different baskets intended for equipping the pole of the invention, Figures 6 to 9 are diagrammatic views of the stages in the mounting of the baskets in Figures 4 and 5 on the pole of the present invention, Figure 10 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale along the line X-X in Figure 2. In the drawings, the reference 1 indicates as a whole an improved pole for skiing and trekking according to the present invention. The pole 1 comprises an axially elongate, telescopically adjustable shaft 2, at one axial end of which there is mounted a handle 3 and at the axially opposed end of which there is rigidly connected a tip 4, made of plastics material, which carries a spiked end stud 5 made of steel. On the tip 4 there is removably secured a small basket 6 which is connected to the shaft 2 by way of a removable bayonet-type attachment device illustrated more fully in the following, in such a manner as to allow the substitution of the basket 6 by another basket 6a of larger diameter, or the removal of both. The basket 6 is provided centrally with a tubular hub 7 in which is provided a first grooved profile consisting of grooves 8 alternating with axial projections 9 with a uniformly spaced distribution. For the purposes of the invention, however, it is sufficient for at least one projection to be provided in order to obtain the desired bayonet-type connection, although a plurality of such projections produce a more stable connection. In their turn the grooves 8 have a section 10 of their base in slight relief, or with a slightly reduced diameter with respect to the remaining diameter of the said base. On the tip 4 there is provided a second grooved profile comprised between a flange 11 and a circumferential ridge 12 with a profile interrupted at openings 13. The aforesaid grooved profiles are subject to reciprocal bayonet-type connection in order to secure the basket 6 axially to the shaft 2. The second profile comprises a plurality of axially elongate projections 14 between a first shoulder 15 of the flange 11 and a second shoulder 16 of the ridge 12, the said shoulders being substantially parallel to, spaced from, and facing one another. Between adjacent projections 14, grooves 18 are defined. It will be observed that the arrangement of the projections 9, 14 or of the grooves 8, 18 is such as to allow reciprocal connection, the circumferential width of the grooves 18 on the tip 4 being, however, appreciably greater than the corresponding circumferential width of the projections 9 of the basket 6 so that the basket 6, once inserted on the tip 4, can be rotated to a limited extent with respect thereto into an operating position for axial locking on the shaft 2. It will be observed that, like the grooves 8, the grooves 18 also have a section 20 of their base in slight relief, or with a slightly increased diameter, with respect to the adjacent base section 21. Both the said sections are axially elongate and the section 21 is located at the respective opening 13 while the section 20 is located at the ridge 12 where this forms the shoulder 16. Locking means indicated as a whole by 30 are provided to complete the device for bayonet-type attachment between the basket and the shaft. The aforesaid locking means serve to prevent relative rotation between the basket and the tip once the basket is locked axially on the shaft between the shoulders 15, 16. They comprise one or more teeth 31 (in fact only a single tooth is necessary to perform the required locking function, but a solution with more teeth, advantageously equal in number to that of the grooves 18, is preferred) guided axially on the shaft 2 from and into an operating position (Fig. 9). The teeth 31 extend in the same direction from a flange 32 fitted coaxially on the shaft 2 above the tip 4 and the central bore 33 of which is of such dimensions that the said flange can perform a limited movement on the shaft 2 owing to the interference between the inside diameter of the bore 33 and the outside diameter of the shaft 2 itself, taking into account the conical shape of the latter (diameters increasing in a direction away from the tip). Therefore the flange 32 is movable between a position in which the teeth 31 are completely withdrawn from the second grooved profile of the tip 4 and an operating position for locking the basket 6, wherein the aforesaid teeth 31 are inserted into the corresponding grooves of the two grooved profiles in reciprocal engagement, close to the corresponding projection 9 of the basket 6 in order to prevent its rotation in the direction of unlocking from the operating position. The teeth 31 are likewise guided between openings 35 provided in the flange 32 of the tip 4 and remain engaged with their free end in said openings 35 also when the flange 32 is in the position furthest away from the flange 11 allowed by the interference between the bore 33 and the outside of the shaft 2. In order to fit the basket 6 or 6a onto the tip 4, it is placed onto the latter coaxially, orientating it in such a way that the projections 9 are aligned with the corresponding openings 13 of the circumferential ridge 12 in such a manner as to allow their passage and the consequent engagement between the two grooved profiles of the bayonet-type connection. Once the basket is butted with its own projections 9 against the shoulder 15 of the flange 11, the latter is rotated, in the direction of the arrow A, about its own axis until the projections 9 abut side by side the corresponding projections 14 of the second grooved profile. In so doing, the surface of the grooves 8 in the bore of the basket 6 are brought into engagement with the corresponding surfaces of the grooves 18 of the second grooved profile, producing a connection with slight interference which however helps to retain the basket 6, 6a in the angular position thus imparted thereto. In this way, the basket 6 is locked axially along the shaft until it is rotated a second time, in the opposite direction to that of the arrow A. Such rotation can be prevented by moving the flange 32 into the position abutting the flange 11 in such a way that the teeth 31 are brought close to the projections of the grooved profile of the basket, locking it in rotation in the opposite direction to that of the arrow A. It will be noted that the slight interference which is created between the sections in slight relief respectively of the base of the grooves in the hub of the basket and of the base of the grooves in the grooved profile of the tip, themselves determine a limited loss-preventing locking of the basket which improves its security in use, in particular retaining the basket in the operating position until locking is completed by means of the device 30. In order to remove the basket 6, 6a it is sufficient to grip the flange 32 of the locking device and disengage the teeth 31 from the operating locking state defined above, rotate the basket in the opposite direction to that of the arrow A until the projections 9 are at the circumferential interruptions 13, and then disconnect the grooved profiles. It will be noted that, in order to facilitate and improve the identification of the locking device, the flange 32 and the teeth 31 rigidly connected thereto are obtained by pressing with a plastics material preferably of a different colour from that of the tip, thus obtaining an advantageous and pleasing coloured effect which adds value to the pole. The invention thus fulfils the proposed aims and results in numerous advantages with respect to the solutions known at present, both in terms of improved reliability of the locking provided, and of the ease and immediacy of use and the relative economy of manufacture. Furthermore, the fact that temporary locking is however provided by interference between the basket and the tip renders the operations of substitution of the basket safe even in difficult or critical conditions.

Claims: A pole for skiing and trekking comprising an axially elongate shaft (2), at one axial end of which there is replaceably mounted a small basket (6,6a), the said basket being provided with a hub (7) in which is coaxially received the said shaft end, there being arranged between the said shaft and the said basket a removable bayonet-type attachment device, characterized in that the said bayonet-type attachment device comprises locking means (30) capable of preventing relative rotation between the said shaft and the said basket once the latter is fixed to the said shaft (2) by means of the said attachment device. A pole for skiing and trekking according to Claim 1, wherein the said bayonet-type attachment device comprises: a connection with grooved profiles between the said shaft and the hub of the basket, such that radial projections (9) protruding into the hub of the said basket are received in corresponding grooves (18) on the said shaft (2), the said grooves (18) being delimited between a first and a second axially spaced and opposed circumferential shoulder (15,16) between which shoulders is comprised the corresponding projection (9) of the said basket (6,6a) when the latter is inserted on the said shaft (2), the circumferential extension of the grooves (18) on the said shaft (2) being greater than the circumferential extension of the corresponding radial projection (9) on the hub, such that, once inserted on the said shaft, the said basket (6,6a) can be rotated to a limited extent between the said adjacent profiles into an operating position for axial locking on the said shaft (2) in which the projections (9) of the hub are comprised and locked axially between the said circumferential shoulders (15,16), the said first shoulder (15) having circumferential interruptions to allow the passage of the corresponding projection (9) of the hub of the basket (6,6a) in the stage of connection of respective profiles, the said locking means (30) comprising at least one tooth (31) guided axially on the said shaft (2), non-rotatably with respect to the latter, from and into an operating position wherein the tooth (31) is inserted into a corresponding groove of the said shaft close to the corresponding projection (14) of the basket in order to prevent rotation of the said basket from the said operating position. A pole for skiing and trekking according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the teeth (31) of the said locking means are rigidly connected to a flange (32) guided on the shaft (2) and in their turn the said teeth (31) are guided in respective openings in the second shoulder, the said flange (32) constituting a control appendage for the displacement of the said teeth (31) from and into the operating position for locking the said basket (6). A pole for skiing and trekking according to Claim 3, wherein the axial extension of the said teeth (31) is such that, in the operating position for locking of the basket (6,6a), the end of the teeth which is opposed to the flange is received at least partially in the corresponding circumferential interruption (13) of the first shoulder. A pole for skiing and trekking according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein means are provided on the said locking device and the said shaft for limiting the axial travel of the said locking device when sliding along the said shaft (2). A pole for skiing and trekking according to Claim 5, wherein the said shaft is conical, the said travel-limiting means comprising a bore (33) on the flange (32) carrying the said teeth (31) the diameter of which is such as to limit by interference the sliding of the flange (32) between the said operating position of the teeth (31) and a position in which the free end of the teeth is however received and retained in the openings of the second shoulder. A pole for skiing and trekking according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the said attachment device is provided, on the said flange, in a tip (4) made of plastics material which is associated with the end of the said shaft (2).

Inventors: ZALTRON RENATO, ZALTRON, RENATO
Applicants: MASTERS S R L, MASTERS S.R.L.
Application year: 1998
Main classification: A63C11
IPC codes: A63C11