Stick grip

Abstract: A grip with a wrist strap, particularly for walking sticks, trekking sticks and poles for mountain skiing and cross-country skiing, includes a grip body (9) and a wrist strap (7) which is secured to the body by means of a device for locking and adjusting the working length of the wrist strap. The locking and adjustment device includes an oscillating member (3) which has an end which is pivoted to the body and an oscillating end defining two positions: a locking position for locking the sliding of the wrist strap and a release position in which the strip is free to slide with respect to the oscillating end and to the grip body in order to adjust the working length of the wrist strap.

Description: The present invention relates to a stick grip with wrist strap, particularly for walking sticks, trekking sticks and poles for mountain skiing and cross-country skiing. Trekking sticks and poles for mountain skiing and cross-country skiing usually have a grip provided with a wrist strap which is secured to the grip by means of a screw. The length of the wrist strap is adjusted according to the requirements of the user by means of a conventional buckle-type adjustment. Other conventional grips have a horizontal cavity in their upper part. A strip passes through the cavity and wraps around a guide which is applied to the cavity at the bottom. The strip must be passed twice around a pin in order to form the wrist strap, and locking is ensured by a wedge which is connected to the strip and enters the cavity when the wrist strap is tightened. The wedge prevents the release of the strip, since it remains in the locking position, when the strip of the wrist strap is pulled downward, and is instead released when the strip is pulled upward. These grips have the drawback that their wrist strap is difficult to adjust. Moreover, from the point of view of manufacture, the wrist strap and the adjustment device are rather complicated to assemble. Another drawback is the need to use, for the wrist strap, a strip which is longer because double turns around the guide have to be provided. Other conventional grips have a cavity which is fully identical to the preceding one and in which an oscillating member is inserted and secured to the cavity by means of a vertical connecting pin which is inserted from the upper part of the grip of the stick or pole. The strip of the wrist strap is cut, except at its ends, lengthwise in its central part, so as to obtain a slot which constitutes a sort of guide. The strip, which is double in order to form the wrist strap, slides in the cavity around the oscillating member by means of the slot that surrounds the connecting pin. When it is pulled downward, the wrist strap also simultaneously pushes in the same direction the oscillating member, which locks the other portion of the wrist strap, thus ensuring that the adjustment chosen by the user persists. The wrist strap, when pulled upward, releases the oscillating member, which releases the wrist strap. This adjustment device has the drawback that it is difficult to assemble; moreover, the strip of the wrist strap must be perforated and cut. For these reasons, the manufacturing cost of the grip is higher. A grip according to the preamble of claim 1 is known from the document WO-A-86/02852. The aim of the present invention is to provide a grip which overcomes the drawbacks of the cited prior art. An important object of the invention is to provide a grip which has a wrist strap adjustment device which is easy and simple to use for the user. Another object of the invention is to provide a grip which entails less difficulty in fitting it on the stick or pole. Another object of the invention is to provide a grip having a wrist strap adjustment device which is more convenient from the economical point of view. This aim and these and other objects which will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by a stick grip comprising a grip body and a wrist strap which is secured to the body by means of a device for locking and adjusting the working length of the wrist strap, characterized in that the locking and adjustment device comprises an oscillating member which has an end pivoted to the body and an oscillating end, the wrist strap comprising a strip element which has a fixed end, which is connected to the oscillating member, and a free end, which passes around the oscillating member so as to form at least one loop which determines a working length of the wrist strap, externally with respect to the grip and so as to have at least one portion of the strip with respect to the oscillating end of the oscillating member in order to form at least one position for locking the sliding of the strip with respect to the oscillating end in contrast with the body, and at least one release position in which the strip is free to slide with respect to the oscillating end and to the body in order to adjust the useful length of the wrist strap. Further characteristics and advantages will become better apparent from the following detailed description of a grip according to the invention, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a partial exploded perspective view of a grip according to the invention, in which the strip of the wrist strap is shown in dashed lines, showing its accommodation in the grip of the stick or pole; Figure 2 is a partially sectional side view of the grip according to the invention, partially illustrating the strip of the wrist strap; Figure 3 is a view, similar to Figure 2, of the grip in the position for locking the strip of the wrist strap; Figure 4 is a view, similar to Figure 3, of the grip in the position for releasing the strip of the wrist strap. With reference to the figures, the grip according to the invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 1, includes a grip body 9 which can be applied, for example, to a walking stick or trekking stick or to a pole for mountain skiing or cross-country skiing (not shown), in a per se known manner. The grip body 9 can have a contoured shape, in order to facilitate grasp by the user, and also has a wrist strap 7 which is constituted by a belt or strip 6 which is fixed to the grip 9 so as to form a loop in order to fasten the stick or pole to the hand or to the wrist of the user, in a per se known manner. The wrist strap 7 is secured to the grip 9 by means of a device 12 for adjusting the working length of the strip 6, which includes a horizontal connecting pin 2 which is inserted in an oscillating member 3 on which one end 5 of the strip 6 that forms the wrist strap 7 is connected by means of a rivet 4. The connecting pin 2 is inserted in a cavity 8 formed in the grip 9 of the stick or pole and is locked to its walls. The oscillating member 3 can oscillate about the pin 2 to the extent allowed by the height of the walls of the cavity 8. A free end 10 of the strip 6 is inserted in the cavity 8, as shown in Figure 2, so as to form a bend in the wrist strap, and is then passed around the connecting pin 2, as shown in Figure 3, so as to make it pass under the oscillating member 3. The manufacture of the grip is extremely simplified both due to the small number of components and due to the easy assembly operations. The use of the grip according to the invention is simple and easy for the user. Once the working length of the strip has been adjusted, with the grip in the position shown in Figure 4, the user, while holding the stick or pole, pulls downward the wrist strap 7, which pulls with it the oscillating member 3, as in Figure 3. In this position, the oscillating member 3, with its wedge-shaped profile 11, presses against the strip 6, locking it in the chosen setting. By pulling the wrist strap 7 upward, the oscillating member 3 can oscillate without hindrance, as in Figure 4, and therefore automatically releases the strip 6, which can be handled again so as to tighten or widen the wrist strap. Another advantage of the grip according to the invention is that the fitting of the oscillating member inside the cavity is particularly simple during assembly. Another advantage of the present grip is that it requires a single strip, instead of a double one, therefore making only one turn inside the cavity and requiring no particular manufacturing operations. In practice it has been observed that the invention achieves the intended aim and objects. The materials and the dimensions may of course vary according to requirements and to the state of the art.

Claims: A stick grip (1), particularly for walking sticks, trekking sticks and poles for mountain skiing and cross-country skiing, comprising a grip body (9) and a wrist strap (7) which is secured to said body (9) by means of a device (12) for locking and adjusting the working length of the wrist strap (7) said locking and adjustment device (12) comprises an oscillating member (3) which has an end which is pivoted to said body and an oscillating end, characterised in that said wrist strap comprises a strip element which has a fixed end (5), which is connected to said oscillating member, and a free end (10), which passes around said oscillating member (3) so as to form at least one loop which determines a working length of said wrist strap (7), externally with respect to said grip, and so as to have at least one portion of said strip (6) with respect to said oscillating end (11) of said oscillating member (3) in order to form at least one position for locking the sliding of said strip (6) said oscillating end (11) between and against said body (9), when the wrist strap is pulled in one predetermined direction, and at least one release position in which said strip (6) is free to slide with respect to said oscillating end (11) and to said body (9) in order to adjust the useful length of said wrist strap (7). The grip according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a horizontal connecting pin (2) which is adapted to secure said oscillating member to said body. The grip according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said fixed end (5) of said strip-like member is connected to said oscillating member (3) by means of a rivet (4). The grip according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said oscillating member is inserted in a cavity (8) which is formed in said grip body (9). The grip according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said oscillating end of said oscillating member has a wedge-shaped portion (11) engaging said strip portion (6).

Inventors: ZALTRON RENATO, ZALTRON, RENATO
Applicants: ZALTRON RENATO, ZALTRON, RENATO
Application year: 2001
Main classification: A63C11
IPC codes: A63C11