Patent Publication Number: US-2006001254-A1

Title: Snow pole apparatus and methods therefor

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      This invention relates generally to snow poles and more specifically to improved snow pole apparatus having pole members that may be automatically extended and retracted from an interior portion of a housing of the snow pole apparatus.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      Snowboarding has become a popular past-time for many people. Snowboarding differs from skiing principally in the use of a single board with two spaced apart bindings for a person&#39;s feet instead of two skis with a binding for each foot of a person. A skier typically uses two ski poles to control motion on snow surfaces. Generally, a ski pole is not used by snowboarders, since the snowboard is wider than a ski and usually a person is able to maneuver the snowboard like a surfboard. A snowboarder controls the snowboard by shifting the snowboarder&#39;s weight from side to side like a surf board and slows down or stops the snowboard by simply sliding one foot from the binding of the snowboard and placing that foot onto the surface of the snow.  
      In some situations, such as when the slope of a hill is shallow, the snowboard will not move, so it would be useful for a snowboarder to have a snow pole to help drive the snowboard against gravity. Additionally, a pole would also be useful when a snowboarder is unable to use a foot for safely maneuvering the snowboard.  
      Collapsible and adjustable poles for skiing are known. Hoffman, U.S. Pat. No. 6,217,073 disclosed a manually extendable and retractable shaft for a snow pole with a basket or plate at one end of the snow pole shaft. The basket or plate end of the snow pole is placed against the snow surface, so that the snowboarder can push along the surface of the snow. According to Hoffman&#39;s &#39;073 disclosure, the collapsible snow pole is substantially a regular-sized ski pole which must be carried like a small ski pole by the snowboarder and does not permit hands-free snowboarding.  
      The present inventor has recognized the need for a snow pole apparatus that may be conveniently stored in the snowboarder&#39;s pocket or otherwise stored so that the snowboarder may ride the snowboard hands-free. The present inventor&#39;s snow pole apparatus has additional advantages including a handle holding a plurality of snow pole members which are automatically extended and retracted and a homing device which may be activated by the snowboarder during an emergency.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      Accordingly, it is an object of this disclosure to provide an improved snow pole apparatus.  
      It is a further object of this disclosure to provide an improved snow pole apparatus having snow pole members that may be automatically extended from an interior portion of a housing of the snow pole apparatus.  
      It is a still further object of this disclosure to provide an improved snow pole apparatus having snow pole members that may be automatically retracted into an interior portion of a housing of the snow pole apparatus after the snow pole members have been extended from the interior portion of the housing.  
      It is a further object of this disclosure to provide methods for using an improved snow pole apparatus having snow pole members that may be automatically extended from an interior portion of a housing of the snow pole apparatus.  
      It is a yet further object of this disclosure to provide methods for using an improved snow pole apparatus having snow pole members that may be automatically retracted into an interior portion of a housing of the snow pole apparatus after the snow pole members have been extended from the interior portion of the housing.  
     PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION  
      In accordance with one embodiment of this invention, a snow pole apparatus is disclosed. The snow pole apparatus comprises, in combination, a snow pole assembly including a housing having an interior portion and a plurality of pole members located axially in the interior portion of the housing. Each pole member of the plurality of pole members is concentric to another pole member of the plurality of pole members, and a pole retracting member of the snow pole assembly is configured to retract each one of the plurality of pole members into the interior portion of the housing after at least a portion of each one of the plurality of pole members is extended exterior to the interior portion of the housing. The snow pole apparatus further comprises a pole release member configured to permit selective extension of at least a portion of each one of the plurality of pole members exterior to the interior portion of the housing.  
      In accordance with a second embodiment of this invention, a method for using a snow pole apparatus is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of providing a snow pole assembly including a housing having an interior portion, providing a plurality of pole members located axially in the interior portion of the housing, each pole member of the plurality of pole members being concentric to another pole member of the plurality of pole members; and providing a pole retracting member of the snow pole assembly is configured to retract each one of the plurality of pole members into the interior portion of the housing after at least a portion of each one of the plurality of pole members is extended exterior to the interior portion of the housing. The method further comprises the steps of actuating the pole retracting member, retracting a first pole member of the plurality of pole members into the interior portion of the housing after a portion of the pole retracting member communicates with a first locking pin of a plurality of locking pins; and retracting each one of the remaining pole members of the plurality of pole members into the interior portion of the housing after a portion of the pole retracting member communicates with each one of the remaining locking pins of the plurality of locking pins.  
      The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following, more detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a snow pole apparatus comprising a housing, a pole retracting member at one end of the housing and a plurality of pole members extending from an opposite end of the housing with the last pole member of the plurality of pole members having a tip according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 1A  is a perspective view showing an exterior portion of the housing of the snow pole apparatus of  FIG. 1  with the tip of the plurality of pole members extending from the opposite end of the housing and the housing including the pole retracting member and a pole release member.  
       FIG. 2  is an elevational view showing a front side of the snow pole apparatus of  FIG. 1  with each one of the pole members of the plurality of pole members having a locking pin and a keyway, the housing including both the pole retracting member and the pole release member, with an interior portion of the housing including a retracting spring coupled to a tension line, the tension line coupled to an interior portion of the last pole member of the plurality of pole members and an extending spring coupled to an end portion of the interior portion of the housing.  
       FIG. 2A  is an elevational view showing a portion of the front side of another embodiment of the snow pole apparatus of  FIG. 1  with the interior portion of the housing including an extending spring coupled to a first pole member of the plurality of pole members.  
       FIG. 3  is a sectional view through  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2  of the snow pole apparatus showing the tension line, and two concentric pole members of the plurality of pole members.  
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
      According to  FIG. 1A , in one embodiment of a snow pole apparatus, the snow pole apparatus comprises a snow pole assembly  10  including a housing  12  having an interior portion  14  (not shown in  FIG. 1A , but shown in  FIGS. 2 and 2 A). The housing  12  preferably comprises a rigid material such as aluminum or resin impregnated fiber such as glass fiber or carbon fiber. An outer portion of the housing  12  preferably comprises an elastomeric material such as a rubber (either synthetic or natural) and the like which may securely gripped by a person. The snow pole assembly  10  further comprises a plurality of pole members  16  located axially in the interior portion  14  of the housing  12  (not shown in  FIG. 1A , but both  FIGS. 1B and 2  shows the plurality of pole members  16  extended exterior to the interior portion  14  of the housing  12 ). Each pole member  16  of the plurality of pole members  16  preferably comprises a rigid light weight material. Examples of a suitable light weight material include metals such as heat-treated aluminum, titanium and the like, and resin impregnated fibers such as glass and carbon. In  FIG. 1A  (and also shown in  FIGS. 1B and 2 ) the snow pole assembly  10  further comprises a pole tip  30  coupled to an outer portion  38  of one end of a last pole member  16  of the plurality of pole members  16 . The pole tip  30  preferably comprises a hard rigid metal such as carbide hardened steel or titanium and the like. Each pole member  16  of the plurality of pole members  16  is concentric with another pole member  16  of the plurality of pole members  16  (see  FIG. 3  which shows a sectional view through  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 ). Furthermore, in  FIG. 1A  (and also shown in  FIGS. 1B, 2  and  2 A) a pole retracting member  18  located at one end of the housing  12  of the snow pole assembly  10 , is configured to retract each one of the plurality of pole members  16  into the interior portion  14  of the housing  12  after at least a portion of each one of the plurality of pole members  16  is extended exterior to the interior portion  14  of the housing  12  (see  FIGS. 1B, 2  and  2 A). Referring to  FIG. 1A  the snow pole assembly  10  also comprises a pole release member  32  (also shown in  FIGS. 2 and 2 A). The pole release member  32  is configured to permit selective extension of at least a portion of each one of the plurality of pole members  16  exterior to the interior portion  14  of the housing  12  (see  FIGS. 2 and 2 A).  
      Referring now to  FIG. 2 , each one of the plurality of pole members  16  of the snow pole assembly  10  includes one of a plurality of locking pins  20  located at one end of each of the plurality of pole members  16  and each one of the plurality of pole members  16  has a keyway  22  (also shown in  FIG. 3 ). Additionally, each one of the plurality of locking pins  20  of each one of the plurality of pole members  16  engages the keyway  22  of each one of the plurality of pole members  16  after at least a portion of each one of the plurality of pole members  16  is extended exterior to the interior portion  14  of the housing  12  thereby permitting coordinated extension and retraction of each one of the plurality of pole members  16 . In  FIG. 2  (and also  FIG. 2A ) a retracting spring  24  located in a portion of the housing  12  and a tension line  26  having a first end and a second end retract each one of the pole members  16  into the interior portion  14  of the housing  12  of the snow pole assembly  10 . The first end of the tension line  26  is coupled to the retracting spring  24 . The second end of the tension line  26  is coupled to an inner end portion of the last pole member  16  of the plurality of pole members  16 . The retracting spring  24  is adapted to retract each one of the plurality of pole members  16  into the interior portion  14  of the housing  12  after a portion  34  of the pole retracting member  18  communicates with at least a first locking pin  20  of the plurality of locking pins  20  (see  FIGS. 2 and 2 A). After a first pole member  16  of the plurality of pole members  16  is retracted into the interior portion  14  of the housing  12 , each one of the remaining plurality of locking pins  20  also communicate in turn with the portion  34  of the pole retracting member  18  and each one of the remaining plurality of pole members  16  in turn retracts into the interior portion  14  of the housing  12 . It is understood that the first locking pin  20  of the plurality of locking pins  20  may be coupled to each one of the plurality of locking pins  20 .  
      Referring again to  FIG. 2  each pole member  16  of the plurality of pole members  16  has at least one indentation  36  adapted to engage a portion of the pole release member  32  thereby permitting selective extension of at least a portion of each one of the plurality of pole members  16  after actuating the pole release member  32 . Each one of the plurality of pole members  16  may be extended exterior to the interior portion  14  of the housing  12  after actuating the pole release member  32  by providing a casting motion. As shown (see  FIG. 2 ) one embodiment of the snow pole assembly  10  preferably comprises at least one extending spring  28  located at one end of the interior portion  14  of the housing  12 , and the at least one extending spring  28  is adapted to extend at least a portion of each one of the plurality of pole members  16  exterior to the interior portion  14  of the housing  12  after actuating the pole release member  32 . Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 2A , another embodiment of the snow pole assembly  10  preferably comprises at least one extending spring  28  located at one end of the first pole member  16  of the plurality of pole members  16 , and the at least one extending spring  28  is adapted to extend at least a portion of each one of the plurality of pole members  16  exterior to the interior portion  14  of the housing  12  after actuating the pole release member  32 . The at least one extending spring  28  permits automatic extension of the plurality of pole members  16  after the pole release member  32  is actuated. It is to be understood that each one of the pole members  16  may further comprise at least one extending spring  28  (not shown). Furthermore, the snow pole assembly  10  may comprise a homing device (not shown) selectively actuated by a person thereby permitting the person to be located during an emergency. One example of a homing device is a microchip adapted to couple to a GPS locating system. Another simpler homing device may be a flag or a light which would be visible to a search party.  
      In using the snow pole apparatus comprising the snow pole assembly  10 , a person may store the snow pole apparatus in a convenient location such as a belt clip or in a pocket so that the person may ride a snowboard hands free. When the person wishes to use the snow pole apparatus, which has previously been stored in a retracted position, the person retrieves the snow pole apparatus from the belt clip or the pocket and actuates the pole release member  32  thereby permitting selective extension of at least a portion of each one of the plurality of pole members  16 . At least a portion of one of the plurality of pole members  16  is secured in an extended configuration exterior to the interior portion  14  of the housing  12  when at least one indentation  36  of the plurality of pole members  16  engages the pole release member  32 . The extending spring  28  or the casting motion of the person extends a portion of one of the plurality of pole members  16  exterior to the interior portion  14  of the housing  12 . The person than places the pole tip  30  of the snow pole assembly  10  against a snow surface when each one of the plurality of pole members  16  is extended exterior to the interior portion  14  of the housing  12 , thereby permitting the person riding a snowboard to push along the snow surface. When the person no longer needs to use the snow pole apparatus in the extended position, the person actuates the pole retracting member  18 , retracting a first pole member  16  of the plurality of pole members  16  into the interior portion  14  of the housing  12  after a portion  34  of the pole retracting member  18  communicates with a first locking pin  20  of the plurality of locking pins  20 , and retracting each one of the remaining pole members  16  of the plurality of pole members  16  into the interior portion  14  of the housing  12  after a portion  34  of the pole retracting member  18  communicates with each one of the remaining locking pins  20  of the plurality of locking pins  20 . The person than either clips the retracted snow pole apparatus back into place or places the snow pole apparatus into a pocket for future use.  
      While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the location of the indentation in each one of the plurality of pole members may be adjusted to permit people of different heights to conveniently extend the snow pole apparatus to suit their height. All pole members may be retracted when the first locking member is coupled to the remaining locking pins without each one of the locking pins communicating with a portion of the retracting member.