Patent Publication Number: US-4921275-A

Title: Ski pole provided with a snow ring

Description:
The present invention relates to a ski pole provided with a space economically packable snow ring, said snow ring being produced as a one-piece, plastic moulding comprising a sleeve member and a basket member. 
     Many attempts have been made earlier to resolve the problem relating to the packing of ski poles provided with snow rings. One proposal involves the use of a loose snow ring that can be fastened to a separate sleeve. However, this solution involves a few problems. The snow ring must be packed separately which requires a separate package. Finding the right snow ring for a particular ski pole may be troublesome and also the assembly in retail store facilities has been found inconvenient. One problem is also the risk of losing the entire snow ring. If the attachment of a snow ring is left to the user, the skill and expertise of a user are often insufficient for mounting a snow ring. Patent specification No. DE 2400177 proposes a solution to the packing problem by omitting the side faces of a snow ring and by shaping the side edges for mutual gripping. In this case, one of the side edges of a snow ring extends laterally and requires considerable space in a package. 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a snow ring whereby the space requirement of a ski pole package can be substantially reduced and at the same time eliminate the need of attachment and the risk of losing a separate snow ring. In order to achieve this object, a snow ring of the invention is characterized by the features of the ring and sleeve being integral and of bendable material and the ring or basket member capable of being pivoted between a storage position extending in the general direction of the staff and a rearwardly extending position in conjunction with means for releasably securing it in this position. 
    
    
     The invention will now be described with reference made to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevation view, partially sectioned of a ski pole provided with a snow ring of the invention in a packing condition; 
     FIG. 2 shows the same ski pole as FIG. 1 with the snow ring bent to the position in which it is used, and 
     FIG. 3 shows the same ski pole as FIG. 2 as viewed from below. 
    
    
     Referring to FIGS. 1-3, reference numeral 1 designates a body produced as a single plastic moulding, comprising a sleeve member 2 and a basket member, the latter consisting of a wing portion 3 with its locking ribs 14 as well as of brackets 4 provided with locking grooves 8 and extending from the sleeve. A pole shaft 11 is secured inside the upper end of sleeve 2 and a stud 10 is fixed to the bottom end of sleeve 2. The snow ring or basket with its sleeve 2, is fastened to pole shaft 11 so that said wing portion 3 is located on the same side of a ski pole as the wrist strap 15. Thus, the wing portion 3 forms the actual bearing surface of a snow ring extending rearwardly from the leading edge of sleeve 2. The snow ring or basket has a front portion 12 which forms a downwardly curved gripping claw terminating in or adjacent to the face of the leading edge 7 of sleeve 2. In this context, this front portion 12 of the snow ring primarily refers to the portion of a snow ring connected to sleeve 2, the top edge of this juncture being indicated by reference numeral 6. The portion of a snow ring extending upward and rearward immediately therefrom along the sides of sleeve 2 defines a snow ring bending zone within which the snow ring or basket material bends as the snow ring is swung from packaging position (FIG. 1) to working position (FIG. 2). 
     The locking of a snow ring in its working position is effected by means of brackets 4, the number of which is preferably two. Said brackets 4 join at the base with sleeve 2 and are made of the same material as sleeve 2. The outer ends of brackets 4 are provided with locking grooves 8. Brackets 4 are preferably located in planes parallel to the longitudinal axis of sleeve 2, which planes form an angle relative to each other opening rearwardly from sleeve 2. As shown in FIG. 3, said wing portion 3 is provided with an opening 13 which, in the present embodiment, is rectangular in shape. The width of opening 13 is slightly less than the distance between the free ends of brackets 4 and their locking grooves 8. The edges of opening 13 are provided with locking ribs 14 behind which the locking grooves can be forced. The inherent tension of brackets 4 already tends to spread the locking grooves 8 toward the edges of opening 13 provided in the wing portion of the snow ring. However, engagement of the locking grooves 8 behind said ribs 14 with a sort of snap joint secures and locks of wing portion 3 in its working position even when a snow ring is subjected to asymmetrical loads. The upper edges of brackets 4 extend obliquely downward and thus do not become stuck in bushes and fence posts. The inclined upper edges of brackets 4 also facilitate the swinging of wing portion 3 to its working position, the angle between said brackets diminishing automatically as their upper edges respond to the edges of opening 13 during the swinging operation. 
     As pointed out above, the snow ring has a front portion 12 which forms a downwardly extending gripping claw for facilitating the fastening of a basket to the sleeve portion, preferably to the leading edge 7 of sleeve 2, over a relatively long length of attachment. In the packing position shown in FIG. 1, the plane extending between the upper end 6 of the point of attachment between front portion 12 of the snow ring and the sleeve 2 and the outermost portion 5 of the trailing edge 9 of wing portion 3 forms an acute angle α 1  relative to the longitudinal axis of sleeve 2. The snow ring is manufactured by injection moulding in this packed or strange position thereof. In practice, such angle α 1  can even be considerably smaller than the one illustrated in FIG. 1. When bending wing portion 3 from, its packed position to working position, said angle α 1  increases as shown in FIG. 2 to form a substantially larger angle α 2 . The angle α 2  between said plane and the longitudinal axis of the sleeve is, in the working position in circa 30°-80° larger than in the packed position and preferably in circa 35°-50° larger than in the packed position. Thus, the bending of material is not excessive but nevertheless sufficient to provide the required advantage of saving space. When bent and locked in the working position, the wing-shaped bearing surface 3 of a snow ring assumes a fixed working or operating position. In this fixed working position, said wing portion 3 only forms a bearing surface rearwards of the leading edge 7 of sleeve member 2 which serves to create a preferred snow ring design as described in patent specification No. FI 52816.