Patent Publication Number: US-2011049856-A1

Title: Carrier for transporting ski equipment

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a carrier for elongated items such as skis and ski poles. It relates more directly to such carriers that can be configured to be relatively compact when not in use. 
     Ski equipment is heavy and awkward. Dragging skis and poles to and from the slope has always been difficult and dangerous. Skis are typically as long as the skier and weigh (with bindings) fifteen to twenty pounds. Additionally, the steel edges of the skis are sharp and the ski pole tips are designed to stab through ice. In addition to the skis and poles, skiers heft ten-pound boots and usually an equipment bag. Many try to carry their kid&#39;s equipment too. Adding to the potential for injury is that some skiers carry their skis on their shoulders and can injure bystanders when the skis are swung about. 
     Many previous devices for carrying skis and poles were directed to carrying an entire group&#39;s gear in a transport bag. Other devices clipped on to the skis. Still others did not provide for transporting poles. Other prior art devices could not be easily stored or placed in a car-top ski rack, some were specifically designed for locking skis, some had complicated telescoping devices. In general, however, prior carriers were not compact and could not be easily manufactured. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This simple carrying device organizes skis and poles into a tidy unit that is easily pulled by one hand. Skiers young and old can easily drag their skis and poles over any terrain, because the device has wheels for hard surfaces and a curved undercarriage for snow, mud and other soft surfaces. The wheels are sized to be pulled up stairs without catching. And the whole package can be placed in a typical car-top ski rack because the device keeps the skis bottom-to-bottom. 
     The present invention overcomes the deficiencies of prior art devices by making it possible to configure a carrier that is light and compact. The device can also be manufactured quite easily. This device is especially useful for children and the elderly—two groups that shy away from skiing because the effort required getting their equipment onto the slope. Additionally, use of the device could reduce the number of “pre-slope” injuries caused by unwieldy equipment slung over shoulders. 
     Achieving these and other advantages are made possible by the present invention, which comprises a a receiving member dimensioned to receive the tail ends of a pair of skis, the receiving member having at least one wheel. A cord member is connected to the receiving member and adapted to secure the pair of skis to the receiving member and to each other. There is also a handle and means for means for attaching the cord to the handle. 
     The receiving member is preferably cup-shaped with an open end, a front wall, and a base opposite the open end. The receiving member preferably has at least two wheels respectively positioned to either side of the receiving member. The wheels are preferably positioned to protrude beyond the base of the receiving member. 
     In another aspect of the invention, the front walls and the base meet in a substantially continuous curve to form a curved undercarriage for the receiving member. 
     The receiving member may be formed of a single piece of sheet metal. It may also have aa tab with a pair of holes for respectively receiving the tips of a pair of ski poles. The tab may be integrally formed with the rest of the receiving member and arranged to apply a spring force to the ski poles when the ski poles are inserted. 
     The cord member is preferably an elastic cord. Means for attaching the cord member to the handle preferably includes a handle cord attached to the handle and operatively connected to the cord member. It may also include first and second carabineers each attached respectively to first and second ends of the cord member, the first and second carabineers being operatively connected to the handle cord, and a handle ring connected to the first and second carabineers and to the handle cord. The cord member preferably passes around at least a portion of the receiving member and around the skis. 
     Another aspect of the invention is a method of transporting ski equipment including a pair of skis, the method comprising the steps of providing a receiving member having a pair of wheels and adapted to receive only the tails of the skis, inserting the tails of the skis into the receiving member, providing a cord member, securing the skis to the receiving member and to each other using the cord member; providing a handle member, attaching the handle member to the cord member, and pulling the skis and the receiving member by pulling on the handle. In another aspect of the invention, where the ski equipment further includes a pair of ski poles, the receiving member further includes a tab with a pair of holes for respectively receiving the tips of the pair of ski poles, and the method further comprises the steps of inserting the tips into the holes prior to the securing step, and the securing step includes wrapping the cord member around the skis and ski poles. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be readily understood from the following written description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a carrier in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a front elevation of the embodiment of  FIG. 1  with a cord member and handle attached; 
         FIG. 3  is a side elevation of the embodiment of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a plan view of the embodiment of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a plan view of the carrier template laid flat; 
         FIG. 6  is a section view cut through the embodiment of  FIG. 2  along the A-A section indicator line. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring first to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a receiving member for a carrier  10  in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. As can be seen, the carrier has a basket-shaped (i.e., cup-shaped) member  20  with an undercarriage  30 . The carrier  10  also has a tab member  40  with two holes  50 . In a preferred embodiment, the basket-shaped member  20  and the tab member  40  are integral with one another. There is also preferably a pair of notches  60  where the basket-shaped member  20  and the tab member  40  meet. Also, it is preferred that the area of the carrier  10  between the notches  60  be resilient to apply a positive spring bias to inserted ski poles so as to help maintain them in place. 
     As is also visible in  FIG. 1 , the carrier  10  also has at least one, and preferably a pair of, wheels  70  disposed adjacent and to either side of the undercarriage  30 . These wheels  70  are preferably a hard elastomeric material that will facilitate movement of the carrier over hard surfaces. It will be understood that curving the undercarriage  30  as shown in the figure will facilitate movement of the carrier over snow. The undercarriage  30  also preferably has at least on drain hole to prevent the accumulation of water in the basket-shaped member  20 . In the embodiment shown, the wheels  70  are connected by an axle  80  (shown in  FIG. 2 ) capped with an axle cap  90 . It will be appreciated by one having ordinary skill in the art, however, that the wheels  70  could also be connected directly to the basket-shaped member  20 . 
       FIG. 2  is an elevation view of the carrier  10  with an attached cord member  100 . The cord member  100  passes through the notches on the basket-shaped member  20  and the tab member  40 . The ends of the cord member  100  are pulled around the skis just above the binding toes and connected to a handle cord ring  110  with a respective fastening member  120 . In the preferred embodiment, the fastening members  120  are carabineers. The hand cord ring  110  is also attached to one end of a handle cord  130 . The handle cord  130  is attached to the handle  140  at the end of the handle cord  130  opposite the handle cord ring  110 .  FIG. 2  also shows how the ski poles slip through the ski pole holes  50  in the ski pole tongue tab member  40 . 
       FIG. 3  is a side elevation of the embodiment of  FIGS. 1 and 2 .  FIG. 3  details how the cord member  100  crosses and wraps the skis and hooks across the top of the binding toe using the fastening members  120 . The cord member  100  is preferably a single length of cord with a fastening member  120  at each of its ends. The fastening members  120  clip to the hand cord ring  110   
       FIGS. 1 ,  2 , and  3  also show how the wheels  70  are dimensioned to project below the undercarriage  30  so that the carrier  10  can be pulled upstairs without catching. These figures also show how the cord member  100  fits in the notches  60  where the basket-shaped member  20  and the tab member  40  meet, and how the ski pole tips slip through the holes  50  in the tab member  40 . 
       FIG. 4  is a plan view of the basket-shaped member  20  without skis or poles, and shows how the axle  80  passes through the side walls of the basket-shaped member  20  and is secured to the bottom of the basket-shaped member  20  with “U” shaped axle mount bolts  140 . Also shown are the ski pole holes  50  that are cut through the tab  40 . 
       FIG. 5  is a plan view of a template for forming the basket-shaped member  20  from a single piece of sheet metal. The ski pole holes  50  are shown in the tab  40  and the axle holes  150  are shown in the curved end of the side walls. 
       FIG. 6  is a cross section through the basket-shaped member  20  taken along line A-A of  FIG. 2 , illustrating how the sheet metal is folded. The under carriage  30  is designed to glide over snow. 
     It will be readily understood by one having ordinary skill in the art that the dimensions of the carrier components can be whatever is suitable to hold the skis and poles securely but without adding excessive size and weight. In a presently preferred embodiment, the preferred dimensions for the basket-shaped member  20  are 2″ deep by 4″ tall by 5″ long. The basket-shaped member&#39;s curved undercarriage  30  has a radius of 1″. The tab  40  projects 2½″ with the cord notch  60  taking ½″ of that. The holes  50  cut through the tab  40  are ½″ in diameter. The tab edges have a 1″ radius. The wheels  70  are 4″ in diameter. The axle  80  is 7⅝″ long by  5 / 16 ″ in diameter, with axle caps  90  that are ½″ in diameter. The cord  100  is 5′ long, but could be adjusted to fit skis of varying lengths. The fastening clips  120  are 2″ by 1″ with a thickness of ⅛″. The handle cord ring  110  is 1″ in diameter and ⅛″ thick. The handle cord  130  is 6″ long. The handle  140  is 4″ long by 1″ in diameter. Again, however, these dimensions are merely examples, and it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that other dimensions could work as well. 
     Regarding materials of construction, it is presently preferred to use a bendable but durable sheet metal such as 28 ga. galvanized sheet steel for the bucket, cut as per the template and bent into the shape shown in the perspective drawing. It will be appreciated by one having skill in the art that suitably painted metal could be used instead of galvanized metal. Also, the basket-shaped member could be formed by some other method such as being deep-drawn. It is presently preferred to use ½″ dia. commercially available bungee cord for the cord member, and a stainless steel ring to connect the nylon handle cord to the aluminum carabineers. It should also be noted that it is possible to avoid the use of a ring altogether and loop the handle cord onto one of the carabineers and then clip the other carabineer to the first carabineer. It is presently preferred to use commercially available, hard rubber wheels (such as scooter wheels), steel axle and steel axle caps. 
     In operation, the bucket-shaped member  20  receives the tail end of the skis. The tab  40  is bent down and the tips of the ski polls are inserted into the two holes  50  in the tab  40 , and aligned with the sides of the skis. The mid point of the cord member  100  is then slipped through the slots on either side of the tab  40 , and stretched across the skis and to the side of the skis opposite the tab  40 . The cord member  100  is then pulled up and crossed over the toe of the ski bindings. Then the cord member  100  is pulled back around the skis and clipped to its own other end by means of a carabineer  120 , again just above the toe of the bindings. A handle  140  is then secured to the same clip by means of a clip ring  110  and the device is ready to pull. Of course, this is a presently preferred method of securing the skis together with the poles in the carrier. It will be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that other arrangements for using a cord to secure the arrangement could be used. The point is that the cord, elastic or not, holds the skis together. 
     Because the wheels  70  are large enough in comparison to the bucket-shaped member  20  that they protrude below its base, the device can roll over any hard surface and up stairs. The device glides across snow, slush and mud because the undercarriage  30  is curved similarly to the tip of a ski. Since the device keeps skis and poles tight together bottom-to-bottom, it does not have to be removed to be set in a car-top ski rack. 
     This invention has been described herein in several embodiments. It is evident that there are many alternatives and variations that can embrace transporting ski equipment enhanced by the present invention in its various embodiments without departing from the intended spirit and scope thereof. The embodiments described above are exemplary only. One skilled in the art may recognize variations from the embodiments specifically described here, which are intended to be within the scope of this disclosure. As such, the invention is limited only by the following claims. Thus is intended that the present invention cover the modifications of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.