Abstract:
A pole handle ( 10 ) provided with a hand retaining device ( 11 ) in the form of a toggle strap or a glove which can become detachably engaged with the pole handle ( 10 ) by means of a connecting element ( 64 ) disposed on the hand retaining device ( 11 ). A second connecting element ( 46 ) which cooperates with the first connecting element ( 64 ) is provided in a recess ( 26 ) of the pole handle and can be moved by means of an actuating member ( 41 ), which is accessible in the handle head region. In order to ensure a simpler and more ergonomic detachable fixing of the hand retaining device, access to the pole handle recess ( 26 ) is provided by means of a longitudinal slit ( 31 ) which extends from above to below the area of movement of the second connecting element ( 46 ), and parallel or inclined in relation to the longitudinal pole handle axis ( 17 ).

Description:
This application is the national stage of PCT/EP2003/010157 filed on Sep. 12, 2003 and also claims Paris Convention priority of DE 202 19 461.2 filed on Dec. 10, 2002. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention concerns a pole handle, in particular for cross-country ski poles, nordic walking and alpine poles, comprising a hand retaining device, in accordance with the independent claim, and a ski pole comprising such a pole handle. 
   In the pole handle disclosed in DE 299 04 591 U1, the pole handle recess extends between an access for the first connecting element of a toggle strap and an opposite outlet opening for the actuating member in an acute-angle arrangement with respect to the longitudinal axis of the pole handle or ski pole. This means that the connecting element fixed on the toggle strap is locked from an inclined direction from below the upper pole handle end and exits in an opposite inclined downward direction. The actuating member and the second connecting member are formed in one piece and are designed as a one-armed lever. Since the pivot axis is disposed at the end of the second connecting member, locking requires great force and is difficult since the locking region is very close to the pivot axis. Moreover, the direction of locking of the first connecting element on the toggle strap to move behind the second connecting element on the one-armed actuating lever requires a movement which is not ergonomic and is extremely difficult to carry out using one hand only. 
   It is the object of the present invention to design a pole handle of the above-mentioned type which can be detachably mounted to the hand retaining device in a simpler and, in particular with regard to locking, more ergonomic manner. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   This object is achieved with a pole handle of the above-mentioned type having the features of the independent claim. 
   In accordance with the invention, a simple and substantially linear motion in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the pole handle or of the ski pole is sufficient to lock the hand retaining device via its first connecting element thereby simultaneously utilizing counter pressure for the locking process generated by the ski pole itself via its support on the ground. This facilitates and accelerates at least the connecting motion without requiring assistance by the respective other hand. 
   To insert the first connecting element of the hand retaining device into the longitudinal slit on the pole handle, the latter could have a radial insertion opening in its upper region such that the initial mounting motion is radial and is then followed by an axial motion. However, in the preferred embodiment in which the longitudinal slit, which extends in the first wall delimiting the pole handle recess, can be accessed in a region of the handle head front face, the connecting motion consists exclusively of a substantially axial motion of the first connecting element and of the toggle strap, as the first connecting element is introduced into the longitudinal slit from the upper side of the handle head. 
   Preferred embodiments of the first connecting element of the toggle strap and its guidance in the longitudinal slit are shown by the features of one or more of the dependent claims. 
   Preferred constructive embodiments of the actuating member or advantageous handling to release the locking can be extracted from the features of one or more of dependent claims. The actuating lever is thereby disposed to prevent inadvertent actuation thereof while still permitting operation using one hand only for locking and releasing the first connecting element to and from the hand retaining device. 
   The invention also concerns a ski pole comprising a pole handle in accordance with the features of the independent claim and optionally with at least any one of the dependent claims. 
   Further details of the invention can be extracted from the following description which describes and explains the invention in more detail using the embodiment shown in the drawing. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       FIG. 1  shows a longitudinal section, which is partially broken away, of a pole handle with detachably lockable hand retaining device in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  shows a partially broken away view in accordance with arrow II of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  shows a view in accordance with arrow III of  FIG. 1 ; and 
       FIG. 4  shows a section along the line IV—IV of  FIG. 1 . 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   The pole handle  10  shown in the drawing in accordance with a preferred embodiment comprises a basic body  12  which is produced e.g. from an injection-molded part of plastic material. The direct handle region of the basic body  12  is provided with a coating  14  of easy-to-grip material which is introduced into a peripheral groove  13  in the basic body  12  (shown in the drawing). The pole handle  10  is attached onto and over a pole tube  16  of a cross-country ski, alpine or nordic walking pole and is rigidly connected thereto (preferably glued or pressed). 
   The basic body  12  of the pole handle  10  is approximately oval in a lower region  18  and is disposed eccentrically with regard to the longitudinal axis  17  of the pole tube  16  (see  FIG. 4 ). The upper end region  20  of the basic body  12  of the pole handle  10  has a flat oval shape (shown in  FIG. 3 ). The upper end region  20  is laterally inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis  17  ( FIG. 1 ), wherein the narrow sides  21  and  23  of the oval shape are slightly curved. The upper end region  20  of the basic body  12  has a front head face  22  which is flat in the direction of its narrow dimensions and is slightly concave in its longitudinal dimension and which extends at an inclined, acute angle with respect to the longitudinal axis  17 . In addition to the axial cylindrical cavity  24  in the lower end region  18  for receiving the end of the pole tube  16 , the basic body  12  has a recess  26  in its upper end region  20  at a certain distance above this cylindrical cavity  24 , which is substantially rectangular and has a substantially uniform cross-section. The recess  26  can be accessed by an opening  27  in the handle head front face  22 . The bottom  28  of the recess  26  is closed. The longitudinal axis  29  of the recess  26  extends at an acute angle with respect to the longitudinal axis  17  of the pole handle  10  or pole tube  16  and approximately perpendicular to the handle head front face  22 . The front narrow side  21  of the basic body  12  has a longitudinal slit  31  which can be accessed from the handle head front face  22  and is provided at that location with inclined insertion surfaces  32 ,  33 . The bottom  43  of the longitudinal slit  31  is disposed slightly above the bottom  28  of the recess  26  and terminates before the coating  14 . Grooves  38  and  39  which have a concave bottom and extend over the length of the longitudinal slit  31  are provided within the recess  26 , facing the longitudinal slit  31 , in the two side surfaces  36  and  37  and extend parallel to each other to delimit the recess  26 . 
   A two-armed lever  41  is pivotably held within the recess  26  via a pivot axle  42  such that it is parallel to the side surfaces  36 ,  37  of the basic body  12 . The pivot axis  42  traverses the recess  26  in an upper rear region and is disposed or held in bores of the two side surfaces  36  and  37 . The two-armed lever has an actuating arm  43  which projects outwardly through the opening  27  in the handle head front face  22 . A locking arm  44  of the two-armed lever  41  is integral with the actuating arm  43  with the two arms  43  and  44  subtending an obtuse angle. The pivot axle  42  penetrates through the two-armed lever  41  in a region of the locking arm  44  proximate to the actuating arm  43 . The locking arm  44  has a connecting element  46  in the form of a nose which terminates close to the front narrow side  21  of the basic body  12  having the longitudinal slit  31  and is provided with an inclined guiding surface  47  at its side facing away from the bottom  28  of the recess  26 . 
   The two-armed lever  41  is loaded by a pressure spring  52  which is designed as a helical spring in the present case and one end of which is supported on the locking arm  44  of the lever  41  within the recess  26  and whose other end is immersed into a bore  54  which extends from the rear narrow side  23  to the inner recess delimitation  25  and is supported on a stop which is formed by a screw  56  inserted from the outside into the rear narrow side  23  of the basic body  12 . The pressure spring  52  which extends in a slightly curved manner and is immersed in a blind bore  58  in the locking arm  44  pretensions the two-armed lever  41  into a rest position in which the actuating arm  43  abuts an edge region  48  of the recess  27 . The connecting element  46  of the locking arm  44  is thereby proximate to the longitudinal slit  31  in the front narrow side  21 . In accordance with arrow A, the two-armed lever  41  can be pivoted about the pivot axle  42 , wherein the pivot delimitation is determined on the one hand by the edge region  48  of the recess  26  and on the other hand by the spring path of the pressure spring  52 . 
   In accordance with one embodiment (not shown), the pressure spring  52  is designed as an approximately V-shaped leaf spring whose legs are supported on the inner side on a locking arm  44  and on the opposite side surface  25  of the recess  26  and whose apex faces the edge region  48  of the recess  26 . 
   A toggle strap  11  or another holding device for the hand of a skier, such as e.g. a glove, can be detachably locked to the pole handle  10  (wherein  FIG. 1  only shows the mounting section  62  of a strap  60 ). A connecting element  64  which has the approximate shape of a mushroom and which is made from a suitable plastic material or metal is mounted, e.g. screwed to the strap  60 . The connecting element  64  has a shaft  66  which is connected to the strap  60  and whose width or diameter is slightly smaller than the width of the longitudinal slit  31  in the basic body  12 . The length of the shaft  66 , which is cylindrical in the present case, corresponds approximately to the depth of the longitudinal slit  31  or the separation between the outer side of the front narrow side  21  and the inner grooves  38  and  39 . The shaft  66  is integral with the head  68  which is substantially wider than the shaft  66  and whose peripheral edge has a shape corresponding approximately to the shape of the two grooves  38  and  39 , in which the head  68  is guided. The outer cross-sectional dimensions of the connecting element  64  are such that it can be introduced, together with the strap  60  of the toggle strap  11  with hardly any play, from the handle head front face  22 , into the longitudinal slit  31  and be removed therefrom as shown by the double arrow B and the positions of  FIG. 1  shown in solid and dash-dotted lines. 
   The connecting element or nose  46  of the locking arm  44  is a counter locking element and serves to lock the connecting element  64  behind the locking arm  44  of the two-armed lever  41 . When the connecting element  64  held by the hand strap is introduced into the longitudinal slit  31  from the position in  FIG. 1  shown with dash-dotted lines, the shaft  66  in the longitudinal slit  31  and the head  68  in the two side grooves  38  and  39  slide downwardly and press the locking arm  44  inwardly via the inclined guiding surface  47  in opposition to the action of the pressure spring  52 . After the head  68  of the locking element  64  has passed by the connecting element  46  of the locking arm  44 , the locking arm  44  returns to its initial position under the action of the pressure spring  52 . The head  68  of the connecting element  64  is thereby caught between the lower side of the nose  46  of the locking arm  44  and the bottom  34  of the longitudinal slit  31 . Release of the connecting element  64  or of the toggle strap  11  from the basic body  12  of the pole handle  10  and thereby release of the locking is effected in a corresponding reverse manner through pivoting the two-armed lever  41  using the actuating arm  43  from its rest position shown in fully drawn lines into a release position (not shown) in opposition to the force of the pressure spring  52 . The head  68  of the connecting element  64  is thereby released from behind the locking arm  44  and its connecting element  46  and can be removed from the longitudinal slit  31 . The motion releasing locking of the lever  41  can be easily performed e.g. by the index finger of the hand while the pole handle  10  is being grasped.