EP1393785A1

EP1393785A1 - Trolley for transporting snow skiing equipment

Info

Publication number: EP1393785A1
Application number: EP02078237A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Willem Sterrenberg Pretorius Schoombie
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-08-06
Filing date: 2002-08-06
Publication date: 2004-03-03
Anticipated expiration: 2022-08-06
Also published as: EP1393785B1; DE60201830D1; ATE281216T1; DE60201830T2

Abstract

The invention relates to a trolley (1) for transporting snow ski equipment, the trolley (1) comprising:

a carriage (2) for carrying the equipment;
snow ski mounting means for mounting at least one snow ski or snow board to the carriage (2)
ski boot support means (4) for supporting at least one pair of ski boots on the carriage, and
at least one wheel or skid attached to the carriage on which the carriage (2) may be pushed or pulled by a user of the trolley, wherein the ski mounting means comprise a ski-support at or near a lower end of the carriage (2) and a ski clamp at a predetermined distance above the ski-support to hold the at least one snow ski or snow board, whereby the ski clamp (8) is a bracket (8) having two sections (9,10) and an intermediate portion (11) connecting said two sections, whereby a first of said two sections is connected to the carriage at a far end from the point where said intermediate portion connects to said first section, and wherein the first section and the second section of the bracket are positioned above the said ski-support so as to allow that in use the first section and the second section are placed at opposite sides of the at least one snow ski or snow board, causing the ski or snow board to be held tightly between said first section and second section.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a trolley for transporting snow skiing equipment.
In order to reach snow ski areas, which are usually situated high up on mountain slopes or glaciers, skiers have to make use of crowded public transport or gondolas, buses, trains or ski lifts and often have to walk relatively far distances. Skiers usually carry their skis over their shoulders in a horizontal position and a careless turn can cause serious injuries to those around the skier. Also, snow skiing boots are particularly cumbersome and skiers elect to wear the boots rather than carrying them in a separate bag. Snow skiing boots are not made for walking and many injuries occur by wearing ski boots before the skis are attached, climbing up or down stairs, onto, in and off public transport etc.

DISCUSSION OF THE PRIOR ART

From EP-A-0 933 102 a trolley for transporting snow ski equipment is known, whereby the trolley comprises:

a carriage for carrying the equipment;
snow ski mounting means for mounting at least one snow ski or snow board to the carriage;
ski boot support means for supporting at least one pair of ski boots on the carriage, and
at least one wheel or skid attached to the carriage on which the carriage may be pushed or pulled by a user of the trolley, wherein the ski mounting means comprise a ski-support at or near a lower end of the carriage and a ski clamp at a predetermined distance above the support to hold the at least one snow ski or snow board.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is one of the objectives of the invention to provide an alternative for the trolley known from EP-A-0 933 102. A further object is to improve said known trolley by making its use less complicated and more comfortable. Still a further object of the invention is to reduce the manufacturing costs as compared to the costs of the known trolley.
These objectives and other advantages are attained by the trolley according to the invention.
In a first aspect of the invention the trolley is characterized in that the ski clamp is a bracket having two sections and an intermediate portion connecting said two sections, whereby a first of said two sections is connected to the carriage at a far end from the point where said intermediate portion connects to said first section, and wherein the first section and the second section of the bracket are positioned above the said ski-support so as to allow that in use the first section and the second section are placed at opposite sides of the at least one snow ski or snow board, causing the ski or snow board to be held tightly between said first section and second section.
With this particularly easy to manufacture feature also the actual use of the trolley according to the invention is extensively simplified as compared to the trolley known from EP-A-0 933 102.
It is advantageous that the ski-clamp is height-adjustable. The beauty of this feature is self-evident and its practicality in use of the trolley with skis of different lengths needs no clarification. Despite its simplicity the feature has not been suggested earlier.
In a further aspect of the invention the trolley is characterized in that the ski-support comprises a V-shaped bracket causing that in use the ski-ends resting in said bracket will tightly press together.
Still a further feature of the invention is that the trolley has ski-pole supports, above which there are ski-pole holders with openings that allow placing the ski-poles within the brackets when holding the ski-poles oblique with respect to a longitudinal axis of the carriage, and that secure the holding of the ski-poles within the ski-pole holders when said ski poles rest in the ski-pole supports.
Yet another feature of the invention is that the ski boot support means are arranged as vertical shafts, for instance upstanding (tubular) supports, that serve to place the boots upside down on the shafts. This feature secures that any rain, mud or snow is prevented from entering the boot.
The invention shall hereafter be further elucidated with reference to the drawing of a non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the trolley according to the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawing:

fig. 1 shows the trolley according to the invention;
fig. 2 shows a detail of the trolley according to the invention with specific attention for the bracket for the skis and the ski-pole brackets;
fig. 3 shows a detail of the trolley shown in fig. 1 with particular attention for the V-shaped bracket of the support for the skis, and
fig. 4 schematically shows the trolley of the invention connected to a bicycle.

In the drawings same reference numerals are used for identical parts.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring first to figure 1, the complete trolley 1 is shown embodied with a carriage 2 which is made from a lightweight metal alloy, such as aluminium or a strong molded plastics or composite material. The carriage 2 comprises a frame from aluminium tubes or any other suitable material and any suitable shape. The trolley 1 may be equipped with wheels that are attached to the carriage 2, adjacent to upstanding tubular supports 4 that are intended for supporting the ski boots. The trolley 1 further has handles 5 which are shaped and sized to fit over a user's shoulders so that the trolley 1 can be carried on the user's back. The inner surfaces of the handles 5 are padded to make the trolley 1 more comfortable to wear. The handles 5 may as required be rotated to a position to support the back-wearing function or alternatively to reduce the amount of space the trolley 1 occupies when not being worn on a user's back.
The drawing further shows the ski-pole supports 12 that are connected to the frame 2 of the trolley 1.
As figure 1 clearly shows a supporting rod 7 forms part of the frame 2 to which supporting rod 7 a bracket 8 is loosely or fixedly connected which serves as a clamp for the skis that are to be mounted to the trolley 1.
With particular reference also to fig. 2, fig. 1 and fig. 2 show that the bracket 8 has two sections 9 and 10 that are connected with each other by means of an intermediate portion 11, a first section 10 of said two sections 9, 10 is connected to the carriage 2 via the supporting rod 7 which is adjustable in height, so as to allow placing the bracket 8 at a height suitable for the length of the skis being mounted on the trolley 1.
The first section 10 of the U-shaped bracket 8 is mounted to the supporting rod 7 at a far end from the point where the intermediate portion 11 connects to said first section 10.
Fig. 2 clearly shows that the first section 10 and the second section 9 of the U-shaped bracket 8 are positioned so as to allow that in use the first section 10 and the second section 9 are placed at opposite sides of the skis that are to be mounted on the trolley 1.
Fig. 3 shows the ski support that is placed at a lower end of the carriage 2 and which is arranged with a V-shaped bracket causing that in use the ski ends or backs will press against each other. Together with the bracket 8 as shown in figs. 1 and 2, this results in a firm clamping of the skis mounted on the trolley 1 according to the invention.
Returning to fig. 1 attention is drawn to the ski-pole holders 6 that are placed above ski-pole supports 12 next to the ski support 13 at the lower end of the carriage next to the ski support 13 at the lower end of the carriage 2.
Said ski-pole holders 6 have openings, in this case side-way openings, that allow placing the ski-poles within the ski-pole holders 6. When holding the ski-poles oblique with respect to a longitudinal axis of the carriage 2 coinciding with the supporting rod 7, said ski-pole holders secure that the ski-poles are held vertical within the ski-pole holders 6 when said ski-poles rest with their bottom in the ski-pole supports 12.
Reference is already made to the ski boot supports 4 that are arranged as vertical shafts, i.e. upstanding tubular supports that serve to place the boots upside down so as to prevent debris, rain and snow to enter the boots.
Fig. 4 shows schematically that a rod 14 is connectable to the carriage 2 of the trolley which rod 14 is arranged to be coupled to a frame of a vehicle such as a bicycle 15 or another means of transportation with or without engine.

Claims

Trolley (1) for transporting snow ski equipment, the trolley comprising:

a carriage (2) for carrying the equipment;

snow ski mounting means for mounting at least one snow ski or snow board to the carriage (2);

ski boot support means (4) for supporting at least one pair of ski boots on the carriage (2), and

at least one wheel or skid attached to the carriage (2) on which the carriage (2) may be pushed or pulled by a user of the trolley, wherein the ski mounting means comprise a ski-support at or near a lower end of the carriage (2) and a ski clamp at a predetermined distance above the ski-support to hold the at least one snow ski or snow board, characterized in that the ski clamp (8) is a bracket (8) having two sections (9,10) and an intermediate portion (11) connecting said two sections (9, 10), whereby a first (10) of said two sections (9, 10) is connected to the carriage at a far end from the point where said intermediate portion (11) connects to said first section (10), and wherein the first section (10) and the second section (9) of the bracket (8) are positioned above the said ski-support so as to allow that in use the first section (10) and the second section (9) are placed at opposite sides of the at least one snow ski or snow board, causing the ski or snow board to be held tightly between said first section (9) and second section (10).
Trolley according to claim 1, characterized in that the ski-clamp is height-adjustable.
Trolley according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the ski-support comprises a V-shaped bracket causing that in use the ski-ends resting in said bracket will tightly press together.
Trolley according to anyone of claims 1-3, having ski-pole supports (12), characterized in that above said ski-pole supports (12) there are ski-pole holders (6) with openings that allow placing the ski-poles within the brackets (6) when holding the ski-poles oblique with respect to a longitudinal axis of the carriage, and that secure the holding of the ski-poles within the ski-pole holders (6) when said ski poles rest in the ski-pole supports (12).
Trolley according to any of claims 1-4, characterized in that the ski boot support means (4) are arranged as vertical shafts (4) that serve to place the boots upside down on the shafts.
Trolley according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that a rod is connectable to the carriage, which rod is arranged to be coupled to a frame of a vehicle, such as a bicycle or motor-bike.