CA2008576A1

CA2008576A1 - Ski-learning device

Info

Publication number: CA2008576A1
Application number: CA002008576A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Michel Anto
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1990-01-25
Filing date: 1990-01-25
Publication date: 1991-07-25

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

A ski-learning device particularly adapted to teach and learn snow-skiing, including a plurality of movements, such as snowplowing, stemmed turns and christiana turns. This ski-learning device comprises an interconnecting section and a pair of pocket sections integrally molded of elastic material and constructed and arranged such that the pocket sections frictionally engage over the tips of the pair of skis. The device is readily removable to completely free the skis and it allows relative longitudinal, directional and transverse angular setting between the two skis of a user.

Description

;~0~8~'76 BACKGRO~ND OF THE I~VENTION
The invention relates to a device that speclfically attaches to the tips of a pair of skis to interconnect and restrain those tlps while allowing relative movements between the skis. Such device ls useful to teach certain ski maneuvers to beginners and even to more experienced skiers.
A number of relatively-comparable devices are presently known to teach sklers. The most noteworthy ones are defined in Unlted States patents 3,066,328, issued December 4, 1962, 3,703,299, issued November 21, 1972, and 3,992,022, issued .
November 16, 1976.
The devlce defined in U.S. patent 3,066,328 is specifically conceived for water skis and lt engages the bearing portion of the skls rather than the tip portion. In the U.S.
patent 3,703,299, the device is provided with clamps at opposite ends~ of an interconnecting element and is constructed and arranged to clamp the tips of the skis at a point along the opposite~ outer edge of ~each tip to thus force the skis to automatically take an edge set or lateral tilting when the skis . , 20 ~are pushed outward to a snowplow position. The device ln U.S, patent~3,992,022 mainly features an easy disconnect construction that also clamps to the tips of a pair of skis.

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, ,'` ` ', , . ' ' , ' . , -It can be seen and understood from this most pertinent prior art that the teaching aid devices that have been known so far are in some cases fixed to the skis with resulting disadvantages to readily free the skis one from the other and to modify the skis and to remove such fixtures when not needed. The U.S~ patent 3,066,328 defines an aid or device that interconnects the bearing portion of the skis instead of the tip portions. In one embodiment, that aid takes the ~orm o~ a ribbon provided with loops at its opposite ends engaging around the bearing portion of the skis to hold the skls parallel ln water skiing. Such aid presents many llmitations that makes it unsuitable for snow-skiing For instance, their projection under the bearing portion of the skis would produce excessive drag and that aid is not readily removable. Besides, this interconnection of the bearlng portions rather than the tip portions allows very little relative movements between the skis and cannot really allow teaching of snow-skiing movements, such as snowplowing, edge set, christiana turns and stemmed turns.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION ~ ~
It is a general object of the present inventlon to provide à device particularly adapted to teach and learn snow-skiing, including a plurality of dlfferent movements.
It is an object and advantage of the present invention to provide a skl-learning device that avoids the above-mentioned disadvantages associated with the comparable prior art devices.

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SUMMARY OF THE INV~ENTION
The ski-learnlng device according to the present lnvention comprises an interconnecting section and a pair of pocket sections at the opposlte ends of the interconnectlng section, with those pocket sections being shaped to each frictionally fit over the tip of a ski, This device is preferably integrally molded of elastic material, with its interconnecting section o~
appropriate cross-section to allow resilient torsion and flexion as required for relative longitudinal, directional, and transverse angular setting between the two skls of a user. Thls ski-learning device may be readily removed at any time and without any tool to completely free the skis for normal and safe skiing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS :
: , Figure 1 ls a perspective vlew of the~ front portion of a pair o skls provided wlth a skl-teaching device accordlng to an embodlment of the present invention;
Figure 2 ~s a top view of the ski-learning device of Figure 1: ~
Figures 3, 4, and 5 are cross-sectional views as seen along lines 3-3, 4-4j and 5-5 respectively in Figure 2;
Flgure 6 is a partlal view of the bottom of the ski-learning device;

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Figures 7 and 8 are schematic views of the ski-learning device mounted on the tlps of a pair of skis and illustrating various relatlve displacements of the skis allowed by the interconnecting device; and Figures 9 and 10 are simplified cro-ssectional views lllustrating the edge set and tilting positions allowed by the device.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The lllustrated ski-learning device 10 comprises an lnterconnecting section 11 and a pair of pocket sections 12 at the opposite ends respectively of the interconnecting section 11.
The sections 11 and 12 are integrally molded of elastic material, such as rubber. The interconnecting section 11 is of selected cross-sectlon~ such as rectangular, as shown in Figure 5, or circular or:relatively square to allow good torsion and flexlon properties.
Each pocket section 12 is provided with a pocket 13 and .
has a pointed shape complementary to the pointed shape of the tip .~ of a ski, such ~that the latter will frictionally engage in one pocket~ as :shown in the drawings. The~interconnecting section 11 interconnects the tips~14 of the pocket sections 12 and extends transversely oi the latter relative: to: thelr longitudinal direction defined~ by the longitudinal dIrection of the skis, Each pocke~t sectlon 12 is formed with opposite lateral edges that are re~inforced~by a bead 15 extending:longitudinally thereof.

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As best seen in Figure 3, transverse ribs 16 and a bridge 17 provide proper longitudinal flexing to allow the pocket sections 12 to easily adapt the longitudinal curvature of the upwardly-curved tips 18 of the skis. Each pocket section 12 ls formed with a cutout 19 at its open end. The bottom of sach pocket section 12 is provided with air circulating apertures or holes 20 to facilitate the lnsertion and removal of each pocket section over and from the corresponding tip portion 18 of a ski.
Apertures 20 also facilitate injectlon molding of the device.
Figures 7, 8, 9, and 10 illustrate certain relative ,-movements of the skis 21 that are allowed by the ski-learning device according to the present Invention. The letters F, P, Sj and T indicate displacements of the skis that are allowed by the torsion or flexion of the interconnec~tlng section~1l. It can be lS seen that the described ski-learnlng devlce allows longitudlnal, direction and transverse angular setting between the two skis of a user. This, therefore, allows the user to practice and execute snowplowingj stemmed turns and christiana turns with the help~of the descrlbed skl-iearnlng dev~ice. ~ ~ ~

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Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed, are defined as follows:

1. A ski-learning device adapted to interconnect a pair of skis during their use and comprising A body of flexible material integrally forming a pair of pocket sections and an interconnecting section transversely and displaceable interconnecting the pocket sections, with each of the pocket sections being constructed and arranged to frictionally engage over the tip of a ski, thereby allowing relative restricted displacement of the pair of skis.

2. A ski-learning device as defined in claim 1, wherein each pocket section is of relatively flat construction defining a larger open mouth portion at one end and a pointed tip portion at the opposite end forming a pocket complimentarily formed relative to a conventional ski tip and constructed and arranged for frictional engagement of a ski tip therein.

3. A ski-learning device as defined in claim 2, wherein the interconnecting section extends between the tip portions of the pocket sections in transverse direction relative to the longitudinal direction defined by each ski in each pocket section.

4. A ski-learning device as defined in claim 3, wherein the material is resilient and the interconnecting section has its opposite ends connected to the pointed tip portions respectively of the pocket sections,

5. A ski-learning device as defined in claim 4, wherein the interconnecting section is of rectangular cross-section.

6. A ski-learning device as defined in claim 3, wherein each pocket section defines a bottom face and a top face and the bottom face has apertures therethrough constructed and arranged for the entry and escape of air therethrough upon removal and engagement respectively of each pocket section relative to the tip of a ski.

7. A ski-learning device as defined in claim 6, wherein the material is resilient and the interconnecting section is of rectangular cross-section and has its opposite ends connected to the pointed tip portions respectively of the pocket sections.