EP0184950A1 - Ski-pole grip - Google Patents

Abstract

Ski-pole grip comprising an elongated body (4) on which the pole (5) is fastened, this elongated body being held in the hand by being enclosed by the second to fifth fingers of the hand and having, at its lower end portion, a lateral projecting portion (6) acting as a support for the ulnar side of the hand, the upper portion of the said body comprising a lateral projecting extension (7) whose lower face (8) is inclined relative to the axis of the said body and extends upwards from the outer face of this body, this extension (7) extending over a portion of the periphery of the said body (4) and being adapted to provide support for the upper side of the forefinger against its lower face (8) and the upper face (10) of the said upper portion of the said body (4) being adapted to act as an upper support for the thumb. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to a ski pole handle.

The most frequently used ski pole handles, in particular for alpine skiing, include an elongated body which is taken in the hand by being wrapped on the one hand by the second to the fifth fingers and on the other hand by the thumb , as well as, at the lower and upper ends of this body, a lower plate serving as support for the ulnar edge of the hand, and an upper plate which extends above the index and thumb. It has been noted that with such ski pole handles, the accidents which affect skiers, particularly when they fall, are metacarpophalangeal sprains of the thumb, often serious, as well as fractures of the hand.

The object of the present invention is to considerably limit the risk of accidents to ski poles and proposes a handle of ski pole which on the one hand is adapted to be well taken in the hand and on the other hand is adapted so that , if the skier falls, his hands can be instantly released.

The ski pole handle according to the present invention comprises an elongated body on which the pole is fixed, this elongated body being taken in the hand by being wrapped by the second to the fifth fingers of the hand and having, at its end part lower, a lateral projecting part serving as a support for the ulnar edge of the hand, and is such that the upper part of said elongated body comprises a lateral projecting extension whose lower face is inclined relative to the axis of said body and extends upwards from the external face of this body, this extension extending over at least part of the periphery of said body and being adapted to receive in support the upper edge of the index finger against its lower face and the upper face of said upper part of said body being formed by at least one upper upper surface serving as upper support for the thumb, therefore without lateral stop for the thumb.

According to the present invention, said extension of the upper part of said body preferably extends from rear to front and from inside to outside.

According to the present invention, the inclined guidelines of the underside of said extension of the upper part of said body make with a horizontal plane, preferably, angles between 20 ° and 60 °, these angles being advantageously understood. between 35 ° and 45 °.

According to the present invention, the upper face of the upper part of said body serving as an upper support for the thumb preferably comprises at least one surface inclined from front to back and from outside to inside.

In a preferred variant, the upper face of the upper part of said body, serving as a support for the thumb, comprises at least first and second adjacent upper surfaces separated by a ridge or a vertex which extends substantially according to the anatomical position indifferent thumb and under it.

According to the present invention, the first upper surface of the upper part of said body, which extends from said crest from the inside to the outside, is preferably inclined from front to back and from outside into inside, its intersection with the frontal plane forming an angle between 0 and 20 ° with a horizontal of this frontal plane and its intersection with the sagittal plane forming an angle between 15 ° and 35 ° with a horizontal of this sagittal plane.

In a preferred variant, these angles are respectively between 0 and 5 ° and between 20 ° and 25 °.

According to the present invention, the second surface of the upper part of said body, which extends from said crest from the outside inwards, is preferably inclined from front to back and from outside to inside. , its intersection with the frontal plane forming an angle between 30 ° and 55 °, with a horizontal of this frontal plane and its intersection with the sagittal plane forming an angle between 20 ° and 65 ° with a horizontal of this sagittal plane.

In a preferred variant, these angles are respectively between 40 ° and 45 °.

According to the present invention, said ridge separating the two upper surfaces of the upper part of said body forms, with a horizontal plane, preferably a mingle comprised between 20 ° and 45 °, this angle possibly advantageously being comprised between 30 ° and 35 °.

According to the present invention, the upper surface of the upper part of said thumb preferably has at least one hollow shape in which the thumb comes to bear.

According to the present invention, the outer face of said body preferably has a curved portion substantially at the palmar concavity of the hand and adapted to be housed in the latter.

Furthermore, the ski pole handle according to the present invention preferably comprises means for fixing a dragone, this dragone being fixed so as to extend from the rear face of said body, above halfway up the latter.

• - la figure représente une vue extérieure en élévation d'une poignée de bâton de ski selon la présente invention, cette poignée étant vue perpendiculairement à un plan sagittal, de l'intérieur vers l'extérieur ;
• - la figure 2 représente la poignée de bâton de ski de la figure 1, vue en élévation, perpendiculairement au plan frontal, de l'arrière vers l'avant ;
• - et la figure 3 montre le poignée de bâton de ski de la figure 1, dans une vue en élévation, de l'avant vers l'arrière et légèrement de l'extérieur vers l'intérieur.

The present invention will be better understood from the study of a ski pole handle described by way of nonlimiting example and illustrated by the drawing in which:

• - The figure shows an external elevation view of a ski pole handle according to the present invention, this handle being seen perpendicular to a sagittal plane, from the inside to the outside;
• - Figure 2 shows the ski pole handle of Figure 1, elevation view, perpendicular to the front plane, from the rear to the front;
• - And Figure 3 shows the ski pole handle of Figure 1, in an elevational view, from front to rear and slightly from the outside to the inside.

Before describing the ski pole handle represented in the drawing and generally identified by the reference 1, it is necessary to define a reference constituted by a sagittal plane 2 which is a vertical plane passing through the hand when this the latter extends in the extension of the forearm and towards the front as well as a frontal plane 3 which is a vertical plane perpendicular to this sagittal plane 2.

The ski pole handle I shown is a handle adapted to be taken by a left hand. A handle adapted to be taken by a right hand would be symmetrical to it.

In the description which follows, the expressions “from the back to the front” and “from the front to the back” will be used, which respectively indicate a direction going from the forearm towards the hand and towards the opposite a direction going from the hand towards the forearm, perpendicular to the frontal plane 3, as well as the expressions "from inside to outside" or "from inside to outside" and "from outside to inside "or" from outside to inside "which respectively indicate, for the left handle described, a direction going from right to left and opposite from left to right, perpendicular to the sagittal plane 2.

The ski pole handle 1 shown comprises an elongated body generally identified by the reference 4 on which is fixed, in its extension and at its lower part, a ski pole 5 in a conventional manner, the upper end of this stick 5 being for example inserted in an axial recess of the body 4. This elongated body is intended to be taken in the hand while being enveloped by the second to the fifth fingers of the hand.

The body 4 of the handle 1 has, at its lower part, an annular part 6 projecting from the side, the upper face of which joins the external face of the body 4 by a rounded-6a and which is intended to serve as a support for the ulnar edge from the hand. This annular side projecting part 6 extends in a general plane inclined slightly from front to rear and more pronounced from the inside to the outside and has no rising part.

The upper part of the body 4 of the ski pole handle 5 has an extension generally identified by the reference 7 which extends, over a part of the periphery of the body 4, from the rear to the having and from the inside to the outside.

This extension 7 has an inclined lower face 8 which extends upwards from the external face of the body 4 and which joins the latter. By a rounded 9. This lower face 8 of the extension 7, which is present substantially under the form of a part of trunk of cone open upwards, is intended to receive in support the upper edge of the index wrapped around the body 4.

In the example, the guidelines of the lower face 8 of the extension 7 are approximately, with a horizontal plane, angles equal to 38 °. These angles of the inclined guide lines of the underside of the extension 7 may however form, with a horizontal plane, angles between 20 ° and 60 ° or preferably between 35 ° and 45 °.

The upper face of the elongated body 4, which includes the upper face of the extension 7 of its upper part, has an upper face generally identified by the reference 10 which comprises a first upper upper surface II and a second terminal upper surface 12 which are adjacent and separated by a ridge or a vertex 13 which joins them and which are substantially planar.

The ridge 13 extends substantially according to the indifferent anatomical position of the thumb and under the latter, that is to say in the position in which it undergoes no abduction and no adduction. This crest 13, which therefore extends substantially in a plane parallel to the sagittal plane 2, forms, in the example, with a horizontal plane, an angle of 32 °. This angle could however be between 20 ° and 45 ° and preferably between 30 ° and 35 °.

The upper surface 11 of the upper end of the body 4, which is largely formed by the upper face of the extension 7, is inclined from front to back and from outside to inside. In the example shown, the intersection of the plane containing this surface I1 with the frontal plane 3 forms an angle of 2 ° with a horizontal of this frontal plane 3 and its intersection with the sagittal plane 2 forms with a horizontal of this sagittal plane 2 an angle equal to 23 °. These angles could however be respectively between 0 and 20 ° and between 15 ° and 35 ° and preferably between 0 ° and 5 ° and between 20 ° and 25 °.

The upper surface 12 of the upper part of the body 4, which extends from the crest 13 from the outside towards the inside towards the outside, is inclined from front to back and from outside to inside. . The intersection of the plane containing this surface 12 with the frontal plane 3 forms, with a horizontal of this frontal plane 3, an angle equal to 42 ° and its intersection with the sagittal plane 2 forms, with a horizontal of this sagittal plane 2, an angle also equal to 42 °. These angles could however be between 30 ° and 55 ° respectively and between 20 ° and 65 ° and could preferably be between 40 ° and 45 ° respectively. It will be noted that the rear parts of the upper surfaces 11 and 12 of the upper part of the body 4 join the rear face of this body 4 by rounded edges 14 and 15 respectively and that the internal edge of the surface 12 joins the internal face of the body 4 by a rounded 16.

It will be noted that in the example the front face of the end 7a of the extension 7 is substantially parallel to the frontal plane 3 and that its external face 7b is in an arc of a circle and joins the rear face of the elongated body 4.

In addition, the body 4 has, over its entire outer median zone, a convex part 17 formed substantially at the palmar concavity of the hand and its front zone has three protruding parts 18, 19 and 20 so as to form, between the annular lower protruding part 6 and the lower face 8 of the extension 7, four hollow parts for receiving the second au. fifth fingers of the hand.

It can also be seen that the body 4 has, on its rear face, approximately three quarters of its height and just after the lower part of the upper surface 12, an orifice 21 for fixing, in a conventional manner, a strap not represented.

The ski pole handle 1 described above is taken in the left hand as follows.

The skier takes the body 4 with full hand in a position such that the convex part 17 comes into the palm of his hand and that his second to the fifth fingers envelop it while resting in the hollows separated by the projecting parts 18 to 20 The ulnar edge of the hand bears on the upper face of the lower annular part 6 and the upper edge of the index finger bears against the inclined lower face 8 of the extension 7. The handle 1 is already perfectly held in the hand.

In addition, the skier places his thumb on the upper face 10 of the body 4 and thus can pinch the upper part of the body 4 provided with the extension 7 between his thumb and forefinger.

The skier thus holds the handle 1 perfectly well in the hand and he also has a downward pushing force, with the whole of his hand, which is particularly significant.

As the upper surface 10 of the body 4 has two inclined surfaces II and 12 separated by the crest 13, the skier can place his thumb in two positions. When his thumb is placed on the upper surface 11, the skier will be able to obtain using his thumb an almost vertical downward pushing force while if his thumb is supported on the upper surface 12 the effort will be slightly lateral , much more towards the fingers, the tip of the thumb extending above the tip of the index finger. So that the skier can find these two positions more quickly and in order to avoid slipping of the thumb, we see in the figures that the surfaces 11 and 12 have central hollow shapes Ila and 12a extending in the direction of the thumb, on either side of the ridge 13 that the skier can easily recognize by touch.

In addition, given the position of the attachment at 21 of the strap, it can be seen that the latter extends from the zone separating the thumb and the ends of the index finger of the middle finger.

The structure of the ski pole handle 1 described above is particularly interesting. In fact, in the event of a fall, the thumb does not encounter any obstacle upwards preventing it from moving and from the opening of the second to the fifth fingers, the ski pole handle 1 can slide and be ejected by hand, both upwards and downwards or laterally.

The present invention is not limited to the example described above. Many alternative embodiments are possible without departing from the scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims (15)

1. Ski pole handle comprising an elongated body (4) on which the pole (5) is fixed, this elongated body being taken in the hand being enveloped by the second to the fifth fingers of the hand and having at its part d 'lower end a lateral projecting part (6) serving as a support for the ulnar edge of the hand, characterized in that the upper part of said body comprises an extension (7) projecting from the side, the lower face (8) of which is inclined relative to the axis of said body and extends upwards from the external face of this body, this extension (7) extending over a part of the periphery of said body (4) and being adapted to receive in presses the upper edge of the index finger against its lower face (8) and the upper face (10) of said upper part of said body (4) being formed by at least one upper terminal surface serving as upper support for the thumb. 2. Handle according to claim 1, characterized in that said extension (7) of the upper part of said body (4) extends from rear to front and from inside to outside. 3. Handle according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the inclined guidelines of the lower face (8) of said extension (7) of the upper part of said body (4) form angles with a horizontal plane. between 20 ° and 60 °. 4. Handle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inclined guidelines of the lower face (8) of said extension (7) of the upper part of said body (4) form angles included with a horizontal plane. between 35 ° and 45 °. 5. Handle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the upper face (10) of the upper part of said body (4), serving as upper support for the thumb comprises at least one inclined front surface behind and from outside inside. 6. Handle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the upper face (10) of the upper part of said body (4), serving as a support for the thumb, comprises at least a first (11) and a second (12) surface adjacent upper parts separated by a ridge or a vertex (13) which extends substantially according to the indifferent anatomical position of the thumb and under the latter. 7. Handle according to claim 6, characterized in that the first upper surface (11) of the upper part of said body (14), which extends from said crest (13) from the inside to the outside , is inclined from front to back and from outside to inside, its intersection with the frontal plane (3) forming an angle between 0 and 20 ° with a horizontal of this frontal plane and its intersection with the sagittal plane ( 2) forming an angle between 15 ° and 35 ° with a horizontal of this sagittal plane. 8. Handle according to claim 6, characterized in that said angles that form said first surface (11) with said horizontal are between 0 and 5 ° and between 20 ° and 25 °. 9. Handle according to one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the second upper surface (12) of the upper part of said body (4), which extends from said crest (13) of the outside towards inside, is inclined from the front towards the back and from outside inside, its intersection with the frontal plane (3) forming an angle between 30 ° and 55 ° with a horizontal of this frontal plane and its intersection with the sagittal plane (2) forming an angle between 20 ° and 65 ° with a horizontal of this sagittal plane. 10. Handle according to claim 9, characterized in that said angles that form said second surface (12) with said horizontal are respectively between 40 ° and 45 °. He. Handle according to any one of Claims 6 to 10, characterized in that the said crest (13) forms, with a horizontal plane, an angle between 20 ° and 45 °. 12. Handle according to claim 10, characterized in that said angle is between 30 ° and 35 °. 13. Handle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the upper surface (11, 12) of the upper part of said body (4) has at least one hollow shape (11a, 12a) in which the thumb comes to bear. 14. Handle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the outer face of said body (4) has a portion (17) curved substantially at the palmar concavity of the hand and adapted to be housed in the latter. 15. Handle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises fixing means (2) of a wrist strap, this wrist strap being fixed so as to extend from the rear face of said body , above the mid-height of the latter.

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