EP1550486A1

EP1550486A1 - Ski, particularly for ski-mountaineering and ski sealskin assembly

Info

Publication number: EP1550486A1
Application number: EP04030853A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Daniele Trabucchi
Original assignee: Ski Trab Srl
Current assignee: Ski Trab Srl
Priority date: 2003-12-30
Filing date: 2004-12-28
Publication date: 2005-07-06
Also published as: ITMI20032624A1

Abstract

A ski (1) for ski-mountaineering includes a ski body having at least one recess (5) at the tip (3) of the ski, the recess (5) accommodates a fastener (7) for locking a sealskin (9) that is connected to the fastener and is suitable to be arranged in contact with the base of the ski, the recess (5) being shaped complementarily with respect to the fastener (7).

Description

The present invention relates to a ski particularly for ski-mountaineering and to a ski sealskin assembly.
More particularly, the present invention relates to a ski with simplified fastening of the sealskins commonly known as climbing skins.
As is known, skis for ski-mountaineering, a specialty that is becoming increasingly popular, are characterized in that they have sealskins that are applied in contact with the base of the ski so that the skier can easily climb a slope without sliding backward. Once the intended altitude has been reached, the skier removes the sealskins and uses the skis normally as downhill skis.
The sealskins, provided with an adhesive layer that makes contact with the base of the ski, may be fastened in different manners. Usually, the sealskin is fastened to the base at the tip by means of a bar that is attached to the sealskin and is arranged transversely to the tip of the ski so as to allow engagement of the sealskin.
At the rear, at the tail of the ski, the sealskin may not be fixed, utilizing only the adhesive capacity of the sealskin in contact with the base of the ski.
However, the system described above has drawbacks due to the fact that fixing the sealskin at the tip of the ski is not always very easy and moreover the sealskin may tend, in the tip region, to be fastened less than perfectly to the tip of the ski because of a tip connection that is not particularly stable.
The aim of the present invention is to provide a ski for ski-mountaineering that allows a simplified fastening of the sealskin under the ski.
An object of the present invention is to provide a ski for ski-mountaineering in which the sealskin can be locked in a very simple manner, by acting at the topskin of the ski both at the tip and optionally at the tail of the ski.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a ski for ski-mountaineering that allows optimum tensioning of the sealskin in contact with the base of the ski.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a ski for ski-mountaineering that is highly reliable, relatively simple to manufacture and at competitive costs.
This aim and these and other objects that will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by a ski particularly for ski-mountaineering, comprising a ski body, characterized in that said body has at least one recess at the tip of the ski, said recess accommodating tip fastening means for fastening a sealskin that is connected to said fastening means and is suitable to be arranged in contact with the base of said ski, said recess being shaped complementarily with respect to said fastening means.
The same aim and objects are also achieved by a ski sealskin assembly comprising a ski body having a tip and a tail and a sealskin having a front portion and a rear portion, characterized in that said tip comprises a recess adapted to accommodate a tip fastening means provided at said front portion and said tail comprises a recess adapted to accommodate a tail fastening means provided at said rear portion.
Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the ski according to the present invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the ski according to the present invention, without the sealskin applied to the corresponding base;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the ski according to the invention, with the sealskin applied thereto;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of a detail of the fastening member for fastening the sealskin at the tip of the ski;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the member for fastening the sealskin at the tail of the ski;
Figure 5 is a perspective view of a detail of the member for fastening the sealskin at the tip of the ski, to be used in combination with the member shown in Figure 3;
Figure 6 is a perspective view of the application of the fastening members of Figures 3 and 5 at the tip of the ski;
Figure 7 is a perspective view of a detail of an additional component of the member for fastening the sealskin at the tail of the ski;
Figure 8 is a perspective view of the application of the member for fastening the sealskin at the tail of the ski; and
Figure 9 is a perspective view of the ski according to the present invention.
With reference to the figures, the ski according to the present invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 1, comprises a ski body 2 provided with a tip 3 and a tail 4.
At least one recess 5 is formed at least at the tip 3, at the rounded end region of the tip 3.
A recess 6 may be provided at the tail 4 of the ski, as shown in Figure 1.
The recess 5 can accommodate a first means for fastening the sealskin, which is made for example of rigid material. The first fastening means comprises a plate member 7, which has a flat region 8 that is adapted to accommodate a sealskin 9 and fix it for example by means of screws that pass through holes 10 formed at the flat region 8.
The flat region 8 is delimited by a step portion 11 that accommodates the sealskin 9.
The plate member 7 has a protruding portion 12, which is shaped complementarily to the recess 5, with curved surfaces 13 that are accordingly suitable to mate with the edge of the recess.
The protruding member 12 is provided with a through hole 14 which engages a retention member that prevents the plate member 7 from disengaging from the tip 3 of the ski and particularly from the recess 5 thereof.
The retention member, shown in Figure 5, is configured as a substantially triangular member 15, which is provided with a pin 16 that is suitable to mate with the through hole 14 and is also provided with an internal contour 17, which is suitable to mate complementarily with the curved walls 13 of the protruding member 12.
The sealskin 9 is applied to the base of the ski as follows.
The sealskin 9 is rigidly connected to the plate member 7 by being accommodated in the flat region 8 of the plate member 7.
At this point, the plate member 7 is inserted. by means of its protruding portion 12 within the recess 5 of the tip 3 of the ski, and the retention member 15 is turned toward the tail of the ski so as to lock the plate member 7 in contact with the recess 5, so that the retention member 15 mates with the protruding member 12 of the plate member 7.
In this way, by means of a single operation, the user can apply the sealskin at the tip 3 of the ski.
A similar operation can be performed at the tail 4 of the ski.
In this case, the fastening member of the sealskin, shown in Figure 4, comprises a second plate member 20, which is provided with a protruding member 21 that has a hole 22. The plate member 20 is also provided with holes 23 in order to fasten the sealskin 9 below the plate member 20.
A locking pin 27, shown in a perspective view in Figure 7, is provided with a body 28 that may be gripped by the user and with a portion of a stem 29 that engages the hole 22 of the plate member 20 and is such as to lock the plate member 20 in contact with the recess 6 when the body 28 is turned so as to be arranged transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the body 2 of the ski, as shown in Figure 8.
Accordingly, if the user wishes to lock the sealskin in an absolutely stable manner, without resorting exclusively to the adhesive capacity of the sealskin, he or she can fasten the sealskin not only at the tip of the ski but also at the tail of the ski, utilizing the two separate fastening members provided for the tip and for the tail.
The embodiment described above offers unquestionable advantages from the point of view of simplicity of application of the sealskin and of perfect tensioning thereof in contact with the base of the ski.
The means for locking the tip and the tail can be provided by nonrigid members, which accordingly have a certain degree of elasticity, which would allow to fasten the locking members within the recesses 5 of the tip 3 and 6 of the tail 4 of the ski without having to resort to fastening means having retention members or pins.
In this embodiment, which is an alternative to the previously described one, the fastening means for the tip and the tail is constituted by members that engage respectively in the recesses 5 and 6 of the ski and to which the sealskin 9 is fixed.
In practice it has been found that the ski according to the invention fully achieves the intended aim and objects, allowing a simple and quick application of the sealskin to the base of the ski while maintaining optimum tension of the sealskin.
The ski thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, within the scope of the appended claims. All the details may be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.
In practice, the materials used, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to requirements and to the state of the art.

Claims

A ski particularly for ski-mountaineering, comprising a ski body, characterized in that said body has at least one recess at the tip of the ski, said recess accommodating a tip fastening means for fastening a sealskin that is connected to said fastening means and is suitable to be arranged in contact with the base of said ski, said recess being shaped complementarily with respect to said fastening means.
The ski according to claim 1, characterized in that said ski body has at least one recess, at the tail, for the engagement of a tail fastening means for fastening the sealskin to the tail of said ski.
The ski according to claim 1, characterized in that said tip fastening means comprises a plate member having a flat region for engaging said sealskin and a protruding portion adapted to mate complementarily within the recess of the tip of the body of the ski.
The ski according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said protruding portion of said plate member is provided with a hole that accommodates a pin that is connected to a retention member, said retention member being movable from a disengagement position to an engagement position, in which said retention member mates complementarily around said protruding portion of said plate member.
The ski according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said tail fastening means comprises a plate member, adapted to mate in the recess of said tail, the plate member being provided with a protruding portion that has a hole accommodating a pin for locking said plate member within said recess of the tail of the ski.
The ski according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said plate member accommodated within the recess of the tail of said ski comprises holes for fastening said sealskin.
The ski according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said tip fastening means and said tail fastening means are made of rigid material.
The ski according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said tip fastening means and said tail fastening means are made of elastic material.
A ski sealskin assembly comprising a ski body having a tip and a tail and a sealskin having a front portion and a rear portion, characterized in that said tip comprises a recess adapted to accommodate a tip fastening means provided at said front portion and said tail comprises a recess adapted to accommodate a tail fastening means provided at said rear portion.