US20030189332A1 - Skier ezup - Google Patents

Abstract

This device is an aid for a downhill skier regain his upright stance after a fall. A socket or loop of fabric is attached at the tail of the skis such that the tips of the poles can be thrust through the loop and into the underlying snow. When the skier then pulls himself up by pushing down and back on the poles, the skis are held in place and the skier easily regains his upright stance.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
• Provisional Application filed Feb. 21, 2001, titled “Skier up-aid”. Application No. 60/270,440[0001]
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
• There was no Federal sponsorship or funding. [0002]
REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX
• Not Applicable [0003]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• The present invention relates to downhill skis and the occasional need for the skier to regain his stance after a fall. The skier usually regains his stance, lifting his body by pushing on his ski poles. What frequently goes wrong is the force on the skis causes them to slip away from the action, dropping the skier between the poles and the skis. Instruction manuals suggest sharply edging the skis into the snow to keep them from slipping away. This helps, in varying degrees, except on hard-packed flat terrain. There is no device mentioned in patent literature or Ski lore which addresses this difficulty. [0004]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
• The invention provides a socket, at the tails of the skis, for the tips of the poles which lock the skis to the poles so that the skis cannot slip away when the skier applies his weight to the poles. The device enables the skier to use the following technique to retain his stance: The skier arranges himself so that he is lying on his back between the tails of his skis. He inserts the tips of the poles in the sockets, reaches up the poles as far as possible, and then pulls himself up. No exceptional strength or skill is required.[0005]
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
• FIG. 1 shows three views of a possible embodiment, using a light piece of marine grade line to form a loop at the tail of the ski. [0006]
• FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment using a flat woven strap to form a loop at the tail of the ski. [0007]
• FIG. 3 shows a simple hole in the upturned portion of the tail of the ski, which could be incorporated in the ski during manufacture.[0008]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
• Referring to FIG. 1, one embodiment uses a plastic or metal plate mounted to the tail of the ski with screws or glue. The line should be waterproof nylon or polypropylene approximately ¼ inch in diameter. The length should be such that the loop extends beyond the tail of the ski approximately two inches. The advantage of this embodiment is that if the loop is unsatisfactory for any reason, it can be easily replaced with readily available material, needing only an overhand knot to secure it. [0009]
• Referring to FIG. 2, the loop is formed from a flat woven strap, secured by screws through the mounting plate and the ends of the straps. The advantage of this configuration is that the folded strap naturally forms a funnel which makes it easier to find the opening with the tip of the ski pole. [0010]
• The embodiment shown in FIG. 3 is the simplest of all, a hole in the upturned portion of the tail of the ski. The hole should be large enough so that the tip of the ski pole can be inserted at a wide range of angles.[0011]

Claims (2)

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A socket device which is attached or built into the tail of a snow ski such that it can receive the tip of a ski pole, thereby anchoring the ski so that it does not slide away when the skier pushes on the pole to regain his stance.

2. The device according to claim 1 can be attached or incorporated into the manufacture of the ski such that it has no effect on the running, turning, or other customary performance of the ski.

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