US3113786A

US3113786A - Ski pole wrist straps

Info

Publication number: US3113786A
Application number: US226992A
Authority: US
Inventors: Phillipson Phillip William
Original assignee: PHILLIPSON ROD AND TACKLE CO
Current assignee: PHILLIPSON ROD AND TACKLE CO
Priority date: 1962-09-28
Filing date: 1962-09-28
Publication date: 1963-12-10
Anticipated expiration: 1980-12-10

Description

Dec. 10, 1963 P. w. PHILLlPsoN sx1 POLE WRIST STRAPS Filed Sept. 28, 1962 INVENToR. Pff/UP l/Z/ PMU/Psa @ORA/ Y United States Patent Gti-.ice

3,113,786 Patented Dec. 10, 1963 3,113,786 SKI POLE WRIST STRAPS Phillip William Phillpson, Denver, Colo., assignor to Phillipson Rod & Tackle C0., Denver, Colo., a corporation of Colorado 'Filed Sept. 28, 1962, Ser. No. 226,992

4 Claims. (Cl. 280--11.37)

This invention relates to ski poles of the type used by snow skiers. Ski poles of this type usually comprise a cane-like shank having a hand grip at the upper extremity and a snow penetrating point or spike at the lower extremity. A disc or ring, usually called a basket, is mounted on the shank adjacent the spike to limit the amount of insertion of the spike and to self-support the pole in the snow and a Wrist strap is attached to the hand grip for securing the pole to the wrist of the skier.

This invention relates more specifically to the wrist straps of the ski poles. These straps, while necessary to prevent accidental loss of the ski poles, have been the cause of serious injuries to the skiers. Frequently, during swift descent on a ski slope, the basket of a ski pole may catch upon roots, rocks, trees or other obstructions and since the poles are anchored to the skiers wrists, the result is a sudden jerk or pulling stress which may result in serious injury to the skier.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a wrist strap for ski poles which will accomplish all of the necessary functions of the conventional strap and yet which when subjected to stresses of unusual direction and unusual intensity will instantly release the wrist of the skier to prevent injury.

Another object is to provide a hand grip and wrist strap assembly for ski poles which will enable the wrist strap to be quickly, easily and securely adjusted as to length and which will completely enclose, conceal and store any unused portion of the strap out of the way of the skier.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and eliiciency. These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational View of the improved hand grip and wrist strap assembly for ski poles in place upon the upper extremity of a ski pole;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the hand grip and wrist strap assembly of FIG. l;

FIG, 3 is a vertical, longitudinal section taken on the line 3 3, FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, detail view of the upper portion of the hand grip showing a releasing position of the wrist strap to be later described; and

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view partially broken away to show an alternate attachment for the wrist strap.

In the drawing, the upper extremity of a tubular ski pole is shown at 1i) over which a molded hand grip 11 is permanently tted. The wrist strap for attaching the ski pole to the wrist of the skier is illustrated at 12. This invention relates, more particularly, to the means for attaching the strap 12 to the hand grip 11 so that it will be automatically released in cas eof accident.

The invention contemplates forming a rounded semispherical top 13 on the grip l1 having a strap passage 14 formed in one side thereof and communicating with Cil the hollow interior of the pole 10 at the upper extremity of the latter.

The strap passage 14 has a width slightly in excess of the width of the strap 12 and is formed with a flat inclined front wall 15 and a relatively short rounded rear wall 16. The front wall 15 is drilled to receive a strap attachment screw 17 and a conventional male snap fastener element 18 is tlxedly mounted on the hand grip 11 immediately below the rounded rear wall 16 of the strap passage 14.

The wrist strap 12 is provided with a plurality of spaced female snap fastener elements 20 adjacent its lower extremity. The upper extremity of the strap is iixedly secured to the grip 11 between clamping Washers 19 by means of the attachment screw 17 and is then turned or folded back on itself to form a Wrist loop 21. The lower extremity of the strap is passed into and through the strap passage 14 so as to depend within the pole 10 as shown in FIG. 3. After the loop 21 has been adjusted to t the skiers wrist, it is secured in the adjusted position by snapping the fastener element 2i), which is nearest the fixed fastener element 18, upon the latter xed fastener. The plurality of fastener elements 20 provide a wide range of adjustment of the size of the wrist loop 21.

It is characteristic of snap fasteneres that they will withstand extreme stresses applied in directions at an angle to their axes without separation, but when the stresses are applied in a generally axial direction, the fastener elements will be readily tilted or peeled apart. This invention takes advantage of this natural characteristic for when in normal use the wrist strap will tend to pull downwardly, that is, sidewardly on the attached snap fasteners, so that the latter will remain fastened. However, should the ski pole become entangled during a run, the direction of pull on the wrist strap will be as indicated by the arrow A in FIG. 4, that is, in axial alignment with the ski pole and substantially at right angles to the axis of the fastener elements 18 and 2t) so that the latter elements are relatively tilted and instantly pried apart, as indicated by the arrow B, to release the skiers wrist to prevent injury,

An alternate means of attaching the upper extremity of a wrist strap is illustrated in FIG. 5. This form is similar to the previously described form in every way except that the upper extremity of the Wrist strap, indicated at 22, is inserted into a strap socket 23 formed in the cap of the grip. The inserted strap terminal is locked in place in the socket 23 by means. of a set screw 24 threaded into the cap of the grip and extending through the terminal extremity of the strap as shown in FIG. 5-

In all forms of the invention, the free extremity of the wrist strap is completely contained within the hollow pole 10 out of the way of the skier. The portion of the strap positioned in the pole also acts to prevent rotation of the strap about the axis of the fixed fastener element 18 so that the loop 21 will always depend downwardly from the fastener element 18 so that upward pull on the strap will act to separate the

fastener elements

18 and 20 initially at their lower peripheries.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is to be understood that the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent is:

1. Means for detachably attaching a wrist strap to a ski pole comprising: a hand grip fitted downwardly over the upper extremity of said pole; a lixed fastening means securing one extremity of said strap to said hand grip; a iirst snap fastener element afixed to said hand grip below said fixed fastening means; and a second' coacting snap fastener element mounted on said strap adjacent lthe other extremity of the latter and in engagement with said first snap fastener element to form a wrist loop in said strap, the axes of said engaged snap fastener elements being positioned substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said ski pole so that tension between said loop and said pole in the direction of the axis of the latter will act to pry said elements apart.

2. Means for detachably attaching a wrist strap to a tubular ski pole comprising: a hand grip fitted downwardly over said ski pole; a cap portion on said hand grip over the open upper extremity of said pole; a strap passage entering the side of said cap portion and communicating with said open extremity; means securing one extremity of said wrist strap to said grip above the entrance of said strap passage, the other extremity of said strap extending through said strap passage and terminating within said ski pole; and detachable means securing said strap to the exterior of said grip below the entrance of said passage to form a wrist loop in the medial portion of said strap which when pulled upwardly will detach said detachable means.

3. Means for detachably attaching a wrist strap to a tubular ski pole as described in claim 2 in which the detachable means comprises a snap-fastener element lixedly mounted on said grip immediately below the entrance of said strap passage and a cooperating snap-fastener element on said strap snapped over the rst element.

4. Means for detachably attaching a wrist strap to a tubular ski pole as described in claim 3, in which the strap passage has two side walls, a front wall and a rear wall, the means for securing the rst extremity of said strap being mounted on said front wall so that said strap will normally extend rst upwardly thence outwardly and downwardly and thence upwardly past said snap-fastener element thence inwardly over said rear wall and downwardly through said strap passage and into the hollow interior of said ski pole.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,946,600 Cubberley July 26, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 173,396 Austria Dec. 10, 1952 558,814 Germany Sept. 12, 1932 81,605 Norway Apr. 7, 1953 86,019 Norway Aug. 8, 1955 195,360 Switzerland Apr. 16, 1938 237,921 Switzerland Sept. 1, 1945

Claims

1. MEANS FOR DETACHABLY ATTACHING A WRIST STRAP TO A SKI POLE COMPRISING: A HAND GRIP FITTED DOWNWARDLY OVER THE UPPER EXTREMITY OF SAID POLE; A FIXED FASTENING MEANS SECURING ONE EXTREMITY OF SAID STRAP TO SAID HAND GRIP; A FIRST SNAP FASTENER ELEMENT AFFIXED TO SAID HAND GRIP BELOW SAID FIXED FASTENING MEANS; AND A SECOND COACTING SNAP FASTENER ELEMENT MOUNTED ON SAID STRAP ADJACENT THE OTHER EXTREMITY OF THE LATTER AND IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FIRST SNAP FASTENER ELEMENT TO FORM A WRIST LOOP IN SAID STRAP, THE AXES OF SAID ENGAGED SNAP FASTENER ELEMENTS BEING POSITIONED SUBSTANTIALLY AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID SKI POLE SO THAT TENSION BETWEEN SAID LOOP AND SAID POLE IN THE DIRECTION OF THE AXIS OF THE LATTER WILL ACT TO PRY SAID ELEMENTS APART.