WO2007051891A1

WO2007051891A1 - Nordic walking pole or shaft for a floorball stick or an implement and method for manufacturing the pole or the shaft

Info

Publication number: WO2007051891A1
Application number: PCT/FI2005/050392
Authority: WO
Inventors: Taisto Manninen; Jukka Juselius
Original assignee: Exel Oyj
Priority date: 2005-11-03
Filing date: 2005-11-03
Publication date: 2007-05-10

Abstract

The invention relates to a Nordic walking pole or a shaft for a floorball stick or an implement, comprising for at least some of its length a tube or a rod provided with a lengthwise cavity (2, 2a, 2b) or lengthwise lands and grooves (6a, 6b) and being manufactured in fiber reinforced thermoplastics or composite plastics. The pole or the stick shaft is manufactured by injection moulding. The thermoplastics typically contains 30-70% by volume of reinforcement fibers with a length substantially within the range of 1-50 mm.

Description

Nordic walking pole or shaft for a floorball stick or an implement and method for manufacturing the pole or the shaft

The invention relates to a Nordic walking pole or a shaft for a floorball stick or an implement, comprising for at least some of its length a tube or a rod provided with a lengthwise cavity or lengthwise lands and grooves and being manufactured in fiber reinforced thermoplastics or composite plastics.

Composite poles for sports or exercise, as well as shafts for a floorball stick or implement handles, have been manufactured thus far by a pull-winding method around mandrels from continuous fibers, which are unwound off a reel and soaked in resin. When considering the length of a pole or a stick shaft with respect to its girth, as well as strength requirements, it has not been obvious for a person skilled in the art that a Nordic walking pole or a stick shaft or an implement handle of composite plastics could be manufactured by injection moulding. This manufacturing technique is more attractive in terms of costs and also facilitates more versatile shaping of a pole or a shaft or elements integrally associated with a pole or a shaft. Such elements include a handgrip at the top end of a pole or a shaft and an attachment at the bottom end for a Nordic walking pole's asphalt pad or for a stick blade or for an implement.

Hence, according to the invention, it has been realized that a Nordic walking pole or a floorball stick shaft or an implement handle can be made by injection moulding. The fiber reinforcement can be provided in a per se known manner by using fibers with a length of 1-50 mm, preferably 1-30 mm, which can be co-supplied with a moulding compound into the mould. The amount of fibers is 30-70% by volume, typically 40-60% by volume.

Injection moulding technique also enables producing graphics, e.g. by foil printing, in a cost effective manner, as well as colours and surface finishing without any further treatment.

Nordic walking poles of the invention, which can be manufactured by a method of the invention, will now be described by way of examples with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Rg. IA shows a pole according to a first embodiment of the invention in a side elevation,

Fig. IB shows a pole according to a second embodiment of the invention in a side elevation,

Rg. 1C shows a pole according to a third embodiment of the invention in a side elevation, and

Rg. ID shows a pole according to a fourth embodiment of the invention in a side elevation,

Rgs. 2A-2D show embodiments otherwise identical to those of figs. 1A-1D except that the pole is coniform for almost its entire length, and

Rgs. 3A-3D show embodiments otherwise identical to those of figs. 1A-1D except that the pole has a drop-shaped cross-section for its length below the handgrip.

The embodiment of fig. 1 shows a pole circular in cross-section, the pole having its upper and lower portions provided with mandrel-made undercut reliefs or cavities 2a, 2b converging toward the solid base of the cavities. Between the cavities, i.e. in its mid-section, the pole is a solid rod. The pole has its top portion provided with a cylindrical enlargement 5a for securing a handgrip or handle thereto, e.g. by gluing around the cylindrical member. Alternatively, the entire handgrip can be manufactured in the injection moulding process as an integral component of the pole.

The pole has its bottom portion provided with an externally coniform and downward converging enlargement, making a push fit in a cavity formed in a snow ring 3. The coniform piece has its external surface provided with snow ring attachments 4, cast as an integral part of the pole 1. Of course, below the snow ring's 3 lateral flange, around an end spike, can be fitted a removable asphalt pad as generally used in Nordic walking poles. The snow ring 3 can also be cast as an integral part of the pole 1 or the snow ring 3 can be fixed by gluing. The embodiment of fig. IB differs from the preceding one in the sense that the pole has its top end provided with a modular-sized sleeve 5b, including attachments 5 for fastening replaceable grips to the pole's 1 top portion.

The exemplified embodiment of fig. 1C differs from the preceding ones in the sense that, instead of internal cavities, the relief is effected by means of external lands and/or grooves 6a, 6b in the upper and lower portions of a pole, respectively, or possibly extending across the entire length of a pole. Instead of or in addition to lengthwise lands and grooves, other patterns are also conceivable. Patterns and graphics can also be used in other embodiments solely the reasons of appearance.

The exemplified embodiment of fig. ID differs from that of fig. IB in the sense that the pole is formed with a through-going cavity 2 by gas blasting during the course of injection moulding. Making cavities by gas blasting in injection castings is known as such. The gas flow rate and velocity can be used to have an effect on the diameter of a resulting cavity and the wall thickness of a pole tube. The cavity 2 is at least free of plastic material, yet may contain pieces of fibers trapped within the wall of the tube 1.

All foregoing embodiments can be designed by casting the handgrip partly or completely as an integral part of the pole 1.

In the embodiments of figs. 2A-2D, the pole, regarding its portion below the handgrip, is designed with a consistent conicity, while the embodiments of figs. IA- ID experience a powerful conical convergence immediately below the handgrip, downstream of which the relatively thin pole is just mildly coniform or nearly consistent in girth when proceeding towards the bottom end of the pole.

In the embodiments of figs. 3A-3D, the pole is droplet-shaped in cross-section immediately downstream of the handgrip and continues in droplet shape to a region slightly below the mid-section. The purpose of this shaping is to optimize strength in relation to air resistance.

It is obvious that manufacturing a pole by injection moulding enables versatile shaping of the pole in many other ways besides those exemplified above. Similar manufacturing technique can also be applied to a shaft for a floorball stick, wherein the handgrip and blade attachments are made in the injection moulding process as an integral part of the shaft.

Similar manufacturing technique can also be applied to a handle for an implement, such as a piece of cleaning equipment or a painting tool, wherein the handgrip and tool attachments are made in the injection moulding process as an integral part of the handle. The tool attachment may comprise a fastening socket.

Claims

1. A Nordic walking pole or a shaft for a floorball stick or an implement, comprising for at least some of its length a tube or a rod provided with a lengthwise cavity (2, 2a, 2b) or lengthwise lands and grooves (6a, 6b) and being manufactured in fiber reinforced thermoplastics or composite plastics, characterized in that the pole or the shaft for a floorball stick or an implement is made by injection moulding, that the pole or the shaft has its first end formed with a handgrip or its attachments (5) in the injection moulding process as an integral part of the pole or the shaft, and that the pole has its second end formed with attachments (4) for a snow ring (3) or an asphalt pad, or the shaft has its second end formed with attachments for a stick blade or a tool, the attachments (4) being made in the injection moulding process as an integral part of the shaft.

2. A pole or a shaft as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the fiber reinforcement comprises fibers with a length of 1-50 mm, preferably fibers with a length of 1-30 mm.

3. A pole or a shaft as set forth in claim 2, characterized in that the amount of fibers is about 30-70% by volume of the pole material.

4. A pole or a shaft as set forth in any of claims 1-3, characterized in that the pole or the shaft has one or both of its ends provided with a cavity or cavities (2a, 2b), which is or are converging towards the cavity's bottom.

5. A pole or a shaft as set forth in any of claims 1-3, characterized in that the pole or the shaft includes a cavity (2) passing through from end to end.

6. A pole or a shaft as set forth in any of claims 1-5, characterized in that the handgrip is cast partly or totally as an integral part of the pole (1) or the shaft.

7. A pole or a shaft as set forth in any of claims 1-6, characterized in that the pole or the shaft has its external surface, especially in the vicinity of the top and/or bottom end of the pole or the shaft, provided with a relief (6a, 6b) consisting of external lands and/or grooves.

8. A method for manufacturing a pole or a shaft as set forth in any of claims 1-7 from fiber-reinforced thermoplastics, characterized in that the pole or the shaft is manufactured by injection moulding from thermoplastics, wherein the moulding compound contains 30-70% by volume, preferably 40-60% by volume of reinforcement fibers with a length substantially within the range of 1-50 mm, preferably within the range of 1-30 mm.

9. A method as set forth in claim 8, characterized in that both ends of the pole (1) or the shaft are formed with downward converging cavities (2a, 2b) by means of mandrels.

10. A method as set forth in claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the pole (1) or the shaft is formed with a through-going cavity (2) by means of a gas blast during the course of injection moulding.

11. A method as set forth in any of claims 8-10, characterized in that as an integral part of the pole or the shaft are cast attachments (4, 5) for a handgrip and/or a snow ring or an asphalt pad or a stick blade or an implement, or a handgrip and/or a snow ring (3) partly or completely.

12. A method as set forth in any of claims 8-11, characterized in that the external surface of the pole or the shaft is printed with graphics by foil printing during the course of injection moulding.