WO2010122227A1

WO2010122227A1 - Gripping means

Info

Publication number: WO2010122227A1
Application number: PCT/FI2010/050324
Authority: WO
Inventors: Olli Kuismanen
Original assignee: Olli Kuismanen
Priority date: 2009-04-21
Filing date: 2010-04-21
Publication date: 2010-10-28
Also published as: FI20090153A0; FI121301B

Abstract

The invention relates to a gripping means for holding to a ski lift during the rise. The gripping means includes a handle (1) for holding to the gripping means, a rigid open hook (2) for gripping the ski lift (3), a release (4) pivotally mounted to the handle for holding the hook to the ski lift when the release is kept in connection with the handle, and for releasing the hook from the ski lift when the release is turned to a distance from the handle, and a pulling member (5) for connecting the gripping means to an object to be pulled. According to the invention, the release (4) and the hook (2) constitute a rigid jointly turning assembly. In addition, the pulling member is arranged to extend from the object to be pulled to the hook via the handle (1) so that pulling of the pulling member turns the release and the hook when the release is detached from the handle.

Description

GRIPPING MEANS

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a gripping means as defined in the preamble of claim 1.

In the context of this application, the term ski lift is used in a broad sense, meaning different pulling devices by which skiers, snowboarders, tobogganists, persons engaging in downhill carting, downhill cycling and equivalent activities are pulled up along slopes with their sports equipment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Different ski lifts, especially the so-called surface lifts, are designed almost exclusively for persons moving on two skis. For this reason, all other persons who need to be towed up slopes have problems in holding safely and firmly on existing ski lifts.

In different pulling devices, the safe operation requires good and secure attachment but also easy and quick detachment, as well as automatic detachment in dangerous situations, so that anyone cannot be left attached to the lift by accident to be pulled by it. Because of this, any fixed links or lockings are not possible between a person and a ski lift or sports equipment and a ski lift.

The problems of the field are generally known among snowboarders, because it is difficult to keep one's balance and the right position with a snowboard in a conventional ski lift. Prior art in the field of the invention has been disclosed in publications EP 1564099, GB 459088, FR 2832680 and WO 0119458. The closest technique corresponding to the invention has been disclosed in publication FR 2809696 which includes a separate hook which is detachable from a lever. In use, the hook is placed in a locking slot in which it remains as long as one holds to the lever. Although the device is safe and functional, its use is slow and inconvenient. In addition, the separate hook swinging on a cord also constitutes a safety risk.

OBJECTIVE OF THE INVENTION

An objective of the invention is to eliminate the drawbacks of the prior art referred to above. Especially, an objective of the invention is to disclose a small and light, easily and quickly usable, safe and reliably operating gripping means which is suitable for different persons and sports equipment in uphill pulling.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The gripping means according to the invention for holding to a ski lift during the rise includes a handle for holding to the gripping means and a rigid open hook for gripping the ski lift. In addition, a release is pivotally mounted to the handle for holding the hook to the ski lift when the release is kept in connection with the handle, and for releasing the hook from the ski lift when the release is turned to a distance from the handle. Furthermore, the gripping means includes a pulling member for connecting the gripping means to an object to be pulled. According to the invention, the release and the hook constitute a rigid jointly turning assembly. Further according to the invention, the pulling member is arranged to extend from the object to be pulled to the hook via the handle so that pulling of the pulling member turns the release and the hook when the release is detached from the handle.

This way, in the structure according to the invention, the hook is in a locking position, i.e. which provides a grip, as the release is attached to the handle, and the hook is in an open, i.e. non-attached, position as the release is turned loose from the handle, i.e. at a distance from the handle.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a locking between the handle and the release of the gripping means is constituted by the user' s palm. In other words, the locking between the handle and the release is active when the user of the device presses them in the palm against each other, and immediately when the user opens the palm the release turns apart from the handle, turning at the same time the hook which is fixedly connected thereto in an open position.

It is also possible that a mechanical locking such as a bolt, a split pin or an equivalent locking member is included between the handle and the release. In this way, the handle and the release remain attached to each other even if the user did not clamp them. Opening of the locking may then take place simply by releasing or removing the locking member. However, safe use of the device requires that in using a locking member, it is provided with a suitably set breaking limit. In this way, independent of the user of the device, the locking is broken and released by a specific pulling of the pulling member in various possible accident and emergency states.

Preferably, the handle and the release are shaped so as to set fitting one upon the other, overlapping each other or fitting within each other in a locking position so that they together can be easily accommodated in a user's palm. This way, the handle may be, for example, a tubular piece around which a trough-shaped release fits. In the same way, both parts may be substantially semi-circles in cross section, in which case they constitute together an assembly having a circular cross section which is easily held in one's palm. Regardless of a cross section of the handle, it is preferably a hollow tubular structure, so that the pulling member is able to freely traverse it. Furthermore, irrespective of the material, the hollow pulling member is light compared with a solid one.

In the gripping means according to the invention, the hook is arranged to turn away from the handle after a swivel between the handle and the release, and the pulling member is arranged to extend to the hook, to a distance over the swivel between the handle and the release. This way, pulling of the pulling member causes turning of the hook and, with it, the release so that the hook turns to the end of the handle and the release distances itself from the handle. Thus, springs or any other force members are not needed in the invention, but every time the device is used, the pulling member applies pulling by which it is possible to unlock the device.

The distance of the point of attachment of the pulling member to the hook and between the swivels of the hook and the handle, and the moment caused by it, has an effect on the force which opens the hook. This way, the further on the hook is the point of support of the swiveling, the smaller is the force needed. It is even possible that a control, i.e. two or more swivel points on the hook or two or more attachment points for the pulling member, or a control of lengths of the parts is provided to the gripping means, in which case the means can be adjusted according to the user or the total weight to be pulled to be activated suitably easily but not too sensitively.

Any elongated means which stands a sufficient draw, such as a cord, rope, braided textile cloth, wire or the equivalent may be used as a pulling member.

The invention does not limit in any manner attachment of the pulling member on either end. Open hooks which differ in shape, size and material and suit and engage well on a suitable part of a ski lift such as a t-bar lift, a button lift or a different structure may be used as a hook. The grip may take place on a horizontal part of a t-bar lift, on a vertical pipe of a t- bar or other surface lift, or on separate lugs or links which may be provided on lifts. The gripping means may be attached to a person, snowboard, toboggan, go-kart, bicycle to be pulled or the equivalent directly or through a self-winding spool.

The person may wear a belt or a harness to which the pulling member is attached while the gripping means is hanging on the side of the user or in his or her pocket. The belt or the harness may be separate or they may be integrated in clothes. For example, a braiding which ends in an attachment member that fits with the gripping means can be integrated in snowboard pants. This way, the need for extra equipment can be minimized and use of the gripping means can be made as practical as possible.

Important advantages are achieved by the gripping means according to the invention as compared with the prior art. The invention is light and small. It does not need to be loaded or installed or built in other manners to be operational, but it is always fully operational only by taking it in one's palm and keeping the handle and the release together. The invention does not require force when being used, but the handle and the release remain attached to each other almost by themselves, and the entire drag is transmitted from the hook to the user's belt, harness or the skiing equipment to be pulled via the pulling member. This way, the use of the device is very light and comfortable.

LIST OF FIGURES In the following, the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

Fig. 1 a schematic illustration of one embodiment of use of the invention, Fig. 2 is a schematic representation of one gripping means according to the invention in a locking position,

Fig. 3 is a schematic representation of the gripping means of Fig. 2 in an opened position and Fig. 4 is a schematic representation of another gripping means according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In a manner presented in Fig. 1, the gripping means 8 according to the invention is used as a snowboarder 9 rises up a slope by a ski lift 3. The gripping means which the snowboarder keeps in the hand is used to grip a bar of the ski lift, or, in other types of lifts, another suitable part which can be gripped by a hook. However, the pulling is not directed to snow- boarder's hands, but a pulling member 5 of the grip- ping means 8, i.e. a rope or a wire, is attached to the snowboarder' s waist. This way, the snowboarder can just hang onto the lift by the gripping device freely and lightly.

Fig. 2 and 3 schematically represent one gripping means according to the invention. The gripping means includes a tubular handle 1 with a swivel 7 attached on its one end, the swivel being formed from a swivel lever 10 and, at its ends, swivel pins 11 by which it is connected to the handle 1 and to the release 4. The release 4 is formed by a straight bar which is, accordingly, pivoted at one end by the swivel 7 to turn relative to the handle 1 between a position which is substantially parallel to the handle as presented in Fig. 2 and a position turned to a distance therefrom as presented in Fig. 3.

The release 4 constitutes a rigid assembly with the hook 2 extending and curving from its other, i.e. swiveled, end. The hook curves outward from the swivel 7 and away from the handle 1 for approximately 180 degrees. Attached to the curved outer edge of the hook 2, at a distance from the swivel 7, is the pulling member 5, which traverses the tubular handle 1 and extends to the user according to Fig. 1.

The locking of the gripping means may be carried out by a user's palm alone, i.e. in a locking position of Fig. 2, the user keeps the handle 1 and the release 4 together and attached to each other, in which case the hook 2 remains perpendicular to the pulling direction of the pulling member 5. Another possibility is to use a locking member 6 schematically presented in Fig. 2 and 3. A suitable bolt, split pin or the equivalent keeps, according to Fig. 2, the handle 1 and the re- lease 4 attached to each other. When the locking 6 is released according to Fig. 3, the pulling caused by the pulling member 5 over the swivel 7 to the hook 2 causes turning of the release 4 and the hook 2 so that the hook is no more able to grip the ski lift in the pulling direction of the pulling member 5, but the grip is detached.

Fig. 4 shows another embodiment of the invention, which corresponds in operation and main features to the embodiment of Fig. 2 and 3. In this embodiment, the handle 1 is a square U-profile. On the other hand, the rigid assembly constituted by the hook 2 and the release 4 consists of a preferably hollow square pro- file which fits in the profile of the handle.

The handle 1 and the release 4 are attached to each other by one swivel 7 alone, and the pulling member 5 extends from an outer curve of the hook 2 inside the U-profile of the handle 1. In Fig. 4, the hook 2 is in a partially open position. In a closed position, i.e. when the hook is perpendicular to the pulling direction of the pulling member, the release 4 is completely inside the U-profile of the handle 1. This way, size of the gripping means is determined merely by the shape and the size of the handle. By making the handle sufficiently small, light or suitable in one's palm by its external surface, a gripping means which is comfortable, easy and light to be used also by us- ers with small hands is acquired.

The invention is not limited merely to the examples referred to above; instead, many variations are possible within the scope of the inventive idea defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A gripping means for holding to a ski lift during the rise, the gripping means including: - a handle (1) for holding to the gripping means,

- a rigid open hook (2) for gripping the ski lift (3),

- a release (4) pivotally mounted to the handle for holding the hook to the ski lift when the release is kept in connection with the handle, and for releasing the hook from the ski lift when the release is turned to a distance from the handle and

- a pulling member (5) for connecting the gripping means to an object to be pulled, characteri zed in that the release (4) and the hook (2) constitute a rigid jointly turning assembly and that the pulling member is arranged to extend from the object to be pulled to the hook via the handle (1) so that pulling of the pulling member turns the release and the hook when the release is detached from the handle.

2. The gripping means according to claim 1, characteri zed in that locking between the handle (1) and the release (4) is constituted by the user's palm.

3. The gripping means according to claim 1, c ha r a ct e r i z e d in that locking between the handle (1) and the release (4) is constituted by a bolt, split pin or an equivalent locking member (β) .

4. The gripping means according to claim 3, characteri zed in that the locking member (6) includes a breaking limit which is set so as to be released such as broken by a specific pull of the pulling mem- ber.

5. The gripping means according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characteri zed in that the handle (1) and the release (4) are shaped so as to set overlapping each other or fitting within each other during lock- ing.

6. The gripping means according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characteri zed in that the hook (2) is arranged to turn away from the handle (1), and the pulling member (5) is arranged to extend to the hook at a distance over the swivel (7) between the handle and the release.

7. The gripping means according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characteri zed in that the pulling member

(5) is a string, rope, cloth, wire or an equivalent elongated member.

8. The gripping means according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characteri zed in that the pulling member

(5) is attached to a person, snowboard, toboggan, go- kart, bicycle or an equivalent object to be pulled directly or through a self-winding spool.