Ski Tie

Abstract

A tie or band for binding a pair of skis to each other in bottom-to-bottom relationship. The tie is formed from an elongate strip of flexible material, preferably a nylon reenforced polyvinyl material. The length of the tie is approximately 14 inches which is in turn approximately 31/2 times the sum of the width and thickness of a typical downhill ski. Two mating sections of fabric hook and looptype fasteners, such as the material sold under the trademark "Velcro" are sewn or bonded to the strip, one fastener section being located on one side of the strip at one end of the strip, and the other section of fastener material being located on the opposite side of the strip at a location between one-third and one-half of the length of the strip from the opposite end of the strip. This arrangement enables that section of the strip which does not have a fastener section at its end to be located between the facing skis to separate the bottoms and steel edges of the skis, the remaining portion of the strip being wrapped around the skis in a direction such that the two fastening sections may be engaged with each other.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Ski ties or bands for binding a pair of skis in facing bottom-to-bottom relationship with each other have been used for many years for convenience in carrying or storing the skis. While many different forms of ties have been employed, probably the most commonly known form involves the use of a relatively heavy rubber band having mating metal clips at opposite ends, one of the clips usually being of a generally U-shaped configuration dimensioned so that the edges of the two skis could be slipped into the bight of the U-shaped clip to anchor one end of the band for convenience in the necessary stretching of the band as it was wrapped around the skis. With the advent of offset metal edges on the ski and high quality plastic running surface coatings, the rubber band type tie described above and other types of conventional ties have fallen in disfavor because the face-to-face engagement of the ski bottoms finds the hardened metal offset edges being rubbed and pressed against each other or the plastic coated ski bottoms resulting in nicking and gouging of the bottoms and edges. Further, when the skis were freshly waxed for specific snow conditions, the contacting areas of the waxed bottom would become chafed and require refinishing. Further, the conventionally used rubber straps tended to loose their resiliency and become brittle in extreme cold weather.

The tie of the present invention is especially designed to overcome the foregoing problems and in addition to eliminate the necessity for employing metal clips. The skier normally carried the ties in a pocket when they are not in use and the metal clips frequently resulted in minor injuries when the skier fell.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

IN THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tie embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of a pair of skis with the tie in place, and;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3--3 of FIG. 2.

The tie of the present invention includes an elongate strip of a relatively thin, non-stretchable flexible material. A satisfactory material for strip 10 can be a commercially available nylon reenforced polyvinyl material in which the polyvinyl has embedded in it an open mesh formed of nylon threads. The desired characteristics of the material of strip 10 are that it be flexible, pliable and non-stretchable and relatively insensitive to temperatures which the tie might normally expect to encounter, say over a range of from -40.degree. F to temperatures of approximately 100.degree. F which might be encountered during storage over the summer. The nylon reenforced polyvinyl material referred to above is a specific example of a material meeting these requirements and being relatively inexpensive.

The strip is cut to nominal dimensions of approximately 14 by 2 inches, the length of the strip being dictated or set at a figure which is approximately 3 1/2 times the sum of the width plus thickness of a conventional downhill ski. The width of the strip is not overly critical, and is chosen to provide a reasonable breaking strength and adequate fastening area for the two sections 12 and 14 of the fabric fastening material employed.

Fabric fastening sections 12 and 14 are mating pieces of the well-known hook and loop type fastening material sold under the trademark "Velcro." In this material, one of the two mating sections is formed with a fabric base or backing with a large number of relatively small hook-like elements projecting from one surface. The other mating section is formed with a surface having matted entangled fibers which form loops. When the two surfaces are pressed together, the hooks become entangled with the loops to a degree sufficient to hold the two surfaces together with a relative degree of firmness. The two sections are easily separated from each other by peeling one back from the other. The primary advantage of this particular type fastener is that the two fastener sections are easily secured to each other merely by pressing them together and separated merely by peeling the two surfaces apart.

As shown in the drawings, one section of fastening material 14 is secured as by sewing or bonding the section to one side of strip 10 at one end of the strip. The mating section of fastening material 12 is sewn or bonded to the opposite side of strip 10 at a location between one-third and one-half of the length of the strip from its opposite end.

The tie is applied to bind a pair of skis in facing or bottom-to-bottom relationship with each other by placing that end of the strip opposite that to which fastener section 14 is secured between the two skis so that the facing bottoms of the skis are separated by the strip. When the strip is placed in this position, it can be held there by squeezing the two skis together with one hand while the strip is firmly wrapped around the two skis in a direction such that fastening section 12 faces outwardly from the top of one of the skis. The length of the strip permits the strip to be wrapped entirely around the two skis with fastener section 14 coming into alignment with fastener 12 at the completion of the wrapping so that the binding is secured merely by pressing the two fastener sections together. Two strips 10 are usually employed, one wrapping the skis near the tails and the other being wrapped around the opposed portions of the skis below the tips.

While one embodiment of the invention has been described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the disclosed embodiment may be modified. Therefore, the foregoing description is to be considered exemplary rather than limiting and the true scope of the invention is that defined in the following claims.

Claims

I claim:

1. A tie for binding a pair of skis to each other in bottom-to-bottom spaced relationship comprising an elongate strip of a material whose characteristics are flexibility, inextensibility and strength with said material remaining substantially constant over the range of temperatures to which the skis would normally be subjected, said strip having a length equal to approximately 3 1/2 times the sum of the width plus thickness of a typical ski with a first section being disposable between the bottoms of said skis to be tied together to maintain the same in spaced relationship to one another, first and second substantially flat mating portions of a hook and loop-type fabric fastening material, means securing the first fastening material portion to one side of said strip at the end thereof opposite to said first section, and means securing the second fastening material portion to the opposite side of said strip at a location spaced from the opposite end of said strip by between one-third and one-half of the length of said strip so that said second fastening means portion is outside said first section of said strip disposable between said skis and can be mated with said first fastening material portion in a substantially flat unobstructive juncture on the top of one of said skis.