Adjustable Holder For Skiis And Ski Poles

Abstract

An adjustable holder for skiis and ski poles including a longitudinally extending cord having a pair of adjustable stop means mounted thereon. The adjustable stop means may be moved relative to the cord and are adapted for engagement with the cord ends to form two enlarged adjustable loops which are capable of being snugly adjusted around an assembled package of skiis and ski poles.

Description

The present invention relates to a holder for skiis and ski poles, and more specifically, to a holder having adjustable stop means for snugly holding the skiis and ski poles in an assembled package.

Various devices are known in the art for holding skiis and ski poles. One such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,118,875 issued to Windheim. Windheim discloses a ski holder having an enlarged, central longitudinally extending strap and two transversely extending end straps affixed to the enlarged central strap. The end straps include buckles for adjusting their length to hold the skiis and ski poles in an assembled vertical package, see particularly FIGS. 4 and 5. The enlarged center strap is slung over the shoulder of the skier and the poles and skiis carried in a package. The buckles are fixed in position and the end straps must be carefully maneuvered relative to and inserted through the buckles to adjust the length of the end strap loops. Further, the enlarged center strap may provide a safety hazard, having the propensity to snag or catch on objects.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an adjustable holder for skiis and ski poles which may be easily used during the weather conditions encountered by skiers.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an adjustable holder for skiis and ski poles which may readily be adjusted to snugly hold the skiis and ski poles in an assembled package.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a holder for skiis and ski poles which is of relatively short length to eliminate any propensity to snag on objects.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a holder of relatively simple construction.

Briefly, the present invention includes an adjustable holder for skiis and ski poles and a method of making the same. The holder includes a longitudinally extending cord having a pair of adjustable stop means mounted thereon. The adjustable stop means may be moved relative to the cord and are adapted for engagement with the cord ends to form two enlarged adjustable loops capable of being snugly adjusted around an assembled package of skiis and ski poles.

Other objects, aspects and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent when the detailed description is considered in conjunction with the drawing as follows:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of an adjustable holder according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial side elevational view of an adjustable stop means with the cord extending therethrough; and

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the adjustable holder holding an assembled package of skiis and ski poles; this holder is shown with a handle.

Referring to FIG. 1, the adjustable holder 10 is shown in top plan view. The holder 10 includes a longitudinally extending cord 12 formed of synthetic fibers which will not break or fray during use, e.g., nylon. The cord 12 is advantageously approximately 50 inches in length for use with various types of skiis and is divided into three adjustable sections or segments, generally indicated by the numbers 14, 16 and 18, by a pair of adjustable stop means 20 and 22 mounted on the cord 12.

The first segment 14 extends between the first end 24 of the cord 12 and the adjustable stop means 20 mounted closest thereto. The second segment 16 extends between the pair of adjustable stop means 20 and 22. The third segment 18 extends between the second end 26 of the cord 12 and the adjustable stop means 22 mounted closest thereto. These three segments 14, 16 and 18 may be varied in length according to the movement of the adjustable stop means 20 and 22 relative to the cord ends 24 and 26.

The adjustable stop means 20 and 22 are preferably discs or buttons, e.g., made of metal or plastic, each disc 20 and 22 having two holes 28 and 30, and 32 and 34, respectively, formed therein. These holes may all have a diameter approximately equal to the diameter of the cord 12.

The ends 24 and 26 of the cord are looped back into contact with a remote portion of the cord 12 to form end loops 36 and 38 having an open loop length slightly greater than the diameter of the discs 20 and 22. The end loops 36 and 38 are held fixed in their looped configurations by clamping means, shown as bent metal strips 40 and 42, which extend around and hold the ends 24 and 26 of the cord 12 in contact with the remote portions of the cord 12.

Referring also to FIG. 2, the two holes 28 and 30 in the disc 20 allow relative movement between the cord 12 and disc 20 (disc 22 operates identically), so that the disc 20 may be readily positioned along the length of the cord 12 by pulling upwardly on cord portion 44 located above the disc 20. (See the dotted outline of portion 44A in FIG. 2.) That is, those cord portions 44 and 46 which extend between holes 28 and 30, and 32 and 34, respectively, are pulled upwardly. The cord portions 44 and 46 are pulled upwardly until the discs 20 and 22 are located at the desired position i.e., at the desired distance from the ends 24 and 26 of the cord, defining new segments 14 and 18.

To shorten segment 14, the central portion of the cord 12, i.e., segment 16, is pulled so that the cord 12 and disc 20 assume the position shown in FIG. 2; that is, the cord portion 44 is substantially in contact with the disc 20. With the cord portion 44 in this position the disc 20 acts as a stop and resists any attempted longitudinal movement of the cord 12 when the cord 12 is placed under longitudinal tension. (It should be apparent that if it is desired to lengthen segment 14, segment 14 rather than central portion 16 is pulled after adjusting cord portion 44, otherwise the operation is identical to that described for shortening segment 14).

The cord length should be such, e.g., 50 inches that when the holder 10 is in use in holding an assembled package of skiis and ski poles, the central portion 16 is free to readily accommodate a hand for carrying the assembled package of skiis and ski poles.

Referring particularly to FIG. 3, the holder 10 is shown holding a vertically assembled package of skiis and poles arranged in a particular configuration and including a plastic handle 52 arranged over the central portion 16 of the cord 12 to facilitate carrying of the assembled package. The skiis as shown in FIG. 3 are arranged in back-to-back relationship and the poles are shown resting on top of each ski with their handles diagonally opposite each other. It should also be understood that it may be desirable to use the holder 10 for holding only the assembled skiis under certain conditions.

In practice, the skiis and poles will probably be assembled by hooking the baskets of the ski poles over the toes of the skiis, placing the skiis in a back-to-back relationship and arranging the holder 10 therearound.

In actual use, to hold the assembled package of skiis and ski poles, it is preferred that the discs 20 and 22 be inserted through the fixed end loops 36 and 38, forming generally enlarged adjustable loops around the skiis and poles, these enlarged loops are then shortened by shortening segments 14 and 18, as previously described, until the enlarged loops are adjusted into snug fitting loops 48 and 50 as shown in FIG. 3.

In making the adjustable holder 10 for skiis and ski poles, a longitudinally extending cord 12 is formed. The pair of adjustable discs 20 and 22 are mounted on the cord by threading the cord 12 through the disc holes 28 and 30, and 32 and 34, respectively. The ends 24 and 26 of the cord 12 are looped backward onto a remote portion of the cord 12 forming end loops 36 and 38. The end loops 36 and 38 are held fixed in their looped positions by metal strip clamps 40 and 42. Thus, the holder 10 is formed into three adjustable segments, one extending between the first cord end 24 and the disc 20, the second segment extending between the two discs 20 and 22, and the third segment extending between the disc 22 and the second cord end 26.

It should be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope thereof as described in the specification and defined in the appended claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An adjustable holder for skiis and ski poles including:

a longitudinally extending cord;

a pair of adjustable stop means mounted on said cord for longitudinal movement relative to said cord, each of said stop means being a disc having two holes therein for mounting on said cord;

loop holding means for maintaining the ends of said cord in fixed end loop configurations;

said fixed end loops having open loop lengths slightly greater than the diameter of said discs for insertion of one of said discs through its respective fixed end loop to form two adjustable loops capable of being snugly adjusted around an assembled package of skiis and ski poles by relative movement of said discs along said cord.

2. An adjustable holder as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said disc holes have a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of said cord allowing the position of said discs to be adjusted along said cord, said two holes of each disc cooperating with said cord to provide a stopping action against relative longitudinal movement when said cord portions extending between said two holes of each of said discs are substantially in contact therewith.