Ski holder

Abstract

A holder for skis wherein an elongated bag of flexible sheet material encloses the skis and having a clamping device mounted medially in the bag adapted to securely grip a pair of skis therein, and a flexible cable connected to the clamping device and adapted to be wrapped around and locked onto a permanent fixture.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention pertains generally to devices for securely holding a pair of skis and having means for locking the same to a rack or other fixture as well as providing a handle for transporting the skis when not in use.

Skiers frequently desire to leave their skis unattended. In such a situation it is desirable that they be secured at a place of storage to prevent theft or mistaken removal by others. Various racks have been devised for locking skis and ski poles to a rack mounted in the ground or on a building or vehicle. Some of these are portable so as to serve as a holder for the skis when transported by the skier between his car and the ski area. As exemplary, such a holder is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,685,667 to Bell.

While such devices do provide a holder and carrier for a pair of skis the present invention is directed toward not only serving such functions but additionally providing a complete portable storage locker adapted to contain skis, poles, extra clothing, lunch and other articles that the skier may wish to carry with him.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary object of this invention is to provide a holder for a pair of skis and other accessories and supplies used by skiers which provides a complete enclosure for such items which can be locked in closed condition and which has means for locking the holder to a ground fixture.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ski locker which also serves as a portable carrying case.

With these and other objects in view the invention broadly comprises an elongated bag of flexible sheet material adapted to enclose a pair of skis as well as hold ski poles and other supplies and accessories normally carried by a skier to a ski area. A clamping device is mounted within the central portion of the bag and has a flexible cable connected thereto which extends out of the bag and adapted to be wrapped around a fixture and have the distal end thereof locked to the clamping device so as to both lock the clamping device in a closed condition and also secure the bag and clamping device to the fixture. The bag has slide fasteners which are concealed within the clamping device when it is closed prohibiting opening of the bag.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the ski holder locked to a rack with portions of the clamp disposed within the bag shown in broken lines.

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the holder shown locked to a rack as in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical section through the bag taken on line 3--3 of FIG. 2. The normal position of a stored ski is shown in broken lines.

FIG. 4 is a front elevation of the holder in open and empty condition.

FIG. 5 is a section through the holder taken on line 5--5 of FIG. 4 and looking upwardly.

FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of the clamp in closed condition about a pair of skis and detached from the closure bag.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now more particularly to the drawings reference characters will be used to denote like parts or structural features in the different views. The holder is designated generally by the number 10 and its main components are a bag 11 and a clamp 12. The bag 11 is an elongated tubular enclosure of flexible or pliable sheet material such as canvas, with reinforcement boots 14 of heavier material at each end which may be interconnected by a stiffening rib pocket 15 extending along the back side of the bag. This rib pocket may be inflatable or have a rib 16 of semirigid material such as heavy leather or rubber or the like inserted therein.

The front of bag 11 is provided with an opening 17 which is closed by upper and lower slide fastening devices respectively denoted at 18 and 19 which secure the opposing edges of the bag together as the fastener is moved toward the center of the bag. Fasteners 18 and 19 are respectively provided with loops 20 and 21.

The clamp 12 is formed by a pair of complementary clamp members 22 and 23 which are hingedly interconnected for relative opening and closing movement by being journaled on an end portion of the flexible cable 24. This cable has sleeves 25 and 26 clinched thereon to prohibit endwise movement of the cable. The other end portion of cable 24 extends outwardly through an aperture 28 in the rear wall of the bag 11 and has a substantial length 29 disposed outside of the bag which terminates in an end loop 30 secured by sleeve 31 clinched thereon.

Clamp members 22 and 23 are identical in construction. Each member has a body or clamping portion 34 disposed intermediate and interconnecting a handle plate 35 and a pair of hinge ears 36. The inner side of each clamping portion 34 is preferably lined with a layer of sponge material 37. Handle plates 35 have a relatively large hand receiving aperture 38 and a smaller aperture 39 for receiving the loop 30 of cable 24. It will be understood that apertures 38 and 39 on the two clamp members 22 and 23 are aligned when the members are in closed condition about their hinge axis as in FIGS. 1, 2, and 6.

Handle plates 35 are also provided with aligned sockets 40 on their inner faces, one of which has a peg 41 press fit therein. The clamp members are secured to the bag 11 partially by cable 24 but also by securing the opposing central bag portions along opening 17 directly to the outer edges of clamping portions 34 by stapling or the like as at 42 (FIG. 5). Actually the bag in this area is preferably provided with openings 44 through which the handle plates 35 extend.

The clamp 12 may be manufactured and used independent of the bag 11 as shown in FIG. 6. In either case the clamp has an identical construction with the cable 24 adapted to lock the clamp to a ground mounted fixture.

In FIG. 4 the holder is shown in open and empty condition with the slide fasteners adjacent to the boots 14. A pair of skis S may then be placed in the bag 11 in back to back condition, such as denoted in broken lines in FIG. 3, with the toe and heel binding components respectively denoted at A and B disposed above and below the clamp 12. The body or clamping portions 34 may be substantially wider than skis S, as shown in FIG. 6, so as to secure ski poles as well as the skis therebetween.

Prior to closing the clamp 12 against the skis the user may wish to deposit other articles or accessories in the bag 11. The slide fasteners 18 and 19 are then closed toward the longitudinal central portion of the bag and loops 20 and 21 are placed over the peg 41. Though not shown, it may be desirable to provide shallow recesses on the inner faces of handle plates 35 for reception of loops 20 and 21.

After the slide fasteners are closed the clamp members 22 and 23 are closed to the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The end loop 30 of cable 24 is then inserted through apertures 39 in the handle plates 35 and a padlock P is locked in the loop prohibiting its withdrawal. The handle plates 35 are accordingly locked in tightly closed condition between sleeve 31 and the padlock.

The holder now serves as a portable storage locker for the skis S and other articles that have been placed in the bag 11. Slide fasteners 18 and 19 cannot be opened as they are locked between the handle plates 35 by means of loops 20 and 21. Inasmuch as the clamp 12 is centrally located along the bag 11 the apertures 38 are substantially at the longitudinal balance point of the holder to facilitate carrying. One or more of such holders may readily be mounted on a conventional automobile ski rack for transportation to or from a ski area.

At the ski area the skis S and other articles are removed for use, the bag is again closed and the cable portion 29 is wrapped around a fixture such as ski rack R before the loop 30 is locked again in the handle plates 35. Member 24 is preferably formed of conventional aircraft cable but may also be a chain or some other metal material which is difficult to cut so as to serve as a durable binding member. The stiffener pocket 15 and rib 16 disposed therein keep the bag in upright condition even after the skis have been removed.

In another form of the invention a center plate may be hinged to ears 36 to extend between the skis to retain the normally bowed condtion therein when the clamp is closed. In still another form the bag 11 and clamp 12 are made of sufficient depth front to rear to hold two pairs of skis each back to back with one pair in front of the other.

We have thus provided a ski holder which serves as both a locker and a transport device. It is virtually tamper proof and provides a safe storage place when the skis are left unattended.

Claims

Having now therefore fully illustrated and described our invention, what we claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a ski holder,

a. a pair of clamping members hingedly interconnected to each other for closing movement around the medial portion of a pair of skis which are disposed bottom to bottom,

b. said clamping members each having a handle plate disposed on the end remote from the hinge axis with said handle plates adapted to come into flush engagement when the clamping members are closed,

c. said handle plates having aligned hand receiving apertures,

d. means independent of said apertures for locking the handle plates together,

e. an elongated flexible binding member of metal material adapted to be secured around a ski rack or the like and having one end attached to a clamping member, and

f. said handle plates being provided with a second set of apertures which are aligned when said handle plates are together and the other end of said binding member having a loop adapted to be inserted through said second set of apertures and locked therein to provide means for locking the handle plates together.