Ski pole grip

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Skiing requires the use of a ski pole for balance, timing, and climbing. Years ago ski poles were nothing more than simply a cane or taped bamboo stick with a laced webbing disc, commonly called a snow ring or basket, fixed near the lower end and a grip about the upper end of the pole. In more elaborate versions, the grip consisted of leather padding wrapped around the pole and shaped to form a knob at the top of the pole, and a strap loop fixed to the top of the pole for encircling the skier’s wrist. In the past few years, ski poles have changed considerably; the bamboo stick has been replaced by a tubular metal or fiberglass shaft; the snow ring now is a light metal ring with an injection molded hub and spokes; and the grip usually is a molded plastic affair shaped to fit within the skier’s gloved hand.

While these developments have resulted in a lighter, somewhat handier pole, they have not appreciably enhanced the ease with which the pole is used. For example, in some skiing maneuvers timely and proper ski pole placement is vital. As with the ancient poles, the skier still must flick the pole forward and plant it accurately, for the most part using only his fingers and wrist. Certainly additional control of the grip and pole at such moments is needed, yet even the latest ski pole grips still are designed to require the skier to at least partially release the pole at such moments, holding the grip for the most part between his thumb and index finger as he swings and plants the pole. As the invention evidences, it is possible to provide a grip which is considerably easier to use properly; the grip can be designed to actually help the skier maintain control of his poles during the numerous crucial moments of skiing. In addition to this primary object, the invention also contemplates a grip which is easily and comfortably held and simple to manufacture, and a ski pole which is easy to use and plant accurately.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The disclosed ski pole grip includes a strap, or similar means, which extends across and bears on the back of the skier’s fingers to provide substantial aid in holding and controlling the ski pole. The disclosed grip preferably also includes an enlarged head portion at one end with a flattened lateral area against which the thumb may comfortably rest, and a pattern of circumferential sections offset from the surface of the grip and located in the palm area of the grip to help keep the grip from slipping in the skier’s hand. The grip preferably is injection molded with the mold parting line running along the strap and axially dividing the grip between a finger area and a palm area, the mold including a knockout plug in the palm area which may be easily replaced to vary the palm area pattern as desired.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be further described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a ski pole showing the preferred grip of the invention properly held by a skier;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the preferred grip;

FIG. 3 is a vertical, axial cross section through the body and strap of the grip; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the preferred injection mold plates for forming the grip.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In FIG. 1, the preferred ski pole grip 2 is shown in use mounted at the upper end of a ski pole shaft 4 having an ordinary snow ring 6 attached adjacent its lower end. As clearly shown in this FIG., the most notable feature of the disclosed ski pole grip is a strap 8, which, when the pole is correctly held as shown, extends across all the fingers of the skier’s hand just in front of the knuckles and bears on the dorsal surface of the first phalanges bone of the fingers. As a result, when the pole is swung and planted, it is held, not just by the thumb and the index finger as in prior grips, but now by all of the skier’s fingers, and thus controlled mainly by the skier’s hand and wrist and which in practice has been found to give the skier considerably easier and better control of the pole.

Preferably the grip is molded as a unitary article, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, of a resilient material such as a rubber modified polyvinyl chloride plastic. The generally cylindrical body 12 of the grip includes an enlarged head area 14 at one end above a reduced neck area 16 that' receives the index finger when the grip is properly held. Running down one side, the front side of the grip, are a series of conical protuberances 18 which nestle between the skier’s fingers, specifically between the adjacent knuckles between the first and second phalanges bones of the fingers, when the grip is properly held. At the bottom of the body is another, and enlarged, conical protuberance 22 on which rests the knuckle between the first and second phalanges bone of the little finger. These protuberances give the grip an ovate shape in cross section, as best shown in FIG. 4, the aligned protuberances defining an axially extending ridge line along which lies the .adjacent knuckles between the first and second phalanges bones of the fingers when the grip is properly held. Because of this shape the grip can only be properly held in a single, unique orientation. Diametrically opposite these protuberances is formed an enlarged or humped back area 24 which comfortably and snuggly nests in the palm of the skier’s hand. Thus, the external configuration of the grip causes the body to be uniquely angularly oriented when held in a skier’s hand. In this orientation, the major transverse axis of the grip, defined by the generally ovate cross-sectional shape of the body and extending through the conical protuberances, may be said to extend radially through the knuckles of the hand. Preferably a series of arcuate circumferential sections 28, shown as grooves, offset from the surface of the grip are provided about this palm area to increase the surface friction of the grip against the palm of the skier’s hand and to help keep the grip from slipping in the skier’s hand. On one side of the body, depending on whether the grip is for the right or left hand, the head area 14 is flattened and shaped to provide a lateral surface 30, against which the side of the first phalanges bone of the thumb comfortably and naturally rests.

Two strap sections project from the other side of the grip at an angle of approximately 45° to the major transverse axis of the grip. They are of sufficient length to engage one another and, at an angle of approximately 45° to the main axis of the ovate cross section; with the body of the grip, to encircle an opening for receiving all four fingers of the skier’s hand. The top strap section 32 extends outwardly from the head area of the body, and the bottom strap section 34 extends outwardly from the base area of the body, these strap sections being positioned relative to the finger and palm areas of the body to extend across the first phalanges bones of the fingers. Preferably the strap sections widen as they join the body of the grip to provide enlarged bearing areas for the sides of the hand, to distribute the front-to-back lifting forces of the ski pole over most of the first phalanges bone area of the index and little fingers. The exterior surface of both strap sections may include transverse ripples 36 which, when the strap sections are snaked through a buckle 38, generally fit against adjacent surfaces of the buckle, as shown best in FIG. 3, and prevent the strap section ends, once they are drawn tight on the buckle, from slipping back through the buckle. The body of the grip also includes an elongated axial opening 42 extending through the grip from its base end to receive the end of the shaft 4 of the ski pole, the top of the ski pole normally being provided with a plug 44 of wood. While the grip may be attached to the pole in any of a variety of ways, preferably the head of the grip also includes an axial opening 46 through which passes the body of a screw 48 which is threaded through the wooden plug 44, removably securing the grip to the shaft.

3,565,451

While any of a variety of means could be provided to bear on and clamp the back of the skier’s fingers to the body of the grip, the disclosed strap arrangement and position is preferred for it is easily held and easily adjusted; it clamps across a strong yet mobile area of the hand to permit some outward movement of the grip and pole, by throwing the hand and fingers out and away from the wrist; and it provides substantial protection of the skier’s hand and knuckles against scraping and abrasion by slalom poles and the like. It is also important to note that the disclosed grip does not permit the ski poles to fly uncontrolled should the skier fall, as do present grips, but because the hands in a fall are normally thrust forward or backward palms out, the grips of the invention tend to hold the ski poles outwardly at right angles to the direction of the fall and away from the skier. Also, the improved grip also replaces the strap loop of present grips, providing in a unitary grip all functions now provided by both the grip and strap, as well as providing other highly notable and important features and advantages.

Preferably the grip and strap are injection molded in a mold such as shown in transverse cross section in FIG. 4. The mold cavity 52 into which the molten material is injected to form the grip, in a well known manner, is formed by two mold plates 54 and 56, the plates defining a parting line 58 about the cavity which results in a flash line 62 about the molded grip, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The mold includes a removable pin 64 which shapes the axial shaft and screw openings in the grip. Preferably, the mold also includes a knockout mold plug 66 which may be moved relative to the mold plate receiving it, once the mold plates have been separated, to lift the molded grip free of the mold. The mold plug may include in its cavity face circumferential sections offset from the surface of the cavity to form the circumferential sections 28 extending about the back or palm area of the grip, the circumferential sections preferably extending to the parting line on both sides of the grip to aid in concealing the parting line flash marks inherent in the molding process. The mold plug also may include various legends, such as the “Unigrip” legend shown running down the side of the grip in FIG. 2. Such a legend next to the parting line normally would not be practical to mold. However, because the legend is on the mold plug, once the molded grip has been ejected from the mold by the plug it may then easily be pulled free of the plug and legend area. Of course, the mold plug may be easily replaced with another mold plug bearing a different pattern area of legend to provide a variety of different grips from one mold simply by changing mold plugs,

While a preferred embodiment of the grip, ski pole, and mold for forming the grip has been disclosed as required by the patent statutes, since a variety of different embodiments would be obvious to those skilled in this art, and may be preferred by different designers, the invention should not be limited to the disclosed embodiment but rather should be construed in light of the following claims.