Snow skiing training aid

[57] ABSTRACT

A device for use in snow skiing instruction to communicate to the skier that the correct “legs together” position is not being maintained. The device provides a sensory signal, audible or tactile, to the skier, on movement of the skier’s legs away from each other. A first embodiment includes an accordian pleated cylinder or bellows capable of generating a sound when it is compressed or released from a compressed state, a Support plate mounted to the cylinder, and a strap connected to the support plate for mounting the entire device to the inside of one leg of the skier. A second embodiment includes an accordian pleated cylinder or bellows having a rod mounted therein for movement towards and into contact with the skier’s leg when the bellows is compressed and for movement away from and out of contact with the skier’s leg when the bellows is released from a compressed state.

Claims, 6 Drawing Figures

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PATENTED NOY 2 7 1973

SHEET 1 Cr 2

3J74.572

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PATENTED hoy 271973 3,774,572

SHEET 2LF 2

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3,774,572 '1 · 2

SNOW SKIING TRAINING AID

The present invention relates to a device for use in snow skiing instruction, and more particularly, it relates to a signaling device which will communicate to a skier that the correct skiing position of “legs together” is not being maintained.

In skiing, the ultimate aim of the novice is to be able to Ski parallel and execute a parallel turn. This type of skiing and turn is characterized by having the body positioned directly over the skis with the skier’s legs essentially together, both at the knees and the ankles, and the skis together and parallel to each other. This type of skiing usually called “skiing parallel”, is recognized as being highly efficient and basic to more advanced skiing techniques.

There are many techniques of instruction for teaching a novice skier to ski parallel· and to execute a parallel turn. One technique includes initiating the novice skier in the so-called “snow plow” position and turn. The novice is then progressed to a stem Christie turn and finally to the parallel turn. Another technique is the graduated length method, commonly called GLM. This method utilizes very short skis and attempts to place the novice into a parallel turn position initially.

Using either of these two techniques, a basic requirement for the parallel turn is for the skier to maintain his legs together. Usually a novice skier is taught to concentrate upon holding his knees together. If this knees together position is maintained then, usually, the ankles and skis will also be positioned correctly.

Various mechanical aids and devices have been used in the past to help people learn how to ski and perfect the parallel turn. These various devices have included apparatus, such as rods and lines, to connect the knees and/ or ankles of the skier together. Additionally, devices have been used to connect the skier’s skis and/or ski boots together in a parallel position. However, although some of these devices are equipped with various means to disconnect the connection between the skis, the ski boots, the knees or ankles when the skier falls, this definitely has proved to be very dangerous in the instances where the disconnecting means has failed to operate. The likelihood of these disconnecting means failing to operate is great, due to the possibility of their freezing from contact with the snow.

In some ski areas, ski instructors now instruct their students to place a glove between their knees and to hold it there while they ski in order to help the students obtain and maintain the correct knees-together position. The glove will drop to the ski slope when the knees of the skier are not correctly positioned adjacent one another. Obviously, when the skier travels down the slope and his knees do happen to separate, the glove falls to the snow. Usually the skier is not aware of this until he is 30 or 40 feet below the position on the ski slope where his ski glove has dropped. He must then stop and go back up the ski slope to retrieve his ski glove. Additionally, unless the skier has enough foresight to bring a third glove with him, he will be skiing with only one glove, which can be rather hazardous due to cold temperatures and the possibility of abrasion during falls.

If no technique or device is used the skier must physically look down and see if his legs are together in the correct position. This, of course, distracts him from observing where he is going and is a definite hazard to both himself and other skiers.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the limitations and drawbacks associated with the 5 aforesaid prior art techniques and devices and to provide a new and improved device for teaching a skier to maintain the correct skiing position.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an audible or tactile signal means to communicate 10 to the skier that the correct skiing position is not being maintained.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a ski instruction training aid which will in no way endanger the skier who is using it.

’³ Other objects, advantages, and salient features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings, which form a part of this original disclosure:

FIG· 1 is a perspective view of a device in accordance with the present invention;

₂₅ FIG. 2 is a side elevation in partial section along lines 2—2 of FIG. 1 showing a first embodiment in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation in partial section along lines 2—2 of FIG. 1 showing a second embodiment in accor3Q dance with the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view showing the second embodiment in a compressed state;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a skier maintaining the proper skiing position and having a device in accor35 dance with the present invention mounted to one leg adjacent the knee; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a skier using a device in accordance with the present invention and showing the incorrect skiing position wherein the device has 40 communicated to the skier that his knees and therefore his legs and skis, have separated.

The foregoing and other objects are attained in a first embodiment by providing an audible signaling device which consists generally of a compressible signaling el45 ement which is to be worn on one leg adjacent the knee or ankle of the skier and kept in a compressed position by the skier’s legs when the correct legs-together position is maintained. When the knees or ankles are moved apart, the signaling element is permitted to ex⁵⁰ tend and delivers an audible signal to the skier. In this manner, the skier learns to keep his legs together.

The first embodiment consists specifically of an accordian or bellows type cylinder carrying a noisemaker _ and capable of generating a squeak or whistle sound ⁵⁵ when tire cylinder is compressed or released from a compressed state, a support plate mounted at one end of the cylinder, and a strap connected to the support plate for mounting the entire device to the inside of one leg of the skier adjacent the knee or the ankle.

In the second embodiment, the cylinder carries an elongated rod which is movable towards and into contact with the skier’s leg when the cylinder is compressed and movable away from and out of contact ₆₅ with the skier’s leg when the cylinder is released from its compressed state. The loss of the pressure of the rod against the skier’s leg indicates that his legs are no longer together.

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As seen in FIG. 1, the device, generally designated at 20, consists of a signaling element 30, a support plate 40 and a mounting means 50.

As viewed in FIG. 2, in the first embodiment the signaling apparatus 30 consists of an accordian pleated cylinder or bellows 31 and a noisemaker 33. The bellows 31 is in the form of a right cylinder having circular plates 34 and 35 mounted at and sealed to the respective ends thereof. The bellows 31 is completely airtight except for an aperture 32 centrally located in the plate 35. The bellows 31 is preferably formed from a resilient plastic material and can be compressed in the lengthwise direction to about one-fifth the uncompressed length. Because the bellows is formed from a resilient plastic and has an outer surface formed from a series of accordian type hinged or pleated portions 36, when a force delivered at each end to compress the bellows is released, the bellows will expand back to its uncompressed length.

As seen in FIG. 2, mounted within the bellows 31, ad- 20 jacent and surrounding the aperture 32, is a whistle or pneumatic noisemaking device 33. When the bellows 31 is either compressed or released from the compressed state, air will move through the aperture 32 and cause the whistle 33 to vibrate and emit an audible signal. The whistle 33 can be any suitable and conventional type of pneumatic noisemaking device, such as, for example, an air vibrated reed.

As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the support plate 40 is a rectangular plate having an aperture 42 centrally located therein for receiving the end of the bellows 31 having aperture 32 therein. The bellows can be sealed to the plate 40 along the inner surface of the aperture 42 or the support plate can be formed integrally with one end of the bellows 31. At each end of the support plate 40 is an elongated slot 43 for receiving the mounting means 50, as will be described hereinafter. The Support plate can be made of pliable plastic, or any suitable material which can engage or be integally formed with the bellows 31 and provide means for receiving ⁴⁰ numerals, suitable mounting means 50. The shape of the support plate 40 can be as desired and can also be made to conform to the contour of the inner side of the leg. Preferably, the bellows 31 is oriented perpendicular to the plane of the support plate so it may be perpendicular ⁴® to the surface of the leg to which the support plate will be mounted.

The mounting means 50 consists of two straps 51 and 52 and a fastening device 53. One end of . each strap passes through the elongated slots 43 in the support ⁵ plate 40 and is folded back and rigidly secured to the main portion of the strap by means of rivets 54. The other ends of the straps 51 and 52 are connected to each other by means of any suitable fastening device such as a clasp or buckle 53 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 or by means of a fabric connection such as that sold under the trademark VELCRO. Alternatively, the straps 51 and 52 can be riveted direcly to or integrally formed with the ends of the support plate 40 and the slots 43 can be eliminated. Additionally, these straps can be made adjustable in length and/or of elastic material.

In operation, a skier, whether during formal instruction in a ski class or during practice by himself, fastens the device 20 in accordance with the first embodiment, by means of the mounting means 50, to one leg adjacent the knee or ankle of one leg. The support plate 40 , 4' γ automatically positions the bellows 31 so that it is perpendicular to the surface of the skier’s leg to which it is mounted. The bellows 31 is adjusted so that it is parallel to a horizontal line connecting the skier’s knees Or ankles. The skier then positions himself in the correct skiing position with his knees, skis and ankles aligned and together as seen in FIG. 5. The movement of the skier’s knees or ankles together causes the bellows 31 to be compressed, which will provide a signal to the skier that he has obtained the correct position. A signaling at this time is useful because it eliminates the necessity of the skier having to visually check to see that the noisemaker is in the compressed position. The skier then begins his skiing run down the ski slope. As viewed in FIG. 6, if at any time during his traverse or turning maneuvers the skier’s knees are moved apart, the force compressing the bellows 31, i.e., the force exerted by the knees being kept together, is released. The release of this force allows the bellows 31 to expand to its uncompressed state. This expansion causes air to be drawn through the aperture 32 in the end of the bellows 31 and provides an air flow across the whistle 33. This air flow causes the whistle to generate an audible sound or signal which indicates to the skier that his legs, in particular his knees or ankles, and therefore his skis, are no longer together. The immediate generation of such a signal, when the correct skiing position is lost, allows the skier to learn to keep the correct position. Additionally, this learning process is conducted safely since the skier need not be distracted from his view of the ski slope in order to observe whether or not his legs and skis are properly positioned.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, a second embodiment in accordance with the present invention is shown. All of the structural elements and relationships described in the first embodiment are the same, except that rather than utilizing an audible signaling noisemaker 33, a tactile signaling rod or probe 133 is used. All of the common elements have the same identifying

As seen in FIG. 3, a cylindrical rod or probe 133, preferably formed of a pliable plastic, is rigidly mounted at one end 134, perpendicularly to the inside of the plate 34 at the center of the plate. The length of probe 133 is approximately equal to one half the uncompressed¹ longitudinal length of the bellows 31 and the diameter of the probe is smaller than the aperture 32 in the plate 35, which plate is connected at the opposite end of the bellows from the plate 34.

Thus, as seen in FIG. 3, when the bellows 31 is in the uncompressed state, the probe 133 will be completely enclosed therein. As seen in FIG. 4, when the bellows 31 is compressed to less than half of its uncompressed length, the probe 133 will pass through aperture 32 and the end 135 of the probe will extend past the plane of plate 35.

Although certain dimensions have been specified above, these are only by way of example, As long aS one end of the probe may extend out of the aperture 32 on compression of the bellows 31 by suitable movement of the skier’s legs together, then any desired dimensions may be used.

In operation, the skier mounts the device in accordance with the second embodiment to the inside of one leg as was described above in relation to the first embodiment, as seen in FIG. 5. The plate 35, containing the aperture 32, will lie snugly against the surface of the

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skier’s leg when the support plate 40 is mounted to the leg. When the skier assumes a legs together position, the bellows 31 will be compressed by the force of the legs being moved together. This compression will cause the end 135 of the probe 133 to move through the aper- 5 ture 32 and into contact with the surface of the skier’s leg adjacent the aperture 32.

This contact will result in a tactile sensation or pressure which will signal to the skier that his legs are together. If, during the skier’s skiing run, his legs move 10 apart, as seen in FIG. 6, the bellows 31 will be released from the compressed state and the plate 34 will move away from the opposing plate 35. Because the probe is mounted to the plate 34, it will move with that plate and cause the end 135 to move but of contact with the 15 surface of the skier’s leg. This loss of tactile contact will signal to the skier that his legs have moved apart and that the correct skiing position is not being maintained. The immediate generation of such a signal, when the correct skiing position is lost, allows the skier to learn 20 to keep the correct position.

While two advantageous embodiments have been chosen to illustrate the invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing 25 from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For instance, father than using a simple pneumatic noise generating device, a complex electrical circuit could be utilized which would indicate, by generating a sound through electrical means, that the 30 skier’s legs are no longer together.