Land vehicles – Skates – Runner type
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-19
2001-09-25
Mai, Lanna (Department: 3619)
Land vehicles
Skates
Runner type
C280S605000, C280S632000, C280S028110
Reexamination Certificate
active
06293576
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates the field of downhill skis and, more particularly, to a traction device for allowing younger and/or less experienced skiers to proceed, via at least some degree of traction, on relatively flat surfaces, on mildly sloped declines, and up mildly sloped inclines such as those which are often encountered between the end of a ski run and the start of the next ski run.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Downhill skiing is becoming an ever increasingly family-oriented sport. Younger and younger children are taking up downhill skiing and are demonstrating great abilities in maneuvering down relatively steep inclines, often with little or no fear. However, once gravity stops taking effect at the end of the run, many children and other less experienced skiers struggle on their skis. Children and even some adults often lack the ability to “skate” or “pole” effectively across the flat area or up the slight incline which is typically encountered at the end of the ski run when proceeding to the chair lift. It would be desirable to provide a downhill ski with a simple traction device which could readily be activated by even a child when needed to proceed along a flat surface or up an incline while still on downhill skis.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to a traction device for a downhill ski. The downhill ski includes a nose or leading portion which is curved upwardly to a degree. The remainder of the downhill ski or its main body extends rearwardly from the nose at least generally along a reference axis (e.g., having a longitudinal extent). Downhill skis have a main body which is typically significantly longer than it is wide. The main body of the downhill ski may vary in width along its longitudinal extent to a small degree, and its bottom surface may have a slight fore-to-aft curvature or along its longitudinal extent defined as being parallel with the noted reference axis, a slight side-to-side or laterally-extending curvature, or both. A binding is disposed somewhere in the mid portion (although not typically at the longitudinal midpoint) of the main body of the downhill ski on its upper surface. The binding includes a front binding member and a rear binding member which are spaced along the noted reference axis a sufficient distance to accept a downhill ski boot therein. These front and rear binding members may be interconnected and thereby attached as a unit to the ski, or they may be separately attached to the ski. Nonetheless, the downhill ski boot is securely retained within the binding and does not move relative to the ski unless/until the ski boot is removed entirely from the binding (e.g., when the skier falls).
A traction device is provided for the downhill ski. The traction device includes a mount or housing-like structure which is disposed on the upper surface of the main body of the downhill ski and which is appropriately attached to the downhill ski (e.g. through the upper surface of the main body of the downhill ski). The traction device may be positioned forward of the noted binding or rearward of the noted binding. A traction member is disposed along at least one of the sides of the main body of the downhill ski (preferably a traction member is disposed on each of the two sides of the main body of the downhill ski), extends rearwardly from the mount toward the rear end of the downhill ski, and includes a free end which is thereby longitudinally spaced from the mount in the direction of the rear of the downhill ski. A movable interconnection (e.g., pivotal) is provided between the noted traction member and the mount. This movable interconnection allows the noted free end of the noted traction member to move (e.g., pivot) from a position where its free end will not extend beyond the lower surface of the ski (a non-traction position), to a position where its free end will extend beyond the lower surface of the downhill ski (a traction position). At least one biasing member acts on the noted traction member (either directly or indirectly) to bias the free end of the noted traction member to its traction position. However, a latch is provided to prevent the noted traction member from moving from its non-traction position to its traction position until the latch is activated as well.
Various refinements of the above-noted features, as well as additional features, are encompassed by the present invention, individually or in any combination. For instance, another movable interconnection (e.g., pivotal) can be provided between the latch and the mount or an extension thereof such that the latch may move (e.g., pivot) from one position where it is retaining the traction member in its non-traction position (e.g., via a concave holding aperture or “hook”, having a “lip” on the latch), to another position where it sufficiently disengages such that the biasing member at least attempts to move the traction member to its traction position (e.g., the biasing member need not be strong enough to extend the free end of the traction member beyond the lower surface of the ski without first picking the ski up off the underlying surface to at least a small degree). The latch may be biased to engage the traction member to retain the same in its non-traction position, or to pivot at least generally in the direction of the portion of the associated traction member which is engaged by the latch when the traction device is in its non-traction position. A ski pole end receptacle or the like may be provided on the latch to allow the same to be activated by inserting the end of the ski pole therein and pushing the latch at least generally away from the engaged portion of the traction member, although a hand or any other mechanism may be used to move the latch in this manner for disengagement of the associated traction member. The latch may also include a ramped surface or the like for interfacing with its associated traction member when in a traction position. When the traction member is moved to push down on this ramped surface of the latch, the latch moves at least generally away from the portion of the traction member engaged by the latch when in a non-traction position, to a position where the latch can then move back toward the noted portion of the traction member to engage the same for retention of the traction member in its non-traction position.
The latch is disposed relative to the mount such that the traction member or an extension thereof may extend beyond the movable interconnection at the mount and at least generally toward the latch for interfacing with the same. The latch may be disposed on either side of the mount to provide this function. In any case, the traction member may be characterized as undergoing a “teeter totter” like effect while pivoting relative to the mount, with the latch acting on one end of the “teeter totter” and with the other end of the traction member being on the opposite end of the “teeter totter”. An extension of the traction device may project from the mount in interfacing relation with the ski's upper surface. This extension may have a significantly lower profile than the mount, and provides a surface on which the noted latch may be mounted.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4225150 (1980-09-01), Storandt
patent: 4227714 (1980-10-01), Riedel
patent: 4279433 (1981-07-01), Petaja
patent: 4288092 (1981-09-01), Mukri
patent: 4596400 (1986-06-01), Stenius
patent: 4674764 (1987-06-01), Miesen
patent: 4848785 (1989-07-01), Bortoli
patent: 4898401 (1990-02-01), Pau
patent: 5145200 (1992-09-01), Humphrey
patent: 5356168 (1994-10-01), Ozburn
patent: 5551721 (1996-09-01), Goud et al.
patent: 5642897 (1997-07-01), Couderc et al.
patent: 5735063 (1998-04-01), McManus
patent: 6007101 (1999-12-01), Pritchard et al.
Mai Lanna
Marsh & Fischmann & Breyfogle LLP
Mechanical Solutions, Inc.
Phan Hau
LandOfFree
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