Road structure – process – or apparatus – Traffic director – Yielding
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-18
2001-01-23
Lillis, Eileen D. (Department: 3673)
Road structure, process, or apparatus
Traffic director
Yielding
C040S608000, C116S173000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06176642
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a flag-carrying gate for skiing, with a flag panel held between two gate posts and having at opposite side edges two sleeve-like elements for receiving the gate posts and two upper clamping devices for the gate posts.
In a known flag-carrying gate of this type (EP 0 702 985 A1), the sleeve-like element receiving what is the outer gate post relative to the ski track to be limited by the gate is upwardly extended to provide a hose section which is closed at the end, and the upper end of the gate post received in this sleeve-like element projects into it. This closed hose section in a simple manner prevents the flag panel from being upwardly displaced along the outer gate post if the skier runs against the inner gate post on a ski track limited by such flag-carrying gates, which inner gate post usually has a pivotal joint enabling the inner gate to tilt about the joint downwardly and outwardly. Since an upper clamping sleeve axially immovably affixes the flag panel to the inner gate post, the downwardly pivoting inner gate post exerts a tension force on the flag panel, which is transmitted by the closed hose section to the outer gate post without having to fear a downward gliding of the flag panel along the outer gate post. Therefore, the flag panel maintains its axial position on both gate posts. The only requirement is to secure the closed hose section against displacement from the upper end of the outer gate post when the inner gate post resiliently rebounds into its original position. For this purpose, a rubber band is secured to this hose section and looped around the hose section and the outer gate post. While the friction joint produced between the hose section and the outer gate post prevents an undesired gliding of the hose section off the upper end of the outer gate post, drawing the flag panel off the outer gate post is assured if the flag panel is taken along by the skier between the gate posts. While these known flag-carrying gates have been successfully used, the possible deviating motion of the inner gate post caused by a skier running into it is limited because of the tensioned connection of the two gate posts by the flag panel, even if the flag material is elastic.
To make a maximum deviating motion of the inner one of two gate posts of a flag-carrying gate possible, it is also known (WO 89/07477 A1) to affix the flag panel to the inner, tiltable gate post by a sleeve through which the inner gate post extends while it is connected to the outer, non-pivotal gate post by a rubber traction member which extends within the outer gate post down to the lower end thereof to obtain a sufficient length for a free tilting of the inner gate post. However, this construction has the disadvantage that the rubber traction member extending inside the outer gate post requires a special gate post structure, and that the flag panel can be drawn off only the inner gate post by a skier taking it along. In addition, the outer gate post must be oriented relative to the inner gate post because of the recesses for the rubber traction member, and one must do with a reduced width of the flag panel because it has no sleeve-like element receiving the outer gate post.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore the object of the invention to configurate a flag-carrying gate of the first-described type in a simple construction so that it assures a substantially unhindered deviating motion of the inner gate post when it is hit by a skier without having to fear a displacement of the flag panel when the gate post resiliently rebounds into its original position. Furthermore, the use of the flag-carrying gate should be independent of the gate post structure.
The invention accomplishes this object by connecting the flag panel by means of a rubber-elastic traction member with a clamping device which is separate from the flag panel at least at one of the gate posts.
The rubber-elastic traction member between the clamping device and the flag panel at least at one gate post enables the flag panel to glide downwardly along this gate post against the resilient force of the rubber-elastic traction member. Since the tilting of the inner gate post and its resultant inclination of the two gate posts towards the flag panel exerts a downwardly directed force component on the flag panel, the flag panel glides downwardly against the retaining force of the rubber-elastic traction member at least along one gate post, which considerably increases the pivoting range of the two gate posts, it being assumed that generally the inner gate post will be tilted downwardly and outwardly so that, while the distance between the upper ends of the gate posts will be substantially increased, it is not increased in the center of the gate posts into which the flag panel is pulled down. Therefore, the distance between the inner and outer gate posts determined by the width of the flag panel permits a sufficient pivoting motion of the inner gate post as the flag panel glides down along at least one of the gate posts to satisfy all safety requirements. The return force of the rubber-elastic traction member assures the return of the flag panel to its initial position, which is determined by the clamping device which is engaged by the rubber-elastic traction member. Since the two gate posts are received in the sleeve-like elements at the side edges of the flag panel in the usual manner and the flag panel is held in position by the two upper clamping devices, such a flag-carrying gate is independent of the structure of the gate posts.
If the rubber-elastic traction member is guided along the upper edge of the flag panel, a sufficient extension length of the rubber-elastic traction member is assured in a simple manner because the length of the rubber-elastic traction member may be matched to the width of the flag panel. It is only necessary that the rubber-elastic traction member be freely extensible relative to the flag panel in its guide along the upper flag panel edge. A particularly simple construction is obtained in this connection if the rubber-elastic traction member guided along the upper flag panel edge engages the clamping devices which are separate from the flag panel at both gate posts because, in this case, the flag panel may be pulled along both gate posts away from the separate clamping devices. Because of the resilient return forces of the rubber-elastic traction member, the flag panel will be pulled up to its initial position immediately below the clamping devices when the gate posts assume their initial position after the tilting motion.
Since different flag panels may be used, it is preferred to connect the upper edge of the flag panel with the rubber-elastic traction member detachably to the rest of the flag panel so that any flag panel portion to be used may be connected to an upper edge which has not only the rubber-elastic traction member but also the two clamping devices for the two gate posts. This separation of the flag panel into a flag panel portion and an affixing unit for the gate posts makes a simple holding of different flag panels, which may also carry advertisements, possible.
A great variety of clamping devices may be used, their only requirement being to prevent their displacement on the gate posts, and the concomitant downward displacement of the flag panel, when the gate posts are pivoted towards each other when hit, while permitting the clamping devices to be pulled upwardly when the skier is hung up on the flag panel. These requirements may be met advantageously by a frictional clamping connection if the clamping forces are limited, as is the case, for example, with a clamping device consisting of a circumferentially open and elastically expandable clamping sleeve, which has the additional advantage that it may be snap-mounted on the gate post in a radial direction. In another embodiment, at least one clamping device is a rubber-elastic collar which may be pulled over the guide post. Since a simple mounting of the clamping devices on the gate posts is
Collard & Roe P.C.
Hartmann Gary S.
Lillis Eileen D.
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