A protection device for a ski stick, for protecting the skier's hand from impacts with slalom poles

Abstract

 A device (1) for protecting a skier's hand from impacts with poles during a slalom run comprises a tapered body (2) which can be fitted around the end portion of the ski-stick shaft (4) adjacent the gripping handle (5) with its outer surface flaring towards the handle (5), so that poles which hit the stick and slide along it are deflected by the device away from the hand.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a protection device for a ski stick, for protecting the hand of the skier grip­ping the stick from impacts with the poles during slalom runs.

[0002] The device according to the invention is characterised in that it comprises a tapered body which can be fitted around the ski-stick shaft end adjacent the gripping handle, the tapered body having an outer surface which in the position of use is flaring in the direction towards the handle such as to deflect away from the skier's hand the poles hitting the stick during a slalom run.

[0003] The device according to the invention acts as a deflector since slalom poles, and particularly slalom poles which are jointed at their bases, which hit the ski-stick shaft are deflected by the device along a path which does not meet the skier's hand. It has in fact been found that during a slalom run a large number of impacts between pole and stick take place in an intermediate region of the stick shaft and that, after the impact, the jointed pole slides along the shaft, which acts as a guide towards the hand grip. With the device according to the present invention, when the pole meets the upwardly-flared, tapered surface of the device, it is deflected along its outer surface, that is along a path which avoids impact with the skier's hand.

[0004] Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become clear from the detailed description which follows with reference to the appended drawings, provided by way of non-limiting example, in which:

Figure 1 is a partially-sectioned front view of the protection device according to the invention fitted onto a ski stick, and

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the device of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the device according to a second embodiment.

[0005] With reference to the drawings, a protection device according to the invention, generally indicated 1, is constituted by a tapered body 2 of substantially conical form. The generatrix of the cone is preferably arcuate with its concavity facing outwards.

[0006] The body of the device has an axial hole 3 in which a shaft 4 of a ski stick provided with a conventional gripping handle 5 can be inserted with limited clearance. The body has an end surface 6 whose dimensions are such that the profile of the body projects radially beyond the base of the hand grip and beyond the fingers of the skier's hand gripping the stick.

[0007] The body of the protection device is held in position adjacent the grip 5 by means of a stop member 7 consti­tuted, for example, by a tubular washer fitted on to the ski-stick shaft and in contact with the vertex of the conical body.

[0008] The body of the device may be of any light material which is resistant to impacts, for example, wood, metal, plastics material, or rubber and may be solid or may be hollow as indicated at 8 in Figure 1.

[0009] According to the embodiment shown in Figure 3, the tapered body 1 comprises two sections 9 and 10 which have axially mating edges and which can be connected together by fastening means 11 around the shaft of the ski stick. Section 10 has a projection 12 extending at a distance around the gripping handle 5, which is shaped as a hilt suitable to protect the skier's hand also from direct impact with the slalom poles.

[0010] In another embodiment which provides equal utility, the tapered body may be an integral part of the ski-stick handle 5, constituting an extension thereof. In this case it is no longer necessary to use stop means 7 since the grip is fixed to the end of the shaft by conventional screw-locking means.

Claims

1. A protection device for a ski stick having a shaft (4) and a gripping handle (5), the device being suitable for protecting the skier's hand which grips the stick from impacts with the poles during a slalom run, characterised in that it comprises a tapered body (1) which can be fitted around the ski-stick shaft (4) end adjacent the gripping handle (5), said tapered body (1) having an outer surface which in the position of use is flaring in the direction towards the handle (5) such as to deflect away from the skier's hand the poles hitting the stick in a slalom run.

2. A device according to Claim 1, wherein the body of the protection device is an integral part of the gripping handle (5) of the ski stick.

3. A device according to Claim 1, wherein the body has an axial hole (3) in which the end of the ski-stick shaft can be inserted and stop means (7) are associated with the shaft for preventing the body from sliding axially.

4. A device according to Claim 1, wherein the tapered body has a generally conical form.

5. A device according to Claim 4 wherein said body (1) has a generatrix which is arcuate with its concavity facing outwards.

6. A device according to Claim 4 wherein said body (1) has a base (5) which in the position of use is adjacent the gripping handle (5) and projects radially outwardly with respect to the skier's hand gripping the stick handle (5).

7. A device according to Claim 4, wherein the outer surface of said tapered body (1) has a projection (12) extending at a distance around the gripping handle in the shape of a hilt protecting the skier's hand from direct impact with the slalom poles.

8. A device according to Claim 7 wherein said tapered body is made from two sections (9) and (10) having axially mating edges adapted to be connected together around the ski-stick shaft by fastening means (4).

9. A ski stick provided with a protection device according to any one of Claims 1 to 7.

Drawing