The present invention relates to a device which can be applied to skis in order to facilitate the skiing.

As is known, the skiers, and in particular the unskilled skiers must hold the ski tips properly aligned during the skiing.

In fact, if the skis are not properly arranged, then, a possible superimposition of the tips thereof, can cause very dangerous falls.

More specifically, one of the most important difficulties encountered by the ski masters is that of teaching the unskilled skiers the so-called "snowplow" position which is obtained by holding the ski tips properly oriented and converging.

If this operation is not properly carried out, it can cause the skier legs to be excessively diverged with consequent possibilities of muscle and articulation distortions.

The teaching of the ski practice is split into several exercises, starting, as stated, from the above mentioned snowplow position to continue then with parallel ski exercises.

In such further exercises, it is strictly necessary that the skier be able of holding the skis in a parallel relationship, without excessive strains, which would lead the skier to great position errors.

In this connection it should be pointed out that also skilled skiers, in order to properly perform the several skiing exercises, must provide a remarkable muscle effort in order to properly orient their skis, since the proper position of each ski must be suitably preserved in the proper set position and this without having in actual practice any fixed point to be used as fulcrum.

Accordingly, the aim of the present invention is to solve the problems thereinabove mentioned, by providing a device to be applied to a ski in order to facilitate the skiing, which device is specifically designed for preventing the ski tips from being superimposed in the above mentioned snowplow position and on descending a slope, and which, moreover, can greatly reduce the muscle effort necessary for obtaining a proper position of the skis and this by providing an articulation fulcrum suitable to facilitate the proper orienting of the skis.

Within the scope of the above mentioned aim, a main object of the present invention is to provide such a device which is specifically designed for reducing the physical effort by the unskilled skier during the skiing at high speed and on frozen or uneven snow.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device which can be easily and quickly applied to conventional skis and which, moreover, can be made at a comparatively reduced cost.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the above mentioned aim and objects, which will become more apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a device designed for application to skis in order to facilitate the skiing, characterized in that said device comprises a spacer rod coupled, at the two end portions thereof, to the front portion of the top face of the ski, said spacer rod being associated with said skis by articulation or pivot means suitable to allow a ski to be inclined, advanced and oscillated with respect to the other ski.

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent hereinafter from the following detailed disclosure of some preferred, though not exclusive, embodiments thereof, which are illustrated by way of an indicative, but not limitative, example, in the figures of the accompanying drawings, where:

• Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of the device according to the present invention, applied to the skis;
• Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of the device according to the present invention, and clearly illustrating a ball joint coupling therefor;
• Figure 3 shows some possible mutual angular orientations of the skis which can be obtained by means of the device according to the present invention;
• Figure 4 is a perspective view of a device including a modified embodiment of the articulation or coupling means;
• Figure 5 is a partial cross-sectioned view, taken substantially elong a vertical plane, showing the device illustrated in Figure 4;
• Figure 6 schematically illustrates several position which can be obtained by using the device according to the present invention;
• Figure 7 illustrates the subject device including a spacer rod made of two removable connected elements;
• Figure 8 is an exploded view showing the spacer rod illustrated in Figure 7; and
• Figures 9 to 13 schematically show several positions which can be assumed by the skis thereon there is applied the device according to the present invention

With reference to the number references of the above disclosed figures, and, more specifically, to figures 1 to 3, the device according to the present invention comprises a spacer rod, generally indicated at the reference number 1, which is made of a rigid material, such as a plastic material, wood, a glass fibre reinforced resin, a composite material, a metal material or metal alloys in general.

More specifically, as shown, the spacer rod 1 has a substantially U-shape, with the two vertical legs thereof, indicated at 2, which end with articulation means comprising a ball type of joint 5 which is engaged in a seat 6 made on a block 7 which can be applied by screws or an adhesive material, to the top face of a ski, near the tip portion thereof.

As shown in figures 4 to 6, the spacer rod, generally indicated at the reference number 10, is made of a resiliently yieldable material, such as, for example, synthetic or natural rubber, resiliently yieldable plastic materials, springs having a low expanding coefficient, so that said spacer rod will provide at least partially the articulation means, so as to provide an effective joint for coupling to the ski.

In order to perform this coupling, as shown in the figures, a block 15 is provided, which is affixed to the end portions of the rod, the mutual articulation function being directly provided by the deformability of said spager rod.

With reference to figures 7 to 13, the spacer rod, which has been herein generally indicated at the reference number 20, comprises two rod portions 21 and 22, of cylindrical cross-section, which can be removably coupled at a respective end portion thereof.

More specifically, a magnetic field joint 23 is provided, wherein two permanent magnets 24 and 25 are arranged one in the front of the other, said permanent magnets being designed for providing a strong attraction magnetic flux, causing said portions to be mutually aligned.

With the above mentioned provision, the two mentioned portions can be removably coupled to one another by an attractive force which will depend on the magnetid field generated by the two mentioned permanent magnets.

As shown, said two portions are provided, at their opposite ends, with articulation means comprising a ball-joint and a resilient joint 26, not specifically shown, which supports a theaded pin 27 thereon there is engaged a blind nut 28.

On the skis, generally indicated at the reference number 30, there are mounted anchoring support elements 31 which end with fork portions 32 designed for housing the above mentioned threaded pins.

Thus, as it should be apparent, a coupling articulation is provided which will allow one ski to be easily inclined, advanced and turned with respect to the other ski.

By applying the above disclosed device, as a skier is performing the so-called snowplow operation, the tip portions of the skis can not be superimposed, since the mentioned spacer rod, in all of the embodiments which have been disclosed, will allow a ski to be freely inclined with respect to the other while holding a proper mutual location or position of the skis.

Likewise, as a skier skis with parallel skis, the device will allow the skier to exert a less muscle effort, since said device will allow the skis to be easily oriented by simply operating on the articulated fulcrum portions included in said device.

Thus, the above disclosed device is very useful for the unskilled skiers and in the meanwhile for the skilled skiers, since it provides the skier with the possibility of easily orienting the skis, while greatly reducing the required muscle effort.

As disclosed, the device, in its several embodiments, can be simply glued to the skis 30 or it can be affixed by scews, directly connected to the top face of the skis, or by means of suction elements or other suitable connecting elements.

Moreover, in the embodiment shown in figures 7 to 13, the spacer rod, which comprises two portions which are removably frontally urged towards one another by a magnetic field, will allow said portions to be automatically disengaged, in a case of an undesired impact, and of a consequent possible locking of one of the skis on a descent or the like.

Thus, this possibility well present strong impacts from occurring to the leg of the skier and will overcome any danger in a case of a falling of the skier.

Moreover, since it is coupled by a removable type of connection, the device including the spacer rod made of two portions will allow to remove the restraining arrangement even on a descent, which can be easily obtained by causing one of the ski to advance or withdraw so as to overcome the above mentioned magnetic attraction thereby greatly facilitating the skiing.

In this connection it should be apparent that the restraining arrangement can be easily recovered by causing one of the ski to slide near the magnetic field of the above mentioned portions.

Moreover, the two mentioned portions can be held in a connected condition by devices different from a magnetic field, such as, for example, by mechanical devices designed for unlatching in the case of a fall or, for example, under a suitable outside control.

While the invention has been disclosed and illustrated with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it should be apparent that the disclosed embodiments are susceptible to several modifications and variations all of which will come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.