Hand Strap of a Pole
The invention relates to a hand strap of a pole, the hand strap including a strap part (1) surrounding the user's wrist and extending to bottom edge of the hand and to the palm section and a fastening strap (2) attached to the strap part which is used to fasten the hand strap to the handle of a pole. According to the invention, the hand strap includes one fastening strap (2), which functions as a power transmission strap; and the first end (7) of the fastening strap is fastened to the part (4) of the strap part situated on the side of the palm; and the part (8) of the fastening strap to be attached to the handle of a pole is fitted to start substantially from the middle section (9) of the user's palm.
The invention relates to the hand strap of a pole and, specifically, of a walking pole, a ski pole, a downhill skiing pole or a hiking pole.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONKnown in prior art are various hand straps to be fastened to the handle of a pole for transmitting the user's power to the pole.
Known from publication U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,674 is a system for attaching a ski pole to the user's hand in which the hand strap comprises a sheathing and elements for transmitting the power from the user to the ski pole; and the fastening elements between the hand strap and the pole are fitted to the pivot of the user's hand with respect to the ski pole, the pivot being disposed in the section of the junction between the thumb and forefinger of the user's hand.
Known from publication WO 03/061785 is a matching handle of a pole and a hand strap to be fastened to it. The hand strap comprises a strap part surrounding the back and bottom edge of a hand and two transmission straps that pass underneath the palm and the end of the thumb, the power transmission straps being arranged so as to pass from the palm of a user's hand to the handle, attaching to it.
Prior-art hand straps have at least either two separate transmission straps or at least a circle formed from two transmission straps for transmitting the powers from the user's hand to the pole. In addition, in most of the prior-art hand straps the power transmission is performed from the hand's pivot, i.e. from the section of the junction between the thumb and the forefinger to the pole.
A problem with the prior-art hand straps is their usability. The hand is tied to a hand strap and you cannot easily and fast free your hand e.g. to fix your clothing.
A further problem with the prior-art hand strap systems is the too tight a fastening of the hand to the handle of the pole. This increases the risk of injury e.g. when toppling over when the hand is tied by the strap too much, and one cannot free the hand fast enough.
Furthermore, a part of the prior-art hand straps loads the hand unnecessarily in relation to the achieved power transmission.
OBJECTIVE OF THE INVENTIONThe objective of the invention is to eliminate the drawbacks referred to above.
One specific objective of the invention is to disclose a novel hand strap having just one power transmission strap and which is used to achieve a more powerful power transmission than using the prior-art hand straps. A further objective of the invention is to disclose a hand strap which has a better usability compared to the prior-art straps.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe hand strap in accordance with the invention is characterised by what has been presented in the claims.
The invention relates to the hand strap of a pole, preferably of a walking, a ski, a hiking or a downhill skiing pole which is designed to be fitted to the user's hand and by means of which the user's power can be transmitted to the pole. The hand strap in accordance with the invention includes a strap part surrounding the user's wrist and extending to the bottom edge of a hand and to the palm, and a fastening strap attached to the strap part which can be used to fasten the hand strap to the handle of the pole. According to the invention, the hand strap includes just one fastening strap which functions as a power transmission strap; and the first end of the fastening strap is fastened to the part situated on the side of the palm of the strap part along the desired length; and the part of the fastening strap to be attached to the handle of the pole is fitted to start substantially from the middle section of the user's hand or from the middle. The power transmission strap is arranged to run along an optimal line on the palm side, enabling straight-lined movement of the pole, thus enabling optimal pull and push movements of the pole.
The strap part is so shaped that the end of the fastening strap to be fastened to the pole is fitted so as to start from the upper edge of the part of the hand strap situated on the side of the palm, substantially from the middle of the user's hand towards the upper edge of the hand and the pole when the hand strap is fitted to the user's hand.
In one embodiment of the invention, the part surrounding the wrist is so shaped that it forms a wristband. In one embodiment, the wristband is open with a buckle arranged at the first open end thereof and with an adjustment strap at the second open end thereof. In an alternative solution, the hand strap is not open but a closed circle with the wristband comprising an elastically stretching component enabling one to pass the wristband to the user's hand.
In one embodiment of the invention, arranged at the end of the adjustment strap, on the first side thereof, is a Velcro tape; and arranged on the first side of the part surrounding the wrist is an adhesive surface. In an alternative solution, arranged at the end of the adjustment strap, on the first side thereof, is an adhesive surface; and arranged on the first side of the part surrounding the wrist is an adhesive band. Advantageously, the adjustment strap can be passed though the buckle, and the adhesive band of the adjustment strap can then be folded against the adhesive surface of the wrist part, or vice versa to fasten the adhesive band to the adhesive surface, enabling one to adjust the wrist part to fit the user's hand.
An adhesive band is herein used to mean any adhesive band having small burdock-like barbs or the like, and an adhesive surface is used to mean the corresponding surface of the adhesive band which is substantially fluffy and to which the adhesive band can be fastened.
In one embodiment of the invention, the strap part comprises a part surrounding the user's thumb.
In one embodiment of the invention, the first end of the part surrounding the thumb is attached to the part surrounding the wrist on the side of the back of a hand, and the second end is attached to the part situated on the side of the palm, whereby the part surrounds the thumb, passing between the thumb and the forefinger.
In one alternative solution, the part surrounding the thumb is fitted to surround the thumb from every side, and it is attached to the part surrounding the wrist in the section of the thumb end, which extends from the back of the hand to the palm.
In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the strap part has been formed from a uniform component. In one embodiment, the uniform strap part is so shaped that it comprises a part surrounding the thumb, and the open second end of the part surrounding the thumb can be attached to the palm section of the strap part. In an alternative solution, the part surrounding the thumb is formed from a different component than the rest of the strap part. The part surrounding the thumb can be formed from a different material than the rest of the strap part.
The basic idea of the invention is that the fastening strap is not fastened to the part surrounding the thumb. The fastening strap runs towards the pole specifically from the part situated on the side of the palm from the middle of the palm, not from the part surrounding the thumb and not from the pivot of the hand.
In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the part of the fastening strap that can be fastened to the handle of a pole, i.e. the second end of the fastening strap, is formed from a duplex strap material. In one embodiment, the part of the fastening strap to be attached to the handle of a pole is doubly bent and connected e.g. by sewing. Preferably, the aforementioned second free end has at least one fastening loop, more preferably two fastening loops. Preferably, the fastening loop has been formed by connecting the strap material layers with one another at a given distance from the second end of the fastening strap and by omitting the connecting along a given distance. The connecting can be done e.g. by sewing transverse junctions in the strap for forming fastening loops in the strap. By means of the fastening loops the hand strap can be easily attached to any known handle. This means that the user does not need to have poles of his or her own.
The fastening strap is formed from a material, preferably elastic, known per se and suitable for the purpose. The strap part is formed from a single or multi layer material known per se and suitable for the purpose, which layer feels comfortable against the user's hand.
In one embodiment of the invention, the strap part comprises a part partly surrounding the back of a hand of a user.
The hand strap of the invention is designed as an easy-to-use and safe strap solution which is suitable for users of various ages and different types of user groups.
In designing the pole strap in accordance with the invention one has taken into account the biomechanical phases of the push and pull movements of the use of the pole that are realised in Nordic walking, skiing and hiking. According to the invention, the push and pull movements are supported by just one power transmission strap which runs along an optimal line on the palm side. This enables straight-lined movement of the pole, thus resulting in optimal push and pull movements of the use of the pole. This enables one to achieve an efficient power transmission.
The hand strap in accordance with the present invention enables you to easily free your hand from the handle of the pole e.g. when you topple over, reducing the risk of injury in the palm section. The hand strap does not tie the user's hand to the handle of the pole. The hand strap in accordance with the invention enables you to freely use your hand to perform other functions, e.g. to open your zip, to empty your pocket, to adjust a pulse counter or watch, etc., when using the pole.
In the embodiment of the invention in which the hand strap includes a part surrounding the thumb, a control movement of the thumb guides the pole so as to run along an optimal track of motion in a back and forth movement, but does not, however, wholly fasten the palm to the handle of the pole. In this embodiment, you can easily free your thumb from the part surrounding the thumb, enabling you to freely use your hands. It is easy and fast for you to put your thumb back into the thumb aperture.
The hand strap of the invention is easy and fast to put in hand and take off. By means of the adhesive band and the buckle it is easy and fast to adjust the hand strap to the desired size surrounding the wrist. Thanks to the hand strap the pole is carried along in different situations.
The pole strap of the invention is suited for e.g. Nordic walking, skiing, downhill skiing and hiking.
The pole straps of the invention, in various applications, are suited for different user groups. For example, a strap which is made of a solid but elastic material is specifically suited for users with arthrosis and for those suffering from rheumatism. In this embodiment it is important that the strap does not put any Pressure e.g. on the joint zone.
In the following section, the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
The hand strap of a pole as seen in
The part 3 surrounding the wrist is so shaped that it forms an open wristband when the hand strap is opened and laid out on a plane. Arranged at the first open end 10 of the wristband is a buckle 12 and arranged at the second open end 11 is an adjustment strap 13. Furthermore arranged at the end of the adjustment strap 13, on the first side 14 of the adjustment strap, is an adhesive surface 17; and arranged on the first side of the part surrounding the wrist is an adhesive band 16. While in use, the adjustment strap 13 is arranged to be passed though the buckle 12; and the adhesive band of the adjustment strap can then be folded against the adhesive band of the wrist part, and to be fastened thereto. This enables one to adjust the length and tightness of the wrist part to fit the user's hand.
The uniform strap part 1 also comprises a part 6 surrounding the thumb of a user. The first end 18 of the part surrounding the thumb is attached to the part 3 surrounding the wrist on the side of the back of a hand 20, and the open second end 19 is attached to the part 4 situated on the side of the palm, whereby the part surrounds the thumb, passing between the thumb and the forefinger. The first end 18 of the part surrounding the thumb proceeds continuously from the part 3 surrounding the wrist. The second end 19 of the part surrounding the thumb is attached to the part 4 situated on the side of the palm by sewing.
The part 8 of the fastening strap which can be attached to the handle of a pole, i.e. the second end of the fastening strap, is doubly bent and connected e.g. by sewing a first stitch 22 in the trans-verse direction of the fastening strap 2 at a distance from the fold and a second transverse stitch 23 at a distance from the first stitch 22, preferably in conjunction with the upper edge of the palm part 4 of the strap part 1. In that case, two fastening loops 21 are formed in the part 8 of the fastening strap 2 that is to be fastened to the handle of a pole.
Concerning the rest of the parts, the hand strap as shown in
In one embodiment example, the fastening strap can be formed from a nylon material. The strap part can be formed from a two-layer material whose inner layer feels comfortable against the user's hand. The materials of the strap part may include PCV-based materials. In addition, the strap part can be edged with a suitable seam binding, e.g. with a nylon type seam binding.
The invention is not limited merely to the examples referred to above; instead many variations are possible within the scope of the inventive idea defined by the claims.
Claims
1. A hand strap of a pole, the hand strap including a strap part (1) surrounding the user's wrist and extending to the bottom edge of a hand and to the palm, and a fastening strap (2) attached to the strap part which can be used to fasten the hand strap to the handle of the pole, characterized in that the hand strap includes one fastening strap (2) which functions as a power transmission band; and the first end (7) of the fastening strap has been attached to the part (4) of the strap part that is situated on the side of the palm; and the part (8) of the fastening strap to be attached to the handle of the pole is fitted to start substantially from the middle section (9) of the user's palm.
2. The hand strap as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the part (3) surrounding the wrist has been so shaped that it forms a wristband.
3. The hand strap as defined in claim 2, characterized in that the wristband (3) is open; and arranged at the first open end (10) thereof is a buckle (12); and arranged at the second open end (11) thereof is an adjustment band (13).
4. The hand strap as defined in claim 2, characterized in that arranged at the end of the adjustment strap (13), on the first side (14) of the adjustment strap, is an adhesive band (16); and arranged on the first side (15) of the part (3) surrounding the wrist is an adhesive surface (17).
5. The hand strap as defined in claim 2, characterized in that arranged at the end of the adjustment strap (13), on the first side (14) of the adjustment strap, is an adhesive surface (17); and arranged on the first side (15) of the part (3) surrounding the wrist is an adhesive band (16).
6. The hand strap as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the strap part (1) comprises a part (6) surrounding the user's thumb.
7. The hand strap as defined in claim 6, characterized in that the first end (18) of the part (6) surrounding the thumb is attached to the part (3) surrounding the wrist on the side situated in the back of a hand (20), and the second end (19) is attached to the part (4) situated on the side of the palm, surrounding the thumb and passing between the thumb and the forefinger.
8. The hand strap as defined in claim 6, characterized in that the part (6) surrounding the thumb is fitted to surround the thumb from every side and is attached to the part (3) surrounding the wrist in the section of the thumb end, the section extending from the back of a hand to the palm.
9. The hand strap as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the strap part (1) is formed from a uniform component.
10. The hand strap as defined in claim 9, characterized in that the uniform strap part (1) has been so shaped that it comprises a part (6) surrounding the thumb; and the open second end (19) of the part surrounding the thumb can be fastened to the palm section (4) of the strap part.
11. The hand strap as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the part (6) surrounding the thumb is formed from a different component than the rest of the strap part (1).
12. The hand strap as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the part (8) of the fastening strap that can be fastened to the handle of a pole is formed from a double material.
13. The hand strap as defined in claim 12, characterized in that the part (8) of the fastening strap to be fastened to the handle of a pole is doubly bent and connected together.
14. The hand strap as defined in claim 12, characterized in that formed in the part (8) of the fastening strap that is to be attached to the handle of a pole is at least one fastening loop (21).
15. The hand strap as defined in claim 12, characterized in that formed in the part (8) of the fastening strap that is to be attached to the handle of a pole are two fastening loops (21).
16. The hand strap as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the strap part (1) comprises a part partly surrounding the user's back of a hand (20).
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 2, 2004
Publication Date: Jun 24, 2010
Inventor: Marko Kantaneva (Tallinn)
Application Number: 11/989,975
International Classification: A45F 5/00 (20060101);
