Snow pole apparatus and methods therefor

Abstract

A snow pole apparatus comprises a snow pole assembly including a housing having an interior portion and a plurality of pole members located axially in the interior portion of the housing. Each pole member of the plurality of pole members is concentric to another pole member of the plurality of pole members, and a pole retracting member of the snow pole assembly is configured to retract each one of the plurality of pole members into the interior portion of the housing after at least a portion of each one of the plurality of pole members is extended exterior to the interior portion of the housing. The snow pole apparatus further comprises a pole release member configured to permit selective extension of at least a portion of each one of the plurality of pole members exterior to the interior portion of the housing.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to snow poles and more specifically to improved snow pole apparatus having pole members that may be automatically extended and retracted from an interior portion of a housing of the snow pole apparatus.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Snowboarding has become a popular past-time for many people. Snowboarding differs from skiing principally in the use of a single board with two spaced apart bindings for a person's feet instead of two skis with a binding for each foot of a person. A skier typically uses two ski poles to control motion on snow surfaces. Generally, a ski pole is not used by snowboarders, since the snowboard is wider than a ski and usually a person is able to maneuver the snowboard like a surfboard. A snowboarder controls the snowboard by shifting the snowboarder's weight from side to side like a surf board and slows down or stops the snowboard by simply sliding one foot from the binding of the snowboard and placing that foot onto the surface of the snow.

In some situations, such as when the slope of a hill is shallow, the snowboard will not move, so it would be useful for a snowboarder to have a snow pole to help drive the snowboard against gravity. Additionally, a pole would also be useful when a snowboarder is unable to use a foot for safely maneuvering the snowboard.

Collapsible and adjustable poles for skiing are known. Hoffman, U.S. Pat. No. 6,217,073 disclosed a manually extendable and retractable shaft for a snow pole with a basket or plate at one end of the snow pole shaft. The basket or plate end of the snow pole is placed against the snow surface, so that the snowboarder can push along the surface of the snow. According to Hoffman's '073 disclosure, the collapsible snow pole is substantially a regular-sized ski pole which must be carried like a small ski pole by the snowboarder and does not permit hands-free snowboarding.

The present inventor has recognized the need for a snow pole apparatus that may be conveniently stored in the snowboarder's pocket or otherwise stored so that the snowboarder may ride the snowboard hands-free. The present inventor's snow pole apparatus has additional advantages including a handle holding a plurality of snow pole members which are automatically extended and retracted and a homing device which may be activated by the snowboarder during an emergency.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of this disclosure to provide an improved snow pole apparatus.

It is a further object of this disclosure to provide an improved snow pole apparatus having snow pole members that may be automatically extended from an interior portion of a housing of the snow pole apparatus.

It is a still further object of this disclosure to provide an improved snow pole apparatus having snow pole members that may be automatically retracted into an interior portion of a housing of the snow pole apparatus after the snow pole members have been extended from the interior portion of the housing.

It is a further object of this disclosure to provide methods for using an improved snow pole apparatus having snow pole members that may be automatically extended from an interior portion of a housing of the snow pole apparatus.

It is a yet further object of this disclosure to provide methods for using an improved snow pole apparatus having snow pole members that may be automatically retracted into an interior portion of a housing of the snow pole apparatus after the snow pole members have been extended from the interior portion of the housing.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one embodiment of this invention, a snow pole apparatus is disclosed. The snow pole apparatus comprises, in combination, a snow pole assembly including a housing having an interior portion and a plurality of pole members located axially in the interior portion of the housing. Each pole member of the plurality of pole members is concentric to another pole member of the plurality of pole members, and a pole retracting member of the snow pole assembly is configured to retract each one of the plurality of pole members into the interior portion of the housing after at least a portion of each one of the plurality of pole members is extended exterior to the interior portion of the housing. The snow pole apparatus further comprises a pole release member configured to permit selective extension of at least a portion of each one of the plurality of pole members exterior to the interior portion of the housing.

In accordance with a second embodiment of this invention, a method for using a snow pole apparatus is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of providing a snow pole assembly including a housing having an interior portion, providing a plurality of pole members located axially in the interior portion of the housing, each pole member of the plurality of pole members being concentric to another pole member of the plurality of pole members; and providing a pole retracting member of the snow pole assembly is configured to retract each one of the plurality of pole members into the interior portion of the housing after at least a portion of each one of the plurality of pole members is extended exterior to the interior portion of the housing. The method further comprises the steps of actuating the pole retracting member, retracting a first pole member of the plurality of pole members into the interior portion of the housing after a portion of the pole retracting member communicates with a first locking pin of a plurality of locking pins; and retracting each one of the remaining pole members of the plurality of pole members into the interior portion of the housing after a portion of the pole retracting member communicates with each one of the remaining locking pins of the plurality of locking pins.

The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following, more detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a snow pole apparatus comprising a housing, a pole retracting member at one end of the housing and a plurality of pole members extending from an opposite end of the housing with the last pole member of the plurality of pole members having a tip according to the present invention.

FIG. 1A is a perspective view showing an exterior portion of the housing of the snow pole apparatus of FIG. 1 with the tip of the plurality of pole members extending from the opposite end of the housing and the housing including the pole retracting member and a pole release member.

FIG. 2 is an elevational view showing a front side of the snow pole apparatus of FIG. 1 with each one of the pole members of the plurality of pole members having a locking pin and a keyway, the housing including both the pole retracting member and the pole release member, with an interior portion of the housing including a retracting spring coupled to a tension line, the tension line coupled to an interior portion of the last pole member of the plurality of pole members and an extending spring coupled to an end portion of the interior portion of the housing.

FIG. 2A is an elevational view showing a portion of the front side of another embodiment of the snow pole apparatus of FIG. 1 with the interior portion of the housing including an extending spring coupled to a first pole member of the plurality of pole members.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view through 3-3 of FIG. 2 of the snow pole apparatus showing the tension line, and two concentric pole members of the plurality of pole members.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

According to FIG. 1A, in one embodiment of a snow pole apparatus, the snow pole apparatus comprises a snow pole assembly 10 including a housing 12 having an interior portion 14 (not shown in FIG. 1A, but shown in FIGS. 2 and 2A). The housing 12 preferably comprises a rigid material such as aluminum or resin impregnated fiber such as glass fiber or carbon fiber. An outer portion of the housing 12 preferably comprises an elastomeric material such as a rubber (either synthetic or natural) and the like which may securely gripped by a person. The snow pole assembly 10 further comprises a plurality of pole members 16 located axially in the interior portion 14 of the housing 12 (not shown in FIG. 1A, but both FIGS. 1B and 2 shows the plurality of pole members 16 extended exterior to the interior portion 14 of the housing 12). Each pole member 16 of the plurality of pole members 16 preferably comprises a rigid light weight material. Examples of a suitable light weight material include metals such as heat-treated aluminum, titanium and the like, and resin impregnated fibers such as glass and carbon. In FIG. 1A (and also shown in FIGS. 1B and 2) the snow pole assembly 10 further comprises a pole tip 30 coupled to an outer portion 38 of one end of a last pole member 16 of the plurality of pole members 16. The pole tip 30 preferably comprises a hard rigid metal such as carbide hardened steel or titanium and the like. Each pole member 16 of the plurality of pole members 16 is concentric with another pole member 16 of the plurality of pole members 16 (see FIG. 3 which shows a sectional view through 3-3 of FIG. 2). Furthermore, in FIG. 1A (and also shown in FIGS. 1B, 2 and 2A) a pole retracting member 18 located at one end of the housing 12 of the snow pole assembly 10, is configured to retract each one of the plurality of pole members 16 into the interior portion 14 of the housing 12 after at least a portion of each one of the plurality of pole members 16 is extended exterior to the interior portion 14 of the housing 12 (see FIGS. 1B, 2 and 2A). Referring to FIG. 1A the snow pole assembly 10 also comprises a pole release member 32 (also shown in FIGS. 2 and 2A). The pole release member 32 is configured to permit selective extension of at least a portion of each one of the plurality of pole members 16 exterior to the interior portion 14 of the housing 12 (see FIGS. 2 and 2A).

Referring now to FIG. 2, each one of the plurality of pole members 16 of the snow pole assembly 10 includes one of a plurality of locking pins 20 located at one end of each of the plurality of pole members 16 and each one of the plurality of pole members 16 has a keyway 22 (also shown in FIG. 3). Additionally, each one of the plurality of locking pins 20 of each one of the plurality of pole members 16 engages the keyway 22 of each one of the plurality of pole members 16 after at least a portion of each one of the plurality of pole members 16 is extended exterior to the interior portion 14 of the housing 12 thereby permitting coordinated extension and retraction of each one of the plurality of pole members 16. In FIG. 2 (and also FIG. 2A) a retracting spring 24 located in a portion of the housing 12 and a tension line 26 having a first end and a second end retract each one of the pole members 16 into the interior portion 14 of the housing 12 of the snow pole assembly 10. The first end of the tension line 26 is coupled to the retracting spring 24. The second end of the tension line 26 is coupled to an inner end portion of the last pole member 16 of the plurality of pole members 16. The retracting spring 24 is adapted to retract each one of the plurality of pole members 16 into the interior portion 14 of the housing 12 after a portion 34 of the pole retracting member 18 communicates with at least a first locking pin 20 of the plurality of locking pins 20 (see FIGS. 2 and 2A). After a first pole member 16 of the plurality of pole members 16 is retracted into the interior portion 14 of the housing 12, each one of the remaining plurality of locking pins 20 also communicate in turn with the portion 34 of the pole retracting member 18 and each one of the remaining plurality of pole members 16 in turn retracts into the interior portion 14 of the housing 12. It is understood that the first locking pin 20 of the plurality of locking pins 20 may be coupled to each one of the plurality of locking pins 20.

Referring again to FIG. 2 each pole member 16 of the plurality of pole members 16 has at least one indentation 36 adapted to engage a portion of the pole release member 32 thereby permitting selective extension of at least a portion of each one of the plurality of pole members 16 after actuating the pole release member 32. Each one of the plurality of pole members 16 may be extended exterior to the interior portion 14 of the housing 12 after actuating the pole release member 32 by providing a casting motion. As shown (see FIG. 2) one embodiment of the snow pole assembly 10 preferably comprises at least one extending spring 28 located at one end of the interior portion 14 of the housing 12, and the at least one extending spring 28 is adapted to extend at least a portion of each one of the plurality of pole members 16 exterior to the interior portion 14 of the housing 12 after actuating the pole release member 32. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 2A, another embodiment of the snow pole assembly 10 preferably comprises at least one extending spring 28 located at one end of the first pole member 16 of the plurality of pole members 16, and the at least one extending spring 28 is adapted to extend at least a portion of each one of the plurality of pole members 16 exterior to the interior portion 14 of the housing 12 after actuating the pole release member 32. The at least one extending spring 28 permits automatic extension of the plurality of pole members 16 after the pole release member 32 is actuated. It is to be understood that each one of the pole members 16 may further comprise at least one extending spring 28 (not shown). Furthermore, the snow pole assembly 10 may comprise a homing device (not shown) selectively actuated by a person thereby permitting the person to be located during an emergency. One example of a homing device is a microchip adapted to couple to a GPS locating system. Another simpler homing device may be a flag or a light which would be visible to a search party.

In using the snow pole apparatus comprising the snow pole assembly 10, a person may store the snow pole apparatus in a convenient location such as a belt clip or in a pocket so that the person may ride a snowboard hands free. When the person wishes to use the snow pole apparatus, which has previously been stored in a retracted position, the person retrieves the snow pole apparatus from the belt clip or the pocket and actuates the pole release member 32 thereby permitting selective extension of at least a portion of each one of the plurality of pole members 16. At least a portion of one of the plurality of pole members 16 is secured in an extended configuration exterior to the interior portion 14 of the housing 12 when at least one indentation 36 of the plurality of pole members 16 engages the pole release member 32. The extending spring 28 or the casting motion of the person extends a portion of one of the plurality of pole members 16 exterior to the interior portion 14 of the housing 12. The person than places the pole tip 30 of the snow pole assembly 10 against a snow surface when each one of the plurality of pole members 16 is extended exterior to the interior portion 14 of the housing 12, thereby permitting the person riding a snowboard to push along the snow surface. When the person no longer needs to use the snow pole apparatus in the extended position, the person actuates the pole retracting member 18, retracting a first pole member 16 of the plurality of pole members 16 into the interior portion 14 of the housing 12 after a portion 34 of the pole retracting member 18 communicates with a first locking pin 20 of the plurality of locking pins 20, and retracting each one of the remaining pole members 16 of the plurality of pole members 16 into the interior portion 14 of the housing 12 after a portion 34 of the pole retracting member 18 communicates with each one of the remaining locking pins 20 of the plurality of locking pins 20. The person than either clips the retracted snow pole apparatus back into place or places the snow pole apparatus into a pocket for future use.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the location of the indentation in each one of the plurality of pole members may be adjusted to permit people of different heights to conveniently extend the snow pole apparatus to suit their height. All pole members may be retracted when the first locking member is coupled to the remaining locking pins without each one of the locking pins communicating with a portion of the retracting member.

Claims

1. A snow pole apparatus comprising, in combination:

a snow pole assembly including a housing having an interior portion;

a plurality of pole members located axially in said interior portion of said housing, each pole member of said plurality of pole members is concentric to another pole member of said plurality of pole members; and

a pole retracting member of said snow pole assembly configured to retract each one of said plurality of pole members into said interior portion of said housing after at least a portion of each one of said plurality of pole members is extended exterior to said interior portion of said housing.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a pole release member, said pole release member configured to permit selective extension of at least a portion of each one of said plurality of pole members exterior to said interior portion of said housing.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each one of said plurality of pole members including one of a plurality of locking pins located at one end of each one of said plurality of pole members and each one of said plurality of pole members having a keyway, each one of said plurality of locking pins of each one of said plurality of pole members engaging said keyway of each one of said plurality of pole members after at least a portion of each one of said plurality of pole members is extended exterior to said interior portion of said housing thereby permitting coordinated extension and retraction of each one of said plurality of pole members.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising

a retracting spring located in a portion of said housing and a tension line having a first end and a second end;

said first end of said tension line coupled to said retracting spring, said second end of said tension line coupled to an inner end portion of a last pole member of said plurality of pole members; and

said retracting spring adapted to retract each one of said plurality of pole members into said interior portion of said housing after a portion of said pole retracting member communicates with at least a first locking pin of said plurality of locking pins.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising

at least one extending spring; and

said at least one extending spring adapted to extend at least a portion of each one of said plurality of pole members exterior to said interior portion of said housing after actuating said pole release member.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein each pole member of said plurality of pole members has at least one indentation adapted to engage a portion of said pole release member thereby permitting selective extension of at least a portion of each one of said plurality of pole members after actuating said pole release member.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a pole tip located on an outer portion of one end of a last pole member of said plurality of pole members.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a homing device selectively actuated by a person thereby permitting said person to be located during an emergency.

9. A method for using a snow pole apparatus comprising the steps of:

providing a snow pole assembly including a housing having an interior portion;

providing a plurality of pole members located axially in said interior portion of said housing, each pole member of said plurality of pole members being concentric to another pole member of said plurality of pole members; and

providing a pole retracting member of said snow pole assembly configured to retract each one of said plurality of pole members into said interior portion of said housing after at least a portion of each one of said plurality of pole members is extended exterior to said interior portion of said housing.

10. The method according to claim 9 further comprising the steps of:

providing said snow pole assembly including a pole release member, said pole release member configured to permit selective extension of at least a portion of each one of said plurality of pole members exterior to said interior portion of said housing;

providing each one of said plurality of pole members including one of a plurality of locking pins located at one end of each of said plurality of pole members;

providing each one of said plurality of pole members having a keyway; and

providing each one of said plurality of locking pins of each one of said plurality of pole members engaging said keyway of each one of said plurality of pole members after at least a portion of each one of said plurality of pole members is extended exterior to said interior portion of said housing thereby permitting coordinated extension and retraction of each one of said plurality of pole members.

11. The method according to claim 10 further comprising the steps of:

providing a retracting spring located in a portion of said housing;

providing a tension line having a first end and a second end, said first end of said tension line coupled to said retracting spring, said second end of said tension line coupled to an inner end portion of a last pole member of said plurality of pole members;

actuating said pole retracting member;

retracting a first pole member of said plurality of pole members into said interior portion of said housing after a portion of said pole retracting member communicates with a first locking pin of said plurality of locking pins; and

retracting each one of the remaining pole members of said plurality of pole members into said interior portion of said housing after a portion of said pole retracting member communicates with each one of the remaining locking pins of said plurality of locking pins.

12. The method according to claim 10 further comprising the steps of:

providing at least one extending spring;

providing said at least one extending spring adapted to extend at least a portion of each one of said plurality of pole members exterior to said interior portion of said housing;

providing each pole member of said plurality of pole members has at least one indentation adapted to engage a portion of said pole release member;

actuating said pole release member thereby permitting selective extension of at least a portion of each one of said plurality of pole members; and

securing at least a portion of one of said plurality of pole members in an extended configuration exterior to said interior portion of said housing when at least one indentation of said plurality of pole members engages said pole release member.

13. The method according to claim 10 further comprising the steps of:

providing each pole member of said plurality of pole members has at least one indentation adapted to engage a portion of said pole release member;

actuating said pole release member thereby permitting selective extension of at least a portion of each one of said plurality of pole members;

providing a casting motion thereby extending at least a portion of each one of said plurality of pole members; and

securing at least a portion of one of said plurality of pole members in an extended configuration exterior to said interior portion of said housing when at least one indentation of said plurality of pole members engages said pole release member.

14. The method according to claim 10 further comprising the steps of:

providing said snow pole assembly including a pole tip located on an outer portion of one end of a last pole member of said plurality of pole members; and

placing said pole tip of said snow pole assembly against a snow surface when each one of said pole members is extended exterior to said interior portion of said housing, thereby permitting a person riding a snowboard to push along the snow surface.