Ski pole discs for imparting information and images
A disc for attachment to a ski pole provides snow resistance and imparts information. The disc includes a lower surface configured to form an image in the snow that imparts information to a person viewing the formed image, an upper surface, which may also impart information to a person viewing that surface, and a hole configured to receive an end of the ski pole to attach the disc to the ski pole.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/609,673, filed Sep. 13, 2004, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a ski pole disc for use on a ski pole that functions to provide snow resistance when a skier thrusts the pole into the snow, while forming or imprinting an information-imparting image in the snow and/or having an information-imparting upper surface. The invention also relates to methods of imparting information and advertising.
2. Related Art
Ski poles are used by snow skiers to help balance themselves as they ski over uneven terrain or around curves. A conventional ski pole has a lower end and a top end having a handle area by which the ski pole is manipulated by the user. A disc, sometimes referred to as a basket or wheel, is employed near the lower end of the ski pole to provide snow resistance, and thus a measure of support, when the user thrusts the pole into snow.
Various geometrical designs have been employed for ski pole discs. The typical disc is circular, with a hub, an outer rim, and integral radial ribs or spokes. The hub may be plastic, metal, rubber, or the like and may be pivotally mounted to the ski pole. The rim may be plastic, metal, or similar materials, and the ribs are typically plastic or rubber. Examples of this general type of configuration are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,163,437 (Phillipson); U.S. Pat. No. 3,199,886 (Dover); U.S. Pat. No. 3,250,545 (Cameron); U.S. Pat. No. D169,644 (Weiss); and U.S. Pat. No. D196,847 (Miller). These conventional designs suffer from certain disadvantages. For example, they tend to be rather heavy and expensive to manufacture, provide a relatively small snow resistance, and are subject to getting caught on obstacles, such as branches and twigs. In addition, these discs are not useful for forming information-imparting images in the snow. Nor do these discs provide an information-imparting upper surface.
Other designs have sought to overcome the disadvantages discussed above by employing a largely solid disc, as shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,743,311 (Giambazi); U.S. Pat. No. D279,024 (Nordgren et al.); U.S. Pat. No. D302,288 (Filice); U.S. Pat. No. D315,591 (Ehlert); U.S. Pat. No. D316,132 (Ehlert); U.S. Pat. No. D343,217 (Jarvinen); and U.S. Pat. No. D351,887 (Zimmerman). The solid discs tend to provide greater snow resistance due in part to their shape and larger surface area. However, these discs also are not useful for forming information-imparting images in the snow or imparting information to a viewer of a top surface of the disc.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn one aspect, the present invention provides a disc for attachment to a ski pole to provide snow resistance and impart information. The disc includes a lower surface configured to form an image in the snow that imparts information to a person viewing the formed image, an upper surface, which also may impart information to a person viewing that surface, and a hole configured to receive an end of the ski pole to attach the disc to the ski pole. The invention also provides methods of imparting information and advertising.
Embodiments of the present invention may include one or more of the following features. The imparted information may be at least one of commercial information, advertising, political information, personal identification, organizational identification, and team identification information. The formed image may include a text portion and/or a pictorial portion. The formed image also may include a logo. A ski pole may be provided that includes the disc.
These and other objects, features and advantages will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Referring to the drawings and first to
In the illustration of
In the arrangement of
Formed in bottom surface 32 are a plurality of contoured recesses 36 configured to form the imprint of the intended image when the ski disc contacts snow surface 14. The recesses 36 vary in size, shape, contour, depth, and so forth, so that taken together they form a contoured bottom surface within a peripheral edge 34 that forms an image-imparting imprint when the ski pole disc contacts a snow surface. Alternatively, the imprint of the intended image may be formed by bottom surface 32 having contoured raised surfaces that act to compact the snow to form corresponding contours in the snow surface.
The ski pole disc of
Ski pole discs can be secured to the lower end of ski poles in a number of ways. For example, the disc may have a central opening 44 therethrough that receives the lower end portion 24 of a ski pole 18. The ski pole 18 may be tapered, and the disc opening 44 may have a corresponding taper, so that when the lower end of a ski pole is inserted into the ski pole disc, the ski pole disc is held in place by frictional engagement.
As shown in
There are numerous systems for removably securing a ski pole disc 38 to the lower end 24 of a ski pole 18, and it is understood that the present invention can employ any known attachment method. Further, the ski pole disc of the present invention may be more or less permanently secured to the lower end portion of ski poles, instead of being removable. However, in the preferred arrangement, the ski pole discs are designed for replaceable use in combination with ski poles, so that the owner of a set of ski poles can have more than one set of ski pole discs to selectively impart different images. The disc 38 may be removed by applying a downward force and possibly a twisting force to the disc 38 and insert 50 assembly and sliding the assembly off the lower end 24 of the ski pole 18.
The replaceable nature of the ski pole disc allows the user to periodically change the disc in accordance with the user's tastes. For example, a particular disc may be selected to mark an occasion, such as a win by a favorite sports team. As a further example, discs having advertising images may be sold to or given to skiers or may be attached to rental ski poles to encourage skiers to disseminate advertising information.
As noted above, the present invention includes methods of imparting information using a disc attachable to a ski pole. In certain embodiments, the disc is selected based on a configuration of a lower surface of the disc, which forms an image in the snow that imparts information to a person viewing the formed image. Other embodiments may include thrusting the ski pole into a snow surface, and lifting the ski pole, so as to leave the information-imparting image in the snow surface. Alternatively, the disc may be selected for attachment to the ski pole based on a configuration of an upper surface of the disc, which imparts information to a person viewing the upper surface, or based on the configuration of both the upper and lower surfaces.
The present invention also includes methods of advertising, in which a ski pole disc is formed having an advertising image on a lower surface of the disc. The lower surface is configured to impress the advertising image in the snow. The ski pole disc is provided to a user and is removably attached to a ski pole by the user. Alternatively, the ski pole disc may be formed to have an advertising image on an upper surface of the disc, which is configured to impart the advertising image to a person viewing the upper surface, or on both the upper and lower surfaces.
While the present invention has been described with respect to what is presently considered to be the preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. To the contrary, the invention is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
Claims
1. A disc for attachment to a ski pole to provide snow resistance and impart information, the disc comprising:
- a lower surface of the disc configured to form an image in the snow that imparts information to a person viewing the formed image;
- an upper surface of the disc; and
- a hole configured to receive an end of the ski pole to attach the disc to the ski pole.
2. A disc attachable to a ski pole to impart information, the disc comprising:
- a lower surface of the disc;
- an upper surface of the disc configured to impart information to a person viewing the upper surface; and
- a hole configured to receive an end of the ski pole to attach the disc to the ski pole.
3. The disc of claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the disc is configured to impart information to a person viewing the upper surface.
4. The disc of claim 3, wherein the information is imparted by at least a text portion.
5. The disc of claim 3, wherein the information is imparted by at least a pictorial portion.
6. The disc of claim 3, wherein the information is imparted by at least a text portion and a pictorial portion.
7. The disc of claim 3, wherein the imparted information is at least one of commercial information, advertising, and political information.
8. The disc of claim 3, wherein the imparted information is at least one of religious information, sports-related information, nonsensical information, humorous information, entertainment information, style information, and fashion information.
9. The disc of claim 3, wherein the imparted information is at least one of personal identification, organizational identification, and team identification information.
10. The disc of claim 3, wherein the information comprises a logo.
11. The disc of claim 3, wherein the disc is attached to the ski pole using a cylindrical insert configured to fit within the hole in the disc.
12. A ski pole comprising the disc of claim 3.
13. A method of imparting information using a disc attachable to a ski pole to provide snow resistance and impart information, the method comprising:
- selecting the disc based on a configuration of a lower surface of the disc, the lower surface forming an image in the snow that imparts information to a person viewing the formed image; and
- attaching the disc to the ski pole.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the disc is attached to the ski pole using a cylindrical insert configured to fit within a hole in the disc.
15. The method of claim 13, further comprising selecting the disc based on a configuration of an upper surface of the disc, wherein the upper surface imparts information to a person viewing the upper surface.
16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:
- thrusting the ski pole into a snow surface; and
- lifting the ski pole so as to leave an information-imparting image in the snow surface.
17. A method of imparting information using a disc attachable to a ski pole to provide snow resistance and impart information, the method comprising:
- selecting the disc based on a configuration of an upper surface of the disc, wherein the upper surface imparts information to a person viewing the upper surface; and
- attaching the disc to the ski pole.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the disc is attached to the ski pole using a cylindrical insert configured to fit within the hole in the disc.
19. The method of claim 17, further comprising displaying the ski pole to a viewer.
20. A method of advertising, comprising:
- forming a ski pole disc having an advertising image on a lower surface of the disc, the lower surface being configured to impress the advertising image in the snow; and
- providing the ski pole disc to a user,
- wherein the ski pole disc is removably attachable to a ski pole by the user.
21. A method of advertising, comprising:
- forming a ski pole disc having an advertising image on an upper surface of the disc, the upper surface being configured to impart the advertising image to a person viewing the upper surface; and
- providing the ski pole disc to a user,
- wherein the ski pole disc is removably attachable to a ski pole by the user.
22. The method of advertising of claim 21, wherein the ski pole disc also has an advertising image on a lower surface of the disc, the lower surface being configured to impress the advertising image in the snow.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 17, 2004
Publication Date: Mar 16, 2006
Applicant: SNOW STAMPS L.L.C. (Tulsa, OK)
Inventor: Larry Fleming (Sand Springs, OK)
Application Number: 11/015,559
International Classification: A63C 11/24 (20060101);