Ski transport system

Abstract

A ski transport system may include a pliable cord with a first end and a second end. A loop may be provided on the first and second ends of the cord. A pair of hooks may be movably mounted to the cord, providing at least two degrees of freedom of each hook relative to the cord. One degree of freedom may include movement along the length of the cord between the first end and the second end, the loops provided on the first end and the second end acting as stops to capture the hooks on the cord. The first end of the cord may be wrapped one or more times around a set of skis and poles in one position and the second end of the cord may be wrapped one or more times around the skis and poles at a second position, securing the hooks to the respective loops. The greater the tension in the cord, the greater the frictional force will be exerted on the skis and poles to secure them to the transport system. A user may lift the skis and poles between the first end and the second end of the cord to transport the items.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to packaging and transport devices and, more particularly, to devices used to transport skis and ski poles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Packaging items for transport presents challenges, especially if the items are large and bulky. Skis and ski poles are inherently difficult to maneuver and carry as they are long, thin and have bindings mounted on one side. The ski poles add another level of difficulty as they are shorter than the skis, but are still several feet long and have a sharp end that could be dangerous if not properly secured.

Putting four long and bulky objects into one neat package is not without its challenges. If a hook is placed on the end of a cord, and used to wrap around the items, the hook fastening back onto the cord away from the end, the body of the hook will always be pulled down against the body of the skis, when the cord is tensioned. This can potentially damage the edges of the skis, which may be very expensive equipment.

Other attempts include placing a fastening system on the ends of a belt or strap. Skis are usually wet and icy, as they have been in the snow. The frictional force required to hold the skis in place may need to be high. Any system that “buckles” to itself around the skis will provide only the amount of frictional force provided due to how tight the strap is wrapped and fastened. If the ski poles are bundled to the skis, it may be desirable to tightly hold the poles against the skis, as any bumping of the poles against the skis could result in damage to the poles or skis. If the skis and poles slip during transit, damage or injury could result. This suggests a need for a tight and secure connection between the transport system and the items being transported.

It should, therefore, be appreciated that there is a need for a ski transport system that may be lightweight, portable and yet will securely hold the skis and poles in one package. The present invention fulfills this need and others.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a ski transport system including an elongate cord with a first end and a second end. A first loop may be operatively coupled to the first end and a second loop operatively coupled to the second end of the elongate cord. A pair of hooks may be movably coupled to the elongate cord and located between the first loop and the second loop. The combination provides the elongate cord to be wrapped around a pair of skis at two places and secured thereto by the hooks being releasably coupled to the loops.

The elongate cord may be substantially circular in cross section. Each hook of the pair of hooks may be movably coupled to the elongate cord with at least two degrees of freedom. One degree of freedom may be along the long axis of the elongate cord and the second degree of freedom may be to rotate around the long axis of the cord. Each hook of the pair of hooks may include a substantially cylindrical center cavity which receives the cord, thereby providing the basis for these two degrees of freedom, rotation about the long axis of the cord and movement along the long axis of the cord.

Each hook of the pair of hooks may include a substantially rigid loop with an open section. The open section of each hook of the pair of hooks may be oriented toward the open section of the other hook when received on the elongate cord. The elongate cord may be a pliable member and manufactured from a braided cordage material.

An exemplary method for transporting skis is presented including the steps of wrapping the first end of the cord around the skis in a first location, securing the hook to the loop at the first end of the cord, wrapping the second end of the cord around the skis in a location different from the first location, securing the hook to the loop at the second end of the cord, and grasping the cord between the first end and the second end, lifting the cord with the skis. The additional step of wrapping the first end of the cord around the skis more than once may also be performed.

For purposes of summarizing the invention and the advantages achieved over the prior art, certain advantages of the invention have been described herein above. Of course, it is to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages can be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, for example, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein.

All of these embodiments are intended to be within the scope of the invention herein disclosed. These and other embodiments of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of the preferred embodiments drawings, the invention not being limited to any particular preferred embodiment(s) disclosed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a ski transport system with the cord folded for illustrative purposes, the system produced in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an isometric detail view shown along line 2-2 of the hook of the ski transport system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of one end of the ski transport system of FIG. 1 as it may be used to secure a pair of skis and ski poles.

FIG. 4 is a section view of the cord and hook along line 4-4 in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the ski transport system of FIG. 1 as it may be used to secure a pair of skis and ski poles ready for transport.

FIG. 6 is an isometric detail view of the hook coupled to the cord of the ski transport system of FIG. 5 cut along line 6-6.

FIG. 7 is an isometric view of the hook of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of the ski transport system of FIG. 1 with the cord double wrapped around the skis and ski poles.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to the illustrative drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1-2, there is shown a ski transport system 10. The system 10 may include a cord 12 that may be substantially elongate. The cord 12 may include a first end 14 and a second end 16, which may be interchangeable. On the first end 14 and the second end 16 a first loop 18 and a second loop 20 may be provided, respectively. The first loop 18 and the second loop 20 may be a portion of the cord 12 folded back on itself and secured by a crimp 22. The first loop 18 and the second loop 20 may also be independent structures fastened to the first end 14 and second end 16 of the cord 12. Regardless of the method of construction, the first loop 18 and the second loop 20 may be operatively coupled to the respective ends of the cord 12, insofar as the first loop 18 and the second loop 20 may be used to transmit force from the first loop 18 to the second loop 20 through the cord 12. In addition, the first loop 18 and the second loop 20 may be the most distal elements of the system 10 when the cord 12 is elongated.

A first hook 24 may be received by the cord 12 near the first loop 14 and a second hook 26 may be received by the cord 12 near the second loop 20. As such, both the first hook 24 and the second hook 26 may be positioned together on the cord 12 between the first loop 14 and the second loop 20. The hooks (24 and 26) may be movably mounted on the cord 12. One degree of freedom of movement may be illustrated by the arrows 28, in that the hooks (24 and 26) may be adapted to move along the long axis, or length, of the cord 12. This provides an infinitely variable length between the first loop 18 and the first hook 24 and in a similar manner, the distance between the second loop 20 and the second hook 26, within the confines of the overall length of the cord 12. Skis, and especially the combination of a pair of skis and ski poles may vary in circumference. As such, the length of a binding loop, or the distance between the hook 24 and the loop 18 may be varied according to the need of the user by the hook (24 and 26) being movable along the length of the cord 12.

To facilitate the attachment process between the first hook 24 and the first loop 18, and likewise between the second hook 26 and the second loop 20, each hook (24 and 26) may be substantially rigid and include an open section 30. The open section 30 is adapted to receive the associated loop (18 and 20) to be secured into the hook body 32. This makes for easy attachment and release of the loops (18 and 20) from their respective hooks (24 and 26). To insure secure attachment of the loops (18 and 20) in the hooks (24 and 26), the open section 30 of the first hook 24 may be facing, or oriented toward, the open section 30 of the second hook 26. This orientation places the open section 30 on the opposite side of the respective loop (18 and 20) so the force pulling on the loops (18 and 20) pulls them into their respective hook body 32 and away from the open section 30. In doing so, the tension applied by the weight of the skis aids to “lock” the loops (18 and 20) into their respective hooks (24 and 26).

With reference to FIG. 3, a typical application of the invention is shown. The cord 12 is wrapped around a pair of skis 34 and ski poles 36. The first hook 24 is adjusted along the length of the cord 12 as depicted by the arrows 28 to align with the first loop 18. To further aid in the attachment of the first loop 18 to the first hook 24, it may be desirable for the hook 24 to include a second degree of freedom, as is shown in FIG. 4. The hooks (24 and 26) may include a substantially cylindrical center cavity 38 that receives the cord 12, which may include a circular cross section. The combination of the substantially cylindrical center cavity 38 of the hooks (24 and 26) may gently articulate with the circular shape of the cord 12 to allow rotation of the hooks (24 and 26) around the long axis of the cord 12. This is illustrated by the rotation arrows 40. As such, the first hook 24 may be adjusted in position relative to the distance away from the first loop 18, and rotated about the cord 12 to enable the open section 30 of the first hook 24 to receive the first loop 18. This process may be duplicated with the second hook 26 with the second loop 20.

The culmination of the attachment process is illustrated in FIGS. 5-6. The pair of skis 34 and pair of poles 36 are positioned adjacent to one another. The cord 12 is wrapped around the skis 34 and poles 36 in two places along the length of the skis 34. The first loop 18 is received by the first hook 24 and the second loop 20 is received by the second hook 26. A user can then grasp the cord 12 between the first end 14 and the second end 16, lifting up on the cord 12 to generate tension in the cord 12 due to the weight of the skis 34 and poles 36. As tension is developed in the cord 12, the first loop 18 is pulled toward the skis 34 due to the first hook 24 being able to move along the length of the cord 12. The first hook 24, with the attached first loop 18, will create a sling with the first end 14 of the cord 12 to clamp down on the skis 34 and poles 36, thereby holding them securely together. The same process may be done on the second end 16 of the cord 12 with the second hook 26 and second loop 20. The combination provides a high friction lock to bind and hold the skis 34 and poles 36 in a controlled package for easy and safe transport. The greater the weight of the skis 34 and poles 36, the greater the tension in the cord 12. Due to the ability of the hooks (24 and 26) to move on the cord 12, the greater the tension in the cord 12, the greater the clamping affect on the skis 34 and poles 36. This enables a user to carry more than one set of skis 34 and poles 36 if desired.

The first hook 24 is shown in more detail in FIG. 7. In this disclosure, the first hook 24 and the second hook 26 are identical in construction, only the position on the cord 12 is varied. Therefore, in this instance the detail of the first hook 24 may also be applicable to the second hook 26. A hook base 42 may be substantially cylindrical in shape, within which a substantially cylindrical center cavity 38 may be provided. This center cavity 38 may be adapted to receive the cord 12, as noted in the previous figures, and allow two degrees of freedom of movement (linear and rotational) of the first hook 24 relative to the cord 12. The hook body 32 may include a rigid arcuate portion 44, which may not extend fully on one side to the body 32. This may provide an open section 30 to allow access for the first loop 18 and second loop 20 to thereby facilitate fastening and unfastening to the first hook 24 and the second hook 26, respectively.

With reference to FIG. 8, an alternate fastening is illustrated. It may be desirable to alter the length of the cord 12 to accommodate positioning the cord 12 over the shoulder of a user or in the hand of a user. If a shoulder carry is desired, a longer relative cord 12 may be desired as compared to a hand carry. Varying the relative length to the user, while maintaining a constant physical length of cord 12 may be provided in two ways. One way is to modify the distance between the first end 14 and the second end 16 of the cord 12 (FIG. 5) on the skis 34. In the event that the location on the skis 34 is desired to be in a defined position, for balance, or contact with a structure on the skis (such as the bindings), the length of the cord 12 may be altered by wrapping the cord 12 one or more times around either or both attachments with the skis 34 and poles 36. In FIG. 8, the first end 14 is shown with the cord 12 wrapped twice around the skis 34 and poles 36 and the first loop 18 fastened to the first hook 24. As previously noted, one of the degrees of freedom of the first hook 24 on the cord 12 is to freely move along the long axis, or length, of the cord 12. This allows room for multiple wraps of the cord 12 around any object to be carried. With the length of the cord 12 remaining constant, the greater the amount of cord 12 that is wrapped around the object being carried, the less cord 12 length is available between the attachment of the first end 14 and the second end 16 on the objects being carried. From the user's perspective, this functionally changes the length of the cord 12 without the need to physically alter the actual length of the cord 12.

The foregoing detailed description of the present invention is provided for purposes of illustration, and it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the particular embodiment shown. The embodiments may provide different capabilities and benefits, depending on the configuration used to implement key features of the invention.

Claims

1. A ski transport system, comprising:

an elongate cord with a first end and a second end;

a first loop operatively coupled to the first end and a second loop operatively coupled to the second end of the elongate cord; and

a pair of hooks movably coupled to the elongate cord and located between the first loop and the second loop, whereby the elongate cord may be wrapped around a pair of skis at two places and secured thereto by the hooks being releasably coupled to the loops.

2. The ski transport system according to claim 1, wherein the elongate cord is substantially circular in cross section.

3. The ski transport system according to claim 1, wherein each hook of the pair of hooks is movably coupled to the elongate cord with two degrees of freedom.

4. The ski transport system according to claim 1, wherein each hook of the pair of hooks includes a substantially cylindrical center cavity.

5. The ski transport system according to claim 1, wherein each hook of the pair of hooks includes a substantially rigid loop with an open section.

6. The ski transport system according to claim 5, wherein the open section of each hook of the pair of hooks is oriented toward the open section of the other hook.

7. The ski transport system according to claim 1, wherein the elongate cord is a pliable member.

8. The ski transport system according to claim 1, wherein the elongate cord is manufactured from a braided cordage material.

9. A ski transport system, comprising:

a cord with a first end and a second end and including a loop continuous with each of the first end and the second end; and

a pair of hooks movably coupled to the cord and free to move between the first end and the second end of the cord, whereby the cord may be wrapped around a pair of skis at two places and secured thereto by the hooks being releasably coupled to the loops.

10. The ski transport system according to claim 9, wherein the cord is substantially circular in cross section.

11. The ski transport system according to claim 9, wherein each hook of the pair of hooks is movably coupled to the cord with two degrees of freedom.

12. The ski transport system according to claim 9, wherein each hook of the pair of hooks includes a substantially cylindrical center cavity.

13. The ski transport system according to claim 9, wherein each hook of the pair of hooks includes a substantially rigid loop with an open section.

14. The ski transport system according to claim 13, wherein the open section of each hook of the pair of hooks is oriented toward the open section of the other hook.

15. The ski transport system according to claim 9, wherein the cord is a pliable member.

16. The ski transport system according to claim 9, wherein the cord is manufactured from a braided cordage material.

17. A method of transporting skis, the method including providing a cord with a first end and a second end and including a loop continuous with each of the first end and the second end, and a pair of hooks movably coupled to the cord and free to move between the first end and the second end of the cord, the method of transporting skis including the steps of:

wrapping the first end of the cord around the skis in a first location;

securing the hook to the loop at the first end of the cord;

wrapping the second end of the cord around the skis in a location different from the first location;

securing the hook to the loop at the second end of the cord; and

grasping the cord between the first end and the second end, lifting the skis wrapped by the cord.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising wrapping the first end of the cord around the skis more than once.