EP0044588A1

EP0044588A1 - Method for producing ski sticks, and the ski stick obtained

Info

Publication number: EP0044588A1
Application number: EP81200770A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Giovanni Marco Bertelé
Original assignee: MECCANOTEX SpA
Current assignee: MECCANOTEX SpA
Priority date: 1980-07-23
Filing date: 1981-07-06
Publication date: 1982-01-27
Also published as: IT1131975B; IT8023627A0

Abstract

The method consists of producing the gripping part (3) of the grip (1) by plastics blow-moulding, separately from the end pieces (7, 9) which are produced by other moulding methods and then joined to the preceding to form the grip (1). A grip production rate is obtained which keeps up with that of the rods on which the grips are mounted.

Description

This invention relates to an industrial method for producing ski sticks and to the ski stick obtained by this method. More particularly, the invention relates to the ski stick grip.
The most commonly known ski sticks comprise a generally metal tubular rod, a point fixed to one end of said rod, a disc fixed to the rod a short distance from the point, and a grip mounted on the other end and generally associated with a strap. The grip comprises two end pieces and an inter mediate part shaped anatomically so as to facilitate gripping by hand. The grip is constituted by a plastics piece having a certain mass which is axially hollow (to allow insertion of the tubular rod) and is provided with a transverse channel constituting an undercut for fixing the ends of the strap. The grip design requires a relatively complicated mould able to produce several grips for each moulding process.
In addition, in order to keep up with the tubular rod produc tion, which proceeds at a very high rate, it is necessary to provide a plurality of moulds and equipment for the plastics injection.
The main object of the present invention is therefore to provide a method for producing ski sticks in which the production rate of the grips and the production rate of the rods can be matched to each other without the need for using numerous complicated moulds, and with a reduction in the consumption of plastics necessary for the grips.
In general, the strap is fixed to the grip and the grip is fixed to the stick by means of screws. When it is considered that factories exist having an annual production exceeding one million sticks, it is apparent that a considerable time and money saving would be obtained if it were possible to avoid the use of screws and the assembly operations which these require.
A further object of the present invention is therefore to avoid the use of screws and to facilitate the assembly of the strap.
In order to obtain optimum comfort, conventional grips should comprise a rigid anatomically shaped intermediate part, an upper end piece of any rigidity, and a soft lower end piece in contact with the little finger and its abducent muscle.
These different opposing rigidity requirements are not satisfied by conventional grips in which the entire grip is formed from one material.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a ski stick grip having zones of different rigidity in order to give greater comfort to the user.
These and other objects which will be more apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter are attained by an industrial production method characterised essentially in that the grip, at least in that part designed for gripping by the hand, is produced by known plastics blow-moulding, and contains an inner cavity which is open at one end and comprises at least one pair of substantially cylindrical coaxial collars, one disposed at said open end and the other at the other end, the tubular rod being forcecoupled to the grip at said collars.
According to a particular aspect of the invention, the grip is heated in order to increase the diameter of the collars and thus facilitate insertion of the tubular rod, against which the collars become clamped when cooling takes place.
According to a preferred aspect of the invention, the two end pieces of the grip are produced by a different method, for example by moulding, and separately from its grippable part which as stated is produced by the blow-moulding of plastics, such as nylon. The heads are joined together either by a force-fit or by snapping to the grippable part of the grip, and, in order to ensure rigidity of the joint, the end pieces and said part can be welded together by using the known ultrasonic method. The two end pieces, of small mass and volume, can be produced advantageously in very simple multiple moulds because they are free from undercuts, and by making the outer end piece in the form of a hollow body closable by means of a snap cover, it is possible to personalise the ski stick and facilitate assembly of the strap. To facilitate such assembly, according to the invention the outer end piece comprises a tooth or projection together with a side passage into which the strap ends are inserted, these being provided with a bore which is mounted over the tooth or projection, from which it cannot separate after fitting the said cover because insufficient space is left between this latter and the cover for this to happen.
The lower end piece, which is of overall annular configuration can be formed according to the invention from two parts, namely a rigid support part and an upper soft part, for example of spongy or foamed plastics, for example polyurethane, on which the little finger with its abducent muscle can comfortably rest.
In order to prevent the end piece being able to rotate about the grippable part of the grip on which it is mounted, ribs and corresponding recesses are provided in the mutual engagement zone, these being arranged one in the other to exert the required anti-rotational action.
The invention will be more apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the upper end of a ski stick constructed in accordance with the teachings of the invention;
Figures'2 and 3 are two sections taken 90° apart through the gripping part of the grip;
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section through a modification of the grip; and
Figure 5 is a view of a further modification of the grip.

With reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3, the reference numeral 1 indicates the grip overall, and 2 the tubular rod of the ski stick on which the grip is forced.
The grip comprises a gripping part 3, hereinafter called the gripping member, which is anatomically shaped so as to facilitate gripping by the hand. The gripping member 3 is produced by known blow-moulding of plastics, for example nylon, and is consequently internally hollow. The cavity 4 is open at its lower end to allow the (forced) insertion of the rod 2 of the stick. The gripping member 1 comprises internally at its ends a pair of substantially cylindrical coaxial collars 5, 6 to which the rod 2 is joined by forcing. The gripping member 1 comprises roughened portions in the form of sawtooth profiles both on the outside and inside at the collars 5, 6 (see Figures 2 and 3) by virtue of suitable forming, the purpose of these being to facilitate coupling between the various parts of the grip 1 and between this and the tubular rod 2.
The lower end piece 7 of the grip is forced on to the lower collar 5, this end piece being produced by moulding, e.g. ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene), and which for the purpose comprises a through bore 8 the face of which comprises configurations conjugate with the sawtooth profiles of the collar 5, the end piece 7 being coupled thereat. In order to stabilise the coupling, welding can be carried out in this zone by the known ultrasonic method. The lower end piece 5 comprises a flange 7A which extends outwards to a greater extent in the zone in which the abducent muscle of the little finger rests.
The upper end piece 9 of the grip is forced on to the upper collar, this end piece also being produced by moulding, e.g. of nylon, and in contrast to normal grips is completely hollow. In this example, the end piece 9 is formed by two pieces 10 and 11 which are snap-fitted to each other, one of these, namely the piece 10, being directly forced and possibly welded by the ultrasonic method on to the collar 6, the other, namely the piece 11, being snap-fitted to the preceding piece and acting as the closure cap therefor. The piece 10 has a dead bore 12 with an internal sawtooth profile conjugate with the configurations present on the collar 6 of the gripping member 1. The piece 10 has a flared or goblet configuration, and internally comprises a preferably cylindrical appendix 13 facing upwards, over which the corresponding bored ends of the leather or plastics hand strap 14 into which the skier normally inserts his wrist are mounted. The strap 14 emerges from the piece 10 through a side aperture 15 therein. The cap 11, which can also be formed of more rigid material and in two or more colours obtained during injection moulding, and comprise information or signs, upperly closes the cavity in the piece 10 and prevents the strap 14 from disengaging from the appendix 13 to which it is connected. When the cap 11 has been mounted, there is not sufficient space bet ween this latter and the upper end of said appendix for this disengagement to happen. To enable them to be snap- connected, the pieces 10, 11 are provided with conjugate recesses and projections 16 at their coupling zone. To prevent the end pieces being able to move by rotating about the gripping member 1 before being subjected to ultrasonic welding which locks them exactly in position, radial ribs 17 can be provided on the outside of the collars 5 and 6 in the gripping member 1, together with corresponding recesses at the bores in the end pieces 7 and 9.
Figure 4 shows a modification of the grip. In this figure, parts which are equal or corresponding to those of the preceding embodiment are indicated by the same reference numerals followed by the letter A. In this grip, the configuration of the means provided on the collars 5A, 6A for connecting together the end pieces 7A and 9A are modified. The configuration is undulated in this case instead of sawtoothed. The end pieces are also modified. The lower end piece 7A comprises a rigid base member 20 produced by moulding plastics such as nylon, on which an annular pad 21 of resilient material such as foamed polyure thane or natural or synthetic sponge rubber is disposed either by a second forming operation in the mould or by applying it, its purpose being to provide a suitable soft support for the skier's hand. The upper end piece 9A is in the form of a single piece of plastics, and comprises a dead side bore 22 into which the ends of the strap, not shown, are inserted, these being fixed for example by a screw 23 screwed in the usual manner into a plug of wood or other material 24 forced into the upper end of the tubular rod 2A. It is apparent that the strap can be fixed into the bore 22 by means of a safety device which causes the strap to open when a sufficient traction force is exerted on the ski stick. Such a safety devise is described for example in the German utility model No. 7903032 filed on 5.2.59 and granted on 10.5.79.
It is apparent that some of the devices of the grip of Figure 4 can be used in the grip of the other figures and vice versa, without leaving the scope of the invention.
As shown in Figure 5, the two end pieces 7B, 9B, produced by moulding and joined to the blow-moulded gripping member 3B in the manner described, can be provided with arcuate appendices 30, 31 facing each other, so that the grip 1B assumes the shape of those grips which are known in the art by the name "sword hilt".
The grip of the invention has also the considerable merit of being lighter than the conventional grip produced by moulding.
Although only three embodiments of the invention have been described, it will be easy for an expert of the art to devise numerous modifications on the basis of the inventive idea, which must however all lie within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A method for producing ski sticks comprising a grip and a tubular rod on which said grip is fixed, characterised in that the grip, at least in that part designed for gripping by the hand and known as the gripping member, is produced by known plastics blow-moulding, and contains an inner cavity, which is open at least one end, and at least one pair of substantially cylindrical coaxial collars disposed at the two ends, the tubular rod being coupled to the grip by an interference fit at said collars.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that in order to obtain coupling between the tubular rod and grip, this latter is previously heated in order to increase the diameter of the collars, the rod is then inserted into the grip, and the collars clamp against the tubular rod as the result of natural or forced cooling.

3. A method as claimed in the preceding claims, characterised in that "two end pieces, namely an upper and a lower end piece and produced preferably by plastics moulding, are coupled to the gripping member (and possibly welded by ultrasonic welding).

4. A ski stick comprising a tubular rod and a grip, and obtained in accordance with one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the grip comprises a hollow gripping member provided with at least one pair of collars disposed at its ends and clamped against the hollow rod, and a pair of end pieces in the form of separate parts but made rigid with the gripping member, preferably at said collars.

5. A ski stick as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that one of the end pieces is hollow, is closed by a cap and comprises in said cavity a projection on which are mounted the correspondingly bored ends of a wrist strap which emerges through an aperture provided in said end piece.

6. A ski stick as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that one of the end pieces comprises a rigid part acting as a support for a resiliently yieldable support part for the hand.