US3905610A - Combination ski binding strap and ski boot fastener - Google Patents

Abstract

A combination strap-fastener for use in keeping a pair of skis and a pair of ski boots together as a unit for storage or while the skis and boots are not in use. The device includes a flexible, resilient strap adapted to encircle a pair of skis when the same are contiguous to each other, the strap having means for releasably interconnecting its ends to removably hold the strap about the skis. The strap has a pair of fasteners at respective ends thereof for releasable attachment to loops on respective ski boots to releasably couple the ski boots to the skis as a unit.

Description

United States Patent [191 Dini [4 1 Sept. 16, 1975 COMBINATION SKI BINDING STRAP AND SKI BOOT FASTENER [22] Filed: Mar. 5, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 448,302

[52] US. Cl. 280/ll.37 A; 24/73 SG; 224/45 S [51] Int. Cl. A63C ll/02 [58] Field of Search 280/1 1.37 A, 11.37 K; 224/45 S, 52; 24/73 SG, 81 SR, 73 A, 73 HR,

73 HH, 73 TH, 73 I-IL, DIG. 29, 231, 236

2,031,250 2/1969 France 280/1 1.37 A 183,000 1/1955 Austria 280/1 1.37 A 238,071 6/1945 Switzerland 280/1 1.37 K

Primary Examiner-David Schonberg Assistant Examiner-David M. Mitchell [5 7] ABSTRACT A combination strap-fastener for use in keeping a pair of skis and a pair of ski boots together as a unit for storage or while the skis and boots are not in use. The device includes a flexible, resilient strap adapted to encircle a pair of skis when the same are contiguous to each other, the strap having means for releasably interconnecting its ends to removably hold the strap about the skis. The strap has a pair of fasteners at respective ends thereof for releasable attachment to loops on respective ski boots to releasably couple the ski boots to the skis as a unit.

4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures COMBINATION SKI BINDING STRAP AND SKI BOOT FASTENER This invention relates to improvements in the handling and storing of skis and ski boots and, more particularly, to structure for keeping skis and ski boots together as a unit.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION When a pair of skis are put away for storage or otherwise placed in a standby position during periods of nonuse, the skis are generally bound together by strap means of some type. When so bound, the skis are in face-to-face relationship with the bottom of one ski abutting the bottom of the other ski. This minimizes the space required to store the skis and protects the bottom surfaces of the skis while preventing separation of the same from each other.

When skis are stored in the manner described, ski boots are generally placed near the skis, such as on the floor or the like which supports the skis. By their very nature, ski boots can be easily moved from one place to another, such as by being kicked or otherwise shifted out of a desired location. When this occurs, the ski boots can oftentimes become hidden behind other objects or moved far enough away from their skis as to be completely separate therefrom.

In other situations, such as on ski slopes or near ski lodges, it is desirable to keep each pair of ski boots as close to the corresponding pair of skis as possible to avoid confusion as to the ownership of skis and boots. This is important because of the similarity in appearance of many types of skis and boots. Also, in carrying the skis, it is extremely helpful to be able to carry a pair of ski boots easily and conveniently with the skis.

Because of the foregoing, a need has, therefore, arisen for some means to more positively keep a pair of ski boots and a pair of skis together to avoid separation of the same.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to structure for keeping a pair of skis and a pair of ski boots together as a unit to prevent separation of the ski boots from the skier. To this end, the structure of the present invention includes a flexible strap for surrounding a pair of skis when the same are in face-to-face relationship so that the skis themselves can be releasably bound together. The strap is generally resilient to assure a tight binding of the skis so that they can be placed in a generally upright or inclined position without fear of any relative movement between the skis. The strap has means for interconnecting its opposite ends. Also, the strap has fastening means thereon for connecting a pair of ski boots thereto. Generally, a ski boot has one or more buckles for use in securing the boot on the foot. The fastening means on the strap is releasably coupled to such a buckle to connect the ski boot to the strap.

In a preferred embodiment, the strap has a hooklike clip fastener at each of its ends, respectively. Thus, there is a fastener for each of a pair of ski boots and the latter can be connected by way of the fasteners directly to the strap and thereby to the pair of skis bound by the strap itself. The ski boots can be carried at any height, generally at a location midway between the ends of the skis so that the skis and the boots form a unit made up of separable parts. In this way, the ski boots can be stored or carried with the skis and cannot be separated therefrom without the manual manipulation of the fasteners holding the ski boots on the strap.

Theprimary object of this invention is to provide an improved ski binding unit having means thereon for releasably attaching a pair of ski boots thereto so that the ski boots and a pair of skis can be coupled together as a unit to permit the ski boots to be stored or otherwise placed in a standby condition along with the skis to prevent separation of the skis and boots from each other.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved ski binding unit which comprises a flexible, resilient strap having means thereon for interconnecting the ends thereof when the strap encircles a pair of skis, wherein the strap also includes one or more fasteners for interconnecting a pair of ski boots thereto so that the ski boots and the skis are coupled together to prevent their separation from each other until the ski boots and the skis are to be placed in use.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent as the following specification progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawing for an illustration of the invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the combination strap and fastener of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a pair of skis bound together by the present invention and showing a pair of ski boots attached to the fasteners thereof; and

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of a pair of skis and a pair of ski boots coupled together as a unit by the combination strap and fastener of this invention.

The device of the present invention is broadly denoted by the numeral 10 and includes an elongated strap 12 of resilient material, such as rubber or the like. Strap 12 typically is about 5 to 6 inches in length and about %-inch in width. It has a first boss 14 integral therewith at one end thereof for mounting a first closed loop 16 of relatively rigid wire. The loop is pivotal about a central axis through boss 14 width-wise of strap 12. The loop can pivot through an arc of slightly less than Strap 12 has a second boss 18 at its opposite end for pivotally mounting a second closed loop 20 of rigid wire. Because boss 18 is at the opposite end of the strap, loop 20 can pivot through an angle greater than 180.

A fastening member 22 is pivotally coupled to loop 20 in the manner shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Member 22 has a .I-shaped body 23 as shown in FIG. 2 so that it can be removably placed along one side margin of one of a pair of skis 24. Thus, the side margin of the ski is disposed between first and second generally parallel sides 26 and 28 of member 22.

A lateral projection 30 integral with member 22 extends from bight 32 thereof and has an angled outer end portion. Projection 30 acts as a hook for receiving loop 16 when strap 12 is partially wrapped around skis 24 when the latter are in face-to-face relationship as shown in FIG. 2. Typically, the strap must be stretched for loop 16 to be looped over projection 30. Thus, the strap will be under tension when it is in the operative position of FIGS. 2 and 3 and thereby more effectively hold skis 24 together. In this way, the skis are kept from being separated from each other and the bottom surfaces of the skis are protected.

Loops l6 and 20 are provided with respective clip fasteners 34 and 36 as shown in FIG. 1. Each of these fasteners includes a J-shaped or hook-shaped main body 38 which'is pivotally mounted by an end pin 40 on a rigid loop 42. Loop 42 of fastener 34 is received through loop 16 of the strap and loop 42 of fastener 36 is received through loop 20 of the strap. A spring clip 44 closes the opening to the hook portion of body 38 of each fastener, respectively, to releasably hold or lock a boot buckle or the like to the fastener.

Fasteners 34 and 36 are adapted to connect a pair of ski boots 46 and 48 to strap 12. To this end, the fasteners can attach themselves to the buckles on the boots or any other part of the boots where a releasable connection can be made. As shown in FIG. 2, each fastener is coupled to a buckle 50 of a ski boot.

When it is desired to use device 10, it is first placed about a pair of juxtaposed skis 24 and the ends of the strap are interconnected by placing loop 16 over projection 30. Then fasteners 34 and 36 are coupled to buckles 50 on respective ski boots to connect the latter to the strap and thereby to skis 24. As shown in FIG. 3, the skis and boots are assembled together as a unit with device 10. In this condition, the skis and boots can be stored or carried without becoming separated from each other.

When it is desired to use the skis and boots, the boots are first separated from fasteners 34 and 36 and then strap 12 is removed from the skis. Device can then be placed in a garment pocket since it is small and flexible enough to easily fit into a pocket even though fasteners 34 and 36 remain attached to the strap. Also, de vice 10 can be clipped on other portions of a garment if no pocket is available. The parts of device 10 can also be made cheaply and such parts can easily be assembled and readily packaged at minimum expense.

Device 10 can also be used to carry a pair of ski boots over the shoulder. To this end, strap 12 will extend over the shoulder with a ski boot in front and a ski boot in back. In lieu of being carried over the shoulder, device 10 can be hand-carried with a pair of ski boots attached thereto.

I claim: 1. In combination: a flexible strap of resilient material having a pair of opposed ends and means adjacent to the ends thereof for releasably interconnecting the same, the strap being adapted to extend about a pair of juxtaposed skis to hold the same together when said ends are interconnected; a fastener for each end of the strap, respectively, each fastener having means for receiving the buckle of a ski boot and for releasably holding the buckle against removal therefrom; said interconnecting means including means connected to said strap and coupled with each fastener, respectively, for attaching the same to a respective end of the strap.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein said attaching means at each end of the strap includes a loop pivotally coupled to the strap, each fastener being pivotally coupled to a respective loop.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 2, wherein said interconnecting means includes a J-shaped member pivotally coupled to one of the loops and having a hook-defining projection receivable in the other loop to interconnect the loops and thereby the ends of the straps.

4. The combination as set forth in claim I, wherein each fastener includes a hook having an open part for receiving a buckle of a ski boot and a spring closure for closing the open part of the hook.

Claims (4)

1. In combination: a flexible strap of resilient material having a pair of opposed ends and means adjacent to the ends thereof for releasably interconnecting the same, the strap being adapted to extend about a pair of juxtaposed skis to hold the same together when said ends are interconnected; a fastener for each end of the strap, respectively, each fastener having means for receiving the buckle of a ski boot and for releasably holding the buckle against removal therefrom; said interconnecting means including means connected to said strap and coupled with each fastener, respectively, for attaching the same to a respective end of the strap.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein said attaching means at each end of the strap includes a loop pivotally coupled to the strap, each fastener being pivotally coupled to a respective loop.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 2, wherein said interconnecting means includes a J-shaped member pivotally coupled to one of the loops and having a hook-defining projection receivable in the other loop to interconnect the loops and thereby the ends of the straps.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein each fastener includes a hook having an open part for receiving a buckle of a ski boot and a spring closure for closing the open part of the hook.

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