Patent Grant
10646012
This application is a National Stage of International Application No. PCT/EP2016/051848 filed Jan. 28, 2016, claiming priorities to Swiss Patent Application Nos. 00199/15, filed Feb. 13, 2015, and 00364/15, filed Mar. 17, 2015, the contents of all of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
The present invention relates to a tip body for a pole, in particular a Nordic walking pole, trekking pole, ski pole, cross-country ski pole or walking pole, having a spring mechanism for the purposes of damping the exertion of axial force produced by the supporting movement of the user; as well as to a pole with such a tip body.
The majority of poles from the prior art comprise a damping device in the interior of the pole, in the majority of cases in the form of a compression coil spring. This is usually positioned in the upper pole region, e.g. in the vicinity of the handle, or between two telescopic pole portions, such as, e.g. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,061,347. EP 1 814 419 and DE 10 2005 028 914, for example, certainly each disclose a damping device in the lower pole region, however in each case also in the form of an inner spring mechanism by means of compression coil springs. When using an external clamping system, such as, for example, in EP 2 381 812, however, the installation of an inner damping device gives rise to problems as it would obstruct the telescopic function. U.S. Pat. No. 8,820,339 discloses a bellows which acts as a damping device as a possible solution in the case of external clamping. EP 0 820 711 discloses an external damping device which is fixed on the pole body by means of a bracket.
The object accordingly underlying the invention is, amongst other things, to propose an improved damping device, which is simple to produce and is resistant to contamination, for a telescopic pole, in particular, for example, for a telescopic pole with an external clamping system, the damping device having to be simple to produce and being realized in as narrow a manner as possible, i.e. with regard to both axial and circumferential extension. Tip damping is particularly advantageous on a pole which comprises, for example, at least two tube portions which can be telescoped into one another (e.g. trekking pole) and which comprises an external clamping system for length adjustment or for detachably fixing the relative axial position of the at least two telescopic tube portions with respect to one another. The design, however, can be used in the same way with telescopic systems with internal clamping or with internal and external clamping.
The solution to said object is achieved in that a pole, in particular a Nordic walking pole, trekking pole, ski pole, cross-country ski pole or walking pole, is made available which comprises a pole body, on the lower free end of which a tip body is provided. The tip body comprises a downwardly closed end attachment with a central receiving opening. Said central receiving opening serves for receiving a lowermost tube portion of the pole body. In addition to this or as an alternative to it, the central receiving opening can serve for receiving an insertion element which is received and fastened in the lowermost tube portion of the pole body by way of an upper axial portion, and is received in the central receiving opening of the end attachment by way of a lowermost axial portion. The insertion element serves in this case to a certain extent as a connecting member between the lowermost tube portion and the end attachment.
A further damping element, e.g. a disk produced from elastic material, can be provided, in this case, as stop damping at the bottom of the blind hole of the end attachment. As an alternative to this, a further such damping element can also be arranged and fastened on and/or in the element impacting on said bottom.
The tip body further comprises an outer circumferential elastic elastomer spring element which connects axially above an upper end of the end attachment and engages around the lowermost tube portion of the pole body or—according to the above-named alternative—a middle axial portion of the insertion element at least in part in the circumferential direction. An elastomer spring element is to be understood as an element which provides a highly elastically deformable body, and both cushions and damps, e.g. in the form of a foam spring (e.g. PU) or an elastic full body, here in each case with a central passage opening. Said elastomer spring element damps and cushions an axial relative movement of the lowermost tube portion of the pole body relative to the end attachment and/or of the insertion element whilst an axial force is applied from above onto the pole. In this case, the lowermost tube portion of the pole body or, where applicable, also the insertion element, is mounted so as to be displaceable in the central receiving opening of the end attachment counter a spring force of the elastic spring element axially. The elastomer spring element, when it is designated as an outer circumferential, elastic, elastomer spring element, is an element, which, in a preferred manner, is substantially hollow-cylindrical (where applicable with a structured surface and end regions) produced from elastomer material, the outside surface of which forms the outside surface of the tip body. In other words, it completely surrounds the other components of the tip body on the outside in a circumferential manner in a certain axial portion. Different types of thermoplastic elastomer materials are used as material for the elastomer spring element, e.g. TPE-O, i.e. polyolefin blends, e.g. PP/EPDM, e.g. Santoprene (AES/Monsanto); TPE-V, i.e. crosslinked polyolefin blends, e.g. PP/EPDM, e.g. Sarlink, Forprene, TPE-U i.e. urethane blends, e.g. Elastollan (BASF) or Desmopan, Texin, Utechllan (Bayer); TPE-E, i.e. thermoplastic polyester elastomers/thermoplastic copolyester, e.g. Keyflex (LG Chem); TPE-S i.e. Styrene block copolymers (SBS, SEBS, SEPS, SEEPS and MBS), e.g. Styroflex (BASF), Septon (Kuraray), Thermolast (Kraiburg TPE) or Saxomer (Polyplast Compound Werk GmbH), TPE-A, i.e. thermoplastic Copolyamide, e.g. PEBAX (Arkema). In this case, attention must be paid to temperature tolerance (hot and cold) and injectability.
In a preferred embodiment, the tip body further comprises an upper stop element which is fastened in a preferred manner on a shoulder on the lowermost tube portion of the pole body, or on the lower end of the upper axial portion of the insertion element and provides an upper stop for the elastomer spring element. In this case, the elastomer spring element is arranged axially between a lower stop, which is arranged on the upper end of the end attachment, and the upper stop. The elastomer spring element is preferably fastened on the upper and/or lower stop by means of a positive locking connection, in particular a tongue and groove connection, such as, for example, a dovetail connection, and/or as an alternative to this or in addition to it, by means of a materially-bonded connection, in particular an adhesive connection or weld connection, or can also be fused-on or injected-on, or fitted-over as a sleeve. The upper stop and/or the lower stop for the elastomer spring element can also be realized in each case as an alternative to this as a level surface which extends in the radial direction on the upper stop element or on the upper end of the end attachment and is supported substantially parallel to a support base on which the pole is supported by the user. The connection to the adjacent surface can then be achieved, for example, as a result of a bonded connection, weld connection or can also be fused-on or injected-on. The end attachment, the elastic element and the upper stop element are preferably connected together in an integral manner, preferably in a hermetically sealed manner. This can be achieved, for example, as a result of a multi-component injection molding process or can be contact welded.
According to a further advantageous embodiment, additionally arranged on the tip body is a radial transverse pin which penetrates, in a radial manner, the end attachment as well as the lowermost tube portion or the insertion element in a middle portion or a lower portion in a direction transversely to the pole longitudinal axis. A passage opening, which extends from a point in the wall to one located opposite in the circumferential direction in the wall of the end attachment, for the bearing arrangement of the radial transverse pin is arranged in the end attachment. The lowermost tube portion or the lower axial portion of the insertion element comprises at least one axial elongated hole, preferably two elongated holes, which are situated opposite one another in the circumferential direction, in the respective wall for guiding the transverse pin such that the radial transverse pin is mounted so as to be axially displaceable within the boundaries of the at least one axial elongated hole counter the spring force of the elastic element when an axial force acts from above onto the pole body. The elongated hole preferably has a length of between 0.5 and 3 cm, particularly preferred between 0.7 and 1.5 cm and preferred most of all between 0.8 and 1.3 cm. The guiding of a transverse pin also enables rotational stability, or anti-rotation protection of the parts which are axially displaceable with respect to one another. As a result of installing the guiding of the spring mechanism in the interior of the tip body, the damping system is less susceptible to contamination or corrosion produced by the effects of weather. In an advantageous manner, the transverse pin can be arranged below the plate sleeve, it is then captive, trapped and hermetically closed, no contamination is able to enter it.
The non-elastic elements of the body can consist of materials such as polyamide, e.g. PA66.
The end attachment advantageously comprises an axial length of between 3 and 15 cm, preferably between 5 and 12 cm, in particular preferred between 7 and 10 cm. In addition to this or as an alternative to it, the insertion element advantageously comprises an axial length of between 2 and 12 cm, preferably between 3 and 10 cm, in particular preferred between 5 and 8 cm. The insertion element is preferably produced from aluminum, as an alternative to this from other metals, plastics material or a metal-plastics material connection. In the case of plastics materials, above all fiber-reinforced plastics materials are advantageous.
According to a preferred embodiment, the elastomer spring element comprises an axial length of within the range of between 0.5 and 4 cm, preferably between 1 and 3 cm, in particular preferred between 1.5 and 2 cm, and advantageously a radial thickness (measured from the outside wall of the engaged-around region of the tube portion or of the insertion element up to the periphery) of within the range of between 0.2 and 1 cm, preferably between 0.4 and 0.8 cm, in particular preferred between 0.5 and 0.7 cm.
According to a further preferred embodiment, the lowermost tube portion comprises a shoulder, at which the lowermost tube portion tapers axially downward such that the diameter of the lowermost tube portion axially below the shoulder is smaller than the diameter of the lowermost tube portion axially above the shoulder, wherein the shoulder serves as an upper stop for the tip body.
The end attachment is preferably realized in a closed manner at a free end facing a support base. This can be achieved either by realizing the central receiving opening as a blind hole or by admitting a pin serving as pole tip, preferably an insert with a hard metal tip or a hard metal pin, from below at an end of the end attachment facing a support base, and preferably fastening it in the central receiving opening of the end attachment. As an alternative to this or in addition to it, a buffer or a pole plate can be fastened on the end attachment, wherein in the case of a pole plate being fastened on a pole, the pole plate preferably engages around a region of the end attachment in which the radial transverse pin projects through the central receiving opening. In this way, the passage opening can be protected from contamination and the pin can be secured against unintentional loss as a result of being engaged around. Such a pole plate can be held on the end attachment within defined boundaries, for example between two continuations on the periphery of the end attachment, e.g. by a lower stop on a circumferential thickening and by an upper stop on a shoulder.
The upper and/or the lower axial portion of the insertion element is preferably realized in a substantially cylindrical manner, wherein the upper axial portion of the insertion element preferably comprises a peripheral structuring, preferably in the form of radial recesses, in particular preferred in the form of radial, for example ring-shaped incisions which are spaced apart from one another axially and are circumferential at least in part. According to a further preferred embodiment, the outside diameter of the upper axial portion of the insertion element is greater than the outside diameter of the middle axial portion and/or than the outside diameter of the lower axial portion of the insertion element. This is in particular the case when the lowermost tube portion is not realized in a conified manner, but comprises a uniform diameter in the lowermost region. In this case, the lower end of the lowermost tube portion then preferably rests on a circumferential flange at the lower end of the upper portion of the insertion element. The insertion element, in turn, then preferably rests by way of a shoulder on the upper stop element of the tip body. The lower end of the lowermost tube portion can, however, also extend up to the shoulder of the insertion element or up to the lower end of the upper portion of the insertion element, in this case both lower ends resting on the upper stop element. The middle and lower portion of the insertion element preferably project into the central receiving opening of the tip body which, in said embodiment, comprises a smaller diameter than the cavity of the lowermost tube portion.
An alternative preferred embodiment comprises an upper axial portion of the insertion element, the diameter of which is smaller than the lower axial portion of the insertion element (absolutely no middle portion being present in said embodiment with a shortened insertion element) such that the upper portion of the insertion element is received in the interior of the lowermost tube portion, and said lowermost tube portion is received in turn in the interior of the end attachment. A shoulder, which serves as a lower stop for the lower end of the lowermost tube portion, is arranged between the upper axial portion of the insertion element and the lower axial portion of the insertion element, or the lower end of the lowermost tube portion rests on said shoulder. The lower axial portion of the insertion element, in this case, abuts against the inside wall of the end attachment. In said embodiment, the insertion element is therefore received completely in the central receiving opening of the end attachment, or does not project axially beyond the tip body.
The lower axial portion of the insertion element comprises, in the case of embodiments where such an insertion element is present, a diameter which corresponds substantially to the inside diameter of the end attachment in the central receiving opening such that the insertion element, which is guided inside the end attachment, preferably by means of a friction-locking connection, slides axially in the end attachment when an axial force is applied from above onto the pole body. The sliding is achieved as soon as the acting force exceeds the spring force of the elastomer spring element.
In an advantageous manner, the blind hole bore in the end attachment in which the insertion element slides is arranged such that ejection out of the elongated hole when the pole is fully deflected is prevented.
A further preferred embodiment of the proposed pole body can be characterized in that a further damping element is provided in the central receiving opening of the end attachment. Said damping element damps the situation where either the lowermost tube portion or the insertion element comes into contact with the bottom of the blind hole in the end attachment. Thus, when the elastomer spring element is not able or not meant to cushion the movement fully, a hard non-cushioned impact on the lower stop is prevented.
Said damping element can be inserted into the central receiving opening of the end element or rather can be fastened therein as a separate element. It is also possible to fasten the damping element on the lower end of the tube portion or rather of the insertion element, or it is also possible to realize the lowermost end of the insertion element as such a damping element, for example by realizing the insertion element as a two-component part, and realizing the region thereof facing the bottom of the blind hole from elastomer material. Another option to design the mounting in a particularly simple manner can consist in developing the additional damping element with a guide journal which can then be inserted into the typically present central recess of the lowermost tube portion or of the insertion element and fastened therein.
Such a, as a rule, circular cylindrical damping element has typically an axial length of between 2 and 7 cm, preferably within the range of between 3 and 5 cm, and an outside diameter which is designed to be somewhat smaller or the same size as the inside diameter of the central receiving opening in the corresponding region. The damping element can be realized from the same materials as the elastomer spring element.
The technical object of the subject matter is additionally achieved by the provision of a tip body for a pole, in particular for a Nordic walking pole, trekking pole, ski pole, cross-country ski pole or walking pole. It can then be fitted in an interchangeable manner onto the lowermost pole tube portion of a pole and fastened thereon.
Such a tip body according to the invention comprises a downwardly closed end attachment with a central receiving opening for receiving a lowermost tube portion of a pole body and/or for receiving an insertion element which is received by way of an upper axial portion in the lowermost tube portion of the pole body and by way of a lower axial portion in the central receiving opening of the end attachment.
The tip body additionally comprises an outer circumferential, elastic elastomer spring element which connects axially above an upper end of the end attachment and engages around the lowermost tube portion of the pole body or a middle axial portion of the insertion element in the circumferential direction, and damps an axial relative movement of the lowermost tube portion of the pole body when an axial force is applied. The elastomer spring element is preferably realized to a certain extent as an elastic ring.
The tip body preferably additionally comprises an upper stop element, which is fastened in a preferred manner on a shoulder on the lowermost tube portion of the pole body or on the lower end of the upper axial portion of the insertion element, engages around the same in the circumferential direction just as the elastomer spring element and provides an upper stop for the elastomer spring element. Consequently, the elastomer spring element is arranged axially between a lower stop, which is arranged on the upper end of the end attachment, and the upper stop. When the tip body according to the invention is mounted on a pole, the lowermost tube portion of the pole body, or where applicable the insertion element, is mounted so as to be displaceable axially in the end attachment counter a spring force of the elastomer spring element when an axial force is applied from above onto the pole body.
The tip body can accordingly be separately produced and mounted on the pole subsequently, for the purposes of simpler assembly or simple exchange on the pole, if a tip spring mechanism subject to wear has to be replaced. All the embodiments, but in particular the third and fourth embodiments, are suitable for replacement or for subsequent installation on conventional poles as a conified lowermost tube portion is not necessary here. In principle, other designs or tip variants are also conceivable.
Further exemplary embodiments are described in the dependent claims.
Preferred embodiments of the invention are described below by way of the drawings which simply serve for explanation and are not to be seen as restricting, in which drawings:
The preferred exemplary embodiment shown in
In the exemplary embodiment shown in
The end attachment 4, which is inserted from below over the lower portion 6a of the lowermost tube portion 6, comprises a central receiving opening 5c. The lowermost tube portion 6 is axially displaceable in said receiving opening 5c, which is designed as a blind hole in the exemplary embodiment shown, when an axial force K is applied from above onto the pole.
The wall of the lower portion 6a of the lowermost tube portion 6, which comprises a cavity 20, comprises one milled or punched or lasered axial elongated hole 13 each on two oppositely situated sides. A radial transverse pin 14 is guided therein in a direction Q transversely to the pole longitudinal axis S, said pin being held at its two ends in two oppositely situated passage openings 1 in the wall of the end attachment 4 and extending transversely through the central receiving opening 5c of the end attachment 4.
In this case, the lower tube portion 6 is displaced downward inside the end attachment 4, and, at the same time, the radial transverse pin 14, which is situated in the rest position on the lower stop of the axial elongated hole 13, migrates just in front of the upper stop position at the upper end of the axial elongated hole 13. The axial movement, i.e. the damping movement of the pole, is consequently dependent on the size and the material and consequently on the spring force of the elastomer spring element 9 and the travel is delimited by the depth of the blind hole 5c. The axial length of the elongated hole 14 is sensibly longer than the possible spring travel in order to prevent ejection from the elongated hole when the respective end position is reached.
During the damping movement or the axial relative movement R of the lowermost tube portion 6 in the end attachment 4, the radial transverse pin 14, guided in the axial elongated hole 13, also serves at the same time as guide means for the lowermost tube portion 6 inside the end attachment 4, or rather as anti-rotation protection or as fixing means for the rotation position of the two parts relative to one another.
The lower end 15 of the end attachment 4 comprises a small cavity 29 into which an insert 21 is inserted from below and is fastened on the inside wall of the lower end 15 of the end attachment 4, for example as a result of bonding or pressing. Said insert 21, in the exemplary embodiment shown in
As an alternative to this, the cavity 29 can, however, also be connected to the central receiving opening 5c of the end attachment 4 such that the central receiving opening 5c is designed as a passage opening which extends from the upper end 8 of the end attachment 4 to its lower end 15 and which can only be closed downward by the insert 21 with tip 16 or by a buffer (not shown) which is fastened on the lower end 15.
The tip body 3, when it is compressed, comprises a central receiving opening which is composed by the coaxially arranged individual central receiving openings 5a, 5b, 5c of the upper stop element 10, of the elastomer spring element 9 and of the end attachment 4. The central receiving opening 5c is designed in all the exemplary embodiments shown in the end attachment 4 as a blind hole, in the case of the elastomer spring element 9 and upper stop element 10, in contrast, as a passage opening 5b or rather 5a.
When, for example, the elastomer spring element 9 consists of a soft material and/or comprises insufficient height in the axial direction (intentionally or non-intentionally), the lower end of the insertion element 7c can impact against the bottom of the central receiving opening 5c or rather against the circumferential step when under full load. Consequently, the damping effect ends prematurely, which can be unpleasant and disadvantageous on account of the hard impact. This can be resolved by arranging an additional damping element 34 in the receiving opening 5c, as is shown in
In the case of the realization according to
In order to prevent the free end of the lower axial portion 7c damaging the damping element by way of the circumferential edge and consequently additionally ensuring optimum support on the damping element 34, a closure plug, which provides a full support surface for the top surface of the damping element 34 and prevents damage to the same, can be inserted into the hollow-cylindrical tube in said lower portion 7c (not shown).
A different possible design for such a damping element 34 is shown in
The additional arrangement of a damping element 34 shown in
In the event of the exemplary embodiment according to
In the case of the exemplary embodiment according to
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 364/15 | Mar 2015 | CH | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2016/051848 | 1/28/2016 | WO | 00 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2016/128229 | 8/18/2016 | WO | A |
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|---|---|---|---|
| 2397499 | McGowan | Apr 1946 | A |
| 2398534 | Klausnitzer | Apr 1946 | A |
| 2690188 | Goddard | Sep 1954 | A |
| 4061347 | Stern et al. | Dec 1977 | A |
| 6216713 | Kennan | Apr 2001 | B1 |
| 8820339 | Goodwin | Sep 2014 | B2 |
| 20110073146 | Miller | Mar 2011 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 79 22 100 | Nov 1979 | DE |
| 10 2005 028 914 | Jan 2007 | DE |
| 0 820 711 | Jan 1998 | EP |
| 1 814 419 | Aug 2007 | EP |
| 2 381 812 | Nov 2011 | EP |
| 87004920 | Aug 1987 | WO |
| 88006876 | Sep 1988 | WO |
| 2006047803 | May 2006 | WO |
| 2008061103 | May 2008 | WO |
| 2010085905 | Aug 2010 | WO |
| Entry |
|---|
| International Search Report of PCT/EP2016/051848, dated Mar. 30, 2016. [PCT/ISA/210]. |
| International Preliminary Report on Patentability and Written Opinion, dated Aug. 24, 2017, from the International Bureau in counterpart International application No. PCT/EP2016/051848. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20180008021 A1 | Jan 2018 | US |
