SKI GRIPPERS

Abstract

On a pair of skis, a strip is mounted lengthwise to each ski's outer side along the ski center portion/grip zone. The strip's width is from about 15 mm to about 60 mm, height at most equivalent the ski thickness throughout, and length about equivalent the length of the ski grip zone. The strip's bottom inner edge is about smooth high with the ski base/sliding surface (A). The strip's underside (B) is widthwise outward sloping about 5 degrees upward related to the sliding surface (A). This underside (B) has an interleaving with a depth of about 2 mm, into which interleaving a piece of skins is attached, which skins constitutes the gripping surface (C). The inner edge of the gripping surface (C) then goes 4-5 mm from the outer edge of the sliding surface (A), and the anterior, outer, and rear edges of the gripping surface (C) go 1-2 mm from their respective adjacent edges on the underside (B).

Description

Ski Grippers, or gripping strips for skis, is a device to replace grip waxing of skis, which can be quite problematic and time consuming. But they can also be a good alternative to waxless skis and to use of skins for mountain and touring skis. Ski Grippers give a better grip than most waxed as well as waxless skis, and no grip agent underneath the skis will reduce the glide. They are meant fairly easily to be taken on and off the skis, and the same pair can be used on more than one pair of skis. No modification of the skis is required, and the Ski Grippers can be used on all sorts of skis needing grip.

On a pair of skis, a strip of wood or another material is mounted to the outer side of each ski along the ski center portion/grip zone. The strip is to be mounted tightly to the ski with at least three attachment points, one at the strip's midpoint and one at each strip end. The strip's bottom inner edge may be lying smooth high with the ski base/gliding surface (A), or slightly higher, to secure that this edge will not cut into the substrate in the sliding phase. The strip's width can span from about 15 mm (for ski tracks with narrow skis), and up to about 60 mm, depending on ski width and on how much grip which is desired. The strip's height can at most be equivalent the ski thickness throughout, and the length about equivalent the length of the ski grip zone. The strip's underside (B) is widthwise, from inner to outer edge, sloping about 5 degrees upward related to the sliding surface (A), and on this underside (B) a piece of skins is attached. To protect the skins from loosening or from wear, the underside (B) has an interleaving with a depth of about 2 mm, into which the skins fits and is attached/glued, and which skins constitutes the gripping surface (C). The inner edge of the gripping surface (C) will then go 4-5 mm from the outer edge of the sliding surface (A), and the anterior, outer, and rear edges of the gripping surface (C) will go 1-2 mm from their respective adjacent edges of the strip's underside (B).

Due to the described angle between the sliding surface (A) and the gripping surface (C), only the gripping surface (C) will be in contact with and rest on the substrate to give optimal grip, when this side is laid flat on the substrate. When the sliding surface is laid flat on the substrate, only this side will be in contact with and rest on the substrate to give optimal glide, due to the described distance as well as to the angle between the two surfaces. Hence in order to get grip, stepping a bit over onto the outer side of the foot is required, which is easier than stepping over the opposite way. And with the Ski Grippers on the outer side of the skis, the skis' inner bottom edges are retained for ski skating, or for plow breaking in downhills. The skis' outer bottom edges will of course not be useable for breaking or swinging, unless the

Ski Grippers are taken off, or mounted in a free position on the skis. In looser snow conditions, the ski will of course more or less sink down, so the gripping surface will come in contact with the substrate in the sliding phase and reduce the glide a bit. So a separate part, not included in this application, a short front end is intended to be used with the Ski Grippers, to “clear trail” for the gripping surface.

Also earlier inventions modifies cross country skis and their use.

WO 99/04870 describes an expansion of the skis' width and length with the help of a “tip shape modifier” and a “tail shape modifier”. These parts are being mounted to the skis in front of and behind the binding respectively, and thus make the skis better suited for downhill skiing in deep powder snow. The two parts are each devided into several sections, which are being attached to each other and to the skis. These can be taken on and off the skis according to changing conditions, and be carried in a backpack. This may not be a bad idea, but it seems after all to be somewhat complex and cumbersome in use. And the ski edges have to be completely straight, without any sidecut where the sections are to be threaded onto the skis lengthwise. NO 309928 has the gripping surface as a part of the ski itself. It goes along the most of the outer side of the ski base/sliding surface, and constitutes about ¼ of the ski width. The gripping surface is elevated and parallel to the sliding surface, and is equipped with skins or other gripping agents. So to get grip, also here stepping a bit over onto the outer side of the foot is required. An advantage with this solution compared to my own, is that nothing is added to the skis' weight or width, and they retain their suitability for ski tracks. And the bottom outer edges of the skis will still be useable for breaking or swinging. But for good reasons, the gripping surface is here parallel to, and not oblique to the sliding surface. A result of this should be that the grip in hard and icy conditions will hardly be so good, because only the outermost part of the gripping surface should then be in contact with the substrate. To avoid losing too much of the ski's support surface, the gripping surface can not constitute more than about ¼ of the ski width, which makes the possibility of a quite large gripping surface with much grip rather limited. And the skis have to be reworked, which can be rather inconvenient as well as its adding much cost to the skis. For no major ski producers have been willing to produce these skis, and the ski reworking is a one-man enterprise on the inventor's home place.

Claims

1. On a pair of skis, a strip is mounted lengthwise to each ski's outer side in the ski center portion/grip zone, which strip's width is from about 15 mm to about 60 mm, height at most equivalent the ski thickness throughout, and length about equivalent the length of the ski grip zone, which strip's bottom inner edge is about smooth high with the ski base/sliding surface (A), and which strip's underside (B) is widthwise outward sloping about 5 degrees upward related to the sliding surface (A), and to which underside (B) a piece of skins/gripping surface (C) is attached.

2. Strip according to claim 1, which strip's underside (B) has an interleaving with a depth of about 2 mm, which interleaving's inner edge goes about 5 mm from the outer edge of the sliding surface (A), and the interleaving's anterior, outer, and rear edges go about 2 mm from the strip's respective adjacent bottom edges.

3. Strip according to claim 1-2, into which interleaving on the strip's underside (B) a piece of skins is attached, which skins constitutes the gripping surface (C).