Patent Grant
9656151
This patent application relates generally to the field of ski touring devices and, in particular, devices configured to be used with skis and to improve the purchase of the ski on a slope while ascending.
Ski touring is a form of skiing where both uphill and downhill travel are possible while wearing the skis. Typically touring is done off-piste and outside of ski resorts. Typically, the bindings and/or boots are configured to allow for free movement of the heel of the skier to enable a walking pace and walking movement, as in Nordic skiing or telemark skiing.
Going uphill or across a slop while ski touring also requires grip so that a ski can glide forward but not slide backwards when weighted. In order to travel uphill on skis (or specialized split-board snowboards), the skier can apply “skins” to the bottom surface of the ski. A skin is configured to adhere to the bottom of the ski and be attached to the tip and tail of the ski and is sized to have approximately the same length and width as the ski. The skin includes a bottom layer of short nylon or mohair fibers that extend from the base of the skin in the direction of the tail end of the skin to provide directional friction that allows the ski to glide forward but not slip backwards.
Skins can effectively prevent skis from slipping backwards on slopes of a moderate angle. This maximum incline that can be climbed using skins depends on snow conditions (i.e., decreases on an icy slope or in hard-pack and slick snow conditions where the skier weight dispersed throughout a ski does not break through the snow crust and can leave the skier sliding backwards), however, in general, skins can be effective up to around a thirty to thirty-five degree incline. If the incline is too steep for the skins to be effective, the skier can switchback (i.e., traverse back and forth across the slope), which increases the length of the climb, or remove the skis to hike the slope, which can be less efficient. In addition or alternatively, the skier can also attach ski crampons that increase the skier's purchase (i.e., grip) on the slope.
A ski crampon is a generally U-shaped device that attaches to the underside of the ski boot or the binding. An exemplary ski crampon is depicted in
Ski crampons are attendant with a number of drawbacks. A main drawback to using ski crampons is that they can only be attached for use when the ski-boot is disengaged from the binding. This can be a precarious endeavor when on a steep slope as it can be difficult for a skier to safely disengage the boot from the binding to remove the ski, attach the crampon to the boot or the binding and then re-attach the ski without inadvertently losing balance or allowing the ski to fall down the slope. The process is also time consuming and is ultimately inconvenient even on a low angle slope, particularly in deep snow, which a skier can easily sink into when his/her weight is not supported by the entire surface of the skis.
Another drawback of ski crampons stems from the fact that the blades straddle the sidewalls of the ski and are attached to the boot or the binding. This causes the majority of the forces applied to the crampon to be transferred to the attachment points (e.g., the boot or binding attachment) rather than the underside of the ski, this is particularly evident when on icy terrain and the majority of the skiers weight is on the crampon rather than distributed across the entire base of the ski. The configuration of ski crampon blades, which are positioned to the side of the skis and extend linearly along the side of the skis, localizes the additional grip a) to the two sides of the ski as opposed to the underside of the ski, and b) in a lengthwise manner (small cross/section when viewed from the front). Moreover, ski crampons are also limited in that they have a dedicated attachment point (e.g., underside of boot or ski binding attachment) and are not moveable to an alternative location. Accordingly, it is not easy or convenient to use multiple crampons on a single ski, which limits a skier's ability to further increase purchase depending on conditions. Even if a ski crampon could be fixed at multiple locations, it would nonetheless be inconvenient and time consuming to re-locate crampons to an alternative location and, as such, would not easily be performed while touring. Ski crampons also require complex attachment mechanisms and sizeable metal blades that can be heavy, are difficult to store compactly in a skier's pack. Also they can be costly accessories. In addition, due to the fixed width of crampons, ski crampons do not accommodate skis having a larger width than the crampon and therefore requires skiers with skis of varying widths to purchase multiple crampons. Other disadvantages to a traditional ski crampon includes binding specific construction as binding manufactures often make ski crampons binding specific, so a skier with multiple skis has to buy multiple crampons. Moreover, because the teeth of ski crampons are not replaceable, the ski crampons have limited usability after the metal spikes of a ski crampon are worn or damaged, for instance, from striking a rock and bending the teeth of the ski crampon.
As such, it is desirable to provide a skin cleat device that can be used to improve purchase while ski touring, can be easily attached to the ski (or ski and skin) without requiring a skier to disengage his/her boot from the ski bindings, can distribute the forces received by the device directly to the underside of the ski, can be configured to have replaceable studs, can have studs that are selectively positionable, and can provide a cross-wise area of friction and addresses the foregoing deficiencies of ski crampons. It is with respect to these and other considerations that the disclosure made herein is presented.
According to a first aspect, a skin cleat is provided for use with a ski, ski-boot and binding assembly and to improve purchase while ascending a slope. The skin cleat includes an elongate strap having first and second end sections and having a central section there-between. The central section has a first thickness and a bottom side and a top side. The skin cleat also includes a coupling for selectively attaching the first and second end sections. Attachment of the first and second end sections results in the formation of a continuous structure. The skin cleat also includes a backing having a thickness, a first side abutting the top side of the central section and an opposite second side for placement against an underside of the ski and for protecting the underside of the ski. The skin cleat also includes a stud having a proximal end and a distal end and a head disposed at the proximal end. The stud extends through at least a portion of the first thickness of the central section and away from the bottom side of the central section.
These and other aspects, features, and advantages can be appreciated from the accompanying description of certain embodiments of the invention and the accompanying drawing figures and claims.
By way of overview and introduction what is disclosed is a skin cleat device that is configured to increase grip while ski touring. The skin cleat is configured to be attached around a ski by a skier without disengaging the ski boot from the skis and can be removed and re-attached depending on the needs of the user. The skin cleat is a strap-like device that includes two end sections and a studded central section therebetween. The central section is intended to be placed underneath the base (i.e., underside) of the ski (and skin, if a skin is being used) such that the studs extend down into the snow. Two end sections can be attached together by a coupling to form a continuous structure around the waist of the ski (e.g., orthogonal to the direction of ski travel). Using the coupling, the structure can be tightened around the ski to secure it in place and to prevent the structure from rotating around the ski or otherwise moving or deflecting when in use. Although the skin cleat is described herein in reference to use with a ski having alpine or telemark bindings, the exemplary skin cleat can be similarly used with “split-board” snowboard touring boards and associated bindings. In use, the studs, which protrude from the central section towards the ground engage the slope. In particular, in icy or crusty/hard-pack snow condition, the weight of the skier concentrated on the studs causes the studs to break through the icy or crusty surface of the slope and engage the slope, whereas weight dispersed throughout a ski without such studs would not, leaving the skier slipping.
According to a salient aspect, the skin cleat is configured to allow a skier to temporarily secure the skin cleat around a ski without disengaging the boot from the ski binding. Furthermore, because the skin cleat does not require coupling of the skin cleat to the boot or the binding, the skin cleat can be secured around the ski at a variety of possible locations and multiple skin cleats can be used on a single ski to further improve grip.
The referenced systems and methods are now described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which one or more illustrated embodiments and/or arrangements of the systems and methods are shown. The systems and methods are not limited in any way to the illustrated embodiments and/or arrangements as the illustrated embodiments and/or arrangements described below are merely exemplary of the systems and methods, which can be embodied in various forms, as appreciated by one skilled in the art. Therefore, it is to be understood that any structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting the systems and methods, but rather are provided as a representative embodiment and/or arrangement for teaching one skilled in the art one or more ways to implement the systems and methods.
An exemplary arrangement of the skin cleat 105 will be further described in reference to
Any number of conventional coupling means can be used to attach the first and second sections to one another including but not limited to mechanical fasteners, latches, levers, buckles, clasps and the like. For example, as shown in
In some implementations, the buckle 162 is not permanently attached to the end 112 of the first section 110 and can be selectively positioned at a plurality of locations along the length of the first section. For instance,
Returning to
Preferably, the strap 108 is composed of any number of conventional materials that are suitable for use in straps including but not limited to plastic, rubber, leather, synthetic materials (moldable/polymerizable materials), webbing and the like. In the exemplary embodiment, the strap is defined by a continuous segments of material. In alternative arrangements the strap can be comprised of a plurality of segments of one or more materials.
The strap 108 is preferably a robust material that has a tensile strength suitable to withstand the tensile force that a user would put on the strap when securing the strap around the ski and tightening the strap such that the skin cleat is firmly secured around the ski and is suitable to withstand the forces exerted on the strap when in use. Moreover, strap is preferably configured to withstand the torsional forces applied to the strap when in use. For instance, as the studs 150 engage the surface of the slope and gravity pulls the ski down the slope, a force is exerted on the studs in the direction of the tail of the ski. Accordingly, the strap has a width and torsional rigidity that is suitable to withstand torsional forces when the skin cleat is secured around the waist of the ski.
Preferably the strap is flexible such that, it conforms to the contours of the ski and/or binding when secured in place for use, for instance, as shown in
In some arrangements, the first and second end sections have a thickness that is sufficiently small to fit between the boot or binding and the ski or is otherwise compressible such that, if a portion of the strap is positioned between the ski and the boot or binding, the strap does not interfere with the operation of the ski boot and/or binding assembly.
In the particular arrangement shown in
Returning to
As shown in
The holes formed in the strap can have a size that is smaller than or equal to the size of the body of the stud and can be formed using an elastic material. Accordingly, the holes can deform when the stud is inserted therethrough (and recover its shape after deformation) such that the holes tightly engage the body of the studs, hold the studs in position and prevents side-to-side movement of the studs when in use. The engagement of the studs by the backing and the strap also helps to prevent the studs from deflecting when lateral forces are applied, particularly when the skin cleat assembly is tightly secured around the ski and the backing, studs and strap are firmly held in place. However, when the skin cleat is not secured around the ski, the flexibility in the strap and the backing allows the skin cleat to be more easily folded for storage.
The backing, studs and central section of the strap can be held together such that they are generally immovable relative to one another and thereby imparting rigidity to the studded central portion of the skin cleat. For example and without limitation, the layers of material that define the backing, the strap and the rigid head of the studs there-between can be held together by tightening the assembly against the rigid underside of the ski.
In some arrangements, the stud can be joined to the backing or the strap, or a combination of the foregoing.
It can also be appreciated that, in addition or alternatively, the stud can be attached to the strap, for instance, by incorporating a mount into the strap that is configured to matingly engage the stud. In addition or alternatively, one or more mechanical locking mechanisms can be used to fasten the stud to the strap. For instance, as shown in
The backing can be joined to the strap, either in a fixed or movable configuration. For example, the backing can be joined to the strap by glue or other adhesive, rivets, screws, fasteners, clips or other suitable temporary or permanent joining means. By way of further example,
When in use, the skin cleat preferably has a secure grip around the ski to keep from shifting from the weight of the skier, i.e., sliding along the length of the ski or rotating around the waist of the ski. As previously noted, in one exemplary implementation, the end sections are made of a polymer material so as to provide a strap and coupling that allows the skin cleat to be tightly secured around the waist of the ski such that the area of contact between the skin cleat and the ski (and/or binding assembly) is large enough to provide sufficient frictional force when in use. Also, the second side 132 of the backing is preferably a friction material that has a relatively high coefficient of friction to increase the frictional force between the backing and the underside of the ski (or skin) when in use, including but not limited to synthetic and natural polymer compounds such as rubbers and plastics. The friction material can be a single piece of material, such as a strip of rubber disposed along the length of the backing. Alternatively, the friction material can be one or more pieces of material that are attached to the first side 132 at specific locations along the length of the backing. As a further alternative, friction material can be a material that is applied to the first side 132 such as a spray on rubber compound. Because the skin cleat is likely to be used in combination with a climbing skin, the second side of the backing can also be configured to engage the directional fibers of the skin. For instance, the second side can comprise short nylon or mohair fibers (like a climbing skin) that extend from the second side in a direction that is perpendicular to the length of the elongate strap (i.e., in the direction of ski travel) such that the second side can be placed against skin and the fibers of the backing are oriented opposite to the direction of the fibers of the skin.
The assembled backing, studs and central section of the strap (collectively referred to as the “central portion”) are preferably configured to resist rotating out of position when in use. This can be achieved by providing a central portion that has sufficient rigidity such that, when it is placed underneath the base of the ski and the assembly is tightened around the waist of the ski, the rigidity of the assembled studs, backing and strap resist rotation beyond the underside of the ski under typical use (e.g., steep side hill slopes that would exert forces in the cross-wise direction of the ski).
If the backing is formed from a rigid material, the backing can be divided into multiple segments with flexible joints there-between. For instance, as shown in
At this juncture, it can be appreciated that, the end sections and central region can be made from one or more distinct segments of material that are joined together. Alternatively, multiple sections of the skin cleat can be defined by one or more continuous segments of material. For instance, as shown in
The material used to define the various elements of the skin cleat (e.g., straps, backing and the like) can include but is not limited to natural or synthetic textiles such as nylon, cotton or canvas, natural or synthetic leathers, polymers and the like. The material used to define the various portions of the skin cleat (e.g., rigid backing, studs etc.), can be made of a light sturdy plastic, such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polycarbonate, polyproplene or styrene and the like and/or made from other strong, sturdy and water resistant materials, such as metals, composites, fiberglass and the like.
The central portion of the skin cleat preferably has a length that is smaller than the width of most ski-touring skis. In general, the width of the base of ski touring skis (i.e., where the boots are mounted) can range from 90 mm for smaller skis to 115 mm for powder skis. Accordingly, the central portion of a skin cleat that is intended for use with a wide range of touring skis can have a length that is between 80 and 90 mm long. Although, it can be appreciated that shorter and longer lengths are envisioned. Tests have shown that skin cleats having a central region falling within this range provide beneficial increase in purchase even when used on wider powder skis (e.g., skis having greater than a 120 mm width waist). Alternatively, in the exemplary arrangement, having studs that are selectively positionable at different locations along the length of the central section, the studs can be spaced apart, or added/removed to accommodate the width of the ski and thereby providing a skin cleat with generally universal applicability. Accordingly, while the central section of the strap and the backing might be longer than the width of the ski, the length of the studded portion can be made smaller than the width of the ski. Moreover, because the portion of the backing and strap that extends beyond the edges of the ski can be flexible, the assembly can nonetheless be tightened around the ski such that the skin cleat conforms to the cross-section of the ski even if the backing and central section of the strap is longer than the width of the ski.
Although certain regions of the skin cleat (e.g., end sections, central region) are described as distinct sections or regions and although certain features of the skin cleat are described as being part of a particular region, it can be appreciated that these features can be part of one or more regions.
Skis generally have metal edges that run the length of the underside of the ski and prevent the ski from sliding down the slope when oriented perpendicular to the fall line of the slope. Because the skin cleat would cover the ski's edge when disposed around the waist of the ski, the skin cleat can be configured to include one or more hard edge structures that compensate for the grip lost by covering the ski edge.
In addition or alternatively, the edges can be provided as a separate structure that is coupled to the strap. For instance, as shown in
In another exemplary arrangement, one or more of the previously described elements of the skin cleat can be integrated into a climbing skin so as to provide a combined skin and skin cleat.
Because climbing skins are generally thin and have a uniform thickness so as to promote glide in the direction of ski travel, and the portion of the skin cleat that is contained within the skin when in use (e.g., the mount, backing, the proximal end of the studs, the strap and the like) can have a greater thickness than a traditional climbing skin, the thickness of the skin 982 can be graduated such that the bottom of the ski while mounted to the ski provides a generally flat surface, with the exception of the studs protruding from the bottom of the skin.
Thus, while there have been shown, described, and pointed out fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to several embodiments, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions, and changes in the form and details of the devices illustrated, and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Substitutions of elements from one described embodiment to another are also fully intended and contemplated. It is also to be understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, but that they are merely conceptual in nature. The invention is defined solely with regard to the claims appended hereto, and equivalents of the recitations therein.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989377 | Osborn | Jan 1935 | A |
| 5641214 | Kafka | Jun 1997 | A |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20160367883 A1 | Dec 2016 | US |
