Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02299485 2000-OS-15
Description
The present invention relates to the application of an acoustic warning device
and,
eventually. also of a radio transmitter to a ski stick.
As it is well known, an ever-increasing number of people practise the winter
sports.
In particular, skiing has become a mass sport.
The thronging of the ski slopes with skiers having different ages and skills
causes fre-
duent and dangerous accidents.
Further dangerous situations are caused by the practise of skiing off the
tracks because
it frequently involves the forming of avalanches which bury and sweep the
skiiers
away. Therefore. it should be considerably useful and advantageous to the
skier fe>re-
warning of its approach the other skiers going down the same slope in order to
avoid
dangerous collisions. Moreover, the possibility of attracting attention and of
signal-
ling his own position to the helpers is still more useful when the skier is
not able to
move in consequence of the wounds and/or the fractures caused by an accidental
fal-
I S ling off the track as well as in the case the skier has been carried and
buried by an ava-
lanche.
r1s is known. there are many types of electroacoustical and radioelectrical
apparatuses
and devices which are respectively suited to emit acoustic signals or radio
signals.
In particular, the well known and most widely used radio signal transmitting
devices
?0 are those usually contained in suitable housings which can be easily worn
by the skier
by means of a girdle or other fastening means.
It results that the skier can be easily and quickly localized by the
radiolocalizer of the
search-and-rescue operators in the case he has been buried by an avalanche or
has had
an other kind of serious accidents.
25 As it is well known. the actual technology allows not only to reduce the
sizes of said
CA 02299485 2000-OS-15
localizating electro-acoustical or radio-electrical devices but also to
increase their sig-
nal power to such a value that the signals can be received at middle and also
at long
di stance.
'Therefore, the aim of the present invention is to obtain the above-mentioned
aims and
S advantages. According to the present invention, the above-mentioned aims and
advan-
tabs are all attained by mounting the following components in the inside of
the tubu-
lar element forming the pole of a ski stick that is provided with the
respective ski
stick handle : at least one electronic group for producing acoustic signals
and/or one
electronic group for producing radio signals as well as devices for emitting
respective
signals, electric power feeding elements and respective driving elements all
suitably
mounted and disposed in the ski stick handle.
In order to better understand the features and the advantages attainable by
the object
of the present invention, this object is hereinafter described , by way of a
not limita-
tive example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings , wherein
the Fig. t is a cutaway view of the upper ski stick end provided with the
respective
handle and housing an acoustic warning device. a radio-transmitter as well as
the
recpective electric power feeding devices , the driving devices and the
devices for the
emission oi~the respective signals;
the Fig. 2 is a schematic block diagram showing the position of the essential
units
?U whether in the acoustic. warning device or in the radio-trasmitter.
Vl-'ith reference to Fig. l, it is to be noticed that in the inside of the
tubular element I 1,
forming the pole of an ordinary ski stick l, and in correspondence of its end
where-
upon is applied the respective ski stick handle ? , are inserted the following
compo-
vents : one electronic circuit GA of a respective acoustic warning device AA
and one
2 S electronic circuit GR of a radio- transmitter RS.
CA 02299485 2000-OS-15
In the ski stick handle 2 are also mounted the push-button P and the power
switch I,
which are driving the respective electronic circuits GA and GR, the acoustic
emitter
F.A and is realized the housing of an electric battery B for feeding either
the acoustic
warning device AA or the radio-transmitter RS.
The push-button P, the switch I , the acoustic emitter EA and the electric
battery B are
all of well known type and are disposed in the body of the handle 2 in such a
position
as to operate as best as possible.
More precisely, the push-button P is preferably disposed in the upper part of
said han-
dle ?, as for example it is shown in the above mentioned Fig. 1. in the
superior-
1 () posterior part of the handle 2. However, the push-button P can be
disposed also in
other position that be suitable to allow an easy actuation by the user who
will be able,
while grasping the handle ?, to press the button by means of a anger-tip as
preferably
the thumb-tip. On the contrary, the switch I is disposed in a position where
it is hand-
reachable by the skier only of his own will. The acoustic emitter FA is
positioned in
such a way as not to be covered by the hand which is grasping the handle 2 as
well as
to allow a rational orientability of its sound signal.
On the contrary, the battery B is housed in a suitable enclosure made out of
the handle
body 2 and placed in such a way as not to interfere with the grasping of the
handle.
As is well known, both electronic groups CJA and GR can be made on the surface
of
2U an insulating base by forming conductive tracks that include the necessary'
compo-
nents as resistors, capacitors, various inductances and integrators.
As it is also well known, each electronic group GA and GR is then encapsulated
by
immersion into a respective melted block of resin which imparts an high impact
strength to the respective group.
?s Obviously, the block of resin enclosing the electronic I,~roup GA and GR
has a cilindri-
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CA 02299485 2000-OS-15
cal shape with an outside diameter which is equal to the inside diameter of
the corre-
sponding part of the tubular element 11 of the ski stick 1 in which the block
of resin
will be inserted and removably fixed in a known manner and by known means.
As it can be seen from the recalled Fig. 1. the electronic circuits GA and GR
are
s shown with an ordinary disposition of the respective components (
integrators, resis-
torn, capacitors, inductances , etc. j which are all applied on the respective
insulating
bases whereon, as already said, are made the conductive tracks.
Moreover, the conductors interconnecting to each other such electronic
circuits , the
batten B, the push-button f, the switch I and the acoustic emitter EA are
marked off ,
1 ~ for the sake of clearness, with heavy continuous lines.
(t is obvious that on a ski stick 1 can be mounted only one signalling group
which
comprises. as it is shown, either one acoustic warning device AA or one radio-
transmitter RS or. according to the requirements, only one of them.
For example, if the skier wants only to acoustically signalize its presence to
the other
15 skiers it will he enough to mount only the acoustic warning device AA which
will be
used as a "klaxon".
A more prudent skier will choose the complete set including also the radio
transmitter
RS.
With reference to the block diagram shown in the Fig. 2 there are to be
noticed the
?U two signalizing groups and more precisely the acoustic w ~arning device AA
and the ra-
dio transmitter RS both electrically feeded by the battery Q.
The part "acoustic warning device AA" includes the push-button P, the
electronic cir-
cult CAA and the acoustic emitter FA. 1'he part "radio transmitter RS "
includes the
switch I, the electronic circuit GR and the antenna A.
Referrin;_,~ to either the block diagram in Fig. 2 or the cutaway view in Fig.
l, it will be
CA 02299485 2000-OS-15
hereinafter described the operation and the practical use of the particular
application
forming the object of the present invention.
Whenever the skier presses the push-button P, the battery 13 energizes the
electronic
circuit GA . 'the electronic circuit GA produces an alternating current for
feeding the
s acoustic emitter EA. The acoustic emitter EA generates an audible si~.mal
that can be
heard also at long distance.
'hhe emitted acoustic signal can have only one frequency or a sequence of
frequencies
which are successively emitted according to a suitable chronological order.
The monofrequeney or the sequence of frequencies are studied in such a way as
to ob-
twin the best of signalling performances.
Clearly, the audible signal goes on as long as the push-button I' is pressed.
When the skier actuates the switch I , the battery ~3 energizes continuously
the elec-
tronic circuit GR. The circuit GR produces a suitable radio-frequency current
for
feeding the antenna A. The antenna A emits a corresponding radio-signal.
It is obvious that the frequency of the radio-signal RS will be of a type as
that nor-
many used in the specific field.
Seen as a whole, the circuit can be advantageously completed by the connection
repre-
rented by broken lines in the Fig. ? . Such connection couples the output of
the switch
1 also to the electronic circuit GA of the acoustic warning device AA.
2U In this case, the actuation of the switch I causes not only the emission of
a radio-signal
but also of~an acoustic simal.
This possible and alternative embodiment results very advantageous because it
makes
possible to guide the helpers not only with a radio-signal but also with an
acoustic sib
nal which assists them in the localization of the hurt skier.
Zs A suitable pulse generator T can be connected between the switch I and the
electronic
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CA 02299485 2000-OS-15
circuit GA in order to reduce the energry consumption of the battery B,
Said pulse generator energizes or deenergizes the electronic circuit GA
according to
suitable time intervals. The result is that the produced acoustic signal is
intermittent in
such a suitable way as to improve the search and localization possibilities.
s It is to be pointed out that the antenna A ( not shown in the Fig. 1 ) of
the radio trans-
muting device RS can be constituted by the metallic tubular element 1 1
fonning the
pole of the ski stick l . In the case oi~ a tubular element 11 constituted by
a non-
metallic and non-conductive material, the antenna A can be constituted by a
suitable
element disposed in the body of the stick handle 2 or in other adequate
position.
From what stated and described it is clear that the ski stick with an acoustic
warning
device and%'or a radio transmitter according to the invention improves the use
and the
security conditions.
It is to be pointed out that the type . the form and the position of the
acoustic warning
device AA components and%or the radio transmitter components may be varied.
1 y Moreover, the circuital parts of such devices (AA-RS) may be further
miniaturized by
means of components which are offered by the actual technolo~rt~.
It is well understood that modifications and variations may be made to the
object of
the present invention without departing however from the scope defined by the
fol-
lowing claims with reference to the accompanying drawings and thence from the
pro-
?() tection e~ctent of the present industrial invention
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