Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02510360 2005-06-21
SKI WAX LID AND APPLICIATOR
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a lid for a stick of ski wax which
includes ski wax applicator material thereon.
BACKGROUND
It is common practice to apply wax to the base of cross-country skis to
provide some grip to the skis against the snow. Wax is typically applied to
the base of
the skis from a wax stick which subsequently requires smoothing and spreading
of the
wax along the full length of they base of the skis or along a portion thereof
using an
applicator, typically formed of natural or synthetic cork material.
Ski wax is typicall~r available in a large variety of types which are each
suited to different environments and accordingly have different performance
characteristics suited to the different environments. In particular, each of
the different
types of waxes differs in its tacl~iness and spreadability according to
different ambient
temperatures which may only differ by one or two degrees Celsius.
i
It is common plate for skiers to have twenty or more different waxes
which are used regularly depending upon the ambient outdoor temperature.
Despite
the use of different types of ward, it is common to use only a single
applicator for all of
the different types of wax. In', this instance, the cork or applicator
material gets
contaminated with the different waxes. The problem is most noticeable when
first
skiing on a warm day using a ~rarm wax which sticks to the applicator,
followed by
skiing on a colder say which rewires use of a harder wax to be spread by the
same
material. The warm wax remaining on the applicator then gets transferred to
the skis
and interferes with the glide f the skis. While it is important to use a
different
applicator for each type of wax, ue to the numerous different type of wax
available, it
i,
CA 02510360 2005-06-21
2
is difficult to maintain proper ørganization of each applicator associated
with each
different type of wax. Accordingly, contamination is still a problem even when
attempts are made to use multiple different applicators.
US patents 4,05,962 to Janke and 4,189,874 to Labriola disclose
examples of ski wax applicator. In each instance a block of applicator
material, for
example cork, is provided mounted on a handle or surrounding housing. In each
instance the handle or housing provides no association whatsoever to a
particular
type of wax and accordingly even when multiple applicators are provided to a
typical
skier, confusion may still arise between which applicator is to be associated
with
which type of wax.
T
According to one jaspect of the invention there is provided a lid for a
stick of ski wax which is elongate and cylindrical, the lid comprising:
a cylindrical collar having an open first end with an interior diameter
substantially equal to an outer diameter of the stick for receiving the stick
therein; and
ski wax applicator material mounted to a second end of the collar
opposite the open first end.
According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided
a wax applicator for waxing skin the applicator comprising:
a stick of wax which is elongate and cylindrical;
a foil wrapper surrounding the stick;
a lid comprising ~ cylindrical collar having an open first end with an
interior diameter substantially a ~~ual to an outer diameter of the stick for
receiving the
stick therein; and
ski wax applicator material mounted to a second end of the collar
CA 02510360 2005-06-21
3
opposite the open first end.
By providing ski wax applicator material fixed to the lid associated with a
particular stick of wax, the applicator is readily associated with one
particular type of
wax which substantially eliminates the problems arising with contamination of
different
waxes. The lids which incorporate ski wax applicator material therein can be
made
available as a replacement Iidl to be added onto a wax stick which the
customer
already owns, or new wax sticl~s may be manufactured and distributed with the
lids
already associated therewith. 1h order to match with existing wax sticks which
are
already commercially available i~ different colours with different colour foil
wrappers to
distinguish them from one another, the lids can be manufactured with different
colours
as well which correspond to the colours of the wax to which the lid is to be
associated.
Accordingly in the event that certain lids become separated with the wax
sticks with
which they area associated, th~ colour coding of the lids will prevent
confusion as to
which lid belongs with which stick of wax.
There may be provided a socket at the second end of the collar for
snugly receiving the ski wax j applicator material therein in addition to the
wax
applicator material being adhered to the second end of the collar using
adhesive.
Preferably the ski ~rax applicator material has a cylindrical shaped body
with a diameter approximately equal to an interior diameter of the collar in
the order of
3.5 centimetres.
The collar may inchude an intermediate divider wall which fully spans the
interior of the collar, spaced in~rardly from both ends of the collar, for
receiving the
stick abutted against one side ~f the divider wall and the ski wax applicator
material
abutted against the other side o the divider wall.
Preferably the ski ax applicator material includes a flat end face which
i
i , . .. .
CA 02510360 2005-06-21
4
lies substantially perpendicular] to an axis of the collar and which projects
axially
beyond the second end of the cellar.
The ski wax appli~Cator material may comprise either natural cork or a
dense rigid foam material which is commercially available for spreading ski
wax.
Preferably the coil~r is colour coded to match the stick of ski wax.
One embodiment ~Of the invention will now be described in conjunction
with the accompanying drawing$ in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a lid shown separated from the wax
stick with which it is associated.'
Figure 2, Figure 3 and Figure 4 are respective sectional side elevational,
top plan and bottom plan views ~f the lid attached to the stick of wax.
In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts
in the different figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to the accompanying Figures there is illustrated a ski wax lid
generally indicted by reference numeral 10. The lid 10 is particularly suited
for use
with a wax stick 12 of the type used for cross-country skis.
The wax stick 12 i~ elongate and cylindrical in shape, having a diameter
of approximately 3.5 centimetre. A foil wrapper is provided which surrounds
the stick
12 and which can be peeled and torn away from the wax stick to expose the wax
as it
is consumed by application onto the skis. The wax and the foil wrapper which
surround the stick are colour boded to designate a particular ambient
temperature
range that that wax is intended t~ be used in.
The lid 10 comprises a single piece of plastic which has been moulded
i, . ..
CA 02510360 2005-06-21
into the shape of a cylindrical c Ilar having an interior diameter which is
approximately
equal to the outer diameter of t a stick 12. The interior diameter is constant
from the
first end 14 to the second end 1 ~ of the collar.
A divider wall 18 i~ moulded integrally with the collar 13 to fully span the
5 interior diameter of the collar perpendicularly to a longitudinal axis of
the collar. The
divider wall is approximately c ntrally located between the first and second
ends of
the collar so as to be spaced in ardly from both ends of the collar.
Accordingly a first
socket is defined at a first end of the collar for receiving the stick 12
therein which
abuts the divider wall 18 at a (first side thereof. A second socket is formed
at the
second end 16 of the collar for deceiving ski wax applicator material 20
therein which
similarly abuts the divider wall 1 , but at a second side thereof.
The applicator ma erial 20 is formed into a cylindrical disc shaped body
having a diameter which is sub antially equal to the interior diameter of the
collar and
the outer diameter of the stic 12. The disc includes flat end faces 22 which
are
perpendicular to the axis of the Cylindrical shaped body. The length of the
material 20
in the axial direction of the body is longer than the length of the collar 13
between the
divider wall 18 and the second ~nd of the collar so that the material 20
projects axially
beyond the second end 16 of t a collar to one of the end faces 22 spaced
outwardly
from the collar. The opposing nd face 22 abuts the divider wall 18. Length of
the
material 20 between the end fa es 22 is substantially equal to the length of
the collar
between the first and second en s thereof in the axial direction.
The material 20 comprises any suitable commercially available material
which is effective for spreading ski wax. This includes natural cork or
synthetic cork
material in the form of a dense r gid plastic form.
A layer of adhesi a 24 is provided between the material 20 and the
i,
CA 02510360 2005-06-21
6
divider wall 18 as well as abo t a periphery of the materiel 20 which engages
the
interior diameter of the collar t the second end 16 thereof. The dimensions of
the
body of ski wax applicator material 20 are arranged to be near that of the
socket
formed at the second end of tl~e collar for partially retaining the material
therein by
friction fit in addition to the use of adhesive 24 which provides further
resistant to
removal of the material 20 from ~he collar forming the lid.
The plastic forming the collar 13 is available in a plurality of different
colours so that the colour of a h lid is configured to match the colour of the
wax or
the foil wrapper surrounding th stick 12 which designates a particular
temperature
range within which the wax is to be used.
The collar also includes a peripheral bead formed about each end
thereof in which the thickness ~f the collar is enlarged at the free edges for
added
strength.
Since various mo ifications can be made in my invention as herein
above described, and many ap arently widely different embodiments of same made
within the spirit and scope of he claims without department from such spirit
and
scope, it is intended that all ma er contained in the accompanying
specification shall
be interpreted as illustrative onl and not in a limiting sense.
1 ..
