Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Ski transport device
The present invention relates to a ski transport device according to the
preamble of
independent Claim 1.
Description
Stands for skis, snowboards, etc. are known from the prior art. Thus, skis are
hung on
forked hooks, for example on walls of buildings. Other stands or ski holders
have a frame
or retaining element which is designed with at least one opening for
accommodating skis
at their ends. In both cases, skis may be stored on a short-term or long-basis
in an
approximately vertical direction in a space-saving manner. These types of
stands are used
in particular in sporting goods stores, warehouses, or ski locker rooms.
A stand for skis, snowboards, or the like is known from patent specification
EP 1 083 974 BI, in which a retaining body designed as a frame is present
which has a
plurality of strip-like, elastically bendable retaining elements which are
aligned parallel to
one another, and which may be elastically bent aside by inserting the objects,
the width of
the retaining elements being substantially smaller than the width of the skis
or
snowboards to be inserted.
One of the disadvantages of this stand is that it is provided for stationary
use, for example
in a ski locker room or changing room. Individual skis or pairs of skis are
stabilized by
the plurality of retaining elements situated at a distance from one another.
Due to the
flexibility of the retaining elements, which are narrower than the ski width,
an impact to
the held ski or an impact to the frame of the device would result in lateral
tilting of the
ski.
The object of the present invention, therefore, is to propose a modular ski
transport
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device which does not have the disadvantages of the prior art. In particular,
the ski
transport device is intended to stabilize skis to be transported in order to
ensure efficient
and safe transport of the objects. For the simultaneous transport of persons
and objects,
the aim is to exclude hazards to persons to the greatest extent possible, in
that skis are
secured by the ski transport device. In addition, the aim is to prevent
interfering noise
generation on account of the skis to be transported.
The object is achieved in particular by a ski transport device for
transporting skis, having
at least one ski holder for accommodating a ski end of a single ski or of a
pair of skis,
each ski being oriented in the ski holder approximately vertically in the ski
longitudinal
direction, and the ski holder including two retaining walls which converge
downwardly
and together form an acute angle a. The acute angle a is preferably between 15
and 45
degrees, particularly preferably between 20 and 40 degrees. An angle a of
essentially
25 degrees is very particularly preferred.
One of the advantages of the invention is that when a ski to be transported is
inserted into
the ski holder, it is held and fixed in the ski holder, preferably in the
vertical orientation,
by its own weight. Another advantage of the invention is that movable means
for
fastening or fixing a ski may be dispensed with. The elastic property of the
ski of being
twistable in its longitudinal direction is utilized for stabilizing the ski in
the ski holder.
Due to its small overall height, the ski transport device according to the
invention is
particularly suited for flat installation in cableway cabins. The transport
capacity of a
cableway system may thus be increased, since the loading and unloading time in
a
cableway station is shorter compared to cableway cabins having externally
mounted ski
holders. A ski transport device may be assembled from one or a plurality of
ski holders,
and forms a modular system. Depending on the spatial conditions in the
interior of a
cableway cabin, for example, individual ski holders may be optimally situated,
for
example on a straight line between seat benches of the cabin, on a circular
arc around a
pillar of the cabin, or close to a window or in the respective corners of a
cabin.
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Another advantage of the invention is that the individual ski holders of the
ski transport
device are composed of component parts which are screwed, glued, riveted,
welded, or
otherwise joined to one another in such a way that none of the component parts
is loose,
thus minimizing or preventing noise generation during transport. Noise could
arise from
loose or movable parts, for example, when the cabin which is suspended by a
cable pole
on a cable travels over the cable pulleys. However, this is prevented by the
described
fixed connection of component parts of the ski holder to a ski holder adjacent
to same, or,
for example, to a frame part of the ski transport device.
In one embodiment variant of the invention, the ski holder has a fixation
element, situated
at or above the upper ends of the retaining walls, having fixation points for
engaging at
various cross-sectional points of the ski or the pair of skis.
One of the advantages of the invention is that the fixation element is able to
stabilize the
ski, accommodated by the ski holder, with respect to lateral motions of the
ski. The
fixation element preferably engages at two fixation points on the cross
section of the ski.
The ski is thus stabilized for transport, in both the vertical and horizontal
directions of
motion.
In another embodiment variant of the invention, the fixation element is
designed with
fixation points for engaging at the cross-sectional points situated
approximately
diagonally opposite one another.
One of the advantages of the invention is that, due to the special design of
the fixation
element, the fixation points come to rest at the cross-sectional points on the
ski which are
typically the farthest distance apart. The force is greatest upon engagement
of the fixation
element with the ski or the pair of skis.
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In another embodiment variant of the invention, the fixation element has a
deformable
design in order to fix the, or each, ski by means of static friction.
One of the advantages of the invention is that the lateral fixation is
optimized by a
deformable fixation element. When the ski is inserted into the ski holder, the
ski is
arrested or locked by a slight lateral twisting of the ski at the fixation
points of the
fixation element, which increases the stabilization during transport.
Embodiment variants of the present invention are described below with
reference to
examples. The examples of the embodiments are illustrated by the following
appended
figures:
Figure 1 shows an exploded illustration of the ski transport device according
to the
invention, having a ski holder and two partially cutaway additional ski
holders;
Figures 2a, 2b, and 2c show a ski transport device in a side view, a front
view, and a top
view, respectively;
Figure 3 shows a cableway cabin in a simplified three-dimensional illustration
with a ski
transport device installed in the floor of the cableway cabin; and
Figures 4a, 4b, and 4c show the cableway cabin together with the ski transport
device in a
side view, a front view, and a top view, respectively.
Figure 1 illustrates a design according to the invention of a ski transport
device 1 for
transporting skis, having at least one ski holder 10 for accommodating a ski
end 901 of a
single ski 90 or a pair of skis 90, each ski 90 being oriented in the ski
holder 10
approximately vertically in the ski longitudinal direction R.
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The ski holder 10 has two retaining walls 101 which converge downwardly and
together
form an acute angle a.
The converging retaining walls 101 may be designed in such a way that they
contact one
another at the bottom. In the present case, the retaining walls 101 and side
walls 102 are
formed as a single piece. In a single-piece configuration, the ski holder 10
may be made
of, for example, a sheet of steel, aluminum, or the like. Stainless sheet
steel is preferably
used. The ski holder 10 may also be made of fiber composites. The retaining
wall 101
preferably has a flat design, or may also be corrugated or rippled. It is
important that
there are contact points with the end 901 of the ski 90.
Due to the funnel-like design of the ski holder 10, the ski or a pair of skis
90 is held in the
ski holder by the inherent weight of each ski 90. Twisting of the ski 90 in
the ski holder is
prevented by the retaining walls 101 which increasingly converge in the
downward
direction. In the horizontal section, the retaining walls 101 in each case
extend
substantially in parallel. The design of the ski holder 10 may also be
understood as a
V-shaped or wedge-shaped hollow body having an essentially rectangular cross-
sectional
area. The downwardly decreasing cross-sectional area is preferably rectangular
at all
points, but may have an oval, circular, or polygonal design, at least in
places.
The ski holder 10 also has a fixation element 20 situated at or above upper
ends 1010 of
the retaining walls 101. The fixation element 20 preferably engages at two
different
cross-sectional points 902 of the ski 90 or of the pair of skis 90, thus
stabilizing and
fixing each ski 90 during transport, in both the horizontal and vertical
directions of
motion.
The fixation element is preferably made of a thermoplastic. The fixation
element
preferably has sawtooth-like projections in the area of the fixation points
201. The
fixation element 20 is rubberized, at least in places, preferably in the area
of the fixation
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points 201.
It is apparent from Figure 1 that the ski holder 10 and the fixation element
20 are
connected to one another, for example by fastening means such as screws,
rivets, etc.
The fixation element 20 may also be connected to the ski holder 10 by an
ultrasonic weld
joint. The ski transport device 1 also preferably has a cover and a floor,
i.e., a shell or a
tray, respectively, for encasing the ski holder 10 and the fixation element
20.
The ski transport device 1 may include one or more ski holders 10 having a
fixation
element 20. Multiple ski holders 10 are situated along a straight and/or
curved positioning
line. Thus, multiple ski holders 10 may be situated in a cableway cabin, for
example, in
the area of a center post, around same. Reference numerals 103, 104, and 105
denote
frame parts or connecting parts. Each of these parts is designed for one or
more ski
holders as necessary, so that the ski transport device has a modular
configuration.
Retaining walls and side walls of the ski holder 10 are fixedly connectable to
the
particular frame parts 103, 104, and 105, so that no loose walls or parts are
present that
would contribute to interfering noise generation.
Figures 2a, 2b, and 2c illustrate a ski transport device 1 in a side view, a
front view, and a
top view, respectively.
Figure 2a shows that the retaining wall 101 of the ski holder has multiple
lateral openings
at the bottom. These openings are used on the one hand for reducing the weight
of the
device, and on the other hand for ventilation and for drainage of melt water
resulting
from snow which adheres to skis.
Figure 2c shows the downwardly converging retaining walls 101 of the ski
holder 10
which define a straight bisecting line G, fixation points 201 being situated
on a fixation
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line F, and the fixation line F together with the bisecting line G forming an
acute angle 13.
This angle is between 0 and 15 degrees, for example, depending on the turning
capability
of a ski or pair of skis. The fixation points 201 of the fixation element 20
are situated
approximately diagonally opposite one another in relation to the cross section
of the ski
90.
The angle y relates to the configuration of the retaining wall 101 of a ski
holder 10 with
respect to the positioning line A. The angle y is preferably between 0 and 90
degrees,
particularly preferably between 30 and 60 degrees, very particularly
preferably between
40 and 50 degrees.
The angle 6 relates to the orientation of one, or each, retaining wall 101 of
a ski holder 10
with respect to the fixation point 201 of the fixation element 20. The
longitudinal axis of
the fixation element 20 and the retaining wall 101 are offset relative to one
another by the
angle 6, resulting in wedging of the, or each, ski when the ski(s) is/are
inserted. The angle
6 is preferably between 20 and 40 degrees, particularly preferably between 25
and 35
degrees, very particularly preferably essentially 30 degrees.
Figure 3 shows a cableway cabin 50 in a simplified three-dimensional
illustration, with a
ski transport device 1 installed in the floor 501 of the cableway cabin.
Figures 4a, 4b, and 4c illustrate the cableway cabin 50 together with the ski
transport
device 1 in a side view, a front view, and a top view, respectively. The small
overall
height of the ski transport device 1 allows installation of same in existing
cableway
cabins or cableway cabins to be manufactured. The ski transport device 1 may
include a
protective tray or cover tray, which preferably has openings for discharging
dirt, dust, or
melt water from the cabin to the outside.
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List of reference numerals
1 Ski transport device
Ski holder
101 Retaining wall
102 Side wall
1010 End
103 Frame part, connecting part
104 Frame part, connecting part
105 Frame part, connecting part
Fixation element
201 Fixation point
90 Ski
901 Ski end
902 Cross-sectional point
a Angle
Angle
Angle
6 Angle
A Positioning line
Ski longitudinal direction
Bisecting line
Fixation line
