FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a pole handle to which a strap is fastened and a wrist loop is formed, and further a method for adjusting the size of wrist loop.

The pole handle may be used for a pole, most preferably for a ski pole for a child or an adult, a Nordic walking pole, a cross-country skiing pole, or a hiking stick.

BACKGROUND

There is a variety of ways to fasten a strap to a pole handle the strap should also be adjustable to fit the user's hand size.

US 4,416,036 discloses fastening means for the wrist strap of a ski stick, said means being positioned in a cavity of the knob of a stick handle. The fastening means is a removable unit separable from the stick knob and consisting of two plastic elements, between which said wrist strap can be anchored as desired. The plastic elements are discrete elements within which the opposite ends of the wrist strap are embedded by molding. One of the elements is anchored by profile locking in anchoring grooves on the walls of cavity in such a position that a wrist strap anchoring point will be on the top face of said element. The other plastic element is wedged into a downwards converging space between the wall of cavity and the first plastic element in such a position that another wrist strap anchoring will be on the lower face of the first element. The section of the wrist strap between the plastic elements is passed through between the plastic elements. The abutting faces of plastic elements are jagged. With said wrist strap straightened out, said jagged faces of the plastic elements face in the same direction. The fastening means is

manufactured by passing a continuous strap material through the adjacent mold cavities of the plastic elements and afterwards strap is cut between plastic elements.

WO 01/34255 Al discloses a ski pole handle with a possibility of adjusting the effective length of a strap fastened to the handle, said handle having in its upper portion a through-going cavity through which the strap is threaded, and an element is adapted to be pressed down into the cavity in order to clamp the strap against the walls of a downwardly tapering portion of the cavity. The element is situated on a control knob which is mounted at the top of the handle and which can be pushed down and raised relatively to the handle, for fastening and releasing the strap, respectively, said knob having a through-going aperture or apertures for the strap. The utility model, CN 201831076 discloses a Nordic walking stick which comprises a grab handle, a wrist strap, a rod body and a stick tip sleeve; the grab handle is positioned at the upper end of the rod body and connected with the wrist strap; the stick tip sleeve is sleeved at the bottom end of the rod body, and a metal tip is arranged at the bottom of the stick tip sleeve; a cavity body with an upward opening is arranged at the top of the grab handle; a wedge-shaped stopper rotatably connected with the grab handle on the rear side of the opening is arranged in the cavity body; and the wrist strap is inserted into a Y-shaped through hole on the rear side at the bottom of the cavity body, extends out of the opening and is fixed by being pressed by the wedge-shaped stopper. The grab handle of the Nordic walking stick is connected with the wrist strap through the wedge-shaped stopper, and the wrist strap can be fixed or loosened at any length after penetrating the grab handle, so that the wrist strap has flexible adjusting function under the condition of ensuring the connection strength.

SUMMARY OF THE INEVNTION

It is an object of the invention to provide a simple and robust solution to regulate the wrist loop of the strap connected to the pole handle. This object is achieved with the invention as presented in the independent claims. The dependent claims present embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figs la- Id show a first embodiment of a pole handle in accordance with the invention.

Figs 2a-2e show a second embodiment of a pole handle in accordance with the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the invention as presented in claim 1 , a pole handle is arranged with a strap. The strap is fastened to the pole handle by being arranged in a looped shaped manner in an attachment recess arranged in the pole handle. The strap extends out from the attachment recess and forms a wrist loop to be arranged around a users wrist. The wrist loop is provided with adjustment and locking means for regulating the size of the wrist loop and maintaining the chosen size of the wrist loop. The strap is arranged in the attachment recess so that a portion of the strap is allowed to move through the attachment recess when the size of the wrist loop is adjusted and when the adjustment and locking means is repositioned relative to the pool handle. Sometimes the size of the wrist loop is first altered or adjusted by the adjustment and locking means and then the adjustment and locking means are repositioned. Other times the adjustment and locking means are repositioned without the prior altering/adjusting of the wrist loop. In one embodiment a first portion of the attachment recess is arranged in parallel with a second portion of the attachment recess. A support surface in the attachment recess directs the strap from the first portion of the attachment recess to the second portion of the attachment recess, thereby arranging the strap in a looped shaped manner.

The attachment recess may be provided with a releasable fastening element and the fastening element may be provided with the support surface. The fastening element may then be arranged in the attachment recess so that the first portion of the attachment recess is provided between the fastening element and first inner wall of the attachment recess, and the second portion of the attachment recess is provided between the fastening element and second inner wall of the attachment recess. The releasable fastening element may be provided so that it is easy to assemble with and disassemble from the attachment recess. The user may be easy to do so without the need for a tool, but by simply using his own hands.

The wrist loop may be formed by joining two end portions of the strap by the adjustment and locking means. The adjustment and locking means may comprise a releasable buckle, snap joint or Velcro or any other means suitable for regulating the wrist loop and maintaining the chosen size.

The invention also includes a ski pole arranged with a pole handle as described above. As the skilled person will understand the pole handle may also be arranged for mounting on a Nordic walking pole, a ski pole for a child or and adult or on a hiking stick.

The invention also includes a method for adjusting the size of a wrist loop provided by a strap which is accommodated in an attachment recess in a looped shaped manner for the fastening of the strap to the pole handle. The strap extends out from the attachment recess and forms a wrist loop to be arranged around a users wrist. The wrist loop is provided with adjustment and locking means for regulating the size of the wrist loop and maintaining the chosen size of the wrist loop. The method further comprise the following steps:

-regulating the size of the wrist loop for fitting with a users wrist by the adjustment and locking means connected to the wrist loop, allowing a portion of the strap to run through the attachment recess, and subsequently or without prior regulation of the size of the size of the wrist loop,

-positioning the adjustment and locking means relative to the pole handle and allowing a portion of the strap to run through the attachment recess.

In the following an example of an embodiment is described with reference to the figs, wherein

Figs la- Id show a first embodiment of a pole handle in accordance with the invention. Figs 2a-2e show a second embodiment of a pole handle in accordance with the invention.

Fig la- Id shows a pool handle 1 with a strap 2 in accordance with the invention. The pole handle 1 is shown arranged with a bore 1 1 for fitting onto a ski pole 10. The strap 2 is attached to the pole handle 1 by a fastening element 5, such as a wedge element, which is shown accommodated in an attachment recess 4. The fastening element 5 is connected to the pole handle 1 for instance by a fitted connection or a snap connection along its side portions 5a, 5b, see fig Id showing the fastening element attached to the inner walls of the attachment recess. The fastening element 5 is fitted into the attachment recess 4 with space between two guiding faces 5 c, 5d of the fastening element 5 and first and second inner walls 4a, 4b of the attachment recess 4 of a size which allows the strap to pass in between the inner walls 4a, 4b and the guiding faces 5c, 5d. The first inner wall 4a and the guiding face 5c, define a first portion of the attachment recess 4, while the second inner wall 4b and the guiding face 5c defines the second portion of the attachment recess 4, in a parallel relationship with the first portion of the attachment recess 4. The strap 2 passes over a support surface 5e of the fastening element 5 directing the strap 2 from the first portion of the attachment recess 4 to the second portion of the attachment recess 4.

This simple and durable solution of fastening the strap to the pool handle 2 by the use of the fastening element 5 positioned in the attachment recess does not require any tool. The strap is installed in the pole handle 1 , by inserting the strap 2 and the fastening element 5 into the attachment recess 4, and connecting the fastening element 5 to the pole handle, assuring that the strap 2 is positioned in contact with the guiding faces 5c, 5d.

With the strap attached to the pole handle 2 in the manner as shown in fig la- Id, the shape of the fastening element 5 having spaced apart guide faces 5c, 5d and a protruding tip 5e make provisions for forming the strap to a wrist loop outside the attachment recess with a wide opening 10 which facilitates the entering of a user hands into the wrist loop. The simple installation of the fastening element 5 for attaching the strap 2 to the pole handle 1 , further facilitates an easy replacement of the strap 2 and makes it easy for the user to exchange the strap 2 as shown in the fig la- Id with another kind of strap.

The strap is arranged with an adjustment and locking means 6. The adjustment and locking means 6 connects two end portions of the strap 2 and may comprise a clamp, buckle or any other device capable of adjusting the two end portions relative to each other and then holding the end portions in the chosen position. During the regulating of the size of the wrist loop 10 the strap runs through the attachment recess 4. After the regulation of the size of the wrist loop 10 has taken place, or at any other time during use, the user may find it necessary to reposition the adjustment and locking means 6, for instance to avoid conflict with the users hand when employing the pole. The adjustment and locking means 6 may be moved to any position outside the attachment recess 4 by moving a portion of the strap through the attachment recess 4.

Fig 2a-2e show an embodiment of the pool handle 1 where the strap 2 (indicated in the figs with broken lines) is fastened to the pool handle 1 without the use of a fastening element 5. The attachment recess 4 is arranged as a U shaped passage with two spaced apart openings 6, 7. The strap 2 enters one of the openings 6, 7 and runs into the first portion of the attachment recess 4 directing the strap towards a support surface 8 shown arranged at the top portion of the pole handle 2 for instance provided by a rib. The support surface 8 directs the strap 2 into a second portion of the attachment recess 4 arranged in parallel with the first portion of the attachment recess 4 ensuring a looped shaped arrangement of the strap in the attachment recess 4. The strap is arranged in contact with the support surface providing sufficiently support for holding the strap 2 in the pole handle 2. The strap 2 leaves the second portion of the attachment recess 4 through the opening 6. The pole handle 1 is shown with a bore for mounting the pole handle 1 on a ski pole (not shown).

The arrangement of the spaced apart openings 6, 7 provides a wrist loop with a configuration facilitating the entering of a uses hand into the wrist loop. The pole handle of fig 2a-2e is suitable for use on a ski pole for a child, but may also be employed with other kinds of poles or sticks as mentioned earlier. The strap is provided with adjustment and locking means 6 similar to the arrangement as described in connection with fig la- Id. By the arrangement of the attachment recess 4 as shown and described in connection with fig 2a-2e, the strap is free to move through the attachment recess 4 during the adjustment of the size of the wrist loop and when repositioning the adjustment and locking means 6 after the adjustment of the size of the wrist loop is carried out.