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Patent Searching and Data


Title:
SKI FINDER
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2013/117879
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
A locating apparatus (1) for finding skis buried in snow which comprises a waterproof and shockproof housing which is mountable on a ski and which contains a battery (21), a radio transmitter (20) and a switch (23) to connect power from the battery to the radio transmitter which switch can be turned on by the skier manually or automatically for example by inserting his or her foot into the binding or by fitting the apparatus to a ski assembly. A lost ski may be found by using a sensor (33) which sensor comprises a radio receiver or transceiver as required and an antenna and which has the property of providing a greater signal to the radio receiver or transceiver when the antenna is pointing in the direction of the apparatus and which has means to indicate the strength of the signal to an operator which may be an audio or visual signal.

Inventors:
CHADWICK CHRISTOPHER NIGEL (GB)
BROTHERSTON COLIN PETER (GB)
Application Number:
PCT/GB2013/000016
Publication Date:
August 15, 2013
Filing Date:
January 16, 2013
Export Citation:
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Assignee:
RESQSKI LTD (GB)
International Classes:
G01S3/02; A63C11/00; G08B21/00; G09F3/00
Domestic Patent References:
WO1999043398A11999-09-02
WO2001013137A22001-02-22
WO1989004194A11989-05-18
Foreign References:
DE102009016269A12009-09-10
US5001461A1991-03-19
US5235321A1993-08-10
US4535322A1985-08-13
GB2417354A2006-02-22
US6167249A2000-12-26
US6484021B12002-11-19
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
LOCKE, Timothy John (Great Ayton, Middlesbrough TS9 6BH, GB)
Download PDF:
Claims:
Claims

1. A device, herein referred to as a tag, which comprises a waterproof and shockproof housing which is mountable on a ski and which contains a battery, a radio transmitter and a switch to connect power from the battery to the radio transmitter which switch can be turned on by the skier manually or automatically for example by inserting his or her foot into a binding or by fitting the device to a ski assembly.

2. A tag according to claim one in which the radio transmitter is a

transceiver which on receipt of power from the battery is enabled to receive radio signals from a sensor and in response to such signals to transmit its own signal enabling a user of the sensor to locate the tag.

Ski locating apparatus which comprises a tag as claimed in claim one or two and a sensor which sensor comprises a radio receiver or transceiver as required and an antenna and which has the property of providing a greater signal to the radio receiver or transceiver when the antenna is pointing in the direction of the tag and which has means to indicate the strength of the signal to an operator which may be an audio or visual signal.

Ski locating apparatus according to any preceding claim in which the electronic tag is fitted to a mounting component that is attached to the ski such that the tag may be removed from the ski by operating a release mechanism.

5. Ski locating apparatus according to any preceding claim in which the mounting component is fixed to the ski by means of an adhesive. A ski locating apparatus according to any preceding claim which comprises a mounting part which contains a permanent magnet which provides a magnetic field to the switch in the tag and in which the switch is a reed switch and wherein means is provided to permit rotation of the tag and the magnet relative to one another thus operating the switch.

A ski locating apparatus according to any preceding claim where the tag incorporates a mechanical switch by which the tag can be activated by the user.

A device as claimed in any preceding claim in which the switch is turned on automatically by the user inserting his or her foot into the binding and the switch remains in the on position after removal of the foot for a set period of time unless it is switched off manually.

A process of locating a lost ski using ski locating apparatus according to any preceding claim in which a person searching for the ski operates the sensor in the vicinity of the lost ski, aligns the sensor in a position at which the strongest signal is received, moves in the direction of the antenna until the maximum strength of the signal is received and recovers the ski.

Description:
SKI FINDER

Background.

Skiing off-piste is an increasingly popular activity for millions of skiers who want to take advantage of freshly fallen snow. Falling over in deep snow is rarely dangerous but quite common for a number of reasons: it is technically more difficult to ski; there are sometimes hidden objects under the snow typically rocks or branches; the layers of snow may have different properties. A fall initiates a release of the ski(s) from the boot via the binding and the ski may disappear under the snow often some distance from where the skier eventually stops depending on the steepness of the terrain and other factors. Finding the lost ski can take some considerable time and digging.

There are currently two main solutions to the problem; firstly, a ski ribbon - typically brightly coloured polyester strip about 2 meters long with a clip at one end to attach to the binding of the ski. When the ski comes away from the boot the ribbon should float on top of the snow and therefore indicate the location of the ski. The second device is an extendable leash, shorter and stronger than the ribbon. This leash physically prevents the ski from disappearing as it is attached to the (eg via the leash. In WO8904194 - Ski Retriever, a mechanical drum apparatus around which a cord is wrapped is utilized as a physical device to restrain the ski. In the case of US4535322 (A) - Ski Theft Alarm, an alarm is sounded when a physical cable that secures the skis is cut. These current alternatives are problematic as the ribbon is time-consuming to fit and frequently breaks or rips. The leash can be dangerous as the ski can hit the skier during a fall. Electronic alarms require radio receivers in which the battery life can be short. Further the audible alarm may not be heard due to the depth to which the ski is buried.

It is known that wireless devices can be used to locate missing objects and that these devices maybe attached to skis. These devices operate on the principle that a transmitting device attached to the ski which acts as a beacon which can be located by the skier using a hand-held receiver unit fitted with a directionally sensitive aerial. GB2417354 (A) describes a possible system whereby a locator device uses a signal strength meter for determining the distance between the transceiver and locator. US patent number 6167249 and 6484021 (Backcountry Access Inc.) refers to an avalanche rescue device where groups of skiers carry transceivers that can send alarm signals and enable distressed skiers to be located and rescued. This depends on both the rescued and the rescuer carrying similar devices on the same radio frequency.

A disadvantage with the wireless systems is that the transmitting devices are not robust or waterproof. Further they have limited battery life as they are intended to operate all the time. Further there is no convenient way to check the status of the battery.

Description of the invention. In one form of the invention a device, herein referred to as a tag, comprises a waterproof and shockproof housing which is mountable on a ski and which contains a battery, a radio transmitter and a switch to connect power from the battery to the radio transmitter which switch can be turned on by the skier manuaWy or automatically for example by inserting his or her foot into a binding or by fitting the device to a ski assembly.

This invention also comprises a device, which comprises a waterproof and shockproof housing which is mountable on a ski and which contains a battery, a transceiver and a switch which can be turned on by the skier manually or automatically for example by fitting the tag to a ski assembly or by inserting his or her foot into a binding to connect power from the battery to the transceiver to enable it to receive radio signals from a sensor and in response to such signals to transmit its own signal enabling the sensor to locate the tag.

This arrangement enables the life of the battery to be extended.

By "ski" we mean a ski as used. When used it is an assembly of a runner (which may elsewhere be called a ski) and a binding for securing a human foot (which will be clad in a ski boot) to the runner. The binding may be sold separately. The device may be mountable on any part of the assembly.

If desired means may be provided for switching the switch off whilst the tag is still attached to the ski so that the user does not need to mount and remove the tag frequently but the user must then remember to switch the tag on manually. This can be useful if for example the skis are to be stored for a prolonged time. The switch may conveniently be a reed switch responsive to a permanent magnet with provision for relative rotation between the tag and the permanent magnet to operate the switch. The permanent magnet is suitably fitted to a mounting assembly attached permanently to the ski. By the action of rotating the tag in the mounting assembly causes the reed switch to align with the magnetic field by thereby cause the circuit to be energized.

This also provides a means of checking whether the battery is discharged if for example a light is displayed if the battery is charged. If the switch is operated automatically by inserting a foot into the binding the user is spared the task of switching it on manually and this is helpful for the forgetful or preoccupied. However if the switch is turned off when the foot is removed, and the ski is lost then the device cannot be used to find the ski. This difficulty is suitably addressed by providing that the switch remains on for a predetermined period of time after the removal of the foot. In order to avoid unnecessary discharge of the battery it is desirable to provide manual means for switching it off so that if the ski is not in fact lost the user has the opportunity of saving battery power by doing so. The predetermined period may be for example 1 to 7 days.

The skier is therefore able to activate the tags only when they are required, for example when he is going to ski off-piste. If the skier removes the tags from the skis or keeps them in the off position when not skiing the battery life will be considerable extended.

In this invention the electronic circuit and batteries are fully contained in robust and shockproof housing such that no part of the electronics can be contaminated with water. It is further desirable that the tag be de-mountable from the ski. The mounting part and the tag may for example incorporate slots and lugs which allow the tag to be removed from the mounting part when the slots and lugs are aligned. If the skis are lost and the tags are on the skier can search for the skis with a small finding device. This device will comprise a transceiver with an antenna that has the property of providing a greater signal to the receiver when it is pointing in the direction of the tag. The finding device has means to indicate the strength of the signal to the skier which may be an audio or visual signal. Thus the tag may be located by moving the finding device to a position where the signal from the tag appears to be strongest and then proceeding in this direction until the tag is located.

The finding device may be adapted to detect signals from several different tags according to his choice by switching on the finding device and selecting which tag is to be found. The finding device will then send a signal which the tag will recognize and the tag transmitter will be switched on. The finding device is then used to locate the chosen tag.

An example of the apparatus is described with reference to the following figures.

Figurel shows the apparatus attached to a pair of skis and the finding device..

Figure 2 shows a top view of the apparatus.

Figure 3 shows a side view of the apparatus shown in figure 2,

Figure 4 shows a top view of the base part.

Figure 5 shows a section on X-X of the base part shown in figure 4

Figure 5A shows the under side of the base unit with the magnet.

Figure 6 shows a top view of the removable part.

Figure 7 shows a section on Y-Y of the removable part shown in figure 6. Figure 8 shows a view of the base cover pari in the direction of arrow A in figure 5.

Figure 9 shows a view of the apparatus with a protective plug fitted in place if the removable part. Figure 1 shows the apparatus 1 attached to a pair of skis 2. Parts 3 and 4 represent the bindings which hold the ski boot on to the ski. The front of the ski boot locates in item 3 and the rear of the boot locates in item 4. The apparatus 1 may be attached anywhere on the top surface of the ski and typically just infront of the front binding. A skier will generally use two skis and the apparatus is fitted to both skis. A finding device 33 comprising a small transceiver unit is carried by the skier.

Figure 2 and 3 show the apparatus 2 without the ski. The apparatus consists of two parts, a base part 5 and a removable part 6 called a tag, the base part 5 being permanently fixed to the ski by means of an adhesive pad 7 this pad being sufficiently thick and flexible to allow it to conform to any curvature on the face of the ski. Alternatively the base part maybe fixed to the ski using screws 8.

Figures 4 and 5 shows a top view and section view of the base part which comprises a lower part 9 to which is fixed a permanent magnet 10 and an annular spring component 1 and a cover part 12. The cover part 12 is permanently fixed to the lower part 9 by means of adhesive or retention features formed in the parts (not shown) or two screws 3. The cover 10 has two slots in the top surface, one slot 3 being wider than the other slot 14.

Figures 6 and 7 show the tag part which comprises a base 15 and a cover 16, the cover part being fixed to the base by means of two screws 7 or other means which would enable a user to remove the cover part from the base to give access to the batteries. A rubber component 19 is fitted between the base and the cover to form a water proof barrier. Inside the water proof barrier is a printed circuit board with a radio transmitter or trans-receiver 20, batteries 21 and contacts 22 between which is a reed switch 23 which causes a connection to be made when a magnetic fieid provided by the magnet 10 is aligned with the contacts inside the switch. The base 15 has two lugs on its circumference, one lug 24 being wider than the other lug 25.

The sides of the tag 6 and the base part 5 are sloping to prevent damage caused by impacts which might otherwise knock the apparatus off the ski. As shown in figure 8 the top surface of the cover of the base part 10 has raised projections on the underside 26 against which the lugs on the tag are urged by the action of the annular spring 1. The lugs on the tag are sized to allow the removable part 6 to be inserted into the base part 3 in one orientation only by allowing the lugs to fit through the slots in the cover part 0. As the tag is inserted into the base part the annular spring 1 is moved downwards direction whereby becoming compressed. When the tag 6 is fully pushed into the base part 5 the said removable part may be rotated in a direction to align the pointer feature 27 towards the OFF position 28 as indicated on the cover of the base part. When in this position the tag is urged in an upward direction such that the lugs 24 and 25 locate between the projections 26 and prevent accidental rotational movement.

The tag 6 maybe depressed and rotated such that the pointer 27 is aligned with the ON position 29 as indicated on the cover of the base part. Again the lugs 24 and 25 locate between the projections 26 and prevent accidental rotational movement unless the tag is depressed.

When the tag 6 is positioned with the pointer 27 aligned with the OFF position 28 the long axis of the reed switch 23 is at 90 degrees to the long axis of the magnet 10 and in this position the contacts in the reed switch are not magnetised and are in the open circuit position and the batteries 21 are disconnected from the electric circuit 20.

When the tag 6 is positioned with the pointer 27 aligned with the ON position 29 the long axis of the reed switch 23 is in alignment with the long axis of the magnet 10 and in this position the contacts in the reed switch are magnetised and thereby move to the closed circuit position and the batteries 21 are connected to the electric circuit 20. When the tag is moved from the off position to the on position a fight mounted on the electric circuit will illuminate to indicate that the batteries have sufficient charge to allow the tag to operate. Figure 9 shows the tag replaced by a protective plug 32 for use when the tag is not fitted to the ski.