TRAINING HOOP

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims an invention which was disclosed in Provisional Application Number 60/670,321, filed 12 April 2005, entitled "Do-ski ", and Provisional Application Number 60/728,943, filed 17 October 2005, entitled "Ski-Pal: Safety Ski and Snowboard Training Hoop". The benefit under 35 USC §119(e) of the United States provisional application is hereby claimed, and the aforementioned applications are hereby incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Training devices for skiing, snowboarding, and skating.

BACKGROUND

Harnesses, straps, handholds, and hula hoops have been used to help beginners stay on their feet as they learn to ski or skate. These devices have suffered various problems including inadequate functioning, inconvenience, cumbersomeness, and expense, so that none of them have been very successful in the marketplace.

SUMMARY

A goal of this invention is to remedy the shortcomings of previous suggestions for training devices for beginning skiers, snowboarders, and skaters. In doing so, the invention aims at effectiveness, convenience, and low cost in a training device that allows several modes of use and helps make the learning experience pleasant.

The inventive training device assembles of tubing pieces to form an oblong hoop with tube junctions at each corner, and telescoping tube junctions on each side. The hoop can be disassembled into six transportable pieces that can be carried in a small and simple bag. When assembled and held together, preferably with push pin couplings that lock tube ends together, the oblong hoop can extend across the chest and under the armpits of a

pupil positioned in a forward region. In a first stage of learning, an instructor is also inside the hoop closely behind the pupil to hold and manipulate the hoop. This provides good support for a pupil who is beginning to learn the feel of skiing or skating. At a second stage of more advance learning, the instructor can move to a rear region of the hoop while remaining within the hoop to help control and guide the pupil. For this purpose, the hoop is preferably extendable with telescoping joints in its side tubes. At a more advanced learning stage, the pupil remains within the forward region of the hoop while the instructor follows outside the hoop hanging onto the rear region of the hoop to help control and guide the pupil.

DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the tubing parts used to assemble the inventive training hoop.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a training hoop assembled from the parts shown in Fig. 1 and illustrating telescopically adjustable length alternatives.

Fig. 3, 4, and 5 are views of use of the training hoop respectively for a first stage of learning in Fig. 3, a second stage of learning in Fig. 4, and a third stage of learning in Fig. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hoop 10, as shown assembled in FIG. 2, is preferably formed of lengths of tubing, which can be made of plastic, or preferably formed of metal, such as steel or aluminum. These tubing lengths preferably include a front tube 15, a rear tube 20, front side tubes 25, and rear side tubes 26. Front tube 15 preferably has a pad 16 arranged for the comfort of the user, and rear side tubes 26 preferably have hand grips 27 for use by an instructor.

The corners of tube 10 are preferably beveled, and tube junctions are arranged in each corner. Each junction occurs where an end of one tube fits inside an end of another tube. This can be done by using tubes of different diameters, or by swaging tube ends so that one fits inside another at each junction. Front tube junctions 18 are arranged at front corners of hoop 10 and occur between front tube 15 and forward side tubes 25. Junctions 18, as well as other tube junctions elsewhere on hoop 10 are preferably held together with

push pins or snap buttons 17. These are well-known connectors that are spring biased to detent into a hole in a surrounding tube. Several variations of push pins or snap buttons exist, and alternative connectors to hold tube ends together are also available. Push pins 17 also allow the tubing pieces of hoop 10 to be disassembled into six pieces, four of which are illustrated in FIG. 1. (Front side tubes 25 and rear side tubes 26 are used in pairs to complete the six pieces needed.)

In a similar way, rear tube 20 joins with each of the rear side tubes 26 at rear corner junctions 28 held together by push pins 17. Side junctions 38 between front side tubes 25 and rear side tubes 26 are preferably telescopically adjustable so that 2 pairs of push pins 17 can interlock in either of the two illustrated positions for changing the length of oblong hoop 10 between the solid and broken line positions.

The tube pieces shown in FIG. 1 all include at least one bend, preferably of 45°. Front tube 15 has two bends 14 leading to front corner junctions 18. Front side tubes 25 each have a single bend 24 leading respectively to front corner junctions 18 where tubes 25 interconnect with tube 15.

hi a similar way, rear tube 20 has a pair of bends 34 leading to rear corner junctions 28, and rear side tubes 26 each have a bend 44 leading to rear corner junctions 28. Such an arrangement allows the tubing pieces to fit together in each of the corner junctions while preserving the approximately rectangular shape of oblong hoop 10. Side junctions 38 can then be arranged in straight sections of tubes 25 and 26 so as to be telescopically adjustable as illustrated. This is preferably accomplished by sliding side tubes 25 and 26 together so that push pins 17 enter either near or far holes to adjust the respectively longer or shorter lengths of hoop 10.

FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 show preferred ways of using hoop 10 as a training aid for a pupil 50 who is beginning to ski or skate. At the earliest stage of learning, when the pupil is just starting to ski or skate, both the pupil 50 and the instructor 60 are inside hoop 10, with the instructor holding hoop 10 and being positioned closely behind the pupil who occupies the forward region of hoop 10, as shown in FIG. 3. Front tube 15 preferably extends across the chest of the pupil and under the armpits of the pupil, and the first stage position gives the pupil excellent support and gives the instructor full control. The

instructor's legs and skis or skates can straddle the pupil's legs and skiis, and by skiing slowly and controlling the position of the hoop, the instructor can give the pupil a feel for the skiing or skating process.

As the pupil 50 becomes a little more advanced, the instructor 60 can move to the rear region of hoop 10 in a second stage illustrated in FIG. 4. Here the instructor continues to hang onto the sides of hoop 10 while giving the pupil some support while allowing more freedom of movement. The oblong shape of hoop 10 with a narrowed front region adjacent front tube 15 provides close support for pupil 50 while also having a lateral width sufficient for movement of the instructor between the FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 positions.

hi a third stage, shown in FIG. 5, when a pupil has learned some of the fundamentals of skiing or skating, the instructor can move outside the hoop and be positioned at the rear of the hoop where the instructor's hold on the hoop can keep the pupil from running out of control. The preferred light weight and strength of hoop 10 facilitates movement of the instructor 60 between positions inside and outside of hoop 10.

hi all these stages, ■ hoop 10 is preferably strong enough and rugged enough that the pupil can be well supported and kept from harm while learning. Besides preventing any runaway accident, hoop 10 can help keep the pupil from falling while experiencing the movements that need to be learned for successful skiing or skating.

After each skiing lesson, hoop 10 can be disassembled into six pieces of tubing that can be transported conveniently in a small and simple travel bag or box. Conversely, the tubes of hoop 10 can be reassembled simply by snap fitting them together when the time for another lesson arrives.