Ski pole grip and strap system

Abstract

A cam buckle system has a lever arm which is pivotally connected to a base plate. The lever arm rotates a lock arm with cam teeth into abutment with a strap to lock the strap against movement. The strap also extends through a capture slot on the lever arm so that manual movement of the strap will open or lock the cam buckle as well as tension the strap. The cam buckle can be used for any tension member, but has particular utility to interconnect a pair of wrist straps of a ski pole grip. The straps and cam buckle form an adjustable length loop which can be tightened to form a heel support for the ski grip. A single point attachment at a top of the handle includes a vertical slot and spreader plate to vertically orient and open the pair of straps. This creates a wrist strap adjustment system that can be quickly manipulated using a single gloved hand.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A cam buckle system for adjusting a tension member, comprising: 
 a base member,    a lever member having a lever arm and a locking arm spaced above the base member to create a channel for slidably containing the tension member,    mounting means for movably attaching the lever member to the base member so that the movement of the lever arm will cause the locking arm to move into the channel to engage the tension member,    a capture member on the lever arm for containing the tension member for slidable movement and for moving the level arm toward and away from the base member as the tension member is lowered and raised relative to the base member,    whereby movement of the tension member causes tensioning as well as locking and release of the cam buckle system.    
     
     
         2 . The cam buckle system of  claim 1  wherein the capture member comprises a capture slot extending through the lever arm, and the tension member extends through the channel and the capture slot.  
     
     
         3 . The cam buckle system of  claim 2  wherein the lever arm has a pair of side rails extending to a rear bar which defines therebetween the capture slot, the rear bar having a first face which abuts the tension member to move the lever into a locking position.  
     
     
         4 . The cam buckle system of  claim 3  wherein the lever arm further includes a second face spaced across the capture slot from the rear bar and engagable with the tension member for moving the locking arm to a disengaged position,  
     
     
         5 . The cam buckle system of  claim 1  wherein the base member comprises a base plate having a pair of side flanges spaced apart for retaining the tension member therebetween, and the mounting means pivotly attaches the lever member to the pair of side flanges along a pivot axis so that the lever arm can be rotated away from or toward the base plate.  
     
     
         6 . The cam buckle system of  claim 5  wherein the locking arm extends rearwardly from the pivot axis and includes a pair of surfaces adjacent the end region to form a part of the capture member, the surfaces being engagable by the tension member to rotate the locking arm toward or away from the base plate.  
     
     
         7 . The cam buckle system of  claim 6  wherein one of the pair of surfaces faces upwardly on the locking arm and the other of the pair of surfaces faces downwardly on the locking arm toward the base plate, the pair of surfaces guiding the tension member for slidable motion.  
     
     
         8 . The cam buckle system of  claim 7  wherein the pair of surfaces are spaced on opposite sides of a capture slot extending through the locking arm, the tension member extending through the cam buckle and though the capture slot.  
     
     
         9 . The cam buckle system of  claim 5  wherein the locking arm includes a jam edge which can be rotated into a locking position above the base plate, and the base plate contains a locking recess below the jam edge to contain the tension member.  
     
     
         10 . The cam buckle system of  claim 9  wherein the pivot axis is off-center from and displaced with respect to the locking recess.  
     
     
         11 . The cam buckle system of  claim 1  wherein the locking arm projects at an angle with respect to the lever arm and has a plurality of projecting teeth to engage the tension member when the cam buckle system is locked.  
     
     
         12 . The cam buckle system of  claim 11  wherein the locking arm has a recess between adjacent teeth for containing a portion of the tension member within the recess when the projecting teeth engage the tension member.  
     
     
         13 . The cam buckle system of  claim 1  wherein the base member includes a base plate and an upright extending above the base plate, the mounting means comprises a pivot axis for pivotly connecting the lever member to the upright along a pivot axis which is spaced above and parallel to the base plate, the locking arm having a cam surface at a skewed angle with respect to a vertical plane between the pivot axis and the base plate so as to engage the tension member at a off-center position when the cam buckle is locked.  
     
     
         14 . A cam buckle system for adjusting a tension strap, comprising: 
 a base member having a base plate and a pair of uprights spaced apart for guiding the strap therebetween,    an angular lever member having a locking arm with a locking surface spaced above the base member so that the strap is slidably movable between the locking arm and the base member, a lever arm extending from the locking arm and having a capture slot extending through the lever arm, a first surface and a second surface on opposite sides of the capture slot, the strap extending through the capture slot to permit slidable motion relative to the first and second surfaces,    a pivot for pivotally attaching the lever member to the base member so as to rotate the locking arm toward and away from the strap which slides over the base plate,    the strap being moveable to abut the first surface and rotate the locking arm and locking surface away from the base member to open the cam buckle system,    the strap being moveable to abut the second surface and rotate the locking arm and locking surface toward the base member to urge the locking surface against the strap and base plate to lock the cam buckle system,    whereby the strap can be pulled for tensioning and moved relative to the base member to open or lock the cam buckle system.    
     
     
         15 . The cam buckle system of  claim 14  wherein the base plate contains an elongated lock recess extending between the pair of uprights and coaxial with the pivot axis, the elongated lock recess being off-set from a normal plane between the pivot axis and the base plate, and the locking surface extending from the lever arm so that the locking surface is off-set from the pivot axis, the locking surface being rotatable to jam the tension strap into the locking recess.  
     
     
         16 . The cam buckle system of  claim 15  wherein the locking surface is comprised of a plurality of jam teeth and at least one recess between adjacent teeth for containing a portion of the strap when the teeth are rotated into jamming engagement with the strap.  
     
     
         17 . The cam buckle system of  claim 14  wherein the locking arm extends generally parallel to and spaced above the base plate when the angular lever member is in its locked position, and the capture slot extends at a skewed angle through the lever arm so that the skewed sides of the capture slot form the first and second surfaces.  
     
     
         18 . The claim buckle system of  claim 14  wherein the locking arm has a pair of side rails extending to a rear bar which define therebetween the capture slot, the rear bar forming one of the first and second surfaces.  
     
     
         19 . The cam buckle system of  claim 18  wherein the capture slot is formed through the lever arm at a skewed angle to the base plate, the lever arm opposite the rear bar having a slanted wall extending from the capture slot toward the locking arm and defining the other of the first and second surfaces.  
     
     
         20 . A ski pole grip and strap system, comprising: 
 an elongated hollow handle having a recess in the lower end for receiving a ski pole shaft, an upper end of the handle having a mounting slot therein,    a strap having first and second portions seated in the mounting slot and extending outwardly therefrom,    an adjustable buckle for interconnecting the first and second strap portions in order to form a loop for a skier's hand, the adjustable buckle including guide channels for guiding one strap portion through the adjustable buckle to a free end which can be manually grasped by a user, and    the adjustable buckle includes a lever arm which captures the one strap portion so that manual movement of the free end will lock the adjustable buckle or will open the adjustable buckle to allow sliding movement of the one strap portion through the guide channels to adjust the loop length.    
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20  wherein the lever arm has a capture slot extending therethrough and the strap extends through the capture slot.  
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 20  wherein the adjustable buckle includes a base member, and a jam arm fixedly attached to the lever arm so that movement of the free end of the strap will move the lever arm and attached jam arm against the strap to jam the strap against the base plate.  
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 20  wherein the adjustable buckle has a base plate and a pair of uprights for guiding the one strap portion therebetween, the lever arm includes an angular lock arm extending therefrom towards the base plate, pivot means for pivotly connecting the lever arm and angular lock arm to the pair of uprights to rotate the lock arm into engagement with the one strap portion and jam said one strap portion against the base plate to lock the adjustable buckle.  
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 20  wherein the mounting slot is vertical and co-planar with the elongated handle, the upper end of the handle including a strap connection means extending through the handle and into the vertical mounting slot for capturing the first and second strap portions in a vertical orientation so that the width of the straps can fold to open the loop for entry therein.  
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24  including a spreader member insertable into the vertical mounting slot for spacing apart the first and second strap portions.  
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25  wherein the spreader member includes at least first and second skewed edges which bear against the respective first and second strap portions to separate and open the strap portions as the portions exit the vertical mounting slot.  
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 20  wherein a bottom of the strap loop serves as a heel platform for the ski pole grip.  
     
     
         28 . A ski pole grip and strap system, comprising: 
 an elongated hollow handle having a recess in a lower end for receiving a ski pole shaft, a front gripping surface extending vertically along the handle for receiving fingers of a skier's hand, a top portion of the handle extending above the front gripping surfaces and including a vertical mounting slot extending co-planar with the elongated handle,    a wrist strap formed of a web which is wide and narrow and includes a first web portion and second web portion seated in the vertical mounting slot and extend outwardly so that the web portions which are wide face each other, and    an adjustable buckle for interconnecting the first and second web portions in order to form a loop for a skier's hand, including an adjustment mechanism movable to lock the length of the loop or to open the adjustable buckle for sliding movement of the web portions to adjust the loop length.    
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 28  wherein the top portion of the handle includes a horizontal bore extending through the handle and intersecting the vertical slot, and a removable pin mountable in the bore to capture the strap portions when seated in the vertical mounting slot.  
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 28  including a spreader member having a plate portion and an extending leg portion, the leg portion being insertable into the vertical mounting slot so that the plate portion separates a part the first strap portion from the second strap portion.