Apparatus, System, and Method for Folding, Stowing, and Deploying Skis

Abstract

A foldable ski is part of a system for traversing over snow and ice covered terrain. The ski is configured to be moved from a deployed condition and shortened in length to a stowed condition. Thus, stowing the ski enables it to fit in small spaces such as in a snowmobile compartment or backpack pocket. The ski is constructed with a plurality of hinges, sections, and locking mechanisms configured to move the sections between the deployed condition and the stowed condition. The ski may also include a mechanism for pivotally coupling footwear to the ski, whether a user is wearing hardshell boots or softshell boots for hiking, skiing, snowmobiling, and/or snowboarding. The mechanism for coupling footwear may include an adjustable binding platform capable of position adjustment and/or length adjustment.

1 . An apparatus for traversing ice and snow, the apparatus comprising:
 a collapsible body having a bottom surface for traversing ice and snow covered terrain and a top surface for supporting a user on the ice or snow;   at least two hinge areas, the body divided into at least three sections by the at least two hinge areas; and   at least two separate locking mechanisms on the body proximate to the at least two hinge areas, the locking mechanisms configured to hold the at least two hinge areas in a deployed mode with the sections aligned with each other when locked and to release the two hinge areas in a collapsed mode enabling the sections to be stowed in a mutually overlying configuration when unlocked.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises a ski having a deployed length in the deployed mode and a collapsed length in the collapsed mode, the collapsed length being less than or equal to approximately 45% of the deployed length. 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus has a deployed length in the deployed mode and a collapsed length in the collapsed mode, the collapsed length being less than or equal to approximately 33% of the deployed length. 
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each of the hinge areas comprises a floating hinge, each floating hinge having at least two pivot axes. 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising an adjustable attachment mechanism coupled to the top surface for adjustably attaching footwear to the top surface of the apparatus. 
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the adjustable attachment mechanism has a mounting platform releasably coupled to the top surface of the apparatus, the mounting platform configured to secure footwear to the apparatus. 
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first keeper having a first channel disposed on the top surface on a first section of the three sections of the body;   a second keeper having a second channel disposed on the top surface on a second section of the three sections of the body;   an inflexible moveable locking brace configured to slideably engage the first channel and the second channel by spanning one of the hinge areas.   
   
   
       8 . A system for selectively deploying and stowing a device for traversing snow or ice, the system comprising:
 a body comprising a plurality of sections movable between a deployed mode forming a ski or snow shoe and a stowed mode in which the sections are collapsed into overlying relation relative to each other;   at least one releasable locking mechanism fixing at least one of the sections relative to another of the sections in the deployed mode; and   a binding mounting mechanism disposed on a front half of the body on at least one of the sections when the sections are in the deployed mode.   
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the binding mounting mechanism has a plurality of binding position elements, the binding position elements configured for pivotally coupling footwear at a plurality of positions generally corresponding to the binding position elements along the body, wherein the plurality of binding position elements are positioned on the front half of the body in the deployed mode. 
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the binding mounting mechanism is an adjustable binding mounting mechanism disposed on at least one of the sections, the binding mounting mechanism configured to adjustably support a binding platform in one of a plurality of mounting positions. 
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the adjustable binding mounting mechanism is disposed on two of the sections. 
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the adjustable binding mounting mechanism comprises a pair of upwardly protruding flanges having respective sets of holes in the flanges for selectively supporting the platform. 
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the sets of holes pivotally support the platform. 
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the platform has at least one strap attached thereto for engaging hard or soft shelled footwear 
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the locking mechanism comprises at least one brace and at least two keepers forming respective channels on different ones of the sections, wherein the brace is slideably received in the channels of both of the two keepers in the deployed mode and slideably removed from the channel of at least one of the keepers in the stowed mode. 
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the plurality of sections includes at least a first section, a second section, and a third section;   each of the first, second, and third sections has at least one keeper; and   the brace is a first brace of a plurality of braces in which at least one of the braces is supported in the keepers of the first and second sections and at least another of the braces is supported in the keepers of the second and third sections when the ski or snow shoe is in the deployed mode.   
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the locking mechanism has a plurality of pairs of keepers; and   the brace is generally U-shaped and each end of the brace is slideably supported in a respective one of a pair of the plurality of pairs of keepers.   
   
   
       18 . A method of using a collapsible device for traversing snow or ice, the method comprising:
 unfolding at least three sections of a ski or snow shoe; and   locking the at least three sections in an aligned, generally rigid, deployed configuration.   
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the method further comprises coupling footwear to the device at a position in a front half of the device. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein coupling footwear further comprises adjustably coupling a binding platform to one of a plurality of binding mounting elements on the front half of the device. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 unlocking and folding the three sections into a compact stowed configuration;   wherein the folding comprises moving the sections and forming the compact stowed configuration with the sections in generally parallel, overlying relation to each other and having a length less than approximately 45% of a length of the device in the deployed configuration.