Tip attachment

Abstract

Tip attachment (1) for a pole, in particular for a trekking pole, cross-country-skiing pole, Nordic-walking pole or downhill-skiing pole, having a plastic sleeve (3), which can be fastened at the lower, free end of a pole tube (2) and, at an upper end, has an upwardly open hole (6, 16) for accommodating the lower, free end of the pole tube (2), and a tip insert (8) is fastened in an opening (25) at the lower end of the pole tube, characterized in that the tip insert (8) has a carrier element (9), which is releasably fastened in the opening (25) by means of a drive-in thread (19) provided on a retaining region (14) in a substantially cylindrical region (15).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a tip attachment for a pole, in particular for a trekking pole, cross-country ski pole, Nordic walking pole, or alpine ski pole, as well as methods for assembling such a tip attachment and for repairing such a tip attachment. STATE OF THE ART

[0002] Trekking poles, cross-country ski poles, Nordic walking poles, or alpine ski poles have a handle at their upper free end and a tip or a rolling surface at their lower free end.

[0003] The tips are often designed as separate plastic elements with a (hard) metal tip attached to the lower end. Such tips are usually glued or pressed into the plastic in such a way that they cannot be removed without damaging the plastic to which they are attached.

[0004] CN203329296U describes a pole tip comprising a spreading nail and a spreading nail plastic sleeve. The spreading nail is formed by a nail cap and a nail bar. One end of the nail bar and the nail cap are fixed, and the other end of the nail bar is inserted into the spreading nail plastic sleeve and connected to the spreading nail plastic sleeve. A conventional threaded structure is formed on the outer wall of the nail bar along one-quarter to two-thirds of the total length from an end fixed to the nail cap to the nail bar. The nail bar is first nailed into the spreading nail plastic sleeve and then connected to the spreading nail plastic sleeve using a threading process. The outer wall of a nail bar of an existing pole tip product is improved to have a half-threaded structure. The nail bar is first nailed into the spreading nail plastic sleeve during installation and then screwed.This saves installation time and improves work efficiency; the pole tip is not prone to loosening during long-term use, firm and durable.

[0005] EP-A-2 896 438 describes an interchangeable element which can be detachably fastened to a free lower end of a pole tube, in particular for a trekking pole, cross-country ski pole, Nordic walking pole or ski pole, with a tip element which has a tip, a rolling surface at its lower end or in whose lower end a tip is embedded, and which has an axial blind hole open at the top for receiving the free lower end of the pole tube.The tip element is characterized in that the tip element has at least one axial slot in its upper edge, as well as a circumferential, annular sleeve which at least partially encompasses the tip element, which sleeve can be releasably fastened to the tip element in the region of the upper edge in such a way that at least one projection on the pole tube and / or a transverse pin which is mounted in at least one hole in the pole tube transversely to the pole axis is caught in the at least one axial slot of the tip element by the sleeve and the tip element is thereby fastened to the free end of the pole tube.

[0006] KR20090099175 provides a cane equipped with a tip module that can prevent damage and abrasion of a tip by absorbing the shock applied to the tip. A cane equipped with a tip module includes: a tube; and a tip module attached to the front end of the tube. The tube is shaped such that the diameter decreases from the center to the bottom. The tip module includes: a circular, columnar tip; a tip holder covering the circumference of the tip; a damper disposed on top of the tip and absorbing the shock applied to the tip; a stopper connected to the tip holder and supporting the damper; and a basket holder connecting the tip holder and the tube so that the tip holder can be disposed at the bottom of the tube. PRESENTATION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a tip for such applications which can be manufactured easily and in which it is also possible to replace individual elements which are worn out.

[0008] The invention accordingly relates to a tip attachment according to claim 1 and to methods for assembling or repairing such an attachment.

[0009] Specifically, a tip attachment for a pole, in particular for a trekking pole, cross-country ski pole, Nordic walking pole, or alpine ski pole, is proposed, comprising a plastic sleeve which can be fastened to the lower free end of a pole tube and which has an upwardly open hole at an upper end for receiving the lower free end of the pole tube, and at whose lower end a tip insert is fastened in an opening.

[0010] The proposed tip attachment is characterized according to the invention in that the tip insert has a carrier element which is detachably fastened in a substantially cylindrical region in the opening by means of a driving-in thread provided on a holding region (which in the present case includes a press-in thread or is to be understood as synonymous therewith, wherein pressing in, as in driving in, is to be understood as a purely axial movement into the cylindrical region of the opening).

[0011] Surprisingly, it turns out that a knock-in thread or press-in thread, which can be distinguished from a conventional thread because it has thread pitches with different flank inclinations, although such a thread is held in the plastic sleeve without a material connection and solely by frictional connection and / or form closure, is sufficiently firmly fastened in the plastic sleeve even for intensive use, and on the other hand, when the tip is worn out, can be removed from the plastic sleeve and replaced, for example, simply by turning it and without causing any damage.

[0012] Typically, the mounting area is approximately 5-30 mm, preferably 10-20 mm long, and is pressed or driven into a substantially cylindrical area with an inner diameter slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the drive-in thread (press-in thread) before assembly, completely without adhesion promoter.

[0013] The holding area has at least one thread which runs around at least once (preferably at least twice or at least three times), the flat flank of which, directed towards the upper end of the plastic sleeve, forms a smaller angle with an axis of the tip attachment than the steep flank of which, directed away from the upper end of the plastic sleeve.

[0014] The angle between the flat flank and the axis is preferably in the range of 5-60°, preferably in the range of 10-40°, particularly preferably in the range of 15-30°, and the angle between the steep flank and the axis is in the range of 60-90°, preferably in the range of 70-85°, particularly preferably in the range of 75-85°.

[0015] The difference in the angles between the flat flank and the axis or the steep flank and the axis is preferably in the range of 20-60°, preferably in the range of 30-50°.

[0016] Such a tip insert can be characterized in that it has a receiving opening for receiving a hard tip and such a tip at its end facing away from the plastic sleeve, wherein the tip is preferably a tip made of a (hard) metal or ceramic, which is fastened, preferably pressed and / or glued, in the receiving opening in the form of a blind hole.

[0017] The carrier element preferably has, at its end facing away from the plastic sleeve, a tip extension which is tapered towards the plastic sleeve to form a step, so that a substantially radially extending stop surface is formed between the holding region and the tip extension, wherein the tip extension is preferably designed as a conically converging surface region on the side facing away from the holding region.

[0018] The carrier element can have, in its area exposed from the plastic sleeve in the assembled state, means for engaging an assembly tool, particularly preferably in the form of engagement surfaces, preferably axially extending parallel engagement surfaces, but special surfaces are also conceivable so that replacement can only be carried out with approved tools.

[0019] The retaining portion is further preferably formed at its free end as a point without a thread, wherein this point preferably has a conically tapered tip portion and a substantially cylindrical portion (typically with an axial length in the range of 2-6 mm, preferably 2-4 mm) following it towards the drive-in thread / press-in thread. This means that the retaining portion can initially be inserted into the opening with this tip during assembly and is then sufficiently guided so that it can subsequently be driven or pressed in without jamming.

[0020] A further preferred embodiment is characterized in that the substantially cylindrical region has a smaller outer diameter than the highest elevation of the thread pitch of the impact thread / press-in thread, and that the outer diameter of the substantially cylindrical region of the tip corresponds substantially to the inner diameter of the cylindrical region in the opening of the plastic sleeve.

[0021] The highest elevation of the thread of the impact thread / press-in thread typically has an outer diameter that is larger than the inner diameter of the cylindrical region in the opening of the plastic sleeve, wherein preferably the outer diameter of the thread is at least 0.1 mm, preferably at least 0.5 mm, particularly preferably in the range of 0.1 - 2 mm or 0.1-1 mm larger than the inner diameter of the cylindrical region.

[0022] The plastic sleeve may have a radially extending stop surface around the opening, the outer diameter of which substantially corresponds to the outer diameter of a radial stop surface of the carrier element.

[0023] The plastic sleeve is typically made of a thermoplastic, preferably in injection-molded form, which is particularly preferably a plastic selected from the following group: polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, polyurethane, polycarbonate, optionally with fillers and / or fiber reinforcement.

[0024] The support element of the tip attachment typically consists of a hard plastic (for example, a high-melting thermoplastic material such as terephthalic acid-based polyamide, optionally in glass fiber reinforced form) or metal, preferably of metal, particularly preferably of stainless or surface-treated, e.g. galvanized steel.

[0025] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for assembling a tip attachment as described above, which is particularly characterized in that the plastic sleeve is provided, and then the carrier element of the tip attachment is driven or pressed into the plastic sleeve, preferably with the tip already attached thereto, along an axial direction without the use of an adhesion promoter.

[0026] Afterwards or beforehand, the tip attachment can be attached to a pole tube. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for replacing a tip in a tip attachment as described above, which is particularly characterized in that the tip insert is twisted out of the plastic sleeve and a replacement tip is hammered or pressed into the plastic sleeve.

[0027] Last but not least, the present invention relates to a pole, in particular a trekking pole, a cross-country ski pole, a Nordic walking pole, or an alpine ski pole, comprising a tip attachment as described above.

[0028] Further embodiments are specified in the dependent claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Preferred embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only and are not to be construed as limiting. In the drawings: Fig. 1 in a) a side view of a tip attachment according to the invention in the assembled state and in b) an axial section along AA of the tip attachment according to a), in c) a perspective view obliquely from below and in d) a perspective view obliquely from above; Fig. 2 in a) a schematic representation of how such a tip attachment can be assembled and in b) a schematic representation of how the tip insert can be removed from such a tip attachment; and Fig. 3 in a perspective view obliquely from below, a support element for a tip insert. DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0030] Figure 1 shows a tip attachment 1 in the assembled state in different views. The pole tube 2, onto which such a tip attachment is typically attached, usually with an adhesive connection or a press connection, is shown schematically in the side view according to Figure 1a ) is shown.

[0031] Such a tip attachment 1 comprises a plastic sleeve 3, which has a conical upper region 5 at the very top, which widens downwards and then tapers into a step 26. This stop step 26 is generally provided so that a plate with a through-hole and an internal thread can be pushed and screwed on from below, whereby the internal thread of such a plate then cooperates with the external thread 4 of the plastic attachment. Additional locking mechanisms for such a plate can be provided, for example, elastic tongues or the like, in particular a system such as that disclosed in WO2016 / 173827.

[0032] While the plastic sleeve 3 has an opening 6 at the upper end for receiving a lower pipe end 2, the one used in particular in Figure 1b) visible through-opening 16 at the lower end has a substantially cylindrical region 15. A tip insert 8 is fastened in this cylindrical region, which is arranged in a lower region 7 of the plastic sleeve that tapers conically on the outside. The tip insert 8 consists of a carrier element 9, in the front tip of which a tip element 10 made of hard metal or ceramic is firmly embedded. For this purpose, the tip insert 8 in the carrier element 9 has a receiving opening 13, in this receiving opening the tip 10 is usually pressed and / or glued with a slightly conical holding region 11, typically using a combination of frictional connection and material connection.

[0033] The tip insert 8 has a conical surface area 17 that is exposed when assembled and transitions as smoothly as possible into the front section of the conically tapered area 7 of the plastic sleeve. For this purpose, there is a stop surface 33 on the plastic sleeve around the lower opening 25, and a stop surface 29 on the carrier element 9. When the tip insert 8 is driven or pressed in (see below), these stop surfaces come into contact and limit the penetration depth of the tip insert 8 into the plastic sleeve 3.

[0034] The carrier element 9 now has, as can be seen from Figure 2a)can be seen, in its holding area 15 engaging in the plastic sleeve via a driven-in thread 19 (or press-in thread). This driven-in thread 19 is pressed into the cylindrical area 15 in the plastic sleeve, specifically driven or pressed in in an axial direction according to arrow 23.

[0035] This is achieved without the need for any additional adhesion promoters or similar materials. This is particularly readily possible because the carrier element 9 has a tip 18 in its foremost or uppermost region with a conically tapering region 32, which is followed by a cylindrical region 31 before the impact thread 19. The cylindrical region 31 essentially has an outer diameter that corresponds to the inner diameter of the cylindrical opening 15, and therefore the carrier element 9, when inserted into the opening 15 with this region 31, is already optimally guided and can then be driven or pressed into the plastic sleeve 3 according to arrow 23 without any risk of tilting or wedging.

[0036] The impact thread 19 has, as can be seen in particular from Figure 3can be recognized, via a thread 22 which in this case revolves approximately three times. The thread flank 20 facing the tip 18 of the carrier element 9, i.e. directed in the direction of insertion, is flat, i.e. it has a small angle to the axis 28 of the attachment. In contrast, the opposite thread flank 21, directed in the direction of removal, is designed as a steep thread flank, it has a large angle to the axis 28, close to or even at a right angle. This ensures that the carrier element can be easily driven in with the drive-in thread, and then, after driving in, is securely fastened via the locking mechanism on the steep thread flanks 21.

[0037] The great advantage of the proposed solution is that with this construction the tip insert 8 can be easily and non-destructively removed from the plastic sleeve 3 and, for example, replaced or exchanged. This is shown schematically in Figure 2b ). The tip insert can be gripped, for example, via surface 17 or even via the flat tool engagement surfaces specifically provided there. It can be easily unscrewed from the plastic sleeve 3 along the arrow 24 and replaced with a new tip. If no specific engagement surfaces are available, the tip insert can be held firmly and unscrewed using a suitable tool (e.g., pliers). LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS 1 lace attachment 3 plastic sleeve 2 lower pipe end (schematic) 4 external thread 5 upper range of 3 6 upper opening for 2 19 Impact thread, press-in thread 7 conical lower range of 3 20 flat thread flank 8 Top use 21 steep thread flank 9 Support element of 8 22 Thread pull of 19 10 Carbide or ceramic tip 23 Impact direction, pressing direction 11 Mounting range of 10 24 Unscrewing direction 12 Top of 10 25 lower opening for 9 13 Receiving opening for 10 in 9, 26 Stop level blind hole 27 Rejuvenation in 16 14 Mounting range of 9 28 axis 15 cylindrical area of ​​the 29 Stop surface passage opening 30 Tip extension 16 Passage opening in 3 31 cylindrical area of ​​18 17 conical surface area of ​​the 32 conical area of ​​18 Top of 9 33 radial stop surface by 25 18 Top of 14

Claims

1. A tip attachment (1) for a pole, in particular for a trekking pole, cross-country skiing pole, Nordic walking pole or alpine skiing pole, having a plastics material sleeve (3) which can be secured to the lower free end of a pole tube (2) and which has at an upper end an upwardly open hole (6, 16) for receiving the lower free end of the pole tube (2), and at the lower end of which a tip insert (8) is secured in an opening (25), characterized in that the tip insert (8) has a carrier element (9) which is releasably secured to a drive-in thread (19) which is provided in a retention region (14) in a substantially cylindrical region (15) in the opening (25), wherein the retention region (14) has at least one thread turn (22) which extends around at least once and the flat flank (20) of which facing the upper end of the plastics material sleeve (3) encloses with an axis (28) of the tip attachment (1) a smaller angle than the steep flank thereof facing away from the upper end of the plastics material sleeve.

2. The tip attachment (1) as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that the angle between the flat flank (20) and the axis (28) is in the range from 5 to 60°, preferably in the range from 10 to 40°, particularly preferably in the range from 15 to 30° and the angle between the steep flank (21) and the axis (28) is in the range from 60 to 90°, preferably in the range from 70 to 85°, particularly preferably in the range from 75 to 85° and / or in that the difference in the angles between the flat flank (20) and the axis (28) or the steep flank (21) and the axis (28) is in the range from 20 to 60°, preferably in the range from 30 to 50°.

3. The tip attachment (1) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tip attachment has at the end thereof facing away from the plastics material sleeve (3) a receiving opening (13) for receiving a hard tip (10) and such a tip (10), wherein the tip is preferably a tip made of a metal, in particular hard metal, or ceramic material which is secured in the receiving opening in the form of a blind hole (13), preferably pressed in and / or adhesively bonded.

4. The tip attachment (1) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the carrier element (9) has at the end thereof facing away from the plastics material sleeve (3) a tip expansion (30) which, with a step being formed in the direction toward the plastics material sleeve (3), is constructed in a tapering manner so that a substantially radially extending stop face (29) is formed between the retention region (14) and the tip expansion (30), wherein the tip expansion (30) is preferably formed at the side facing away from the retention region (14) as a conically convergent surface region (17) and / or in that the carrier element (9) has, in the region thereof which is exposed in the assembled state of the plastics material sleeve (3), means for engaging an assembly tool, in a particularly preferred manner in the form of engagement faces, preferably axially extending parallel engagement faces.

5. The tip attachment (1) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the retention region (14) is at the free end thereof in the form of a tip (18) without any thread, wherein this tip (18) preferably has a conically converging tip region (32) and a substantially cylindrical region (31) which follows it in the direction toward the drive-in thread (19).

6. The tip attachment (1) as claimed in Claim 5, characterized in that the substantially cylindrical region (31) has a smaller outer diameter than the highest protrusion of the thread turn (22) of the drive-in thread (19), and in that the outer diameter of the substantially cylindrical region (31) of the tip (18) substantially corresponds to the inner diameter of the cylindrical region (15) in the opening (25) of the plastics material sleeve (3).

7. The tip attachment (1) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the highest protrusion of the thread turn (22) of the drive-in thread (19) typically has an outer diameter which is greater than the inner diameter of the cylindrical region (15) in the opening (25) of the plastics material sleeve (3), wherein the outer diameter of the thread turn (22) is preferably at least 0.1 mm, preferably at least 0.5 mm, particularly preferably in the range from 0.1 to 2 mm or 0.1 to 1 mm greater than the inner diameter of the cylindrical region (15).

8. The tip attachment (1) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the plastics material sleeve (3) has around the opening (25) a radially extending stop face (33), the outer diameter of which substantially corresponds to the outer diameter of a radial stop face (29) of the carrier element (9).

9. The tip attachment (1) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the plastics material sleeve (3) comprises a thermoplastic plastics material, preferably in injected form, wherein it is particularly preferably a plastics material selected from the following group: polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, polyurethane, polycarbonate, where applicable with fillers and / or fiber reinforcement, and / or in that the carrier element (9) of the tip attachment (8) comprises plastics material or metal, preferably metal, in particular steel, preferably stainless steel or surface-coated steel, in particular zinc-plated steel.

10. A method for assembling a tip attachment (1) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the plastics material sleeve (3) is presented and subsequently the carrier element (9) of the tip attachment (8), preferably with the tip (10) already secured thereto, is hammered or pressed in an axial direction (23) into the plastics material sleeve (3) without using a bonding agent.

11. The method as claimed in Claim 10, characterized in that the tip attachment (1) is secured to a pole tube (2) subsequently or beforehand.

12. A method for changing a tip in a tip attachment (1) as claimed in one of the preceding Claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the tip insert (8) is unscrewed from the plastics material sleeve (3) and a replacement tip is hammered (23) or pressed into the plastics material sleeve (3).

13. Pole, in particular trekking pole, cross-country skiing pole, Nordic walking pole or alpine ski pole, having a tip attachment (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 9.

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