Emergency locator beacon for skis
OwnerDanny A. Petajainventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A beacon device locates ski equipment such as skis and ski poles which has been separated from a skier. The device includes a signaling device such as a strobe light mounted in or to the equipment which is activated by a trigger mechanism operative to sense the separation of the ski equipment from the skier. Various alternative trigger mechanisms are provided including optically actuated, mechanically actuated and magnetically actuated devices. A strobe light reflector is provided which always directs light upward. The beacon device is particularly useful in locating ski equipment buried in powder snow.
Claims16
A device for locating ski equipment separated from a skier comprising:
- an electrical signaling device for emitting visible light, said signaling device having a light intensity sufficient to be visible through snow to establish location of said signaling device;
- circuit means coupled to said signaling device for powering said signaling device, said circuit means being operative to intermittently discharge said signaling device upon triggering;
- means for housing said signaling device and said circuit means, said housing means being adapted to be carried by said ski equipment;
- and
- means operative to sense separation of said skier from said ski equipment including said housing means for triggering said circuit means upon said separation.
The locating device as claimed in claim 14 wherein said sensing means comprises a passage in a portion of the grip which is normally blocked by the palm of the hand and an optical sensing device coupled to said circuit means which is disposed within the grip to receive ambient light through said passage.
A device for locating ski equipment separated from a skier comprising:
- an electrical signaling device;
- circuit means coupled to said signaling device for powering said signaling device, said circuit means being operative to intermittently discharge said signaling device upon triggering;
- means for housing said signaling device and said circuit means, said housing means being adapted to be fixedly attached to a ski;
- means operative to sense separation of the ski from a ski boot for triggering said circuit means upon said separation;
- said triggering means comprising first means adapted to contact the boot for sensing movement of the boot, a magnet in said movement sensing means, switch means coupled to said circuit means and attached to the ski for signaling the displacement of said magnet, said magnet being adapted to be disposed within an effective proximity of said magnetic sensing means only when the boot is normally attached to the ski.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.