Lightweight container means

Claim 2

In a light weight container for skis: a pair of split rigid members each having a pair of slots therein, one slot of each pair of slots being contoured to receive and constrain a portion of a ski, and the other slot of each pair of slots being contoured to receive and constrain a portion of a second ski, said members being spaced apart to receive the heel of one ski and opposite ends of said skis, and said slots and members being positioned and contoured to hold skis in a bent, stressed condition; structural members between said members to hold said masses in said positions; a pair of rigid clamps, attached to said structural members, substantially midway between said rigid members to clamp the foot portion of said skis in said stressed condition.

Claim 3

Apparatus as recited in claim 1 and further comprising: two thin-walled box-like portions surrounding and attached to said rigid members and said structural members, said portions each having a generally rectangular terminal edge, said terminal edges being reinforced, said reinforcing members being part of said structural members and fitting together in abutting relationship about their periphery; and securing means mounted upon said two box-like portions for securing them in said edge-abutting relation.

Claim 4

Apparatus as recited in claim 2 in which said reinforcing membeRs at said two peripheral endges each form a locking strip, one of said locking strips having a projecting ridge of tapered wedge cross-section shape, and the other of said locking strips having a groove of oppositely corresponding cross-sectional shape to receive said projecting ridge in firm continuous load-transferring relation throughout the length of both said locking strips.

Claim 5

Apparatus as recited in claim 3 and further comprising: flexible sealing means between said locking strips for making a fluid-tight seal therebetween when said locking strips are in fully engaged relationship.

Claim 6

Apparatus as recited in claim 2 in which said split rigid members comprise: rigid masses sized and situated securely at each end of said box-like portions, said masses being slotted and adapted to receive and restrain the opposite ends of a pair of skis in nesting and load-transferring relationship.

Claim 7

Apparatus as recited in claim 5 in which said masses comprise: masses of sufficient stiffness to resist bending force introduced by flexed skis, having a curved slot shaped and sized to receive the curved forward tip of a ski, and a second slot shaped and sized to receive the aft terminal end of a ski; said masses being secured to said structural members to prevent movement of said masses relative to said structural members; said slots being oriented relative to said rigid clamps to require deformation of skis for insertion into said slots.

Claim 8

Apparatus as recited in claim 2 and further comprising a handle attached to said structural members, and in which said rigid clamps comprise: a reinforcing member in the central section of said portions, substantially midway between said rigid members; a pair of brackets, upstanding from at least one of said box-like portions and said last-named reinforcing member; and flexible padding elements in opposition to said brackets to form clamps for clamping the foot pads of a pair of skis.

Claim 9

A lightweight container for skis, comprising: two thin-walled box-like portions each having a generally rectangular terminal edge, said terminal edges fitting together in abutting relationship about their periphery to completely enclose a pair of skis therewithin; securing means mounted on said two box-like portions for securing the same in said edge-abutting relationship; force application means secured within said container for transferring force continuously between said container and enclosed skis in an amount sufficient to deform the skis in a stressed condition to increase their bend resistance and the bend resistance of said container, a locking strip being positioned along each of said two peripheral edges, one of said locking strips having a projecting ridge of tapered wedge cross-sectional shape, and the other of said locating strips having a groove of oppositely corresponding cross-sectional shape adapted to receive said projecting ridge in firm continuous load-transferring relationship throughout the length of both said locking strips, flexible sealing means being positioned between said locking strips for making a fluid-tight seal therebetween when said locking strips are in fully engaged relationship, latch means mounted on said two box-like portions for releasably holding said portions together with said peripheral edges in fully engaged relationship, hinge means connecting between said two box-like portions for securing said portions together in mutually pivotable relationship, a first latch element having a projecting tongue and being affixed to one of said two box-like portions, a second latch element having a slot adapted to receive said projecting tongue, a translationally slidable bolt adapted to penetrate through said tongue and said slot for preventing relative movement between said first and second latch elements when said tongue is positioned within said slot, said force application means including clamping frame elements mounTed within and substantially half way between the ends of each of said portions, said frame elements having terminal ends adapted to abut each other when said container is closed, positioned and adapted to clamp the foot pads of enclosed skis, said first and second latch elements each being secured within said terminal ends of said frame elements, and wherein said force application means further includes: restraining masses, secured and positioned within said container, contoured and positioned relative to said frame elements to receive the ends of skis and to flex the skis into a stressed condition in nesting relationship.

Claim 10

A lightweight container for skis, comprising: two thin-walled box-like portions each having a generally rectangular terminal edge, said terminal edges fitting together in abutting relationship about their periphery to completely enclose a pair of skis therewithin; securing means mounted on said two box-like portions for securing the same in said edge-abutting relationship; force application means secured within said container for transferring force continuously between said container and enclosed skis in an amount sufficient to deform the skis in a stressed condition to increase their bend resistance and the bend resistance of said container, a locking strip being positioned along each of said two peripheral edges, one of said locking strips having a projecting ridge of tapered wedge cross-sectional shape, and the other of said locating strips having a groove of oppositely corresponding cross-sectional shape adapted to receive said projecting ridge in firm continuous load-transferring relationship throughout the length of both said locking strips, flexible sealing means being positioned between said locking strips for making a fluid-tight seal therebetween when said locking strips are in fully engaged relationship, latch means mounted on said two box-like portions for releasably holding said portions together with said peripheral edges in fully engaged relationship, hinge means connecting between said two box-like portions for securing said portions together in mutually pivotable relationship, a first latch element having a projecting tongue and being affixed to one of said two box-like portions, a second latch element having a slot adapted to receive said projecting tongue, a translationally slidable bolt adapted to penetrate through said tongue and said slot for preventing relative movement between said first and second latch elements when said tongue is positioned within said slot, said force application means including clamping frame elements mounTed within and substantially half way between the ends of each of said portions, said frame elements having terminal ends adapted to abut each other when said container is closed, positioned and adapted to clamp the foot pads of enclosed skis, said first and second latch elements each being secured within said terminal ends of said frame elements, and wherein said force application means further includes: restraining masses, secured and positioned within said container, contoured and positioned relative to said frame elements to receive the ends of skis and to flex the skis into a stressed condition in nesting relationship.