U.S. patent application number 10/877736 was filed with the patent office on 2004-11-25 for frame and binding for a snowshoe, and related systems and methods.
Invention is credited to Forrest, William Edwin, Verrall, Jane Andrea.
Application Number | 20040231200 10/877736 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32825407 |
Filed Date | 2004-11-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040231200 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Forrest, William Edwin ; et
al. |
November 25, 2004 |
Frame and binding for a snowshoe, and related systems and
methods
Abstract
A snowshoe includes a lightweight frame that provides traction
and maintains the snowshoe's shape when traveling over at least one
of the following surfaces: snow, hard-packed snow and ice, and a
binding to fasten the snowshoe to a boot with a gloved hand. The
frame includes a peripheral component having a length, a height
orthogonal to the length, and a width orthogonal to the height and
at least two times shorter than the height at all locations along
the height. The binding includes a strap, and a retention element
coupleable with the strap. The retention element includes a body
defining a main passage in which the strap is disposed when coupled
with the retention element, an access passage through which the
strap passes to enter the main passage, and a locking element to
secure the strap to the retention element.
Inventors: |
Forrest, William Edwin;
(Salida, CO) ; Verrall, Jane Andrea; (Seattle,
WA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Mr. John M. Janeway
GRAYBEAL JACKSON HALEY LLP
Suite 350
155 - 108th Avenue NE
Bellevue
WA
98004-5901
US
|
Family ID: |
32825407 |
Appl. No.: |
10/877736 |
Filed: |
June 25, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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10877736 |
Jun 25, 2004 |
|
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|
PCT/US04/02845 |
Jan 29, 2004 |
|
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60444331 |
Jan 30, 2003 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
36/122 ;
36/125 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63C 13/02 20130101;
A63C 13/003 20130101; A63C 13/001 20130101; A63C 13/005 20130101;
A63C 13/006 20130101; A63C 13/008 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
036/122 ;
036/125 |
International
Class: |
A43B 005/04; A43B
005/16 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A frame for a snowshoe having a shape, the frame comprising: a
peripheral component having a length, a height orthogonal to the
length, and a width orthogonal to and intersecting the height and
at least two times shorter than the height at all locations along
the height, wherein the peripheral component provides traction when
the frame contacts at least one of the following surfaces: snow,
hard-packed snow and ice, and wherein the peripheral component
maintains the snowshoe's shape when a person uses the snowshoe to
travel across at least one of the following surfaces: snow,
hard-packed snow and ice; and a cross-member component that extends
from a first portion of the peripheral component toward a second
portion of the peripheral component to support the peripheral
component.
2. The frame of claim 1 wherein the width is substantially the same
at all locations along the height.
3. The frame of claim 1 wherein the width is substantially the same
at all locations along the height of each cross-section of the
peripheral component that is perpendicular to the length.
4. The frame of claim 1 wherein the peripheral component defines a
perimeter of the snowshoe.
5. The frame of claim 1 wherein the width is 0.090 inches.
6. The frame of claim 1 wherein the width is 0.090 inches and the
height is at least 0.59 inches.
7. The frame of claim 1 wherein the peripheral component includes a
traction element to improve the frame's traction.
8. The frame of claim 1 wherein the peripheral component includes a
traction element having a protrusion to focus pressure on at least
one of the following surfaces: snow, hard-packed snow and ice, to
improve the frame's traction.
9. The frame of claim 1 wherein the cross-member component includes
a cross-member traction element to improve the frame's
traction.
10. The frame of claim 1 wherein the cross-member component
includes a cross-member traction element having a protrusion to
focus pressure on at least one of the following surfaces: snow,
hard-packed snow and ice, to improve the frame's traction.
11. The frame of claim 1 wherein the cross-member component is
operable to receive a crampon to improve the frame's traction.
12. The frame of claim 1 wherein the cross-member component extends
from the first portion of the frame through an interior region
defined by the peripheral component to an opposing second portion
of the frame.
13. The frame of claim 1 wherein the cross-member component
includes a first end attached to the first portion of the
peripheral component, and a second end attached to the second
portion of the peripheral component.
14. The frame of claim 1 wherein the cross-member component
includes a heel stabilizer to hold the heel of a boot to prevent
the boot from sliding relative to the cross-member component.
15. The frame of claim 1 wherein the cross-member component
includes a heel stabilizer having a protrusion operable to deform a
portion of a boot's sole to prevent the boot from sliding relative
to the cross-member component.
16. The frame of claim 1 wherein the frame includes two
cross-member components to support the peripheral component: a
first cross-member component that extends from the first portion of
the frame through an interior region defined by the peripheral
component to the second portion of the frame, that includes a
cross-member traction element to improve the frame's traction, and
that is operable to receive a crampon to improve the frame's
traction, and a second cross-member component that also extends
from the first portion of the frame through the interior region to
the second portion of the frame, and that includes a cross-member
traction element to improve the frame's traction, and a
heel-stabilizer to hold the heel of a boot to prevent the boot from
sliding relative to the second cross-member component.
17. A snowshoe comprising: a frame including: a peripheral
component having a length, a height orthogonal to the length, and a
width orthogonal to and intersecting the height and at least two
times shorter than the height at all locations along the height,
wherein the peripheral component provides traction when the frame
contacts at least one of the following surfaces: snow, hard-packed
snow and ice, and wherein the peripheral component maintains the
snowshoe's shape when a person uses the snowshoe to travel across
at least one of the following surfaces: snow, hard-packed snow and
ice, and a cross-member component that extends from a first portion
of the peripheral component toward a second portion of the
peripheral component to support the peripheral component; a deck
coupled with the frame and operable to buoy the snowshoe on a
surface of snow; and a binding operable to fasten a boot to the
snowshoe.
18. The snowshoe of claim 17 wherein the snowshoe is operable to
traverse across an icy slope of a hill.
19. The snowshoe of claim 17 wherein the deck includes a flexible
material.
20. The snowshoe of claim 19 wherein the flexible material includes
nylon cloth coated with urethane.
21. The snowshoe of claim 17 further comprising a deck clip
operable to couple the deck with the frame.
22. The snowshoe of claim 21 wherein the deck clip extends from the
peripheral element into an interior region defined by the
peripheral element, and includes an end located in the interior
region operable to fasten the deck.
23. The snowshoe of claim 17 further comprising a crampon to
improve the snowshoe's traction.
24. The snowshoe of claim 17 further comprising a crampon to
improve the snowshoe's traction, wherein the crampon is mounted to
the cross-member component and pivotable relative to the
cross-member component, and includes a crampon stop operable to
stop the rotation of the crampon.
25. The snowshoe of claim 17 wherein the frame includes two
cross-member components to support the peripheral element: a first
cross member that extends from the first portion of the frame
through an interior region defined by the peripheral element to the
second portion of the frame, and includes a cross-member traction
element to improve the snowshoe's traction, and that has a crampon
mounted to it to improve the snowshoe's traction, and a second
cross member that also extends from the first portion of the frame
through the interior region to the second portion of the frame, and
that includes a cross-member traction component operable to improve
the second cross member's traction, and a heel stabilizer component
operable to hold the heel of a boot from sliding relative to the
second cross-member component.
26. The snowshoe of claim 17 further comprising a televator
operable to suspend a heel of the foot above the frame.
27. The snowshoe of claim 17 further comprising a televator mounted
to the peripheral element and pivotable relative to the peripheral
element to an extended position to suspend a heel of the foot above
the frame.
28. The snowshoe of claim 17 wherein the binding includes a strap
and a retention element to fasten and release the boot to and from
the snowshoe, wherein the retention element is operable to fasten
and release the strap without removing a glove from a hand.
29. The snowshoe of claim 28 wherein the retention element is
separable from the strap to allow one to fasten the boot to the
snowshoe by stepping between the strap and the retention
element.
30. A method for moving across a surface: mounting a snowshoe to a
foot; placing the snowshoe on a surface; supporting one's weight
with a peripheral component and a cross-member component of a frame
of the snowshoe, wherein the peripheral component has a length, a
height orthogonal to the length, and a width orthogonal to and
intersecting the height and at least two times shorter than the
height at all locations along the height; and traversing the
surface.
31. The method of claim 30 wherein the surface includes snow.
32. The method of claim 30 wherein the surface includes ice.
33. The method of claim 30 wherein the surface includes hard-packed
snow.
34. The method of claim 30 wherein mounting the snowshoe to the
foot includes fastening a strap of a binding with a retention
element of the binding.
35. The method of claim 34 wherein fastening the strap with the
retention element includes inserting the strap through an access
passage of the retention element to dispose the strap in a main
passage of the retention element.
36. The method of claim 30 wherein supporting one's weight includes
improving the traction of the snowshoe with a traction element of
the peripheral component.
37. The method of claim 36 wherein improving the traction of the
snowshoe includes: exerting pressure on the surface with the
traction element, and focusing the exerted pressure with a
protrusion of the traction element.
38. The method of claim 30 wherein supporting one's weight includes
improving the traction of the snowshoe with a cross-member traction
element of the cross-member component.
39. The method of claim 38 wherein improving the traction of the
snowshoe includes: exerting pressure on the surface with the
cross-member traction element, and focusing the exerted pressure
with a protrusion of the cross-member traction element.
40. The method of claim 30 wherein supporting one's weight includes
improving the traction of the snowshoe with a crampon mounted to
the frame.
41. The method of claim 30 wherein supporting one weight includes
maintaining the snowshoe's shape when traversing at least one of
the following surfaces: snow, hard-packed snow and ice.
42. The method of claim 30 wherein traversing the surface includes
at least one of the following: traversing across a slope of a hill,
ascending a slope of a hill and descending a slope of a hill.
43. The method of claim 41 wherein traversing the surface includes:
pivoting the snowshoe relative to the foot, lifting the snowshoe
above the surface, and stopping the snowshoe from pivoting beyond a
limit with a crampon stop of the crampon.
44. A frame for a snowshoe having a shape, the frame comprising: a
peripheral component having a length, a height orthogonal to the
length, and a width orthogonal to and intersecting the height and
at least two times shorter than the height at all locations along
the height, wherein the peripheral component provides traction when
the frame contacts at least one of the following surfaces: snow,
hard-packed snow and ice, and wherein the peripheral component
maintains the snowshoe's shape when a person uses the snowshoe to
travel across at least one of the following surfaces: snow,
hard-packed snow and ice.
45. The frame of claim 59 wherein the width is substantially the
same at all locations along the height.
46. The frame of claim 59 wherein the width is substantially the
same at all locations along the height of each cross-section of the
peripheral component that is perpendicular to the length.
47. The frame of claim 59 wherein the peripheral component includes
a stiffener to stiffen the peripheral component.
48. The frame of claim 59 wherein the stiffener is formed as a part
of the peripheral component.
49. The frame of claim 59 wherein the peripheral component is
mountable to a deck that includes solid material to support the
peripheral component.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of the PCT Application
No. PCT/US04/02845, titled FRAME AND BINDING FOR A SNOWSHOE, AND
RELATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS, and filed 29 Jan. 2004, which is
herein incorporated by reference, that claims priority from U.S.
Provisional Patent Application No. 60/444,331, titled WhiteLitening
Snowshoe, and filed 30 Jan. 2003. This application claims the
benefit of the filing date of the PCT application under 35 USC
.sctn.120. This application also claims priority from the U.S.
Provisional Patent Application No. 60/444,331, which is hereby
incorporated by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Many people use snowshoes to facilitate travel in rugged
backcountry during the winter when snow typically blankets the
terrain. Depending on the latitude and elevation of the
backcountry, snow can frequently accumulate to a depth of a foot or
more. At such depths travel can be very difficult because one's
foot typically penetrates the snow a foot or more, which causes one
to spend much energy lifting one's foot out of the hole to take
another step. Thus, many people mount a snowshoe to each foot when
traveling such terrain to buoy one's foot toward the surface of the
snow, i.e. prevent one's foot from penetrating the snow more than
about six inches.
[0003] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional snowshoe 10.
The snowshoe 10 includes a deck 12 to disperse one's weight over an
area of the snow's surface (not shown) that is larger than the area
of one's footprint, and a frame 14 to support one's weight and to
prevent the deck from substantially deforming when dispersing one's
weight. The deck 12 is typically fastened to the frame 14 by
wrapping a tab 16 of the deck 12 around a portion of the frame 14
as shown in FIG. 2 and fastening the tab 16 to the frame 14. The
frame's cross-section is typically round, and may be hollow such as
a tube's as shown in FIG. 2, or solid, such as bar's, to provide
the frame 14 with the desired strength and stiffness to support
one's weight and to prevent the deck 12 from deforming. The
snowshoe 10 also includes a binding 18 to fasten the snowshoe 10 to
the boot (not shown) on one's foot. The binding 18 is typically
mounted to the frame 14 and includes a strap 20 and buckle 22 that
can be releasably coupled together to allow one to securely fasten
and remove the snowshoe 10 from one's boot. The strap 20 and buckle
22 also allow one to fasten the snowshoe 10 to different sized
boots.
[0004] Unfortunately, the snowshoe 10 has some problems. Although
the snowshoe 10 may work well in powder snow, the snowshoe 10 often
fails to provide sufficient traction for traveling over snow,
hard-packed snow and ice. When traveling over snow, hard-packed
snow and ice the frame 14 often fails to penetrate the surface, and
thus much of the snowshoe's contact with the surface is made with
the frame 14. Because the frame 14 has a round or square
cross-section, the frame 14 can easily slide across the surface,
which makes traversing across a hill's slope, ascending a hill or
descending a hill difficult when the surface of the hill includes
snow, hard-packed snow or ice.
[0005] Another problem with the snowshoe 10 is that the binding 18
is often difficult to operate with gloved hands. To fasten the
snowshoe 10 to one's boot, one may remove the strap 20 from the
buckle 22 to allow one to easily drop one's boot into the binding
18. But one must then thread the strap 20 back through the buckle
22 to fasten the snowshoe 10 to the boot. With gloved hands this is
often difficult and frustrating. Another way to fasten the snowshoe
10 to one's boot may be to move the buckle 22 toward the end of the
strap 20 without removing the buckle 22 from the strap 20. But one
must then slide one's boot into the binding 16. This is often
difficult and frustrating because the strap having the buckle 22
may snag on one's boots and gators that are often worn with
snowshoes.
SUMMARY
[0006] In one aspect of the invention, a frame for a snowshoe
includes a peripheral component that provides traction and
maintains the snowshoe's shape when traveling over at least one of
the following surfaces: snow, hard-packed snow and ice. The
peripheral component includes a length, a height orthogonal to the
length, and a width orthogonal to the height and at least two times
shorter than the height at all locations along the height. With a
width that is at least 2 times shorter than the height, the
peripheral component can provide a contact surface on hard-packed
snow or ice that is less than the contact surface provided by
conventional snowshoe frames, and thus provide traction. And the
peripheral component can prevent the snowshoe from substantially
deforming when one uses the snowshoe to travel over at least one of
the following surfaces, snow, hard-packed snow and ice. In
addition, the peripheral component allows the frame to be lighter
than conventional snowshoe frames.
[0007] In another aspect of the invention, the frame may include a
cross-member component to support the peripheral component. The
cross-member component may extend from a first portion of the
peripheral component toward a second portion of the peripheral
component. Alternatively or additionally, the frame may include a
stiffener that may include a curved region of the peripheral
component to stiffen the peripheral component.
[0008] In yet another aspect of the invention, a binding for a
snowshoe includes a strap, and a retention element coupleable with
the strap to fasten the snowshoe to a boot. The retention element
includes a body defining a main passage in which the strap is
disposed when coupled with the retention element, an access passage
through which the strap passes to enter the main passage, and a
locking element to secure the strap to the retention element. With
the access passage, the strap may be easily inserted into the main
passage with a gloved hand to couple the retention element with the
strap.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional snowshoe.
[0010] FIG. 2 is a cross-section of a portion of the frame and deck
incorporated in the snowshoe of FIG. 1.
[0011] FIG. 3a is a perspective, partially exploded view of a
snowshoe incorporating a frame and a binding according to an
embodiment of the invention.
[0012] FIG. 3b is a perspective view of an anchor incorporated in
the binding in FIG. 3a, according to an embodiment of the
invention.
[0013] FIG. 3c is a cross-sectional view of the anchor in FIG. 3b,
according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0014] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the frame incorporated in
the snowshoe of FIG. 3, according to an embodiment of the
invention.
[0015] FIG. 5 is a side view of the snowshoe in FIG. 3.
[0016] FIG. 6 is a plan view of a deck clip incorporated in the
snowshoe of FIG. 3.
[0017] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a frame according to another
embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] The following discussion is presented to enable one skilled
in the art to make and use the invention. Various modifications to
the disclosed embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled
in the art, and the generic principles herein may be applied to
other embodiments and applications without departing from the
spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the
appended claims. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be
limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest
scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed
herein.
[0019] FIG. 3 is a perspective, partially exploded view of a
snowshoe 30 incorporating a frame 32 and a binding 34 according to
an embodiment of the invention. The frame 32 provides traction and
maintains the snowshoe's shape when traveling over at least one of
the following surfaces (not shown): snow, hard-packed snow and ice.
Thus, one may use the snowshoe 30 to traverse terrain that includes
at least one of these surfaces. For example, one may use the
snowshoe 30 to traverse across an icy slope of a hill, to ascend an
icy slope of a hill, or to descend an icy slope of a hill. The
binding 34 (discussed in greater detail elsewhere in conjunction
with FIG. 3) includes a strap 36 and a retention element 40 that
allows one to couple the strap 36 with the retention element 40 and
to uncouple the strap 36 from the retention element 40, without
removing one's gloves. Thus, one may easily fasten and release the
snowshoe 30 to and from one's boot.
[0020] The frame 32 includes a peripheral component 42 having a
geometry (discussed in greater detail in conjunction with FIG. 4)
that provides a contact surface 44 on hard-packed snow or ice that
is less than the contact surface provided by conventional snowshoe
frames, and thus provides traction. In addition, the peripheral
component's geometry prevents the snowshoe 30 from substantially
deforming when one uses the snowshoe 30 to traverse snowy or icy
terrain. The frame 32 may also include a cross-member component 46
(discussed in greater detail in conjunction with FIG. 4) to support
the peripheral component 42, or the frame 32 may not. Alternatively
or additionally, the frame 32 may include a stiffener (not shown
but discussed in greater detail in conjunction with FIG. 7) to
stiffen the peripheral component 42; or the frame 32 may not.
[0021] The strap 36 of the binding 34 is couplable with the
retention element 40 to fasten the snowshoe 30 to a boot. The
retention element 40 includes a body 48 that defines a main passage
50 in which the strap 36 is disposed when the strap 36 is coupled
with the retention element 40; an access passage 52 through which
the strap 36 may pass when one inserts the strap 36 into the main
passage 50, and a locking element 54 to secure the strap 36 to the
retention element 40.
[0022] In one embodiment, the binding 34 may encircle a portion of
one's boot to fasten the snowshoe 30 to the boot. The binding 34
may include a matt 56, a first strap 36a that extends from the matt
56 and a second strap 36b that also extends from the matt 56. The
binding 34 may also include a first retention element 54a that may
be coupled with the strap 36a to fasten the snowshoe 30 to a boot,
and a second retention element 54b that may be coupled with the
strap 36b to fasten the snowshoe 30 to a boot. Each retention
element 54a and 54b may include a respective body 48a and 48b that
includes a hook and from which a respective locking element 54a and
54b extends.
[0023] In operation, one may fasten the snowshoe 30 to one's boot
by positioning the straps 36a and 36b to extend away from their
respective retention element 40a and 40b. Then, one may place one's
boot into the binding by stepping onto the matt 56. Next, one may
insert the strap 36a through the access passage 52A of the
retention element 40a to position the strap 36a in the main passage
50A. Next, one may pull on the end 57a of the strap 36a to tighten
the strap 36a and matt 56 around a portion of one's boot. Then, one
may insert the locking element 54A through a hole 58 in the strap
36a to secure the strap 36a to the retention element 40a as shown
by the coupling of the strap 36b and retention element 40b in FIG.
3. With the locking element 54A extending through a hole 57 in the
strap 36a, the locking element 54a prevents the strap 36a from
sliding relative to the retention element 40a. To release the strap
36a from the retention element 40a, one withdraws the locking
element 54A from the hole 57 and removes the strap 36a from the
main passage 50A. The strap 36b and retention element 40b may also
be coupled and uncoupled in a similar manner to fasten and release
the snowshoe 30 to one's boot.
[0024] Referring to FIGS. 3b and 3c as well as FIG. 3a, the binding
34 may also include an anchor 144 to fasten the strap 36a to the
matt 56. The anchor 144 helps position the strap 36a to extend away
from the retention element 40a, and thus facilitates fastening and
releasing one's boot from the snowshoe as discussed above. In
addition, the anchor 144 allows one to easily adjust the length of
the strap 36a that one may use to couple with the retention element
40. In one embodiment, the anchor 144 includes a first passage 148,
a second passage 150 and a protrusion 152 to prevent the strap 36a
from moving in the X direction. To fasten the strap 36a to the matt
56, one inserts the end 146a through the first passage 148, around
the protrusion 152 and through the second passage 150. Then, one
aligns the protrusion 152 with a desired one of the strap's holes
58 and inserts the protrusion 152 into the hole 58. With the
protrusion inserted into the hole 58 the strap 36a is prevented
from moving in the X direction. The binding 34 may include
additional anchors 144 to fasten respective other straps, such as
strap 36b.
[0025] Still referring to FIG. 3, the snowshoe 30 may also include
a deck 60 to buoy the snowshoe 30 on a surface of snow. In one
embodiment, the deck 60 may be made of any desired material and may
be coupled with the peripheral component 42 using any desired
fastening technique. For example, the deck 60 may be made of a
flexible material such as urethane-coated nylon or other plastic
coated cloths, and deck clips 62 (discussed in greater detail in
conjunction with FIG. 6) may couple the deck 60 with the peripheral
component 42. In other embodiments, the deck 60 may be made of a
stiff material such as hard plastic or metal, and conventional
fasteners such as rivets, bolts or adhesives may couple the deck 60
with the peripheral component 42.
[0026] The snowshoe 30 may also include a crampon 64 to improve the
snowshoe's traction and to provide a mount for the binding 34. In
one embodiment, the crampon 64 may include a protrusion 66 to
contact the surface of the terrain. The crampon 64 may also be
pivotally mounted to the cross-member component 46 (discussed in
greater detail in conjunction with FIG. 4), and the binding 34 may
be mounted to the crampon 64 using any desired fastening technique.
For example, the binding 34 may be mounted to the crampon 64 with
rivets 68. In other embodiments, the crampon may be pivotally
mounted to the deck 60 using any desired fastening technique such
as a strap. This may be desirable when the deck 60 is stiff to
reduce weight. Also, in other embodiments, the binding 34 may be
fastened with removable fasteners, such bolts and nuts, to allow
one to replace the binding 34 with a similar one when the binding
34 is damaged or with a different binding as desired. When
pivotally mounted to the cross-member component 46, the crampon 64
and binding 34 may rotate relative to the cross-member component 46
between two positions (discussed in greater detail in conjunction
with FIG. 5) to allow one's foot to rotate relative to the snowshoe
30 as one walks. Thus, much of the frame's contact surface 44 can
remain in contact with the surface of the terrain while the
snowshoe 30 bears one's weight.
[0027] Still referring to FIG. 3, the snowshoe 30 may include a
televator 70 to help one ascend a hill. In one embodiment, the
televator 70 may include a bar 72 that may be pivotally fastened to
the peripheral component 42 and held in an extended position (not
shown in FIG. 3 but shown in FIG. 5) where the bar 72 is suspended
above the deck 60. The bar 72 may be made of any desirable material
capable of supporting one's weight and may be pivotally fastened to
the peripheral component 42 using any desired fastening technique
also capable of supporting one's weight. For example, the bar 72
may be made of spring steel, and the televator 70 may include a
televator mount 74 that pivotally retains the bar 72, holds the bar
72 in the extended position when the bar 72 is so positioned, and
is fastened to the peripheral component 42 using rivets 76. In the
extended position, the bar 72 may support the heel of one's foot
above the deck 60 so that one's foot may form an angle relative to
the deck 60. Thus, the televator 70 prevents the heel of one's boot
from contacting the deck 60 when ascending a hill, and therefore
reduces strain commonly experienced in one's calf muscles when
ascending the hill.
[0028] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the frame 32 incorporated in
the snowshoe 30 of FIG. 3, according to an embodiment of the
invention. The frame 32 includes the peripheral component 42 to
provide the snowshoe traction and to maintain the snowshoe's shape
when traveling over at least one of the following surfaces (not
shown): snow, hard-packed snow and ice. The frame 32 also includes
a cross-member component 46 that extends from a first portion 80 of
the peripheral component 42 toward a second portion 82 of the
peripheral component 42 to support the peripheral component 42. The
peripheral component 42 has a length that is measured in the
direction indicated by the arrow 84, a height that is measured in
the direction indicated by the arrow 86 and a width that is
measured in the direction indicated by the arrow 88. The height is
orthogonal to the length, and the width is orthogonal to and
intersects the height. To provide traction on hard-packed snow or
ice while preventing the snowshoe 30 from substantially deforming
when used to traverse such surfaces, the width is at least 2 times
shorter than the height at all locations 90 (only three locations
are shown for clarity but an infinite number exist) along the
height. The cross-member component 46 may or may not have the same
ratio of width to height.
[0029] The width may be any distance desired and may vary at each
location along the height of a cross-section 92 of the peripheral
component 42 as desired, or remain constant. In addition, the width
of many similar cross-sections of the peripheral component 42, each
perpendicular to the length, may vary relative to each other as
desired or not. For example, in one embodiment, the width may be
0.090 inches and substantially the same along the height of the
cross-section 90 and throughout the length of the peripheral
component 42, and the height may range from 0.59 inches to 1.1
inches. With the peripheral component 42 having substantially the
same width throughout the length, the peripheral component 42 may
be inexpensively manufactured by cutting or stamping the component
42 from a sheet of material, and then bending the component 42 into
the shape desired. In other embodiments, the width may increase as
its location progresses along the height and in the direction 86.
This may be desirable to further reduce the area of the contact
surface 44 to improve traction on an icy surface. Additionally, in
other embodiments, the width along the height of one cross-section
92 may be different than the width along another cross-section (not
shown) to locally increase the stiffness of the peripheral
component 42 to correspond to a local increase in the force
experienced.
[0030] Still referring to FIG. 4, the peripheral component 42 may
be made from any desired material capable of withstanding the loads
exerted on it during use and may be shaped as desired to form the
snowshoe 30. For example, in one embodiment the peripheral
component 42 may be formed from aluminum 7075-T6 and shaped like a
rectangle to define an interior region 94 of the frame 32 and a
perimeter of the snowshoe 30. Thus, the peripheral component 42 can
protect the edge of the deck 60 (FIG. 3) which may be desired when
traversing through shrubs or a crust of ice that a portrion of the
frame 32 may break through. In other embodiments, the frame 32 may
be made from other metals or hard, durable plastic and may be
shaped like a teardrop. Additionally, in other embodiments the
peripheral component 42 may be made from any desired composite
materials, such as carbon fibers and epoxy.
[0031] Still referring to FIG. 4, the frame 32 may include one or
more cross-member components 42 to support the peripheral component
42. For example, in one embodiment the frame 32 may include a first
cross-member component 96 and a second cross-member component 98
each extending from the first portion 80 to the second portion 82.
Each cross-member component 96 and 98 may be located in the
interior region 94 to also support one's foot, and may be fastened
to the peripheral component 42 with rivets 100. The first
cross-member component 96 may also be coupled with the crampon 64
(further discuss elsewhere in conjunction with FIG. 4) and support
the ball of one's foot, and the second cross-member component 98
may support the heel of one's foot. The first cross-member
component 96 may include a first end 102 that may be fastened to
the first portion 80 of the peripheral component 42, and a second
end 104 that may be fastened to the second portion 82 of the
peripheral component 42. The second cross-member component 98 may
include a first end 106 that may be fastened to the first portion
80, and a second end 108 that may be fastened to the second portion
82. The ends 102, 104, 106 and 108 are configured to absorb energy
that may be generated when the peripheral component flexes under
the strain of one's weight and/or activity. Each cross-member
component 96 and 98 may be made from any desired material, such as
plastic or metal like steel.
[0032] Still referring to FIG. 4, in one embodiment, the second
cross-member component 98 may also include a heel stabilizer 110 to
hold the heel of one's boot to prevent the boot from sliding
relative to the cross-member component 98. This may be desirable
when traversing across a slope of a hill. The heel stabilizer 110
may include a protrusion 112 to elastically deform or penetrate
one's boot heel to prevent the heel from sliding relative to the
second cross-member component 98. If the second cross-member 98
incorporates the heel stabilizer 110, then the deck 60 in FIG. 3
may include a slot to allow the protrusions of the heel stabilizer
110 to contact one's boot heel.
[0033] Still referring to FIG. 4, to improve traction, the
peripheral component 42 may include a traction element 114, and the
cross-member component 46 may include a cross-member traction
element 116. The traction element 94 may extend as desired along
the length of the peripheral component 42. For example, in one
embodiment, the traction element 114 extends along the first and
second portions 80 and 82, respectively, and may include one or
more protrusions 118 (only 11 referenced in FIG. 4 for clarity) to
focus pressure on an icy or hard-packed surface. Each cross-member
component 96 and 98 may include a respective cross-member traction
element 116 that may extend most of the distance between the first
portion 80 and the second portion 82. Each cross-member traction
element 116 may include one or more protrusions 120 (only 4
referenced in FIG. 4 for clarity) to focus pressure on an icy or
hard-packed surface.
[0034] The pressure is typically generated by one's weight while
standing or walking on the snowshoe 30. By focusing the pressure,
each protrusion that contacts an icy surface may locally melt the
ice under the protrusion--much like ice skates do--to penetrate the
icy surface, or may penetrate the icy surface without locally
melting the ice--much like ice picks do. Once the icy surface is
penetrated the ice surrounding the tip of the protrusion may
prevent the frame from slipping relative to the surface. If the
surface is hard-packed snow, each protrusion that contacts the
surface may penetrate the surface without locally melting the
snow.
[0035] Still referring to FIG. 4, the crampon 64 may be mounted to
the frame 32 to improve the snowshoe's traction. In one embodiment,
the crampon 64 includes one or more protrusions 122, may be
pivotally mounted to the first cross-member component 96 via a
crampon mount 124 that may be fastened to the first cross-member
component 96 with any desired fastening technique, such as rivets.
The crampon mount 122 may include two flanges 126, each having a
hole (omitted for clarity) that receives a respective one of the
pins 128. The crampon 64 may include a body 130 that includes two
flanges 132, each corresponding with one of the crampon mount
flanges 126, and each having a hole (omitted for clarity) that
receives a respective one of the pins 128 to pivotally mount the
crampon 64 to the first cross-member component 96.
[0036] When pivotally mounted to the first cross-member component
96, the crampon 64 may rotate relative to the first cross-member
component 96 between two positions (discussed in greater detail in
conjunction with FIG. 5) to allow one's foot to rotate relative to
the snowshoe 30 as one walks. To prevent the crampon from rotating
too far, the crampon 64 includes a crampon stop 134. In one
embodiment, the crampon 64 includes two crampon stops 134, each
extending from a respective one of the flanges 132. Thus, each
crampon stop 134 rotates relative to the first cross-member
component 96 as the crampon 64 rotates. To prevent the crampon 64
from rotating past a desired limit (discussed in greater detail in
conjunction with FIG. 5), one or both crampon stops 134 contacts
the crampon mount 124 and/or the first cross-member component 96
(shown in phantom in FIG. 5).
[0037] FIG. 5 is a side view of the snowshoe 30 in FIG. 3,
according to an embodiment of the invention. The binding 34 may
rotate relative to the first cross-member component 96 (FIG. 4), as
shown in the phantom line and solid line illustrations of an
embodiment of the binding 34, to allow one's foot to rotate
relative to the snowshoe 30 as one walks. The solid line
illustration of the binding 34 shows the position of the binding 34
when one stands on the snowshoe 30. In this position, one's weight
is supported by both cross-member components 96 and 98 (FIG. 4).
The phantom illustration of the binding 34 shows the position of
the binding 34 at its maximum rotation away from the second
cross-member component 98. In this position, one or both of the
crampon stops 134 (only one shown for clarity) contacts the crampon
mount 124 (FIG. 4) and/or the first cross-member component 96 to
prevent the crampon 64 from further rotating away from the second
cross-member component 98.
[0038] The angle .alpha. between the two positions may be any angle
desired. In one embodiment, the angle .alpha. may be 67.50 to allow
one to better control the snowshoe 30 when one lifts the snowshoe
30 off a surface to move and relocate the snowshoe 30 on the
surface for a next step. With .alpha. at 67.50 the crampon stop 134
may also prevent the tip 136 of the snowshoe 30 from hitting one's
shin when one lifts the snowshoe 30 off a surface to take another
step.
[0039] Still referring to FIG. 5, the televator 70 may rotate
relative to the peripheral component 42 as shown by the phantom
line and solid line illustrations of an embodiment of the televator
70. The solid line illustration of the televator 70 shows the
position of the televator 70 when one traverses flat or
substantially flat terrain. In this position, the televator 70 is
located on or just above the deck 60 (not shown in FIG. 5; shown in
FIG. 3) to keep the televator 70 from interfering with the rotation
of one's foot relative to the first cross-member component 96 as
one traverses a surface. The phantom line illustration of the
televator 70 shows the position of the televator 70 when one
ascends a slope of a hill. In this position, the televator 70 is
extended above the deck 60 to support the one's heel above the deck
and prevent the heel from further moving toward the second
cross-member component 98. Thus, the televator 70 may reduce the
strain experienced in one's a calf muscles when ascending a slope
of a hill.
[0040] FIG. 6 is a plan view of one of many deck clips 62
incorporated in the snowshoe 30 of FIG. 3, according to an
embodiment of the invention. The deck clip 62 couples the deck 60
with the peripheral component 42 in the interior region 94. Thus,
the peripheral component 42 may provide the deck 60 additional
protections. For example, if the deck 60 overlaps the peripheral
component 42 similar to the deck 12 (FIG. 2) overlapping the frame
14 (FIG. 2), then the deck 60 could be damaged by contact with a
snowshoe fastened to one's other foot, with shrubs kicked with the
snowshoe 30 or other similar types of contact.
[0041] The deck clip 62 may be made from any desired material and
may be configured as desired to couple the deck 60 within the
interior region 94. In one embodiment, the deck clip 62 may be made
from aluminum 7075-T6 and may include an end 136 that the deck 60
may be fastened to, and a head 138 that couples the end 136 with
the peripheral component 42. The peripheral component 42 may
include a slot 140 that is sized to permit the end 136 to be
inserted into the interior region 94 through the slot 140, but to
not permit the head 138 to be inserted into the region 94 through
the slot 140. Thus, when the end 136 extends through the slot 140
into the interior region 94, the head 138 prevents the deck clip 62
from passing through the slot. The deck 60 may be fastened to the
end 136 using any desired fastening technique such as a rivet 142
or other permanent type fasteners, or a removable type
fastener.
[0042] Other embodiments of coupling the deck 60 with the
peripheral component 42 are contemplated. For example, the deck 60
may be tied to the peripheral component 42. In one embodiment, the
deck 60 may include a tab that one may extend through the slot 140
and then over a top portion of the peripheral component 42 to be
tied to its self. In another embodiment, the peripheral component
42 may include two slots and the deck 60 may include a tab that one
may extend through both slots and then force the slots closed to
pinch the tab and thus couple the deck 60 with the peripheral
component 42.
[0043] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a frame 160 according to
another embodiment of the invention. The frame 160 is similar to
the frame 32 discussed elsewhere herein but does not include a
cross-member component (46 in FIGS. 3 and 4). The frame 160 does
include a peripheral component 162, which is similar to the
peripheral component 42 discussed elsewhere herein, to provide a
snowshoe (not shown) traction and to maintain the snowshoe's shape
when traveling over at least one of the following surfaces (not
shown): snow, hard-packed snow and ice. The peripheral component
162 may be mounted to a deck 164 that is stiff to support the
peripheral component 162; or the peripheral component 160 may not.
Additionally or alternatively, the peripheral component 162 may
include a stiffener 166 to stiffen the peripheral component 162 or
the peripheral component 162 may not.
[0044] If the peripheral component 162 is mounted to a stiff deck
164, the deck 60 may be made of any desired material and may be
coupled with the peripheral component 162 using any desired
fastening technique. For example, the deck 164 may be made of any
desired metal such as aluminum and steel, or any desired hard
plastic, and deck clips 168 similar to the deck clips 62 in FIGS. 3
and 6 may couple the deck 164 with the peripheral component 162. In
other embodiments, the deck 164 may be made of a flexible material
such as urethane coated nylon cloth, and conventional fasteners
such as rivets, bolts or adhesives may couple the deck 164 with the
peripheral component 162. If the peripheral component 162 includes
a stiffener 166, the stiffener may be shaped as desired, and formed
as a part of the peripheral component 162 or mounted to the
peripheral component 162. For example, in one embodiment, the
peripheral component 162 may include a stiffener 166 that is formed
as a part of the peripheral component 162. The stiffener 166 may
have a cross-section that includes a "U" shape and may extend in a
direction along the peripheral component's length. In other
embodiments, the stiffener may have a cross-section that includes
other shapes such as a "V", and may extend in other directions,
such as along the peripheral component's height or a combination of
the component's height and length. Alternatively or additionally,
the stiffener may be a piece of material that is adjacent and
mounted to the peripheral component 162 to stiffen the frame 160.
Furthermore, the peripheral component 162 may include more than one
stiffener 166.
* * * * *