US20010039749A1 - Terrain-engaging cleat for traction enhancement - Google Patents
Terrain-engaging cleat for traction enhancement Download PDFInfo
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- US20010039749A1 US20010039749A1 US09/902,962 US90296201A US2001039749A1 US 20010039749 A1 US20010039749 A1 US 20010039749A1 US 90296201 A US90296201 A US 90296201A US 2001039749 A1 US2001039749 A1 US 2001039749A1
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- Prior art keywords
- crampon
- snowshoe
- boot
- teeth
- plate
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63C—SKATES; SKIS; ROLLER SKATES; DESIGN OR LAYOUT OF COURTS, RINKS OR THE LIKE
- A63C13/00—Snow shoes
- A63C13/001—Bindings therefor
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A43—FOOTWEAR
- A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
- A43B3/00—Footwear characterised by the shape or the use
- A43B3/24—Collapsible or convertible
- A43B3/246—Collapsible or convertible characterised by the sole
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A43—FOOTWEAR
- A43C—FASTENINGS OR ATTACHMENTS OF FOOTWEAR; LACES IN GENERAL
- A43C15/00—Non-skid devices or attachments
- A43C15/06—Ice-gripping devices or attachments, e.g. ice-spurs, ice-cleats, ice-creepers, crampons; Climbing devices or attachments, e.g. mountain climbing irons
- A43C15/068—Climbing devices or attachments, e.g. glacier crampons, mountain climbing irons
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63C—SKATES; SKIS; ROLLER SKATES; DESIGN OR LAYOUT OF COURTS, RINKS OR THE LIKE
- A63C13/00—Snow shoes
- A63C13/006—Shoe support thereof, e.g. plate, movable relative to the frame
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63C—SKATES; SKIS; ROLLER SKATES; DESIGN OR LAYOUT OF COURTS, RINKS OR THE LIKE
- A63C13/00—Snow shoes
- A63C13/005—Frames therefor
Abstract
Description
- This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 9,948, filed Jan. 21, 1998, now ______. In addition, this application incorporates by reference the disclosure of Ser. No. 9,948.
- This invention concerns traction enhancing cleats for attachment to boots or shoes, particularly for flexible boots or shoes, functioning as a soft-boot crampon engaged under the ball of the foot but not the heel. In another aspect, the invention concerns such a terrain-engaging cleat which, when worn on a boot, can be secured to a snowshoe by stepping into the snowshoe, serving as a front cleat for the snowshoe.
- Crampons, ice creepers and cleats for attachment to boots or shoes are very well known. For example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 37,558, 754,577, 988,527, 1,045,565, 1,200,658, 1,230,118, 1,570,791, 1,728,783, 2,317,647, 2,358,066, 2,401,891, 2,579,143, 2,920,403, 4,005,533, 4,620,375, 4,745,692, 4,910,883, 5,787,612;
- French Patent No. 1,189,492 and German Patent No. DE 30 19 129 A1.
- Conventional crampons essentially comprise rigid boot attachments which attach to the bottom of a boot sole by bales forming part of the crampons. These technical terrain-engaging devices require a substantially rigid boot, stiff like a downhill ski boot, because the crampon does not have any appreciable flexibility which could bend with the bending of a flexible boot. A crampon of this general type is shown in the above U.S. Pat. No. 4,910,883, and is also shown in the copending application Ser. No. 9,948. The above U.S. Pat. No. 754,577 also shows an essentially rigid type of crampon device.
- Various types of ice creepers or cleats have been proposed for use on flexible boots or shoes, as reflected in some of the patents listed above. U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,570,791, 1,728,783, 2,401,891, 2,579,143 and 4,005,533 all show such cleats or creepers which reside in the arch area of the shoe or boot, just ahead of the heel. The cleat devices of those patents are retained on the boots using straps. Some of these show angled teeth, including front teeth angled downwardly/forwardly and including teeth with faces obliquely angled so as to achieve some degree of lateral traction as well as fore/aft traction.
- U.S. Pat. No. 988,527 shows a flexible shoe having a heel element and a separate toe element, both secured to the shoe and with a form of spikes, for use by carpenters, roofers, etc. to prevent the wearer from slipping.
- U.S. Pat. No. 4,745,692 shows an anti-slip toe cleat device which has capability of pivoting or folding from one position to another. The hardware is permanently attached to the shoe, in the ball area.
- U.S. Pat. No. 2,317,647 shows a strap-attachable ice creeper device which fits in the arch and ball area of the shoe or boot, with teeth positioned in the ball area of the foot. Some of the teeth are angled, and the cleat device apparently is useable on a flexible shoe or boot.
- French Patent No. 1,189,492 discloses a simple form of ice creeper comprising a single strap that wraps around the toe area of the shoe or boot and which has, fitted onto the strap, two cleats side-by-side under the ball of the foot, each cleat having forward and rear racks of teeth.
- U.S. Pat. No. 5,687,491, owned by the assignee of the present invention, describes a contoured footbed for the front portion of a boot, the footbed being on the top surface of a front claw or cleat of a snowshoe. That patent is incorporated herein by reference.
- In climbing or steep terrain hiking in snowy and icy conditions, the climber often needs to switch from wearing snowshoes on the boots to crampons on the boots, and back to snowshoes as fields of deeper snow are again encountered. To change from ice crampons to snowshoes, the user normally has to release the crampon's bales from front and back of the boot, remove the crampons and stow them in or on a pack, take out a pair of snowshoes from the pack, with their relatively heavy toe harness assemblies and cleats, and secure the snowshoes to the boots using several harness straps. In conditions where deep snow and ice are alternately encountered, the hiker or climber would be much better served if the crampon teeth could serve as the cleats for the snowshoes, and this is a primary object of the invention.
- U.S. Pat. No. 4,620,375 disclosed a snowshoe wherein the user's boot was secured to a binding on an ice crampon. The crampon had toe and heel cleats which passed down through openings in toe and heel areas of the snowshoe deck when the user's boot was pivoted to the heel-down position, so that the crampon cleats served as cleats for the snowshoe. A horizontal pivot pin had to be assembled through the snowshoe frame and the crampon binding.
- The copending application Ser. No. 9,948 referenced above describes a snowshoe for receiving conventional crampons, the snowshoe having openings in its deck at front and rear. The snowshoe is adapted to receive a conventional crampon secured to a user's boot in a step-in arrangement which was designed to afford fast and efficient securement of the boot and crampon to the snowshoe. The crampon's teeth, both the front set and back set, then serve as snowshoe cleats. The snowshoe can quickly be removed from the boot and crampon when ice is encountered.
- The described arrangement works well for those using rigid, full-boot crampons. However, there is also a need for a more versatile crampon or cleat, for use on a flexible boot which bends with walking of the user. In particular, there is a need for such a cleat which engages under only the ball area of the boot, using a harness which is conveniently secured to and removed from the boot. In addition, there is a need for such a soft-boot terrain-engaging cleat or crampon which has a further utility of engaging with a snowshoe having a dedicated receiving device in the front area of the snowshoe, to lock the cleat in position on the snowshoe firmly against rotation or looseness as in the system described above, and with the ability to conveniently engage the boot-attached cleat with the snowshoe and to easily remove it from the snowshoe.
- In one aspect of the invention, a soft-boot cleat, serving as a toe-only crampon which engages under the ball of the foot, provides a relatively compact and lightweight terrain-engaging device which is easily attached to or removed from the boot or shoe. The terrain-engaging device or crampon has a platform including an upper surface with a footbed to receive the bottom of the front portion of a flexible boot or shoe, under the ball of the foot, such that the heel of the boot or shoe extends behind the platform. A plurality of teeth extend downwardly from edges of the platform, including left and right side teeth and at least two front teeth, the front teeth extending forward from the platform in an oblique manner such as in the front teeth of a conventional full-foot crampon. The device includes a harness assembly secured to the platform and extending laterally outwardly from forward and rear locations on the platform. This harness includes strap means for engaging over the top of a user's boot including generally over the arch region of the boot, with buckling means for engaging the strap means firmly on the boot.
- The terrain-engaging cleat device preferably further includes a heel strap connected to the harness assembly, for extending around the back of the user's boot to connect to an opposite side of the harness, with a latch or buckle to secure the strap firmly around the boot.
- In one preferred embodiment the platform and teeth comprise an integral stainless steel stamping, and this may include stiffener pleats in the bend areas where the platform extends down into the teeth, for added strength.
- The harness assembly includes a web of flexible material secured to the platform, preferably to its bottom, and extending laterally outwardly and upwardly from the platform. Portions of the web at each side of the crampon extend from positions both forward of and behind the side teeth. The strap means are connected to the web.
- In preferred embodiments the platform has a tail extension at its rear, defining a rear attachment point located approximately at the arch of the user's shoe or boot. The web of the harness assembly, secured to the platform, has a rear portion secured to the rear attachment point on the tail extension. This provides a more secure binding to the boot, resisting rotation of the cleat relative to the boot.
- An important aspect of the invention is a toe area terrain-engaging cleat or crampon in combination with a snowshoe which accepts the boot-worn cleat in a step-in arrangement, so that the user can quickly switch from simply using the terrain engaging cleat to wearing a snowshoe. This function and the structure which accomplishes the function are similar to the apparatus disclosed in the copending application Ser. No. 9,948, incorporated herein by reference, and this is one form of the invention. However, the invention also encompasses another embodiment of a snowshoe/crampon combination using the soft-boot cleat or crampon described above. In this case the snowshoe does not have a deck opening in a rear area for rear crampon teeth, since the terrain-engaging cleat of the invention resides only in the toe area of the boot. The front portion of the snowshoe has a registry plate which is easily engaged by the cleat even while it is worn on the boot, without the registry apparatus being directly visible to the user. The front teeth of the terrain-engaging cleat are angled downwardly and forwardly, and these provide a tactile means for finding the associated apparatus on the snowshoe plate for correct registry. If the user fails to step into precisely the right position, this will be readily apparent because the cleat will not feel as if it is being lowered into the snowshoe for proper engagement.
- In a preferred embodiment, the snowshoe has a pivoting front harness, which may be biased to the tail-down position of the snowshoe, the front harness including the rigid registry plate adapted to be received against the bottom of the cleat device and preferably a strap to extend over the top of the foot. The rigid plate has a specific shape designed to accommodate the pattern of teeth at the front end of the cleat device. The plate has a front portion which provides clearance at front and sides to receive teeth of the crampon down around the plate. The plate and the crampon structure are configured and sized in preferred embodiments such that the user must tip the toe of the boot and connected cleat device toe-down into the snowshoe to fit a front bar of the registry plate between teeth of the cleat; then, when the heel is rotated down, an angled tooth edge pivots under the front bar structure of the plate, the tooth structure becomes closely nested with the plate, and the front end of the cleat is thus locked in position against lifting from the plate. The configurations of the harness plate, and of the tooth structure, are such that the cleat device becomes oriented (with respect to rotation about a vertical axis) on the snowshoe as the teeth are inserted into the clearances and the heel is lowered.
- Once the user has stepped the cleat and boot into the snowshoe as described, a single strap may be used to secure the boot down to the front harness assembly, preferably located approximately at the boot arch and extending over the top of the foot between the ankle and the ball of the foot. This strap preferably is mounted on the registry plate of the snowshoe harness.
- It is thus among the objects of the invention to make more efficient the use of snowshoes and terrain-engaging cleats in traversing fields of ice and snow alternatively, by providing a snowshoe with a front harness plate configured to receive a terrain-engaging cleat or crampon in a step-in maneuver that enables very quick transition from ice trekking to snowshoeing. Another object is an efficiently used, lightweight terrain-engaging cleat for the ball area of the boot, with or without a snowshoe. These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments, considered along with the accompanying drawings.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a snowshoe with connected boot and crampon, in accordance with the principles of the invention.
- FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the snowshoe alone.
- FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a crampon of a type for use with the snowshoe of the invention.
- FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the bottom side of the snowshoe's front harness assembly, with the crampon secured to the harness assembly.
- FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the plate of the harness assembly for the snowshoe of the invention.
- FIG. 6 is a side elevation view of a crampon as in FIG. 3.
- FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a base portion of a terrain-engaging cleat or crampon according to another embodiment of the invention, for engaging only under the ball portion of the foot.
- FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a crampon assembly which includes the base portion shown in FIG. 7, along with a harness.
- FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the crampon of FIG. 8 as attached to a user's boot, and engaged in a snowshoe designed to receive the crampon.
- FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the snowshoe of FIG. 8, without the crampon.
- FIGS. 11A and 11B are plan and perspective views showing a registry plate which forms a part of the snowshoe of FIG. 9 and FIG. 12 is a bottom perspective view showing engagement between the registry plate of FIG. 11 and the cleat or crampon.
- FIGS.13A-15B are developed plan views and perspective views showing three additional types of registry plates which can be used in lieu of the plate shown in FIGS. 9-12.
- FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing another modified form of terrain-engaging cleat or crampon according to the invention.
- FIG. 1 shows a
snowshoe 10 having aframe 12 anddeck portions boot 20 with an attached crampon or terrain-engagingcleat 22 is secured to the snowshoe by a front harness assembly of the snowshoe, generally identified by 24. As can be seen in the drawing, thesnowshoe deck portions large openings - FIG. 2 shows the
snowshoe 10 alone. Thedecking areas snowshoe frame 12 by sections of decking material which extend around the frame and are riveted together to the main body of decking, as at 30, for example, and as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,440,827. The snowshoe's decking can be comprised of fewer pieces if desired. - As FIG. 2 reveals, the
snowshoe 10 has afront harness assembly 24, preferably pivotable about a horizontal axis which can be provided by one or moreresilient straps 32 wrapped around the frame and retaining the harness assembly preferably in a toe-down biased position, as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,253,437, 5,440,827, 5,699,630 and 5,687,491. However, the front harness and pivot assembly is without a front claw or cleat, nor does the snowshoe have any rear cleat. Instead, theopen areas crampon 22 to step into the snowshoe and lock the crampon to the snowshoe, after which the teeth of the crampon can be used as front and rear cleats for the snowshoe. - FIGS. 3 and 6 show a crampon or terrain-engaging
cleat 22 which is configured for use with the snowshoe of the invention. - Important features of the
cleat device 22 are that itsrear group 34 of teeth is positioned to pass through the rear, generally heel-locatedopening 26 of the snowshoe, that itsfront group 36 of teeth is positioned to pass through theopening 28 at the front of the snowshoe, and that thefront group 36 of teeth be configured to straddle over and engage with a front harness plate orregistry plate 38 which is an important feature of the snowshoe. As seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, thecrampon 22 can be attached to the snowshoe via theharness mounting plate 38, by simply stepping into the snowshoe in a toe-down position when the crampon is worn on the user's boot. With thestrap assembly 24 in a loosened or released position, the user inclines the boot with the toe downward, at a steeper angle than the orientation of the mountingplate 38 itself, inserting a pair of opposed, left and right side teeth 40 (theleft tooth 40 is visible in FIGS. 3 and 6) down through aclearance 42 provided at each side of a front portion of the mountingplate 38. Theopposed crampon teeth 40 have inclined front surfaces so as to extend undertip structure 44 at each side of the front end of the mounting plate, the tip structures comprising a front bar across the front end of theplate 38. - The
crampon teeth 40 each comprise a part of aside protrusion 46, which may also include anothertooth 48 just behind thetooth 40, and which has a width W (FIG. 6) at its upper end, near a deck orframe 50 of the crampon, which is matched to the length of theclearance 42 in theharness plate 38. The forward side of thetooth 40, that is, of eachside protrusion 46, is inclined forwardly/downwardly as shown, so that it engages under thestructure 44 of theplate 38 and then locks the crampon in place after the crampon has been rotated such that itsback end 52 is downward and thefront portion 54, with thefront group 36 of teeth, is in contact with the surface of theharness plate 38. FIG. 6 shows thecrampon 22 in side view, withbales - FIG. 5 shows in plan, developed view the
harness registry plate 38 which cooperates with thecrampon 22. Theclearance 42 at each side of the front end of the harness plate is shown as formed between thetip structure 44 and awing extension 60 at each side, spaced back from thetips 44. Theharness plate 38 in this embodiment is further configured to provideadequate spaces 61 for a further posterior pair ofcrampon teeth 62, still in the forward set 36 of teeth, as seen in FIGS. 3 and 6. Another pair ofteeth 64, the most posterior of the forward set ofteeth 36, are received inclearances 66 of the harness plate as shown in FIG. 5. - At the rear end of the
harness plate 38 are a pair ofarms 68, each of which has atab 69 at its end, to be bent upward approximately at right angles along a line indicated bydashes 70 in FIG. 5. These tabs, as seen in FIG. 2, provide a mounting for thestrap assembly 24 which extends over the user's boot after the user steps into the snowshoe with the crampon. Thestrap assembly 24 is adjustable, and preferably has a ratchet-type buckle known as a ladder lock buckle, of the type that tightens a strap by one or more notches in a rack of notches with each pivot stroke of a buckle lever, and which allows easy release by lifting the lever to a full-back position. - FIG. 4, a bottom view of the snowshoe with the crampon attached, illustrates the engagement of the front end of the crampon with the snowshoe's harness assembly, and particularly with the
harness plate 38. FIG. 4 reveals that theside protrusion 46 at each side of the crampon has been closely engaged within theclearance 42 at each side of the mountingplate 38. Also, the drawing shows the other pairs ofteeth side clearances deck 50 of the crampon is against the upper surface of theharness plate 38. The crampon teeth generally surround theplate 38, by which is meant that teeth extend down alongside the plate at least at front and sides. - As can be appreciated from FIG. 4, the act of stepping into the front harness of the snowshoe with the
crampon teeth 40 engaging as discussed above and shown in the drawings, locates the crampon precisely relative to the harness assembly and the snowshoe, establishing proper rotational orientation between the crampon and the snowshoe, such that the snowshoe is firmly secured to the crampon against left or right rotation. For this purpose, as shown in FIG. 5 and also seen in FIG. 4, the mounting andregistry plate 38 has angledsurfaces 72 just aft of thetips 44, so that when the crampon teeth are inserted into and under thetips 44, these obliquelyangled surfaces 72 guide the crampon into the precise position, particularly when the heel is rotated down to closely engage the crampon's side protrusions in theclearances 42. - FIGS.7-12 show another form of terrain-engaging cleat or
crampon 80 which can be used on a boot for enhancing traction such as in icy or semi-icy conditions, or in combination with a snowshoe wherein thedevice 80 provides a cleat for the snowshoe, as illustrated. - FIG. 7 shows a cleat plate or
base plate 82 which is a principal component of the terrain-engaging cleat orcrampon 80 shown in FIG. 8. Thebase 82 has a generallyflat platform 84, a pair offront end teeth 86 integrally formed with and extending downwardly/forwardly from theplatform 84, and further pairs ofteeth teeth 88 are angled teeth in this preferred embodiment, just aft of the twofrontal teeth 86 as shown. Theangled teeth 88 are angled relative to the forward/aft direction of movement of the crampon and relative to the transverse direction of thecleat device 82. Thus, theseteeth 88 provide traction for the crampon in both the forward/back directions and in lateral directions. - The
additional teeth 90 are side teeth, further aft on the crampon or terrain-engaging cleat. The base member also preferably includes atail extension 92, defining arear attachment point 94 for a part of theharness assembly 96 shown in FIG. 8. - The
cleat base 82 in a preferred embodiment is formed as a stainless steel stamping. As shown, theteeth platform 84, inbends stiffener pleat 104, comprising an indentation formed into the metal for stiffening the teeth at each of these bends. Stiffener pleats are also shown at 105 in theplatform 84. - The
frontal teeth 86 are tapered, generally triangular as shown and are angled down about 45° in the embodiment shown. This angle preferably is between about 40° and 50°, or more broadly, between about 35° and 55°. - FIG. 7 also shows various holes through the deck or platform portion of the stamping82, four of which identified as 106 are used for attaching a
footbed 110 and theharness assembly 96 to thebase 82. This can be a contoured footbed as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,687,491. - As also seen in FIGS. 7 and 8, each of the
angled teeth 88 and theside teeth 90 comprises a relativelynarrow neck 112, which extends from theplatform 84 down through thebend 102, into aflat area flat face area tooth narrower neck 112. - The drawings also show that each
tooth point 116 at its bottom, for engaging ice when encountered. Importantly, these ice points 116 are substantially directly beneath the stiffener pleats 104, so that if the terrain-engagingdevice 80 is used on rigid ice, the stress of supporting the weight of the user through thebends - The assembled terrain-engaging cleat device or
crampon 80 as shown in FIG. 8 has aharness assembly 96 which can be similar to those produced by Atlas Snow-Shoe Company and incorporated as the front harness assembly of a snowshoe, such as on Atlas Models Nos. 1022 and 1033. The harness includes a web which has a central, bottom section orharness shell 120 that is secured to themetal platform 84, preferably being positioned beneath theplatform 84 as shown. With reference to all of FIGS. 7-12, thisharness 96 has forward harnesslegs 122 andrear harness legs 124 extending up and outwardly from theharness shell 120, as shown. These discrete legs of the harness web are positioned to extend over the ball of the foot, or essentially between the toe area and the ball area, with thelegs 122; and from the arch area or slightly forward of the arch area, over the top of the foot generally as seen in FIG. 9.Straps crampon device 80 on the foot. Thesestraps crampon device 80 provides for easy adjustment and quick and easy attachment of the crampon orcleat device 80 to the shoe or boot. - In addition, there is preferably included a
heel strap 130 for increased stability and torsion resistance, this strap preferably extending fromrear extensions 132 of theharness web 96. - As seen in the drawings, the
tail extension 92 andrear attachment point 94 of the main base member 82 (FIG. 7) is important in providing an attachment point as far back on thecrampon device 80 as needed for good binding and stability. Thatrear attachment point 94 is located in the arch area of the boot, slightly forward of the heel, as can be seen in FIG. 9. - As indicated in the drawings, the
footbed 110 can be secured to thebase member 82 byrivets 134, but also by gluing. Therivets 134 also serve to secure theharness shell 120 to theplatform 84 of themetal base member 82. - FIG. 9 shows the user's shoe or
boot 136, wearing thecrampon device 80 of the invention, and also engaged in asnowshoe 140. As also seen in FIG. 10, the snowshoe hasdecking 142 which preferably includes a rear cleat at 144 (the cleat actually extends below the decking), and the snowshoe has a frontboot binding assembly 146 that includes aregistry plate 148 for the crampon, which may be supported on tensionedstraps 150 that afford a biased pivoting movement of the toe, and which includes a single strap 152 for extending over the top of the foot area of the boot, but which does not include a front cleat. See also FIGS. 11A-12. The terrain-engaging cleat orcrampon 80 of the invention supplies the front cleat, since theteeth registry plate 148. This is similar to the registry of thefront portion 54 of the full-foot crampon 22 into a snowshoe in the earlier described embodiment. - FIGS.9-12 show one form of
registry plate 148 for use with thecrampon device 80 in this embodiment of the invention. FIGS. 13-15 show alternatives, described below. Theregistry plate 148 has afront bar 155 which extends across aforward end 156 of the plate and has extendingtips 158 at left and right. These, as seen in FIGS. 9 and 12, are to be engaged between back sides of thefront end teeth 86 and forward edges 159 of theangled teeth 88 that serve as protrusions similar to theprotrusions 46 in FIGS. 3 and 4. Since theteeth 88 themselves are angled preferably downwardly and outwardly at an angle relative to the lateral and straight-ahead directions, this inclinedforward edge 159 has a forward component to its orientation, so that when thefront bar 155 is in place under the crampon, with thetips 158 between theteeth 86 and theinclined edges 159, the crampon cannot be lifted straight up at its front end, being confined by thefront bar 155 interacting with theinclined edge 159. Thus, when the user wearing thecrampon device 80 steps into the snowshoe, this must be done with the toe tipped downwardly, until thefrontal bar 155 of the registry plate is correctly in position between theteeth 86 and theteeth 88. At that point, the user can pivot the foot downwardly onto the plate, then attach a pair ofstraps 161 to the harness via securinghooks 163, as seen particularly in FIGS. 8, 9 and 10. This is one preferred system for holding the boot down against the plate. Thestraps 161 can be of an elastic polymer that flexes somewhat but exerts enough force to keep the boot against the plate. By this arrangement the user can conveniently pull up on the twostraps 161 and hook them on thehooks 163, avoiding additional straps over the top of the foot. - The
registry plate 148 shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, as well as in FIGS. 9, 10 and 12, has side stabilizers formed asprojections 160 on each side, somewhat aft of the middle of the plate. These are bent downwardly (FIGS. 11B and 12) and positioned to engage against inner sides of theside teeth 90, and they are preferably located so as to engage between the stiffener pleats 104 on thebase cleat device 82 shown in FIG. 7. When the user engages thefront bar 155 in place, with the toe of the boot and crampon tipped down, and positions the front bar correctly between thecrampon teeth side stabilizers 160 then engage inside surfaces of theteeth 90 to lock the cleat in place on theregistry plate 148. - From FIGS. 10 and 11A-B can be seen one preferred method of securement of the
registry plate 148 to the snowshoe. The plate hasholes 164 through which rivets pass to secure the plate to the snowshoe's tensionedfront straps 150, as in FIG. 10. The tensioned straps 150 in this embodiment are spaced apart sufficiently to allow theside teeth 90 of the crampon device (FIGS. 7 and 8) to pass down between the straps, one such tooth at each side of theregistry plate 148. This is best seen in the bottom view of FIG. 12, which also reveals theside stabilizers 160 as engaging against inside surfaces of theside teeth 190. This tight engagement is made as the wearer rotates the cleat down onto theregistry plate 148. - FIGS.13-15 show alternative configurations of
registry plates registry plate 170 is quite similar to theplate 148, except at the front end. There, afront finger 172 extends forwardly and is formed into a somewhat downwardly dipping hook, in position to be engaged in aV notch 173 between thefront teeth 86 of the crampon, as seen particularly in FIG. 7. This helps the user place the crampon correctly on the registry plate, since the registry plate is not visible beneath the foot and boot. With the centralhooked finger 172 extending forward as a tactile guide, the user can feel it between thefrontal crampon teeth 86, in thenotch 173, then step down with the toe, causing the hookedfinger 122 to shift the cleat'sfrontal teeth 86 left or right as needed and back against the front to position the front of the cleat correctly. Again,side stabilizers 160 center the aft parts of the cleat or crampon by engagement between the structure of theside teeth 90 as the foot is rotated down. Although not shown in FIGS. 13A-13B, theplate 170 can have a front bar similar to thefront bar 155 of FIGS. 11-12, in addition to thehook 172. - FIGS.14A-B again show a
registry plate 180 which is similar to theplates slot 182 is formed byfront end structure 184, and this slot is positioned to receive thefrontal crampon teeth 86. Again, this gives a tactile indicator for the user to locate the front of the pleat or crampon correctly, prior to rotating the arch of the foot downwardly to engage the crampon with theoutboard side stabilizers 160. In this case, the user again preferably tips the crampon down slightly, to best insert thefrontal teeth 86 down through theslot 182, prior to rotating the arch downward. As indicated, thefront end structure 184 on thisplate 180 preferably is angled upwardly somewhat, to better catch thefrontal teeth 86. If the user is off-center with the crampon, the tapered outside edges of the teeth guide the crampon to the correct position. - FIGS.15A-B show a
registry plate 190 which is again similar to the other plates described above in many respects. At the front of theregistry plate 190 is a taperingfrontal apex 192 with a raiseddisk 194 similar to a rivet head, spaced upwardly by anarrow neck 195 from the surface of thefrontal apex 192. Thefrontal apex 192 is angled downwardly from abend 193. Again, a tactile indicator is provided for the user in placing the toe end of the cleat orcrampon 80 correctly. Thefrontal teeth 86 of the crampon are moved downwardly and forwardly against the neck of the rivet head orlocator disk 194, such that theneck 195 of the disk becomes positioned in theV notch 173 between thefrontal teeth 86. As in the last described embodiment, even if the user holds the foot laterally left or right to some extent, the downward engagement of thefrontal teeth 86 will become self-centering of the crampon relative to theregistry plate 190. - FIG. 16 shows another embodiment of a terrain engaging cleat or
crampon 200 according to the invention. This cleat orcrampon 200 is similar in many respects to the previously describedcrampon 80, but employs adifferent cleat base 202, not specifically designed to engage with a snowshoe. Thesimpler cleat base 202 has a rack offront teeth 204, positioned at the bottom of a downwardly/forwardly angledfrontal bend 206, and has a pair ofside teeth 208. Itsharness 210 may be essentially the same as described previously, but in this embodiment the crampon omits the tail extension 92 (FIG. 7) of the earlier embodiment, thus providing a less bulky terrain-engaging cleat or crampon. Thecrampon device 200 includes arear strap 210 for extending around the back of the user's boot or shoe. Again, afootbed 212, which may be a flexible, rubbery footbed and which may be contoured as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,687,491, is secured down to the platform of thecleat base 202. - The above described preferred embodiments are intended to illustrate the principles of the invention, but not to limit its scope. Other embodiments and variations to this preferred embodiment will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims (25)
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US09/902,962 US6374518B2 (en) | 1998-01-21 | 2001-07-10 | Terrain-engaging cleat for traction enhancement |
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US09/009,948 US5901471A (en) | 1998-01-21 | 1998-01-21 | Snowshoe for receiving crampons |
US09/294,517 US6256908B1 (en) | 1998-01-21 | 1999-04-20 | Terrain-engaging cleat for traction enhancement |
US09/902,962 US6374518B2 (en) | 1998-01-21 | 2001-07-10 | Terrain-engaging cleat for traction enhancement |
Related Parent Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US09/294,517 Division US6256908B1 (en) | 1998-01-21 | 1999-04-20 | Terrain-engaging cleat for traction enhancement |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20010039749A1 true US20010039749A1 (en) | 2001-11-15 |
US6374518B2 US6374518B2 (en) | 2002-04-23 |
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Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US09/294,517 Expired - Lifetime US6256908B1 (en) | 1998-01-21 | 1999-04-20 | Terrain-engaging cleat for traction enhancement |
US09/902,962 Expired - Lifetime US6374518B2 (en) | 1998-01-21 | 2001-07-10 | Terrain-engaging cleat for traction enhancement |
Family Applications Before (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US09/294,517 Expired - Lifetime US6256908B1 (en) | 1998-01-21 | 1999-04-20 | Terrain-engaging cleat for traction enhancement |
Country Status (2)
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US (2) | US6256908B1 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2000062636A1 (en) |
Cited By (3)
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FR2850252A1 (en) * | 2003-01-23 | 2004-07-30 | Soriano Antonio Cutando | Snowshoe comprises platform located on upper face with longitudinal groove where support element can slide, platform lower end part corresponding to heel has tipping mechanism formed from spherical part and platform lower part has nails |
EP1808088A1 (en) * | 2006-01-12 | 2007-07-18 | Kahtoola Inc. | Modular snow travel system for common footwear |
US20120117829A1 (en) * | 2010-11-15 | 2012-05-17 | Mountain View Ski Products, LLC | Ski boot accessory |
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US6256908B1 (en) * | 1998-01-21 | 2001-07-10 | Tubbs Snowshoe Company Llc | Terrain-engaging cleat for traction enhancement |
US6453581B1 (en) * | 2001-07-09 | 2002-09-24 | Tubbs Snowshoe Company, Llc | Snowshoe crampon system |
US6694646B2 (en) * | 2002-01-04 | 2004-02-24 | Winterquest Llc | Snowshoe harness |
US6725576B2 (en) | 2002-01-04 | 2004-04-27 | Atlas Snowshoe Company | Snowshoe with molded tail piece |
US6898874B2 (en) | 2002-01-04 | 2005-05-31 | K2 Snowshoes, Inc. | Snowshoe with two degrees of rotational freedom |
US7681904B2 (en) | 2002-08-02 | 2010-03-23 | Lane Ekberg | Configurable snowshoe and ski device |
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US20050050773A1 (en) * | 2003-08-29 | 2005-03-10 | Allan Kettlehut | Adjustable binding for snowshoes |
US7461471B2 (en) * | 2004-01-23 | 2008-12-09 | K2 Snowshoes, Inc. | Snowshoe binding |
US7331129B1 (en) | 2005-08-18 | 2008-02-19 | Kz Snowshoes, Inc. | Snowshoe frame with varied cross section |
US8348299B2 (en) * | 2005-10-07 | 2013-01-08 | Lane Ekberg | Multiple direct lock positions for touring ski mounting plate |
US9079094B2 (en) | 2005-10-07 | 2015-07-14 | Lane A. Ekberg | Multiple direct touring positions for snowboard boot binding mounting base |
US8061062B2 (en) * | 2006-01-12 | 2011-11-22 | Kahtoola Inc. | Modular snow travel system for common footwear |
US7661207B2 (en) * | 2006-01-17 | 2010-02-16 | K-2 Corporation | Snowshoe binding without heel strap |
US7509757B2 (en) * | 2006-01-18 | 2009-03-31 | K-2 Corporation | Single-pull binding for a snowshoe |
US7472497B2 (en) | 2006-01-18 | 2009-01-06 | K2 Snowshoes, Inc. | Snowshoe binding with flexible footbed |
US7497034B2 (en) * | 2006-01-18 | 2009-03-03 | K-2 Corporation | Snowshoe binding with top buckles |
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US20080174089A1 (en) * | 2007-01-21 | 2008-07-24 | Lane Ekberg | Apparatus, system, and method for a collapsing approach ski |
US20090256332A1 (en) * | 2007-02-07 | 2009-10-15 | Lane Ekberg | Apparatus, System, and Method for Folding, Stowing, and Deploying Skis |
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US20100132225A1 (en) * | 2008-12-02 | 2010-06-03 | Rudy Lucas Samuels | Molded snowshoe with pliable heel contact area |
US8931188B2 (en) * | 2009-11-13 | 2015-01-13 | K-2 Corporation | Snowshoe with pivoted boot binding |
IT1403730B1 (en) * | 2011-02-01 | 2013-10-31 | Roberto Valeri | ATTACHMENT FOR REVERSIBLE FASTENING OF SNOW EQUIPMENT, TYPES OF SNOWSHOES, SKINS, AND THE LIKE, WITH CORRESPONDING SHOES OR CORRESPONDING ACCESSORIES FOR FOOTWEAR, RAMPONI TYPE, ANTI-SLIP SHOES AND THE LIKE. |
US8876123B2 (en) * | 2011-04-05 | 2014-11-04 | Erik Gawain BRADSHAW | Exoskeleton and footwear attachment system |
CN102715690A (en) * | 2012-06-13 | 2012-10-10 | 吴江市信许塑料鞋用配套有限公司 | Combined shoe |
US9393482B2 (en) * | 2012-11-02 | 2016-07-19 | Jon Johnston | Snow climbing plate for use with a crampon |
US20140259795A1 (en) * | 2013-03-15 | 2014-09-18 | Ryan C. Hoth | Snowshoe |
US9814961B2 (en) * | 2014-08-06 | 2017-11-14 | Alite Designs, Inc. | Collapsible snowshoes and methods thereof |
US20160144266A1 (en) * | 2014-11-20 | 2016-05-26 | Louis Garneau Sports Inc. | Harness and snowshoe frame |
FR3059874B1 (en) * | 2016-12-08 | 2019-05-17 | Frenee Jean Marc | REMOVABLE SNOW RACKET ADAPTABLE ON ICE CRAMPON DEVICE |
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US11633002B2 (en) * | 2020-05-06 | 2023-04-25 | Ninghai Xingda Leisure Products Co., Ltd. | Frame of a snowshoe and a snowshoe thereof |
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-
2000
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-
2001
- 2001-07-10 US US09/902,962 patent/US6374518B2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Cited By (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
FR2850252A1 (en) * | 2003-01-23 | 2004-07-30 | Soriano Antonio Cutando | Snowshoe comprises platform located on upper face with longitudinal groove where support element can slide, platform lower end part corresponding to heel has tipping mechanism formed from spherical part and platform lower part has nails |
EP1808088A1 (en) * | 2006-01-12 | 2007-07-18 | Kahtoola Inc. | Modular snow travel system for common footwear |
US20080010865A1 (en) * | 2006-01-12 | 2008-01-17 | Giovale Daniel G | Modular snow travel system for common footwear |
US7707749B2 (en) | 2006-01-12 | 2010-05-04 | Kahtoola, Inc. | Modular snow travel system for common footwear |
US20120117829A1 (en) * | 2010-11-15 | 2012-05-17 | Mountain View Ski Products, LLC | Ski boot accessory |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
US6374518B2 (en) | 2002-04-23 |
WO2000062636A1 (en) | 2000-10-26 |
US6256908B1 (en) | 2001-07-10 |
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