Patent classifications
A63C13/006
SNOWSHOE
A snowshoe provides a way for outdoor enthusiasts to traverse the backcountry effectively and efficiently. The snowshoe allows the user to glide through the snow like a cross-country ski, but with the minimal footprint of a traditional snowshoe. The snowshoe includes a board and a binding mechanism that secures the user to the board, but allows for a pivoting motion. The pivoting motion allows the user to ascend steep terrain by performing a motion similar to cross-country skiing.
Snowshoe with double hinge binding
A snowshoe comprises a frame defining a periphery of the snowshoe. A deck is secured in a stretched state to the frame, a cutout being defined in the deck. A binding is connected to at least one of the frame and the deck and being aligned with the cutout in the deck. A footwear support portion is adapted to receive footwear of a wearer and being pivotable relative to the deck along a pivoting range so as to allow a tip of the footwear to plunge through the cutout below a plane of the deck. An unbiased hinge is between the frame and/or the deck and the footwear support portion to allow unbiased movement of the footwear support portion in a proximal portion of the pivoting range. A biased hinge is between the frame and/or the deck and the footwear support portion to allow biased movement of the footwear support portion in a distal portion of the pivoting range.
SNOWSHOE BINDING AND SNOWSHOE COMPRISING A BINDING
A snowshoe (S) and a snowshoe binding (1) arranged for securing a boot (B) to the snowshoe (S) are provided. The snowshoe binding (1) comprises a base part (10) which comprises a first part (11) which is arranged to be mounted onto the snowshoe (S), a second part (12) which is arranged to receive a boot toe portion (B1) and a third part (13) which is arranged to receive a flexible heel strap. The binding further comprises a flexible heel strap (20) with a first portion (21). a second portion (22) and an intermediate portion (23) which extends between the first portion (21) and the second portion (22). The third part (13) of the base part (10) comprises a first attachment portion (13a) for releasable attachment of the first portion (21) of the flexible heel strap (20) and a second attachment portion (13b) for releasable attachment of the second portion (22) of the flexible heel strap (20).
SINGLE-PULL TIGHTENED SNOWSHOE BINDING
A single-pull tightened snowshoe binding is provided, the binding comprising: a sole plate configured to be hingedly interconnected to a snowshoe; a toe cap interconnected with the sole plate with a first anterior strap and a second anterior strap, wherein the anterior straps are configured to wrap around the lateral aspects of a toe box of a shoe inserted within the snowshoe binding, and wherein the toe cap is configured to interface with a top aspect of the shoe; a first lateral strap extending outward from the sole plate, wherein the first lateral strap is configured to wrap upward along a lateral aspect of the shoe and extend toward a posterior aspect of the shoe; a second lateral strap extending outward from the sole plate, wherein the second lateral strap is configured to wrap upward along a lateral aspect of a shoe and extend toward the posterior aspect of the snowshoe binding; a first tightening strap having a first end and a second end, the first end of the first tightening strap interconnected to a posterior aspect of the toe cap, the first tightening strap slideably interconnected with the distal end of the first lateral strap, wherein the second end of the first tightening strap is configured to span around the posterior aspect of the shoe; a second tightening strap having a first end and a second end, the first end of the second tightening strap interconnected to a posterior aspect of the toe cap, the second tightening strap slideably interconnected with the distal end of the second lateral strap, wherein the second end of the second tightening strap is configured to span around the posterior aspect of the shoe; the second ends of the first and second tightening straps interconnected by a strap tightening mechanism; wherein tightening of the first and second tightening straps simultaneously retracts the toe cap toward the sole plate, retracts the first and second lateral straps upward along a lateral aspect of a shoe inserted in the binding, and biases the shoe toward the toe cap.