Crampons provided with spikes

Abstract

Disclosed are chain-type crampons for preventing mountain-climbing boots from being slipped on a snowy road or icy road when climbing a mountain. The crampons having an elastic band and chains mounted on the band are provided with a plurality of spikes and link rings including an advanced spike on the front of the boot when so mounted, so that a brake power on the snowy road or icy road is increased and snow is not adhered to the crampons. The crampons have a restraining member at the front.

Claims

1. A crampon system comprising: an elastic band adapted to be bound around an outsole of a boot, and a crampon comprising: a front spike having a plurality of first spike edges, the front spike adapted to be positioned at a front portion of a bottom surface of the boot when the elastic band is bound around the outsole of the boot; a center spike having a plurality of second spike edges, the center spike being coupled to the elastic band via a first chain, the center spike adapted to be positioned at a center portion of the bottom surface of the boot when the elastic band is bound around the outsole of the boot; and a rear spike having a plurality of third spike edges, the rear spike being coupled to the elastic band via a second chain, the rear spike adapted to be positioned at a rear portion of the bottom surface of the boot when the elastic band is bound around the outsole of the boot; a plurality of lateral spikes disposed between the front spike and the center spike, each lateral spike coupled to the elastic band via a respective third chain; first and second front chains disposed between the front spike and the band, each of the first and second front chains comprising a plurality of advanced front spikes connected together in a series, each advanced front spike having an L-shape comprising a first leg and a second leg, wherein: the first leg comprises a first surface associated with a first plane, and a hole in the first surface; the second leg comprises a second surface associated with a second plane different from the first plane; the first surface and the second surface intersect to form a corner; a gap is defined in the first surface of the first leg, in the second surface of the second leg, and in the corner, the gap defining a projecting element, the projecting element having a first portion in the first leg, a second portion in the second leg, and a bend in the corner, the gap being present on two sides of the first portion of the projecting element in the first leg and on three sides of the second portion of the projecting element in the second leg; the gap is adapted to receive an adjacent first leg of an adjacent advanced front spike; and the projecting element is adapted to connect to an adjacent hole of the adjacent first leg of the adjacent advanced front spike; and a restraining member operatively coupled to the first and second front chains, the restraining member adapted to be engaged with a front of the boot when the elastic band is bound around the outsole of the boot.

2. The crampon system of claim 1, wherein each of the front spike, the center spike, and the rear spike comprises a respective first lateral end having a respective first fastening hole, a respective second lateral end having a respective second fastening hole, and a respective center portion, and each of the front spike, the center spike, and the rear spike comprises a respective bent side that forms the respective spike edges.

3. The crampon system of claim 1, wherein the restraining member comprises first and second links, the first link being different from and connected to the second link, the first link being different from and connected to the first front chain, the second link being different from and connected to the second front chain.

4. The crampon system of claim 1, wherein the restraining member comprises first, second, and third bars, the first bar being different from and connected to the second bar, the first bar being different from and connected to the first front chain, the third bar being different from and connected to the second bar, the third bar being different from and connected to the second front chain.

5. The crampon system of claim 4, wherein the second bar is connected to the first bar by a first pin and the third bar is connected to the second bar by a second pin, wherein the first and second pins allow hinged movement of the first, second, and third bars.

6. The crampon system of claim 1, wherein the restraining member comprises a single link.

7. The crampon system of claim 1, wherein the elastic band comprises fixing portions of a circular ring shape for coupling the chains.

8. The crampon system of claim 7, wherein each of the first, second, and third chains includes a fixing ring.

9. A spike member in crampons adapted to be mounted to a boot, the spike member comprising an L-shape having a first leg and a second leg, wherein: the first leg comprises a first surface associated with a first plane, and a hole in the first surface; the second leg comprises a second surface associated with a second plane different from the first plane; the first surface and the second surface intersect to form a corner; a gap is defined in the first surface of the first leg, in the second surface of the second leg, and in the corner, the gap defining a projecting element, the projecting element having a first portion in the first leg, a second portion in the second leg, and a bend in the corner, the projecting element projecting from a center of the gap such that the gap is present on two sides of the first portion of the projecting element in the first leg and on three sides of the second portion of the projecting element in the second leg; the gap defining the projecting element is adapted to connect to an adjacent hole of an adjacent first leg of an adjacent advanced front spike by inserting the projecting element into the adjacent hole of the adjacent first leg of the adjacent advanced front spike.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiment(s) of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the invention. In the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the invention;

(3) FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the prefrontal or advanced front spike portion of the first embodiment;

(4) FIG. 2B is a perspective view of a spike piece of the prefrontal or advanced front spike portion of the first embodiment;

(5) FIGS. 2C and 2D are perspective views of spike pieces of the prefrontal or advanced front spike portion of the first embodiment;

(6) FIG. 3 is a plan view of the first embodiment;

(7) FIG. 3A is a plan view of the front portion of the first embodiment;

(8) FIG. 4 is a plan view of a second embodiment of the invention with a variant restraining member different from that of the first embodiment;

(9) FIG. 4A is a plan view of the front portion of the second embodiment;

(10) FIG. 5 is plan view of a third embodiment of the invention with another variant restraining member different from that of the first and second embodiments;

(11) FIG. 5A is plan view of the front portion of the third embodiment;

(12) FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the invention; and

(13) FIG. 7 is plan view of a fifth embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(14) A preferred embodiment according to the present invention will now be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(15) The chain-type crampons installed with spikes according to a first embodiment of the present invention (see FIGS. 1, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 3 and 3A), in which an elastic band 10 is bound around an outsole of mountain-climbing boots 1, and chains 20 are coupled to the band 10 as an anti-skid member, is characterized by comprising: at least one prefrontal or advanced spike 15 (shown are three), a front spike 30, a center spike 50, and a rear spike 60, respectively, disposed at a prefrontal or advanced front portion, a front portion, a center portion, and a rear portion of a bottom surface of the boots 1, engaged to the chain 20 and coupling rings 21, 23, 24, and 25, and formed with a plurality of spike edges 33, 53, and 63; lateral spikes 40 disposed forward between the front spike 30 and the center spike 50 and engaged to the chain 20 and the coupling ring 22; link rings 70 and 80 each engaged to the front spike 30, the lateral spikes 40, and the center spikes 50; and a restraining member 13 coupled to the top of the advanced spikes 15 tightly attached to a front heel of the boots 1, as shown in FIG. 1.

(16) The elastic band 10 made of rubber or synthetic material is adapted to cover the upper portion of the outsole of the boots 1, and bosses 11 protrudes from an outer edge of the band 10 at a desired interval so that fixing rings 12 are mounted to the bosses 11. The chains 20 and the coupling rings 21, 22, 23, and 24 are coupled to a plurality of fixing rings 12 spaced apart from each other at a given interval.

(17) The coupling rings 21, 23, and 24 are coupled to the front, center, and rear spikes 30, 50, and 60 each integrally formed with bent spike edges 33, 53, and 63. The front, center, and rear spikes 30, 50, and 60 are disposed at the front, center, and rear portions on the bottom surface of the boots 1. The lateral spikes 40 are disposed at both sides between the front spike 30 and the center spike 50, and are coupled by the chain 20 and the coupling ring 22.

(18) The advanced spikes 15, front spike 30, the center spike 50, and the rear spike 60, which are disposed at the front, center, and rear portions of the bottom surface of the boots 1, respectively, are formed with fastening holes 31 and 32; 51 and 52; 61 and 62 at both lateral ends and a center portion thereof. Also, the front spike 30, the center spike 50, and the rear spike 60 are bent at the side thereof to integrally form the spike edges 33, 53, and 63.

(19) The lateral spikes 40 disposed at both front sides on the inner bottom surface of the boots 1 are formed with fastening holes 41 and 42 at both lateral ends and center portion, and are bent toward the bottom surface to form the spike edge 43.

(20) The front spike 30, the center spike 50, and the rear spike 60, which are disposed at the front, center, and rear portions of the bottom surface of the boots 1, respectively, are coupled to a plurality of link rings 70 configured to freely pivot. The rear spike 60 is coupled to the center spike 50, the link ring 80, and the chain, with it being mounted to the chain 20 and the coupling ring 24.

(21) The link ring 70 positioned at the front portion of the bottom surface of the boots 1 is bent to be pivotally inserted into is bent to be pivotally inserted into the fastening holes 32, 42, and 52 of the front spike 30, the center spike 50, and the rear spike 60. The front spike 30 and the lateral spikes 40 are coupled to the chain 20 and the band 10 via the fastening holes 31 and 41 formed at center portion and the coupling rings 21 and 22.

(22) The rear spike 60 is disposed at the rear portion of the inner bottom surface of the boots 1, and is coupled to the center spike 50 by connecting the fastening hole 51 of the center spike 50 disposed at the center portion with the fastening hole 61 positioned at the center portion by use of the link ring 80, the chain 20, and the coupling ring 25, with the fastening hole 62 formed at both sides of the elastic ban 10 being mounted with the chain 20 and the coupling ring 24.

(23) The chain-type crampons provided with spikes according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes the front spike 30, the lateral spikes 40, the center spike 50, and the rear spike 60, which are disposed at the front, both sides, center, and rear portions on the inner bottom surface of the boots 1 and have spike edges 33, 43, 53, and 63, respectively, thereby increasing a brake power on a snowy road or icy road.

(24) With the chain-type crampons provided with spikes according to the first embodiment of the present invention, in order to prevent the band 10 tightly attached to the boots 1 from being stretched when the front spike 30, the lateral spikes 40, the center spike 50, and the rear spike 60 are applied with strong frictional force in climbing a steep slope, both chains 20 tightly attached to the front heel of the boots 1 are provided with the restraining member 13, so that the restraining bar 13 is restrained by the front heel portion of the boots 1 to prevent the stretching of the band 10. In this embodiment, the restraining member 13 is in the form of three links, 13A, 13B, and 13C.

(25) Consequently, the first embodiment of the present invention includes the prefrontal or advanced spikes 15, front spikes 30, the lateral spikes 40, the center spike 50, and the rear spike 60, respectively, disposed to the prefrontal or advanced front, front, both sides, center, and rear portions on the inner bottom surface of the boots 1 which comes in contact with the snowy road or icy road, to increase the brake power and thus prevent the slip effectively. Also, the front spike 30, the lateral spikes 40, the center spike 50, and the rear spike 60 are coupled to the link rings 70 and 80 configured to be freely pivoted, thereby solving the existing problem in that the snow is adhered to the boots.

(26) Specifically, the advanced spike 15, front spike 30, the lateral spikes 40, the center spike 50, and the rear spike 60, respectively, disposed to the advanced front, front, both sides, center, and rear portions on the inner bottom surface of the boots 1 are coupled to each other by use of the link rings 70 and 80 made of an iron wire to solve the problem in that the snow is adhered to the boots, breaking from the chain structure of the existing crampons.

(27) According to the present invention, the advanced spike 15, front spike 30, the lateral spikes 40, the center spike 50, and the rear spike 60, respectively, having a plurality of spike edges 33, 43, 53, and 63, are provided to the existing crampons, thereby effectively preventing the slip of the boots 1 on the snowy road or icy road.

(28) The restraining member 13 keeps the fixing rings 12 tightly attached to the front heel of the boots 1. Hence, in case the front spike 30, the lateral spikes 40, the center spike 50, and the rear spike 60 are applied with the strong frictional force in climbing a steep slope, the restraining member 13 is caught by the front heel portion of the boots 1, thereby preventing the band 10 from being stretched and thus maintaining the normal wearing state.

(29) With the above description, the chain-type crampons of the first embodiment of the present invention having the elastic band and the chains mounted on the band are provided with a plurality of spikes and link rings, so that the brake power on the snowy road or icy road is increased, and the snow is not adhered to the crampons. In particular, the restraining member is installed to the front portion of the boots, thereby increasing the binding force of the crampons.

(30) As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B three advanced spikes 15 are provided on each of the front right and front left of the boot. Each advanced spike 15 is in the shape of an L, with a hole 15A in one leg of the L and a spike tip 15B, and an inner connecting member 15C in the other leg of the L identified by a cut-out portion 15E and gap 15F. The three spikes can be connected serially together by inserting the tip 15 of one inner connecting member 15C into the hole 15A of another advanced spike and then bending the inner connecting member 15C at its base to close the gap, thereby preventing the advanced spikes from separating.

(31) FIGS. 4 and 4A show a second embodiment similar to the first embodiment, except that restraining member 13 is in the form of three bars 13D, 13E, and 13F which are pinned to each other at their respective ends, permitting relative hinged movement about pin axes 13G and 13H.

(32) FIGS. 5 and 5A show a third embodiment of the invention similar to the first and second embodiments, except that the restraining member 13 is in the form of a single link.

(33) FIG. 6 shows a fourth embodiment of the invention, similar to the first embodiment of FIGS. 1, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 3 and 3A, with the same restraining member 13, except that this embodiment does not have advanced spikes 15 at the front of the boot 1.

(34) FIG. 7 shows a fifth embodiment of the invention, similar to the embodiment of FIGS. 5 and 5A, except that the advanced spikes 15 are in the form of a single plate instead of three connecting links of FIGS. 2C and 2D.

(35) The forgoing embodiments are merely exemplary and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention. The present teachings can be readily applied to other types of apparatus. The description of the present invention is intended to be illustrative, and not to limit the scope of the claims. Many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art.