K-2 Corporation

Atlas Snowshoe Company

Tubbs Snowshoe Company LLC

K2 Snowshoes, Inc.

Other

Raychem Limited

Kz Snowshoes, Inc.

Daniel T Emerson

Rudy Lucas Samuels

Charles Bentley Warner

Perry A Klebahn

Nathan J Messmer

James Monsees

Peter W Chapman

Wesley Bryan Dong

Larry M Edwards

Charles Bently Warner

Jae Yoon Jung

Jeffrey T Haller

Helen D Shaughnessy

A snowshoe binding engages the sole of the user's boot in a region between the arch and the widest part of the sole, gripping the sole laterally and sufficiently firmly that the boot will not pull out of the binding during use of the snowshoe, even in the absence of a heel strap. The arch area of the boot typically is narrower in width than the ball of the foot, providing a rearwardly tapering region for positive engagement against pulling back of the boot in the binding. By engaging the boot at the sole, the binding can put pressure on the boot not felt by the user. In one form the sole engaging binding device has a width adjustment with a sliding element, and the firmly clamping sole engagement preferably is accomplished with a cam that engages when a strap is tightened. An efficient buckle and strap are also disclosed.

Snowshoe binding without heel strap

A binding for a snowshoe has an injection molded base or footbed with integral control wings for cradling the shoe generally as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,259,128. The base preferably has toe stops at the forward end, positioned asymmetrically on the base to better individually contour to the left shoe and the right shoe. At the inner side of the foot the toe stop is farther forward. The lower end of the arch side control wing is positioned to cradle the shoe arch while the outer side control wing is at an offset position to engage an aft area of the shoe. Also, the width of the binding can be adjustable at the arch. These features provide a better connection of the snowshoe to the shoe, greater stability in use of the snowshoe and greater comfort to the user.

Snowshoe binding with contoured base

A boot binding for a snowshoe, suspended within the snowshoe for flexibility of the boot relative to the snowshoe in the pitch direction, has a binding footbed that is flexible and allows bending of the boot in the pitch directed, as steps are taken by the user.

Single-pull binding for a snowshoe

A binding for a snowshoe has, in several different embodiments, a pair of straps to draw the binding tight over a user's boot, the two straps reversing direction at side loop points and being secured to a pair of buckles on a floating tongue at the top of the binding, generally over the ball area of the foot. In one form the straps are anchored at toe points on the binding and extend back in a crossing, X configuration, as in U.S. Pat. No. 6,814,360. In another form the straps are shorter and do not cross, the forward ends being replaced with toe-cradling strap-like members that extend up and back and come together at a pivot connection with a tongue, in this case a shorter tongue, to which the two buckles are connected. The binding tends to open with release of the straps. In a third form the tongue is a larger, padded X-shaped flexible member under which the boot is slid to engage the binding. Front elements provide a hinged, springing action that lifts the tongue off the boot, opening the binding, when the two buckles are released. A modular footbed is also disclosed, capable of receiving a series of different front ends for different bindings.

Snowshoe binding with top buckles

A boot binding for a snowshoe, suspended within the snowshoe for flexibility of the boot relative to the snowshoe in the pitch direction, has a binding footbed that is flexible and allows bending of the boot in the pitch direction, as steps are taken by the user.

Snowshoe binding with flexible footbed

A snowshoe of the type with a peripheral frame formed of metal tubing and a stretched and suspended deck connected to the frame has different regions of the frame partially flattened into an approximate elliptical cross section, the major dimensions of the ellipses being in different planes in different regions of the frame. Most of the nose loop at the front end of the snowshoe frame is elongated in cross section within the plane of the nose loop, while the sides of the frame, aft of the binding suspension, may be elongated in a generally vertical plane. The orientation of these elongated cross sections in specific regions affords more strength to the frame where needed, enabling the frame to be produced of lighter material. In addition, selected local regions of the frame can be swaged to form recesses at desired sides of the frame to receive and hold the binding suspension bands or deck connecting material that wraps over the frame. Preferably the frame is formed of malleable but heat-treatable metal such as aluminum 7075 or 6061.

Snowshoe frame with varied cross section

A snowshoe has a pivoted mounting on its boot harness, for rotation about a pitch axis for a first degree of freedom in movement of the user's boot relative to the snowshoe; and provision for a second degree of freedom of motion along a roll axis, allowing the user's boot to tip from side to side, particularly for uneven or sidehill terrain. In both axes the boot preferably is spring-biased toward a neutral position. At the same time, freedom of movement is restricted and essentially prevented between the boot and snowshoe relative to a third axis, the yaw or vertical axis. Several different structural arrangements are disclosed in several types of snowshoes, for achieving the second degree of freedom.

Snowshoe with two degrees of rotational freedom

A snowshoe having a tubular frame supporting a flexible deck has a molded tail piece connecting the tail ends of the tubular frame. The tail piece has two dowel members which are angled to form a rear apex, such that the tail ends of the tubular frame extend over the dowel members for secure connection. In addition, the molded tail piece has a connecting bracket extending forwardly, with a wide slot in which the tail of the stretched membrane decking is secured. In this way a rear support and connection point for the decking is provided by the tube end connector, while also providing tension on the tail piece retaining it in place without the need for fasteners.

Snowshoe with molded tail piece

A snowshoe having a boot harness assembly includes one or more cam lock type buckles through which webbing straps are tightened. The cam lock buckle allows low friction pulling of the tail end of a strap for tightening, while providing a positive lock against slippage in the opposite direction. A particular configuration of cam lock buckle is disclosed by which friction in tightening the strap is reduced further.

Showshoe with cam lock buckle

A strap buckle, particularly for use in a snowshoe binding, operates somewhat as a cam lock buckle but instead of exhibiting pinching force on the strap which increases with increased back-pulling force, the buckle's spring loaded lever engages a nipple or protrusion more deeply into a hole in the hole-punched strap as back-pulling force increases. The buckle lever has a strong downward bend, so that a front end of the lever tucks the strap tail against the user's boot and aids in the releasing of the lever from the strap.

Snowshoe buckle

A snowshoe is constructed of molded plastic nose and tail pieces, both connected to a pair of rigid rails to complete the snowshoe frame. A stretched deck membrane, in an area over the heel of a user's shoe or boot, has left and right sides secured to the rails, and preferably is also supported on the tail piece and on aft portions of the nose piece. In one embodiment the rails are of tubular metal, secured to aft portions of the nose piece and forward portions of the tail piece via reinforced, shaped cavities in the molded plastic, contoured to receive the rails. The snowshoe construction is efficient in assembly and cost because there is no need for bends in the rails, the molded plastic components are relatively inexpensive, and snowshoes of different lengths may be produced simply by changing the lengths of the rails and of the deck membrane. In one specific embodiment the rails are extendable, as with telescopically fitted tubing sections, so that the length of a snowshoe may be adjusted for different snow conditions.

Snowshoe construction

A snowshoe has a metal heel cleat of one-piece construction, providing the dual functions of angularly disposed teeth which extend down from the snowshoe's deck to engage snowy or icy terrain, and rows of serrations extending upwardly through a membrane, to a position for contact with the bottom of the user's boot heel for high friction, gripping engagement when weight is placed on the heel. The heel cleat device has a base platform which is positioned between two deck membrane layers, a lower of which is penetrated by the terrain-engaging cleat teeth and the upper of which is penetrated by the smaller, upwardly facing serrations which engage with the boot heel.

Heel cleat for a snowshoe

A harness system for a snowshoe employs a single strap and a single buckle to secure the boot to the snowshoe at two locations, one approximately at the arch and one at the toe. The single strap is secured to four points on the harness assembly, left and right sides of each of two flexible harness shells which engage both sides of the boot approximately in the arch and toe areas. Extending generally in a Z-shaped pattern in one embodiment, the strap is fixed at its one end and secured firmly but adjustably at its opposite end. At the two intermediate attachment points are sliding connections to anchoring devices at the ends of the harness legs. One of these sliding attachments may be on a buckle which is releasable, to release the strap from the boot. The harness assembly has the advantages of single-hand engagement and release, one-step engagement and release involving a single buckle, simpler assembly, and mechanical advantage in tightening the strap for adjustment or in engaging the over-center buckle.

Snowshoe harness

An apparatus for sealing the end of an elongate cable such as a heating cable includes (1) a housing with a first open end and a second open end and a strain relief element positioned within the housing, (2) a flexible container which can be positioned over the cable end and (i) is of generally tubular shape, (ii) has an interior surface and an exterior surface, (iii) has a first open end and a second closed end, and (iv) contains a sealant; and (3) a cap which can be mated with the housing at the second open end, and cover the flexible container. The apparatus has excellent moisture-resistant properties even after repeated exposure to high temperatures, is reenterable, and can be readily mounted on a substrate such as a pipe.

Growing community of inventors

Berkeley, CA, United States of America

Daniel T Emerson