CN112955235A

CN112955235A - Snowshoe with sole including a crampon area

Info

Publication number: CN112955235A
Application number: CN201980070837.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: E·伊吉耶; P·苏伊里; D·布卢安
Original assignee: Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin SCA
Current assignee: Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin SCA
Priority date: 2018-10-31
Filing date: 2019-10-23
Publication date: 2021-06-11
Anticipated expiration: 2039-10-23
Also published as: US20210394039A1; EP3873630A1; CN112955235B; WO2020089735A1; FR3087663A3; CA3117497A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a snowshoe comprising a base structure forming an elevated area, said base structure comprising a plurality of substantially elongated shaped transverse tread design elements (20), the tread design elements (20) comprising a front side wall (25) and a rear side wall (26); (i) in the front portion of the raised area, at least a portion of the tread design elements (20) comprise a rear side wall (26) inclined towards the rear of the shoe; (ii) in the rear portion of the raised area, at least a portion of the tread elements (20) comprise a front side wall (25) inclined towards the front of the shoe.

Description

Snowshoe with sole including a crampon area

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a snowshoe that includes a base structure that forms a foot region and a floating region. The floating area includes a lateral projection on each side of the foot area and extends toward the rear of the foot area to form a tail. Snowshoes exhibit advantageous properties of flexibility and ergonomics.

Background

Snowshoes are a known item for many years. They were originally designed to enable an individual to travel on a ground surface covered with a large amount of snow. They are also very common in northern countries, which are often affected by heavy snow. However, these extreme conditions are increasingly not representative of the actual conditions under which snowshoes are currently used. In particular, hikers today use them primarily in "sports and leisure" environments. Since the skill level of the personnel engaged in such practices varies widely from beginner to expert, the needs at each level vary widely. This lack of uniformity forces manufacturers to continually develop new products to best meet different expectations. Thus, there are several products today, each with its unique advantages. However, manufacturers are still looking for innovative solutions that offer higher comfort and higher dynamic performance.

Typically, snowshoes consist of a lattice frame structure, a toe box, a rear portion, and a binding system. This basic configuration eases travel on snow due to better floatability, thereby preventing the user from sinking into the snow.

The design of the toe and tail also enables the foot to walk easily when rotating, making walking easier by making it more natural. However, this is often not achieved because the snowshoe is bulky, and its shape and surface area often make it difficult to control. Thus, in use, snowshoe wearers often experience difficulty walking because the walker must lift the front of the snowshoe, pull the snowshoe forward, and then lay it flat rather than rotate the foot in a natural and ergonomic manner. These limitations mean that even after a brief trip, most users quickly show signs of fatigue and/or discomfort.

Many users use snowshoes only in rare situations, such as during a winter resort stay. In this case, the snowshoe is rented from a monopoly store. To meet profitability requirements, leasers often desire to keep equipment as long as possible and require manufacturers to produce highly rugged and durable products. In response to these needs, manufacturers have provided snowshoes with rigid structures.

This situation brings about several disadvantages. First, the lack of flexibility makes the snowshoe somewhat ergonomically undesirable. Snowshoes with a rigid structure do not conform to the shape of the boot or the shape of the surface on which the boot rests. Secondly, the main purpose of the choice of the materials used is to meet the requirements of lightness, durability and rigidity. These types of materials generally provide poor or more general grip properties. To mitigate the effects of these limitations, some products are equipped with metal inserts, intended to increase grip on snow or ice. This feature is practical for these types of ground, but the user may need to walk on hard ground, for example when crossing a road, in which case the snowshoe is not suitable at all.

Finally, in order to compensate for the rigidity of the snowshoe and make walking easier, the snowshoe is either of the double-tipped type (i.e., having one tipped toe in the front of the foot and another tipped end portion in the rear), or has a very tipped toe in the front combined with a substantially flat rear portion. These features enable the user to walk more naturally than a completely flat snowshoe. However, the front toe tip forces the user to lift the foot relatively high, thus requiring extra effort for each step. Without such unnatural movement, the front toe may hit an obstacle and/or get stuck to the ground and cause a fall. In addition, since the feet have slight intersections, the rear end portions (tails) may interfere with each other when walking. If they hit together, there is a risk of falling.

On the other hand, again for improving the comfort of the user when walking in the snowshoe, the ergonomics of the snowshoe have been improved along different development lines. One of these directions relates to the grip of a snowshoe using a sole made of elastomer and equipped with recesses and/or spikes.

For example, document WO9506502 describes a snowshoe formed by a semi-flexible plate, comprising attachment means for attaching the boot of the user to the plate. The plate is molded from a semi-flexible plastic material (such as, for example, thermoplastic polyurethane) that is capable of bending with the boot. The hardness of the plate is between 50Shore D to 90Shore D at about 18 ℃. This feature results in a snowshoe that is relatively flexible, but not flexible enough to achieve true comfort as the foot rolls. In addition, the bottom surface of the plate member is formed with depressions and/or protrusions to improve grip when using the snowshoe. Each circular opening contains oval-shaped grooves that are oriented according to their position on the bottom surface. While there is still room for improvement, the semi-flexible plastic material and depressions do improve the level of grip of the snowshoe.

Document FR2743501 describes a shoe for walking, in particular on snow, made of a substantially flat plate and equipped with means for reversibly fixing the user's foot to said plate made of a porous elastomer. Such snowshoes are lightweight and stiff, but have a degree of resilience and good grip. The bottom surface comprises studs, which are produced by moulding and distributed according to the load distribution in use. These features allow the user to have a snowshoe that is more comfortable than conventional snowshoes and enjoy better grip due to the distribution of the studs. However, the grip provided by the elastomeric spikes and their distribution does not allow the snowshoe to obtain an optimal grip. In addition, the front portion of the snowshoe forces the user to lift the foot higher than usual, which may lead to premature fatigue.

The present invention provides various technical means to remedy these various disadvantages.

Disclosure of Invention

First, it is a first object of the present invention to provide a snowshoe that is flexible, ergonomic and has good gripping and braking properties.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a snowshoe that has good carrying capacity and an optimal grip on all types of ground, in particular on snow at more or less certain depths.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a snowshoe that is simple and inexpensive in design.

Finally, another object of the present invention is to provide a snowshoe that makes walking easier and has the characteristics necessary to allow the user to walk as naturally as possible.

To achieve this object, the invention provides a snowshoe comprising a base structure forming a floating zone, the snowshoe comprising a contact surface and a solid surface, on the contact surface side, the floating zone comprising:

(i) a plurality of pattern elements made of elastomeric material and arranged on all or part of the foot region, said pattern elements being of substantially elongated shape and spanning the floating zone over a width greater than 25% and preferably greater than 40% of the width of the floating zone on which they are located, said pattern elements comprising a front side wall and a rear side wall;

(ii) in a front portion of said floating zone, at least a portion of the tread elements comprise a rear side wall inclined so that the free edge ridge of this wall is offset towards the rear of the snowshoe compared to the edge ridge adjoining the rest of the sole;

(ii) in the rear portion of the floating zone, at least a portion of the tread elements include a front side wall that is sloped such that the free edge ridge of the wall is offset toward the front of the snowshoe as compared to the edge ridge that is contiguous with the remainder of the sole.

Such a design allows to obtain optimal performances for each region of the sole. Because the sole is flexible and ergonomic, allowing the foot to roll similar to normal walking, various areas of the foot are treated specifically, with the front area being more devoted to traction and the rear area being more devoted to braking. More particularly, crampons that are inclined in opposite directions between the front and rear make it possible to optimize the performance of each of these regions. Furthermore, the front region provides good grip and the rear region provides optimal braking force. Furthermore, the profile of the pattern elements forms edge ridges which exert a particularly effective grip and braking force on the snow.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the snowshoe comprises a plurality of substantially elongated peripheral tread elements made of elastomeric material, oriented in the longitudinal direction of the snowshoe and arranged on at least one lateral projection, said tread elements comprising a lateral wall (the side facing the outside of the snowshoe) and a medial wall (the centre of the sole), at least part of the peripheral tread elements comprising a medial wall inclined so that the free edge ridge of the wall is offset towards the centre of the sole compared to the edge ridge adjoining the rest of the sole.

The arrangement of the peripheral tread elements gives the snowshoe better stability, in particular when the snowshoe is in a laterally inclined position, for example along the waist of a mountain. Furthermore, the profile of the pattern elements with inclined inner side walls forms edge ridges which exert a particularly effective grip and braking force on the snow.

Advantageously, the tread elements are continuous or discontinuous.

Also advantageously, said pattern elements cross the foot zone over a certain width, said certain width being greater than 50% of the width of the foot zone in which said pattern elements are located. This arrangement allows for better force transfer from the foot to the ground.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the main axis of the tread element is substantially parallel to the transverse axis of the snowshoe.

According to different embodiment variants, the tread elements are substantially rectilinear between the front and the rear of the snowshoe and have a "V" shape or an inverted "V" shape.

An arrangement having a "V" shaped area and an inverted "V" shaped area can improve grip and braking performance while following the natural rotation of the foot while walking. In particular, tread elements that are "V" shaped at the front of the snowshoe can enhance grip, while tread elements that are inverted "V" shaped at the rear of the snowshoe can enhance braking. The combined use of "V" shapes and inclined walls can achieve a particularly high level of performance.

Advantageously, said tread elements are arranged so that their main axis forms an angle α of less than 60 ° and preferably less than 45 ° with respect to the transverse axis of the snowshoe.

It is also advantageous that the front portion of the snowshoe is turned up and also includes a plurality of tread elements on the contact surface. These tread elements act in particular at the end of the rolling phase of the foot, so as to minimize or avoid the tendency to sideslip and slide, which is common when only the front end of the snowshoe remains in contact with the ground.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the front portion of the snowshoe substantially corresponds to the front of the foot area. The front shovel-shaped toe cap is removed, and the snowshoe which is in line with the ergonomics and has the best performance can be obtained.

According to another advantageous embodiment, the base structure comprises reinforcing elements, with which at least a portion of the tread elements is fitted in cooperation.

Advantageously, the reinforcing element comprises a main reinforcing element comprising at least three segments substantially "T" shaped and corresponding respectively to the areas supporting the first metatarsal, the fifth metatarsal and the heel, at least a portion of the tread elements being fitted in cooperation with said main reinforcing element. Such an arrangement allows the user's weight to be distributed over a larger surface area of the snowshoe. This feature may optimize the floating of the snowshoe. This arrangement also allows good stability when walking. This arrangement also fits well into the foot anatomy to improve effectiveness and optimal comfort.

It is also advantageous that the base structure and the tread elements are elastically deformable. This layout makes it possible to obtain a snowshoe that has sufficient flexibility to adapt to the undulations of the ground, while at the same time being sufficiently rigid to provide a good floating level and a good grip thanks to the reinforcing elements. This feature satisfies the needs of physiological walking while also allowing the foot to turn in an ergonomic and natural manner.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the base structure comprises a solid surface. The absence of lattice-like framework structures, holes or holes provides better flotation and enables insulation between the snow and the boot.

According to another advantageous embodiment, the base structure is made of a material of the thermoplastic type, preferably included in the list of the following series: thermoplastic polyurethane, thermoplastic elastomer (such as polyvinyl acetate or for example styrene butadiene styrene).

These materials are able to withstand the harsh use environment, provide good resistance to wear (in particular frictional wear) and are able to produce substantially flexible and particularly light structures. All of these features provide comfort to the user and greater pleasure to the user. The density of the polyvinyl acetate is substantially from 0.1 to 0.2 and the density of the thermoplastic polyurethane or the density of the thermoplastic elastomer is substantially from 0.4 to 0.8.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the base structure comprises second reinforcing elements having a level of stiffness lower than that of the main reinforcing elements, said second reinforcing elements extending between said sections of the main reinforcing elements, at least a portion of the tread elements being fitted in cooperation with said second reinforcing elements. This arrangement may provide a good level of flotation while maintaining structural flexibility, thereby promoting good snowshoe ergonomics.

According to another embodiment variant, the tread elements comprise incisions. These incisions are preferably oriented in the same direction as the direction of the tread elements. The cut may be an external cut and/or an internal cut. In the case of the inner cutting groove, if wear occurs, the inner cutting groove is exposed when the wear level corresponds to the position of the inner cutting groove.

Drawings

Details of all embodiments are given in the following description, supplemented by figures 1 to 4D, which are given by way of non-limiting example only, and in which:

figure 1 is a schematic view of an example of a snowshoe contact surface;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view, from above, of a snowshoe that can use the contact surface shown in FIG. 1;

figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of the snowshoe of figure 2;

FIG. 4A is a schematic view of an example of a snowshoe contact surface laid flat so that all areas can be seen on the same plane;

figure 4B is a longitudinal section of the sole of figure 4A, showing the profile of the tread elements along the sole;

figures 4C and 4D are cross-sectional views of the sole of figure 4 in different positions, showing the profile of the tread elements over the entire width of the sole.

Reference numerals used in the drawings:

1 snowshoe 2 base structure

3 foot region 4 float region

5 lateral extension 6 housing

7 front part 8 front lip

9 side edge 10 upper cover

11 terminal part 12 kicking-proof area

13 backstop 14 fastener

15 end portion cut 17 base structure contact bottom surface

18 binding element 19 rear end opening

20 transverse pattern elements 21 peripheral pattern elements

23 contact surface 24 front side wall

26 outer side wall of rear side wall 27

28 inner side wall.

Detailed Description

Snowshoe body and base structure

Fig. 1 to 3 show examples of snowshoes according to the invention from different angles. As best seen in fig. 2 and 3, the snowshoe 1 includes a base structure 2, the base structure 2 including a foot region 3 and a floating region 4, the floating region 4 surrounding the foot region 3 (except for a front portion of the foot region where the snowshoe terminates, forming a front portion 7). The front portion includes a front lip 8 that substantially corresponds to the front of foot region 3. This results in a snowshoe without a shovel-like front toe, resulting in a significant improvement in ergonomics and walking comfort. In addition, users can use their snowshoes by walking in a manner similar to normal boot-worn walking, rolling their foot (i.e., putting the foot down first with the heel, then the ball, and finally the front of the foot). The heel is then raised and the toes are held on the ground to continue rotation. As shown, the front lip 8 is advantageously of curved shape, so as to form a sort of protective shell for the front end of the boot.

On each side of the foot area 3, the floating area 4 comprises a lateral extension 5. At the rear, the floating region 2 extends beyond the foot region 3 to form a shovel-shaped rear terminal end 11. As is clearly visible in fig. 2, the base structure comprises a solid surface. The floating zone 4 thus provides an optimal weight distribution for minimizing the possibility of sinking into the snow and for a well-balanced walking. The continuity of the surface also provides good thermal insulation, preventing the foot from cooling and becoming wet.

For even better ergonomics and improved comfort and ease of use, the base structure 2 is preferably made of an elastically deformable material, giving it a good flexibility in use. The deformability of the base structure causes the rear terminal portion to bend under the weight of the walker when the latter puts the heel towards the ground and puts it down. As mentioned above, the flexibility of the snowshoe also makes it possible to optimize the ergonomic behaviour so as to conform to and to the biomechanics of the foot, so as to enable walking with the rotation of the foot.

The base structure 2 is advantageously made of a material of the thermoplastic type, preferably included in the list of the following series: thermoplastic polyurethane, thermoplastic elastomer. Polyvinyl acetate or styrene butadiene styrene is advantageously used. Depending on the application, the material of the base structure 2 may or may not be expanded.

As shown in the example of fig. 2, the rear tip portion 11 is preferably asymmetrical and advantageously comprises a cut-out 15 releasing the inside. As shown in fig. 3, the rear tip end portion 11 is raised and/or twisted toward the outside. Which preferably includes an opening 19.

Pattern element

The snowshoe 1 includes a contact surface 23 and a solid surface 24. The contact surface 23 advantageously corresponds to the bottom surface 17 of the base structure 2. A plurality of tread elements 20 made of rubber material is arranged on all or part of said foot region 3. These tread elements may be continuous or discontinuous.

As shown, the pattern elements 20 have a substantially elongated shape and cross the foot zone 3 over a certain width, which is greater than at least 25% and more preferably greater than 40% of the width of this zone, measured at the position where the pattern element concerned is located. Such a design makes it possible to create a number of relatively long continuous edge ridges which are effective in grip and braking. The area of the snowshoe used to create the many elongated edge ridge regions is maximized.

In one variant, the tread elements 20 span the foot zone 3 over a width greater than 50% of this zone.

The tread elements may have several types of profiles, for example a substantially rectilinear profile or a profile in the shape of a "V".

In the example of fig. 1 and 4, a layout with opposing tread elements 20 is shown. In these examples, at the front of the snowshoe, tread elements 20 are arranged in a V-shape with the tip of the "V" pointing toward the front of the snowshoe. At the rear of the snowshoe, the element 20 is arranged in an inverted "V" shape, i.e., the tip of the "V" points towards the rear. These reverse arrangements enable better control of grip (particularly with the tread elements located at the front of the snowshoe, as shown in fig. 1) and braking (particularly with the tread elements located at the rear of the snowshoe, as also shown in fig. 1). Several elements in the shape of a "V" may follow one another with or without intervening spaces.

As shown in fig. 1, some tread elements 20 are arranged so that their main axes form an angle α of less than 60 ° and preferably less than 45 ° with respect to the transverse axis of the snowshoe.

As shown in fig. 4A and 4B, the tread element 20 comprises a front side wall 25 and a rear side wall 26. In the front part of the foot region, at least part of the tread element 20 comprises a rear side wall 26, which is inclined so that the free edge ridge of this wall is offset towards the rear of the snowshoe compared to the edge ridge adjoining the rest of the sole.

In the rear part of the foot region, at least part of the tread element 20 comprises a front side wall 25, which is inclined so that the free edge ridge of this wall is offset towards the front of the snowshoe compared to the edge ridge adjoining the rest of the sole. The inclination of the inclined wall is between 5 ° and 30 °, and more preferably between 8 ° and 20 °.

Furthermore, at least one lateral projection 5 of the contact surface 23 comprises a plurality of peripheral tread elements 21, these peripheral tread elements 21 being substantially elongated and oriented in the longitudinal direction of the snowshoe. In a similar manner to the lateral tread elements 20, the peripheral tread elements 21 arranged on the edges and oriented in the longitudinal direction of the snowshoe provide an arrangement of active edge ridges that are able to stabilize the snowshoe well to prevent it from slipping when the walker is on laterally inclined terrain. In this example, the peripheral pattern elements 21 give a saw-toothed arrangement. This zigzag arrangement has two effects: first, the portion oriented in the longitudinal direction enables the snowshoe to be stabilized on inclined or laterally sloping ground. Secondly, the section in the transverse direction is able to transmit grip and braking forces when the tread elements of the foot region are hardly or not in contact with snow. These peripheral tread elements 21 are also able to create an outer grip area complementary to the rest of the snowshoe.

As shown in fig. 4C and 4D, the peripheral tread element 21 has an outer side wall 27 on the outer side of the snowshoe and an inner side wall 28 facing the inner side of the sole.

At least some of the peripheral tread elements 21 include medial side walls 28 that are inclined such that the free edge ridges of the walls are offset toward the center of the sole as compared to the edge ridges that abut the remainder of the sole.

The inclination of the inclined wall is between 5 ° and 30 °, and more preferably between 8 ° and 20 °.

As shown in fig. 3 and 4, the front portion 7 of the snowshoe is turned up and also includes a plurality of tread elements 20 on the contact surface. These tread elements can extend the grip area to allow the transmission of force until the end of the rotation phase of the foot.

Furthermore, according to a preferred embodiment of the snowshoe, the front portion 7 of the snowshoe substantially corresponds to the front of the foot region 3, as shown for example in fig. 2 and 3. This arrangement, in combination with the

tread elements

20 and 21, makes it possible to obtain a snowshoe that is perfectly ergonomic and whose performance is significantly improved. In particular, the natural walking motion and the rolling motion of the foot, consistent with human biomechanics, mean that increased forces can be transmitted to the area of the sole as compared to conventional snowshoes. The pattern elements thus receive virtually undisturbed mechanical impulses from the pedestrian and can thus optionally convert these into grip or braking forces. The grip and braking performance thus obtained exceeds the potential performance of conventional snowshoes, which is compromised by imperfect ergonomic design and the presence of the front toe.

In an advantageous variant, the base structure 2 comprises a reinforcing element. In order to optimize the grip of the snowshoe, at least a portion of the

tread elements

20, 21 are fitted in a manner co-operating with at least a portion of the reinforcing elements. The force exerted by the pedestrian is therefore transmitted directly to the tread elements, which can thus act directly on the snow for optimum effect.

Claims

1. Snowshoe (1) comprising a base structure (2) forming a floating zone (4), said snowshoe (1) comprising a contact surface (23) and a solid surface (24), said floating zone (4) comprising, on the contact surface side:

(i) a plurality of pattern elements (20), said pattern elements (20) being made of elastomeric material and being arranged on all or part of the foot region (3), said pattern elements (20) being of elongated shape and spanning the floating zone over a width greater than 25% and preferably greater than 40% of the width of the floating zone on which said pattern elements (20) are located, said pattern elements (20) comprising a front side wall (25) and a rear side wall (26);

(ii) in the front part of the floating zone, the rear side wall (26) comprised by at least part of the tread elements (20) is inclined so that the free edge ridge of this wall is offset towards the rear of the snowshoe compared to the edge ridge adjoining the rest of the sole;

(iii) in the rear part of the floating zone, at least a part of the tread elements (20) comprise a front side wall (25) inclined so that the free edge ridge of this wall is offset towards the front of the snowshoe compared to the edge ridge adjoining the rest of the sole.

2. Snowshoe (1) according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of elongated peripheral tread elements (21) made of elastomeric material, said peripheral tread elements (21) being oriented in the longitudinal direction of the snowshoe and being arranged on at least one lateral projection (5), said tread elements (21) comprising lateral walls (27) and medial walls (28), at least part of the peripheral tread elements (21) comprising medial walls inclined so that the free edge ridges of the walls are offset towards the centre of the sole compared to the edge ridges contiguous with the rest of the sole.

3. Snowshoe (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the inclination of the inclined walls is comprised between 5 ° and 30 °, more preferably between 8 ° and 20 °.

4. Snowshoe (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tread elements (20) are continuous or discontinuous.

5. Snowshoe (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tread element (20) spans the foot region (3) over a width greater than 50% of the width of the foot region (3) in which the tread element (31) is located.

6. Snowshoe (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the main axis of the tread element (20) is substantially parallel to the transverse axis of the snowshoe.

7. Snowshoe (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the tread elements (20) are substantially rectilinear.

8. Snowshoe (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the tread elements (20) have a "V" shape.

9. Snowshoe (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tread elements (20) are arranged so that their main axes form an angle a of less than 60 ° and preferably less than 45 ° with respect to the transverse axis of the snowshoe.