US20070193069A1

US20070193069A1 - Device for retaining a boot on a snowshoe

Info

Publication number: US20070193069A1
Application number: US11/657,352
Authority: US
Inventors: Philippe Gallay
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: TSL Sport Equipment SA
Priority date: 2006-01-26
Filing date: 2007-01-24
Publication date: 2007-08-23
Also published as: FR2896429A1; CA2575333A1; EP1815895A1

Abstract

A device (1) for retaining the front of a boot on a snowshoe, said device including an assembly of retention walls (2, 3 a , 3 b) forming an enclosure opening towards the rear (AR) and in which the front end of the boot is intended to be received, characterized in that the enclosure is made of two side retention walls (3 a , 3 b), namely a left wall (3 a) and a right wall (3 b), and a front retention wall (2) made of a deformable plastic material making a body with a front support plate (5) on which the front of the sole of the boot is supported, wherein the retention walls (2, 3 a , 3 b) are intended to be drawn together to the boot thanks to a means for drawing together, made of a single continuous tie such as a strap (6) in supple material.

Description

The present invention concerns a device for retaining a boot on a snowshoe and more particularly a front retainer. The invention concerns also a snowshoe equipped with the device.
The snowshoes, devices known for very many years, have been used for several centuries by the Scandinavian populations to move on snow. Until recently, snowshoes were used by ordinary travelers or soldiers to allow the populations and the alpine troops to move on snow for their movements required by the everyday life. Currently, snowshoes are instead used by walkers or sportsmen who undertake excursions and walks, and even competitions.
There already exist different types of devices for retaining the boot on the snowshoe. One knows more particularly two types, called a plate and called rubber boot. Generally, the devices of the plate type are usually used by high performance sports because the retention of the foot is assured with more rigidity. The devices of the rubber boot type are made by a front fitting accomplished by a rubber jacket in which the front end of the boot is retained. But, the enclosure interior of the jacket intended to receive the foresaid front end is deformable and supple and it results in the a possibility of rotation of the boot around a point situated under the front of the foot which provokes the possibility of lateral displacement of the heel. The retention of the boot is not assured. But, although the last type of retainer is rather preferred by walkers who are not too hard to please more than carefully acting sportsmen, it does not say that the aforesaid walkers any less also want to have a good hold of their boot.
The present invention proposes to resolve these inconveniences of these known devices by proposing a device that combines simplicity, convenience, security, and reliability.
Thus, according to the invention, the device for retention of a boot on the snowshoe, includes an assembly of retention walls forming an enclosure opening to the rear and in which the front end of the boot is intended to be engaged and is characterized in that the enclosure is made up of two side retention walls, including a left wall and a right wall and a front retention wall made of a deformable plastic material, making a body with a front support plate on which the sole of the boot is supported, whereas the retention walls are intended to be drawing to the boot thanks to means for drawing together, constituted by a tie such as a strap in flexible material.
According to complimentary characteristics, the strap is in a synthetic fabric such that the strap is a single continuous strap of which the two ends are attached to the side walls, namely one of the ends is attached to the left side wall, while the other end is joined to the right side wall.
According to another characteristic, each of the side walls carries an adjustment buckle.
Additionally, the front retention wall includes a horizontal slot through which the strap is intended to pass.
According to the preferred embodiment, the route of the strap starts out at one of the side walls to meet the other side wall after being passed through the front slot and through the two adjustment buckles, such that the right end of the strap is attached to the right side wall, while it is then runs through the front slot of the front wall, then to run through the left buckle, while from said left buckle the strap runs through the right buckle then to attached by the left end to the left side wall.
According to an alternate embodiment, the front retention wall is extended toward the rear until being joined to the transverse strap; this last carrying the two adjustment buckles.
Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will become evident from the description that follows and in regard to the attached drawing that are given by way of non-limiting examples.
FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a first embodiment.
FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the retaining device.
FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the retaining device.
FIG. 3 illustrated an alternate embodiment.
The snowshoe intended to be equipped with the device according to the present invention can, it will be understood, be of any type. It can for example be of the type in which the webbing is made of plastic material or of the type made of a peripheral frame retaining a fabric.
The boot of the user is retained on the snowshoe by the device according to the invention carrying the general reference 1, and which is made of an assembly of deformable retention walls 2, 3 a, 3 b forming an enclosure 8 or cavity opening toward the rear in which the front end of the boot (not represented) is engaged and retained.
The retaining device of the invention relates to the front restraint for the boot, it is intended to be combined with restraining means for the rear of the boot.
According to the illustrated embodiment of the device, the enclosure 8 or cavity opening toward the rear AR includes two side retention walls 3 a, 3 b, embodied in a left wail 3 a and a right wall 3 b and a front retention wall 2. The assembly of walls is made in a deformable plastic material and is advantageously injection molded with the front support plate on which the sole of the boot is supported.
Additionally, the retention walls 2, 3 a, 3 b are intended to be drawing together around the boot thanks to the means for drawing together. The drawing together of the walls being made such that these are in contact with the boot in order that the retention be assured.
The drawing together means are according to the invention made by a single tie such as for example by a strap 6 in supple material such as a synthetic fabric or similarly like a cable.
The two ends 6 a, 6 b are attached to the side walls 3 a, 3 b, respectively. Thus one of the ends 6 a is attached to the left side wall 3 a, in a point 12 a of left engagement, while the other end 6 b is joined to the right side wall 3 b, in a point 12 b of attachment.
Additionally, each of the side walls 3 a, 3 b carries an adjustment buckle 7 a, 7 b. Thus, the left side wall 3 a includes a left buckle 7 a, while the right side wall includes a right buckle 7 b. Each of the buckles 7 a, 7 b is advantageously joined to the corresponding wall by the intermediary of a loop portion 13 a, 13 b for retaining the buckle. Additionally, each of the buckles assure the braking and the locking of the strap, and includes also an edge return means.
One notes that the front retention wall 2 includes a slot 2 a through which the strap 6 is intended to pass such as is described hereafter.
The route of the strap starts out at one of the side walls for joining the other side wall after passing through the front slot 2 a and through the two adjustment buckles 7 a, 7 b.
Thus, the right end 6 b of the strap 6 is attached for example by rivets 10 to the right side wall 3 b, while it then runs through the front slot 2 a of the front wall, then to run through the left buckle 7 a. After the aforesaid left buckle 7 a, the strap is run through the right buckle 7 b, to be linked then by the left end 6 a to the left side wall 3 a.
One understands that with such a route of the strap this last forming a “V” 6′ on the front of the boot formed by the two sections 6′a, 6′b of the strap, and includes a transverse retention section 6″.
Additionally, the retention “V” is found disposed on top of the area of the toes of the user, and is made by a portion of the strap going to the point 12 b of right attachment to the left adjustment buckle 7 a.
Note also that the transverse section 6″ is found disposed at the level of the metatarsals of the user, and is made by the portion of the strap going from the point 12 a to the right adjustment buckle 7 b.
For example, the portion of the strap 6′″ joining the two tightening buckles 7 a, 7 b includes a grasping and pulling section permitting the user to proceed to tighten his retention device by drawing together the walls of the device.
One comprehends that thanks to the free strap 6′″, the user can by pulling towards the top HA drawing together the retention walls.
Thus, when the user pulls towards the top according to Ta on the portion 6′″a of the loop 6′″, this causes a pulling on the portions 6′a, 6′b of the strap and assures the drawing together of the front wall 2 on the boot.
And when the user pulls towards the top according to Tb on the portion 6′″b of the loop 6′″, this causes a pulling on the transverse retention section 6″ of the strap 6 and assures the reciprocal drawing together of the side retention walls 3 a, 3 b against the boot, while the transverse section 6″, is brought supportingly on the top of the front of the boot.
FIG. 3 represents an alternate embodiment, according to which the same elements as the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, carry the same reference number.
According to this alternate embodiment the “V” shape 6′ on the front is formed by the two sections 6′a, 6′b of the strap of the preceding embodiment is eliminated and replaced by the front retention wall 2 which is extended towards the rear such as to be joined to the transverse strap 6″.
Like the preceding each of the side walls 3 a, 3 b carries an adjustment buckle 7 a, 7 b. Thus, the left side wall 3 a includes a left buckle 7 a, whereas the right side wall includes a right buckle 7 b. Each of the buckles 7 a, 7 b is advantageously joined to the corresponding wall by the intermediary of a loop portion 13 a, 13 b of the retention strap. Additionally, each of the buckles assures the braking and locking of the strap.
The strap 6 is constituted by a continuous loop including a transverse portion 6″ of the strap and a tightening portion 6′″ of the strap formed by a free loop. The strap 6 passes in one part through the left adjustment buckle 7 a then to the right buckle 7 b thanks to the transverse portion 6″ of the strap. Note that the transverse strap portion 6″ after having passed through the two buckles on the top forms the tightening strap portion 6′″.
According to the illustrated embodiments the means for drawing together are constituted by a single continuous strap, on which the user can readily pull to adjust the enclosure for the front of the boot.
It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described and illustrated in the examples of the description, but includes also all the technical equivalents and also their combinations.

Claims

1. A device for retaining a front of a boot on a snowshoe, said device including an assembly of retention walls forming an enclosure opening towards the rear and in which the front end of the boot is intended to be received, the enclosure being made of two side retention walls, namely a left wall and a right wall, and a front retention wall made of a deformable plastic material making a body with a front support plate on which a front of a sole of the boot is supported, the retention walls being drawn together to the boot by a means for drawing together, made of a single continuous strap of supple material.

2. The retaining device according to claim 1, wherein each of the side walls carries an adjustment buckle, namely a left side wall carries a left buckle, while a right side wall carries a right buckle.

3. The retaining device according to claim 2, further including a transverse strap extended by a tightening strap.

4. The retaining device according to claim 1, wherein the front retaining wall includes a slot through which the strap is passed.

5. The retaining device according to claim 1, wherein ends of the strap are attached to respective side walls, namely one of the ends is attached to the left side wall, while the other end is joined to the right side wall.

6. The retaining device according to claim 1, wherein a route of the strap starts at one of the side walls, meets the other side wall after being passed through a front slot and through two adjustment buckles.

7. The retaining device according to claim 1, wherein a right end of the strap is attached to the right side wall, runs through a front slot in the front wall, then runs through a left buckle, then runs through a right buckle, to be then joined by a left end to the left side wall.

8. The retaining device according to claim 7, wherein the route of the strap is such that said strap forms a “V” on the front of the boot formed by two sections of the strap, and includes a transverse retaining section.

9. The retaining device according to claim 8, wherein the retaining “V” is disposed on top of an area of the toes of the user, and is defined by a portion of the strap running from a right attachment point to the left adjustment buckle, and a transverse section disposed on top of the front of the boot.

10. The retaining device according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the strap linking two buckles includes a grasping and pulling section permitting the user by pulling to draw together the retaining walls.

11. The retaining device according to claim 1, wherein a transverse strap links two adjustment buckles.

12. The retaining device according to claim 11, wherein the strap is made by a continuous loop including a transverse strap portion and a pulling portion of the strap forming a free loop.

13. The retaining device according to claim 12, wherein the strap passes in part through an adjustment buckle then towards a right buckle via the transverse strap portion, such that the transverse strap portion after having passed through the two buckles forms on top the pulling portion.

14. A snowshoe equipped with a retaining device according to claim 1.

15. A device for retaining a boot on a snowshoe comprising:

a front support plate;

a front wall extending from the front support plate;

first and second side walls extending from the front support plate, the front, first side and second side walls being configured to receive a toe of the boot;

a first buckle carried by the first side wall and a second buckle carried by the second side wall;

a continuous strap having a first end attached to the first side wall, running from the first side wall to the second buckle configured to engage the toe of the boot, from the second buckle in a loose loop to and through the first buckle, and a second end attached to one of the side walls.

16. The retaining device according to claim 15, wherein the continuous strap further runs from the first buckle, through a slot in the front wall and from the slot to the second side wall, the second end of the strap being attached to the second side wall.

17. The retaining device according to claim 15, wherein the front wall connects with the strap between the first side wall and the second buckle.

18. A snowshoe in combination with the retaining device according to claim 15.