Patent Application
20170251765
Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed toward a crampon having removable traction elements for providing enhanced traction, particularly in outdoor environments.
Description of the Related Art
Hiking, fishing, mountaineering and other activities are very popular forms of recreation, but are fraught with challenges—particularly in the winter months. Uneven, slippery of often icy ground makes traversing the wilderness perilous without proper equipment. For those who earn their living in such an environment, the recreational challenge is replaced with workplace hazard.
Therefore, a crampon is commonly used to enhance traction. Crampons are typically strapped to footwear and incorporate teeth for gripping the terrain. However, there are limitations. Crampons are unsuitable for terrain other than what a particular crampon was designed for, which does not take into account the variations in wilderness terrain. Traction on slippery rocks near and in rivers and streams demands different performance from traction on other surfaces, such as ice, mud, dirt, or leaves. Moreover, outdoor activities often require traversing multiple such surfaces. For example, an angler looking to fish from a canoe will often have had to hike through steep, rocky terrain followed by smooth wet rocks, each of which necessitates a different solution to retain traction. Furthermore, carrying multiple types of crampons, which can be heavy, is impractical.
The crampon device according to the invention described herein comprises removable, interchangeable traction elements that can be disposed throughout the surface that engages the terrain. Consequently, the traction elements can be exchanged as the wearer traverses different terrain, eliminating the need for carrying additional crampons or sacrificing traction in the wilderness environment.
The crampon comprises a sole member removably interconnected to a shoe, such as by a system of straps or ties. The sole member comprises at least one cavity extending at least partially therethrough. A traction element is inserted at least partially into the cavity so as to be removably retained thereby. Accordingly, a traction element may be quickly removed in the field and replaced with a traction element having differing traction facilitating properties, such as shape or length. In at least one embodiment, the traction elements are arranged to facilitate traction, such as in rows and/or columns. They may also be spaced such that they impede debris, such as leaves, twigs, etc., from becoming trapped between the traction elements.
The sole member further comprises a heel member and a toe member, each of which is interconnected with an opposing end of an interconnecting member. The heel member and/or the toe member is movable along the length of the interconnecting member to facilitate adjustments to the length of the crampon and better adapt it for attachment to the wearer's shoe.
The sole member may further comprise at least one pick disposed adjacent the outer edge of the sole member to provide greater traction, particularly when traversing steep terrain.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become clearer when the drawings as well as the detailed description are taken into consideration.
For a fuller understanding of the nature of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:
Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
Both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention claimed. As used herein, “or” means “and/or” unless expressly stated otherwise. Furthermore, the use of the singular includes the plural unless specifically stated otherwise, and use of the term “including” as well as other forms, such as “includes,” and “included,” shall not be considered limiting.
The embodiment 10 according to the present invention comprises a sole member 40. The sole member 40 is disposed adjacent the sole 2 of a shoe 1 work by the user. The sole member 40 is removably retained to the shoe 1 by way of a series of straps 8 that engage the shoe 1. Removal of the straps 8 from the shoe 1 enables the removal of the sole member 40 and thereby the crampon 20 from the shoe 1.
The sole member 40 has a top surface 40a that abuts the sole 2 of the shoe 1 when in use by a wearer, such as when hiking or otherwise traversing an environment. The bottom surface 40b of the sole member 40 faces the environment being traversed.
As described in further detail below, traction elements 20 are disposed throughout at least a portion of the sole member 40. The traction elements 20 are removably interconnected to the sole member. Accordingly, traction elements 20 can be interchanged with alternate elements while in the field, or can be individually replaced when one has worn beyond its useful lifespan. The traction elements 20 protrude substantially in the direction of the terrain for the purpose of enhancing traction by gripping the terrain.
In addition, traction elements 20 may be arranged in columns aligned with the length of the sole member 40, i.e. from the portion adjacent the toe 1a of the shoe 1 to the heel 1b of the shoe. Additionally or alternatively, the traction elements 20 may be arranged in rows that run laterally across the width of the sole member 40. The traction elements 20 may also be disposed in equivalently spaced relation relative to one another. In at least one embodiment, the spacing between adjacent traction elements 20 is sufficiently narrow to substantially prevent debris, such as sticks, rocks, etc., from becoming lodged among the traction elements 20.
With further reference to
The second end 20b of the traction element 20 is structured to engage the terrain. Accordingly the second end 20b may be formed into a spike. The length of the second end 20b may vary based on the type of terrain to be traversed. For example, longer spikes may be desirable when traversing icy terrain, while shorter spikes may be more useful for non-icy terrain.
The sole member 40 comprises a toe member 12 disposed adjacent a toe portion 1a of the shoe 1 and a heel member 14 disposed adjacent a heel portion 1b of the shoe. An interconnecting member 16a is disposed between the toe and heel members 12, 14. A first end 16a of the interconnecting member 16 is interconnected with the toe member 12. A second end 16b of the interconnecting member 16, opposite the first end 16a, is interconnected with the heel member 14. The interconnecting member 16 is inserted in the toe and heel members 12, 14 and secured thereto. One or both of the toe and heel members 12, 14 may be movable along the length of the interconnecting member 16 to facilitate adjustments to the overall length of the sole member 40. Thus, adjustment of the length of the sole member 40 facilitates its attachment to the shoe 1.
Since many modifications, variations and changes in detail can be made to the described preferred embodiment of the invention, it is intended that all matters in the foregoing description and shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.
Now that the invention has been described,
