Snowshoe with Sole Comprising Crampon Areas

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a snowshoe comprising a base structure forming a foot zone and a flotation zone. The flotation zone comprises a lateral overhang on each side of the foot zone and is extended towards the rear of the foot zone to form a tail. The snowshoe exhibits advantageous properties of flexibility and ergonomics.

PRIOR ART

Snowshoes are items that have been known for many years. They were initially designed in order to allow individuals to travel over ground covered with a large quantity of snow. They are also very widespread in northern countries which are often affected by heavy snowfalls. However, these extreme conditions are becoming ever less representative of the actual conditions in which snowshoes are currently used. Specifically, nowadays, they are used primarily by hikers in a “sport and leisure” context. As those engaging in such practices are of widely varying skill level, from beginner to expert, the requirements for each of the levels differ greatly. This lack of uniformity is forcing manufacturers to ceaselessly develop new products in order to best meet the various expectations. There are therefore nowadays several ranges of products, each having their own specific advantages. However, manufacturers are still looking for innovative solutions capable of providing greater comfort and increasing dynamic performance.

In general, snowshoes are made up of a latticework, of a tip, of a rear portion and of a binding system. This basic configuration allows for easy travel over snow because of the better flotation, preventing the user from sinking into the snow.

The tip and tail are also designed to allow for easy walking, with a rolling of the foot, making walking easier by making it more natural. However, this objective is generally not achieved because of the bulkiness of the snowshoes, their shape and surface area often making them rather unmanageable. Thus, in use, the snowshoe-wearer often finds walking strenuous because the walker has to lift up the front of the snowshoe, draw the snowshoe forwards and then place it down flat, without being able to roll the foot in a natural and ergonomic way. These constraints mean that the vast majority of users quickly show signs of fatigue and/or of discomfort even after a short expedition.

Many users use snowshoes only very occasionally, for example during a stay at a winter resort. In such cases, the snowshoes are hired out from specialist stores. In order to conform to profitability requirements, the hirers often wish to keep the equipment for as long as possible and demand that the manufacturers produce products that are highly robust and durable. In response to these requirements, the manufacturers offer snowshoes that have a rigid structure.

This aspect comes with several disadvantages. Firstly, the lack of flexibility makes the snowshoes somewhat unergonomic. A snowshoe with a rigid structure does not conform to the shape of the boot or of the surface on which it is placed. Secondly, the materials used are selected with the prime objective of meeting requirements of lightness of weight, durability and stiffness. These types of material generally offer poor, or else mediocre, traction performance. In order to mitigate the effect of these limitations, several products are fitted with metal inserts intended to increase grip on snow or on ice. This feature is practical for these types of ground, but users may have to walk on hard ground, for example when crossing a road, and in such instances the snowshoes are then not at all suitable.

Finally, in order to compensate for the stiffness of the snowshoe and make walking easier, the snowshoes are either of twin-tip type, namely having a turned up tip at the front of the foot and another at the rear, or have a very turned-up tip at the front combined with a substantially planar rear portion. These characteristics allow the user to walk more naturally than with snowshoes that are completely flat. However, the front tips force the user to lift the foot relatively high, requiring extra effort for each step. Without this movement, which is not natural, the front tip may strike an obstacle and/or become snagged on the ground and cause a fall. Furthermore, because feet have a slight turnout, the rear tips (tails) may interfere with one another when walking. If they knock together, there is then a risk of a fall.

In another aspect, again with a view to improving user comfort when walking in snowshoes, snowshoe ergonomics have been improved along various lines of development. One of these lines is concerned with the grip of the snowshoes by using soles made of elastomer equipped with indentations and/or with studs.

For example, document WO9506502 describes a snowshoe formed of a semi-flexible deck comprising means of connection for connecting a user's boot to the deck. The deck is moulded in a semi-flexible plastics material which is able to flex with the boot, such as for example in a thermoplastic polyurethane. The hardness of the deck is comprised between 50 and 90 Shore D at around 18° C. This characteristic results in a snowshoe that is relatively flexible, but not flexible enough to achieve true comfort when rolling the foot. Furthermore, the underside face of the deck is formed with indentations and/or projections to improve the traction when using the snowshoes. The circular openings each contain an oval recess, these being oriented according to their location on the underside face. The semi-flexible plastics material and the indentations do improve the level of grip of the snowshoes, although there is still room for improvement.

Document FR2743501 describes a shoe for walking, particularly on snow, made up of a substantially planar deck equipped with means for reversibly securing the foot of the user to said deck, which is made of cellular elastomer. This snowshoe is lightweight and stiff, but with a certain degree of elasticity, and with good grip. The underside face comprises studs 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 also to enjoy better grip because of the distribution of the studs. However, the grip provided by the elastomer studs and their distribution do not give the snowshoe optimal purchase. In addition, the front part of the snowshoe forces the user to raise the foot higher than usual, and this may lead to premature fatigue.

The invention provides various technical means for remedying these various drawbacks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

First of all, a first objective of the invention is to provide a snowshoe that is flexible and ergonomic and has good traction and braking performance.

Another objective of the invention is to provide a snowshoe that has good flight ability and optimal purchase on all types of ground, particularly on a covering of snow that is more or less deep.

Yet another objective of the invention is to provide a snowshoe the design of which is simple and inexpensive.

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

In order to achieve this, the invention provides a snowshoe comprising a base structure forming a flotation zone, said snowshoe comprising a contact face and a securing face, said flotation zone comprising, on the contact-face side:

- (i) a plurality of tread elements made of elastomeric material and arranged over all or part of the foot zone, said tread elements being of substantially elongate shape, passing across the flotation zone over a width greater than 25% and preferably greater than 40% of the width of the flotation zone in which said tread elements are situated, said tread elements comprising front lateral walls and rear lateral walls;
- (ii) in the front portion of the flotation zone, at least a portion of the tread elements comprise a rear lateral wall that is inclined in such a way that the free edge ridge of this wall is offset toward the rear of the snowshoe compared with the edge ridge contiguous with the rest of the sole;
- (iii) in the rear portion of the flotation zone, at least a portion of the tread elements comprise a front lateral wall that is inclined in such a way that the free edge ridge of this wall is offset toward the front of the snowshoe compared with the edge ridge contiguous with the rest of the sole.

Such a design makes it possible to obtain optimal performance for each of the zones of the sole. Because the sole is flexible and ergonomic, allowing a rolling of the foot that is similar to normal walking, the various zones of the foot are thus specialized, the front zone being intended more for traction performance, and the rear zone being intended more for braking performance. More particularly, crampons inclined in opposite directions between the front and the rear make it possible to optimize the performance of each of these zones. Furthermore, the front zone provides good traction and the rear zone provides an optimal braking force. Furthermore, the profiles of the tread elements create edge ridges which exert particularly effective traction and braking forces on the snow.

According to one advantageous embodiment, the snowshoe comprises a plurality of substantially elongate peripheral tread elements made of elastomeric material, oriented in the longitudinal direction of the snowshoe, arranged over at least one of the lateral overhangs, said tread elements comprising outside lateral walls (on the side toward the outside of the snowshoe) and inside lateral walls (toward the middle of the sole), at least part of the peripheral tread elements comprising an inside lateral wall that is inclined in such a way that the free edge ridge of this wall is offset towards the centre of the sole compared with the edge ridge contiguous with the rest of the sole.

The layout of the peripheral tread elements gives the snowshoe better stability particularly when the snowshoe is in a laterally inclined position, for example along a mountainside. Furthermore, the profiles of the tread elements, with an inclined inside lateral wall, create edge ridges which exert particularly effective traction and braking forces on the snow.

Advantageously, the tread elements are continuous or discontinuous.

Advantageously also, said tread elements pass across the foot zone over a width greater than 50% of the width of the foot zone in which said tread elements are situated. This arrangement allows better transmission of force from the foot to the ground.

According to one advantageous embodiment, the tread elements have their main axis substantially parallel to the transverse axis of the snowshoe.

According to various embodiment variants, the tread elements are substantially rectilinear, are in the shape of a “V”, or are in the shape of an inverted “V” between the front of the snowshoe and the tail.

The layout with one zone in the shape of a “V” and one zone in the shape of an inverted “V” makes it possible to improve the traction and braking performance while respecting the natural roll of the foot in walking. Specifically, the tread elements in the shape of a “V” at the front of the snowshoe are able to accentuate traction forces and the tread elements in the shape of an inverted “V” at the rear of the snowshoe are able to accentuate braking forces. The combined use of the “V” shapes and of the inclined walls makes it possible to achieve particularly high levels of performance.

Advantageously, said tread elements are arranged in such a way that their main axis forms an angle, alpha, smaller than 60° and preferably smaller than 45° with respect to the transverse axis of the snowshoe.

Advantageously also, the front portion of the snowshoe is turned up and also comprises, on the contact face, a plurality of tread elements. These tread elements are active particularly at the end of the phase of the rolling of the foot in order to minimize or avoid the tendency to sideslip and to slide, which tendencies are commonplace when only the front end of the snowshoe remains in contact with the ground.

According to one advantageous embodiment, the front portion of the snowshoe corresponds substantially to the front of the foot zone. Dispensing with the shovel tip at the front makes it possible to obtain a snowshoe that is ergonomic and has optimal performance.

According to another advantageous embodiment, the base structure comprises a reinforcing element, at least a portion of the tread elements being mounted in collaboration with said reinforcing element.

Advantageously, the reinforcing element comprises a main reinforcing element, comprising at least three sectors substantially in the shape of a “T” and respectively corresponding with the zones supporting the first metatarsus, the fifth metatarsus and the heel, at least a portion of the tread elements being mounted in collaboration with said main reinforcing element. Such a layout allows the weight of the user to be distributed over a large surface area of the snowshoe. This feature makes it possible to optimize the flotation of the snowshoe. This layout also makes it possible to achieve good stability when walking. This layout is also perfectly suited to the anatomy of the foot, for increased effectiveness and optimal comfort.

Advantageously also, the base structure and the tread elements are elastically deformable. This layout makes it possible to obtain a snowshoe that is flexible enough to adapt to the relief of the ground, but also stiff enough to provide a good level of flotation and a good purchase, thanks to the reinforcing element. This feature meets the needs of physiological walking, also allowing the foot to roll in an ergonomic and natural way.

According to one advantageous embodiment, the base structure comprises a solid surface. The absence of latticework, holes or perforations provides better flotation and is able to create thermal insulation between the snow and the boot.

According to another advantageous embodiment, the base structure is made of a material of thermoplastic type, preferably comprised in the list of the following families: thermoplastic polyurethane, thermoplastic elastomer such as polyethylene vinyl acetate or styrene butadiene styrene for example.

These materials are able to withstand a rigorous environment of use, offer good resistance to wear (particularly by friction) and make it possible to create a structure that is substantially flexible and particularly lightweight. All of these features contribute to the comfort of the user, and afford greater user pleasure. The density of the polyethylene vinyl acetate is substantially 0.1 to 0.2, and of the thermoplastic polyurethane or of the thermoplastic elastomer, is substantially 0.4 to 0.8.

According to yet another advantageous embodiment, the base structure comprises a secondary reinforcing element having a level of stiffness lower than that of the main reinforcing element, said secondary reinforcing element extending between said sectors of the main reinforcing element, at least a portion of the tread elements being mounted in collaboration with said secondary reinforcing element. This layout makes it possible to provide a good level of flotation, while maintaining a structural flexibility that promotes good snowshoe ergonomics.

According to another embodiment variant, the tread elements comprise sipes. These sipes are preferably oriented in the same direction as the tread element. The sipes may be external and/or internal. In the latter instance, in the event of wear, the internal sipes become exposed when the level of wear corresponds to the positioning of the internal sipe.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

All the embodiment details are given in the following description, which is supplemented by FIGS. 1 to 4D, which are given solely by way of non-limiting examples and in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic depiction of an example of a snowshoe contact face;

FIG. 2 is a schematic depiction, viewed from above, of a snowshoe able to use a contact face such as that of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic depiction of the snowshoe of FIG. 2, viewed in perspective;

FIG. 4A is a schematic depiction of an example of a snowshoe contact face laid out flat so that all the zones can be seen in the one same plane;

FIG. 4B is a view in longitudinal section of the sole of FIG. 4A, illustrating the profiles of the tread elements along the sole;

FIGS. 4C and 4D are views in transverse section of the sole of FIG. 4, at various positions, illustrating the profiles of the tread elements across the width of the sole.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Snowshoe Body And Base Structure

FIGS. 1 to 3 illustrate, from various viewpoints, an example of a snowshoe according to the invention. As is clearly visible in FIGS. 2 and 3, the snowshoe 1 comprises a base structure 2 comprising a foot zone 3 and a flotation zone 4 which surrounds the foot zone 3 except at the front of the foot zone where the snowshoe ends, forming a front portion 7. This front portion comprises a front lip 8 corresponding substantially to the front of the foot zone 3. This results in a snowshoe that has no shovel-like front tip, making the ergonomics and walking comfort considerably better. Furthermore, the user can use their snowshoes by walking in a similar way to normal walking in boots, rolling the foot, namely by setting the foot down heel first, followed by the sole of the foot, and finally the front of the foot. The rolling then continues with the lifting of the heel, keeping the toes on the ground. As illustrated, the front lip 8 is advantageously curved in shape, forming a kind of protective shell for the front end of the boot.

On each side of the foot zone 3, the flotation zone 4 comprises a lateral overhang 5. At the rear, the flotation zone 2 extends beyond the foot zone 3 to form a shovel-like rear tip 11. As is clearly visible in FIG. 2, the base structure comprises a solid surface. The flotation zone 4 thus affords an optimal weight distribution, for minimal sinking into the snow, and for well-balanced walking. The continuity of surface also provides good thermal insulation, protecting the feet against becoming cold and wet.

For even better ergonomics and to promote comfort and ease of use, the base structure 2 is preferably made from an elastically deformable material giving it great flexibility in use. The deformability of the base structure allows the rear tip to flex under the effect of the weight of the walker, when the latter is bringing their heel towards the ground and setting it down. The flexibility of the snowshoe also makes it possible to optimize the ergonomic behaviour to be consistent with and to conform to the biomechanics of the foot, which leads to walking with a rolling of the foot, as mentioned hereinabove.

The base structure 2 is advantageously made from material of thermoplastic type, preferably comprised in the list of the following families: thermoplastic polyurethane, thermoplastic elastomer. Use is advantageously made of polyethylene vinyl acetate or of styrene butadiene styrene. The material of the base structure 2 may be expanded or non-expanded, depending on the application.

As shown in the example of FIG. 2, the rear tip 11 is preferably asymmetric and advantageously comprises a cutout 15 freeing the interior side. As shown in FIG. 3, the rear tip 11 is raised and/or twisted toward the outside. It preferably comprises an opening 19.

Tread Elements

The snowshoe 1 comprises a contact face 23 and a securing face 24. The contact face 23 advantageously corresponds to the underside surface 17 of the base structure 2. A plurality of tread elements 20 made of a rubbery material are arranged over all or part of said foot zone 3. These tread elements may be continuous or discontinuous.

As illustrated, the tread elements 20 are of substantially elongate shape and pass across the foot zone 3 over a width greater than at least 25% and more preferably greater than 40% of the width of this zone, the width being measured at the point at which the tread element concerned is situated. Such a design makes it possible to produce numerous relatively long successive edge ridges which are effective in traction and in braking. A maximum of the area of the snowshoe is used to produce numerous elongate edge ridge zones.

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

The tread elements may have several types of profile, such as, for example, a substantially rectilinear profile or a profile in the shape of a “V”.

A layout with opposing tread elements 20 is illustrated in the example of FIGS. 1 and 4. In these examples, at the front of the snowshoe, the tread elements 20 are arranged in a V-shape, with the point of the “V” pointing towards the front of the snowshoe. At the rear of the snowshoe, the elements 20 are arranged in the shape of an inverted “V”, namely with the point of the “V” pointing towards the rear. These reverse arrangements provide better control over traction forces (particularly using the tread elements at the front of the snowshoe and illustrated in FIG. 1) and braking forces (particularly using the tread elements at the rear of the snowshoe and likewise illustrated in FIG. 1). Several elements in the shape of a “V” may succeed one another, with or without intermediate spaces.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, certain tread elements 20 are arranged in such a way that their main axis forms an angle, alpha, smaller than 60° and preferably smaller than 45° with respect to the transverse axis of the snowshoe.

As illustrated in FIGS. 4A and 4B, said tread elements 20 comprise front lateral walls 25 and rear lateral walls 26. In the front portion of the foot zone, at least a portion of the tread elements 20 comprise a rear lateral wall 26 that is inclined in such a way that the free edge ridge of this wall is offset toward the rear of the snowshoe compared with the edge ridge contiguous with the rest of the sole.

In the rear portion of the foot zone, at least a portion of the tread elements 20 comprise a front lateral wall 25 that is inclined in such a way that the free edge ridge of this wall is offset toward the front of the snowshoe compared with the edge ridge contiguous with the rest of the sole. The inclination of the inclined walls is comprised between 5° and 30°, and more preferably between 8° and 20°.

Furthermore, at least one lateral overhang 5 of the contact face 23 comprises a plurality of peripheral tread elements 21 which are substantially elongate and oriented in the longitudinal direction of the snowshoe. In a similar way to the transverse 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 sideways when the walker is on laterally inclined terrain. In this example, the peripheral tread elements 21 give a crenellated arrangement. This crenellated arrangement has two effects: First, the portions oriented in the longitudinal direction are able to stabilize the snowshoe on ground that is inclined or has a cross fall. Next, the portions in the transverse direction are able to transmit the traction and braking forces when the tread elements of the foot zone have little or no contact with the snow. These peripheral tread elements 21 are also able to produce an external grip zone that complements the rest of the area of the snowshoe.

As illustrated in FIGS. 4C and 4D, the peripheral tread elements 21 have external lateral walls 27 on the snowshoe external side, and internal lateral walls 28, toward the inside of the sole.

At least some of the peripheral tread elements 21 comprise an internal lateral wall 28 that is inclined in such a way that the free edge ridge of this wall is offset toward the centre of the sole compared with the edge ridge contiguous with the rest of the sole.

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

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the front portion 7 of the snowshoe is turned up and also comprises, on the contact face, a plurality of tread elements 20. These tread elements make it possible to lengthen the traction zone in order to allow forces to be transmitted all the way to the end of the phase of the rolling of the foot.

Furthermore, according to a preferred embodiment of the snowshoe, the front portion 7 of the snowshoe corresponds substantially to the front of the foot zone 3, as shown for example in FIGS. 2 and 3. Such an arrangement, coupled with the tread elements 20 and 21, makes it possible to obtain a snowshoe that is perfectly ergonomic, and the performance of which is appreciably improved. Specifically, the natural walking action and the rolling of the foot that conforms to the biomechanics of the human body means that increased forces can be transmitted to the zone of the sole by comparison with a conventional snowshoe. The tread elements therefore receive the mechanical impulses from the walker practically without interference, and can thus convert these impulses into traction, or else into braking forces, as the case may be. The traction and braking performance thus obtained exceeds the potential performance of conventional snowshoes which are marred by imperfect ergonomics and by the presence of a front tip.

In an advantageous variant, the base structure 2 comprises reinforcing elements. To optimize the traction of the snowshoe, at least a portion of the tread elements 20, 21 are mounted in such a way as to collaborate with at least a portion of the reinforcing elements. The forces applied by the walker are thus transmitted directly to the tread elements, which can thus act directly on the snow, for optimal effectiveness.

REFERENCE NUMERALS EMPLOYED IN THE FIGURES

1 Snowshoe

2 Base structure

3 Foot zone

4 Flotation zone

5 Lateral overhang

6 Housing

7 Front portion

8 Front lip

9 Lateral rim

10 Upper cover

11 Tip

12 Kick-protection zone

13 Backstop

14 Fastener

15 Tip cutout

17 Base structure contact underside

18 Binding element

19 Rear tip opening

20 Transverse tread element

21 Peripheral tread element

23 Contact face

24 Front lateral wall

26 Rear lateral wall

27 Outside lateral wall

28 Inside lateral wall

Snowshoe with Sole Comprising Crampon Areas

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