Patent ID: 8544193
Filing Date: 2013-10-01
Classification: A63C

Abstract:
1. A snowshoe with enhanced traction for snow and ice terrain, comprising: a multi-component, assembled snowshoe frame including a nose section and an aft section, the aft section including a tail, the nose section being generally U-shaped, with an upturned forward end, the aft section being non-integral with and secured to aft ends of the nose section, the aft section including traction elements with teeth for engaging into terrain, extending downwardly from bottom portions of the aft section, and a boot binding positioned within a space defined by the frame, the boot binding being suspended on the frame by tension members comprising essentially inelastic straps extending transversely and connected to the binding and wound around aft portions of the nose section at left and right, the straps being in tension and pulling inwardly on the aft portions of the nose section, and positioned to establish a bias angle on the boot binding to tilt a user's boot heel-upward, and the straps and nose section providing a spring-loaded suspension so that when the binding bears the weight of a user and is rotated in pitch on the snowshoe frame, the nose section deflects resiliently, the aft portions being drawn inwardly, urging the binding toward the bias angle, and wherein the nose section has sufficient strength in itself to support tension from the tension members and to support the binding suspended within the snowshoe, for an adult user of the snowshoe, the nose section having sufficient strength to resiliently deform under at least thirty pounds of pulling tension from the tension members, without failure of the nose section.