Patent Publication Number: US-2012030968-A1

Title: Snowshoe with a climbing bar

Description:
The present invention relates to a snowshoe which is equipped with a cleat, a so-called ascent cleat, which may be actuated by the user when he/she reaches a sloped sector, said cleat allowing at least partial compensation for the declivity of the slope at the plate supporting the shoe of the user. 
     A snowshoe is intended for walking on snow. It is somewhat an overdimensioned sole preventing the user from sinking into the snow too deeply. 
     Conventionally, a snowshoe includes a frame and a plate intended to support the shoe of the user, said plate being pivotally mounted inside the frame along a front transverse axis, i.e. an axis located towards the front of the frame. The fact that the shoe is mounted on a pivoting plate greatly facilitates the roll of the foot during walking, given that in this case, the frame of the shoe constantly remains at least partly in contact with the snow while the plate may follow the natural movement of the foot during walking. 
     When walking occurs on a sloped sector, the movement of the foot should be amplified relatively to the one performed on a flat ground, so as to compensate for the declivity of the slope. This demands additional effort on the behalf of the user. In order to overcome this drawback, it has already been proposed to apply on the snowshoe an ascent cleat, i.e. a cleat on which the shoe-supporting plate will be supported and which accordingly reduces the angular displacement of the plate during walking. Such an ascent cleat is provided so as to be mobile between an inactive or retracted position, in which it is not in contact with the plate and an active position or abutment position, in which it maintains the rear of the plate above the mean plane of the snowshoe, i.e. the plane in which the plate is located when the snowshoe is on flat ground. 
     In document FR 2 760 375, the ascent cleat is an S-shaped part, the proximal end of which is pivotally mounted about a back transverse axis, raised with respect to the mean plane of the snowshoe, on the upper face of the latter. The shape of the S-part is determined so that in its inactive or retracted position, said part has its distal bent portion bearing upon the upper face of the snowshoe, behind the pivot axis, whereas in its active or abutment position, said part having pivoted forwards by 180°, it is its distal end which rests on the upper face of the snowshoe while its distal bent portion is positioned under the plate. It is the distal portion between the end and the bent portion which acts as an ascent cleat and which delimits the angular deviation compensated by said cleat for the plate. Further, this S-part may be displaced in longitudinal translation in order to fulfil functions other than that of an ascent cleat. All the displacements of this part are manually performed by the user. 
     One of the drawbacks of such an ascent cleat is that it is always protruding above the upper face of the snowshoe, even in an inactive or retracted position, which increases all the more its bulkiness, and may be bothersome for putting away the snowshoe. 
     In document FR 2 771 301 which overcomes the drawback mentioned earlier, the ascent cleat is formed by a rigid metal wire element which has the shape of a U, for which the ends of the branches are folded back 90° outwards, in the transverse direction, in order to be used as a pivot axis for said U-shaped wire element forming the ascent cleat. The frame comprises side bosses provided with tilted ramps positioned in proximity to the transverse pivot axis of the cleat, i.e. the 90° folded-back ends of the branches mounted with pivot linkage on the frame. These side bosses allow both branches of the cleat to be held when the latter is in the rest position, said cleat being retracted into the thickness of the frame. When the user pivots the cleat with respect to the frame in order to position it in the abutment position with the plate, the side bosses give the possibility of forcing both branches so as to bring them closer in the area of the side bosses. Moreover, the frame comprises in the area of the pivot linkage between the cleat and said frame, clearance grooves transversally made at the rear of the bosses, which allow the ends of the branches to be released and to assume a position in these grooves, after having pivoted and passed said bosses, allowing the cleat to be held in its abutment position, the lower ends of the branches being held blocked in the clearance grooves. In order to reposition the cleat in the retracted position, the user has to grip both branches together, i.e. bring them closer to each other, so as to free its ends from the grooves in which they are accommodated, and to then be able to manually pivot these branches held gripped together in order to move beyond the bosses and to accommodate them under said bosses, bearing against the tilted ramps. 
     The design of the cleat according to this document FR 2 771 301, as well as that of document FR 2 630 375, mandatorily requires that the user operate manually upon passing of the ascent cleat from the inactive or retracted position to the active or abutment position, or even vice versa. Indeed, according to FR 2 771 301, the user should grasp with his/her hands the base of the U-shaped element which forms the abutment on the plate, in order to suitably achieve pivoting of the cleat into the abutment position. Conversely, the user should grip both branches together in order to free them from the grooves so as to be able to perform pivoting of the cleat into the rest position. Such operations further generally require removal of the gloves so as to be able to suitably grasp the wire element forming the cleat. 
     Thus both ascent cleats known above from documents FR 2 630 375 and FR 2 771 301 mandatorily require that the user manually perform the operations required for having the ascent cleat pass from the inactive or retracted position to the active or abutment position and vice versa and for this, he/she generally has to remove his/her gloves. 
     The object of the present invention is to propose a snowshoe equipped with an ascent cleat which overcomes all or part of the aforementioned drawbacks. As such, the snowshoe according to the invention comprises a frame, a plate provided with means for attaching a shoe, a first pivot linkage of a transverse axis being laid out between the front portion of the plate and the back portion of the frame, i.e. towards the front of the snowshoe, so as to allow angular displacement towards the top of the plate with respect to a rest position according to which said plate is substantially located in the plane of the frame. A so-called ascent cleat is pivotally mounted with the back portion of the frame, i.e. towards the rear of the snowshoe, by means of a second pivot linkage of transverse axis so as to pivot the cleat from a retracted position according to which the plate may be positioned in the rest position, to an abutment position according to which the cleat is supported under the back portion of the plate in order to maintain a minimum angular displacement of the plate with respect to the frame. According to the invention, the cleat is rigid, i.e. it does not deform or only very little so as to guarantee suitable support on the plate. Further, this cleat comprises at least one transverse axial portion extended with a cylindrical portion and the frame comprises at least one transverse bored portion for receiving the cylindrical portion. Further, position-holding means are laid out between the frame and the axial portion on the cleat, so as to allow said cleat to be held at least in the abutment position and to retract upon forced or imposed pivoting of the cleat with respect to the frame. 
     Thus, the snowshoe according to the invention has the advantage of keeping the cleat in the abutment position during walking on snow when this cleat is activated by the user. Further, when the operator wishes to shift the cleat into the retracted or inactive position, the latter only has to force or impose pivoting of the cleat, or even vice versa in order to achieve its positioning in the active or abutment position, which allows retraction of the holding means upon initiating the pivoting which is imposed by the user. Thus, the user no longer has to manipulate the cleat, notably for gripping the branches together as this is the case according to FR 2 771 301, so as to allow pivoting of the latter cleat in order to achieve its return to the retracted position. Simple pivoting is sufficient for releasing the cleat towards its retracted position while ensuring that the cleat is suitably held in its abutment position according to which the plate will bear on said cleat and is therefore capable of generating forces; the user no longer has to carry out any complicated manipulation requiring removal of his/her gloves. Of course this may be contemplated in the reverse direction, i.e. for pivoting the cleat into its abutment position so as to guarantee that said cleat is suitably held in the retracted position. 
     According to the invention, the cleat has at least one portion with the shape of a U upside down provided with a base and two side branches, the base being supported on the back portion of the plate in the abutment position. Further, both side branches have their curved ends in the transverse direction, facing each other coaxially, the curved ends of the side branches each forming a transverse axial portion, which are extended with a cylindrical portion. This U-shape has the advantage of ensuring support on almost the whole width of the plate, while limiting the amount of material required for making such a cleat capable of being supported on the whole width of said plate. Further, this U-shape is rigid, which avoids any deformation and allows the base to be suitably held supported under the plate, in spite of the bearing forces exerted by the latter on the cleat. 
     According to the invention, the cylindrical portion is formed by a cylindrical head added to the end of the axial portion. This has the advantage of facilitating the assembling with the pivot linkage of the cleat on the frame. 
     According to the invention, the position-holding means comprise at least one flat laid out on the axial portion, the position of this flat corresponding to the abutment position of the cleat. Further, a blocking part is subjected to the frame, this blocking part comprising at least one flexible leaf held in the compressed condition so as to bear upon the axial portion in order to block rotation of the cleat when the flexible leaf is flattened on the flat of the axial portion. 
     Preferentially, the position-holding means ensure blocking of the rotation of the cleat when the latter is located both in the abutment position and in the retracted position. For this, the axial portion comprises at least two flats, the positions of which correspond to the abutment position and to the retracted position respectively of the cleat according to which the flexible leaf is flattened on the corresponding flat. 
     Preferentially, the axial portion comprises two pairs of flats each corresponding to the abutment position and to the retracted position of the cleat respectively, the blocking part further comprising two flexible leaves laid out so as to be flattened on one of the pairs of flats according to the abutment position or the retracted position of the cleat. This has the advantage of increasing the required force when the user wishes to initiate pivoting of the cleat, and thus avoids any risk of involuntary pivoting of the latter for example in the case when the user would hit the cleat with his/her stick during walking or exert a more sustained force when the plate bears upon the cleat. 
     According to the invention, the blocking part comprises at least one first U-shaped portion, the branches of which form the two flexible leaves. Preferentially, the blocking part comprises a second portion forming a bottom firmly attached to the base of the U of the first portion, said bottom comprising an orifice for letting through the cylindrical portion of the cleat. With this design, it is possible to ensure the assembled blocking part is held in position with respect to the cleat and to the frame. Other alternatives may however be contemplated and for example it is possible to provide direct subjection of the base of the first U-shaped portion with the frame, by ensuring suitable positioning of both flexible leaves formed by the branches with respect to the axial portion of the cleat on which the flats are laid out. 
     According to the invention, the frame comprises an accommodation area which has at least two lateral sides. This accommodation area gives the possibility of at least receiving and holding in the compressed condition both flexible leaves of the blocking part on said lateral sides. This compressed condition has the advantage of inducing the flexible leaves to close in on each other which guarantees flattening of said leaves on the flats of the axial portion. 
     According to the invention, the ends of both flexible leaves are curved outwards, these flexible curved portions being supported on the lateral sides of the accommodation area by exerting a return force on the leaves bearing against the pair of flats. This has the advantage of forming a spring effect on the leaves, aiming at pushing them back with respect to the lateral sides of the accommodation area. 
     According to the invention, the accommodation area has the shape of a U, the base of which allows the base of the first portion of the blocking part to be received. This design has the advantage of ensuring suitable stabilization of the blocking part in the accommodation area while avoiding any risk of rotation of said blocking part upon initiating pivoting of the cleat. 
     According to the invention, the U-shaped accommodation area is open on the lower face of the frame of the snowshoe. This has the advantage of facilitating removal of the snow which penetrates into the accommodation area, when the snowshoe is lifted relatively to the snow-covered ground. Other alternatives may however be contemplated and it may for example be provided that the U-shaped accommodation area be open on the upper face of the frame of the snowshoe. 
     According to the invention, it is possible to provide a sealed closure system laid out so as to be added onto the frame and to make the accommodation area hermetically sealed. This has the advantage of avoiding any risk of penetration and retention of snow in the accommodation area where the blocking part is located. 
     According to the invention, the blocking part is made in spring stainless steel, i.e. having good elastic properties and preventing any risk of oxidation of said steel which may alter said elastic properties. 
     According to the invention, at least the flexible leaf(ves) of the blocking part has(have) a hardness comprised between 30 and 35 HRC and a thickness comprised between 0.3 and 0.6 mm. These features have the advantage of ensuring a stiffness constant on the flexible leaves, suitable for guaranteeing that said leaves are flattened and held on the flats of the axial portion, and requiring sufficiently high pivoting initiation in order to manage to free the flats from the flexible leaves so as to be able to pivot the cleat into the second position. Thus any risk of untimely pivoting of the cleat is avoided when the plate will bear upon the latter. 
     According to the invention, blocking means are laid out between the cleat and the frame in order to delimit the retracted position of the cleat and the abutment position of the cleat during pivoting of the latter with respect to said frame, towards either one of said positions. This has the advantage of suitably stopping the position of the cleat with respect to the frame by avoiding any risk of moving beyond the abutment position or the retracted position of the latter with respect to the frame. 
     According to the invention, two extensions are laid out substantially at right angles at the lower portions of the side branches of the U-shaped cleat, these extensions extending towards the rear of the snowshoe. Further, the shapes of the side branches and of the lateral sides of the frame are laid out so as to be in abutment on each other in the retracted position of the cleat. Also, the shapes of the extensions and of the lateral sides of the frame are laid out so as to be in abutment on each other in the abutment position of the cleat. 
     According to the invention, the upper portions of the side branches and of the rear ends of the extensions each comprise a notch. These notches are laid out so as to notably receive the tip of a stick, which allows the user to be able to perform the pivoting into the abutment position or into the retracted position without directly using his/her hands, but via one of his/her walking sticks, while retaining a quasi-normal position, i.e. without having to bend down in order to perform pivoting of the cleat. 
    
    
     
       Other features and advantages will become apparent upon reading the following description of a preferential embodiment of the snowshoe according to the present invention, which relies on the figures wherein: 
         FIGS. 1 and 2  represent a snowshoe respectively showing the cleat in the retracted position and in the abutment position on the plate; 
         FIG. 3  shows a partial bottom view of a snowshoe showing the application of the position-holding means on one of the lateral sides between the frame and the cleat; 
         FIGS. 4 and 5  respectively show the position of the flats on the axial portion with respect to the blocking part accommodated on the frame, according to two positions of the cleat, one corresponding to the abutment position and the other to the retracted position; 
         FIG. 6  shows the blocking part according to a preferential embodiment; 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a sealed closure system laid out so as to be added in the accommodation area. 
     
    
    
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the snowshoe  1  comprises a frame  2 , a plate  3 , and a cleat  8 , a so-called ascent cleat. The frame  2  preferably has a recess in the central portion, which advantageously gives the possibility of lightening the snowshoe and of partly accommodating the plate  3  and the cleat  8 . The plate  3  comprises means for attachment of a shoe. This plate  3  is mounted in its front portion  6 , with a pivot linkage  4  at the lateral sides,  2   a ,  2   b  of the frame, in its front portion  7 , this pivot linkage  4  is defined along a transverse axis  5 . With this, it is possible to achieve an angular displacement towards the top of the back portion  3   a  of the plate  3 , notably with respect to a rest position according to which the plate is preferably located in the plane defined by the frame  2 . 
     Preferentially, the cleat  8  comprises a U shape defining a base  16  and two side branches  17 ,  18  said cleat being made up in a material and with thicknesses of the base  16  and of both branches  17 ,  18  providing rigidity. Further, the cleat comprises two extensions,  41 ,  42  arranged in the lower portion of the branches  17 ,  18 , these extensions extending longitudinally towards the rear of the snowshoe  1 . The rigidity of the cleat  16  is also ensured at these extensions  41 ,  42 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the ends  19 ,  20  of the branches  17 ,  18  are bent 90° outwards in the transverse direction of the snowshoe  1 . These curved ends on each branch  17 ,  18  are positioned opposite to each other and along the same axis  11  which defines the pivot axis  8  of the cleat with respect to the frame  2 , which is located in the back portion  9  of the frame. This curved portion forms a transverse axial portion  12 . Moreover, as illustrated in  FIG. 3  the lower face  39  of the frame  2  comprises an accommodation area  33  having the shape of an open U on said lower face  39  of the frame, this accommodation area  33  allowing reception of the axial portion  12 . Thus, when the axial portions of each lateral side  2   a ,  2   b  of the frame are positioned in the accommodation areas  33 , the cleat  8  is immobilized axially with respect to the frame  2 . Further, a cylindrical head  13  forming a cylindrical portion, as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , passes through a bored portion formed by an orifice in the bottom  33   a  of the accommodation area  33  and is added to the end  21  of the axial portion  12 , which allows mounting of the cleat  8  with a pivot linkage about the transverse axis  11 , with respect to the frame  2 . Thus, the cleat may pivot into a first so-called retracted position, as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , according to which the plate  3  is located more or less in the plane of the frame  2 . Also, the cleat  8  may pivot into a so-called abutment position, as illustrated in  FIG. 2  according to which the back portion  3   a  of the plate  3  will be supported on the base of the cleat  8 , the plate  3  then being tilted upwards with respect to the plane of the frame  2 . 
     In order to guarantee suitable positioning of the cleat  8  with respect to the frame  2  in the so-called retracted and so-called abutment positions, the internal portions  47 ,  48  of the lateral sides  2   a ,  2   b  of the frame  2  are laid out so as to come into abutment with the upper rear edges  49 ,  50  of the side branches  17 ,  18  of the U-shaped portion  15  of the cleat  8  and with the rear edges  51 ,  52  of the extensions  41 ,  42  of the cleat  8 . Further, the upper portion of the side branches  17 ,  18 , as well as the rear ends of the extension  41 ,  42  comprise notches  43 ,  44 ,  45 ,  46  on their upper face, these notches being laid out so as to allow positioning of the tip of a stick, their position at the ends with respect to the pivot axis  11  giving the possibility of easily exerting a force by means of the stick so as to have the cleat pivot towards the abutment position or the retracted position. 
     It is seen in  FIGS. 3 to 5  that the axial portions  12  transverse to the lower ends  19 ,  20  of the branches  17 ,  18  preferentially comprise two pairs of flats  22 ,  23 ,  24 ,  25  laid out around the axial portion  12  as this is illustrated in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . The portion of the axial portion  12  comprising the flats is positioned in the accommodation area  33 . Further, a blocking part  26  consists of a first portion  29  having the shape of a U and of a second portion  30  forming a bottom, firmly attached to the base  31  of the U. This blocking part is positioned inside the accommodation area  33 , the portion  30  forming the bottom being flattened on the bottom  33   a  of the accommodation area  33  and the base  31  of the U of the blocking part  26  and bearing upon the base  38  of the accommodation area. Moreover, this portion  30  forming the bottom, comprises an orifice  32  letting through the cylindrical portion  13  added onto the axial portion  12 . The first U-shaped portion  29  has two flexible leaves  27 ,  28 , the ends  36 ,  37  of which are curved outwards so that the blocking part  26  is accommodated in the accommodation area  33 , the curved portions  36 ,  37  are positioned bearing against the lateral sides  34 ,  35  of the accommodation area  33 , with which it is possible to form a spring effect tending to tighten the leaves  27 ,  28  closer to each other and to hold them suitably flattened on the flats  22 ,  23  or  24 ,  25  according to the retracted position or the abutment position of the cleat as this is illustrated in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . 
     Preferentially, the blocking part  26  is made in spring stainless steel meeting the international codification 14310 or AISI 301, a codification known to the person skilled in the art of steel making. Further, a constant thickness is preferably used for the blocking part both for the U-shaped portion  29  and for the portion  30  forming the bottom. This blocking part preferentially comprises a hardness comprised between 30 and 35 HRC and a thickness comprised between 0.3 and 0.6 mm and preferably 0.4 mm. These features have the advantage of defining a suitable stiffness constant at the flexible leaves  27 ,  28  and their curved portions  36 ,  37 , so that the spring effect allows these leaves  27 ,  28  to be suitably flattened on the flats  22 ,  23  or  24 ,  25  while avoiding any risk of pivoting of the cleat  8 , unless this pivoting is initiated by the user. 
     Other features may be contemplated without departing from the scope of the present invention. As such, for example, provision may be made for a sealed closure system  40 , as illustrated in  FIG. 7 , comprising the shape of a closing cap at right angles comprising an upper portion  53  laid out in order to fit the upper U-shaped contour  54  of the accommodation area  33  and a vertical portion  55  laid out so as to fit the U-shaped vertical contour in  56  of the accommodation area  33 , this vertical portion  55  comprising an orifice  57  suitable for letting through the axial portion  12 . Further, snap-on fastening means such as tabs  58 ,  59  may be provided on the upper  53  and vertical  55  portions of the cap  40 , said fastening tabs  58 ,  59  being provided in this case for snapping onto the lateral sides  34 ,  35  and/or the bottom  38  of the accommodation area  33 . 
     The present invention will be applied by sports equipment manufacturers and also relates to the field of plastic engineering where most of the components may be manufactured, as well as to the field of steel making or metallurgy for notably manufacturing the blocking parts  26 .