Deirdre O'Mara

US Patent:

20030126765, Jul 10, 2003

Filed:

Jan 4, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/039167

Inventors:

Nathan Messmer - San Francisco CA, US
Charles Warner - San Francisco CA, US
Deirdre O'Mara - San Francisco CA, US
Luca Innocente - Crocetta del Montello, IT
Franco Bastasin - Crocetta del Montello, IT
Giancarlo Pozzobon - Crocetta del Montello, IT

International Classification:

A43B005/04
A43B005/16

US Classification:

036/122000, 036/124000, 036/125000

Abstract:

A binding for a snowshoe has a base secured to a footbed connected to the snowshoe frame, and a tongue piece above the footbed, connected at front to the footbed in a flexible hinge and positioned to engage the top of a user's boot, from the toe to the arch. At each side of the binding, between the tongue piece and the footpad, lacing extends in zig-zag configuration from the front to the back of the binding, passing through lacing eyes and slidable through the eyes with relatively low friction, for drawing the tongue piece down onto the boot. At the back of the binding, a heel strap is positioned to extend around the heel of the foot, and this heel strap is connected to the lacing at both sides, such that when the heel strap is tightened via slip-through type adjustment buckles, this pulls on the lacing to tighten the lacing at both sides and snug the tongue piece down against the boot, firmly engaging the boot in the binding. The left and right buckles can be attached to loops in the lacing to double the rate of drawing the lacing as compared to movement of the buckles. In one embodiment the binding has a laterally oriented connecting bracket at bottom for connection to a suspension strap on a snowshoe, as this bracket has a bias tilt angle such that the pitch of the binding and boot will be biased toe-down about 10 to 25.

US Patent:

20030126766, Jul 10, 2003

Filed:

Jan 4, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/039168

Inventors:

Nathan Messmer - San Francisco CA, US
Deirdre O'Mara - San Francisco CA, US

International Classification:

A43B005/04

US Classification:

036/122000, 036/124000

Abstract:

A harness for a snowshoe has straps, buckles and strap slip connections configured such that a single pull will snug the harness down to the boot, both at the toe and at the top of the arch, firmly engaging over the shoe or boot. The straps, which may be formed as a single strap, extend up from one side of the toe end of a footbed secured to the snowshoe, and pass through loops and buckles of the harness assembly in such a way that the ends of the straps, or a loop of the single strap can be pulled from between the buckles to tighten the harness at toe and arch areas simultaneously. Mechanical advantage preferably is provided at the toe end, by the strap looping back once before it reaches the buckle. The strap or straps are arranged and connected such that a flexible harness shell that extends up from one side of the footbed “floats” in position, accommodating a wide range of shoe or boot sizes.