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US 5,542,197 AGranted
Snowshoe with adjustable decking tension
OwnerMaurice Vincentinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The snowshoe having a tubular, elongated, open, main frame, a flexible sheet decking extending over the main frame and defining a peripheral edge section anchored to the main frame, and a telescopic cross-bar, extending transversely of the main frame intermediately thereof. The cross-bar releasably biases the elongated main frame in such a way as to vary its overall width, whereby the widthwise tensioning of the flexible sheet decking is concurrently varied. The sheet decking receives and supports a wearer's foot harness assembly, located directly above the cross-bar.
Claims7
A snowshoe comprising:
- (a) a semi-rigid, open, main frame, defining a main inner open area;
- (b) a flexible sheet decking, extending over said open frame main inner open area, and defining a peripheral edge section;
- (c) means for attaching the peripheral edge section of said sheet decking to said main frame;
- and
- (d) means for adjustably varying the tensioning of said flexible sheet decking;
- whereby said sheet decking is adapted to receive and support a wearer's foot;
- wherein said tension adjusting means includes an elongated telescopic member, extending through said main open area and connected at opposite ends to said main frame, wherein said telescopic member adjustably deforms the shape of said flexible sheet decking whereby variations in tensioning thereof follows;
- wherein said open frame consists of a tubular member, disposed in an ovoidal closed loop fashion;
- and said adjustment means includes:
- a rigid elongated cross-bar member, extending transversely of said main open area at an intermediate section of said main frame;
- means for mounting each end portion of the cross-bar member to transversely opposite sections of said frame tubular member;
- and
- telescopic means for varying the length of said cross-bar member
- wherein said frame tubular member includes two generally U-shaped half-sections, and a pair of first and second tubular connector members releasably interconnecting the outer ends of each pair of coxially registering legs of said two half-sections of the frame tubular member;
- said mounting means including a radial cavity in said first connector member, being fully engaged by a first end portion of said cross-bar member, and a radial channel in said second connector member, being at least partially engaged by a second end portion of said cross-bar member.
12 more elements
A snowshoe comprising:
- (a) a semi-rigid, open, main frame, defining a main inner open area;
- (b) a flexible sheet decking, extending over said open frame main inner open area, and defining a peripheral edge section;
- (c) means for attaching the peripheral edge section of said sheet decking to said main frame;
- and
- (d) means for adjustably varying the tensioning of said flexible sheet decking;
- whereby said sheet decking is adapted to receive and support a wearer's foot;
- wherein said tension adjusting means includes an elongated telescopic member, extending through said main open area and connected at opposite ends to said main frame, wherein said telescopic member adjustbly deforms the shape of said flexible sheet decking whereby variations in tensioning thereof follows;
- wherein said open frame consists of a tubular member, disposed in an ovoidal closed loop fashion;
- and said adjustment means includes:
- a rigid elongated cross-bar member, extending transversely of said main open area at an intermediate section of said main frame;
- means for mounting each end portion of the cross-bar member to transversely opposite sections of said frame tubular member;
- and
- telescopic means for varying the length of said cross-bar member
- further including a harness assembly, having a rigid base part and a flexible strap part, and hook members pivotally interconnecting said rigid base part to said rigid cross-bar member for pitch motion control of wearer, said rigid base part for containing the toe portion of the wearer's foot and said strap part for attachment to the wearer's ankle portion.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.