Modular snow travel system for common footwear

An improved traction system comprising a first traction component, said first traction component having fastening structure for attachment to foot/footwear, said first traction component having a heel portion, a snowdeck, locking structure for selective engagement of said first traction component with said snowdeck and for selectively disengaging said first traction component from said snowdeck, said snowdeck including a decking having a heel area, a spacer located between said heel portion of said first traction component and said heel area of said decking, and said spacer being of sufficient thickness to maintain said at least one traction cleat of said heel portion generally out of contact with said decking when said first traction component is engaged with said snowdeck.

In an overboot for use on a slippery surface wherein said overboot includes an opening for insertion of a wearer's foot/footwear and wherein said overboot includes a sole having a toe portion and a heel portion, a plurality of traction cleats extending downwardly from said sole, the improvement being in that said plurality of cleats comprises a set of cleats at said toe portion and a set of cleats at said heel portion and sets of intermediate cleats, said plurality of cleats being non-detachably mounted to said sole, at least one of said sets of said intermediate cleats being located in the forefront area of said sole and having a latch for selective mounting to a snowdeck, and said latch being an exposed cut-out in each of said traction cleats of said at least one of said sets of said intermediate cleats to form an exposed hook portion for receiving a movable catch on the snowdeck.

A snowdeck for use with a first traction component, said snowdeck comprising a frame, a decking spanning parts of said frame, said frame having a heel portion and a forefoot portion, a releasable locking mechanism located at said forefoot portion, said releasable locking mechanism comprising a housing, a longitudinal slider in said housing, a transverse slider in said housing, said longitudinal slider being mounted for longitudinal sliding movement, said transverse slider being mounted for lateral sliding movement, each of said sliders having a cam face, each of said cam faces having at least one projection and an adjacent recess, said transverse slider being laterally slidable to dispose its at least one projection against said at least one projection of said longitudinal slider to longitudinally move said longitudinal slider rearwardly to a disengaging position, said transverse slider being laterally movable to a position where said projections of said cam faces are out of contact with each other to permit said longitudinal slider to move longitudinally forwardly in an engaging direction, said longitudinal slider carrying a fastening rod, and said transverse slider having a release/actuation member for controlling the lateral sliding movement of said transverse slider.