High Traction Crampon

Abstract

The present invention is directed toward a crampon for use with a shoe to provide enhanced traction with the ground. The crampon comprises at least one sole member removably interconnected to the shoe and disposed adjacent a sole thereof. The sole member comprises at least one cavity extending at least partially therethrough. At least one traction element for gripping the ground is removably interconnected to the sole member.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention is directed toward a crampon having removable traction elements for providing enhanced traction, particularly in outdoor environments.

Description of the Related Art

Hiking, fishing, mountaineering and other activities are very popular forms of recreation, but are fraught with challenges—particularly in the winter months. Uneven, slippery of often icy ground makes traversing the wilderness perilous without proper equipment. For those who earn their living in such an environment, the recreational challenge is replaced with workplace hazard.

Therefore, a crampon is commonly used to enhance traction. Crampons are typically strapped to footwear and incorporate teeth for gripping the terrain. However, there are limitations. Crampons are unsuitable for terrain other than what a particular crampon was designed for, which does not take into account the variations in wilderness terrain. Traction on slippery rocks near and in rivers and streams demands different performance from traction on other surfaces, such as ice, mud, dirt, or leaves. Moreover, outdoor activities often require traversing multiple such surfaces. For example, an angler looking to fish from a canoe will often have had to hike through steep, rocky terrain followed by smooth wet rocks, each of which necessitates a different solution to retain traction. Furthermore, carrying multiple types of crampons, which can be heavy, is impractical.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The crampon device according to the invention described herein comprises removable, interchangeable traction elements that can be disposed throughout the surface that engages the terrain. Consequently, the traction elements can be exchanged as the wearer traverses different terrain, eliminating the need for carrying additional crampons or sacrificing traction in the wilderness environment.

The crampon comprises a sole member removably interconnected to a shoe, such as by a system of straps or ties. The sole member comprises at least one cavity extending at least partially therethrough. A traction element is inserted at least partially into the cavity so as to be removably retained thereby. Accordingly, a traction element may be quickly removed in the field and replaced with a traction element having differing traction facilitating properties, such as shape or length. In at least one embodiment, the traction elements are arranged to facilitate traction, such as in rows and/or columns. They may also be spaced such that they impede debris, such as leaves, twigs, etc., from becoming trapped between the traction elements.

The sole member further comprises a heel member and a toe member, each of which is interconnected with an opposing end of an interconnecting member. The heel member and/or the toe member is movable along the length of the interconnecting member to facilitate adjustments to the length of the crampon and better adapt it for attachment to the wearer's shoe.

The sole member may further comprise at least one pick disposed adjacent the outer edge of the sole member to provide greater traction, particularly when traversing steep terrain.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become clearer when the drawings as well as the detailed description are taken into consideration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a fuller understanding of the nature of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective of an embodiment of the present invention as removably attached to a wearer's shoe.

FIG. 2 is a perspective of the embodiment of FIG. 1 with a traction element removed from the crampon to expose the cavity therein.

Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention claimed. As used herein, “or” means “and/or” unless expressly stated otherwise. Furthermore, the use of the singular includes the plural unless specifically stated otherwise, and use of the term “including” as well as other forms, such as “includes,” and “included,” shall not be considered limiting.

The embodiment 10 according to the present invention comprises a sole member 40. The sole member 40 is disposed adjacent the sole 2 of a shoe 1 work by the user. The sole member 40 is removably retained to the shoe 1 by way of a series of straps 8 that engage the shoe 1. Removal of the straps 8 from the shoe 1 enables the removal of the sole member 40 and thereby the crampon 20 from the shoe 1.

The sole member 40 has a top surface 40a that abuts the sole 2 of the shoe 1 when in use by a wearer, such as when hiking or otherwise traversing an environment. The bottom surface 40b of the sole member 40 faces the environment being traversed.

As described in further detail below, traction elements 20 are disposed throughout at least a portion of the sole member 40. The traction elements 20 are removably interconnected to the sole member. Accordingly, traction elements 20 can be interchanged with alternate elements while in the field, or can be individually replaced when one has worn beyond its useful lifespan. The traction elements 20 protrude substantially in the direction of the terrain for the purpose of enhancing traction by gripping the terrain.

In addition, traction elements 20 may be arranged in columns aligned with the length of the sole member 40, i.e. from the portion adjacent the toe 1a of the shoe 1 to the heel 1b of the shoe. Additionally or alternatively, the traction elements 20 may be arranged in rows that run laterally across the width of the sole member 40. The traction elements 20 may also be disposed in equivalently spaced relation relative to one another. In at least one embodiment, the spacing between adjacent traction elements 20 is sufficiently narrow to substantially prevent debris, such as sticks, rocks, etc., from becoming lodged among the traction elements 20.

With further reference to FIG. 1, the depicted embodiment comprises picks 30 disposed adjacent an outer edge 45, i.e. perimeter, of the sole member. The picks 30 extend outward in a direction opposite the shoe 1 to assist in engaging the terrain, particularly when traversing steep inclines. Accordingly, in at least one embodiment the picks 30 extend obliquely relative to the bottom surface 14b of the sole member 40.

FIG. 2 demonstrates the structure by which a traction element 20 is removably secured to the sole member 40. A cavity 50 extends at least partially through the sole member 40. The traction element 20 comprises a first end 20a adapted for insertion at least partially within the cavity 50. This may be facilitated by way of threads 22 about a surface of the first end 20a. The cavity 50 is correspondingly structured to receive the first end 20a and retain it with sufficient strength such that the traction element 20 does not dislodge during normal use. However, the traction element 20 is removable from the cavity 50 to facilitate its replacement.

The second end 20b of the traction element 20 is structured to engage the terrain. Accordingly the second end 20b may be formed into a spike. The length of the second end 20b may vary based on the type of terrain to be traversed. For example, longer spikes may be desirable when traversing icy terrain, while shorter spikes may be more useful for non-icy terrain.

The sole member 40 comprises a toe member 12 disposed adjacent a toe portion 1a of the shoe 1 and a heel member 14 disposed adjacent a heel portion 1b of the shoe. An interconnecting member 16a is disposed between the toe and heel members 12, 14. A first end 16a of the interconnecting member 16 is interconnected with the toe member 12. A second end 16b of the interconnecting member 16, opposite the first end 16a, is interconnected with the heel member 14. The interconnecting member 16 is inserted in the toe and heel members 12, 14 and secured thereto. One or both of the toe and heel members 12, 14 may be movable along the length of the interconnecting member 16 to facilitate adjustments to the overall length of the sole member 40. Thus, adjustment of the length of the sole member 40 facilitates its attachment to the shoe 1.

Since many modifications, variations and changes in detail can be made to the described preferred embodiment of the invention, it is intended that all matters in the foregoing description and shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.

Now that the invention has been described,

Claims

1. A crampon for use with a shoe to provide enhanced traction with the ground, said crampon comprising:

at least one sole member removably interconnected to the shoe and disposed adjacent a sole thereof,

wherein said sole member comprises at least one cavity extending at least partially therethrough, and

at least one traction element for gripping the ground removably interconnected to said sole member.

2. The crampon of claim 1, said traction element comprising a first end inserted at least partially within said cavity.

3. The crampon of claim 2, wherein said insertion of said first end at least partially into said cavity forms a securing relationship sufficient to retain said second end at least partially in said cavity when said traction element engages the ground.

4. The crampon of claim 3, wherein said first end comprises threading disposed about a surface thereof to facilitate said securing relationship with said cavity.

5. The crampon of claim 2, said traction element comprising a second end extending at least partially away from said sole member for engaging the ground.

6. The crampon of claim 5, said traction element comprising a second end extending substantially away from said sole member for engagement with the ground.

7. The crampon of claim 1, wherein said sole member further comprises at least one pick extending at least partially away from the sole of the shoe.

8. The crampon of claim 7 wherein said pick is disposed adjacent an outer edge of said sole member.

9. The crampon of claim 1, wherein said sole member further comprises a plurality of picks extending at least partially away from the sole of the shoe.

10. The crampon of claim 9 wherein said pick is disposed adjacent an outer edge of said sole member.

11. A crampon for use with a shoe to provide enhanced traction with the ground, said crampon comprising:

at least one sole member removably interconnected to the shoe and disposed adjacent a sole thereof,

said sole member having a top surface adjacent the sole of the shoe and an opposing bottom surface,

said bottom surface comprising a plurality of cavities extending at least partially through said sole member, and

a plurality of traction elements each having a first end removably inserted into a corresponding cavity to form a securing relationship therewith.

12. The crampon of claim 11, wherein said traction elements are disposed in equivalently spaced relation relative to one another.

13. The crampon of claim 11 wherein said traction elements are arranged to form rows aligned with the width of the sole member.

14. The crampon of claim 11 wherein said traction elements are arranged to form columns aligned with the length of the sole member.

15. A crampon removably attached to a shoe for providing enhanced traction with the ground, said crampon comprising:

a sole member comprising a toe member and heel member,

said toe member having a top surface disposed adjacent a toe portion of the shoe and a bottom surface opposite therefrom,

said toe member comprising a plurality of cavities extending at least partially therethrough,

said heel member having a top surface disposed adjacent a heel portion of the shoe and a bottom surface opposite therefrom,

said heel member comprising a plurality of cavities extending at least partially therethrough,

a plurality of traction elements each having a first end removably inserted into corresponding ones of the cavities in said heel member and said toe member so as to form a securing relationship therewith, and

a connecting member having a first end interconnected to said toe member and a second end interconnected to said heel member.

16. The crampon of claim 15 wherein said toe member is movable along a length of said connecting member.

17. The crampon of claim 16 wherein movement of said toe member along said connecting member changes the length of said sole member.

18. The crampon of claim 15 wherein said heel member is movable along a length of said connecting member.

19. The crampon of claim 18 wherein movement of said heel member along said connecting member changes the length of said sole member.