BACKGROUND
[0001] This disclosure relates to an overshoe traction device, or crampon, which can be
attached to walking shoes to aid in walking on slippery surfaces such as ice and snow.
[0002] Overshoe traction devices have been proposed which facilitate walking on ice and
snow. Such devices may include metal cleats attached to one or more straps formed
of an elastically flexible material, like rubber, that fit over a shoe, such that
the cleats are held in a downwardly facing state beneath the shoe.
[0003] In some cases, the cleats are formed integrally with metal plates, and the plates
may be bonded to an elastically flexible material. Among the issues facing such devices
is a tendency for snow or ice to become packed along the undersides of the plates,
especially near the front of the foot, which diminishes the traction provided by the
device.
[0004] It would be desirable to provide an improved overshoe traction device which provides
traction when walking in ice and snow.
[0005] It would also be desirable to provide an improved overshoe traction device which
resists the packing of snow and ice on the underside thereof.
SUMMARY
[0006] An overshoe traction device comprises an elastically flexible strap configured to
be attached over a shoe; and a front cleat member and a rear cleat member attached
to the strap and adapted to be disposed beneath a shoe when the strap is attached
thereto. The front cleat member is disposed ahead of the rear cleat member and spaced
therefrom. The rear cleat member includes at least one rear plate formed of a rigid
material, with rear cleat elements extending downwardly from an underside of the rear
plate The front cleat member includes a fore plate, an aft plate, and an elastically
flexible material molded to, and interconnecting, the fore and aft plates. The fore
and aft plates are formed of a rigid material. The aft plate includes a front edge
spaced rearwardly from a rear edge of the fore plate to form a gap between the fore
and aft plates. Fore and aft cleat elements extend downwardly from the underside of
each of the fore and aft plates. The front edge of the aft plate includes an aft opening
extending to the gap, and the rear edge of the fore plate includes a fore opening
extending to the gap and facing the aft opening. The fore and aft cleat elements extend
around the fore and aft openings. The elastically flexible material extends: (a) through
the gap between the fore and aft plates, (b) across respective upper sides of the
fore and aft plates, and (c) through the fore and aft openings. Thus, the elastically
flexible material of the front cleat member forms a topside and a central region of
the underside of the front cleat member and defines a horizontal pivot zone along
the gap for enabling the fore and aft plates to pivot up and down relative to one
another.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of an overshoe traction device attached to a shoe.
[0008] Fig. 2 is a bottom perspective view of cleat plates which will become embedded in
elastomeric material to form traction parts of the device.
[0009] Fig. 3 is a bottom perspective view of the cleat plates after being embedded in elastomeric
material.
[0010] Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the device in use.
[0011] Fig. 5 is a bottom perspective view of the device removed from a shoe.
[0012] Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the device removed from a shoe.
[0013] Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view of the device attached to a shoe.
[0014] Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view of an alternate embodiment of the device, attached to
a shoe.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0015] Depicted in Figs. 1-7 is a first embodiment of an overshoe traction device 10 which
can be attached to walking shoes to aid in walking on ice and snow.
[0016] The device 10 includes an elastically flexible strap 12 of a generally oval shape
(see Fig. 6) and adapted to fit around a user's shoe S. The strap is formed of an
elastically flexible material, such as rubber, in order to be capable of being stretched
over the shoe and held in place by the elastic restoring force of the material. A
plurality of holes 14 is formed around the strap which contain metal grommets 16.
Attached to respective grommets are elongated flexible connectors, such as metal chains
18a-j (see Fig. 7). Six of the chains 18a-f are attached within a front half of the
strap, and the remaining four chains 18g-j are attached within a rear half of the
strap.
[0017] The front chains 18a-f are connected to a front cleat member 20, and the rear chains
18g-j are connected to a rear cleat member 22 which is spaced rearwardly from the
front cleat member. The chains 18a and 18b extend from a front side of the strap;
the chains 18i and 18h extend from a rear side of the strap; the remaining chains
extend from either of two sides of the strap. The front and rear cleat members 20,
22 are not directly connected to one another, but rather are indirectly interconnected
through the strap 12. Thus, the front and rear cleat members are freely movable relative
to the strap and to one another in a horizontal plane when being worn. When the device
is worn, the cleat members are arranged to be disposed beneath the user's shoe S.
[0018] The rear cleat member 22 includes a rear plate 30 and an elastically flexible material
32 attached thereto. The rear plate 30 can be formed of a relatively stiff material,
such as aluminum or hardened steel, for example, and portions of the outer edge of
the plate are bent downwardly and sharpened to form pointed rear cleats 34. The rear
plate 30 is shown as being of generally rectangular shape, and the cleats 34 are formed
at each of respective four corners of the plate. The plate could be of other suitable
shapes, and any number of cleats could be provided. The rear plate forms a generally
centrally disposed rear opening 36 extending therethrough, and the rear cleats 34
extend in a pattern around that rear opening. The cleats need not be disposed at the
outer edge of the rear plate, but rather cleats 34' could be disposed slightly inwardly
therefrom (shown in Fig. 8), as long as they extend around the rear opening 36.
[0019] The elastically flexible material 32, such as thermoplastic rubber (TPR), for example,
is preferably directly molded to the rear plate 30 so that a portion 32a thereof forms
a layer overlying extending across an upper surface of the rear plate (see Fig. 6).
Another portion 32b covers a side edge 41 of the plate (see Fig. 3). Still another
portion 32c extends through the rear opening 36, and slightly downwardly therebeyond,
to form an underside of the rear cleat member which could be smooth or formed with
a ridge pattern, as shown. Through-holes 37 extend through the rear plate and the
elastically flexible material 32 for connection with respective chains 18g-j.
[0020] The front cleat member 20 includes a pair of front plates, i.e., a fore plate 40a
and an aft plate 40b, and an elastically flexible material 42 attached to both of
the front plates 40a, 40b. The plates 40a, 40b can be formed of any suitable rigid
material, such as aluminum for example, and portions of the outer edge of the fore
plate are bent downwardly and sharpened to form pointed front cleats 44a. Each of
the fore and aft plates 40a, 40b is shown as being of generally U-shaped shape (see
Fig. 7).
[0021] Portions of the outer edge of the aft plate are bent downwardly and sharpened to
form pointed rear cleats 44b.
[0022] The cleats 44a are formed at each of respective four corners of the fore plate 40a,
and the cleats 44b are formed at each of two rear corners of the aft plate 40b. The
fore and aft front plates 40a, 40b could be of other suitable shapes, and any number
of cleats could be provided. The cleats need not be at the outer edges of the fore
and aft plates; instead, cleats 44a' and 44b' could be located slightly inwardly of
those edges, as shown in Fig. 8. It will be appreciated, however, that in either embodiment,
the cleats extend in a pattern around central areas of the fore and aft plates.
[0023] The aft plate 40b includes a U-shaped front edge 50 spaced rearwardly from a U-shaped
rear edge 52 of the fore plate to form a gap 54 between the fore and aft plates (Fig.
2). The front edge 50 of the aft plate includes an aft opening or recess 56 extending
therethrough which opens at the gap 54. The rear edge 52 of the fore plate includes
a fore opening or recess 58 extending therethrough which opens at the gap and faces
the aft opening 56.
[0024] The elastically flexible material 42, such as thermoplastic rubber (TPR), is molded
to , and interconnects, the fore and aft plates. That material 42 includes a portion
60 which extends through the gap 54 (see Fig. 7), a portion 62 which overlies the
upper sides of both of the fore and aft plates (Fig. 6), another portion 63 which
covers outer edges of the fore and aft plates (see Fig. 3), and still another portion
64 which extends through, and slightly downwardly beyond, the fore and aft openings
56, 58 (see Fig. 3). Thus, the portion 62 of the material 42 forms a topside of each
of the fore and aft cleat members; the portion 64 forms a generally central region
of the underside of the front cleat member; and the portion 60 defines a horizontal
pivot zone along the gap 54, enabling the foe and aft plates to pivot up and down
relative to one another (see Fig. 4). The underside portion 64 could be smooth as
shown in Fig. 5, or formed with a ridge pattern P as shown in Fig. 8.
[0025] Through-holes 70, 72 extend through respective plates 40a, 40b, and through the portions
60, 62 and 64 of the material 42, for connection with respective chains 18a-f. Those
through-holes extend in a pattern around the central region of the fore and aft plates.
[0026] As a user wearing the devices walks on ice or snow, the accumulation of ice or snow
in the central region of the undersides of the front and rear cleat members 20, 22
(i.e., the region around which the cleats and the holes extend), will be resisted
by the presence of the portions 32c and 64 of the materials 32 and 42, respectively,
to which ice/snow does not readily adhere. Furthermore, any ice/snow which manages
to accumulate in the central region of the underside of the front cleat member 20
will tend to be expelled therefrom as the fore and aft plate members 40a, 40b pivot
relative to one another about the pivot axis defined by the portion 60 of the material
42 (see Fig. 4), which material will protrude even farther downwardly beyond the openings
56, 58 as the fore and aft plate members pivot relative to one another, to physically
push away any adhered snow off the underside of the front cleat member 20.
[0027] The portions 62 and 32a of the elastically flexible material 42 which form the topsides
of the fore and aft cleat members, respectively, frictionally engage the bottom of
the wearer's shoe to resist relative sliding movement therebetween as the user walks.
[0028] Although the present invention has been described in connection with preferred embodiments
thereof, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that additions, deletions,
modifications, and substitutions not specifically described may be made without departing
from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
1. An overshoe traction device comprising:
an elastically flexible strap configured to be attached over a shoe; and
a front cleat member and a rear cleat member attached to the strap and adapted to
be disposed beneath a shoe when the strap is attached thereto, the front cleat member
disposed ahead of the rear cleat member and spaced therefrom;
wherein the rear cleat member includes at least one stiff rear plate, with rear cleat
elements extending downwardly from the rear plate;
wherein the front cleat member includes:
a stiff fore plate and a stiff aft plate, the aft plate including a front edge spaced
rearwardly from a rear edge of the fore plate to form a gap between the fore and aft
plates, fore and aft cleat elements extending downwardly from the fore and aft plates,
respectively, the fore and aft cleat elements extending in a pattern around a central
region of the front cleat member, and
an elastically flexible material molded to, and interconnecting, the fore and aft
plates, which elastically flexible material extends:
across respective upper sides of the fore and aft plates to form a topside of the
front cleat member, and
through the gap between the fore and aft plates to define a horizontal pivot zone
along the gap for enabling the fore and aft plates to pivot up and down relative to
one another as the user walks.
2. The overshoe traction device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the fore
and aft plates includes an opening disposed in said central region and extending to
said gap, said elastically flexible material extending through said opening.
3. The overshoe traction device according to claim 1, wherein the front edge of the aft
plate includes an aft opening disposed in said central region and extending to the
gap, the rear edge of the fore plate including a fore opening disposed in said central
region and extending to said gap and facing the aft opening, said elastically flexible
material extending through the fore and aft openings.
4. The overshoe traction device according to claim 3, wherein the elastically flexible
material extends downwardly beyond the fore and aft openings.
5. The overshoe traction device according to claim 1, wherein the rear plate includes
a rear opening extending through a central region of the rear plate, and an elastically
flexible material molded to the rear plate and extending across an upper surface thereof
and through the rear opening, wherein such elastically flexible material forms a topside
of the rear cleat member and a central region of an underside of the rear cleat member,
the cleats of the rear cleat member extending around in a pattern around the rear
opening.
6. The overshoe traction device according to claim 5, including elongated flexible elements
attaching the front and rear cleat members to the strap, some of the flexible elements
attached to through-holes formed in the rear plate which extend around the rear opening,
others of the flexible elements attached to through-holes formed in the fore and aft
plates and extending around the central region of the front cleat member.
7. The overshoe traction device according to claim 6, wherein the elongated flexible
elements comprise metal chains.
8. The overshoe traction device according to claim 6, wherein the front and rear cleat
members are attached to one another only indirectly through the strap, wherein the
front and rear cleat members are relatively movable relative to the strap and to each
other in a horizontal plane.
9. The overshoe traction device according to claim 1, wherein the rear cleats are formed
at an outer edge of the rear plate, the fore cleats are formed at an outer edge of
the fore plate, and the aft cleats are formed at an outer edge of the aft plate.
10. The overshoe traction device according to claim 1, wherein the cleats of the fore
plate, the aft plate, and the rear plate are spaced inwardly from respective outer
edges thereof.
11. The overshoe traction device according to claim 1, wherein the elastically flexible
material comprises thermoplastic rubber.
12. The overshoe traction device according to claim 1, wherein the rear plate, the aft
plate and the fore plate comprise metal.
13. The overshoe traction device according to claim 1, wherein the rear cleats comprise
downwardly bent and sharpened portions of the rear plate; the fore cleats comprise
downwardly bent and sharpened portions of the fore plate, and the aft cleats comprise
downwardly bent and sharpened portions of the aft plate.
14. An overshoe traction device comprising:
an elastically flexible strap configured to be attached over a shoe; and
a front cleat member and a rear cleat member attached to the strap by elongated flexible
elements and adapted to be disposed beneath a shoe when the strap is attached thereto,
the front cleat member disposed ahead of the rear cleat member and spaced therefrom;
wherein the rear cleat member includes at least one metallic rear plate, with portions
thereof being bent and sharpened to form pointed rear cleat elements extending downwardly
from the rear plate, wherein the rear plate includes a rear opening extending through
a central region of the rear plate, and an elastically flexible material molded to
the rear plate and extending across an upper surface thereof and through the rear
opening,
wherein such elastically flexible material forms a topside of the rear cleat member
and a central region of an underside of the rear cleat member, the cleats of the rear
cleat member extending around the rear opening.
wherein the front cleat member includes:
a metallic fore plate and a metallic aft plate, the aft plate including a front edge
spaced rearwardly from a rear edge of the fore plate to form a gap between the fore
and aft plates, portions of the fore and aft plates being bent and sharpened to form
fore and aft pointed cleat elements extending downwardly from the fore and aft plates,
the front edge of the aft plate including an aft opening extending to the gap, and
the rear edge of the fore plate including a fore opening extending to the gap and
facing the aft opening, the fore and aft cleat elements extending around the fore
and aft openings, and
an elastically flexible material molded to, and interconnecting, the fore and aft
plates, which elastically flexible material extends:
across respective upper sides of the fore and aft plates to form a topside of the
front cleat member,
through the fore and aft openings to form a central region of the underside of the
front cleat member, and
through the gap between the fore and aft plates to define a horizontal pivot zone
along the gap for enabling the fore and aft plates to pivot up and down relative to
one another as the user walks.