US 7,461,471 B2
Snowshoe binding
Daniel P. Kiniry, Barre Town, Vt. (US); Francis E. Mahoney, Barre Town, Vt. (US); and Steven R. Burke, Huntington Beach, Calif. (US)
Assigned to K2 Snowshoes, Inc., Carlsbad, Calif. (US)
Filed on Jan. 24, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/42,918.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/538895, filed on Jan. 23, 2004.
Prior Publication US 2005/0183291 A1, Aug. 25, 2005
Int. Cl. A43B 5/00 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 36—122  [36/125] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A binding for releasably securing the boot of a user to a snowshoe, comprising:
a base having a pair of spaced boot toe control members at a front end and a pair of spaced boot heel control members at a back end, the toe control members comprising left/right specific toe stops positioned to contact and fix the position of a front end of a user's boot sole at left and right, the toe stops each being angled generally to align with a contacting edge of the boot sole,
a pair of spaced apart medial and lateral flexible upper members connecting to and extending upward from the base for embracing the boot upper, each flexible member being shaped in an upwardly arching, generally arcuate configuration forming an open area below the arcuate configuration and above the base, and each flexible member having a forward end connected to and extending upwardly from a said boot toe control member and a rearward end connected to a said boot heel control member,
an adjustable strap extendable between the flexible upper members, and
a quick-disconnect buckle operable to secure the adjustable strap to retain the medial and lateral flexible members securely over the user's boot.