Harness and snowshoe frame

Abstract

A harness for an item of footwear comprises a foot interface adapted to receive an underside of the item of footwear thereon. Two lateral straps each have opposed ends connected to the foot interface, and each form a continuous hoop between the opposed ends for a portion of the item of footwear to be received in the continuous hoops on the foot interface. Each of the lateral straps has a longitudinal degree of expansion and contraction to increase or reduce a size of the respective continuous hoop. A cable route is on the lateral straps, the cable route having cable housings and/or cable channels. A cable is routed in the at least one cable route. A closure device pulls on the cable to reduce the size of the continuous hoops in the degree of contraction.

1 . A harness for an item of footwear comprising:
 a foot interface adapted to receive an underside of the item of footwear thereon;   at least two lateral straps each having opposed ends connected to the foot interface, and each forming a continuous hoop between the opposed ends for a portion of the item of footwear to be received in the continuous hoops on the foot interface, each of the at least two lateral straps having a longitudinal degree of expansion and contraction to increase or reduce a size of the respective continuous hoop;   at least one cable route on the at least two lateral straps, the cable route having at least one of cable housings and cable channels;   at least one cable routed in the at least one cable route; and   at least one closure device to pull on the at least one cable to reduce the size of the continuous hoops in the degree of contraction.   
     
     
         2 . The harness according to  claim 1 , wherein each said lateral strap is constituted of at least two strap segments forming therebetween a sliding joint. 
     
     
         3 . The harness according to  claim 1 , wherein each said lateral strap has three strap segments with the sliding joints between adjacent one of the strap segments, the at least one closure device being located on a central one of the strap segments. 
     
     
         4 . The harness according to  claim 1 , further comprising a single one of the closure device and of the cable, the closure device adapted to pull on the cable to contract the at least two lateral straps concurrently. 
     
     
         5 . The harness according to  claim 4 , wherein the cable route comprises at least one of the cable housings and the cable channels in the foot interface. 
     
     
         6 . The harness according to  claim 5 , wherein the foot interface is formed of two layers, the layers being secured face-to-face to one another to form the cable channels therebetween. 
     
     
         7 . The harness according to  claim 1 , wherein the closure device is a ratchet wheel, opposed ends of the cable being connected to the ratchet wheel for being wound about the ratchet wheel during a pulling action. 
     
     
         8 . The harness according to  claim 1 , further comprising a longitudinal strap projecting from a front of the foot interface and passing through guides in the at least two lateral straps, the longitudinal strap being transversely oriented relative to the at least two lateral straps and displaceable along its longitudinal dimension. 
     
     
         9 . The harness according to  claim 8 , further comprising teeth on the longitudinal strap cooperating with an abutment in at least one of said guides to block movement of the longitudinal strap in the longitudinal dimension. 
     
     
         10 . The harness according to  claim 9 , further comprising a handle at a free end of the longitudinal strap. 
     
     
         11 . The harness according to  claim 1 , further comprising a heel strap having opposed ends connected to one of the at least two lateral straps, a length of the heel strap being adjustable. 
     
     
         12 . A snowshoe comprising:
 a frame defining a periphery of the snowshoe, a deck defining with the frame a footprint of the snowshoe, and a foot opening in the deck; and   a binding comprising the harness according to  claim 1 , the binding pivotally connected to the frame or deck;   whereby a front end of the binding is displaceable into the foot opening below a footprint of the snowshoe.   
     
     
         13 . The snowshoe according to  claim 12 , wherein the frame has at least a tubular member defining a periphery of the snowshoe, the tubular member having a top surface portion of a given width, the a deck having a portion of its periphery aligned with and covering at least a portion of the top surface portion of the tubular member over the given width, and further comprising an adhesive between the top surface portion and the deck to secure the deck to the frame. 
     
     
         14 . The snowshoe according to  claim 12 , wherein each said lateral strap in the harness is constituted of at least two strap segments forming therebetween a sliding joint. 
     
     
         15 . The snowshoe according to  claim 14 , wherein each said lateral strap has three strap segments with the sliding joints between adjacent one of the strap segments, the at least one closure device being located on a central one of the strap segments. 
     
     
         16 . The snowshoe according to  claim 12 , further comprising a single one of the closure device and of the cable, the closure device adapted to pull on the cable to contract the at least two lateral straps concurrently. 
     
     
         17 . The snowshoe according to  claim 12 , further comprising a longitudinal strap projecting from a front of the foot interface of the harness and passing through guides in the at least two lateral straps, the longitudinal strap being transversely oriented relative to the at least two lateral straps and displaceable along its longitudinal dimension. 
     
     
         18 . The snowshoe according to  claim 17 , further comprising teeth on the longitudinal strap cooperating with an abutment in at least one of said guides to block movement of the longitudinal strap in the longitudinal dimension. 
     
     
         19 . A snowshoe comprising:
 a frame having at least a tubular member defining a periphery of the snowshoe, the tubular member having a top surface portion of a given width;   a deck having a portion of its periphery aligned with and covering at least a portion of the top surface portion of the tubular member over the given width;   an adhesive between the top surface portion and the deck to secure the deck to the frame; and   a binding operatively connected to at least one of the frame and the deck and adapted to be connected to footwear of a wearer.   
     
     
         20 . The snowshoe according to  claim 19 , wherein the tubular member has a generally triangular section, with the deck being adhered to a side of the triangular section, and an apex of the triangular section pointing downwardly.