Adjustable Hand Strap for Walking Poles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pole grip designs for walking sticks, trekking poles, and ski poles lack an effective mechanism to securely adjust and block the hand-retaining strap's length, which can lead to accidental release and injuries during use.
Innovation Solution
A pole grip with a recessed design featuring a band-like element that deflects around a horizontal pin, allowing adjustable length when the strap is directed upward and blocking both band regions when directed downward, ensuring secure fixation and adjustability without a troublesome free end.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a hand strap is fastened on the pole grip with a screw and different positions are provided for the screw to be screwed tight, then the hand strap length can be adjusted to different hand sizes, but the device complexity increases and the ease of operation deteriorates due to the need for tools and multiple adjustment positions
Solution Approach 1:
The hand strap transitions from a static fixed-length design to a dynamic adjustable-length design. The strap can be extended upward to increase length and collapsed downward to decrease length, allowing continuous adjustment without discrete positions or tools. This dynamic mechanism enables the strap to adapt to different hand sizes while maintaining ease of operation through simple upward/downward movements.
Solution Approach 2:
The effective length of the hand strap is changed by varying its spatial configuration rather than using discrete adjustment positions. By allowing the strap to extend upward or collapse downward, the functional length parameter can be continuously modified to suit different user needs, eliminating the need for multiple fixed positions.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a hand strap is designed with a fastening mechanism that releases when pulled upward and fixes when pulled downward, then the hand strap can be automatically released in case of a fall to avoid injuries, but the reliability of secure fixation during normal use may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The hand strap incorporates a preliminary safety mechanism that automatically activates when pulled upward (such as during a fall), releasing the strap before injury can occur. This pre-programmed response counteracts the harmful effect of a fall by ensuring automatic release, while the downward-collapsing design maintains secure fixation during normal use through friction engagement.
Solution Approach 2:
The upward pull that could potentially cause injury is converted into a beneficial release mechanism. When force is applied upward (such as during a fall), the strap automatically releases, transforming a potentially harmful situation into a safety feature. The friction-based fixation during normal use ensures this only occurs when genuinely needed.
3Reliability
If the band region entering into the grip body and the band region exiting out of the grip body are pressed one upon the other in blocking fashion, then optimal frictional blocking is achieved, but the device complexity increases due to the need for additional blocking means
Solution Approach 1:
The hand strap utilizes its own weight and the friction between its band regions to achieve automatic blocking when pulled downward. The strap presss itself against the grip body structure, creating sufficient friction to maintain fixation without requiring additional active blocking mechanisms. This self-service approach achieves reliable blocking while minimizing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The friction between the band regions entering and exiting the grip body serves as an intermediary blocking mechanism. Rather than using a separate locking component, the interaction between the strap's own band regions creates the blocking effect through friction, eliminating the need for additional complex blocking means while maintaining reliability.
4Ease of operation
If the hand-retaining arrangement comprises an essentially band-like element that deflects about a horizontally arranged deflecting element, then the strap can be adjusted without a troublesome free end, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase to ensure proper deflection and blocking
Solution Approach 1:
The hand strap deflects about a horizontally arranged deflecting element (pin), creating a curved path for the band-like element. This curvature allows the strap to smoothly change direction from entering to exiting the grip body, enabling easy adjustment without creating a troublesome free end. The pin's horizontal orientation ensures consistent deflection geometry.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides optimal frictional blocking and adjustability, preventing accidental release and enhancing user safety by ensuring the strap's length is fixed when in use, while allowing easy length adjustment when not in use.
Implementation Method 1
the friction occurring between the two band regions can ensure in optimum fashion the blocking action of the means
Data Source
AI summary
A pole grip, especially for canes, trekking poles, downhill skiing poles, cross-county skiing poles, and Nordic walking poles. The pole grip includes a grip member and a hand-retaining device in the form of a hand strap or a glove. The hand-retaining device is equipped with a substantially band-shaped element which is provided with an end that is fixed inside the recess in the area of the top wall on the grip member. The pole grip includes a blocking element disposed which releases both the band section that penetrates into the grip member and the band section protruding from the grip member in the direction of the loose end while allowing the useful length to be adjusted when the hand-retaining device is oriented upward, the deflecting element blocks both the band section that penetrates into the grip member and the band section protruding from the grip member towards the loose end when the hand-retaining device is oriented downward, thus making it possible to provide a very reliable and simply designed adjustable hand-retaining device on a pole grip.