Angled Connector Receptacles for Sport Board Bindings

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional binding attachment methods for sport boards, which use hardware with longitudinal axes at 90 degrees to the board surface, result in wider and heavier bindings that reduce the stiffness and interfere with the board's flex and shape, thereby affecting performance.

Innovation Solution

The binding assembly features angled connector receptacles that allow attachment features to extend at an angle of 35 to 55 degrees relative to the sport board's surface, positioning attachment points within the foot perimeter, reducing material usage and weight, and maintaining stiffness while minimizing interference with the board's flex.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If conventional 90-degree attachment hardware is used, then the binding assembly provides sufficient structural support, but the binding becomes wider and heavier, reducing board flex and creating dead spots

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural supportVSAvoidbinding weight
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The connector receptacles are angled at 35-55 degrees relative to the board surface instead of the conventional 90 degrees. This parameter change in attachment angle allows the binding assembly to achieve sufficient structural support with reduced material usage, resulting in a lighter binding that preserves board flex characteristics.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Strength

If conventional 90-degree attachment hardware is used, then the binding assembly provides sufficient structural support, but the binding becomes wider, interfering with board flex and shape

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural supportVSAvoidbinding width
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The connector receptacles are angled at 35-55 degrees relative to the board surface instead of the conventional 90 degrees. This parameter change in attachment angle allows the attachment points to be positioned within the foot perimeter, resulting in a narrower binding assembly that does not interfere with the board's flex and shape characteristics.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Length of moving object

If angled connector receptacles (35-55 degrees) are used, then the binding assembly is narrower and lighter, but the attachment geometry becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebinding widthVSAvoidattachment geometry complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Length of moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The angled connector receptacles are integrated directly into the binding assembly chassis structure. This merging of the attachment mechanism with the existing chassis design allows the angled configuration to be achieved without adding separate complex components, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining the narrowed binding profile.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Weight of moving object

If angled connector receptacles (35-55 degrees) are used, then the binding assembly is lighter, but the material distribution and structural design become more challenging

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebinding weightVSAvoidmaterial distribution difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
Weight of moving objectVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The binding assembly uses localized reinforcement at the angled connector receptacle regions rather than uniformly increasing material throughout the structure. This local quality approach allows the binding to be lighter overall while maintaining sufficient structural support at the critical attachment points, and simplifies manufacturing by focusing material placement only where structurally necessary.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3243556B1Binding assembly for sport board having angled connector receptacles
Publication Date: 2018.12.19 MOTION WATER SPORTS INC
  • EP3243556B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3243556B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3243556B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B

AI summary

Described herein include various embodiments of a binding assembly that assist with coupling a user's foot to a sport board. A foothold or binding upper that captures a user's foot can be coupled to a part of the binding assembly thereby enabling the binding assembly to secure the user's foot to the sport board. The binding assembly can include a chassis that has at least two connector receptacle that each allow an attachment feature (e.g., mounting screw) to extend therethrough and secure the binding assembly to the sport board. Each of the connector receptacles can be angled such that a longitudinal of the connector receptacle is positioned at an angle relative to a top surface of the sport board.