Boot-Binding System with Spring-Loaded Pin and Heel Plate
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pressurized suit boot-binding systems impede movement and cause foot fatigue and injury due to stiffness, bulk, and internal pressure, especially in extreme temperature environments, and fail to securely attach feet to thermally challenging surfaces during internal and external vehicle activities.
Innovation Solution
A surface boot-binding system with manually operable spring elements, flexible sole plates, and toe-pin mechanisms that securely attach an inner boot to an IVA-binding plate and a surface boot during EVA, allowing for thermal isolation and easy donning/doffing, while accommodating various foot sizes and flexibility preferences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional pressurized suit boots with thick soft insulation material are used, then thermal isolation is provided, but feet slide about inside the boots causing injury and lack of stability
Solution Approach 1:
The boot is divided into distinct functional layers: an inner boot with binding system, an outer boot with insulation, and intermediate securing mechanisms. This segmentation allows the insulation material to provide thermal isolation while the binding system independently provides foot stability through toe bars and heel straps.
Solution Approach 2:
A binding system acts as an intermediary between the foot and the boot structure, using toe bars, heel straps, and instep straps to secure the foot firmly. This intermediary mechanism resolves the conflict by providing stability through mechanical constraint rather than relying solely on friction from soft insulation material.
2Stability of the object's composition
If Velcro straps on exterior of outer boot are used during EVA, then boots can be secured, but the system lacks adaptability for various foot sizes and flexibility preferences
Solution Approach 1:
The binding system incorporates adjustable straps with multiple attachment points and flexible tensioning mechanisms that can be dynamically configured to accommodate different foot sizes, shapes, and user preferences for flexibility versus security.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the binding system have specialized characteristics: toe bars provide anterior stability, heel straps provide posterior security, and instep straps provide midfoot support. Each component can be independently adjusted to provide localized customization for optimal fit and comfort.
3Stability of the object's composition
If stabilizing toe bars are used during IVA, then foot stability is improved, but foot fatigue and injury are caused
Solution Approach 1:
The toe bars are designed to engage only the necessary portion of the foot (the toe region) rather than constraining the entire foot. This partial action provides stability where needed while leaving other foot regions free to move naturally, reducing overall fatigue and injury risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The binding system allows adjustment of constraint parameters through removable and reconfigurable straps. Users can modify the degree of foot securing based on task requirements and personal comfort, changing the parameters of stabilization to minimize fatigue while maintaining adequate stability.
4Reliability
If pressurized suit with life-support backpack is worn, then environmental protection is provided, but center of gravity shifts backward causing counter-balancing movements and difficulty
Solution Approach 1:
The binding system provides anchoring points on the boot structure that can serve as counterbalancing reference points. By securing the foot firmly to the boot through multiple attachment points, the system creates a stable base that helps counteract the backward shift in center of gravity caused by the life-support backpack.
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 system provides stability, flexibility, and thermal isolation, enabling comfortable traversal on rugged terrain while wearing a pressurized suit, reducing foot fatigue and injury by securely attaching the foot to the boot and surface, and allowing for adjustable spring tension to accommodate different users and environmental conditions.
Implementation Method 1
manually operable spring elements
Implementation Method 2
Flexible sole plates and embedded springs assist in thermally isolating the wearer from outer surface temperatures
Data Source
AI summary
A boot-binding system includes a sole plate, integrated into an inner boot, that mates to a second sole plate that may be integrated into the floor of a pressurized vehicle or integrated into an outer boot configuration also referred to as a surface boot, a spring loaded pin/bushing arrangement couples the sole plates, while a latching mechanism located on the surface boot sole plate captures the heel of the inner boot sole plate against a spring loaded heel plate integrated into the surface boot sole plate that presses upwards against the inner boot heel.