Boot Buckle Double Latching Mechanism for Ground Contact Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing buckles for boot lacing devices are prone to unintentional opening or loosening, especially when contacting the ground, posing a safety risk and compromising wearing comfort.
Innovation Solution
A buckle design featuring a base part with a first receiving extension and a grip lug with a swivel element and a latching element, forming a double safety mechanism to secure the grip lug in a closed engagement position, preventing unintentional swiveling or loosening.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional buckle design is used, then the buckle can be attached to the boot shell, but the buckle protrudes from the shell and is prone to unintentional opening or loosening when contacting the ground
Solution Approach 1:
The buckle is divided into functionally independent components: a base part attached to the shell, a grip lug for user interaction, a swivel element for movement, and latching mechanisms for securing. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function, particularly enabling the low-profile base part to prevent ground contact while the grip lug provides sufficient leverage for operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The latching element is designed to automatically engage with the latching extension when the grip lug is swiveled into the closed engagement position. This preliminary action occurs before any potential ground contact could cause unintentional opening, creating a pre-secured state that prevents the harmful effect of ground contact causing accidental release.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the buckle construction height is reduced to prevent ground contact damage, then safety is improved, but the gripping and swiveling function may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The solution moves the operational function to a different dimensional space by using a swivel element that rotates in an arc rather than requiring linear protrusion. The grip lug swivels along a circular path defined by the swivel element's rotation axis, allowing sufficient leverage for operation while maintaining a low vertical profile that prevents ground contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The swivel element acts as an intermediary between the grip lug and the base part, enabling the grip lug to achieve sufficient rotational movement for operation without requiring the entire buckle assembly to protrude from the shell. This mediator component translates the user's gripping and swiveling action into the latching mechanism's engagement.
3Reliability
If a double latching mechanism is added to prevent unintentional opening, then reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The latching element serves dual functions: it acts as the moving component that engages with the latching extension to secure the closed position, and simultaneously functions as the release mechanism when actuated by the user. This merging of locking and releasing functions into a single component reduces overall complexity while maintaining the double latching security feature.
Solution Approach 2:
The latching mechanism is designed to be self-securing through the engagement of the latching element with the latching extension, eliminating the need for additional separate locking components. The geometry of the latching elements creates automatic engagement that secures the buckle without requiring extra fastening devices or complex control mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A buckle includes a base and a grip lug. The base underside can be placed against and fastened to a boot shell. The base upper side has at least one first receiving extension. In an engagement position a swivel element on the lug is latched at least in certain regions in the first receiving extension to form a swivelable first latching connection, to permit swiveling the lug in the engagement position from an open into a closed engagement position by the swivel element. At least one first latching extension is on the base upper side, and the lug has at least one latching element corresponding thereto. In the closed position, the latching element is latched at least in certain regions on the first latching extension to form a releasable second latching connection, to secure the lug against leaving the engagement position and against swiveling into the open position.