Climbing Tool Strap Engagement for Safe Artificial Wall Training
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional artificial climbing walls are not designed for use with dry tooling or ice climbing axes, leading to potential damage and safety risks, as they are not suited for the specific techniques and equipment used in these sports.
Innovation Solution
A climbing tool with a strap instead of a pick, an angled shaft, and a grip with ergonomic features that allows for safe and effective training on artificial climbing walls without sharp points or edges, simulating dry tooling, ice climbing, and mixed climbing motions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional ice climbing axes with sharp picks and edges are used on artificial climbing walls, then climbing effectiveness is improved, but damage to the wall and safety risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful sharp edges and spikes of conventional ice axes into beneficial rounded features. The pick portion has its sharp edges rounded to prevent wall damage while maintaining climbing effectiveness through the strap engagement mechanism. This transforms a potentially harmful tool into a safe training device that protects both the wall and user.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a simplified copy of the ice climbing axe function adapted for artificial walls. Instead of using a full-size axe with sharp edges, the invention uses a scaled-down version with a strap that replicates the essential climbing motion while eliminating the harmful sharp features. The grip and angled shaft maintain the ergonomic benefits of conventional axes without the damage potential.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional axes with spikes, hammers, and adzes are used, then climbing capability is enhanced, but injury risk to users and other climbers increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the harmful components (spikes, hammers, adzes) from the ice axe design and replaces them with a strap-based system. This eliminates the injury risks associated with these components while preserving the essential climbing capability through the strap engagement mechanism. The rounded pick portion further ensures safety by preventing accidental injuries from sharp edges.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes the harmful components (spikes, hammers, adzes) from the conventional ice axe design. By taking out these dangerous elements and retaining only the essential angled shaft and grip functionality, the invention creates a safe training tool that maintains climbing capability without the injury risks of the removed components.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional artificial climbing walls are used with dry tooling techniques, then training versatility is improved, but the wall is not designed to accommodate the equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal climbing tool that can be used on conventional artificial walls while simulating dry tooling and ice climbing techniques. The strap-based pick portion is designed to engage with standard wall holds, making the tool adaptable to existing wall infrastructure. This allows the same tool to serve multiple training purposes (dry tooling, ice climbing, mixed climbing) on standard artificial walls without requiring specialized wall construction.
Data Source
AI summary
A climbing tool operative for climbing an artificial climbing wall, simulating dry tooling, ice climbing and mixed climbing. The tool has a strap replacing the axe portion used in outdoor climbing, the strap engaging a climbing wall hold. The tool has a grip attached to an angled shaft. The grip has a grasping portion for a hand that includes a pinky rest and a finger rest. The grip has a match rest for a second hand to grasp the tool above the grip in a “match maneuver.” The grip has an inward bias toward the wall from the shaft at about 160 degrees, and the angle in the shaft portion is about 160 degrees, providing an appropriate skeletal wrist angle when the tool is grasped. Because the climbing tool does not have any sharp points or edges, it does not damage an artificial climbing wall.