Coupleable Fin Boot Toe Body for Adjustable Fit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fins often have ill-fitting foot pockets due to limited standard sizes, leading to increased drag and reduced control in water due to water ingress between the foot and the fin pocket, and high manufacturing and distribution costs for varied sizes.
Innovation Solution
A fin system comprising a fin body, a boot coupling body, and a boot toe body that can be coupled using a resiliently deformable mechanism, allowing for adjustable fit and easy attachment/detachment, enabling a single size of boot toe body to fit various boot sizes and shapes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional fins use integral foot pockets with limited standard sizes, then manufacturing and distribution costs are reduced, but the foot pockets do not comfortably fit user feet and create drag in water
Solution Approach 1:
The fin system is divided into separate components: a fin body and a removable boot toe body that can be detached and replaced. This segmentation allows the boot toe body to be customized for different foot sizes and shapes while keeping the main fin structure standardized, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing efficiency and fit comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The standardized boot toe body design with universal coupling mechanisms can be used across multiple fin models and sizes. A single boot toe body design can accommodate various foot sizes through adjustable features, reducing the need to manufacture multiple sizes while maintaining comfort and performance.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional fins use integral foot pockets with limited standard sizes, then manufacturing and distribution costs are reduced, but water ingress between foot and fin pocket increases drag
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the boot toe body from the fin body, the system creates a precise interface that can be tightly sealed. The removable boot toe body can be custom-fitted to the user's foot, eliminating gaps where water could ingress and create drag, while the standardized components keep manufacturing costs low.
3Ease of operation
If fins are manufactured in a large variety of foot sizes and shapes, then fit comfort and performance are improved, but manufacturing and distribution costs become very high
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the customizable boot toe body from the standardized fin body. Only the boot toe bodies need to be manufactured in various sizes, while the main fin structures can be produced in standard sizes, significantly reducing manufacturing complexity and cost while still providing customized fit options.
Solution Approach 2:
The boot toe bodies are designed with universal coupling mechanisms that work across different fin models. This universality allows a limited number of boot toe body sizes to serve multiple fin types, reducing the total number of variants that need to be manufactured and distributed while maintaining compatibility and fit quality.
4Ease of manufacture
If a single size of boot toe body is used to fit various boot sizes and shapes, then manufacturing costs are minimized, but the coupling mechanism must be complex to ensure proper fit
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling mechanism incorporates dynamic elements such as resiliently deformable components and movable coupling elements that adapt to different boot sizes and shapes. This allows a single boot toe body design to accommodate various footwear while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure through adaptive rather than mechanically complex means.
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 a comfortable, adjustable, and efficient fin attachment that reduces drag and enhances control by accommodating different foot sizes and shapes without the need for multiple fin sizes, while minimizing manufacturing costs.
Implementation Method 1
A fin system comprising a fin body, a boot coupling body, and a boot toe body that can be coupled using a resiliently deformable mechanism
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of coupling a boot toe body to a fin apparatus is disclosed. The fin apparatus includes a fin body coupled to a boot coupling body. The method involves connecting a first connector on a first end of the boot coupling body to a first complementary connector on a top side of the boot toe body, and connecting a second connector on a second end of the boot coupling body to a second complementary connector on a bottom side of the boot toe body. Boot toe bodies, fin apparatuses, and systems including the boot toe bodies and fin apparatuses are also disclosed.