Dry Land Ski Braking System for Snow Training
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Participants in board-riding sports like snowboarding and skiing face challenges in mastering skills due to the inability to consistently practice in varying weather and geographical conditions, leading to limited time for skill development and increased risk of injury.
Innovation Solution
A training device designed to simulate the balancing and turning movements of downhill snow skiing or snowboarding on dry, downhill surfaces, featuring a footboard with pivotally attached forks, wheels, and a braking system that applies tension to the wheels through cables and scissor assemblies, allowing users to practice balance and control on different surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If skiing or snowboarding is practiced on snow-covered surfaces, then realistic sport conditions are simulated, but practice is limited by weather and geographical constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a dry-land training device that copies the essential movements and mechanics of snow skiing/snowboarding without requiring actual snow conditions. The footboard, forks, and wheels replicate the board-riding motion, while the braking system simulates speed control, allowing practice in any weather condition.
Solution Approach 2:
The training device is designed to be universally applicable for practicing skiing and snowboarding skills regardless of location or weather. It combines multiple functions: balance training, turning practice, and braking control simulation, making it adaptable to various training needs without requiring snow-covered surfaces.
2Ease of operation
If beginners learn speed control through braking wedge maneuvers, then speed control is achieved, but the learning process is complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The braking system is segmented into separate front and rear brake assemblies, each with independent cable actuation. This allows beginners to practice braking control in a simplified manner before transitioning to more complex snow conditions, reducing the time needed to master speed control.
Solution Approach 2:
The dry-land training device serves as an intermediary between basic balance training and actual snow skiing/snowboarding. It provides a controlled environment where speed control can be practiced without the complexity of real snow conditions, accelerating the learning process.
3Reliability
If extensive practice is undertaken to master board-riding skills, then proficiency improves, but injury risk increases due to repeated falls
Solution Approach 1:
The dry-land training environment provides a safe, cushioned alternative to snow surfaces where falls do not cause injury. Users can repeatedly practice balance and turning movements without the harmful consequences of hard falls, enabling extensive practice without increased injury risk.
4Device complexity
If a simple braking mechanism is used, then device complexity is reduced, but braking control precision is insufficient for realistic training
Solution Approach 1:
The braking system uses flexible cables that dynamically respond to user input, allowing for nuanced control adjustments. The cable tension can be varied continuously to simulate different braking forces, providing realistic control precision without requiring complex electronic or hydraulic systems.
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
Enables users to practice and improve their balancing and turning skills in a controlled environment, enhancing their ability to control speed and direction, reducing the risk of injury and improving proficiency in board-riding sports.
Implementation Method 1
a first end of the brake cable is fixedly attached to the brake arm and a second end of the brake cable is fixedly attached to the footboard, wherein the brake cable is movably disposed within a flexible tube
Implementation Method 2
a front brake scissor assembly fixedly attached to the front fork and including a first front brake arm and a second front brake arm
Implementation Method 3
a front neck attached to the front surface of the footboard and pivotally attached to a front fork
Data Source
AI summary
Provided herein is a training device configured to allow a user to simulate all of the balancing and turning movements of downhill snow skiing or snowboarding on dry, downhill surfaces. The device is equipped with a braking system that allows the user to slow down the speed of travel when the moving direction changes from forward to sideways, thereby simulating the act of slowing down on a slope by turning a ski or snowboard. The braking effect is further enhanced when the ski or snowboard is tilted towards the uphill direction, further simulating the actual movements of skiing or snowboarding on snow. The braking system may include one or more mechanisms to amplify the force applied to the brake cables. An optional steering bar may be provided with handles that are positioned ahead of the bar to simulate the planting of ski poles prior to or during a turn.