Elastic String Attachment for Goalie Pad Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional attachment methods for goalie pads to skates, using long laces, often result in loose fittings over time, leading to instability and suboptimal placement of the pad.
Innovation Solution
An elastic string with mid-point retention and capped hook and loop ends is used, wrapped under and over the skate to securely maintain the pad's position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If long laces are used to wrap around the skate to stabilize the pad, then the pad can be attached to the skate, but the laces get loose over time and the pad becomes unstable and shifts from optimal placement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameter of the attachment element from a traditional non-elastic lace to an elastic string with specific elastic characteristics. This elastic property allows the string to maintain tension and secure the pad firmly to the skate over time, preventing the loosening issue that plagues traditional lace systems while still allowing for proper wrapping around the skate anatomy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional friction-based lace wrapping system with an elastic string system that uses elastic tension and hook-and-loop fastening mechanics. This substitution provides a more reliable and durable attachment mechanism that maintains pad stability throughout the duration of use, directly addressing the reliability and duration contradiction.
2Reliability
If the pad is securely attached to maintain optimal placement, then pad stability is improved, but the attachment means becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the attachment system into distinct functional segments: the elastic string, the hook means at one end, the loop means at the other end, and the mid-point retention feature. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while keeping the overall design relatively simple and manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic string acts as an intermediary element between the pad attachment member and the skate. It provides the necessary connection and tensioning function while allowing for flexibility and adjustment, thereby achieving secure attachment without requiring a overly complex mechanical system.
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 solution provides a stable and secure attachment of the goalie pad to the skate, maintaining optimal placement and preventing the pad from shifting.
Implementation Method 1
a string (16) which has elastic characteristics
Data Source
AI summary
An attachment means for connecting a goalie pad to a skate. Has a string which has elastic characteristics and which is retained substantially at its mid-point by a pad attachment member and which has its two distal ends capped with a hook means and a loop means. The string is wrapped first under and then over the skate (or vice versa) so that the hook and loop means can mate and thus securely retain the lower part of the pad onto the skate.