Elastomeric Trekking Stick Buffer with Convex Rolling Surface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional trekking and Nordic walking stick tips are unsuitable for both hard and soft surfaces, causing joint impact, noise, and insufficient friction, and existing solutions are mechanically complex, expensive, and require user manipulation for terrain changes.
Innovation Solution
A buffer with elastically mounted hard holding elements, such as metal or ceramic pins, embedded in rubber-elastic material, providing traction and shock absorption on hard surfaces while engaging soft surfaces, and featuring a convex rolling surface design for optimal contact and grip.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If a hard tip is used on soft surfaces or snow-covered surfaces, then penetration and traction are improved, but joint impact and noise increase on hard surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of the tip material from rigid to elastic, allowing it to deform under load. This parameter change enables the tip to penetrate soft surfaces effectively while absorbing impact energy on hard surfaces, thus providing both good traction and joint protection across different terrains
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material construction by combining elastic material with a hard rolling surface layer. This composite structure allows the tip to exhibit both the penetration capability of hard materials and the shock-absorbing properties of elastic materials, resolving the contradiction between traction on soft surfaces and joint protection on hard surfaces
2Force
If a hard tip is used on hard surfaces, then penetration is improved, but noise and joint impact increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of the tip material from rigid to elastic, allowing it to deform under load. This parameter change enables the tip to penetrate soft surfaces effectively while absorbing impact energy on hard surfaces, thus providing both good traction and joint protection across different terrains
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful rigid impact into a beneficial elastic deformation process. The elastic material absorbs impact energy that would otherwise be transmitted as noise and joint stress, transforming a harmful effect into a protective mechanism while maintaining penetration capability
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a rubber buffer is used on hard surfaces, then joint impact is reduced, but friction and adhesion are insufficient on soft surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite material construction by combining elastic material with a hard rolling surface layer. This composite structure allows the tip to exhibit both the penetration capability of hard materials and the shock-absorbing properties of elastic materials, resolving the contradiction between traction on soft surfaces and joint protection on hard surfaces
4Force
If embedded pin elements are used in the buffer, then traction on soft surfaces is improved, but joint impact and noise increase on hard surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of the tip material from rigid to elastic, allowing it to deform under load. This parameter change enables the tip to penetrate soft surfaces effectively while absorbing impact energy on hard surfaces, thus providing both good traction and joint protection across different terrains
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 buffer reduces joint impact and noise on hard surfaces while maintaining effective traction on soft surfaces, ensuring consistent performance across various terrains without user intervention.
Implementation Method 1
buffers made of rubber-elastic material have already been proposed for such surfaces
Implementation Method 2
The holding element is mounted in an elastic manner in the rubber-elastic material, which results in the surprising effect that, when used on a hard surface, no hard blows are transmitted to the stick handle
Implementation Method 3
the holding element can engage in soft surfaces and is therefore suitable for such soft surfaces, similar to a classic stick tip
Implementation Method 4
at least one holding element (9), which is elastically mounted in the rubber-elastic material
Implementation Method 5
the rolling surface is essentially flat or only slightly convexly curved in a transverse direction with respect to the rolling, but is convexly curved in a longitudinal direction perpendicular thereto
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The buffer (2) for a trekking walking stick (1) has a socket to receive the end of the stick and has a rolling surface (5) on its lower end. The rolling surface is slightly convex to aid push off when the stick is moved. The buffer is formed of an elastomeric material and can have harder studs (9) on its lower surface. The buffer can have at least four and preferably six or eight studs. The studs can be spaced longitudinally of the buffer and can be in rows. Claims include a method of making the buffer.