Flexible Snowshoe Tail Dynamics for Gait Comfort
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Solution Overview
Problem
Snowshoes disrupt natural gait due to their extended length, particularly at the rear, causing unnatural rotation and leverage on the user's lower extremities, and attempts to minimize this, such as shortening the snowshoe or using an upwardly angled tail, compromise flotation and load balance.
Innovation Solution
A snowshoe design with a substantially more flexible tail than the central portion, which deforms and bends during heel strike, reducing the effective length and impact load, while maintaining sufficient stiffness for flotation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the snowshoe tail is made longer to maintain flotation area and load balance, then the flotation capability is improved, but the user's gait is disrupted and unnatural rotation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The snowshoe tail is designed to be flexible rather than rigid, allowing it to dynamically adapt during the gait cycle. The tail bends upward during heel strike to clear the ground, then flattens when the foot is planted, providing both natural gait compatibility and sufficient flotation area.
Solution Approach 2:
The tail's flexibility parameter is specifically optimized to allow bending during heel strike while maintaining sufficient stiffness for flotation. This parameter change enables the tail to transition between two functional states: flexible during impact and rigid during weight-bearing.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the snowshoe tail is made rigid to maintain structural integrity, then the load balance is improved, but the impact load during heel strike increases
Solution Approach 1:
The snowshoe tail is constructed as a flexible structure that can bend and deform during impact. This flexibility absorbs impact loads that would otherwise be transmitted to the user's lower extremities, while the overall snowshoe structure maintains sufficient rigidity for load-bearing.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible tail acts as a built-in cushion that deforms before the full impact is transmitted to the user. This beforehand cushioning reduces peak impact forces during heel strike on rigid terrain.
3Ease of operation
If the snowshoe tail is shortened to reduce gait disruption, then the ease of operation is improved, but the flotation area is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than shortening the tail, the invention makes it dynamic and flexible. The tail maintains its full length for flotation but bends during gait to clear the ground, eliminating the need to compromise between length and gait compatibility.
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 flexible tail reduces the negative impact on the user's gait, making walking more comfortable by shortening the rear extension of the snowshoe during heel strike and minimizing the impact load on rigid terrain.
Implementation Method 1
the snowshoe tail deforms and bends during the heel strike portion of the gait, when the tail of the snowshoe first contacts the ground
Data Source
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AI summary
A snowshoe (10) of molded plastic material has a tail section (20) with greater flexibility than the main body section (24), thereby allowing the tail to give and deform as the snowshoe tail is engaged against the terrain during the gait of the user. At the same time, the tail is stiff enough to provide flotation needed when the full weight of the user is on one snowshoe fully engaged against terrain, such as soft snow.