Ski Touring Heel Unit One-Way Rotary Coupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional heel units for ski touring bindings can unintentionally shift from the touring position to the downhill position due to lateral pressure or impact, leading to unreliable operation and requiring additional effort to relock the ski brake.
Innovation Solution
A one-way rotary coupling is implemented between the binding body and the brake assembly, allowing rotation from the downhill to the touring position but preventing unintentional reverse rotation, ensuring the binding body remains in the touring position under normal loads and allowing intentional adjustment with sufficient force.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the binding body is allowed to rotate freely from downhill position to touring position, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to unintentional reverse rotation to downhill position
Solution Approach 1:
The one-way rotary coupling employs asymmetric geometry where the coupling elements allow rotation in one direction (downhill to touring) but block rotation in the opposite direction. The coupling includes a protrusion on one component that fits into a recess with a one-way locking mechanism, creating asymmetric engagement that permits forward rotation while preventing backward rotation, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The one-way rotary coupling acts as an intermediary mechanism between the binding body and the brake assembly. This intermediate component transmits rotational motion in the desired direction while filtering out unwanted reverse motion, effectively mediating the interaction between the binding body and braking arrangement to prevent unintentional position changes.
2Reliability
If a one-way rotary coupling is introduced to prevent unintentional rotation, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The one-way rotary coupling is segmented into distinct functional elements: a coupling body with protrusions, a receiving component with recesses, and spring-loaded locking elements. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, simplifying the overall design while maintaining reliability. The modular structure enables easy manufacturing and assembly, offsetting the added complexity through functional clarity.
Solution Approach 2:
The one-way rotary coupling incorporates self-locking functionality through spring-loaded elements that automatically engage when rotation in the permitted direction occurs. The mechanism serves itself by using the rotational motion to compress springs that then lock into position, eliminating the need for external locking mechanisms or complex control systems, thus improving reliability without proportionally increasing complexity.
3Reliability
If the binding body rotation is blocked in one direction, then the reliability is improved, but the adaptability deteriorates as intentional repositioning becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The one-way rotary coupling is designed with preliminary action in the form of manually operable release mechanisms or sufficient force application points that allow intentional overriding of the one-way lock. The coupling includes features such as release levers or designated force application areas that, when actuated with sufficient force, disengage the locking elements and permit rotation in the blocked direction, thus maintaining adaptability for intentional repositioning while preserving reliability against unintentional shifts.
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 4~5
AI summary
The heel unit (10) comprises a binding body (14) with a coupling unit for coupling a heel section of an aquaplane shoe, and is placed on a base (12) around a vertical axis. A brake assembly (16) is provided with an upward and downward movable braking element (18). The binding body has a control section, which is in contact with another control section (32) from a downhill position to a touring position during rotation of binding body in a direction. The former and latter control sections form a one-way rotary coupling. : The one-way rotary coupling blocks the rotation of the binding body in a rotary direction with a predetermined angle range relative to the brake assembly. USE : Heel unit for tour binding for tour ski sports. ADVANTAGE : The heel unit prevents the accidental displacement of twill binding from the downhill position to the touring position, and thus results in a more reliable operation. The control section form one-way rotary coupling arranged in a predetermined angular range of rotation in only one direction, and thus the unintended reverse rotation of the touring position to the downhill position is prevented by the same range of angles. The binding body is provided with a blockage which prevents the damage of the heel unit when the binding body strikes against an obstruction. DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS : The drawing shows a partial perspective exploded view of a heel unit. 10 : Heel unit 12 : Base 14 : Binding body 16 : Brake assembly 18 : Braking element 32 : Control section.