Ice Skate Stabilizer Arms for Lateral Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing stabilization devices for footwear, such as ice-skates and roller-skates, are cumbersome, difficult to use, and lack sufficient lateral stability, making them unsuitable for children and inefficient for training.
Innovation Solution
A stabilizing device comprising two adjustable body members with foot retaining segments and downwardly and outwardly extending stabilizing arms, featuring a releasable lock mechanism and constructed from resilient materials like plastics, metals, or composites, which can be easily attached to footwear using straps or laces, providing lateral stability and reducing friction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a walker type structure is used for ice-skate training, then lateral stability is improved, but the device becomes cumbersome and requires a significant area for training
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilizing device is divided into separate components: a first support member with a first stabilizing arm and a second support member with a second stabilizing arm. These segmented members can be independently positioned and locked, allowing the device to provide lateral stability without requiring a large overall structure or complex walker-type framework.
Solution Approach 2:
The stabilizing arms extend downwardly and outwardly from the foot retaining segments in a three-dimensional configuration. This dimensional arrangement allows the arms to engage with the skating surface and provide lateral stability without occupying significant horizontal training space, thereby resolving the contradiction between stability and device size.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a fixed structure stabilizing device is used, then lateral stability is improved, but the device becomes difficult to use and not suitable for children without supervision
Solution Approach 1:
The support members are designed with releasable lock means that allow them to be locked into position and subsequently unlocked. This dynamic feature enables the device to transition between a stable locked state during skating and a removable unlocked state for easy cleaning, storage, or adjustment, making it suitable for children who can independently operate the locking mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The releasable lock means are designed to be operated by the user without requiring adult supervision or complex assembly procedures. The locking and unlocking mechanisms are intuitively designed to be self-operating, allowing children to independently secure and remove the stabilizing arms, thereby improving ease of operation while maintaining stability when engaged.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a removable device with spaced apart blades is used, then adaptability is improved, but lateral stability is insufficient and the device does not provide adequate lateral flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilizing arms are designed with specific local characteristics: they extend downwardly and outwardly from the foot retaining segments at particular angles and positions. This localized geometric configuration provides optimal lateral stability and flexibility in the critical areas where the skater's foot contacts the blade, while maintaining adaptability through the removable design.
Solution Approach 2:
The support members and stabilizing arms can be constructed from composite materials or multi-component structures that combine rigidity for stability with flexibility for lateral movement. This composite approach allows the device to provide both adaptability for different skating conditions and sufficient lateral stability, resolving the contradiction between these two requirements.
4Stability of the object's composition
If straight areas are provided in the stabilizing arrangement, then lateral stability is improved, but the arrangement becomes hazardous as it can get caught on irregular surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal ends of the stabilizing arms are designed with curved or rounded geometries rather than straight edges. This curvature allows the arms to glide smoothly over irregular ice surfaces without catching or creating hazardous contact points, while still maintaining the lateral stability function through the downwardly and outwardly extending configuration of the arms themselves.
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 device offers user-friendly, quick, and safe training by providing adequate lateral stability, allowing for efficient use on various surfaces and accommodating different foot sizes, making it suitable for children and proficient users alike.
Implementation Method 1
The terminal end portions may include a friction reducing means, an example of which is a ball-bearing
Data Source
AI summary
A stabilizing training device suitable for use on an ice-skate is disclosed. The device provides a foot retaining portion and a stabilizing portion directly under the foot retaining portion. The unit is designed to provide at least partial resiliency to permit limited lateral movement in use. The device is positioned about the foot or footwear by positioning the former into the foot retaining area. A base extends between foot retaining members of the foot retaining area. The base contacts the sole of the foot or footwear and has, extending downwardly and outwardly therefrom, arms which provide for the stabilizing aspect when the device is in use.