Monocoque Skate Boot Body Merging Components to Reduce Weight
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current skate boot construction methods result in weighty and prone-to-wear designs due to seams, inconsistent bonding of components, inadequate protection for the instep, and non-adjustable tongue positions, leading to discomfort, reduced durability, and increased injury risk.
Innovation Solution
A monocoque skate boot body is fabricated using a wet composite material process, integrating the sole, heel, ankle, Achilles tendon, and cuff portions with a foam liner and thermo-formable plastic, allowing for customizable tongue positioning and enhanced tendon guard integration, along with a removable tongue for improved comfort and protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If multiple components of thermoformed and injection molded plastic are used to construct the skate boot, then the boot can be manufactured using conventional processes, but seams are created that require reinforcing elements which add weight and potential for premature breakdown
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate components (sole, heel, ankle, Achilles tendon portions, and cuff) into a single monocoque structure formed from one piece of thermoplastic material. This eliminates the need for seams and reinforcing elements, thereby reducing weight while maintaining structural integrity and ease of manufacture through a unified molding process.
2Ease of manufacture
If the eyelet cuff is bonded to the already fabricated support structure, then the support structure can be pre-formed, but the bonding process is difficult and creates inconsistency leading to higher reject rates
Solution Approach 1:
The eyelet cuff is merged with the support structure to form a single integrated monocoque body. This eliminates the separate bonding step entirely, ensuring consistent integration of the eyelet cuff with the support structure and eliminating the variability and reject rates associated with post-fabrication bonding processes.
3Ease of manufacture
If the eyelet cuff is bonded and stitched to the support structure, then the components can be assembled, but the eyelet cuff bends around the support structure when laces are tightened and does not uniformly pull the skate boot body over the instep
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the eyelet cuff with the support structure into a single monocoque body, the invention ensures that the eyelet cuff and support structure move as one unified unit. This eliminates the bending and misalignment that occurs when separate components are bonded and stitched, ensuring uniform pulling of the skate boot body over the instep when laces are tightened.
4Ease of manufacture
If the tendon guard is only bonded to the top of the support structure, then the assembly is simple, but accelerated wear occurs as the wearer extends their ankle and forces the tendon guard to flex back and forth
Solution Approach 1:
The tendon guard is merged with the support structure to form an integrated monocoque body. This eliminates the separate bonding connection that is prone to failure under repeated flexing. The unified structure ensures that forces transmitted through the tendon guard are distributed throughout the entire boot body, preventing accelerated wear and improving durability.
5Device complexity
If the tongue is permanently attached to the main boot body, then the structure is simplified, but the position of the tongue cannot be adjusted to the preference of the wearer
Solution Approach 1:
The tongue is segmented from the main boot body, allowing it to be positioned and attached at different locations according to wearer preference. This segmentation maintains the simplicity of the overall structure while providing the adaptability to adjust tongue position, combining structural efficiency with customization.
6Object-affected harmful factors
If a protective plastic cover is added to cover the lace area, then foot protection from puck impact is improved, but the cover does not fit tight enough creating obstruction to the wearer while striding
Solution Approach 1:
The protective plastic cover is merged with the monocoque boot body, eliminating gaps and loose fittings between the cover and the boot. This integration ensures tight, seamless protection that does not obstruct the wearer's stride, while maintaining adequate foot protection from puck impact.
7Object-affected harmful factors
If a protective plastic cover is added to cover the lace area, then foot protection is improved, but the cover tends to be heavy and thick which turns off the players
Solution Approach 1:
The protective plastic cover is merged with the boot body as an integrated monocoque structure, eliminating the need for separate thick, heavy cover components. The unified design provides adequate protection while optimizing weight by using the same material and manufacturing process for the entire boot body.
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 lightweight, durable, and customizable skate boot with enhanced protection and comfort, reduced rejection rates, and improved fit, addressing the limitations of existing designs by integrating components and allowing for adjustable features.
Implementation Method 1
vacuum bagging and heating the wet composite material until the wet composite material has cured into a rigid composite structure matrix
Implementation Method 2
heating the wet composite material until the wet composite material has cured
Data Source
AI summary
A skate boot for receiving a wearer's foot comprising: a monocoque skate boot body comprising a heel portion; a toe box portion; a sole portion; an ankle portion; a lower Achilles tendon portion located directly above the heel portion; an upper Achilles tendon portion for receiving a tendon guard; an eyelet cuff portion, the eyelet cuff portion houses the eyelet holes, through which eyelets are installed, through which a lace is utilized to tighten the skate boot to the wearer's foot. Also included, a liner portion, integrated into the monocoque skate body, comprised of foam for cushioning the wearer's foot, bonded to a material layer for providing comfort against the wearer's skin, an outer shell bonded and stitched to the outer surface of the monocoque skate boot body, a tendon guard secured to the upper Achilles tendon portion with freedom to adjust the position, and a tongue attached to the toe box portion with freedom to adjust the position.