Multi-piece sled with removable fasteners for rigid floor assembly

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional snow sleds are large and bulky, making them cumbersome to transport, and existing folding designs are prone to fatigue and breakage due to the use of thin plastic hinges and inefficient folding mechanisms.

Innovation Solution

A multi-piece snow sled design featuring a front and rear sled body piece with removable fasteners and a compact assembly system that allows for easy disassembly and reassembly, enabling the sled to be transported in a compact form and assembled into a full-sized sled with a rigid floor.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If the sled is designed as a large single piece to accommodate riders, then the sled can support the riders, but the sled becomes cumbersome to transport

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveload bearing capacityVSAvoidtransportability

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The sled is divided into multiple separate pieces (front section, rear section, and intermediate section) that can be assembled together to form a complete sled. This segmentation allows the sled to be transported in smaller, more manageable parts while still providing full load-bearing capacity when assembled.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Volume of moving object

If folding designs are used to reduce sled size, then the sled becomes more compact, but the plastic hinge becomes thin and exposed to cold conditions causing fatigue and breakage

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovecompactnessVSAvoidhinge durability

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of using a thin plastic hinge, the invention segments the sled into separate pieces connected by robust mechanical connectors. These connectors include features like protrusions, recesses, and multiple fastening points that distribute stress and prevent the fatigue and breakage seen in thin-hinge designs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Adaptability or versatility

If folding designs with vertical axis hinge are used, then the sled can be steered, but the height increases making the sled cumbersome and heavy

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesteering capabilityVSAvoidsled height

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The sled is divided into steerable front/rear sections and a non-steerable intermediate section. This segmentation allows steering functionality to be localized to specific sections rather than requiring the entire sled to fold or rotate, thereby reducing overall height while maintaining steering capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS12195069B2Multi-piece sled

Publication Date: 2025.01.14 WEATHER BRANDS LLC

AI summary

A multi-piece snow sled designed to be transported in a compact form then assembled into a full-sized sled, and more specifically a multi-piece snow sled designed to be transported in a compact form then assembled into a full-sized sled having a rigid floor. The multi-piece sled comprises a front sled body piece, a rear sled body piece, a front interface edge, a rear interface edge, and a plurality of removable fasteners securing the front interface edge to the rear interface edge.