Pitching Snowshoe Binding for Downhill Ski Boots
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional snowshoes are not suitable for downhill ski boots and lack the ability to accommodate boot rotation, making them inconvenient for use with downhill skis and limiting mobility on snow-covered terrain.
Innovation Solution
A snowshoe design featuring a flexible front strap and rear strap attached to the frame, allowing the binding platform to pitch and roll, with adjustable decking and crampons for improved traction, enabling the use of downhill ski boots and facilitating the transition between walking and skiing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional snowshoe bindings are used, then the snowshoe structure is simple, but it is not suitable for downhill ski boots and cannot accommodate boot rotation
Solution Approach 1:
The binding platform is designed to universally accommodate both traditional snowshoe bindings and downhill ski boot bindings. The platform can be configured with different binding types (e.g., strap bindings for cross-country boots, rigid bindings for downhill boots) and can support both pitched and rolled orientations, making it adaptable to multiple boot types and skiing styles without requiring entirely different equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The binding system incorporates dynamic elements including a pitch mechanism that allows the binding platform to rotate about a transverse axis, and a roll mechanism that allows rotation about the longitudinal axis. These dynamic adjustments enable the binding to adapt to different boot types and skiing conditions, transitioning between fixed and rotated positions as needed.
2Ease of operation
If rigid binding structures are used to attach boots, then the binding is stable, but the boot cannot roll (rotate about the longitudinal axis)
Solution Approach 1:
The binding system transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic system with controlled movement. The pitch mechanism allows rotation about the transverse axis while the roll mechanism enables rotation about the longitudinal axis. These dynamic elements maintain stability through controlled motion paths and attachment points that preserve binding integrity during rotation.
Solution Approach 2:
The binding system changes its geometric parameters during operation. The pitch angle can be adjusted to accommodate different terrain slopes, and the roll angle can be modified to adapt to different boot shapes and skiing styles. These parameter changes allow the binding to maintain optimal stability and comfort across varying conditions.
3Length of moving object
If the snowshoe frame is extended for better performance, then the snowshoe is longer and provides better traction, but it cannot be compactly stored
Solution Approach 1:
The snowshoe frame is divided into telescoping segments that can extend and retract. The frame includes an outer tube and an inner tube that slides within it, allowing the snowshoe to be extended to full length for optimal performance or collapsed to a compact size for storage and transport. This segmented design maintains structural integrity while enabling variable length adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The telescoping frame employs a nested configuration where the inner frame tube is inserted within the outer frame tube. This nesting arrangement allows the snowshoe to collapse to a minimal length for compact storage in backpacks or vehicles, while fully extending to provide the necessary length for effective snow traversal and traction.
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
Enables users to wear downhill ski boots for snowshoeing and skiing, allowing for easier hill climbing and transverse movement while carrying skis, and allows for the snowshoes to be compactly stored in a backpack.
Implementation Method 1
The front strap is flexible so that it can twist about its longitudinal axis and thereby permit the binding platform to pitch, i.e., rotate about a transverse axis of the snowshoe
Implementation Method 2
Projections, also termed 'crampons,' extending below a snowshoe to aid traction
Data Source
AI summary
A snowshoe having a binding for a downhill ski boot on a binding platform which can pitch, i.e., rotate about a transverse axis of the snowshoe. The binding platform is supported on a front strap which is attached to the sides of the framework for the snowshoe, which is of sufficient flexibility to pitch and, preferably, roll, i.e., rotate about the longitudinal axis of the framework. Decking between the binding platform and the framework has a front aperture to permit the binding platform to pitch and roll; is of such length as to permit extension of the framework, which is made possible by having the framework be a tubes separated on its first and second sides and containing an insertable tube in the areas of the separations; and has such flexibility as to enable the decking to fold underneath the binding platform when the tube of the framework is unextended.