Adjustable Pole Handle with Load-Shifting Insert
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pole handles for walking sticks, trekking poles, alpine ski poles, and Nordic walking poles with adjustable hand straps suffer from material wear due to tensile stress and lack stability when made of soft materials, leading to potential hand injuries and inadequate grip security.
Innovation Solution
A pole handle design featuring a length-adjustable hand strap with a blocking mechanism, where the hand strap is attached to a handle body with a recess and insert, shifting the load onto the insert to reduce material stress and enhance stability, using a woven or thermoplastically injection-molded band and a blocking element that engages with a deflection pin to secure the strap length.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the handle is made of soft material (foam or cork) for comfort, then ease of operation is improved, but the handle material quickly wears out due to abrasion from hand strap stress
Solution Approach 1:
The handle is divided into two functional parts: a soft outer handle body for grip comfort and a hard inner insert for structural strength. The insert is received within the handle body, separating the comfort function from the load-bearing function, thus preventing wear of the soft material while maintaining grip comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The handle combines two different materials with complementary properties: soft foam or cork material for ergonomic comfort and hard material (such as metal or hard plastic) for durability and stress resistance. This composite construction allows each material to perform its optimal function without compromising the other.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a fastening mechanism is provided for the loop band to allow length adjustment, then adaptability is improved, but the handle material at entry and exit points experiences increased tensile stress and abrasion
Solution Approach 1:
The load-bearing function is segmented from the handle body and transferred to the separate insert. The hand strap fastening mechanism attaches to the insert rather than the handle body, concentrating stress on the hard insert material which can withstand tensile loads without wearing out the soft handle material.
Solution Approach 2:
The insert acts as an intermediary component between the hand strap fastening mechanism and the handle body. It mediates the tensile stresses and abrasion forces, protecting the soft handle material from direct contact with high-stress regions while still allowing the fastening mechanism to function.
3Reliability
If the hand strap is fixed securely to prevent hand injuries, then safety is improved, but the ability to adjust length for different hand sizes or glove use is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The hand strap fastening mechanism incorporates dynamic elements that allow the strap length to be adjusted by the user according to their needs. The blocking element can be moved between locked and unlocked positions, enabling the system to adapt between providing secure fixation and allowing length adjustment, thus satisfying both safety and adaptability requirements.
4Reliability
If a blocking mechanism is added to secure the loop length, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The blocking mechanism is designed to be self-actuating through the user's own actions. When the user pulls or releases the hand strap, the blocking element automatically engages or disengages based on the strap tension, eliminating the need for separate actuators or complex control systems. The mechanism serves itself through the natural forces applied during normal use.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
The invention relates to a pole handle (1) for walking poles, trekking poles, alpine ski poles, cross-country ski poles or Nordic walking poles, comprising a length-adjustable hand strap (2), wherein the strap length is fixed using a blocking element arranged in the handle body. A first end of the hand strap is secured in a top section (4a) of the handle body (4), wherein a mid-section (2d) of the strap is introduced into a recess (6) of the handle body (4), is deflected about a deflection element (11) in the recess (6), and passes downwards out of the handle body as the free second end (2b). The blocking element is pressed onto a lower strap section (2e) in order to block the adjustability of the length of the hand strap.