Safety Stirrup Frame With Swivel Arm for Lateral Foot Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional horse-riding stirrups are difficult or impossible to disengage from in the event of a fall, especially when the user's leg is positioned upwards, due to their closed-loop structure.
Innovation Solution
A safety horse-riding stirrup with an open frame, featuring a swivel arm that allows lateral disengagement of the user's foot, comprising a 'C' or 'L' shaped design with a reinforcement core and a flexible second side arm for easy release.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a closed-loop structure is used for the stirrup frame, then the foot hold is firm and stable, but the foot cannot be easily disengaged in the event of a fall
Solution Approach 1:
The closed-loop stirrup frame is segmented by introducing a breakable link that can fracture under excessive force. This divides the originally indivisible closed loop into separable parts, allowing the foot to be released during a fall while maintaining structural integrity during normal use.
Solution Approach 2:
The stirrup frame is pre-configured with a breakable link designed to fracture at a predetermined weak point. This preliminary preparation ensures that when excessive force is applied during a fall, the link breaks automatically to release the foot, eliminating the need for active disengagement maneuvers.
2Ease of operation
If a breakable link is introduced to enable easy disengagement, then the foot can be released during a fall, but the structural strength may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The breakable link is designed with non-uniform cross-sectional area, creating a localized weak point with reduced strength compared to the rest of the frame. This local quality change allows the link to fracture at the predetermined position while the remainder of the stirrup frame maintains full structural strength for normal riding conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The breakable link can be constructed using composite materials or material gradients, where the link portion has different mechanical properties than the main frame. This allows the link to have lower strength for easy breakage while the main frame retains high strength, achieving both safety release and structural integrity.
3Ease of manufacture
If the stirrup frame is made completely of polymer material, then the manufacturing is simplified and cost is reduced, but the mechanical resistance may be insufficient for heavy users
Solution Approach 1:
The stirrup frame combines polymer material with a metallic reinforcement core, creating a composite structure. The polymer provides ease of manufacture, corrosion resistance, and cost reduction, while the metallic core supplies the necessary mechanical strength and rigidity for heavy users, achieving both manufacturing simplicity and adequate strength.
Data Source
AI summary
Horse-riding stirrup comprising a stirrup frame (2) which comprises a hooking portion (4) to a stirrup leather (100), a first side arm (6) and a support arm (8) connected to each other in an incident manner to define a frame compartment (10) engageable by a user's foot; a second side arm (12) comprising an articulation end (14) pivoted to the stirrup frame, and a free end (16) rotatable between a coupling configuration to the support arm and a release configuration therefrom in which the arm is spaced from the support arm to create a lateral disengagement opening (18) of the foot from the compartment. The second side arm comprises a flexible portion (20) which in the coupling configuration presses the free end in abutment with the support arm and which, in order to achieve the release configuration, allows the second side arm to bend in part to snap-disengage the free end from the support arm.