Ski Binding Toe-Piece Adjusting Element for Blocking Force
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The reliability of the blocking configuration in ski bindings for ski mountaineering decreases due to wear and production tolerances, leading to potential undesired unhooking of the ski boot during impacts, even in the blocking configuration.
Innovation Solution
Incorporation of an adjusting element that interacts with the activating lever to adjust the blocking force, allowing compensation for wear and tolerances, ensuring consistent blocking performance by varying the available volume between the activating lever and the rotating pivot.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the blocking lever is used to block the joint in the hooked configuration, then the ski boot is secured against undesired unhooking, but wear and production tolerances reduce the reliability of the blocking configuration over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an adjusting element that modifies the geometric parameters of the blocking mechanism. By changing the position of the activating lever relative to the rotating pivot through the adjusting element, the blocking force parameters can be varied to compensate for wear and tolerances, thereby maintaining reliable blocking performance throughout the service life of the binding.
Solution Approach 2:
The adjusting element enables the user to self-adjust the blocking force without requiring specialized tools or professional service. The user can periodically adjust the parameter to compensate for wear, allowing the binding to maintain its blocking reliability autonomously throughout its service life.
2Device complexity
If the available volume between the activating lever and rotating pivot is fixed, then the structure is simple, but wear and tolerances cause the blocking force to become insufficient over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the fixed available volume into a dynamically adjustable parameter. The adjusting element allows the distance between the activating lever and rotating pivot to be modified, enabling the blocking force to be adapted to compensate for wear and tolerances while maintaining a relatively simple structural configuration.
3Reliability
If the blocking force is increased to prevent undesired unhooking during impacts, then the blocking reliability improves, but the risk of injury from excessive blocking force increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables partial adjustment of the blocking force through the adjusting element. Instead of using a single excessive blocking force that could cause injury, the user can adjust the parameter to achieve the minimum necessary blocking force for reliable operation, avoiding excessive force that would create injury risk while still preventing undesired unhooking.
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
Enhances the reliability of the blocking configuration by adjusting the blocking force to maintain effective engagement of the ski boot, preventing unintended unhooking due to wear and production variations.
Implementation Method 1
first elastic means which are interposed between the joint and an activating lever so as to exert an elastic force having at least a component directed along the axis of the ski
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 1C~1D
Figure 2A~2B
AI summary
A toe-piece of a ski binding (1) for ski mountaineering, comprising: a base (2) which is fixable to a ski; a second jaw (5) which rotatably couples with the base (2), and which is opposite the first jaw (3); a first pin (7) borne by the first jaw (3); a second pin (8) borne by the second jaw (5); an activating lever (10) rotatably coupled to the base (2) by means of a first rotating pivot (9) which crosses the activating lever (10) at a first through-hole (11); a joint (12); and a blocking lever (17) which is rotatably coupled to the activating lever (10). The first through-hole (11) is dimensioned so that an available volume (19) is defined between the first rotating pivot (9) and the internal walls of the first through-hole (11), so as to enable a movement of the activating lever (10) with respect to the first rotating pivot (9). The toe-piece of the ski binding (1) further comprises an adjusting element (20) which is arranged so as to interact with the available volume (19), and conformed so that the activation thereof determines an increase or a reduction of the available volume (19) so as to enable adjustment of the position that the activating lever (10) can assume and, therefore, the adjustment of the force with which the blocking lever (17) blocks the activating lever (10), when the ski binding toe-piece (1) is in the blocking configuration of the ski boot (B).