Ski Binding Toe Piece Support Structure for Touring Boot Engagement
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing piste ski bindings require height adjustments for touring ski boots to ensure safe skiing, which can be inconvenient and may not securely engage the boot without altering the toe piece or sole holder's height.
Innovation Solution
A piste ski binding toe piece with a support structure having a specific apex distance and shape that securely engages touring ski boots without requiring height adjustments, featuring a concave support structure with a curved shape and a free space behind the apex to prevent boot sole contact, ensuring secure fitting and easy lateral release.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the toe piece or sole holder height is adjusted to accommodate touring ski boots, then secure engagement of the boot is achieved, but the device complexity increases and requires additional adjustment mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of adjusting the toe piece or sole holder height to accommodate different boot types, the invention inverts the approach by designing the support structure with a fixed high apex that naturally accommodates both touring ski boots and piste ski boots without any adjustment mechanisms. The support structure's apex is positioned at a distance of 28-34mm from the front sole end and at a height of 19±2mm, creating a universal fit for different boot types.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure with its specifically dimensioned apex serves multiple functions: it securely engages touring ski boots with their higher sole thickness, maintains compatibility with standard piste ski boots, and provides a fixed reference point for the release mechanism. This universal design eliminates the need for separate adjustment mechanisms for different boot types.
2Device complexity
If the support structure apex is positioned closer to the front sole end, then the release mechanism becomes more compact, but the secure engagement of touring ski boots is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The invention specifies precise parameter ranges for the apex position: a longitudinal distance of 28-34mm from the front sole end and a vertical height of 19±2mm. These optimized parameters ensure both secure engagement of touring ski boots and compact integration of the release mechanism, balancing both requirements through carefully controlled dimensional parameters.
3Ease of manufacture
If the support structure has a flat contact surface, then the manufacturing is simpler, but the secure engagement and prevention of boot sole contact issues is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure features a curved apex rather than a flat contact surface. This curvature is specifically designed to match the contour of ski boot soles, ensuring optimal contact and engagement. The curved geometry maintains manufacturing feasibility while significantly improving the reliability of boot engagement and preventing contact issues.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a combination of a piste binding or piste ski binding, in particular a toe piece of the piste binding, with a ski boot. The ski boot (10) comprises a rigid ski boot shell (11) and a ski boot sole (1) with a front sole end (1b), a sole back, a sole top (1a), and a sole bottom (1c). The piste binding comprises a toe piece (20) and a heel piece, wherein the piste binding includes a support structure (2) for the ski boot sole (1). The support structure (2) has an apex (5) which is at least 28 mm away (X1) in the longitudinal direction from the front sole end (1b) held in the piste binding, and wherein the apex (5) has a perpendicular distance (Y2) of 19 mm ± 2 mm from the sole top (1a) of the ski boot held in the piste binding at least at one point.