Ski Boot Cuff Locking Device with Telescopic Stem
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current mountaineering ski boots with leaf spring-based cuff locking devices often fail to apply sufficient elastic force to penetrate snow, leading to inadequate locking performance under adverse conditions.
Innovation Solution
A ski boot with a cuff locking device featuring a rigid, metallic oblong movable arm and a telescopic stem with a preloaded coil spring, allowing for high torque application and reliable locking even in snowy conditions, while maintaining low weight and production costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If a leaf spring is used as the elastic member in the cuff locking device, then the device complexity is reduced and manufacturing cost is lowered, but the elastic force applied to the arm is insufficient to penetrate snow and reach the anchorage point
Solution Approach 1:
The coil spring is nested within the telescopic stem, with the spring contained inside the hollow cylindrical structure of the stem. This nesting arrangement allows the elastic member to be compact while still generating sufficient force, resolving the contradiction between force output and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The telescopic stem provides dynamic extension and retraction capability, allowing the elastic force to be applied over a greater distance and with greater magnitude than a rigid leaf spring could achieve. The dynamic telescopic structure enables the distal end of the arm to penetrate snow more effectively.
2Reliability
If a leaf spring is used as the elastic member, then the manufacturing cost is reduced, but the locking reliability under adverse snowy conditions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The nested configuration of the coil spring within the telescopic stem allows for compact manufacturing while maintaining high reliability. The coil spring can be manufactured using standard spring-making processes, and the telescopic stem can be produced as a single machined or extruded piece, keeping manufacturing costs reasonable while achieving reliable snow penetration.
Solution Approach 2:
The coil spring allows for adjustment of elastic force parameters through changes in spring constant, wire diameter, and coil density. These parameter changes enable optimization of the elastic force to reliably penetrate snow while maintaining manufacturability through standard engineering practices.
3Power
If a telescopic stem with coil spring is used instead of a leaf spring, then the elastic force and torque application capability are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The coil spring is nested within the telescopic stem, creating a compact power delivery mechanism. This nesting reduces the spatial footprint of the elastic assembly while maintaining high torque capability, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The telescopic stem with coil spring serves multiple functions: it provides elastic force, enables dynamic movement of the arm, and delivers high torque to penetrate snow. This multi-functionality justifies the increased complexity by consolidating several functions into a single integrated mechanism.
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
The solution ensures robust cuff locking performance in snowy conditions, reduces weight, and maintains cost-effectiveness compared to traditional designs.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic member, in this case made up of a coil spring (31), which is fitted onto a telescopic stem (30) so as to be able to bring and elastically retain the movable arm (17) in the locking position
Data Source
AI summary
A ski boot comprising: a rigid shell which is shaped so as to accommodate the foot of the user, and has a lower part structured to be able to couple to a ski binding device; a rigid cuff which is shaped so as to enclose the lower part of the leg of the user, and is pivotally joined to the shell so as to be able to swing about a rotation axis substantially perpendicular to the midplane of the boot; and a cuff locking device which is located on the cuff and is selectively adapted to rigidly connect the cuff to the shell to prevent the cuff from swinging on the shell; the cuff locking device, in turn, comprising a movable arm which is pivotally joined to the cuff so as to be able to rotate to and from a locking position in which the movable arm extends downwards and arranges its distal end in abutment on an anchorage structure present on said shell, and an elastic assembly which is adapted to bring and elastically retain the movable arm in the locking position, and which basically consists of a telescopic stem that lies substantially on the rotation plane of the movable arm and is interposed between the movable arm and a fixed point on the cuff, and of an elastic opposing member that is fitted on the telescopic stem, and acts on the telescopic stem so as to bring and elastically maintain the telescopic stem in a maximum extension configuration.