Ski Boot Removal Tool Using Heel Leverage and Calf Shaft Hook
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Ski boots are notoriously difficult to remove due to their tight fit, posing a challenge for wearers who need to extract their foot safely and easily.
Innovation Solution
A boot removal tool featuring a heel support and a gripping hook that allows for leverage to rotate the boot shaft outward and apply downward force, facilitating the extraction of the foot from the boot while in an upright position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ski boots are designed with a tight fit to secure the foot, then the boot provides better support and protection, but the boot becomes extremely difficult to remove
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a boot removal tool as an intermediary device between the user and the tight-fitting boot. The tool includes a heel engagement element that secures to the boot heel, a shaft, and a calf shaft hook that engages behind the boot shaft. By applying leverage through the handle, the tool mediates the force needed to pivot the boot shaft outward and release the foot, solving the contradiction between tight fit security and ease of removal.
2Reliability
If the boot shaft is designed to be tightly bound to the foot, then the boot provides better ankle support, but the wearer cannot easily extract their foot
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies force in a different dimension by engaging the calf shaft hook behind the boot shaft and pivoting it outward laterally, rather than pulling directly upward or forward. This dimensional change in force application allows the tool to overcome the tight binding of the boot shaft to the foot while preserving the boot's ankle support function during wear.
3Stability of the object's composition
If no removal tool is used, then the boot maintains its structural integrity, but the wearer risks injury or strain when attempting to remove the boot
Solution Approach 1:
The boot removal tool serves as a mediator that transfers the removal force from the user's hand through the heel engagement element and shaft to the boot shaft hook. This intermediary mechanism allows the wearer to remove the boot without directly applying excessive force that could cause injury or strain, while the tool's structured design ensures the boot's structural integrity is maintained during the removal process.
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
Enables safe and easy removal of the foot from ski boots by providing the necessary leverage and force to pivot the boot shaft, making the process more manageable for users.
Implementation Method 1
the boot removal tool provides a leverage for rotating the calf portion of the boot shaft outward
Implementation Method 2
applying a downward force to the handle, wherein the downward force applied through the boot removal tool aids in extracting the wearer's foot from the boot by conveying the downward force from the calf boot shaft hook onto an upper edge of the calf region of the boot shaft
Data Source
AI summary
A method of removing a foot from a boot having an upper binding, the method employing a boot removal tool. The boot removal tool includes a heel gripping element carried by an operational end of an elongated shaft and a handle at an opposite, gripping end thereof. A calf boot shaft hook includes a boot shaft hook cantilevered elongated element, wherein the shaft hook is carried by a central region of the elongated shaft. In use, the cantilevered elongated element is inserted into a boot shaft between an interior rear surface and a wearer's calf. The heel gripping element is positioned contacting a heel section of the boot. The user draws the grip rearward, pivoting the tool against the heel, opening a boot shaft pivotal calf segment of the boot shaft. The tool introduces a downward retention force. The combination aids in removal of the wearer's foot from the boot.