Ski Boot Shell Material for Higher Stiffness at Lower Weight
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ski boots face challenges in achieving a balance between rigidity for performance and comfort, as increasing stiffness often leads to increased weight, bulk, and cost, while requiring materials that are durable, thermally insulated, and resistant to environmental factors.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a polymer matrix filled with hollow glass microbeads into the ski boot components, such as the shell and cuff, to enhance flexural stiffness and reduce weight, while maintaining or improving thermal insulation and impact resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the walls of ski boot components are thickened to increase flexural stiffness and flexibility, then the boot's rigidity and performance improve, but the boot becomes heavier and uses more material
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining a polymer matrix with hollow glass microbeads to create a filling material that provides high flexural stiffness at reduced weight. The composite structure leverages the strength-to-weight advantages of glass microbeads embedded in the polymer, allowing the boot walls to achieve required rigidity without increasing thickness or overall weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameters by incorporating hollow glass microbeads with specific density (0.3-0.6 g/cm³) and size (15-25 μm) into the polymer matrix. This parameter modification enables the material to achieve superior flexural modulus while maintaining lower density compared to conventional solid polymer materials, directly addressing the weight-stiffness tradeoff.
2Strength
If the walls of ski boot components are thickened to increase flexural stiffness, then the boot's rigidity improves, but the boot becomes bulkier and more expensive
Solution Approach 1:
By using the polymer-glass microbead composite, the patent achieves high flexural stiffness with reduced material quantity. The hollow glass microbeads provide structural reinforcement that allows for thinner wall designs, thereby reducing the total volume of material required while maintaining or improving mechanical performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The incorporation of low-density hollow glass microbeads (density 0.3-0.6 g/cm³) into the polymer matrix changes the material's density and flexural modulus parameters. This enables achieving required stiffness with less material volume, directly reducing material consumption and associated costs.
3Strength
If hollow glass microbeads are incorporated into the polymer to reduce weight and increase rigidity, then the flexural modulus improves, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies precise parameter ranges for the glass microbeads (density 0.3-0.6 g/cm³, size 15-25 μm, compressive strength ≥1000 bars) to ensure they meet performance requirements. By controlling these parameters, the manufacturing process becomes more predictable and manageable, reducing complexity despite the composite nature of the material.
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 use of polymer-filled glass microbeads increases the boot's rigidity and flexural modulus, reduces weight, and enhances thermal insulation, allowing for a more responsive and comfortable ski boot design without increasing material usage.
Implementation Method 1
a material (10) comprising a polymer (11) and a charge of hollow glass microbeads (12)
Implementation Method 2
Ski boots must be suitable for use in very low temperatures and therefore offer good thermal insulation
Implementation Method 3
They must be able to absorb impact energy to protect the user's foot
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
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AI summary
Element of sports shoe, comprising all or part of a wall intended to form at least part of a lateral and/or front and/or rear and/or lower wall of a sports shoe, characterized in that all or part of its wall comprises a material (10) comprising a polymer (11) and a charge of hollow microbeads (12).