Ski Boot Spoon-Shaped Lower Shell for Heel Movement

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Solution Overview

Problem

Recent mountaineering ski boots with flat sole shapes do not adapt well to the foot's anatomy and hinder heel raising and lowering movements on snowy surfaces, affecting kinematic interaction with ski bindings.

Innovation Solution

The ski boot features a spoon-shaped lower shell with an arched front sole and a flat rear heel, allowing better adaptation to the foot's shape and enhancing heel movement, coupled with a cuff system for improved mobility and stability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the lower part of the shell has a flat shape, then the manufacturing is simple, but it does not adapt perfectly to the physiognomy of the sole of the foot and hinders heel movement

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveshell manufacturing simplicityVSAvoidadaptation to foot anatomy and heel movement

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The lower part of the shell is given a curved, spoon-shaped configuration instead of a flat shape. This curvature allows the shell to adapt to the natural anatomy of the foot sole and enables proper heel raising and lowering movements on snowy surfaces, while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through standard molding techniques.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

2Stability of the object's composition

If the lower part of the shell is structured to couple rigidly with the binding device, then the connection is stable, but it hinders the raising and lowering movement of the heel

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconnection stability between shell and bindingVSAvoidheel raising and lowering movement

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The lower part of the shell is segmented into distinct functional zones: a curved front portion that allows heel movement and a rear portion that provides stable coupling with the binding device. This segmentation enables the front sole to adapt to foot anatomy and facilitate heel raising/lowering, while the rear heel maintains rigid connection for stable binding attachment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the lower shell are given different geometric properties: the front sole area has a curved, spoon-shaped configuration for flexibility and anatomical adaptation, while the rear heel area has a flat configuration for stable, rigid coupling with the binding device. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between movement freedom and connection stability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP2881004B1Ski boot

Publication Date: 2016.09.21 CALZATURIFICIO S C A R P A

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AI summary

A ski boot (1) comprising a rigid shell (2) which is shaped so as to accommodate the foot of the user and has a lower part structured so to couple/bind in a rigid and stable, though easily releasable, manner to a ski binding device, and a rigid cuff (3) which is shaped so as to enclose the ankle of the user and is hinged on the shell (2) so as to be able to rotate about a rotation axis (R) substantially perpendicular to the midplane of the boot (P) and locally substantially coincident with the articulation axis of the ankle of the user; the lower part of the shell (2) incorporating the front sole (11) being shaped substantially like the bowl of a spoon, so as to define a front ground-resting surface (18) with an arched profile at least orthogonally to the midplane of the boot (P).