Ski Boot Tension Lever System for Intermediate Closure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ski-mountaineering boots lack a mechanism for customizable intermediate closure positions between open and closed, which is essential for transitioning between downhill and uphill skiing, affecting control and mobility.
Innovation Solution
A boot design featuring a tension lever system with a main lever and a second lever that allows for an intermediate position between open and closed, enabling the quarter to rotate freely with respect to the shell during uphill skiing, while maintaining secure closure during downhill segments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a locking device is used to lock the quarter to the shell for downhill skiing, then control during descent is optimized, but the ankle mobility required for uphill skiing is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The locking device is designed to be dynamically adjustable, allowing the user to switch between a locked state (for downhill control) and an unlocked state (for uphill mobility). The device includes a lever mechanism that can be manually operated to change the constraint state of the quarter relative to the shell, enabling the boot to adapt to different skiing conditions.
2Reliability
If a closing lever system is used to close the boot, then the boot can be secured, but no intermediate positioning is available between open and closed states
Solution Approach 1:
The closing lever system is segmented into multiple discrete positions along its travel path. The lever can be positioned at intermediate stops between the fully open and fully closed states, allowing the user to select specific closure degrees. This segmentation is achieved through a series of engagement notches or detents in the lever mechanism, providing both security and adjustability.
Data Source
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AI summary
A boot (1), particularly for ski-mountaineering or telemark skiing, which comprises a shell (2) and a quarter that are mutually articulated about a rotation axis (100), the boot (1) comprising at least one fastening device (10) adapted to cause the mutual approach between two parts of the boot (1), the fastening device (10) comprising at least one tension element (10a) that is connected to an engagement body (12) arranged at a first part (1a) of the boot (1), at the second part (1b) of the boot (1) there being a tension lever system (13) that acts on the tension element (10a) in order to move the boot (1) between a first, open position, in which the two parts (1a, 1b) are mutually spaced apart, and a closed position, in which the two parts (1a, 1b) are mutually close together; the tension lever system (13) comprises a main lever (14) that can rotate on command with respect to a supporting base (15) which is integral with the second part (1b) about a first pivoting axis (201), and a second lever (15) that is supported so that it can rotate by the main lever (13) about a second pivoting axis (202), the second lever (15) being associated with the tension element (10a) and being arrangeable with respect to the main lever (13) in an angular position, about the second pivoting axis (202), which is adapted to cause a relative positioning between the two parts (1a, 1b) of the boot (1) in an intermediate position between the open position and the closed position.