Ski Safety Binding with Kinematic Jaw and Locking Stop
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mechanisms for adjusting the longitudinal position of a boot retention device on gliding boards, such as cross-country skis, are either difficult to use without tools or prone to unintended movement due to external factors like snow or ice, and lack assurance of a secure locked position.
Innovation Solution
A mechanism featuring a movable jaw for attaching and detaching the boot, a longitudinal stop element for immobilization, and a locking mechanism that automatically secures the stop element in place when engaged, ensuring durable and secure adjustment without requiring tools.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the stiffness of tabs is increased to prevent unintended snagging and detachments, then the reliability of the retention device is improved, but the ease of operation for longitudinal adjustment without tools deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The retention device is divided into separate functional components: a deformable tongue with notch for positioning, and a separate locking means (such as a cam lock or click mechanism) that engages with the notch. This segmentation allows the tongue to remain flexible and easy to move while the locking means provides secure engagement, resolving the contradiction between ease of adjustment and reliability of positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
A locking means acts as an intermediary between the deformable tongue and the ski body. Instead of relying solely on the stiffness of the tongue to prevent detachment, the locking means mediates the connection by engaging with the notch, providing secure retention while allowing the tongue to remain flexible and easy to manipulate for adjustment purposes.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a locking mechanism is exposed to external elements like packed snow or ice to enable adjustment functionality, then the adaptability of the device is improved, but the reliability of the locking mechanism deteriorates due to accumulation and disruption
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is designed with preliminary protective features such as enclosed housings, snow guards, or drainage channels that prevent snow and ice from accumulating in critical areas. This preliminary anti-action against environmental elements maintains the reliability of the locking mechanism while preserving the adjustment functionality, as the mechanism remains accessible but protected from disruptive accumulation.
3Ease of operation
If a deformable tongue with notch is used for longitudinal positioning, then the ease of operation for adjustment is improved, but the reliability of the locked position deteriorates due to limited protection from external elements
Solution Approach 1:
The locking means serves as an intermediary that enhances the security of the deformable tongue's positioning. The tongue provides easy adjustability through its deformability and notch design, while the locking means (such as a cam, lever, or click mechanism) engages with the notch to provide positive locking, ensuring the positioned remains secure despite external forces during skiing.
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 4~5
AI summary
Retaining device (1) for a shoe (5) on a board (3), the retaining device comprising: - a mechanism (17) for holding in position an attachment element (51) belonging to the shoe, the retaining mechanism comprising a movable jaw (13) between an engagement position for which the movable jaw is able to cooperate with the attachment element so as to allow the attachment element to be secured with the retaining device while allowing the shoe to rotate around a transverse axis (Y1) to the retaining device, and a release position for which the movable jaw is in a configuration allowing the attachment element to be detached from the retaining device, and an actuating member (14) controlling a movement of the movable jaw to tilt it from the engagement position to the release position,- a longitudinal stop element (16) movable between an active position in which the longitudinal stop element is able to cooperate with complementary indexing points (232) attached to the slide board in order to immobilize the retaining device along the slide board in one of several predetermined positions, and an inactive position in which the longitudinal stop element does not cooperate with the complementary indexing points; - a locking means (18) movable between a locked position in which the locking means is able to cooperate with the stop element so as to maintain it in its active configuration and an unlocked position in which the movable locking means is in a configuration allowing the stop element to be tilted from its active position to its inactive position. The locking means is kinematically linked to the movable jaw such that,When the locking mechanism is in its locked position, the movable jaw is always in its engaged position.