Elevated Snowboard Spacer for Boot Drag Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Snowboarders with larger feet experience boot drag, leading to loss of edge control and potential accidents due to existing spacers being non-durable, prone to detachment, and incompatible with various binding systems, necessitating frequent replacements.
Innovation Solution
A spacer block made of lightweight, water-resistant material, designed to elevate the boot above the snowboard, compatible with multiple binding systems, and securely attached using fasteners, allowing for sharper turns without boot drag.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a simple plastic disk spacer is used to elevate the boot, then boot drag is reduced, but the spacer is not long lasting and may detach accidentally
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer is divided into multiple components: a base portion that attaches to the snowboard, an elevated portion that provides height, and a binding interface portion that secures the binding. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized for its specific function, improving overall reliability while maintaining boot elevation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The spacer includes pre-integrated fastening mechanisms and attachment features that are prepared in advance during manufacturing. These preliminary structural preparations ensure secure attachment to the snowboard and binding system, preventing accidental detachment during use while maintaining the elevation function.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a spacer is designed for one specific binding type, then it provides good compatibility with that binding, but it cannot be used with other binding systems
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer is designed with a universal binding interface that can accommodate multiple binding system types. The elevated portion and binding interface portion are configured to work with various binding configurations, allowing a single spacer design to serve multiple binding systems without requiring separate spacers for each binding type.
Solution Approach 2:
The spacer incorporates adjustable or flexible elements in the binding interface portion that allow it to adapt to different binding system configurations. This dynamic design enables the same spacer to maintain compatibility across various binding types while managing the complexity through standardized components.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the rider buys a wider snowboard to accommodate big feet, then boot drag is reduced, but the cost and equipment changes increase
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer acts as an intermediary component between the existing snowboard and the binding system. By inserting this intermediate element, the rider achieves boot elevation and boot drag reduction without needing to purchase a wider snowboard or make other expensive equipment changes. The spacer mediates the interaction between the boot and snowboard surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The spacer is designed as an affordable, easily replaceable component that provides the boot elevation function at a lower cost than purchasing a new wider snowboard. While the spacer may have a limited service life, its low cost and ease of replacement make it an economical solution compared to major equipment purchases.
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure is directed to a spacer block for elevating a boot of a rider of a snowboard. Due to the elevation of the boot above the snowboard, the boot drag of the rider is reduced. The spacer block is installed between the snowboard and a binding system of the snowboard that secures the rider's feet to the snowboard. By adding the spacer between the snowboard and the binding system, the boots are now elevated above the snowboard, and the rider can make sharper, more angled turns without the toes or heel of their boot contacting the snow. While the application describes the spacer block to be used with a snowboard, the spacer block can be used with boards for other recreational activities where boot drag is a problem. For example, the spacer block can be used with boards for gliding on sand, or with boards for rolling on ground.