Sport Boot Radial Cable Closure System for Progressive Flex
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ski boots often have rigid shells that do not conform well to the ankle, leading to deformation and lack of flexibility, which can result in an abrupt forward flex and discomfort during skiing.
Innovation Solution
A radial cable closure system with disc-shaped terminators and cables that surround the foot, providing tension and stability while allowing for progressive flex, and adjustable tension via a lever handle, enabling a thinner boot wall for better conformance and flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If rigid shells are used in ski boots, then structural strength is improved, but flexibility and conformance to the ankle deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The boot shell is divided into multiple rigid segments (ankle portion, forefoot portion, hindfoot portion) that can move independently relative to each other. This segmentation allows the boot to maintain overall structural strength while enabling local flexibility and conformance to the ankle through the movement of individual segments.
Solution Approach 2:
The boot incorporates dynamic elements including a movable cuff link mechanism and cable closure system that allow the rigid shell segments to adjust their positions and orientations. This dynamic capability enables the boot to adapt to the wearer's ankle shape while maintaining the structural integrity provided by the rigid segments.
2Strength
If rigid shells are used in ski boots, then structural strength is improved, but flexibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the rigid shell into multiple portions connected through movable joints, the boot maintains strength in each segment while allowing flexibility at the joints. The ankle portion can move relative to the forefoot and hindfoot portions, providing flexibility without compromising overall structural strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The boot employs flexible cable closure systems and thin-film-like membrane structures in conjunction with the rigid shell segments. These flexible elements allow the boot to bend and flex naturally with the foot while the rigid segments provide structural support, achieving both strength and flexibility.
3Strength
If thicker boot walls are used, then structural strength is improved, but conformance to the ankle deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The boot uses thinner wall sections in the ankle portion to enhance conformance and flexibility, while maintaining thicker wall sections in the forefoot and hindfoot portions for structural strength. This non-uniform thickness distribution, achieved through segmentation, allows different regions to have optimal wall thickness for their specific functional requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The boot employs local quality variations in wall thickness, making the ankle portion thinner for better conformance and flexibility, while keeping the forefoot and hindfoot portions thicker for strength. This localized differentiation of material properties allows the boot to simultaneously achieve both conformance and structural integrity without requiring uniformly thick walls throughout.
4Strength
If rigid shells are used in ski boots, then structural strength is improved, but progressive flex deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The boot incorporates dynamic cable closure systems and movable cuff links that progressively tighten or loosen during flexion. This dynamic mechanism allows the rigid shell segments to maintain structural strength while enabling progressive flex through controlled movement and tension adjustment, preventing abrupt flexion.
Solution Approach 2:
By segmenting the rigid shell into movable portions connected through flexible joints and cable systems, the boot achieves progressive flexion. The segments can move relative to each other in a controlled manner, providing progressive flexibility while the rigid portions maintain structural strength, thereby eliminating abrupt forward flex.
Data Source
AI summary
An example sport boot includes at least one terminator provided in a cavity formed in a base of the sport boot. A first cable having a first end terminating in a first receptacle of the at least one terminator extends out of a first side of the base of the sport boot, around a foot portion of the sport boot and into a second side of the base of the sport boot. A second end of the first cable terminates in a second receptacle of the at least one terminator. A second cable having a first end terminating in a third receptacle of the at least one terminator extends out of a rear side of the base of the sport boot and is attached to a handle mounted on the rear (cuff) portion of the sport boot.