Horse-riding stirrup with segmented reinforcement core

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional horse-riding stirrups have laborious assembly processes and are structurally weakened during assembly, which compromises their mechanical strength.

Innovation Solution

A horse-riding stirrup design featuring a stirrup frame with a reinforcement core and a safety arm that allows for quick assembly and secure engagement, utilizing a combination of polymeric and metallic materials to maintain structural integrity and facilitate easy adjustment, while the safety arm enables easy foot release and re-engagement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If conventional stirrup assembly methods are used, then the stirrup can be assembled, but the structure is greatly weakened during assembly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly processVSAvoidstructural strength
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The stirrup is divided into separate modular components (side arms, support arms, bench element, safety arm) that can be assembled without compromising the integrity of individual parts. The reinforcement core is also segmented to match the modular structure, allowing assembly while maintaining strength.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The stirrup combines polymeric materials for the frame components with a metallic reinforcement core embedded within the polymeric material. This composite structure provides both the ease of assembly associated with polymers and the structural strength of metal, resolving the contradiction between manufacturability and strength.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Productivity

If conventional stirrup assembly methods are used, then the stirrup can be assembled, but the assembly process is extremely laborious

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly efficiencyVSAvoidassembly complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The stirrup is divided into separate modular components that can be independently manufactured and then quickly assembled. This segmentation enables standardized connection interfaces and reduces the complexity of the overall assembly process compared to conventional monolithic or tightly-integrated designs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The reinforcement core is pre-formed and positioned within the polymeric material before final assembly operations. This preliminary action simplifies the assembly process by eliminating the need for complex post-assembly reinforcement operations and reduces the labor required during final assembly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Strength

If the stirrup structure is reinforced to maintain strength, then structural integrity is improved, but the weight increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemechanical resistanceVSAvoidstirrup weight
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The stirrup uses a composite construction with a polymeric frame and embedded metallic reinforcement core. The polymeric material provides the base structure with low weight, while the metallic core strategically placed within provides the necessary mechanical resistance and strength, achieving strength enhancement without proportionally increasing weight.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The reinforcement core is strategically positioned within the polymeric frame at specific locations where mechanical strength is most needed (such as along the side arms and support arms). This localized reinforcement provides high mechanical resistance only where required, rather than uniformly throughout the entire stirrup, thereby minimizing unnecessary weight increase.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3445707B1Horse-riding stirrup, manufacturing method
Publication Date: 2020.05.27 ACAVALLO
  • EP3445707B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3445707B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3445707B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

Horse-riding stirrup (1) comprising a stirrup frame (2) which comprises a hooking portion (4) to a stirrup leather (100), a first side arm (6) and a support arm (8) connected to each other in an incident manner to define a frame compartment (10) engageable by a user's foot; a support element (42) for the user's foot, fitted to the support arm (8) and shape-coupled with an element seat (44) of said arm; The element seat (44) is delimited by an undercut portion (46) which a portion (48) of the support element (42) is wedged into on one side, another portion (50) of said element (42) being constrained to the support arm (8) by means of one or more mechanical fastenings (52) which extend through the thickness of the stirrup frame (2). The invention also relates to an assembly method of a stirrup.