In various types of sliding activities or sports, such as ice skating, roller skating and skiing, it is desirable to provide the user with boots wherein the foot plane of the user is in an angular position to provide comfort and to optimize performance. It is known from, for example, U.S. Published Application US2013/0062840 to adjust the plane of the skate of the user's foot, such as an ice skater, by placing shims under the heel or under the ball of the foot in the boot. All of the details of that published application are incorporated herein by reference thereto. U.S. Published Application US2013/0001902 also discloses the use of providing shims to adjust the forward pitch of an ice skate. All of the details of that published application are also incorporated herein by reference thereto.
Initially the desired foot plane angle would be selected which could achieve the desired comfort and performance results. However, if there are changes in conditions, such as performing the activity in a different location or under changed conditions in that same location, the original foot plane angle may no longer provide the best comfort/performance results.
An object of this invention is to provide a method of selecting a foot plane angle in a boot used in a sliding activity such as ice skating, roller skating or skiing.
A further object of this invention is to provide such a method which takes into account changed conditions and provides guidelines for correspondingly changing or adjusting the foot plane angle.
In accordance with this invention the friction coefficient is utilized as a guideline for determining the best or change in foot plane angle. This is done by first determining the initial friction coefficient between the boot contact edge/surface and the surface of the sliding activity when the initial foot plane angle had been selected. Later when there is a change in conditions causing a friction coefficient change, such as moving to a different location or there has been a temperature change in the original location, the friction coefficient is again measured. If the friction coefficient increases, then the original foot plane angle would be decreased. If the friction of coefficient decreases then the foot plane angle would be increased.
The change in foot plane angle could be accomplished in any suitable manner, such as by selection of the proper size shim placed under either the heel or the ball of the foot to thereby elevate or lower the foot plane angle to the desired degree.
The present invention is based, in part, on the observation that a skater might have a good feeling on the ice one day but not another. Such good feeling means that the skater would not be struggling to hold the technique together and would not be unnecessarily fatigued in doing so. When considering why the feeling might change, the skater's posture and the mechanics of skating are taken into account. The primary concept of skating is balance. Mechanically speaking there is a balance between the forces and torques acting on skaters. The skater feels a force as a pressure which tries to move the skater in one direction or another. A torque is felt as force that tries to rotate the skater in a direction. A force creates a torque if the line of direction of the force does not go through the skater's center of gravity (essentially the belly button).
Balance is centered about the center of gravity of the skater. When the skater is in the good feeling posture, a conceptual line from the center of gravity to the intersection point of the blade rocker and the ice is collinear with the direction of the resultant force (combining the normal and friction forces). See
It has been observed that only a relatively small foot angle change is needed, even for a relatively large friction coefficient change within the realm of the normal skating ice condition. A skater needs only to change the lift by 0.2 mm (the thickness of a file folder) to feel a significant change in the move to or from the good feeling.
Use of shims or lifts even smaller than 0.2 mm are also felt by the user.
In various types of sliding activities or sports, such as different forms of ice skating, roller skating or skiing, the good feeling is achieved when foot plane angle is in its optimum position. The foot plane angle is determined by the plane at the sole of the foot (from the heel to ball of the foot) within a boot used for that activity. The angle could be adjusted through the use of shims as described in U.S. Published Application 2013/0062840 or by other methods.
This invention is directed to a method of determining the most efficient and comfortable plane-of-motion foot plane angle, relative to the ice (sliding surface), for ice skates (or any footwear for standing sliding activity) and then adjusting this angle for changing sliding conditions.
This is accomplished by first determining the initial balance point for the sliding person and by measuring initial conditions. Then, through certain determinations, when initial conditions change, a new foot plane angle is selected.
The invention is based upon the following observations.
With reference to
In the Non-sliding Balanced Position case of
If the sliding person maintained the same body posture (relative to the surface) as a non-sliding person, the frictional component of the reaction force at the ball of the foot would make the person unbalanced (
For a person performing friction sliding (e.g. ice skating, skiing, or roller skating), while either maintaining body posture or trying to exert a force through the ball of the foot (as in a glide, jump or push respectively), the most efficient maneuver then would require the person to angularly adjust the LineCoG relative to the sliding surface by positioning the body to maintain rotational balance without changing the relative position of the LineCoG with respect to the body, i.e. for example through the points described above (
The change in the angle α, from the
It is noted that the frictional component of the reaction force could be large enough that alpha becomes negative and, if using shims to adjust the foot plane angle, a ball of the foot shim would be needed instead of a heel shim.
While this formula works well for when the contact surfaces are straight or are rotationally stable in the xy plane, it must be modified when one of the surfaces is curvilinear, such as an ice skate, which is unstable in the xy plane. This is demonstrated in the
When one of the contact surfaces is curvilinear, such as an ice skate, the angle αnew must not only take into account the frictional force, but also the rotation of the skate that is necessary to eliminate the torque caused by the misalignment of the Reaction Force from the LineCoG, as shown in the
The following conclusions are made.
To maintain efficient rotational balance in a sliding sport, that LineCoG needs to adjust from a balanced standing position (a vertical line) to a balanced sliding position by a specific angle.
For a sliding sport in which the sliding contact area is straight in the xy plane or has at least two contact points that are on the xy plane (for example roller skates), the angle of that LineCoG is equal to the inverse tangent of the coefficient of friction between the contact materials.
For a sliding sport in which the sliding contact area is curved (for example ice skates), the angle of LineCoG is equal to twice the inverse tangent of the coefficient of friction between the contact materials.
For a sliding sport in which the sliding contact area is straight, a lift, in either under the heel or under the ball of the foot to attain the specific angle, is approximately or essentially equal to the distance between the heel and the ball of the foot multiplied by the sum of the coefficient of friction between the contact materials and the angle “α”.
For a sliding sport in which the sliding contact area is curved, a lift, in either under the heel or under the ball of the foot to attain the specific angle, is approximately or essentially equal to the distance between the heel and the ball of the foot multiplied by the twice the sum of the coefficient of friction between the contact materials and the angle “α”.
By measuring the friction, either directly through a friction measuring device (such as a tribometer) or indirectly by measuring a dependent variable (for example temperature, contact area, etc.), a definite foot plane angle or size lift, for either under the heel or under the ball of the foot, for sliding person's stability can be attained.
Any imbalance in a sliding person, caused by a change in friction, can be corrected by using shims or changing the angle of the foot plane by a specified amount as calculated by Conclusions 3 through 6.
When there is a change in conditions, namely a change in the surface contact friction, a new foot plane angle may be determined using formulas in the following manner.
When sliding surface conditions change, add heel or ball of the foot shims:
The above four formulas may be stated in words as follows:
(a) The inverse tangent of the initial friction coefficient minus the inverse tangent of the new friction coefficient;
(b) Two times the difference between the inverse tangent of the initial friction coefficient and the inverse tangent of the new friction coefficient;
(c) The heel to ball of the foot length times the tangent of the difference between the inverse tangent of the initial friction coefficient and the inverse tangent of the new friction coefficient;
(d) The heel to ball of the foot length times the tangent of 2 times the difference between the inverse tangent of the initial coefficient and the inverse tangent of the new friction coefficient.
As is apparent steps 1) and 2) above relate to establishing the initial or original foot plane angle which gives the person the best position for the initial friction coefficient. When there has been a change in friction coefficient, such as from being in a different location or changed conditions (e.g. temperature) in the same location, step 3) is used for determining the new foot plane angle.
In general, all ice skates, because of the rocker will have the same slope on a friction vs. foot plane angle graph. Skis and roller skates will have a different slope.
Subjectively an average person can feel a change of 0.2 mm lift, which equates to approximately a 0.0644 degree (64.4×10−3 degrees) change which is a change in friction coefficient of 0.56×10−3 (i.e. 0.0644 divided by −115).
The invention provides for the determination of the foot plane angle given the friction. The invention also provides practical guidelines for determining what change should be made to obtain a new foot plane angle where there has been a change in friction coefficient.
For all intents and purposes, between the friction coefficient values found in hockey skating, the curve is a straight line with a slope of approximately −115 degrees. In other words a positive change in the coefficient of friction of 1 would yield a negative change of 115 degrees in the foot plane angle (i.e. by raising the ball-of-foot lift and/or lowering the heel lift, or any other means of changing the angle).
Thus, in The Hockey Skate Graph the friction coefficient ranges would be from 0.00677 to 0.01488 (another way of expressing these values is in scientific form, i.e. 6.77×10−3 to 14.88×10−3). The corresponding angle change would be less than 1 degree.
For all intents and purposes, between the friction coefficient values found in speed skating, this curve is a straight line with a slope of approximately −115 degrees. In other words a positive change in the coefficient of friction of 1 would yield a negative change of 115 degrees in the foot plane angle (i.e. by raising the ball of foot lift and/or lowering the heel lift, or any other means of changing the angle).
Thus, the friction coefficient ranges in The Speed Skating Graph would be from 0.00282 to 0.01008 (another way of expressing these values is in scientific form, i.e. 2.82×10−3 to 10.08×10−3). The corresponding change in the foot plane angle would be no greater than 0.8 degrees.
For all intents and purposes, between the friction coefficient values found in figure skating, this curve is a straight line with a slope of approximately −115 degrees. In other words a positive change in the coefficient of friction of 1 would yield a negative change of 115 degrees in the foot plane angle (i.e. by raising the ball of foot lift and/or lowering the heel lift, or any other means of changing the angle).
Thus, the friction coefficient ranges in The Figure Skating Graph would be from 0.01373 to 0.04070 (another way of expressing these values is in scientific form, i.e. 13.73×10−3 to 40.70×10−3). The corresponding change in foot plane angle would be less than 2.5 degrees.
For all intents and purposes, between the rolling resistance coefficient values found in in-line roller skating, this curve is a straight line with a slope of approximately −57 degrees. In other words a positive change in the coefficient of friction of 1 would yield a negative change of 57 degrees in the foot plane angle (i.e. by raising the ball of foot lift and/or lowering the heel lift, or any other means of changing the angle).
Thus, the friction coefficient ranges in The Roller Skating Graph would be from 0.04 to 0.075 (another way of expressing these values is in scientific form, i.e. 40×10−3 to 75×10−3). The corresponding change in foot plane angle is no greater than 2 degrees and more specifically is between 1 and 2 degrees.
For all intents and purposes, between the friction coefficient values found in Nordic skiing, this curve is a straight line with a slope of approximately −57 degrees. In other words a positive change in the coefficient of friction of 1 would yield a negative change of 57 degrees in the foot plane angle (i.e. by raising the ball of foot lift and/or lowering the heel lift, or any other means of changing the angle).
Thus, the friction coefficient ranges in The Ski Graph would be from 0.02 to 0.06 (another way of expressing these values is in scientific form, i.e. 20×10−3 to 60×10−3). The corresponding change in foot plane angle is less than 2.5 degrees.
The present invention is thus based upon taking into account that there should be a change in foot plane angle when there is a change in friction coefficient in a sliding activity, such as ice skating, roller skating and skiing.
When the change in friction coefficient is determined, an appropriate change in foot plane angle can be made.