Summary Page for Individual Report
Date: (28 Nov 2006)
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Report Summary Page |
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| Author: Jason Wendel | Team: ERSB |
Problem Statement
The challenge for the Emergency Release Snowboard Bindings team (ERSB) is that nothing like this has been created before. There are many different ways to attack the problem of creating a design that will quickly release to give the boarder a better chance of survival in the advent of an avalanche. One of the main problems is that the device must work in extreme temperatures and environments. It will most likely get snow jammed up inside it and get frozen in place so this had to be taken into consideration while designing the product. Each team member chose a particular type of design to explore, and evaluate for effectiveness. The type that I chose involved the use of one or multiple plates or rings that spin to stick out tabs or dowels that hold the binding in place.
Summary of Approach
It was decided that one possible configuration would be to have multiple plates or rings that allow the binding to detach by spinning one in relation to the other. Some designs were created that fit in this category that demonstrated the effectiveness of this idea. The manufacturing would be somewhat difficult due to the high tolerances needed to allow the parts to rotate, without spinning too freely which would release the board prematurely. Three main designs were created which included the rotating tabs, extending tabs, and extending dowels.
Summary of Results
Each of the concepts has pro’s and cons involved with it. Each require additional refining to be even considered a feasible solution.
Lessons Learned
The product needs to be easily manufactured and therefore easily repaired. It must be able to work quickly even when it’s packed full of ice. This probably will not happen if the ice gets into the disk where the mechanism for the extending tabs and dowels is. The device needs to either be in the open where the ice can break off it, or totally and absolutely sealed off from any leakage of water into the system. If ice were to melt and get into the system while the boarder is in the sun, then freeze later, it could not only make the release defective, but also damage the equipment as the water expands to ice.
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