A self-resetting shoe counter assembly and a finished shoe
By introducing a multi-row reset hole array and support plate design into the heel counter, the problems of material fatigue and rigidity mismatch are solved, achieving durability and comfort of the self-resetting heel counter and ensuring ease of putting on and taking off.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- GUANGDONG ENHAO UNDERWEAR IND CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-09-05
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-10
AI Technical Summary
In existing technology, the heel counter of slip-on shoes fails to return to its original position due to material fatigue and aging and mismatch in rigidity support during use, affecting comfort and making them difficult to put on and take off.
The design employs a multi-row reset hole array and support plate. The reset holes have a pre-set flexible hinge area on the elastic plate, and the support plate provides lateral tensile strength. It is injection molded into a single structure, and the reset holes of different shapes and sizes are combined to control the deformation path. The support plate is made of carbon fiber cloth to enhance durability.
It extends the lifespan of the elastic plate, maintains the comfort and ease of putting on and taking off the shoe, avoids material fatigue and stress concentration, and provides lasting lateral support.
Smart Images
Figure CN224474113U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of slip-on shoe technology, and in particular to a self-resetting shoe heel counter component and finished shoe. Background Technology
[0002] Slip-on shoes are widely popular in everyday casual wear and certain work settings due to their ease of on and off. The heel counter is typically made of elastic material or has built-in elastic elements, allowing the wearer to easily slip their foot on by pressing down on it. Once on, the elastic material returns the heel counter to its original position, securing the heel. Common slip-on shoes on the market often have a single piece of highly elastic polymer, such as TPU, sewn or glued to the inside or surface of the heel counter, utilizing the material's own elasticity for deformation and return to its original position. Some designs also incorporate a separate, U-shaped elastomer inside the heel counter to provide rebound force.
[0003] However, whether it's a one-piece elastic sheet or a separate elastomer, its restorative function relies entirely on the elasticity of the polymer material itself. With prolonged use, the material inevitably experiences fatigue aging, permanent deformation, and a decrease in resilience. The heel counter cannot effectively return to its original position, resulting in a poor fit against the heel and a "heel slippage" phenomenon, affecting comfort. Some solutions embed rigid support materials such as carbon fiber fabric into the elastomer to enhance deformation resistance and durability. However, such simple composite structures introduce new problems: the deformation of the rigid material is mismatched with that of the elastic matrix. A large area of rigid material significantly increases the overall bending stiffness during pedaling, leading to excessive bending resistance, difficulty in putting on and taking off the shoe, and a significant increase in the force required to do so, contradicting the original intention of slip-on convenience. Utility Model Content
[0004] The purpose of this utility model is to provide a self-resetting shoe heel counter assembly and finished shoe to solve one or more technical problems existing in the prior art, and at least provide a beneficial option or create conditions.
[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is as follows:
[0006] This utility model provides a self-resetting shoe heel counter assembly, comprising:
[0007] An elastic sheet is sewn onto the surface of the heel of the shoe, extending from the middle of the heel to both sides, with its bottom edge bonded to the sole. The elastic sheet is provided with at least two rows of reset holes. In each row of reset holes, based on the first reset hole located in the middle of the heel, several second reset holes are arrayed laterally to both sides. The outline shapes of the first and second reset holes are similar, and the outline size of the second reset holes gradually decreases in the array direction.
[0008] The support plate is positioned between two adjacent rows of horizontally placed reset holes, with its length direction parallel to the array direction.
[0009] This technical solution features a multi-row reset hole array that pre-defines specific flexible hinge areas on the elastic sheet. This allows the shoe's heel counter to deform along a predetermined path when bent during footsteps, preventing excessive local stress concentration, slowing down material fatigue and permanent deformation, and indirectly extending the effective lifespan of the elastic sheet. The support sheet provides durable and stable lateral tensile strength. By reserving sufficient flexible areas between and around the rigid support sheets, the reset hole array ensures that the heel counter maintains ease of putting on and taking off while providing lateral support, solving the problem of traditional simple composite structures being either too soft or too hard.
[0010] As an extension of the above solution: a connector is provided inside the first reset hole. The connector is vertically arranged, with its upper and lower ends connected to the top and bottom edges of the first reset hole, respectively. The connector, acting as a structural reinforcing rib or bridging component of the first reset hole, is made of the same material as the elastic sheet and integrally molded using injection molding. It has a width of 1-2 mm and withstands shear and compressive stresses when the elastic sheet is bent. During reset, it serves as a reliable fulcrum, guiding the material's rebound.
[0011] As an extension of the above solution, the elastic sheet is injection molded into a one-piece structure using TPU. One-piece injection molding eliminates the risk of interface failure that may exist with traditional stitching or bonding. The entire elastic sheet is a uniform whole with no weak connection points, exhibiting extremely high fatigue life under repeated bending.
[0012] As an extension of the above solution, the outlines of the first and second reset holes are elliptical. The ellipse has a continuous, smooth curvature without sharp corners, minimizing stress concentration and significantly improving tear resistance around the holes. The elliptical holes have different moments of inertia in different directions; by adjusting the major axis, the flexibility of the hole in a specific direction can be precisely controlled, such as being easier to bend along the major axis, providing a basis for refined design.
[0013] As an extension of the above scheme: the major axis of the ellipse of the first reset hole is set horizontally, while the major axis of the ellipse of the second reset hole is set vertically. Reset holes at different positions have different mechanical properties. Since the major axis of the ellipse of the second reset hole is set vertically, it means that more space is cut out vertically, and the stiffness is smaller than when the second reset hole is arranged horizontally. This makes the deformation degree closer to that of the first reset hole in the middle, and the lateral stiffness is higher, which can more effectively resist lateral expansion.
[0014] As an extension of the above solution: the elastic sheet is provided with three rows of reset holes. The first row of reset holes, from top to bottom, has an elliptical outline, the second row has a trapezoidal outline, and the third row has a semi-circular outline. Different hole shapes correspond to different mechanical properties. For example, the elliptical shape is conducive to multi-directional stress dispersion; the trapezoidal shape can better guide deformation downwards when stepped on; and the semi-circular shape can provide a stable support base in the area where it connects with the sole, preventing stress from being transmitted upwards.
[0015] As an extension of the above solution, the support sheet is made of carbon fiber cloth. Carbon fiber cloth is a carbon fiber composite material sheet that has been impregnated with resin and cured. It provides extremely high rigidity and tensile strength with extremely light weight, ensuring that the support performance does not degrade over a long period of time.
[0016] As an extension of the above solution: the support sheet has a thickness of 0.3-0.5 mm and a width of 5-8 mm. The thickness of 0.3-0.5 mm provides sufficient lateral rigidity while ensuring a certain degree of longitudinal compliance. The width of 5-8 mm effectively covers the main area between the two rows of reset holes without excessively inhibiting the bending of the elastic sheet.
[0017] As an extension of the above solution: the support piece is embedded in the elastic piece or disposed on the side of the elastic piece away from the shoe. Embedding the support piece in the elastic piece provides better integration and durability, a smoother appearance, and protects the patch from wear; disposing the support piece on the side of the elastic piece away from the shoe simplifies the manufacturing process, facilitates later repair or replacement, and also makes it easier to inspect the patch's condition.
[0018] On the other hand, this utility model provides a finished shoe, including a self-resetting heel counter assembly as described above.
[0019] This invention provides durable and stable lateral tensile strength, i.e. shaping ability, through the support plate. By resetting the hole array, sufficient flexible areas are reserved between and around the rigid support plates, ensuring that the heel counter is easy to bend in the putting-on and taking-off direction. This allows the heel counter of the finished shoe to obtain strong lateral support while maximizing the convenience of putting on and taking off, solving the problem of traditional simple composite structures being "either too soft or too hard". Attached Figure Description
[0020] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments;
[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the shoe heel counter assembly in an embodiment;
[0022] Figure 2 This is a structural schematic diagram of the shoe heel counter assembly in an embodiment.
[0023] In the attached diagram: 10: elastic sheet, 20: heel, 30: sole, 40: reset hole, 41: first reset hole, 42: second reset hole, 50: support sheet, 60: connecting sheet. Detailed Implementation
[0024] This section will describe in detail the specific embodiments of the present utility model. The preferred embodiments of the present utility model are shown in the accompanying drawings. The purpose of the drawings is to supplement the textual description with graphics, so that people can intuitively and vividly understand each technical feature and the overall technical solution of the present utility model, but they should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present utility model.
[0025] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the directional descriptions, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., indicate the directional or positional relationships based on the directional or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model.
[0026] In the description of this utility model, if there are words such as "several", they mean one or more, "multiple" means two or more, "greater than", "less than", "exceeding" etc. are understood to exclude the number itself, and "above", "below", "within" etc. are understood to include the number itself.
[0027] In the description of this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly defined, terms such as "setting," "installation," and "connection" should be interpreted broadly, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model in conjunction with the specific content of the technical solution.
[0028] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 The following are several embodiments of a self-resetting shoe heel counter assembly and a finished shoe according to the present invention.
[0029] like Figure 1 As shown, an embodiment of this utility model provides a self-resetting shoe heel counter assembly, comprising:
[0030] An elastic sheet 10 is sewn onto the surface of the heel 20, extending from the middle of the heel 20 to both sides, with its bottom edge bonded to the sole 30. The elastic sheet 10 is provided with at least two rows of reset holes 40. In each row of reset holes 40, taking the first reset hole 41 located in the middle of the heel 20 as a reference, several second reset holes 42 are arrayed laterally to both sides. The first reset hole 41 and the second reset hole 42 have similar outline shapes, and the outline size of the second reset holes 42 gradually decreases in the array direction. Similarity means that the geometric shapes are the same but the sizes are different. For example, all holes are elliptical, but the major and minor axis dimensions of the ellipse systematically decrease from the center to both sides. This provides predictability and consistency for changes in mechanical properties.
[0031] The support plate 50 is positioned between two adjacent rows of horizontally placed reset holes 40, with its length direction parallel to the array direction.
[0032] In this embodiment, during putting on and taking off, the stepping force forces the heel counter to bend. The material strip between two adjacent rows of reset holes forms a hinge that bends. The spacing between the two rows of reset holes can be set within the range of 5-10mm; if it is too close, the strength is weak, and if it is too far, the bending is stiff. The support piece is a carbon fiber composite sheet, which resists the stretching and expansion of the heel counter in the lateral direction (around the heel). It is combined with the elastic sheet into an integral structure through an embedded molding process, or it can be bonded to the surface of the elastic sheet with a high-strength adhesive. It is used to limit the deformation of the area between the reset holes in the horizontal direction, protect the TPU material of the surrounding elastic sheet from excessive stretching, and provide the heel counter assembly with a "foot-hugging" ability.
[0033] In the elastic plate structure, the decreasing size of the reset hole towards the sides means that deformation is preferential and mainly occurs in the central region, resulting in a gradient change in the stiffness distribution of the heel counter: the central area is relatively softer and easier to deform initially; the stiffness gradually increases towards the sides. This structure better conforms to the contour of the heel during footsteps and provides a progressive and consistent wrapping force from the center to the sides during reset, improving comfort and fit. The deformation on the sides is smaller than that in the center of the heel, maintaining the shape of the heel edges to some extent, thus guiding the heel counter to form a smooth and controllable bending arc, rather than unpredictable wrinkles. The outline shape of the reset hole can be any smooth shape that avoids stress concentration, such as ellipse, circle, rounded rectangle, or olive shape, with an ellipse being preferred because it can provide different flexibility characteristics along its long axis. The reset holes adopt a size gradient design. The first reset hole has the largest size. For example, the major axis of the elliptical hole can be selected as 10-15mm. The size of the second reset hole gradually decreases to both sides, for example, by 1-2mm each time, until the outermost hole may only be 3-5mm. This gradient change ensures a smooth transition of stiffness.
[0034] The multi-row reset hole array in this embodiment pre-defines specific flexible hinge areas on the elastic sheet, allowing the deformation of the heel counter to occur along a preset path when the shoe is stepped on and bent. This avoids excessive local stress concentration, slows down material fatigue and permanent deformation, and indirectly extends the effective service life of the elastic sheet. The support sheet provides durable and stable lateral tensile strength. By reserving sufficient flexible areas between and around the rigid support sheets, the reset hole array allows the heel counter to obtain lateral support while maintaining ease of putting on and taking off, solving the problem of traditional simple composite structures being either too soft or too hard.
[0035] In an optional embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, a connector 60 is provided inside the first reset hole 41. The connector 60 is vertically arranged, with its upper and lower ends connected to the top and bottom edges of the first reset hole 41, respectively. The connector serves as a structural reinforcing rib or bridging component of the first reset hole. It is made of the same material as the elastic sheet and integrally molded using injection molding. With a width of 1-2 mm, it withstands shear and compressive stresses when the elastic sheet is bent and acts as a reliable fulcrum during reset, guiding the material's rebound.
[0036] In an optional embodiment, the elastic sheet is injection molded into a one-piece structure using TPU. One-piece injection molding eliminates the risk of interface failure that may exist with traditional stitching or bonding; the entire elastic sheet is a uniform whole with no weak connection points, exhibiting extremely high fatigue life under repeated bending.
[0037] In an optional embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, the outlines of the first reset hole 41 and the second reset hole 42 are elliptical. The ellipse has a continuous, smooth curvature without sharp corners, which minimizes stress concentration and significantly improves tear resistance around the hole. The elliptical hole has different moments of inertia in different directions. By adjusting the major axis, the flexibility of the hole in a specific direction can be precisely controlled; for example, it is easier to bend along the major axis, providing a basis for refined design.
[0038] In an optional embodiment, such as Figure 2 As shown, the major axis of the ellipse of the first reset hole 41 is arranged horizontally, while the major axis of the ellipse of the second reset hole 42 is arranged vertically. In this embodiment, the reset holes at different positions have different mechanical properties. Since the major axis of the ellipse of the second reset hole is arranged vertically, it means that more space is hollowed out vertically. The stiffness is smaller than when the second reset hole is arranged horizontally, making its deformation degree closer to that of the first reset hole in the middle. It also has higher stiffness in the lateral direction and can more effectively resist lateral expansion.
[0039] In an optional embodiment, the elastic sheet is provided with three rows of reset holes. The first row of reset holes has an elliptical outline, the second row has a trapezoidal outline, and the third row has a semi-circular outline. Different hole shapes correspond to different mechanical properties. For example, the elliptical shape is conducive to multi-directional stress dispersion; the trapezoidal shape can better guide deformation downwards when stepped on; and the semi-circular shape can provide a stable support base in the area where it connects with the sole, preventing stress from being transmitted upwards.
[0040] In an optional embodiment, the support sheet is made of carbon fiber cloth. Carbon fiber cloth is a carbon fiber composite sheet that has been impregnated with resin and cured, providing extremely high rigidity and tensile strength at a very light weight, ensuring that the support performance does not degrade over a long period of time.
[0041] In an optional embodiment, the support sheet has a thickness of 0.3-0.5 mm and a width of 5-8 mm. The thickness of 0.3-0.5 mm provides sufficient lateral rigidity while ensuring a certain degree of longitudinal compliance. The width of 5-8 mm effectively covers the main area between the two rows of reset holes without excessively inhibiting the bending of the elastic sheet.
[0042] In an optional embodiment, the support piece is embedded in the elastic sheet or disposed on the side of the elastic sheet facing away from the shoe. Embedding the support piece in the elastic sheet can be achieved by pre-positioning the support piece in the mold during injection molding of the elastic sheet, resulting in better integration, durability, a smooth appearance, and protection against wear. The side of the elastic sheet facing away from the shoe can be bonded with a high-strength flexible adhesive, such as polyurethane adhesive, simplifying the manufacturing process, facilitating later repair or replacement, and making it easier to inspect the condition of the patch.
[0043] On the other hand, this utility model provides a finished shoe, including a self-resetting heel counter assembly as described above. This utility model provides durable and stable lateral tensile strength, i.e., shape retention, through support plates. Sufficient flexible areas are reserved between and around the rigid support plates through the array of reset holes, ensuring that the heel counter is easy to bend in the putting-on and taking-off direction. This allows the heel counter of the finished shoe to obtain strong lateral support while maximizing the convenience of putting on and taking off, solving the problem of traditional simple composite structures being "either too soft or too hard."
[0044] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, but the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments. Those skilled in the art can make various equivalent modifications or substitutions without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and these equivalent modifications or substitutions are all included within the scope defined by the claims of this application.
Claims
1. A self-resetting shoe heel counter assembly, characterized in that, include: An elastic sheet (10) is sewn onto the surface of the heel (20) of the shoe, extending from the middle of the heel (20) to both sides, with its bottom edge bonded to the sole (30). The elastic sheet (10) is provided with at least two rows of reset holes (40). In each row of reset holes (40), based on the first reset hole (41) located in the middle of the heel, several second reset holes (42) are arrayed laterally to both sides. The outline shapes of the first reset hole (41) and the second reset hole (42) are similar, and the outline size of the second reset hole (42) gradually decreases in the array direction. The support plate (50) is disposed between two adjacent rows of horizontally placed reset holes (40), with its length direction parallel to the array direction.
2. The self-resetting heel counter assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first reset hole (41) is provided with a connector (60), which is vertically arranged and connected to the top edge and bottom edge of the first reset hole (41) at its upper and lower ends, respectively.
3. The self-resetting heel counter assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic sheet (10) is injection molded into a one-piece structure using TPU.
4. The self-resetting heel counter assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outline shape of the first reset hole (41) and the second reset hole (42) is elliptical.
5. A self-resetting shoe heel counter assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that: The major axis of the ellipse of the first reset hole (41) is set horizontally, and the major axis of the ellipse of the second reset hole (42) is set vertically.
6. A self-resetting shoe heel counter assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic sheet (10) is provided with three rows of reset holes (40). The first row of reset holes (40) from top to bottom has an elliptical outline, the second row of reset holes (40) has a trapezoidal outline, and the third row of reset holes (40) has a semi-circular outline.
7. A self-resetting shoe heel counter assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support sheet (50) is made of carbon fiber cloth.
8. A self-resetting shoe heel counter assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that: The support sheet (50) has a thickness of 0.3-0.5 mm and a width of 5-8 mm.
9. A self-resetting shoe heel counter assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support piece (50) is embedded in the elastic piece (10) or disposed on one side of the elastic piece (10) away from the inside of the shoe.
10. A finished shoe, characterized in that: Includes a self-resetting heel counter assembly as described in any one of claims 1-9.