Accessible Footwear With Segmented Back Flaps
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Individuals with prosthetic or ankle-related medical issues face difficulties inserting their feet into boots due to the requirement of bending the ankle, making boots inaccessible to them.
Innovation Solution
Designing footwear with a fully opening back, featuring a vertical opening from the top to the bottom and lateral horizontal openings, allowing the foot to be slid in without bending the ankle, and utilizing closure devices such as zippers, hook and loop material, or lacing for secure closure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the footwear back is made closed and structured for support, then the structural integrity and support are improved, but the ease of insertion for users with mobility issues deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The back of the footwear is segmented into multiple flaps (heel flap, quarter flaps) that can be independently opened and closed. This segmentation allows the back to maintain structural integrity when closed while enabling easy opening for insertion, resolving the contradiction between strength and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The back flaps are designed to be dynamically movable between closed and open positions. This dynamic capability allows the footwear to provide structural support during wear while enabling easy insertion for users who cannot bend their ankles, thus resolving the contradiction between maintaining strength and improving ease of operation.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the footwear back is made rigid for support, then the support and stability are improved, but the accessibility for users with prosthetic feet deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid back structure is segmented into multiple flaps that can be opened independently. This segmentation maintains the stable, supportive structure when closed while providing accessibility when opened, resolving the contradiction between stability and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the back have different qualities - the overall structure provides rigidity and stability, while the flap portions provide flexibility and ease of opening. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between maintaining stable composition and improving accessibility.
3Device complexity
If the footwear requires ankle bending for insertion, then the traditional boot structure is maintained, but the usability for users with ankle problems deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The back is segmented into openable flaps that eliminate the need for ankle bending during insertion. This segmentation modifies the structure to improve usability for users with ankle problems while maintaining relatively simple construction through the use of flaps and closure devices.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of requiring the user to bend their ankle to insert their foot, the footwear structure is inverted to open toward the user. This inversion of the insertion mechanism resolves the contradiction between maintaining simple structure and improving usability.
Data Source
AI summary
Footwear that opens fully at its back to allow a user to easily slide his or her foot into the footwear. The footwear may particularly be a boot, such as a cowboy boot or a work boot. The footwear may have both a vertical opening and a horizontal opening, allowing the user to place his or her foot into the footwear without bending his or her ankle.