Adjustable Footwear Heel and Sole for Dynamic Fit Changes
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional articles of footwear fail to accommodate changes in wearer comfort due to physiological changes or changes in activity, such as swelling or transitioning from sitting to standing, leading to discomfort.
Innovation Solution
The article of footwear features an adjustable sole structure and heel assembly with movable components, including actuators and tracks, allowing for adjustments in width and length to accommodate varying foot sizes and comfort needs through actuators and movable parts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the footwear uses a fixed sole structure and heel assembly, then the manufacturing process is simple and cost-effective, but the footwear cannot accommodate physiological changes or activity changes leading to discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the sole structure and heel assembly movable rather than fixed. The sole structure can move in the transverse direction to adjust width, and the heel assembly can move relative to the sole structure to adjust length, allowing the footwear to adapt to physiological changes and activity levels while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the footwear into movable components: a sole structure that can be adjusted in width and a heel assembly that can be adjusted in length. These segmented components can move independently relative to each other, enabling the footwear to accommodate different foot sizes and shapes without requiring a completely complex redesign
2Adaptability or versatility
If the footwear includes movable components and actuators for adjustment, then the adaptability to different foot sizes is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by allowing the user to manually adjust the footwear through simple mechanisms. The sole structure can be manually moved in the transverse direction, and the heel assembly can be manually moved relative to the sole structure, eliminating the need for complex automated actuators while maintaining adjustability
3Ease of operation
If the upper portion is made of stretchable material, then the ease of operation and comfort is improved, but the manufacturing precision and fit control become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the stretchable upper portion with dynamic movable components (adjustable sole structure and heel assembly). This allows the footwear to provide both the comfort of stretchable material and the precision of adjustable fit, as the movable components can compensate for variations in foot size and shape while the stretchable material provides comfort
Data Source
AI summary
An article of footwear includes a sole structure and a heel assembly. The sole structure defines a forwardmost toe location of the article of footwear and is adjustable in a transverse direction of the article of footwear. The heel assembly defines a rearmost heel location of the article of footwear and includes a lower heel movable relative to the sole structure. One of the lower heel and upper heel defines a track and the other of the lower heel and the upper heel includes a protrusion slidably received in the track. The upper heel is movable relative to the lower heel between a closed position and an open position.