Adjustable Shoe Heel Assembly with Telescoping Cylinders
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Solution Overview
Problem
High heel shoes cause temporary discomfort and long-term injuries due to heel height distortion, and existing adjustable heel designs lack aesthetic appeal.
Innovation Solution
A shoe with a collapsible exterior shell and rotatable components, including a telescoping cylindrical system and actuator, allows for adjustable heel heights while maintaining aesthetic appeal through a mechanism that includes a spring-loaded or telescopic actuator and lateral stabilizer, enabling the shoe to transition between high and low heel configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a collapsible exterior shell with telescoping cylindrical components is used to enable height adjustment, then the shoe can transition between high and low heel configurations, but the device complexity increases due to the intricate mechanism required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs nested cylindrical components where the first cylindrical component is disposed within the second cylindrical component, allowing one component to be contained within another. This nesting arrangement enables the telescoping motion that provides height adjustment while maintaining a compact structure when retracted.
Solution Approach 2:
The heel assembly is divided into multiple cylindrical components with external and internal threads that can rotate relative to each other. This segmentation allows independent rotation and telescoping of each component, enabling controlled height adjustment through the interaction of threaded surfaces.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the shoe includes a complex actuation mechanism with rotating components and telescoping cylinders, then height adjustment is enabled, but the manufacturing difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes dynamic elements including rotation and telescoping motion to achieve height adjustment. The cylindrical components are designed to rotate relative to each other and extend/retract, transforming static heel structures into dynamically adjustable configurations through mechanical motion.
3Shape
If the shoe maintains a traditional high heel structure, then aesthetic appeal is preserved, but user comfort and long-term health deteriorate due to body mechanics distortion
Solution Approach 1:
The shoe incorporates a dynamically adjustable heel height system that allows the user to transition between high heel and low heel configurations. This dynamic capability enables the shoe to maintain aesthetic appeal when needed while eliminating harmful body mechanics distortion when the heel is lowered, providing health benefits through adjustable positioning.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a comfortable and injury-reducing adjustable heel system that maintains aesthetic appeal by allowing users to adjust heel height safely and efficiently, with the ability to withstand significant kinetic and static loads, and can be remotely controlled for convenience.
Implementation Method 1
The shell includes a first cylindrical component that has a sidewall having an outer surface on which external threads are disposed. The shell also includes a second cylindrical component that has a sidewall that defines a recess and has an inner surface on which internal threads are disposed. The internal threads are configured to mate with the external threads such that the first cylindrical component and the second cylindrical component telescope in relation to one another
Data Source
AI summary
A shoe configured to adjust from a first configuration having a first height to a second configuration having a second height includes a sole. Sole includes a toebox, a shank, and a seat. The shank is rotatably connected to the toebox and the seat. The shoe also includes a heel assembly mounted to the seat. The heel assembly includes a collapsible exterior shell that adjusts the shoe between the first configuration and the second configuration, the first height of the first configuration being greater than the second height of the second configuration.