Adjustable Shoe With Locking Sole Parts And Ground-Contact Heel
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing adjustable shoes lack stability in both high and flat states, leading to instability when loaded, particularly in the flat state where the heel surface does not directly contact the ground, resulting in inefficient load transfer and reduced comfort.
Innovation Solution
The shoe design features a heel surface that directly contacts the ground in its passive position, allowing for a larger contact area in the flat state, enhancing stability by ensuring the heel surface supports the load directly and vertically, and incorporating a joint device that locks adjacent sole parts to maintain shape during adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the heel is designed to be movable between active and passive positions for shoe adjustment, then the shoe can be adjusted between raised and flat states, but the stability of the shoe deteriorates when the heel surface does not directly contact the ground
Solution Approach 1:
The heel is extracted from continuous ground contact and designed to be removable or storable within the shoe. The heel compartment allows the heel to be completely removed or stored in a passive position, enabling the shoe to function as a flat shoe when the heel is not needed, thus resolving the stability issue in flat state while maintaining adjustability.
Solution Approach 2:
The heel is designed with dynamic positioning capability, allowing it to move between active position (ground contact for high heel function) and passive position (stored in heel compartment for flat shoe function). This dynamic adjustment enables the shoe to adapt its stability characteristics based on the required state.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the heel surface is spaced away from the ground in active position to enable shoe adjustment, then the shoe can transition between states, but the load transfer efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The heel is completely extracted from the ground contact path when not in use. By removing the heel entirely or storing it in the heel compartment, the load transfer path is optimized for flat state walking, eliminating inefficient indirect load transfer through the heel mechanism and improving overall load transfer efficiency.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the heel compartment is designed to completely store the heel in passive position, then the shoe achieves better flat state stability, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heel compartment is merged with the shoe's existing structure, utilizing the space between the sole parts and the upper material. The compartment is formed by the natural structural voids in the shoe construction, combining the storage function with the existing shoe architecture rather than adding a separate complex mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The heel compartment serves multiple functions: storing the heel in passive position, providing structural support for the adjustable mechanism, and maintaining the shoe's overall shape. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, simplifying the overall device complexity.
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 design significantly improves stability in both high and flat states by ensuring the heel surface directly transfers the load to the ground, providing a larger contact area and preventing unwanted shape changes, thus enhancing comfort and safety.
Implementation Method 1
the sole parts are rotatable relative to one another by means of the joint device
Implementation Method 2
the heel part and at least one further sole part adjacent to the heel part are torque-resistant and connected to one another in at least one locking position
Implementation Method 3
in the passive position of the heel, the heel surface is in direct contact with the ground
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to an adjustable shoe (1) which is upright on an underlying surface, comprising at least one shoe sole and at least one heel (3), wherein the shoe sole is divided into at least two sole parts (4) which are arranged at least indirectly one behind the other in the longitudinal direction of the shoe sole, namely a toe part (6) and a heel part (7), wherein adjacent sole parts (4) are in each case connected to each other by means of at least one articulated device (8), wherein the sole parts (4) are rotatable relative to one another by means of the articulated device (8) and wherein at least the heel part (7) and at least one other sole part (4), which is adjacent to the heel part (7), are interconnectable in a torque-proof manner in at least one locking position in an upright state of the shoe (1), the heel (3) being movable at least between an active position and a passive position relative to the shoe sole, whereby the shoe (1) is adjustable at least between an upright state and a flat state. According to the invention, the shoe sole comprises a heel compartment (9), within which the heel (3) can be stored in its passive position, wherein in the active position of the heel (3), in which the heel (3) is arranged in a force-transmitting manner at least at the heel part (7) and is upright with one heel surface (10) on the underlying surface, a heel surface (11), which is arranged at an underside of the heel part (7) facing the underlying surface, is spaced apart from the underlying surface. In order to provide an alternative adjustable shoe which is "stable" both in the upright state and the flat state, it is proposed according to the invention that the heel surface (11) is in direct contact with the underlying surface when the heel (3) is in the passive position.