Boot Sole System With Hinged Toe and Stop Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional flipper designs for water propulsion often have foot pockets that are limited to standard sizes, leading to discomfort and increased drag due to water accumulation and reduced control, as well as high manufacturing and distribution costs for varied sizes.
Innovation Solution
A boot sole system comprising a toe sole body and a posterior sole body connected by a transverse hinge, allowing for longitudinal deflection and featuring stop surfaces to restrict movement, which can be adjusted for better fit and flexibility, and a fin system that connects to this sole body for enhanced propulsion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If standard-sized foot pockets are used in flippers, then manufacturing and distribution costs are reduced, but user comfort and control are worsened due to poor fit and water accumulation
Solution Approach 1:
The flipper is divided into two independent components: a standardized fin body and a customizable foot pocket. The foot pocket is segmented into adjustable sizing elements (such as interchangeable insoles or adjustable straps) that can be customized to different foot sizes and shapes. This allows the fin body to maintain standard manufacturing while the foot pocket adapts to individual user needs, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing efficiency and user comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The foot pocket incorporates dynamic adjustment mechanisms such as adjustable straps, buckles, or elastic elements that allow users to modify the fit in real-time. This dynamic adaptability enables a single standardized fin design to accommodate multiple foot sizes and shapes, maintaining manufacturing simplicity while achieving personalized comfort and control for each user.
2Ease of operation
If foot pockets are made to accommodate various foot sizes, then user comfort improves, but manufacturing and distribution costs increase prohibitively
Solution Approach 1:
The standardized fin body is designed as a universal component that can accommodate multiple foot sizes through the use of interchangeable or adjustable foot pocket elements. Rather than manufacturing separate fins for each foot size, the system uses a single fin body design that works with various foot pocket configurations, achieving multi-functionality and eliminating the need for costly multi-size production runs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains a constant fin body design while varying only the foot pocket parameters (such as insole size, strap length, or pocket depth) to accommodate different foot dimensions. This selective parameter change approach allows customization for user comfort without requiring changes to the entire fin structure, thereby controlling manufacturing costs while improving fit.
3Ease of operation
If space between foot and foot pocket wall is reduced for better fit, then control improves, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The foot pocket is designed with contoured shapes that copy or replicate the natural anatomy of the human foot, creating a form-fitting structure that reduces gaps without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms. By using anatomical copying in the basic design, the system achieves improved control and comfort while maintaining relatively simple manufacturing processes.
Data Source
AI summary
In one illustrative embodiment, there is provided a boot sole system for guiding a fin, the system comprising: at least one toe sole body connectable to the fin and comprising first and second stop surfaces; a posterior sole body comprising third and fourth stop surfaces; and a transverse hinge for hingedly connecting the at least one toe sole body to the posterior sole body to permit longitudinal deflection of the at least one toe sole body relative to the posterior sole body in a first deflection direction and in a second deflection direction opposite the first deflection direction. The first, second, third, and fourth stop surfaces are positioned to restrict longitudinal deflection of the at least one toe sole body relative to the posterior sole body in the first deflection direction and in the second deflection direction. Fins are also disclosed.