Climbing Shoe Heel-Cup Structure for Edge Hooking Grip
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing climbing shoes lack efficient heel engagement mechanisms for edging or hooking on rock surfaces, as the anatomical shape of the heel area fails to provide sufficient friction and anchoring capabilities.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a heel-cup structure with a hooking rim and ribbed pattern on the heel area of climbing shoes to enhance friction and allow for improved heel edging and hooking on rock surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the heel area is designed with a smooth, ball-shaped structure conforming to natural anatomy, then comfort and fit are improved, but friction and latching capability on rock surfaces deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different surface qualities to different regions of the heel-cup: the inner surface maintains a smooth, anatomical contour for comfort and fit, while the outer surface features a ribbed pattern with protrusions for enhanced friction and latching. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by providing appropriate surface characteristics in each specific area.
Solution Approach 2:
The heel-cup is segmented into distinct functional zones: an inner smooth surface for anatomical conformity, an outer ribbed surface for friction enhancement, and specific protrusions for hooking. This segmentation allows each zone to perform its specialized function without compromising the others.
2Ease of manufacture
If the heel area maintains a smooth, anatomical shape, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but edging and hooking performance on rock surfaces deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The complex ribbed pattern and protrusions are applied only to the outer surface of the heel-cup, while the inner surface remains smooth and anatomical. This localized complexity resolves the contradiction by providing enhanced performance features only where needed for rock contact, while maintaining manufacturing simplicity in the primary structural and comfort areas.
3Reliability
If the heel area is designed with increased friction surfaces and hooking features, then latching and edging capability are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements the friction-enhancing ribbed pattern and hooking protrusions as integral features of the heel-cup's outer shell or surface layer, rather than as separate mechanical components. This approach provides complex functionality through surface geometry alone, resolving the contradiction by achieving enhanced latching capability without adding device complexity through multiple parts or mechanisms.
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 heel-cup structure with a hooking rim and ribbed pattern provides additional friction and contact moments, enabling effective heel edging and hooking, enhancing the climber's ability to use the heel as a temporary anchor.
Implementation Method 1
The ribbed pattern on the heel cup also provides additional friction coefficient thus allowing the climber additional moment of contact with the rock surface
Data Source
AI summary
A heel-cup structure for climbing shoes having increased edge-contact properties and friction on uneven surface where the heel area has a protrusion around the outer sole area under the heel and rimmed indentation between the heel counter and the outer sole. The heel-cup structure with protrusion of the outer sole made of soft, polymeric, synthetic rubber material provides a device to latch onto a thin edge of the rock surface in contact, to effectuate edging and heel-hooking.