Collapsible Shoe Heel With Hinged Spring Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Laced shoes require significant effort to put on and take off, and existing solutions do not adequately address the issue of structural integrity during this process, as they often damage the shoe's back over time.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible shoe heel with a support member and lifting member connected by hinges or torsional springs, allowing the heel to be compressed for easy foot insertion or removal and then return to its natural position, providing internal spring support to ease the process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the shoe back is made rigid to maintain structural integrity, then the shoe provides better support and protection, but it becomes difficult to put on and take off
Solution Approach 1:
The shoe back is designed with a collapsible mechanism that transitions between rigid and flexible states. During insertion/removal, the heel counter collapses inward allowing easy foot access. Once the foot is inserted, the spring mechanism restores the heel counter to its rigid upright position, providing structural support and integrity during wear.
Solution Approach 2:
A spring mechanism is pre-installed within the heel counter to automatically counteract the collapsing action. When the heel counter is pushed inward during insertion, the spring compresses and stores energy, then automatically pushes the heel counter back to its original position, preventing permanent deformation and maintaining structural integrity.
2Ease of operation
If the shoe back is made flexible to ease insertion and removal, then the shoe becomes easier to put on and take off, but the structural integrity deteriorates over time
Solution Approach 1:
The shoe back is designed with a collapsible mechanism that transitions between rigid and flexible states. During insertion/removal, the heel counter collapses inward allowing easy foot access. Once the foot is inserted, the spring mechanism restores the heel counter to its rigid upright position, providing structural support and integrity during wear.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring mechanism acts as a pre-installed cushioning element that absorbs the stress of repeated collapsing and recovering actions. This prevents the direct transmission of mechanical stress to the shoe's structural components, thereby preventing damage accumulation and maintaining integrity over time.
3Ease of operation
If a spring mechanism is added to the shoe back to provide collapsible support, then ease of insertion and removal is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spring mechanism is integrated within the existing heel counter structure rather than being added as a separate external component. The spring is positioned inside the hollow cavity of the heel counter, merging the support function with the existing structural element, thereby minimizing additional complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The heel counter serves multiple functions: it provides structural support during wear, acts as a housing for the spring mechanism, and functions as a collapsible element during insertion/removal. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, thereby reducing 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
Enables easy and efficient putting on and taking off of shoes without damaging the structural integrity of the shoe, allowing multiple compression and recovery cycles without material failure.
Implementation Method 1
a shoe back containing a lifting member, the lifting member comprising a spring member
Implementation Method 2
the spring recovers, raising the shoe back
Implementation Method 3
a first hinge rotatably connecting the first end of the support member and the first end of the lifting member
Implementation Method 4
the first hinge and second hinge are torsional springs or hinge springs
Data Source
AI summary
A collapsible shoe heel is provided. The collapsible shoe heel features a support member having a first end and second end, a substantially u-shaped lifting member having a first end and a second end, an angle, formed by the support member and the lifting member, which has a natural position, a first hinge rotatably connecting the first end of the support member and the first end of the lifting member, and a second hinge rotatably connecting the second end of the support member and the second end of the lifting member. The first hinge and second are configured to retain the natural position of the angle.