Compressible Heel Cup Structure for Hands-Free Shoe Entry
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional footwear requires manual assistance or the use of a shoehorn to insert the foot due to the heel counter collapsing under the heel, making it difficult to don and doff the shoe easily.
Innovation Solution
A heel cup with a compressible design that distorts under foot load to widen the shoe opening, allowing easier entry and exit, featuring a concave structure with varying thickness and angles to facilitate foot insertion and securement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid heel counter structure is used to maintain shoe shape and provide support, then structural stability is improved, but ease of foot insertion deteriorates due to the heel counter collapsing under the heel
Solution Approach 1:
The heel counter incorporates a dynamic collapse mechanism that allows the structure to transition from a stable, supportive state during wear to a collapsed, flexible state during foot insertion. The collapsible quarter elements are designed to yield under heel pressure during donning, then recover to their original supportive configuration once the foot is inserted, providing both ease of insertion and structural stability during use.
Solution Approach 2:
The heel counter structure changes its physical parameters (rigidity, shape, volume) in response to applied load. During foot insertion, the structure transitions from a rigid state to a compressed, flexible state that accommodates the heel. After insertion, the structure returns to its original rigid configuration, maintaining structural stability and support during normal wear.
2Ease of operation
If the heel counter is made collapsible to ease foot insertion, then ease of operation is improved, but structural support and shape maintenance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The collapsible quarter elements are designed with dynamic properties that allow them to collapse during foot insertion while automatically recovering to their original supportive shape during wear. This dynamic behavior ensures that the structure provides both ease of insertion and maintains structural stability when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The heel counter structure is designed to self-recover its original configuration after collapsing during foot insertion. The elastic or resilient materials used in the collapsible quarters automatically return the structure to its supportive shape without external intervention, maintaining structural stability after the insertion process.
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 hands-free and effortless foot insertion and removal by utilizing a compressible heel cup that returns to its original shape after foot insertion, enhancing user convenience and comfort.
Implementation Method 1
the compressible component is capable of distorting into a second configuration under a load of a user's foot when the user is donning the footwear and is capable of automatically returning to the first configuration after the user's foot is fully inserted into the footwear
Implementation Method 2
The foamed ankle collar may extend at least partially around and over the foot receiving shoe opening and may be compressed by the user's heel during foot insertion. The ankle collar may exert pressure on the user's ankle once the foot is inserted into the footwear.
Data Source
AI summary
The shoe includes a sole and an upper having an ankle collar extending around a portion of a shoe opening. The shoe includes a heel cup in a heel region of the upper, the heel cup having a central region and peripheral portions and forms a vertical cross-sectional “S” wave shape through the central region, the “S” wave shape having an upper arc and a lower arc that intersect at an inflection point. The heel cup has a top, middle, and bottom portion, each extending horizontally through the central region. The shoe includes a compressible material layer along regions of an inner wall of the heel cup facing an interior of the upper. The compressible material layer protrudes into the shoe opening along the central region corresponding to the top portion and tapers towards the portion of the central region corresponding to the bottom portion.