Conical Heel Energy Return Structure for Footwear Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional footwear energy return devices fail to provide sufficient angular stability and familiar sensation to users, especially during foot inversion and eversion, leading to instability and discomfort.
Innovation Solution
A flattenable conical disk with a ring spring and a rigid heel-receiving plate, where the heel-receiving plate is attached to the conical disk via a fastener, allowing symmetric flexing while resisting tilting, and incorporating a viscoelastic damping disk and protrusions to enhance stability and energy return.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If a flattenable conical disk with ring spring is used for energy return, then energy return capability is improved, but angular stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
A viscoelastic damping disk is introduced as an intermediary element between the heel-receiving plate and the conical disk. This damping disk provides angular stability by resisting rotational movements (inversion and eversion) while allowing the conical disk to perform its energy return function through compression and expansion. The damping disk acts as a mediator that stabilizes the system without interfering with the primary energy return mechanism.
2Strength
If the heel-receiving plate is rigidly attached to the conical disk, then structural strength is improved, but flexibility in angulation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment system is segmented into multiple functional elements: a heel-receiving plate, a fastener (such as a rivet or bolt), and a viscoelastic damping disk. The fastener provides rigid structural attachment for strength, while the damping disk allows controlled angulation and rotation. This segmentation enables the system to simultaneously achieve both structural strength and flexibility in angulation.
3Use of energy by moving object
If the conical disk is made flattenable for compression, then energy storage capability is improved, but resistance to tilting deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a composite structure combining a flattenable conical disk (for energy storage through compression) with a viscoelastic damping disk (for resistance to tilting and rotational stability). The conical disk is typically made from a rigid but compressible material that can store energy when flattened, while the viscoelastic damping disk provides damping and stability against unwanted tilting movements. This composite material approach allows both energy storage and tilting resistance to coexist.
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 solution provides improved angular stability and energy return, mimicking the sensation of conventional shoes by resisting foot inversion and eversion, while ensuring a grounded feel through controlled angulation and damping, thus enhancing user comfort and stability.
Implementation Method 1
a ring spring arranged around the OD 1030 of the base of the flattenable conical disk, the ring spring arranged to be circumferentially elongated when the device is compressed under a weight of a user
Implementation Method 2
incorporating a viscoelastic damping disk and protrusions to enhance stability and energy return
Implementation Method 3
The bottom of the fastener may contact and compress a damper at or near full compression of the flattenable conical disk
Data Source
AI summary
An energy return device for footwear has a flattenable conical disk with a ring spring arranged around the base of the conical disk. A rigid upper heel-receiving plate is connected to the apex of the flattenable conical disk. The heel-receiving plate may be rigidly or semi-rigidly attached to the apex of the conical disk to stabilize an angle of the heel-receiving plate. There may be a conical damping disk between a lower surface of the heel-receiving plate and an upper surface of the conical disk. There may be protrusions on the bottom of the heel-receiving plate which interact with pockets in the upper surface of the conical disk, for example distorting the conical damping disk. There may be viscoelastic inserts in the pockets, for example providing damping in place of or in addition to the damping disk.