External Heel Counter with Arcuate Rubber Geometry

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional heel counters in footwear are often too rigid, causing irritation and injury to the wearer's heel due to their lack of flexibility and improper design.

Innovation Solution

The design incorporates an external heel counter made of rubber with an hourglass shape, featuring arcuate and concave lateral sides, which is secured to the upper and sole using stitching, providing flexibility and support without extending along the lateral sides of the heel.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If a conventional heel counter is used to stiffen the material around the heel and provide support, then heel stability is improved, but the rigidity causes irritation and injury to the wearer's heel

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheel stabilityVSAvoidheel irritation and injury

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The heel counter is extracted from the internal structure and repositioned to the external rear portion of the footwear, allowing it to provide support without直接接触 the heel, thus maintaining stability while eliminating irritation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of placing the rigid heel counter inside the footwear where it contacts the heel, the invention inverts the approach by positioning it externally at the rear, flipping the location from internal to external to resolve the contradiction between support and comfort

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Stability of the object's composition

If an external heel counter is positioned behind the heel without extending along lateral sides, then heel slippage is prevented, but the design complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheel stabilityVSAvoidheel counter design complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The heel counter features asymmetric geometry with arcuate and concave lateral sides that curve inward, creating a non-uniform shape that adapts to the heel's contours while maintaining stability without requiring complex additional components

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

3Strength

If the heel counter material is made rigid to provide support, then structural strength is improved, but flexibility is reduced causing discomfort

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheel counter strengthVSAvoidheel counter flexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The heel counter employs varying material densities or compositions in different regions, with potentially softer areas contacting or near the heel and harder areas providing structural support, creating localized property variations that balance strength and flexibility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The arcuate and concave curved geometry of the heel counter distributes contact pressure more evenly and allows natural deformation patterns that accommodate heel movement, providing flexibility through shape rather than material softness while maintaining overall structural integrity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Data Source

PatentUS9468260B2Footwear with external heel counter

Publication Date: 2016.10.18 ROCKY BRANDS INC

AI summary

Footwear includes a sole, an upper secured to the sole for covering a foot of the wearer, and an external heel counter located at a rear of the upper and configured to be located behind a heel of the foot and to not extend along lateral sides of the heel. Portions of the upper adjacent the heel counter comprise leather and the heel counter comprises molded rubber. Lateral sides of the heel counter are arcuate and concave and an external surface of the heel counter is provided with raised ridges. Some of the leather portions of the upper adjacent the rubber heel counter are stitched to and over the rubber heel counter and some of the leather portions of the upper adjacent the rubber heel counter are stitched to and under the rubber heel counter.