Foot Support With Closable Opening For Flexion Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional footwear often exacerbates or leads to foot issues, causing discomfort and potentially contributing to gait disorders and other health problems like back pain, and existing solutions such as custom-made footwear or orthotic inserts may not adequately address specific foot conditions.
Innovation Solution
The development of customizable foot supports using additive manufacturing techniques, which incorporate a support portion and an extension portion with a closable opening that adjusts flexibility based on the angle of bending, providing personalized rigidity and flexibility to correct or alleviate foot conditions such as plantar 2nd metatarsal head symptoms, structural hallux limitus, and hallux rigidus.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional footwear is used, then manufacturing and wearing is simple, but it exacerbates foot issues and causes discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The foot support is divided into multiple zones with different rigidity characteristics. A first portion provides greater rigidity for arch support, while a second portion provides lesser rigidity for toe flexibility, allowing each segment to address specific foot conditions independently
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the foot support have locally optimized properties - the arch area uses stiffer material or thicker construction for structural support, while the toe area uses more flexible material to allow natural toe movement and prevent deformities
2Reliability
If custom-made footwear or orthotic inserts are used, then foot condition correction is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes variable rigidity parameters achieved through additive manufacturing by changing material deposition patterns, layer heights, or infraction densities in different regions, allowing customization of mechanical properties without complex assembly processes
Solution Approach 2:
The foot support incorporates regions of different material compositions or densities - potentially combining rigid support structures with flexible cushioning materials - to achieve both correction effectiveness and comfort while maintaining a single integrated component
3Adaptability or versatility
If additive manufacturing is used for foot supports, then customization and foot condition correction are improved, but manufacturing time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs pre-designed templates or digital models that encode optimal rigidity distributions for common foot conditions, allowing rapid generation of customized supports by simply adjusting patient-specific measurements rather than designing from scratch each time
Data Source
AI summary
In an example, a foot support is described. The foot support comprises a support portion, an extension portion extending from the support portion, and at least one closable opening formed in the foot support. The extension portion is integral with the support portion. Upon flexing of the foot support by application of a bending force between the support portion and the extension portion, closure of the at least one opening is to prevent further flexing of the foot support beyond a specified angle range.