Golf Shoe Closure Mechanism with Rolling Actuation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing foot covering closure mechanisms require hand operation, bending, or sitting, making them difficult for seniors to use due to sore backs and balance issues, and they fail to adapt to varying lace hole or eyelet spacing, lack a water seal, and do not allow for color coordination.
Innovation Solution
A polymer-based closure mechanism with a rolling action that adapts to different lace hole or eyelet spacings, uses a compressible seal for moisture prevention, and can be color-coordinated, allowing hands-free operation and installation on any laced shoe using the toe of the opposite foot.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a lever operated shoe opening and closing mechanism is used, then the shoe can be opened and closed without laces, but it requires hand operation and bending at the waist which is difficult for seniors
Solution Approach 1:
The shoe closure system enables self-service operation by the user's foot itself. The movable tongue is positioned and actuated by the user's own foot movements, eliminating the need for hand operation or external assistance. This resolves the contradiction by making the device serve itself through the natural motion of the user's foot.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual lever-operated mechanical system with a foot-actuated mechanical system. Instead of requiring hand manipulation of levers, the system uses the user's foot movements to directly actuate the tongue and closure mechanism, substituting a complex hand-operated system with a simpler foot-operated one.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed lace hole spacing is used in the shoe design, then the closure mechanism is simple, but it cannot adapt to shoes with varying lace eyelet spacing
Solution Approach 1:
The closure mechanism incorporates dynamic adjustability through movable components. The tongue can be positioned at different locations along the shoe, and the closure system can accommodate varying lace hole spacings by adjusting the position of the movable tongue rather than requiring a completely different mechanism for each spacing configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The closure mechanism is designed with universal adaptability to work with shoes of different lace hole spacings. By incorporating a movable tongue that can be repositioned and a closure system that adjusts to different configurations, a single device design serves multiple shoe types and spacing variations.
3Reliability
If wire-based closure mechanism is used, then the structure is simple, but wires rust and dirt accumulates making operation increasingly difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite material construction for the closure mechanism components. Instead of using simple wire, the system incorporates polymer-based materials and coated components that resist rust and dirt accumulation while maintaining structural integrity. This resolves the contradiction by using composite materials that provide both durability and resistance to environmental degradation.
Solution Approach 2:
The closure mechanism uses parameter changes in material properties, transitioning from metallic wire to polymer-based materials with different surface characteristics. This material parameter change provides resistance to rust and reduces dirt accumulation while maintaining the mechanical functionality of the closure system.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If the closure mechanism is sealed to prevent moisture entry, then moisture protection is improved, but the mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The closure mechanism incorporates flexible sealing elements and thin film barriers that prevent moisture entry. These flexible seals are integrated into the movable tongue and closure components, providing moisture protection while maintaining the flexibility and movement required for the closure mechanism to function. This resolves the contradiction by using thin film sealing solutions rather than bulky sealed enclosures.
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, tool-free operation of laced shoes without bending or sitting, maintaining moisture seal and color adaptability, enhancing comfort and safety for seniors by eliminating rust and stick slip issues.
Implementation Method 1
equipped with a compressible seal across the shoe opening to keep moisture from seeping in when closed
Implementation Method 2
a color coordinated heat shrink sleeve covering the exterior of the pivoting flap
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a foot covering closure mechanism that converts any laced shoe to a design that requires no bending down, sitting or use of the hands to put on or take off ones shoes. The new and unique device utilizes rolling motion actuation for ease of use. Polymeric components for reliability in hostile environments, water seals to keep feet dry and adaptable fastening hardware and exterior color for compatibility with the wide variety of shoes available to the public. Other features make the mechanism easily operated by action of the opposite foot.