Compressible Heel Cup Structure for Hands-Free Foot 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 quarter collapsing under the heel, making it difficult to don and doff the shoe easily.
Innovation Solution
A heel counter with a compressible heel cup that distorts under foot load to widen the shoe opening, featuring a lower portion with reduced thickness and a foam ankle collar that exerts pressure on the ankle for securement, allowing easy foot insertion and removal without manual assistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the heel counter is made rigid to provide structural support, then the stability and support of the shoe is improved, but the ease of foot insertion deteriorates due to the quarter collapsing under the heel
Solution Approach 1:
The heel counter is divided into a rigid lower portion and an upper portion with different flexibility characteristics. The rigid lower portion maintains structural support, while the upper portion is designed to be more flexible to allow easier foot insertion.
Solution Approach 2:
The upper portion of the heel counter is designed to dynamically change its configuration under load. When the user's foot applies load during insertion, the upper portion distorts to facilitate entry, then returns to its original configuration to provide support.
2Strength
If the heel counter material is made thick and rigid for durability, then the strength and reliability are improved, but the ease of manufacture and adaptability to foot insertion movements deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the heel counter have different thicknesses and material properties. The lower portion has greater thickness for strength and durability, while the upper portion has reduced thickness to allow flexibility and adaptation during foot insertion.
3Ease of operation
If manual assistance or a shoehorn is used to insert the foot, then the ease of operation for foot insertion is improved, but the device complexity and loss of time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The heel counter is designed to automatically facilitate foot insertion through its own structural characteristics. The upper portion's ability to distort under load and return to its original configuration eliminates the need for external tools like shoehorns or manual assistance.
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 and hands-free entry and removal of the foot by utilizing a compressible heel cup and foam ankle collar that returns to its original shape post-insertion, enhancing comfort and security within the shoe.
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 in fully inserted into the footwear
Implementation Method 2
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. A heel cup has an upper mid- and lower portion and the heel cup extends from the sole to at least a portion of a rear ankle collar of the upper. The heel cup has a polymer material. In a first configuration, the upper portion of the heel cup has a downward incline with a first angle, and the upper portion can distort into a second configuration under a load of a foot when donning the shoe. In the second configuration the upper portion has a downward incline with a second angle that is greater than the first angle. An compressible interior foam layer is adjacent to an interior wall of the upper portion of the heel cup, extends around portions of an ankle region of the foot and extends into the shoe opening, providing securement of the foot.