Heel Cup Structure for Hands-Free Footwear Entry and Secure Fit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional footwear designs require manual assistance or shoe horns to easily insert the foot due to the heel counter collapsing under the heel, making it difficult to don and remove shoes without hands.
Innovation Solution
A heel cup with a compressible design that distorts under foot load to widen the shoe opening, allowing easier entry and securement, featuring a U-shaped foamed ankle collar and compressible components that return to their original state after foot insertion, along with a heel counter support system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid heel counter structure is used to maintain shoe shape and provide support, then structural stability and secure fit are improved, but ease of foot insertion deteriorates because the heel counter collapses under the heel
Solution Approach 1:
The heel counter is designed with a dynamic structure that can change its properties based on the state of use. During foot insertion, the heel counter is flexible and collapsible to accommodate the heel. Once the foot is inserted, the heel counter stabilizes to provide structural support and maintain shoe shape. This dynamic behavior resolves the contradiction between ease of insertion and structural stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The heel counter utilizes materials or structures that can change their physical parameters (such as stiffness, flexibility, or shape) in response to applied loads. When the user inserts their foot, the heel counter undergoes parameter changes to become more compliant. After insertion, it returns to or maintains a stable configuration that provides support, thus resolving the contradiction between flexibility during insertion and stability during wear.
2Ease of operation
If manual assistance or shoe horns are used to insert the foot, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity and loss of time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The heel counter is designed to facilitate foot insertion automatically without requiring external tools or manual assistance. The structure itself provides the necessary compliance and guidance for the user to insert their foot easily by simply applying downward pressure. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for shoe horns or other assisting devices, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The heel counter acts as an intermediary element between the user's foot and the shoe structure. It mediates the insertion process by providing a compliant interface that guides the heel into the correct position and accommodates the foot's shape. This intermediary function enables easy foot insertion without requiring additional tools, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and device complexity.
3Ease of operation
If the heel counter is made collapsible to ease insertion, then ease of operation is improved, but structural stability and secure fit during wear deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The heel counter transitions from a collapsible state during insertion to a stable state during wear. The dynamic design allows it to be compliant when needed for insertion and then stabilize to provide structural support. This resolves the contradiction by making the structural stability a post-insertion property rather than a pre-insertion property.
Solution Approach 2:
The collapsible feature is designed to be activated only during the preliminary insertion phase. Once the foot is inserted, the heel counter naturally returns to or maintains its stable configuration. This preliminary action of collapsing is temporary and purposeful, resolving the contradiction between ease of insertion and structural stability during wear.
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 hands-free foot insertion and securement by widening the shoe opening under foot load, facilitating easier donning and removal while maintaining secure fit during wear.
Implementation Method 1
The compressible component has a first configuration in its native state, and 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 is fully inserted into the footwear
Implementation Method 2
The foamed ankle collar may extend at least partially around and over the foot receiving shoe opening and may be compressed by the user's heel during foot insertion. The ankle collar may exert pressure on the user's ankle once the foot is inserted into the footwear
Data Source
AI summary
An article of footwear includes a heel cup that is attached to the upper and extends from the sole structure to at least a portion of the rear heel collar of the upper. The heel cup may be uniformly molded with an upper portion, midportion, and lower portion and the upper portion has a smaller mediolateral length than the midportion, and the midportion and lower portion form a concave structure that receives the heel. The upper portion has a first configuration and is capable of distorting into a second configuration under a load of a user's foot when the user is donning the footwear. In the second configuration, at least part of the upper portion is lowered and is capable of returning to the first configuration after the load of the user's foot is removed. The midportion includes a peripheral portion that may be thicker than a central portion.