Heel Cup Structure That Widens for Easier Shoe 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 heel counter collapsing under the heel, making it difficult to don and doff the shoe easily.
Innovation Solution
A heel cup with a compressible design that distorts under foot load to widen the shoe opening, featuring a thinner central portion and flexible materials to facilitate easy foot entry and securement, combined with a compressible ankle collar and heel counter support for enhanced comfort and stability.
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 shoe maintains its shape and provides stability, but the foot entry becomes difficult requiring manual assistance or a shoehorn
Solution Approach 1:
The heel counter is designed with a dynamic structure that can distort under load and return to its original configuration. The upper portion of the heel cup is capable of distorting from a first configuration to a second configuration under the load of the user's foot, allowing the shoe opening to widen during foot insertion, and then returning to the first configuration to maintain structural support during wear.
2Ease of operation
If the heel counter is made compressible to ease foot insertion, then the shoe opening widens under load, but the structural support and stability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The heel counter uses material parameter changes to achieve both compressibility and structural integrity. The material is selected to have specific elastic properties that allow it to compress under foot load during insertion, then return to its original shape to provide structural support. The thickness parameters are optimized with the central portion being thinner than peripheral portions to enable controlled deformation.
3Ease of operation
If the upper portion of the heel cup is made thinner to allow distortion, then the shoe opening can widen easier, but the strength and durability may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The heel cup employs non-uniform thickness distribution with different regions having different properties. The central portion of the upper portion has a smaller thickness to allow distortion and widening, while the peripheral portions maintain greater thickness for strength and durability. This local differentiation of properties allows the structure to achieve both deformability and structural integrity.
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 and easy foot insertion and removal by allowing the heel cup to widen under foot pressure, providing secure fit and comfort through compressible materials and structural support.
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
configured to compress under a load during donning or removal of the shoe and to expand fully or partially to its uncompressed state when the shoe is donned
Data Source
AI summary
The shoe includes a sole and an upper and a heel cup that extends from adjacent to the sole to a rear portion of a collar of the upper. The heel cup is positioned in an interior portion of the upper, has a central portion thinner than an adjacent region, and has a smooth curvature, including an S-wave cross-section at its rearmost portion. The shoe includes an inner compressible layer having foam and which is covered by a form-fitting elastic textile. The inner compressible layer has a curved outer surface extending into a foot-receiving opening of the shoe, a first thickness adjacent to a portion of the heel cup above a central inflection point, tapering to lesser lateral thicknesses at each side of the foot-receiving, and tapering to a lesser lower thickness adjacent to a portion of the heel cup below the central inflection point.