Heel Tip Cushion Anchoring Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional high heel footwear heel tips wear out quickly due to concentrated stress and pressure, often leading to dislodgment, chronic injuries, and adverse effects such as shock wave transmission and noise, with existing materials failing to absorb shock effectively and secure the heel tip properly.
Innovation Solution
A heel tip assembly featuring a micro honeycomb structure made from resilient materials, combined with anti-rotation and securing features like threaded inserts and wedge-lock mechanisms, to absorb shock, prevent rotation, and securely attach the heel tip to the heel, ensuring longevity and comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional heel tips are made from hard polyurethane or plastic/rubber mix, then the heel tip provides protection against abrasive pressure, but the heel tip wears out quickly and gets pulled out of the heel due to concentrated stress and pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The heel tip incorporates a foam core with cellular structure that provides both cushioning and enhanced mechanical interlocking. The porous foam material deforms under load to distribute stress while maintaining attachment to the heel, preventing both wear and dislodgment.
Solution Approach 2:
The heel tip uses a composite construction combining an outer shell material (polyurethane or plastic/rubber mix) with an inner foam core. This composite structure provides both the hardness needed for abrasion resistance and the softness needed for shock absorption and stress distribution, resolving the contradiction between protection and durability.
2Strength
If the heel tip uses a metal nail head with protruding stem, then the heel tip can be fastened to the heel, but the metal nail head transmits harmful shock waves through the body and causes damage
Solution Approach 1:
The foam core acts as a shock-absorbing medium that interrupts the transmission path of shock waves. When impact forces occur, the foam cells compress and dissipate energy, preventing the transmission of harmful shock waves through the wearer's body while still allowing the metal stem to provide secure fastening.
Solution Approach 2:
The foam core serves as an intermediary layer between the metal nail head and the wearer's heel. This intermediate material absorbs and dampens shock waves, preventing direct transmission of harmful forces to the body while maintaining the structural integrity and fastening function of the metal component.
3Strength
If the heel tip is made from solid polyurethane, then the heel tip provides structural support, but it does not absorb shock waves effectively and causes chronic injuries
Solution Approach 1:
The heel tip combines an outer shell providing structural support with an inner foam core providing shock absorption. This composite structure maintains the necessary structural integrity while adding shock-absorbing capabilities, eliminating chronic injuries caused by shock wave transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The foam core with its cellular structure provides effective shock wave absorption while being surrounded by the structurally supportive outer shell. The porous structure allows for energy dissipation through cell compression, whereas the outer shell maintains overall shape and load-bearing capacity.
4Ease of manufacture
If the heel tip uses a smooth metal nail head, then the heel tip can be driven into the heel bore, but the smooth surface increases the risk of slipping or falling
Solution Approach 1:
The heel tip design applies different surface qualities to different parts: the metal nail head maintains a smooth surface for easy installation, while the outer shell and foam core provide high-friction surfaces that prevent slipping. This local differentiation of surface properties resolves the contradiction between ease of installation and safety.
5Ease of manufacture
If the heel tip uses conventional materials and design, then the heel tip can be manufactured simply, but it creates loud clicking sounds and causes damage to floors
Solution Approach 1:
The foam core provides inherent noise-dampening properties due to its cellular structure that absorbs impact sounds, eliminating the loud clicking noises associated with conventional solid heel tips. The same foam material also reduces floor damage by distributing impact forces more evenly.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite construction of outer shell and foam core creates a heel tip that is slightly more complex to manufacture but significantly reduces noise and floor damage. The foam layer acts as a noise-dampening and floor-protecting interface while the outer shell maintains 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
The solution significantly extends the lifespan of heel tips, reduces chronic pain and injuries by absorbing shock, and provides a secure, noise-reducing, and comfortable walking experience by preventing heel tip dislodgment and rotation.
Implementation Method 1
the rubber material of this invention stops the harmful shock waves that accumulate over time as damage to the body from our feet to the base of our skull from the repeated exposure the shock waves caused by daily activity
Implementation Method 2
The micro honeycomb significantly decreases both the amplitude of the high frequency forces and their ability to propagate up into the body
Implementation Method 3
the expansion anchor opens, locking the screw and heel tip securely into the heel
Data Source
AI summary
A high heel footwear including a heel tip assembly and a heel assembly. The heel tip assembly includes a top lift abutting against the heel, a rigid shaft member having a threaded portion, and a first wedge-lock feature configured to prevent the top lift from rotating. The heel assembly includes a threaded insert, a spring, a hollow insert, and a second wedge-lock feature. The threaded insert is received inside an opening formed in the heel to receive the threaded portion of the rigid shaft member. The spring is also received inside the opening and abuts against the threaded insert. The hollow insert abuts against the spring. The rigid shaft member passes through the threaded insert, the spring, and the hollow insert. The second wedge-lock feature locks with the first wedge-lock feature to retain the top lift on the end of the heel. A cutout feature in the heel tip cooperates with the shaft member to lock the two together and allow the heel tip to be replaced without removing the shaft member.