Hinged Half-Hull Orthopaedic Footwear for Easy Foot Insertion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing boot-type footwear, particularly for orthopaedic and sports use, are inconvenient to put on due to the need for laborious maneuvers to open and introduce the foot, lacking a mechanism to fully open the sole for easy foot insertion and lacking independent closure of the upper hull portions.
Innovation Solution
The footwear features hinged half-hulls that split along a vertical plane on the sole's longitudinal centerline, allowing them to open and close like a book, enabling easy foot positioning on a completely open sole and subsequent closure for secure containment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the footwear uses a complete sole structure, then structural integrity and support are ensured, but the foot cannot be easily introduced without laborious maneuvers
Solution Approach 1:
The footwear is divided into a sole and multiple upper hull portions that can be independently opened and closed. The upper hull is segmented into front and rear portions that can be separated, allowing the foot to be introduced easily while the sole maintains its complete structure for structural integrity and support.
2Ease of operation
If the upper hull is divided into multiple parts, then the foot can be more easily introduced, but the closure mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The upper hull is divided into front and rear portions that can be independently opened and closed, allowing gradual access for foot insertion while maintaining a manageable closure system through sequential fastening.
Solution Approach 2:
The front portion of the upper hull can be opened and closed independently before the rear portion, allowing preliminary positioning of the foot and gradual closure, simplifying the overall donning process.
3Strength
If the footwear provides complete coverage and support, then orthopaedic support is ensured, but breathability and comfort are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The footwear transitions from a completely closed structure to an dynamically adjustable structure where the upper hull portions can be independently opened or closed, allowing the user to balance between support and breathability based on immediate needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The segmented upper hull allows selective opening of front and rear portions, enabling breathability and comfort adjustment while maintaining orthopaedic support through the complete sole structure and selective closure of support-critical areas.
Data Source
Figure 1~1c
Figure 2~2d
Figure 3~4a
AI summary
Boot-type orthopaedic or sports footwear (10) usable for controlled walking with stiffening for the lower extremities of legs, comprising: • a sole (11) provided with a substantially vertical rear positioning element; • a first pair of rear half-hulls (14, 15), each of which is hinged onto the sole and which cover, when in the closed position, an ankle and part of the lower portion of a leg, i.e. the calcaneal-tibial-tarsal zone, of an individual who is wearing the footwear; • a second pair of front half-hulls (16, 17), each of which is hinged onto the sole (11) and which cover, when in the closed position, at least an upper part of a foot of the individual who is wearing the footwear.