Insole Stabilizing Clip for Heel Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional insoles with stiffened heel cups hinder foot rolling and torsion, exacerbating heel misalignment and internal rotation, which can lead to poor posture and spinal misalignment due to inadequate guidance during gait.
Innovation Solution
The insole features elastically deformable sole body with a U-shaped stabilizing clip and offset tongues that exert guiding pressure on the heel, preventing medial rotation and buckling, while maintaining flexibility to allow natural foot movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a stiffened heel cup completely encloses the heel, then heel support and stability are improved, but torsion of the insole around its longitudinal axis is hindered, making foot rolling difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilizing clip is segmented into two separate tongues (lateral and medial) that are offset from each other, rather than forming a complete enclosure. This segmentation allows the insole to provide heel stabilization through the two tongues while maintaining the ability to torsion and roll naturally during foot movement
Solution Approach 2:
The stabilizing clip provides localized support at specific points on the calcaneus through the two offset tongues, rather than uniform support across the entire heel. The lateral tongue supports the posterior lateral region while the medial tongue supports the sustentaculum tali, creating targeted stabilization that does not restrict overall foot rolling motion
2Ease of operation
If the calcaneus is allowed to pivot freely during walking, then natural foot movement is maintained, but medial angulation and internal rotation deformities worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The offset tongues of the stabilizing clip apply preliminary counteracting forces to prevent medial angulation and internal rotation of the calcaneus before these deformities can develop during walking. The lateral tongue prevents lateral rotation while the medial tongue prevents medial angulation, creating a preventive mechanism that maintains proper alignment throughout the gait cycle
Solution Approach 2:
The two tongues are positioned asymmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis of the insole, with the lateral tongue supporting the posterior lateral region and the medial tongue supporting the sustentaculum tali at a different location. This asymmetric positioning creates differential forces that counteract the specific deformity patterns of medial angulation and internal rotation while preserving natural foot movement
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 effectively straightens the heel bone, improves foot posture, and enhances body static alignment by counteracting internal rotation and buckling, allowing for improved gait and reduced torsion around the longitudinal axis.
Implementation Method 1
an elastically deformable soft sole body extending from the heel to at least the midfoot area
Implementation Method 2
the stabilizing bracket is rigid. The support walls therefore not only enclose the heel, but the tongues also exert guiding pressure on both sides of the calcaneus during the rolling motion of the foot, resulting in the calcaneus being aligned
Implementation Method 3
The medial point of force application of the tongue lies on the calcaneus above the lateral point of force application of the tongue, so that a torque is exerted on the calcaneus that opposes an inward buckling of the calcaneus
Data Source
Figure 1~5
AI summary
To achieve better heel support and thus ultimately have a positive effect on the body static correction of pelvic and spinal misalignments, an insole (1) has an elastically deformable sole body (2) that extends from the heel to the toes. Lateral support walls (3, 4) of the insole (1) form a heel cup (5) in which tongues (7, 8) of a stabilizing clip (6) are embedded. The stabilizing clip (6) is made of a rigid material, which in particular prevents the foot from rolling inwards during walking.