Interchangeable Heel Buckle System for Elastomeric Footwear
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing footwear made from elastomeric materials faces challenges in securely attaching interchangeable heel portions due to the material's flexibility and compressibility, leading to potential loss and wear issues, especially in children's footwear where strong forces are applied.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a buckle system with a receptacle member and clasp member featuring locking slots and tabs, embedded in the elastomeric material, which securely joins the heel portion to the main portion using resilient arms and a retaining member, preventing accidental detachment by children and ensuring durability through a tool-activated release mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If elastomeric material is used for footwear, then comfort and manufacturing cost are improved, but structural strength and fastener reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines elastomeric material for the footwear body with a rigid buckle assembly for the fastening system. The buckle provides structural strength while the elastomeric material maintains comfort and flexibility, creating a composite structure that leverages the advantages of both materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The footwear is divided into distinct functional segments: the elastomeric footwear body for comfort and the separate rigid buckle assembly for strength. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function without compromise.
2Reliability
If strong fasteners are used to prevent children from pulling heel portions apart, then reliability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The buckle assembly is designed to be self-securing through its locking mechanism that automatically engages when the heel portion is attached to the main portion, providing reliable fastening without requiring additional steps or tools for securing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a tool as an intermediary device to interact with the buckle's release mechanism. This tool mediates between the user and the strong fastener, allowing easy operation of the reliable buckle system without requiring direct manipulation of the locking components.
3Ease of operation
If heel portions are made from elastomeric material, then comfort is improved, but durability and wear resistance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The footwear is segmented into the elastomeric main body for comfort and the separate heel portion that can be replaced when worn. This allows the comfortable elastomeric material to be used while providing a durable replacement mechanism for high-wear areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The interchangeable heel portion design allows the worn heel to be discarded and replaced with a new one, while the main footwear body is recovered and reused. This extends the overall duration of the footwear's useful life by separating the durable main structure from the consumable heel portion.
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
This solution provides a secure, durable, and interchangeable heel system that withstands wear and tear, allowing for easy replacement of heel portions as needed, enhancing the longevity and usability of the footwear.
Implementation Method 1
A clasp member mounted in the clasp member recess has a pair of resilient arms extending outside the clasp member recess. The resilient arms have locking tabs for releasably engaging the locking slots of the receptacle member
Data Source
AI summary
Footwear with a heel portion having a clasp member with resilient arms having locking tabs that engage with locking slots in a receptacle member in a main portion, when the heel portion abuts against the main portion. The locking tabs disengage from the locking slots when simultaneously squeezed together by a tool that extends through locking tab access holes on both sides of the main portion. The locking tab access holes are too small for a child's fingers to enter. The clasp member and receptacle member can be in either the heel portion or the main portion.