Powered Shoe Wheel Layout With Translational Hinge for Stable Gait
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current electric roller skates impose discomfort and increased physical exertion due to non-bending soles, abnormal gait cycles, and instability, especially on complex urban terrain, with bulky electronic equipment and undesirable compression at the hinge point, reducing practicality and safety.
Innovation Solution
A power-driven shoe with a sole comprising rotatable wheels, a motor, gearbox housing, and a translating and rotatable hinge mechanism, featuring airless tires with local deformation zones and an integrated bushing-gear assembly, allowing for conventional walking posture and improved stability by maintaining contact with the ground throughout the gait cycle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a non-bending sole is used in electric roller skates, then the structural simplicity is maintained, but the user cannot keep a normal walking posture and gait cycle, causing discomfort and extra physical exertion
Solution Approach 1:
The sole is divided into multiple segments including a heel portion, a toe portion, and a middle portion, with hinges connecting these segments. This segmentation allows the sole to bend and adapt to the user's natural gait cycle while maintaining structural integrity through the modular design.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multi-body electric roller skates are used, then the transportation capability is improved, but the hinge point creates undesirable compression of the user's foot and allows for a source of instability at certain angles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements localized deformation zones specifically at the toe portion of the wheel, allowing this area to compress and absorb impact forces during obstacles or uneven terrain. This localized flexibility maintains overall structural stability while protecting the user's foot from compression at the hinge point.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the distance between rotational axes of wheels is large, then the stability is improved, but the width of the device increases, causing the skates to impact obstacles and reducing ergonomic use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions wheels at different longitudinal locations along the sole rather than spacing them laterally. The front wheels are positioned below the toe portion, middle wheels below the middle portion, and rear wheels below the heel portion, creating stability through longitudinal distribution rather than lateral spacing, thus reducing the device width.
4Power
If bulky electronic equipment is used to drive the transportation device, then the power is sufficient, but the weight and width increase, reducing applicability and ergonomic use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the motor, gearbox housing, and wheel assembly into a unified power module that is disposed below the sole. This merging of components reduces overall weight and width compared to separate mounting of electronic equipment, while maintaining sufficient driving power for the transportation device.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a power-driven shoe. The shoe includes a shoe sole having a plurality of rotatable wheels arranged below the shoe sole in an overlapping fashion. The distance between the rotational axis of the wheels is less than or equal to the diameter of the wheel, such that vertical obstacles can be overcome in both the positive and negative displacement directions for increased ground stability. The shoe sole includes a toe part and a sole part that are connected to each other, via a hinge, in both a rotational and translational configuration, such that at least one front wheel or at least one middle wheel are independently in contact with the ground while maintaining at least one rear wheel in contact with the ground throughout a bi-pedal gait cycle, allowing for comfort during a user's natural range of motion.