Unified-Material Rapid-Entry Shoe for Hands-Free Secure Fit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Donning and doffing of shoes, including tying or securing them, can be inconvenient or difficult for some individuals.
Innovation Solution
A rapid-entry shoe design featuring a sole portion and a rebounding portion made of a unified material, with a window at the rear portion and a rear stabilizer, allowing for a collapsed configuration for easy entry and an uncollapsed configuration for secure wear, facilitated by a rebounding portion that biases the shoe toward the uncollapsed state.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional shoe lacing or securing mechanisms are used, then the shoe provides secure fit and support, but the donning and doffing process becomes inconvenient and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the traditional lacing and securing mechanisms from the shoe structure. By eliminating these complex fastening systems, the shoe allows for rapid entry and exit without requiring tying, untying, or buckling operations, directly resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The shoe upper is segmented into distinct functional zones including a collapsible portion, a rebounding portion, and a stabilizer portion. This segmentation allows each zone to perform its specific function independently - the collapsible portion enables easy entry, the rebounding portion provides secure fit, and the stabilizer maintains structural integrity, thereby achieving both ease of operation and secure fit simultaneously.
2Ease of operation
If a collapsible configuration is implemented for easy entry, then the shoe opening expands for convenient donning, but the structural stability and support may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The shoe upper incorporates dynamic elements that allow it to change configuration between collapsed and rebounded states. The rebounding portion is designed to dynamically transition from a collapsed state during entry to a rebounded state during wear, providing both ease of entry and structural stability at different operational phases without compromising either function.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the shoe upper are assigned different mechanical properties and functions. The collapsible portion is designed with higher flexibility for easy entry, while the stabilizer portion is designed with greater rigidity for structural support. This local differentiation of material properties and structural characteristics allows the shoe to simultaneously achieve ease of operation and structural stability in different zones.
3Ease of manufacture
If a unified material structure is used for sole and upper, then manufacturing complexity is reduced, but the ability to provide both flexibility for entry and rigidity for support becomes more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The unified material structure is segmented into distinct functional zones with different geometries and configurations. The collapsible portion, rebounding portion, and stabilizer portion are all made from the same material but are shaped and positioned to provide different mechanical responses. This geometric segmentation within a unified material allows the shoe to achieve both flexibility and rigidity without requiring multiple materials or complex assembly processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes parameter changes in the unified material structure, such as varying thickness, density, or cross-sectional geometry of different portions, to achieve the desired balance between flexibility and rigidity. By modifying structural parameters rather than material composition, the shoe maintains manufacturing simplicity while achieving the required adaptability for both easy entry and secure support.
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
Enables easy and convenient donning and doffing of shoes without the need for traditional lacing, providing a secure fit and support through a unified material structure that deforms to accommodate foot entry and exit.
Implementation Method 1
a rebounding portion, the rebounding portion extending in an upward and rearward direction toward a rear portion of the upper... the rapid-entry shoe is biased by the rebounding portion toward the uncollapsed configuration
Data Source
AI summary
A rapid-entry shoe having a sole portion and a rebounding portion being comprised of the same material and being a unified structure. The rapid-entry shoe has a collapsed configuration in which a perimeter of the topline is expanded and an uncollapsed configuration in which the perimeter of the topline is unexpanded, and the rapid-entry shoe is biased by the rebounding portion toward the uncollapsed configuration.