Removable Orthopaedic Heel with Tilted Surface for Reusable Footwear
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing orthopaedic footwear designed for forefoot rehabilitation after surgery is economically detrimental as it is made as a single unit with a non-removable heel, limiting its use to only the rehabilitation period, and subsequent surgeries are required for continued orthopaedic benefits.
Innovation Solution
An orthopaedic heel for shoes that can be reversibly attached using self-tapping screws and locking rings, allowing the shoe to be used as normal footwear after heel removal, with a tilted upper surface to maintain foot tilt during use, and a molded main body for secure attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the heel is made as a single unit with the sole (non-removable), then the orthopaedic function is stable and reliable during rehabilitation, but the footwear cannot be reused after rehabilitation, causing economic loss
Solution Approach 1:
The heel is divided into a separate removable component from the shoe sole, connected through a constraint system with through-holes and fastening elements. This segmentation allows the heel to be detached after rehabilitation, enabling the shoe to be reused as regular footwear while maintaining reliable orthopaedic function during the rehabilitation period.
2Ease of manufacture
If the heel is made as a single unit with the sole, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the footwear structure is complex and cannot be adapted for normal use after rehabilitation
Solution Approach 1:
The heel is manufactured as a separate component with through-holes integrated into its structure, allowing independent production of the heel and shoe. The constraint system uses simple fastening elements that connect the two parts without requiring complex integration, thus maintaining manufacturing simplicity while enabling structural adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The shoe is designed to serve dual functions: during rehabilitation, it provides orthopaedic support through the tilted heel; after rehabilitation, the heel can be removed and the shoe functions as regular footwear with a flat sole. This multi-functionality reduces device complexity by allowing the same shoe to adapt to different usage phases.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the heel is removably combined with the sole, then the footwear can be reused after rehabilitation, but the attachment system becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment system is segmented into discrete components: through-holes in the heel, corresponding receptacles in the sole, and simple fastening elements. This segmentation keeps each component simple while achieving the overall function of removable attachment, avoiding the need for complex integrated mechanisms.
4Reliability
If the upper surface of the heel is tilted to provide orthopaedic function, then weight unloading is effective, but the shoe cannot be used as normal footwear after heel removal
Solution Approach 1:
The tilted orthopaedic surface is segmented as part of the removable heel component, separated from the shoe's base sole. This allows the shoe to maintain a flat sole structure that is suitable for normal footwear use, while the heel provides the necessary tilt during rehabilitation. When the heel is removed, the flat sole enables regular shoe usage.
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 2a~2b
AI summary
Orthopaedic heel (1) for shoe (100) comprising a rubber sole (101) having an outer lower surface (101a), wherein said sole and said heel are shaped so that the user's foot is tilted with respect to the ground by a predetermined angle (β), said heel comprising a main rubber body (2) provided with a lower surface (2a) contacting the ground, characterized in that said main body (2) of said heel is further provided with an upper surface (2b) combinable to said shoe at said outer lower surface (101a) of said sole (101), wherein said upper surface (2b) of said heel is, at least in part, tilted with respect to said lower contacting surface of said heel by an angle (γ) equal to said predetermined angle (β), and in that it comprises constraining means (3) to reversibly constrain said heel to said shoe.