Removable Toe Protector for Cleated Footwear
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Solution Overview
Problem
Athletes wearing cleated footwear are prone to crush injuries in the toe-box area due to external compressive forces, which conventional athletic footwear fails to protect, leading to acute, subacute, or chronic injuries such as subungual hematoma, sprain-ligament damage, and fractures.
Innovation Solution
A detachable toe protector designed for cleated athletic footwear with removable cleats, featuring a semi-rigid, malleable body made of materials like ABS plastic, which is arc-shaped to conform to the toe-box and includes threaded cleat stud receiving holes for secure attachment, providing impact protection without compromising the range of motion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional athletic footwear with cleats is used, then full range of motion and athletic performance are maintained, but the toe-box area provides no protection against crush injuries
Solution Approach 1:
The protective device is segmented into multiple components: a toe protector portion, a midfoot portion, and a heel portion that can be separately attached to the footwear. This segmentation allows the protection function to be added without fundamentally changing the entire footwear structure, resolving the contradiction between providing protection and maintaining simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary attachment mechanism using cleat studs and receptacles that serve as mediators between the protective device and the footwear. This intermediary system enables the protective function to be integrated without permanently altering the footwear structure, allowing athletes to maintain full range of motion while gaining protection.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If steel-toed shoes are used for toe protection, then crush injury protection is provided, but the full range of motion and athletic functionality are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The protective device applies local quality by providing toe protection only in the specific area where crush injuries occur, rather than enclosing the entire foot like steel-toed shoes. The toe protector portion is specifically shaped to protect the toe-box while the midfoot and heel portions provide minimal restriction, allowing full range of motion for athletic movements.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective device is designed with dynamic characteristics through its malleable body material that can deform to accommodate foot movements while maintaining protection. The semi-rigid construction allows the toe protector to flex during athletic activities, maintaining range of motion while providing impact protection.
3Strength
If a rigid toe protector is added to cleated footwear, then impact protection is improved, but the weight of the footwear increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by using malleable body material with specific physical properties (semi-rigid, impact-resistant) that provide protection without excessive weight. The material parameters are selected to optimize the balance between strength for impact protection and weight for athletic performance, allowing the toe protector to be lightweight yet effective.
Data Source
AI summary
A toe protector adapted to be removably attached to an external portion of the toe-box of cleated athletic footwear having removable cleats to protect an athlete's foot from crush injuries. The toe protector includes plantar flanges, each having at least one threaded cleat stud receiving hole used to attach the toe protector to the cleated athletic footwear in an external relationship. It is formed plastic, polycarbonate, or other materials, having sufficient thickness and hardness to withstand deformation and deflect crush forces applied to the toe-box of the cleated athletic footwear. It is designed to be universally applicable to most all athletic footwear having removable cleats available from known manufacturers and can be easily transferable to other similarly sized cleated footwear.