Rotatable Cleat Units for Athletic Shoe Injury Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shoe devices fail to adequately prevent knee and ankle injuries during athletic activities, particularly when a foot is stationary and the leg twists, as they do not effectively accommodate rotational movements.
Innovation Solution
A shoe design featuring rotatably coupled front and back cleat units on the sole, allowing the shoe to rotate about a vertical axis, thereby enhancing traction and reducing injury risk by enabling movement with the leg during twisting actions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the cleats are firmly engaged with the ground to enhance traction, then the traction is improved, but the shoe cannot rotate with the leg during twisting actions, leading to knee and ankle injuries
Solution Approach 1:
The cleat units are made rotatable relative to the shoe sole, allowing them to dynamically adjust their orientation. Each cleat unit can rotate about a vertical axis when the shoe twists during athletic activities, enabling the cleats to remain engaged with the ground while accommodating leg rotation and preventing injuries
Solution Approach 2:
The cleat system is divided into multiple independent rotatable cleat units (front and back cleat units) that can rotate independently relative to the shoe sole. This segmentation allows each cleat unit to adapt to different rotational movements while maintaining ground engagement
2Stability of the object's composition
If the shoe structure is made rigid to provide stability, then the stability is improved, but the shoe cannot accommodate rotational movements during athletic activities
Solution Approach 1:
The shoe incorporates rotatable cleat units that can rotate relative to the sole, providing dynamic adaptability while maintaining overall shoe stability. The rotation mechanism allows the cleats to adjust to twisting motions without compromising the structural integrity of the shoe
Data Source
AI summary
An athletic shoe assembly for inhibiting knee and ankle injuries during athletic activities includes a shoe that may be worn during athletic activities. A front cleat unit and a back cleat unit are each positioned on the sole for engaging ground during the athletic activities to enhance traction. Each of the front and back cleat units are rotatably coupled to the sole and the shoe is rotatable about a vertical axis extending through the sole and each of the front and back cleat units. Thus, the front cleat unit and back cleat units inhibit knee and ankle injuries during the athletic activities resulting from a stationary foot and a twisting leg.