Rotating Anti-slip Device for Footwear Soles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing footwear solutions for snowy or icy conditions, such as nailed shoes and removable cleats, are inconvenient, heavy, and require frequent maintenance, and existing anti-slip devices with rotating spikes are difficult to operate due to debris accumulation and weight issues.
Innovation Solution
A rotating device integrated into the sole with two parts - a smooth surface for normal conditions and a serrated surface with nails that can be easily switched using a key, fixed by female-threaded metal inserts and side supports, allowing for seamless transition between anti-slip and normal modes without manual cleaning or weight increase.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If removable rubber cleats with spikes are applied to normal footwear, then anti-slip performance is improved, but the user must remove and carry the cleats when not needed, which is inconvenient and requires cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the nail array rotatable relative to the sole plate. The nail array can be rotated to a vertical position for anti-slip performance on icy surfaces, and rotated to a horizontal/retracted position for normal footwear use. This dynamic transformation eliminates the need to remove and carry separate cleats, as the anti-slip mechanism is integrated and transformable within the shoe structure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a mechanical rotating device is inserted inside the sole, then switching between anti-slip and normal modes is enabled, but the shoe becomes heavy and uncomfortable for ordinary use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the anti-slip mechanism into separate functional components: a sole plate, a rotatable array containing multiple nails, and a key-operated rotating mechanism. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the nails can be thin and lightweight, the sole plate can be a simple base structure, and the rotation mechanism uses a simple key system rather than a complex motorized assembly, thereby minimizing overall weight while maintaining versatility.
3Reliability
If existing anti-slip devices with rotating spikes are used, then anti-slip function is achieved, but the operation is difficult due to debris accumulation in channels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the extraction principle by removing the problematic channel structure from the design. Instead of housing nails within channels that accumulate debris, the nails are arranged in an open array structure that rotates on the surface of the sole plate. This eliminates the enclosed spaces where mud and earth would collect, allowing the user to simply rotate the array with a key without needing to clean any channels beforehand.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to the footwear industry and more specifically concerns a device that, inserted in soles for footwear, allows the user to equip his or her own footwear, mechanically and easily, with anti-slip serrated nails in the presence of snow or ice or other slippery material on the paved surface.