Active Air Ventilation Safety Shoe Heel Pump
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing safety shoes with penetration-resistant soles and protective toe caps face challenges in achieving efficient air circulation, as previous ventilation methods are inefficient due to complex structures or ineffective air pumping mechanisms, making it difficult to provide active ventilation within the shoe.
Innovation Solution
A safety shoe design featuring a penetration-resistant sole and protective toe cap, equipped with an air pump device and air distribution system that uses hoses and one-way valves to actively circulate air through the shoe, with the air pump device integrated into the heel area and air discharge into the toe area, allowing for efficient ventilation by sucking in and expelling air during walking movements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a penetration-resistant sole and protective toe cap are provided in the safety shoe, then protection against foot injuries is improved, but ventilation of the inside of the shoe becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The air pump device is segmented into a heel portion and a toe portion, with the air supply device and air discharge device separately positioned at opposite ends of the shoe. This segmentation allows independent air intake and exhaust functions to be distributed throughout the shoe structure, enabling effective ventilation without compromising the integrity of the penetration-resistant sole and protective toe cap.
2Reliability
If air is directed from outside to inside via openings in the sole sealed with membranes, then water protection is improved, but efficient supply of fresh air is not possible
Solution Approach 1:
The air supply device and air discharge device are extracted from the traditional membrane-sealed opening system and positioned as separate components at the heel and toe portions of the shoe. This extraction eliminates the need for membranes to balance water protection with air supply, as the air circulation system operates independently through dedicated air intake and exhaust pathways.
3Ease of operation
If an air pump device is loaded by the heel of a user during walking movement, then the pumping mechanism is activated, but no significant ventilation of the inside of the shoe is possible due to inefficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The air pump device is designed with localized functional zones: a heel portion that compresses under user weight to pump air forward, and a toe portion that receives and distributes the air. This local quality differentiation ensures that each section performs its specific function optimally, with the heel providing compression force and the toe providing air distribution, thereby achieving significant ventilation efficiency.
4Productivity
If a rotatable pump articulated on a flange is used for ventilation, then air circulation is achieved, but the device becomes structurally very complex and very susceptible to failure
Solution Approach 1:
The air pump device utilizes the natural walking movement and body weight of the user as the driving force, eliminating the need for external power sources, motors, or complex mechanical articulations. The heel portion automatically compresses and pumps air forward with each step, making the system self-powered and significantly simpler in structure while maintaining effective air circulation.
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
The design achieves significant ventilation within the shoe, ensuring at least 5-10 ml of air is circulated, enhancing user comfort by effectively managing airflow through the shoe's interior, as measured by a PC-controlled machine, and maintaining the shoe's protective features.
Implementation Method 1
the air pump device is designed in such a way that when it is compressed, air is pressed out of it into the air discharge device, and when it expands, it sucks in air from outside the sole construction or the safety shoe with the sole construction
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The present invention relates to a safety shoe, comprising a sole construction, which has an insole, a lower outsole part, and an air-pumping apparatus and comprising a puncture-resistant sole and/or a protective toecap, wherein the air-pumping apparatus either is formed by a cavity substantially set into the lower outsole part in the heel region or is formed separately as an independent entity and is completely or partially set into a cavity of the lower outsole part in the heel region; an air-supplying apparatus, which is connected to the air-pumping apparatus; an air-discharging apparatus, which is connected to the air-pumping apparatus and which is designed to conduct air from the air-pumping apparatus to an air-distributing apparatus, which is connected to the air-discharging apparatus, wherein the air-distributing apparatus is positioned above the insole in the shoe interior of the safety shoe, for example in the shoe cap in front of the toe region, and is designed to conduct air into the shoe interior.