Mechanical Shoe Cover Dispensing Without Fitting Pins
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional automatic shoe cover machines face issues with complex shoe cover installation and high manufacturing costs, leading to unstable operation and limited market accessibility.
Innovation Solution
An automatic shoe cover dispenser with a mechanical structure that includes a shoe cover feeding arrangement, a pulling mechanism, and a driving mechanism with a pedal that allows for easy shoe cover dispensing without fitting pins, using elastic peripheral edges to enlarge the shoe opening for easy placement and detachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional automatic shoe cover machines use computer control to eliminate fitting pins, then the manufacturing cost is reduced and operation is simplified, but the working process stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a mechanical intermediary system consisting of a pedal, linkage mechanism, and spring assembly that mediates between user input and shoe cover dispensing. This mechanical intermediary ensures stable and reliable operation while maintaining simplicity, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and working process stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The shoe cover automatically opens and dispenses itself through the mechanical mechanism when the pedal is pressed, eliminating the need for complex computer control or manual installation steps. The system serves itself by using the user's weight on the pedal to automatically complete the entire dispensing process, ensuring both simplicity and reliability.
2Reliability
If conventional automatic shoe cover machines use fitting pins to mount shoe covers, then the working process stability is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the fitting pins from the system, replacing them with a mechanical dispensing mechanism that uses the pedal linkage to automatically open and release shoe covers. This removal of complex mounting components simplifies the device while maintaining operational stability through the engineered mechanical advantage of the linkage system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the static mechanical fitting pin system with a dynamic mechanical substitution system involving the pedal, linkage arms, and spring mechanism. This substitution maintains the necessary mechanical stability while eliminating the complexity of pin-based mounting, achieving both reliability and simplicity.
3Extent of automation
If conventional automatic shoe cover machines use computer control systems, then the operation automation is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes computer control systems with a purely mechanical automation system consisting of the pedal, linkage mechanism, and spring assembly. This mechanical substitution achieves full automation of the shoe cover dispensing process while dramatically reducing manufacturing costs by eliminating electronic components, circuits, and software requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical system is designed to be self-actuating, where the user's action on the pedal automatically triggers the entire dispensing sequence through mechanical linkage without requiring any electronic control, sensors, or power sources. This self-service mechanism reduces manufacturing cost while maintaining high automation.
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 solution provides a stable, efficient, and cost-effective automatic shoe cover dispenser that simplifies the installation process, reduces manufacturing costs, and ensures consistent operation, making it suitable for general consumers.
Implementation Method 1
the shoe opening of the standby shoe cover is enlarged by applying a separating force to move the elastic peripheral edge apart by the driving mechanism
Data Source
AI summary
An automatic shoe cover dispenser includes a shoe cover feeding arrangement holding a plurality of shoe covers each having a shoe opening; and a shoe cover pulling mechanism for pulling one of the shoe covers into an open-up condition as a standby shoe cover and being ready for putting on a user's shoe, wherein after the standby shoe cover is dispensed for being worn at the shoe of the user, the shoe cover at a subsequent position is pulled into the open-up condition.