Elastically Deforming Side Plate for Stable Shoe Contact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing walking assist devices often cause users to sway, leading to unstable shoe contact with the ground, which can result in tripping or falling due to uneven force distribution and tilting of the shoe assembly.
Innovation Solution
A shoe assembly design featuring a shoe pad and shoe cover with a recessed portion and a support plate that securely holds a side plate, allowing for even force distribution and preventing tilting by accommodating the side plate's first and second portions in different directions, with the second portion elastically deforming to ensure stable contact with the ground.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the shoe assembly is rigidly connected to the side plate, then structural strength is improved, but stability during walking deteriorates due to user sway causing linear contact and tripping
Solution Approach 1:
The side plate is designed with elastic deformation capability, allowing it to flex and adapt to user sway during walking. The plate can bend within elastic limits to accommodate dynamic movements while maintaining structural integrity, transforming the rigid connection into a dynamic, adaptive connection that prevents tripping while preserving strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The side plate's physical state is changed from completely rigid to elastically deformable. By controlling the degree of flexibility and elastic properties of the plate, the system can adjust between maintaining structural strength and accommodating user movement, resolving the contradiction between strength and stability.
2Reliability
If the side plate is made flexible to accommodate user sway, then stability during walking is improved, but structural strength deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The side plate's physical state is changed from completely rigid to elastically deformable. By controlling the degree of flexibility and elastic properties of the plate, the system can adjust between maintaining structural strength and accommodating user movement, resolving the contradiction between strength and stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The side plate may be constructed using composite materials or material combinations that provide both flexibility and strength. This allows the plate to deform elastically under user sway while maintaining sufficient structural strength to support the user's weight and prevent failure.
3Device complexity
If the shoe assembly uses a simple flat contact design, then device complexity is reduced, but stability deteriorates due to uneven force distribution causing tilting
Solution Approach 1:
The contact interface is transformed from a simple flat surface to a three-dimensional contoured surface. The curved or angled contact surfaces distribute forces more evenly across the shoe pad, preventing tilting and improving stability while adding only minimal geometric complexity rather than mechanical components.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the shoe assembly are given different geometric properties. The contact surfaces are designed with specific curves and angles in critical areas to optimize force distribution, while other areas maintain simpler geometries. This localized geometric modification improves stability without significantly increasing overall design complexity.
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 shoe assembly ensures a stable and uniform contact with the ground, preventing tilting and tripping by distributing forces evenly across the shoe pad, thus enhancing user safety and stability during walking.
Implementation Method 1
the second portion is elastically deformed in response to a force exerted along the first direction
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention discloses a shoe assembly for a walking assist device. The shoe assembly includes a shoe pad, and a shoe cover on the shoe pad. The shoe cover includes a recessed portion to accommodate a first portion of a side plate connected between the shoe cover and a shank stand of the walking assist device, and includes a support plate on the shoe pad to fulcrum a second portion of the side plate. The second portion covers the recessed portion while the first portion is held in the recessed portion.