Shoe Sole Insert Stability via Multi-Dimensional Engagement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shoe soles with inserts lack stability, leading to potential imbalance and reduced comfort, especially in high-use sectors like hospitals, where antistatic properties are also required to meet safety standards.
Innovation Solution
A sole design with a stable insert system featuring a second projection and a shaped seat that engages vertically and laterally, allowing secure insertion and easy removal, combined with an antistatic material to ensure continuous foot-ground contact and prevent electrostatic charges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the insert is placed in the heel region to prevent stress transfer, then comfort and stress reduction are improved, but the insert lacks stability and may come out of its seat during use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from simple vertical insertion to a multi-dimensional engagement system. The insert includes a projection that engages with a cavity in the heel insert, creating lateral and vertical constraints simultaneously. This dimensional change prevents the insert from dislodging while maintaining ease of installation through the entry hole.
Solution Approach 2:
The insert is nested within the heel insert structure, with the insert's projection fitting into the heel insert's cavity. This nested configuration creates a stable, interlocked assembly where the insert cannot easily come out of its seat, yet remains installable through the entry hole.
2Reliability
If small notches are made in the insert to engage with internal projections, then some stability is achieved, but the insert must slide completely inside the seat to be correctly positioned
Solution Approach 1:
The engagement mechanism is segmented into distinct components: the entry hole for insertion, the cavity for lateral engagement, and the projection for vertical constraint. This segmentation allows each feature to perform its specific function independently, simplifying the overall positioning mechanism while ensuring reliable engagement.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the insert is made with antistatic properties to meet safety requirements, then electrostatic discharge capability is improved, but the insert material selection and manufacturing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the electrical parameter of the insert material by incorporating conductive elements or antistatic additives into the polymeric matrix. This parameter change enables electrostatic discharge capability while maintaining the insert's structural integrity and compatibility with existing manufacturing processes like injection molding.
Data Source
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AI summary
Sole (1) for a shoe, comprising a semi-finished main body (1b) on which a main axis (X) which extends from a forefoot region (2) to a hindfoot region (4), a tread (5), a vertical axis (Z) that is perpendicular to the tread (5), and an upper surface (8) that is opposite to the tread (5) along the vertical axis (Z) are defined, and comprising a seat (6) suitable for receiving an insert (7), the insert (7) comprising a central portion (12a), wherein the insert (7) comprises a first projection (12b) that projects out of the central portion (12a) in a direction that is transverse to the vertical axis (Z) when the insert (7) is housed inside the seat (6), and the seat (6) comprising an upper entry hole (9), produced on the upper surface (8) and shaped so as to allow the insert (7) to pass therethrough and be housed inside the seat (6), and a transverse hole (11) which extends in a direction that is transverse to the vertical axis (Z), closed above by a contact element (11b) and shaped so as to contact the first projection (12b) when the insert (7) is housed inside the seat (6) in order to prevent said first projection (12b) from moving in the transverse hole (11) along the vertical axis (Z).