Low Profile Sock Retainer Mechanism for Heel Slippage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Low profile socks tend to slip off the heel due to insufficient frictional forces, and existing solutions fail to provide adjustable tension to accommodate various foot sizes and activities.
Innovation Solution
A low profile sock device with mechanical retainers that increase tension and friction between the sock and foot, allowing for adjustable tension to prevent slipping, using retainers coupled to the upper foot and heel regions, and adjustable apertures for customizable fit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If low profile sock is designed to remain hidden below the shoe top, then the sock visibility is improved, but the sock slips off the heel due to insufficient friction
Solution Approach 1:
The sock is divided into functional zones: a low-profile body portion for visibility and a separate heel retention portion with increased friction material. This segmentation allows the sock to simultaneously achieve hidden appearance and secure heel retention by treating these as distinct functional requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
Friction-enhancing material is applied locally only to the heel retention portion rather than the entire sock. This local quality enhancement provides the necessary grip at the critical heel area while maintaining the low-profile aesthetic elsewhere, resolving the contradiction between visibility and retention.
2Reliability
If non-slip material is added to increase friction, then the heel retention is improved, but the sock structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The heel retention portion is merged with the sock body through integral construction or secure attachment methods. This combining approach integrates the friction-enhancing material into the sock structure as a unified component, reducing overall complexity compared to separate adjustable mechanisms while maintaining effective heel retention.
3Ease of manufacture
If existing socks are made non-adjustable, then the manufacturing is simplified, but they cannot accommodate various foot sizes and activities
Solution Approach 1:
The heel retention portion is designed with universal applicability through elastic materials and adjustable components that adapt to various foot sizes and activity levels. This multi-functional design allows a single sock model to serve multiple foot types and usage conditions, achieving versatility without requiring multiple size variants.
Solution Approach 2:
The sock incorporates dynamic adjustment capabilities through elastic materials and movable components in the heel retention portion. These elements can adapt their tension and configuration in response to different foot sizes and activity requirements, providing a customized fit from a single standardized product.
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 device effectively keeps the sock in place during walking or running while allowing for a wide range of foot sizes, providing adjustable tension for enhanced comfort and stability.
Implementation Method 1
A first retainer may be coupled to the upper foot region and to the heel region, and the first retainer may be configured to tension the upper foot region and the heel region towards each other
Implementation Method 2
increase the amount of tension and resulting stiction and friction between the device and the foot to prevent the walking or running motion from pushing the device downward
Data Source
AI summary
A low profile sock device may include a body for receiving portions of a foot of a user. A first retainer may be configured to tension portions of the body, such as a first side and/or a heel region towards a portion of an upper foot region that the first retainer may be coupled to. A second retainer may be configured to tension portions of the body, such as a second side and/or a heel region towards a portion of the upper foot region that the second retainer may be coupled to. The retainers may be used to tension the body to the foot of a user to increase friction between the body and the foot prevent walking/running motion from pushing the body downward at the back of the foot while allowing the body to remain hidden while being worn with a shoe.