A 3D printed graded rebound structure and a shoe sole using the same

Abstract

The present invention discloses a 3D printed graded rebound structure and a sole using the structure, wherein the graded rebound structure comprises a surface grid, a plurality of 3D printed graded rebound lattice units, a ring edge, a bottom grid and a diagonal brace; the graded rebound lattice unit is composed of a shock absorbing component and a shock absorbing rebound part; the shock absorbing component is composed of n vertical rods, n diagonal braces, and 4n diagonal braces to form a plane force structure (n≥3); the shock absorbing rebound component is a single elastic vertical column structure. The present invention is based on the plantar pressure distribution, and the 3D printed secondary rebound structure is applied to the sole, which can not only fully absorb the impact energy generated by the movement through its two times of shock absorption, but also provide a strong rebound force, support athletes of different sports and different sports characteristics to complete technical movements, protect athletes from sports injuries, and also have the functions of comfortable breathability, customizability, and lightweight.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of sports shoes, and in particular relates to a 3D printed graded rebound structure and a sole using the structure. Background Art

[0002] With the expansion and popularization of national sports and fitness, people's requirements for the quality and speed of updating of sports shoes are also increasing. Traditional sports shoe production belongs to a technology-intensive industry chain, involving multiple processes and complex process technologies, which directly leads to a long R&D and production cycle. Even for large sports shoe manufacturers, it takes 18 months to design and produce a pair of sports shoes.

[0003] When people are doing sports, the impact force on the soles of their feet when they touch the ground is several times greater than the body's own gravity. The soles of the feet are subjected to greater pressure, causing a series of sports injuries. An effective solution is to use a sole with a shock-absorbing structure to reduce the impact on the soles of the athletes' feet. At present, most common sports shoe midsole materials use foam materials such as ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) or polyurethane (PU), which can provide better shock-absorbing effects.

[0004] However, this type of cushioning soles that rely on the elasticity of soft materials to achieve cushioning are prone to collapse and deformation over time, which gradually weakens the cushioning effect. On the other hand, the stronger the cushioning performance of the sole, the weaker the rebound performance. In racing sports and other occasions where the sole needs to have high resilience, ordinary cushioning soles cannot achieve both "cushioning" and "rebound". In comparison, mechanical cushioning soles with a cushioning and rebound structure made of materials that are not easy to deform have more uniform performance and a longer life.

[0005] 3D printing technology is also known as additive manufacturing technology. It only requires importing the 3D digital model into the 3D printer, printing, and simple post-processing to obtain a 3D printed product. Compared with mold forming technology, 3D printing technology can directly print any shape, and has the characteristics of short cycle and high precision. When making customized sports shoes for athletes, traditional sports shoes rely on multiple functional components to complete the product, while 3D printed shoes can achieve this by changing the shape and density distribution of sports shoes through parameters. Summary of the invention

[0006] The purpose of the present invention is to solve the problems faced by the manufacture and use of existing sports shoes in the above-mentioned background technology, and to provide a 3D printed graded rebound structure and a sole using the structure.

[0007] The technical solution adopted by the present invention is: a 3D printed graded springback structure, comprising a surface grid, a plurality of 3D printed graded springback lattice units, a ring edge, a bottom grid and a diagonal brace;

[0008] The graded rebound lattice unit is composed of a shock-absorbing component and a shock-absorbing rebound part; the shock-absorbing component is composed of n vertical rods, n diagonal rods, and 4n diagonal bracing rods to form a plane force-bearing structure (n≥3): the n vertical rods are vertically distributed, and the distribution points are not on the same straight line; one end of each diagonal rod is connected to the upper end of the corresponding vertical rod, and the other end intersects with other diagonal rods at a point in space, and the height of the intersection point is lower than the height of the vertical rod; the shock-absorbing rebound component is a single elastic vertical column structure, and the lower end of the elastic vertical column is connected to the intersection point of the diagonal rod; every two graded rebound lattice units share two vertical rods;

[0009] The surface grid is formed by connecting a plurality of upper rods, and the two ends of each upper rod are respectively connected to the upper end points of two elastic vertical columns to form a grid structure;

[0010] The ring edge is formed by connecting a plurality of ring edge rods, and the two ends of each ring edge rod are respectively connected to the lower end points of the elastic vertical columns at the outermost edge of the structure to form a ring structure;

[0011] The bottom grid is formed by connecting a plurality of bottom rods, and the two ends of each bottom rod are respectively connected to the lower end points of two vertical rods to form a grid structure;

[0012] A diagonal brace is provided between the vertical rod and any connected rod, and a diagonal brace is provided between the elastic vertical column and any connected rod, so as to form a triangular stable structure.

[0013] Preferably, the shape of the graded resilience structure can be designed to be a three-dimensional shape such as a cylinder or a cube.

[0014] Preferably, the material of the graded resilience lattice unit is nylon or TPU powder.

[0015] Preferably, the 3D printing adopts SLS selective laser sintering method.

[0016] Preferably, the diameters of the vertical rods, diagonal rods, elastic vertical columns, top rods, ring-edge rods, bottom rods, and diagonal bracing rods are all in the range of 1.5 to 5 mm; the height of the vertical rods is in the range of 5 to 18 mm, and the distance between the vertical rods is in the range of 5 to 30 mm; the height of the elastic vertical columns is in the range of 3 to 15 mm; and the angle between the diagonal rods and the vertical rods is in the range of 15 to 80°.

[0017] A shoe sole with the 3D printed graded rebound structure is used, wherein the cavities in the forefoot and the rear foot of the shoe sole are filled with the 3D printed graded rebound structure.

[0018] Beneficial effects: The shock-absorbing component of the present invention adopts a planar force-bearing structure, and first realizes "quick deceleration" during compression and deformation: the soft and easily compressible structural properties are used to quickly reduce the impact force; the shock-absorbing and rebound component is composed of a single elastic vertical column, and then realizes "slow sinking" and "quick rebound": the relatively rigid and elastic structural properties are used to provide stable support and strong resilience. The present invention is based on the plantar pressure distribution and applies a 3D printed secondary rebound structure to the sole, which can not only fully absorb the impact energy generated by exercise through its two shock absorptions, but also provide strong resilience, support athletes of different sports and different sports characteristics to complete technical movements, protect athletes from sports injuries, and also has the functions of comfort, breathability, customization, and lightweight. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a 3D printed graded springback structure provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Top view of the .

[0021] Figure 3 for Figure 1 Side view of.

[0022] Figure 4 A schematic structural diagram of a 3D printed graded rebound lattice unit provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 5 A schematic structural diagram of a sole with a secondary rebound structure using 3D printing provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 6 for Figure 5 Side view of.

[0025] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of a curve of test force versus displacement in a compression test of a 3D printed graded rebound structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the curve of test force versus displacement in the compression test of traditional sole foam materials.

[0027] In the figure, 1. surface grid, 2. edge ring, 3. bottom grid, 4. diagonal support rod, 5. vertical rod, 6. diagonal tie rod, 7. elastic vertical column, 8. upper rod, 9. edge ring rod, 10. bottom rod, 11. forefoot, 12. backfoot. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The specific implementation modes of the present invention are further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0029] like Figure 1-4As shown, a 3D printed graded resilience structure includes a surface grid 1, multiple 3D printed graded resilience lattice units, a ring edge 2, a bottom grid 3, and a diagonal support rod 4. The shape of the graded resilience structure can be designed into a three-dimensional shape such as a cylinder and a cube.

[0030] The graded rebound lattice unit consists of a shock absorbing component and a shock absorbing rebound part.

[0031] The shock-absorbing component is composed of 3 vertical rods 5, 3 diagonal rods 6, and 12 diagonal bracing rods 4 to form a planar force-bearing structure: the 3 vertical rods 5 are distributed in a triangular shape, the diameter of the vertical rods 5 ranges from 1.5 to 5 mm, the height ranges from 5 to 18 mm, and the distance between the vertical rods 5 ranges from 5 to 30 mm; one end of the 3 diagonal rods 6 is respectively connected to the upper ends of the 3 vertical rods 5, and the other ends intersect at the same point in space, and the height of the intersection point is lower than the height of the vertical rods 5. The diameter of the diagonal rods 6 ranges from 1.5 to 5 mm, and the angle between them and the vertical rods 5 ranges from 15 to 80 degrees.

[0032] The shock-absorbing and resilient component is a single elastic vertical column structure. The lower end of the elastic vertical column 7 is connected to the intersection of three inclined rods 6. The diameter of the elastic vertical column 7 ranges from 1.5 to 5 mm, and the height ranges from 3 to 15 mm.

[0033] Every two of the graded resilience lattice units share two vertical rods 5 .

[0034] The surface grid 1 is formed by connecting a plurality of upper rods 8, and the two ends of each upper rod 8 are respectively connected to the upper end points of two elastic vertical columns 7 to form a grid structure. The diameter of the upper rods 8 ranges from 1.5 to 5 mm.

[0035] The ring edge 2 is formed by connecting a plurality of ring edge rods 9, and both ends of each ring edge rod 9 are respectively connected to the lower end point of the elastic vertical column 7 at the outermost edge of the structure to form a ring structure. The diameter of the ring edge rod 9 ranges from 1.5 to 5 mm.

[0036] The bottom grid 3 is formed by connecting a plurality of bottom rods 10, and the two ends of each bottom rod 10 are respectively connected to the lower end points of two vertical rods 5 to form a grid structure. The diameter of the bottom rods 10 ranges from 1.5 to 5 mm.

[0037] A diagonal support rod 4 is provided between the vertical rod 5 and any connected rod, and a diagonal support rod 4 is provided between the elastic vertical column 7 and any connected rod, forming a triangular stable structure, and the diagonal support rod 4 has a diameter range of 1.5 to 5 mm.

[0038] The raw material for the 3D printing is nylon or TPU powder.

[0039] The 3D printing adopts SLS selective laser sintering method.

[0040] like Figure 5 and Figure 6As shown, a sole with the above-mentioned 3D printed graded resilience structure is applied, and the cavities of the forefoot 11 and the rear foot 12 of the sole are filled with the 3D printed graded resilience structure.

[0041] Based on the plantar pressure distribution, the present invention applies the 3D printed graded rebound structure to the sole, which can not only fully absorb the impact energy generated by exercise through its two-step shock absorption, but also provide strong rebound force, support athletes of different sports and different sports characteristics to complete technical movements, and protect athletes from sports injuries. In addition, it also has the functions of comfort, breathability, customization, and lightweight.

[0042] The specific method is:

[0043] Computer 3D design software is used to perform 3D digital modeling of the 3D shock-absorbing structure sample block or the 3D digital model of the sole, and the 3D shock-absorbing structure sample block or the 3D digital model of the sole is imported into a 3D printer for printing.

[0044] The 3D printing of 3D shock-absorbing structure samples or soles uses SLS selective laser sintering technology. The printing material uses TPU powder (or nylon powder). The laser is used to scan and irradiate the powder layer by layer under the control of a computer to achieve sintering and bonding of the TPU powder, and the molding is achieved by stacking layer by layer.

[0045] The TPU powder used in the 3D printed sole is a powder with a particle size of 100 microns, and its sintering temperature is 160°. The particle size and molding temperature of the TPU powder described above are all possible ones used in the present invention. The particle size and molding temperature of the TPU powder used in the 3D printed sole include but are not limited to the above possibilities.

[0046] The 3D printed graded rebound structure sample for the midsole of the shoe is composed of a surface grid, multiple 3D printed graded rebound lattice units, a ring edge, and a bottom grid. The graded rebound lattice unit is composed of a shock-absorbing component and a shock-absorbing rebound component. The shock-absorbing component adopts a planar force structure, which can realize the rapid shock-absorbing function of the structure; the shock-absorbing rebound component is composed of a single elastic vertical column, which uses the high elasticity of the elastic vertical column to realize the secondary stable shock-absorbing and rebound of the structure.

[0047] Therefore, when the structural sample is compressed and deformed, the shock-absorbing component first realizes "fast deceleration": using the soft and easily compressible structural properties to quickly reduce the impact force. The shock-absorbing and rebounding components then realize "slow sinking" and "fast rebounding": using the relatively rigid and elastic structural properties to provide stable support and strong rebound force. The combination of the two components allows the structural sample to fully meet the needs of both "slowness" and "rebound".

[0048] like Figure 7 and Figure 8As shown, in some exemplary structures according to the present invention, a control test was carried out using a universal testing machine test bench. A compression test was carried out on the 3D printed graded rebound structure and the traditional foam structure of the same size, and a schematic diagram of the test force versus deformation curve is shown. The results show that the 3D printed graded rebound structure is softer and has better shock absorption performance in a deformation of 1-9mm; it is more rigid and has better stability and rebound ability in a deformation of 9-11mm.

[0049] Compression test data of 3D printed graded rebound structure and traditional foam structure

[0050] Structure Type Compression 9mm test force (N) Compression 11mm test force (N) 3D printed hierarchical springback structure 498 1088 Traditional foam structure 522 649

[0051] In a specific implementation, various types of 3D printing (or additive manufacturing) technologies can be used. Exemplary 3D printing technologies that can be used include, but are not limited to: fused filament fabrication (FFF), electron beam freeform fabrication (EBF), direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), electron beam melting (EMB), selective laser melting (SLM), selective heat sintering (SHS), selective laser sintering (SLS), plaster 3D printing (PP), layered object manufacturing (LOM), stereolithography (SLA), digital light processing (DLP) and various other types of 3D printing or additive manufacturing technologies known in the art.

[0052] The printed material may be made of materials including ink, resin, acrylic, polymer, thermoplastic material, thermosetting material, photocurable material, or a combination thereof. According to embodiments, the printed material may also be formed to any desired thickness by printing one or more layers in a deposition sequence of the material, and the printed material may also include filler materials to impart reinforcing or aesthetic aspects to the printed material. Thus, according to embodiments, the printed material may be a composite material.

[0053] It should be noted that, for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principles of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered as the protection scope of the present invention. All components not specified in this example can be implemented using existing technologies.

Claims

1. A 3D printed hierarchical springback structure, characterized in that: Includes surface mesh, multiple 3D printed graded springback lattice units, ring edges, bottom mesh, and diagonal braces; The graded rebound lattice unit is composed of a shock-absorbing component and a shock-absorbing rebound part; the shock-absorbing component is composed of n vertical rods, n diagonal rods, and 4n diagonal bracing rods to form a plane force-bearing structure, the n vertical rods are vertically distributed, and the distribution points are not on the same straight line, where n≥3; one end of each diagonal rod is connected to the upper end of the corresponding vertical rod, and the other end intersects with other diagonal rods at a point in space, and the height of the intersection point is lower than the height of the vertical rod; the shock-absorbing rebound component is a single elastic vertical column structure, and the lower end of the elastic vertical column is connected to the intersection point of the diagonal rod; every two graded rebound lattice units share two vertical rods; The surface grid is formed by connecting a plurality of upper rods, and the two ends of each upper rod are respectively connected to the upper end points of two elastic vertical columns to form a grid structure; The ring edge is formed by connecting a plurality of ring edge rods, and the two ends of each ring edge rod are respectively connected to the lower end points of the elastic vertical columns at the outermost edge of the structure to form a ring structure; The bottom grid is formed by connecting a plurality of bottom rods, and the two ends of each bottom rod are respectively connected to the lower end points of two vertical rods to form a grid structure; A diagonal brace is provided between the vertical rod and any connected rod, and a diagonal brace is provided between the elastic vertical column and any connected rod, forming a triangular stable structure; The shape of the graded rebound structure is a cylinder or a cube; The material of the graded rebound lattice unit is nylon or TPU powder; The 3D printing adopts SLS selective laser sintering method; The diameters of the vertical rods, diagonal rods, elastic vertical columns, upper rods, ring-edge rods, bottom rods, and diagonal bracing rods are all in the range of 1.5 to 5 mm; the height of the vertical rods is in the range of 5 to 18 mm, and the distance between the vertical rods is in the range of 5 to 30 mm; the height of the elastic vertical columns is in the range of 3 to 15 mm; and the angle between the diagonal rods and the vertical rods is in the range of 15 to 80 degrees.

2. A shoe sole with a graded rebound structure printed by 3D printing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cavities in the forefoot and the rear foot of the sole are filled with 3D printed graded rebound structures.

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