A multi-layer composite mid-panel with installable airbag cushion blocks

Abstract

This invention discloses a multi-layer composite midsole capable of mounting airbag pads, belonging to the field of shoe midsole technology. The midsole comprises a body formed by stacking and fixing multiple layers of boards. The midsole body includes at least a top plate and a support layer located below the top plate. The midsole body has pre-reserved mounting positions for front and rear airbags. The top plate has a front mounting opening in the forefoot area and a rear mounting opening in the heel area, with different external dimensions for the front and rear mounting openings. The support layer has support surfaces in at least the rear half of the forefoot area and the heel area. The dimensions of both the front and rear mounting openings are larger than the horizontal projection size of the airbag. After installation, the top of the airbag protrudes from or is flush with the top surface of the top plate, while the lower half rests on the support surface, with a gap between the outer periphery of the airbag and the inner wall of the mounting opening. This invention achieves the dual effect of fixed-point support at the bottom of the airbag and buffer force transmission at the top by combining layered plates with assembly ports. It has the advantages of lightweight structure, simple processing, airbag can be replaced individually, and smooth exhaust. It overcomes the defects of existing airbag midsole that is easy to collapse or completely closed and cannot contact the sole of the foot.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of shoe midsole technology, specifically relating to a multi-layer composite midsole plate that can be fitted with airbag pads. Background Technology

[0002] Existing multi-layer midsoles in footwear generally employ two or more separate sheets, formed by hot-pressing. These individual sheets only provide fixation and lack any rebound effect. To address the insufficient cushioning performance and fatigue associated with traditional footwear midsoles, related technologies have undergone several improvements. Two technical solutions proposed by the inventor have been published in patent applications: CN102697245A (Midsole Embedded Air Cushion Footwear, published in 2012) and CN118716734A (An Embedded Airbag Midsole and its Processing Technology, published in 2024). Both prior publications disclose the technical feature of creating airbag assembly holes in the upper layer of the midsole and embedding an airbag to achieve cushioning and rebound. However, both have structural defects, failing to simultaneously achieve the technical objectives of stable airbag support and exposed airbag contact with the sole, as detailed below: The technical solution disclosed in CN102697245A is as follows: Hollow air cushions are embedded in the forefoot and heel areas of the midsole of footwear, with each layer of the midsole forming a through-hole structure corresponding to the air cushion position. The air cushion is suspended within the hollow cavity. This structure has significant drawbacks: the air cushion lacks solid support at the bottom, making it prone to slippage, collapse, and deformation during walking, resulting in poor structural stability; the air cushion is completely embedded within the midsole plate, unable to extend upwards and directly contact the sole of the foot, limiting the cushioning and rebound effect; furthermore, the multi-layered through-hole processing is difficult and costly, making it difficult to meet the requirements of mass production and long-term use.

[0003] The technical solution disclosed in CN118716734A involves creating airbag grooves and through-holes in the midsole plate and steel sheet, embedding the airbag into the grooves, and then bonding the upper and lower midsole plates to form a closed sandwich structure. Although this solution achieves airbag positioning through the airbag grooves, the airbag is still completely enclosed in a cavity surrounded by multiple layers of plates. The upper end cannot be exposed through the upper through-hole and cannot directly contact the sole of the foot, thus the cushioning effect is blocked by the plates. At the same time, the airbag is sealed, so leaks or damage cannot be visually identified, nor can it be disassembled, inspected, or replaced independently. Furthermore, this solution relies on the simultaneous slotting and through-holeing of multiple layers of plates and steel sheets, resulting in complex processing procedures. Moreover, there is no targeted local solid support structure under the airbag, so the stress stability is still insufficient.

[0004] In summary, while the two prior art disclosures have revealed the existing technical feature of "opening an airbag assembly through hole in the upper layer," neither has resolved the core contradictions: the former results in an airbag that is suspended without support and prone to deformation, while the latter results in a completely enclosed airbag that is not exposed, has poor cushioning, and is difficult to maintain. Neither can simultaneously achieve the dual technical effect of the airbag being supported and positioned by a local solid plate below the assembly hole and the upper end of the airbag being exposed and directly contacting the sole of the foot. Therefore, the existing multi-layer airbag mid-plate structure for footwear still has significant room for improvement, and new technical solutions are urgently needed to overcome the aforementioned defects. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the aforementioned problems in the prior art, this invention provides a multi-layer composite mid-plate with an installable airbag pad. This invention achieves the following technical effects through the combination of layered plates and assembly joints: stable support at a fixed point at the bottom of the airbag; the top of the airbag protruding or flush with the top plate surface to transmit cushioning force; internal gas expelled when the airbag is compressed; lightweight structure; simple processing; and convenient maintenance. This effectively overcomes the inherent defects of the prior art.

[0006] The technical solution of the present invention is as follows: a multi-layer composite middle plate for installing airbag pads, comprising a middle plate body formed by stacking and fixing multiple layers of plates, the middle plate body including at least a top plate and a support layer disposed below the top plate, the middle plate body having reserved front airbag mounting positions and rear airbag mounting positions; the top plate has a front mounting port corresponding to the forefoot area and a rear mounting port corresponding to the heel area, the shape and size of the front mounting port and the rear mounting port being different from each other; the support layer has a support surface in at least the rear half of the forefoot area and the heel area, the rear half of the forefoot area corresponding to the lower half of the front airbag mounting position, the support surface being used to support and limit the lower half of the airbag after the airbag is installed; the size of the front mounting port and the rear mounting port is larger than the horizontal projection size of the corresponding airbag, so that a gap is left between the outer periphery of the airbag and the inner wall of the mounting port after the airbag is installed; after the airbag is installed, the top of the airbag protrudes from or is flush with the top surface of the top plate, and the lower half of the airbag rests on the support surface.

[0007] In one embodiment, the supporting space is formed by the front boundary line of the base plate and the concave arc of the top plate, and the airbag support platform is located at the bottom of the space.

[0008] In one embodiment, the heel region is provided with a support surface, which is located in the projection area of ​​the rear assembly port.

[0009] In one embodiment, the midplate is formed by hot-pressing and bonding three layers of sheet material: a top plate, a middle plate, and a bottom plate. The bottom plate constitutes the supporting layer. The bottom plate is a solid plate structure without airbag mounting holes (only connection holes for fixing support steel plates are allowed). The bottom plate forms a support surface in the rear half of the forefoot and the heel area based on its own plate surface. No airbag support points are set on the top plate above the forefoot and the corresponding arch of the foot. The overall outline of the middle plate is consistent with that of the top plate. The middle plate only has a semi-open hole in the front half along the length of the shoe in the forefoot. The rear half along the length of the shoe retains solid sheet material. Except for the semi-open hole, the rest of the middle plate surface is a closed solid structure without openings. The front end of the top plate is cut off to form a concave arc notch. The concave arc at the front end of the top plate and the semi-open hole in the front half of the middle plate are spliced ​​together to form a complete and continuous front mounting opening. A separate hole is opened at the heel of the top plate to form a rear mounting opening.

[0010] In one embodiment, the front airbag mounting port is formed by a combination of a 1 / 2 arc-shaped hole in the middle layer plate and a concave arc at the front end of the top plate.

[0011] Furthermore, the assembled front airbag mounting opening is designed with different sizes and specifications depending on the shoe size and its location on the mid-layer plate.

[0012] Furthermore, the shape of the front airbag assembly port is preferably elliptical.

[0013] In one embodiment, a rigid support steel sheet is embedded in the middle of the heel area of ​​the base plate along its length. The base plate has an elongated through hole at the position where the rib of the support steel sheet is fitted. The rib of the support steel sheet is embedded in the elongated through hole, and the two ends of the steel sheet are riveted together to increase the strength of the base plate.

[0014] This invention discloses a multi-layer composite midsole with an installable airbag pad, which, as a component of a shoe, is applied in shoe manufacturing and has the following beneficial effects: The support layer only has a support surface in the rear half of the airbag and the heel area, while the forefoot and arch of the foot have no airbag support. This prevents the rear half of the airbag from collapsing, achieves lightweighting of the midplate, and ensures the softness of the forefoot. The top surface of the airbag continuously provides cushioning support, and the cushioning performance is stable.

[0015] The front assembly port is formed by combining a semi-open middle layer plate with a concave arc top plate, while the rear assembly port is only opened separately on the top plate. This eliminates the need for multi-layer boards to be cut through and grooved, simplifying the material cutting process, reducing production costs, and facilitating mass production.

[0016] The top of the airbag protrudes from or is flush with the top surface of the top plate. Damage and leakage can be directly identified by the naked eye. The airbag can be removed separately from the assembly port for inspection and replacement. When the airbag is compressed, the internal gas is discharged outward from the outer gap. It has sensitive cushioning and rebound, and is highly comfortable to wear.

[0017] A rigid steel plate with rivets is added to the heel to improve the heel's shape and bending resistance. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 : Front view of the integrally molded midsole; Figure 2 : A schematic diagram of the back of the integrally molded midsole; Figure 3 : Single-unit structural diagram of the roof slab; Figure 4 : Structure diagram of the middle layer plate; Figure 5 : Structural diagram of the base plate; Figure 6 : Schematic diagram of the layered relationship of the present invention; Figure 7 : Schematic diagram of airbag cushioning block.

[0019] Reference numerals: 1 - Top plate, 10 - Front assembly port, 11 - Concave arc, 12 - Rear assembly port, 2 - Middle plate, 21 - Semi-opening, 3 - Bottom plate, 31 - Support steel plate, 311 - Protruding rib, 32 - Rivet, 33 - Front boundary line, A - Airbag support platform, 4 - Airbag pad block. Detailed Implementation

[0020] This invention discloses a multi-layer composite midsole plate for mounting airbag pads, such as... Figures 1-7 As shown: The middle plate body is formed by stacking and fixing multiple layers of plates. The middle plate body includes at least a top plate 1 and a bottom plate 3 located below the top plate 1. The middle plate body has reserved installation positions for the front airbag and the rear airbag. The top plate 1 has a front mounting port 10 corresponding to the forefoot area and a rear mounting port 12 corresponding to the heel area. The bottom plate 3 has support surfaces in at least the rear half of the forefoot area and the heel area. The rear half of the forefoot area corresponds to the lower half of the front airbag installation position. The support surfaces are used to support and limit the lower half of the airbag after it is installed. The dimensions of the front mounting port 10 and the rear mounting port 12 are both larger than the horizontal projection dimensions of the corresponding airbag, so that there is a gap between the outer periphery of the airbag and the inner wall of the mounting port after it is installed. After the airbag is installed, the top of the airbag protrudes from the upper surface of the top plate 1 or is flush with the upper surface of the top plate 1, and the lower half of the airbag rests on the support surface.

[0021] The middle plate is formed by hot pressing three layers: bottom plate 3, middle plate 2, and top plate 1. The bottom plate 3 is a whole plate structure without airbag installation through holes (only connection holes for fixing support steel plates are provided). The bottom plate 3 is made of relatively hard material and plays a role in shaping the middle plate as a whole. The bottom plate 3 is embedded with hard support steel plates 31 and fixed by rivets 32.

[0022] like Figure 3As shown, the top plate 1 has a front mounting opening 10 and a rear mounting opening 12. The front edge of the front mounting opening 10 is a concave arc 11. The overall shape of the top plate 1 matches the middle plate 2. A portion of the material at the front of the top plate 1 is cut off to form a concave arc 11. This concave arc is aligned with the edge of the front half-opening 21 of the middle plate 2 along the length of the shoe and spliced ​​together to form a complete and through front mounting opening 10. The rear section of the top plate 1 is independently cut to form a full hole to form the rear mounting opening 12. The sizes and shapes of the front and rear mounting openings are different.

[0023] like Figure 4 As shown, the overall shape of the mid-layer plate 2 is consistent with that of the top plate 1. The mid-layer plate 2 has a semi-open hole 21 at the front section along the length of the shoe, corresponding to the position of the forefoot airbag, while the rear half along the length of the shoe remains a solid plate. Apart from the semi-open hole 21, the entire surface of the mid-layer plate 2 is a closed solid without any holes. If the entire circle of the mid-layer plate 2 corresponding to the position of the forefoot airbag is perforated, the rear of the airbag will lack plate support and will sink downwards, causing the top surface of the airbag to sink and fail to provide cushioning support, thus losing its cushioning function.

[0024] like Figure 5 As shown, the base plate 3 is a single-plate structure without airbag mounting holes. Only the supporting steel plate 31 has elongated through holes punched at the mating positions of the ribs 311. The base plate 3 utilizes its own surface to select the rear half of the front airbag projection and the heel position as the support surface; there is no airbag support in the forefoot section or above the arch. The base plate 3 is equipped with rigid supporting steel plates 31, with the ribs 311 of the supporting steel plates 31 embedded in the elongated through holes. The two ends of the supporting steel plates 31 are riveted and fixed by rivets 32. Figure 5 The front boundary line 33 (the edge line of the front end of the base plate) is also shown.

[0025] like Figure 6 As shown, the front boundary line 33 of the base plate 3 and the concave arc 11 of the top plate 1 form a support space, and the bottom of this space is the airbag support platform A. After the front and rear airbags are installed into the corresponding mounting ports from top to bottom, the top of the airbag protrudes from the surface of the top plate 1 or is flush with the surface of the top plate 1, and the lower half of the airbag rests on the airbag support platform A of the base plate 3 or the upper limit of the rear support surface.

[0026] The dimensions of the front assembly port 10 and the rear assembly port 12 of the top plate 1 are both larger than the horizontal projection dimensions of the corresponding airbag, so that after the airbag is installed, there is a gap between its outer periphery and the inner wall of the assembly port; when the airbag is compressed, the internal gas can be discharged outward through this gap.

[0027] During use, when the front airbag is pressurized, gas is released from all sides of the airbag towards the rear; when the rear airbag is pressurized, gas is released directly upwards.

[0028] like Figure 7As shown, the airbag pad 4 can adopt a conventional elastic airbag structure in the art, such as being formed by hot-pressing and sealing two pieces of elastic material (such as TPU), filled with gas or filled with elastomer, and having compressible and resilient properties. This airbag pad itself is prior art, and its specific structure will not be described in detail.

[0029] Those skilled in the art will understand that the disclosed configuration can be appropriately adjusted without departing from the present invention. Therefore, the examples described above are for illustrative purposes only and not for limiting purposes. Those skilled in the art will clearly recognize that minor modifications can be made to the configuration or installation process to achieve the same purpose without significantly altering the above operations. The present invention is limited by the claims.

Claims

1. A multi-layer composite midplate for mounting airbag pads, comprising a midplate body formed by stacking and fixing multiple layers of plates, the midplate body including at least a top plate (1) and a bottom plate (3) disposed below the top plate (1), the midplate body having a pre-reserved front airbag mounting position and a rear airbag mounting position; the top plate (1) having a front mounting port (10) corresponding to the forefoot area and a rear mounting port (12) corresponding to the heel area; the bottom plate (3) having a bearing plate in at least the rear half of the forefoot area and the heel area. The supporting surface is used to support and limit the lower half of the airbag after the airbag is installed. The size of the front mounting port (10) and the rear mounting port (12) is larger than the horizontal projection size of the corresponding airbag, so that there is a gap between the outer periphery of the airbag and the inner wall of the mounting port after the airbag is installed. After the airbag is installed, the top of the airbag protrudes from the upper surface of the top plate (1) or is flush with the upper surface of the top plate (1), and the lower half of the airbag rests on the supporting surface.

2. The multi-layer composite mid-plate with an airbag pad as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The middle plate body is formed by hot pressing and bonding three layers of plates: top plate (1), middle plate (2), and bottom plate (3).

3. A multi-layer composite midsole plate with an installable airbag pad as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The base plate (3) is a whole plate structure without airbag installation through holes. The base plate (3) forms a support surface in the rear half area of ​​the forefoot and the heel area by relying on its own plate surface. No airbag support points are set on the base plate (3) corresponding to the front part of the forefoot and the center of the foot.

4. A multi-layer composite midsole plate with an installable airbag pad as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The overall outline of the middle plate (2) is consistent with that of the top plate (1). The middle plate (2) has only a front half-open hole (21) along the length of the shoe in the forefoot, and the latter half along the length of the shoe retains a solid plate. Except for the half-open hole (21), the rest of the middle plate (2) is a closed solid structure without openings.

5. A multi-layer composite midsole plate with an installable airbag pad as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The front end of the top plate (1) is cut off to form a concave arc (11) notch. The concave arc (11) at the front end of the top plate (1) and the semi-open hole (21) at the front end of the middle plate (2) are spliced ​​together to form a complete and continuous front assembly port (10). The rear heel of the top plate (1) is separately opened to form a rear assembly port (12).

6. A multi-layer composite midsole plate with an installable airbag pad as described in claim 2, characterized in that: A rigid support steel sheet (31) is embedded in the middle of the heel area of ​​the base plate (3). The base plate (3) has a long strip-shaped through hole at the position where the rib (311) of the support steel sheet (31) is matched. The rib (311) of the support steel sheet (31) is embedded in the long strip-shaped through hole. The two ends of the support steel sheet (31) are riveted and fixed by rivets (32).

7. A multi-layer composite midsole plate with an installable airbag pad as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The front assembly port (10) and the rear assembly port (12) are different in size and shape.

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