Alternating Spring and Damping Layers in Footwear Soles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sole structures face challenges in accommodating specific activities, user preferences, and varying foot anatomies, as they often struggle to provide optimal support and cushioning, especially during activities involving high-impact movements like running or cutting maneuvers.
Innovation Solution
A sole structure featuring multiple macrolayers with alternating spring plates and damping material layers, utilizing constrained layer damping to absorb energy and provide anatomical support, where spring plates store energy and damping material layers absorb reactive forces, enhancing cushioning and reducing fatigue.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional sole structures use single-layer foam or spring elements, then manufacturing is simple, but they cannot provide optimal support and cushioning for specific activities and foot anatomies
Solution Approach 1:
The sole structure is divided into multiple macrolayers, each containing spring plates and damping material layers. This segmentation allows different regions of the sole to be optimized for specific activities and foot anatomies, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and complexity by creating modular, customizable units.
Solution Approach 2:
Different macrolayers can be configured with varying spring plate geometries, damping material properties, and bonding patterns to provide locally optimized support and cushioning. This enables the sole to adapt to specific activities (e.g., running vs. cutting maneuvers) and individual foot anatomies without requiring complete redesign of the entire sole structure.
2Use of energy by moving object
If conventional sole structures use compressible foam for cushioning, then energy absorption is provided, but they lack the ability to store and return mechanical energy efficiently
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges spring plates (for energy storage) and damping material layers (for energy absorption) into integrated macrolayers. This combination allows the sole structure to simultaneously store mechanical energy in the spring plates while dissipating reactive forces through the damping material, resolving the energy utilization contradiction without requiring separate independent systems.
Solution Approach 2:
Each macrolayer functions as a composite structure combining elastic spring plates with viscoelastic damping material. This composite approach enables the sole to exhibit both energy storage characteristics (from the spring plates) and energy dissipation characteristics (from the damping material), improving overall energy management while maintaining a unified structural approach.
3Reliability
If conventional sole structures lack alternating spring and damping layers, then structural simplicity is maintained, but cushioning effectiveness and fatigue reduction are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The alternating arrangement of spring plates and damping material layers creates a dynamic system that responds differently to various types of impacts. The spring plates provide elastic rebound for progressive compression, while the damping material dissipates energy during rapid loading, enhancing cushioning effectiveness and fatigue reduction through dynamic response characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The bonded macrolayers create a continuous system where spring plates and damping material work together throughout the compression cycle. The spring plates continuously store and release energy while the damping material continuously dissipates reactive forces, maintaining useful action throughout the entire impact event rather than relying on discrete separate elements.
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 solution effectively absorbs mechanical energy during impact, reduces wearer fatigue, and provides enhanced cushioning and support across different activities, while maintaining structural stability and traction, thus improving overall footwear performance.
Implementation Method 1
spring plates store energy
Implementation Method 2
damping material layers absorb reactive forces
Implementation Method 3
damping material layers absorb reactive forces
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B
AI summary
A sole structure (10) may include multiple macrolayers (41). Each of those macrolayers (41) may include a spring plate (11, 12, 13) and a layer (21, 22, 23, 2, 423) of damping material (28). Macrolayers (41) may be bonded or otherwise fixed relative to one another and provide constrained layer (21, 22, 23, 2, 423) damping in response to impact forces occurring as a result of activity of a wearer of an article of footwear incorporating the sole structure (10).