Automatic Footwear Lacing System With Motorized Gear Train
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional footwear lacks an efficient automatic lacing system that can adjust tightness easily and comfortably, particularly for users with mobility issues or those who desire hands-free operation, and existing systems often apply forces on the top of the foot rather than the sides.
Innovation Solution
The development of an automatic lacing system for footwear that incorporates a motorized gear train and electronic components, allowing for adjustment via a control panel or graphical user interface, with laces that tighten or loosen by rotating a wheel gear, distributing force along the medial and lateral sides of the foot.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual lacing is used, then the user can adjust tightness, but it requires manual effort and is difficult for users with mobility issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional manual mechanical lacing system with an automated motorized system. A motor assembly (216) drives a gear train (214) that rotates a wheel gear (210) to wind or unwind laces (142, 144) through eyelets (146, 148), eliminating the need for manual bending, tying, or pulling of laces. This mechanical substitution directly resolves the contradiction by providing automated lace adjustment while maintaining the mechanical tightening function.
Solution Approach 2:
The automatic lacing system enables the footwear to adjust its own tightness without external manual intervention. The motorized assembly, controlled via user input (e.g., through a graphical user interface or control panel), autonomously performs the lacing function by rotating the wheel gear to tension or relax the laces, making the system self-sufficient in adjusting to user preferences.
2Adaptability or versatility
If laces apply force on the top of the foot, then the lacing system is simple, but it causes discomfort and is not suitable for various foot types
Solution Approach 1:
The lacing system is segmented into multiple independent lace paths: lateral laces (142) extending through lateral eyelets (146) and medial laces (144) extending through medial eyelets (148). This segmentation allows forces to be distributed across different locations on the foot (lateral and medial sides) rather than concentrated on the top, providing better adaptability to various foot types while managing complexity through modular lace routing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different lacing configurations to different regions of the foot. The lateral and medial laces apply forces specifically at the lateral and medial sides of the foot respectively, rather than uniformly across the top. This localized force application improves comfort and adaptability to different foot shapes and pressure sensitivities.
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
Enables comfortable and adjustable lacing without manual effort, distributing force efficiently along the sides of the foot, improving usability for various foot types and user needs.
Implementation Method 1
an automatic lacing system that includes a motor assembly in communication with a gear train, the gear train including a wheel gear
Data Source
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AI summary
A lacing system for an article of footwear includes a sole structure, an upper attached to the sole structure, the upper comprising a lateral side, a medial side, and an instep region, a housing disposed adjacent the instep region, wherein a first lace and a second lace extend through a plurality of eyelets along the upper and into the housing, a motor disposed within the housing, the motor comprising a motor shaft and a motor gear, and a gear train in communication with the motor gear. When the motor shaft rotates, the first lace and the second lace are drawn into the housing via a wheel gear that is in communication with the gear train.