Capacitive Insole with Flexible Printed Circuit for Foot Pressure Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing foot pressure monitoring insoles face issues with durability, comfort, ease of integration into footwear, and effective data communication, as they suffer from structural stress and thickness constraints, leading to malfunctions and user discomfort.
Innovation Solution
A planar insole design featuring flexible sheets with capacitive force sensors and a wireless transceiver, where the sensors are connected via conductive leads and a chip support member with control electronics, allowing for reliable long-term monitoring and easy integration into various footwear types, while maintaining a low profile and facilitating comfortable wear.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional insole structures with multiple electronic modules and connection means are used, then foot pressure monitoring functionality is achieved, but the insole thickness increases and structural stress from bending cycles causes connection deterioration and malfunctions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the upper and lower sensor sheets into a single integrated capacitive sensor structure, eliminating the need for separate connection means between modules. The conductive leads are printed directly on flexible substrates, merging the sensing and connection functions into one durable assembly that withstands bending cycles without connection deterioration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses flexible printed circuit boards and thin film capacitive sensors that conform to the insole structure. These thin-film technologies enable low-profile integration while maintaining connection durability through flexible, bend-resistant conductive traces that accommodate the dynamic deformation of the insole during wear.
2Reliability
If traditional insole structures with processing modules and connection means are used, then foot pressure monitoring functionality is achieved, but user discomfort increases due to processing modules and connection means
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts rigid processing modules and bulky connection means from the insole structure, replacing them with flexible printed circuits and integrated capacitive sensors. This extraction eliminates discomfort sources while preserving monitoring functionality through wireless data transmission from the simplified sensor array.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs flexible printed circuit boards and thin film capacitive sensors that conform to the natural contours of the foot and insole. These flexible components eliminate rigid elements that cause discomfort, allowing the insole to maintain a thin, comfortable profile while enabling full monitoring functionality through wireless communication.
3Reliability
If traditional insole structures are used, then foot pressure monitoring is achieved, but integration into various articles of footwear becomes difficult due to thickness constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses flexible printed circuit boards and thin film capacitive sensors that create a low-profile insole structure. This thin-film construction enables easy integration into various footwear types including shoes, boots, and athletic footwear, as the insole can conform to different footwear geometries without adding excessive thickness or rigidity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs a universal insole structure with flexible printed circuits and capacitive sensors that can be adapted to multiple footwear applications. The standardized sensor array and wireless communication interface enable the same insole design to be integrated into various article types, from athletic shoes to medical footwear, enhancing adaptability across different use cases.
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 provides a reliable, comfortable, and cost-effective means of monitoring foot pressure, enabling easy data communication with remote servers for analysis, thus improving user experience and performance in medical and sports applications.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of capacitive force sensors in the measurement portion of the insole, each capacitive force sensor comprising at least an upper electrode on the upper sheet and a lower electrode on the lower sheet, the lower electrode facing the upper electrode in the thickness direction and being separated from the lower electrode at least by the flexible insulating dielectric sheet
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
An insole (1) for insertion into an article of footwear, comprising flexible upper sheet, lower sheet, insulating dielectric sheet, capacitive force sensors (10) with upper electrodes and lower electrodes and networks of upper conductive leads (11) and lower conductive leads (12). The insole comprises a chip support member (13) and control and transmit electronics (14) comprising a control electronic (15) and a wireless transceiver (16). An upper contacting tab of the upper sheet is in surface contact with the chip support member (13) and comprises conductive leads connected to the upper electrodes. A lower contacting tab of the lower sheet is in surface contact with the chip support member (13) and comprises conductive leads connected to the lower electrodes.