Conical Disk Shoe Spring With Tunable Bounce and Damping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional shoe springs have a high bounce frequency that does not align with the natural walking or running gait frequency, leading to undesirable energy return, as the compression system's travel is limited, resulting in inefficient energy absorption and release.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a conical disk with a ring spring and damper ring system that adjusts spring force and damping resistance, featuring a flexible flange for air sealing and rotational positioning, and a biased damper to manage energy return, allowing for variable spring rates and damping characteristics to match user weight and movement patterns.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a conventional spring compression system is used in the shoe sole, then impact energy can be absorbed and released, but the bounce frequency becomes higher than the natural frequency of the user's gait, causing misaligned energy return
Solution Approach 1:
The spring system transitions from a fixed stiffness conventional spring to a dynamically adjustable stiffness mechanism. The adjustable stiffness element allows the spring constant to be modified based on user weight and gait characteristics, enabling the bounce frequency to be tuned to match the natural frequency of the user's walking or running pattern. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by making the frequency adaptive rather than fixed.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical parameter of spring stiffness (spring constant) to adjust the bounce frequency. By modifying the stiffness parameter of the spring system, the natural frequency of the spring can be aligned with the user's gait frequency. This parameter change allows the system to optimize energy return timing without changing the fundamental spring mechanism.
2Force
If the sole compression travel is limited, then the spring can provide sufficient force to decelerate the user's mass, but the energy return frequency becomes too high for desirable gait alignment
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a dynamically adjustable stiffness element that can be tuned to provide the necessary deceleration force while simultaneously controlling the energy return frequency. By adjusting the stiffness parameter, the system maintains adequate braking force during foot strike while lowering the bounce frequency to match natural gait, resolving the contradiction between force magnitude and frequency timing.
3Force
If a higher spring constant is used to provide sufficient deceleration force, then impact energy absorption is effective, but the bounce frequency increases beyond the natural gait frequency
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the spring constant parameter from a fixed high value to an adjustable value. The adjustable stiffness element allows optimization of both the deceleration force (by maintaining adequate spring constant) and the bounce frequency (by tuning the spring constant to match gait frequency). This parameter adjustment resolves the contradiction by finding the optimal spring constant value that satisfies both force and frequency requirements.
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
This configuration ensures a more aligned energy return frequency with user gait, providing improved comfort and efficiency by adjusting spring force and damping resistance to match the user's weight and movement, thereby enhancing the shoe's ability to absorb and release energy effectively.
Implementation Method 1
a conical disk within the pocket... when the conical disk is compressed the damper ring is caused to expand... when the apex is pushed towards the base the spring provides an opposing force
Implementation Method 2
a damper ring around the perimeter of the conical disk, in which when the conical disk is compressed the damper ring is caused to expand... the damper ring providing a damping resistance
Implementation Method 3
the flexible flange may act as a seal to prevent the flow of air into and out of the interior of the conical disk
Implementation Method 4
the ring spring may engage with the conical disk in a threaded manner so that the ring spring is movable in the direction generally perpendicular to the base by rotating the conical disk relative to the ring spring
Implementation Method 5
the ring spring may engage with the element radially outward from the ring spring with tongue and groove slots
Data Source
AI summary
A spring for a spring shoe, the spring including a conical disk, the conical disk having a flexible flange around the perimeter of the conical disk. A spring comprising a conical disk and a ring spring around the conical disk, the ring spring being movable up and down relative to the conical disk to adjust the spring force of the spring. A threaded engagement between the ring spring and the conical disk so that rotation of the conical disk moves the ring spring up or down relative to the conical disk. A damper ring around the perimeter of the conical disk to resist the expansion of the circumference of the conical disk. An eccentric ring or cam to adjust the position of the apex of the conical disk relative to an insole by rotating the eccentric ring or cam. An asymmetric conical disk to adjust the position of the apex of the conical disk by rotating the conical disk. A damper for a spring shoe comprising a flexible container containing a material with little or no propensity to return to its original shape. A spring array for a spring shoe, the springs of the spring array having a reducing force resisting compression over at least a portion of the spring range of travel as the spring compresses, and there being a damper associated with the array to oppose compression of the array towards maximum compression.