Custom Sock Liner Design for Fit and Footwear Function Balance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing sock liner designing apparatuses primarily focus on improving the fit of the foot in footwear, neglecting other functions desired by users such as cushioning, stability, grip, and support, which are crucial for enhancing the overall performance and comfort of footwear.

Innovation Solution

A sock liner designing apparatus that receives user input on desired footwear functions and foot data to generate design data for custom sock liners, adjusting parameters like material, structure, cup height, and thickness to meet user-specific requirements, using a 3D printer for production.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If sock liner designing apparatus focuses on improving foot fit in footwear, then fit performance is improved, but other desired functions such as cushioning, stability, grip, and support are neglected

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefoot fit precisionVSAvoidfootwear function adaptability
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The sock liner designing apparatus is enhanced to perform multiple functions beyond just fit optimization. It now receives and processes both foot data and footwear function requirements, generating design data that simultaneously addresses fit precision and multiple footwear functions including cushioning, stability, grip, and support. This multi-functional approach allows a single apparatus to handle diverse design requirements without compromising any single function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The apparatus dynamically adjusts design parameters based on the balance between fit requirements and desired footwear functions. By receiving input on both foot data and function parameters, the system modifies material selection, structure, cup height, and thickness parameters to achieve an optimal balance between precise foot fit and enhanced footwear functionality, rather than optimizing for fit alone.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Adaptability or versatility

If custom sock liners are designed to meet specific footwear functions, then function performance is improved, but design complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefootwear function customizationVSAvoiddesign system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The design system is segmented into distinct functional modules: foot data processing module, footwear function analysis module, design parameter calculation module, and output generation module. Each module handles specific aspects of the complex design process independently, making the overall system more manageable and easier to implement while maintaining high customization capability for various footwear functions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The apparatus uses an intermediary processing layer that translates complex footwear function requirements into specific design parameters. This intermediary layer receives both foot data and function parameters, processes them through calculation algorithms, and outputs optimized design data, thereby simplifying the interaction between complex input requirements and final design outputs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If multiple design parameters are adjusted to meet user requirements, then sock liner performance is improved, but design time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesock liner performanceVSAvoiddesign time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The apparatus performs preliminary calculations and determinations automatically based on received foot data and function parameters. Rather than requiring manual adjustment of multiple parameters, the system pre-calculates optimal values for material, structure, cup height, and thickness based on established algorithms, significantly reducing the time needed to achieve high-performance sock liner designs while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The design system is self-service oriented, automatically adjusting multiple design parameters based on the input data without requiring extensive manual intervention. The apparatus self-optimizes the balance between fit and function by processing input parameters through embedded algorithms, thereby reducing design time while maintaining high performance standards.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP4327689B1Sock liner designing apparatus, sock liner designing method and program
Publication Date: 2026.01.21 ASICS CORP
  • EP4327689B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4327689B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4327689B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A sock liner designing apparatus, a sock liner designing method and a program are provided that are used to design sock liners that enable functions of footwear desired by a user to be attained when the user wears the footwear. A sock liner designing apparatus 1 includes: an input circuitry (interface 14) that receives an input of measured foot data; a processor 11 that calculates design data of a sock liner based on the foot data received through the input circuitry; and an output circuitry (interface 14) that outputs the design data calculated by the processor 11. The processor 11 adjusts the design data based on a difference between received footwear functions (first function parameter) and footwear data (second function parameter).