Dual-Chamber Footwear Sole Bladder for Cushioning and Heel Stability
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sole structures for footwear lack an efficient design that balances cushioning and stability, particularly in the heel region, leading to suboptimal performance in impact attenuation and lateral stability.
Innovation Solution
A dual-chamber bladder design is implemented in the sole structure, featuring an interior chamber with a lower pressure for enhanced cushioning and a peripheral chamber with a higher pressure for improved stability, separated by a web area and formed from thermoformed or blow-molded barrier layers of varying thickness and cross-section to provide tailored support and responsiveness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single-chamber bladder design is used, then the structure is simpler, but the balance between cushioning and stability is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The bladder is divided into two separate chambers: a first chamber for cushioning and a second chamber for stability. This segmentation allows each chamber to be optimized independently for its specific function, resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and functional balance.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the bladder are assigned different pressure characteristics - the first chamber operates at lower pressure for cushioning while the second chamber operates at higher pressure for stability. This local differentiation of properties enables simultaneous optimization of both cushioning and stability functions.
2Device complexity
If uniform pressure is applied throughout the bladder, then the structure is simpler, but impact attenuation and lateral stability cannot be optimized simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure system is segmented into two independent chambers with different pressure levels. The first chamber maintains lower pressure for impact attenuation, while the second chamber maintains higher pressure for lateral stability, allowing both performance requirements to be met simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure parameter is varied across different chambers - the first chamber operates at a lower pressure parameter for cushioning, while the second chamber operates at a higher pressure parameter for stability. This parameter differentiation resolves the contradiction between structural simplicity and performance optimization.
3Ease of manufacture
If the bladder wall thickness is uniform, then manufacturing is simpler, but tailored support and responsiveness in different regions cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The bladder wall thickness varies by region to provide tailored support - thicker walls in areas requiring greater structural support and thinner walls in areas requiring greater responsiveness. This local differentiation of thickness properties enables optimized performance in different regions while remaining manufacturable through techniques like blow-molding.
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 dual-chamber bladder design provides superior impact attenuation and lateral stability, offering a softer cushioning response and enhanced heel region support, while maintaining structural integrity and durability.
Implementation Method 1
The midsole may incorporate a fluid-filled bladder to increase durability of the sole structure, as well as to provide cushioning to the foot by compressing resiliently under an applied load to attenuate ground-reaction forces
Implementation Method 2
Midsoles employing bladders typically include a bladder formed from two barrier layers of polymer material that are sealed or bonded together
Implementation Method 3
The bladders may contain air, and may incorporate tensile members within the bladder to retain the shape of the bladder when pressurized
Implementation Method 4
formed from thermoformed or blow-molded barrier layers
Implementation Method 5
formed from thermoformed or blow-molded barrier layers
Data Source
AI summary
A bladder for an article of footwear extends from an anterior end to a posterior end and includes a first chamber disposed in an interior region of the bladder and a second chamber at least partially surrounding the first chamber. The first chamber includes a first interior void having a first pressure and the second chamber includes a second interior void having a second pressure. In some implementations, the second chamber includes a plurality of lobes arranged in series and each having a first end, a second end, and an intermediate portion disposed between the first end and the second end. Each lobe has a greater thickness at the intermediate portion than at the first end and the second end, such that each lobe tapers from the intermediate portion to the first end and the second end.