Dual-Shank Athletic Shoe Sole Impact Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current athletic shoe designs fail to effectively reduce impact forces on joints and provide energy return, leading to a higher risk of injury and diminished performance during athletic activities.
Innovation Solution
The dual-shank athletic shoe features an upper and lower shank made of different materials, with the lower shank being stiffer and the upper shank being more flexible, surrounding a void space in the midsole to act like leaf springs, reducing impact and returning energy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If foam cushioning material is used to reduce impact loads, then impact forces on joints are reduced, but the cushioning effect degrades and is lost over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from foam material to a spring-based mechanical system, fundamentally changing the parameter of material composition. The spring system maintains consistent mechanical properties over time unlike foam which degrades and compacts, thereby resolving the reliability issue while continuing to reduce impact forces through elastic deformation and energy storage
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a composite structure combining upper and lower shanks made of different materials with varying stiffness properties. This composite arrangement creates a layered spring system that provides durable, consistent cushioning performance without the degradation issues of homogeneous foam materials
2Object-affected harmful factors
If foam cushioning material is used to reduce impact forces, then impact loads are reduced, but energy storage and return capability is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic spring-based system that actively stores and releases energy during the gait cycle. The springs compress during impact to store energy, then rebound to return energy to the wearer, creating a dynamic energy management system that foam materials cannot provide due to their passive, dissipative nature
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful impact energy into useful stored energy through the spring mechanism. The compression force from impact is transformed into elastic potential energy in the springs, which is then returned as kinetic energy during the push-off phase, turning a harmful force into a performance-enhancing benefit
3Object-affected harmful factors
If multiple layers of foam cushioning are used, then impact load reduction is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the cushioning function into segmented spring elements (upper and lower shanks) rather than using multiple layers of foam. This segmentation provides effective impact reduction through discrete mechanical components while potentially simplifying the overall structure compared to layered foam constructions
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 reduces impact loading at the heel and returns energy as the foot rolls through the gait cycle, enhancing performance and reducing the risk of injury to the ankle, knee, and hip joints.
Implementation Method 1
The upper and lower shanks surround the void space in the lower midsole and act similar to a pair of leaf springs to both reduce impact loading at the heel during a foot strike and to return energy as the wearer's foot rolls through the gait cycle
Implementation Method 2
The upper and lower shanks being disposed above and below the lower midsole, are both stiffer then the midsole material, typically EVA, and therefore tend to oscillate with running or walking motion. That is, the upper and lower shanks move toward each other under the compression of a foot strike with the ground and tend move away from each other when the wearer's foot lifts off the ground during the gait cycle
Data Source
AI summary
An athletic shoe sole comprising an upper midsole, an upper shank, a lower midsole, a lower shank and an outsole is presented. The athletic shoe sole further comprises a heel region, an arch region, and a forefoot region. The athletic shoe sole includes one or more void spaces formed between the upper and lower shanks. The upper and lower shanks acting as springs for the purpose of reducing impact loading and providing energy return during the gait cycle.