Embroidered Footwear Upper for Stretch Resistance and Lower Mass
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional footwear upper constructions often include multiple layers of materials that result in superfluous material contributing little to desired properties, such as stretch-resistance, wear-resistance, and air-permeability, leading to increased mass without enhanced performance.
Innovation Solution
The use of an embroidered configuration with a base layer and strategically placed threads that form structural elements to provide specific properties like stretch-resistance and reinforcement, minimizing unnecessary material and optimizing the distribution of threads for desired functionalities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If multiple material layers are used in the upper construction, then wear-resistance and structural integrity are improved, but the mass of the footwear increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by strategically placing thread structural elements only in specific high-stress areas of the upper (toe area, heel area, and lateral/medial sides) rather than using multiple layers throughout the entire upper. This localized reinforcement provides wear-resistance where needed while minimizing unnecessary material elsewhere, thereby reducing overall mass while maintaining strength in critical regions.
2Stability of the object's composition
If multiple material layers are used in the upper construction, then structural integrity is improved, but the complexity of the upper structure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite materials by combining a base layer with thread structural elements to create a unified upper construction. This composite approach integrates the reinforcement function directly into the upper structure rather than adding separate layers, thereby maintaining structural integrity while reducing the number of discrete components and simplifying the overall structure.
3Strength
If threads are placed closely together to provide stretch-resistance, then the degree of stretch-resistance increases, but the air-permeability of the upper decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by positioning thread structural elements specifically in areas requiring stretch-resistance (toe area, heel area, and lateral/medial sides) while leaving other areas with fewer or no threads. This selective placement provides the necessary stretch-resistance in high-stress regions while maintaining air-permeability in areas where it is less critical, thereby resolving the trade-off between these two properties.
Data Source
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AI summary
An article of footwear (10) includes an upper (30) that is at least partially formed from a base layer (41) and thread sections (42) that lie adjacent a surface of the base layer. The thread sections are positioned to provide structural elements that, for example, restrain stretch in directions corresponding with longitudinal axes of the thread sections . In some configurations of the footwear, a first portion of the thread sections may extend between forefoot (11) and heel regions (13) of the footwear, and a second portion of the thread sections may extend vertically. An embroidering process may be utilized to position the thread sections on the base layer.