Fabric Lace-Hole System for Footwear Instep Pressure Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing footwear lacing systems face difficulties in ease of lace insertion due to the tongue, metal eyelets that can stain and cause pressure on the instep, and complex manufacturing processes leading to defects and high production costs.
Innovation Solution
A lace-hole system comprising a base ribbon and an upper element superimposed on it, forming eyelets with fixing points for easy integration into footwear, allowing for simple production, reduced pressure on the instep, and adaptability to different footwear models.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If holes are constructed in the surface of the upper with metal reinforcement eyelets, then the holes do not become deformed or broken following wear, but the eyelets can stain the laces over time and apply pressure to the instep
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the harmful metal eyelet component from the lacing system and replaces it with a fabric-based solution. The eyelet formation is achieved by folding and stitching the upper material itself, eliminating the need for separate metal reinforcements that cause staining and pressure points.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces expensive and complex metal eyelet systems with a simpler, more economical fabric-based eyelet formation process. The eyelets are created through folding and stitching operations that can be performed directly on the upper material without requiring additional metal components.
2Ease of operation
If holes are constructed in the surface of the upper, then the lace can be inserted, but the operation of inserting the lace is difficult due to the tongue impeding the insertion
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the upper material into distinct functional zones: a front portion that forms the eyelets through folding and stitching, and a tongue portion that provides protection. This segmentation allows the lace to be inserted through the formed eyelets without interference from the tongue, as the eyelets are positioned in the front portion away from the tongue's path.
3Ease of manufacture
If a continuous strip of material is folded and stitched to form folded loops, then eyelets are created for lace reception, but the process is very complex and susceptible to defects
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the eyelet formation process into discrete, manageable steps: folding the material strip into loops, then stitching each loop separately to the upper. This segmentation of the manufacturing process simplifies it compared to attempting to form and secure multiple eyelets in a single complex operation, reducing the likelihood of defects.
Data Source
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AI summary
Lace-hole system (1) comprising a base ribbon (2) and an upper element (3) which is at least partially superimposed on the base ribbon (2), and characterized in that the upper element (3) is fixed to the base ribbon (2) in fixing points (4) which are arranged along a superimposition zone of the base ribbon (2) and the upper element (3) so as to form a plurality of eyelets (5) which can receive at least one lace (6).