Footwear Bladder With Angled Tethers for Forward Energy Return
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cushioning articles in footwear fail to effectively direct energy return and provide forward propulsion, as they typically expand outward when compressed, losing potential energy.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a bladder with angled tethers in the sole structure, tilted at an acute angle relative to the ground contact surface, which upon decompression, directs energy return in a forward direction through tensioned tethers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a traditional cushioning article expands outward when compressed, then cushioning is provided, but energy return and forward propulsion are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The bladder is tilted at an acute angle relative to the ground contact surface, creating an asymmetric configuration. This asymmetry causes the bladder to expand in a directed manner during decompression, generating forward propulsion rather than expanding outward uniformly. The angled orientation of the bladder and its internal components transforms the expansion force into a directional energy return mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a angular dimension by tilting the bladder at an acute angle rather than positioning it perpendicular to the ground. This dimensional change allows the decompression force to be resolved into both vertical (cushioning) and horizontal (forward propulsion) components, thereby recovering energy that would otherwise be lost and providing forward propulsion.
2Shape
If a tensile component is added to restrain the bladder, then the bladder shape is controlled, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tensile component is integrated within the fluid-filled interior cavity of the bladder, merging the shape control function with the cushioning structure. The tensile layers and tethers work together as a unified system, where the tethers connect the tensile layers to the bladder interior surface, creating a coordinated mechanism that controls bladder expansion while maintaining structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The tensile component is nested within the bladder structure, with tensile layers and tethers positioned inside the fluid-filled interior cavity. This nested arrangement allows the shape control mechanism to be contained within the existing bladder volume, avoiding additional external components and minimizing overall device complexity.
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 angled tethers in the bladder structure enhance energy return by providing forward propulsion, supplementing the wearer's effort and directing energy in a forward direction.
Implementation Method 1
A cushioning article, such as a sole component of an article of footwear, is typically configured to provide cushioning, motion control, and/or resilience. Some cushioning articles utilize a sealed interior cavity filled with a gas that resiliently reacts to a compressive load.
Implementation Method 2
A tensile component may be disposed in the interior cavity, and may limit the outward expansion of the cushioning article. Providing a tensile component within a bladder may be useful in restraining the bladder when inflated, preventing it from adopting a ball-like shape.
Data Source
AI summary
An article of footwear that includes a sole structure that has a ground contact surface extending in a forefoot region and in a heel region of the sole structure. The sole structure includes a bladder defining a fluid-filled interior cavity with a tensile component disposed in the fluid-filled interior cavity and including tensile layers and a plurality of tethers connecting the tensile layers. The sole structure is configured to rest in an upright position with the ground contact surface in both the forefoot region and in the heel region of the sole structure on a horizontal ground plane with the bladder disposed above the ground contact surface and with the tethers extending in tension at an acute angle relative to the ground contact surface and the horizontal ground plane in the absence of a threshold compressive force on the bladder.