Footwear Bladder Element with Surface Impression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing footwear technologies do not effectively integrate a bladder element with a surface impression that is both aesthetically appealing and maintains fluid retention, while being securely integrated into the sole assembly without compromising the gas barrier properties.
Innovation Solution
A method of manufacturing a fluid-filled bladder element using a mold assembly with an etched area, where polymeric material is conformed to the mold surface to impart an impression, and secured within the footwear sole assembly, ensuring the impression is exposed while the seam is hidden, utilizing thermoplastic polyurethane and ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer layers for gas retention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If a bladder element with surface impression is integrated into footwear sole assembly, then aesthetic appeal is improved, but gas barrier properties may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The bladder element incorporates different material properties in different regions: the outer surface layer contains the etched impression pattern for aesthetic appeal, while the inner layer maintains gas barrier properties. This local differentiation allows the impression to be visible externally while the gas barrier function is preserved internally through the multi-layer construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The bladder element is constructed as a composite structure with multiple layers having different functions. The outer layer provides the etched impression pattern for visual appeal, while the inner layer provides gas barrier properties. This composite construction resolves the contradiction by combining materials with complementary properties in a single integrated component.
2Manufacturing precision
If polymeric material is conformed to mold surface with etched area, then impression detail is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The etched pattern is pre-formed into the mold surface before the bladder element is manufactured. This preliminary action allows the impression detail to be directly transferred to the bladder element during the forming process, achieving high manufacturing precision without requiring complex post-processing or assembly operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical assembly operations with a direct conformal forming process. By using etched areas on the mold surface, the impression pattern is transferred through the natural conforming of the polymeric material during molding, eliminating the need for separate mechanical attachment or assembly steps.
3Strength
If bladder element is secured within sole assembly with seam, then structural integrity is improved, but aesthetic appeal deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The seam is extracted from the visible exterior surface and repositioned to the interior of the footwear sole assembly. This allows the seam to perform its structural function of securing the bladder element while being hidden from external view, thus maintaining both structural integrity and aesthetic appeal simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The footwear sole assembly structure acts as an intermediary that conceals the seam. The seam is positioned within the internal structure of the sole, using the sole itself as a masking element to hide the seam from external view while still providing the necessary structural connection.
Data Source
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AI summary
An article of footwear comprising: an upper; a sole assembly secured to the upper and including a midsole and an outsole; wherein: the midsole includes a fluid-filled bladder element including a first polymeric sheet that has a surface with an impression; the fluid-filled bladder element has a sealable internal cavity that retains fluid; a first portion of the bladder element with the impression is exposed to view through one of the midsole, the outsole, or the upper; and a second portion of the bladder element is blocked from view by said one of the midsole, the outsole, or the upper.