Footwear Concealing Layer Repurposes Excess Substrates

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Solution Overview

Problem

The footwear manufacturing process generates substantial excess materials due to changes in manufacturing circumstances, consumer demands, and disruptions in supply chains, leading to costly storage and eventual disposal, which is not environmentally sustainable.

Innovation Solution

The use of a concealing layer to obscure observable properties of substrates, allowing materials designated for disposal to be repurposed in footwear articles. This concealing layer can be abraded over time, revealing the underlying material's characteristics.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If excess materials are stored to account for material losses, then manufacturing completeness is improved, but storage costs and space requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing completenessVSAvoidstorage space

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies the discarding and recovering principle by capturing excess materials that would normally be discarded or stored and instead repurposing them as the primary substrate for footwear articles. The concealing layer is applied to these previously excess materials, transforming them from waste products into usable footwear components, thereby eliminating the need for separate storage spaces while ensuring manufacturing completeness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

2Adaptability or versatility

If conventional techniques are used to obscure material properties, then design flexibility is improved, but the ability to repurpose materials is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedesign flexibilityVSAvoidmaterial repurposing capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The concealing layer serves as an intermediary element that allows previously excess materials with undesirable observable properties to be repurposed for footwear construction. By applying the concealing layer as a mediator between the substrate material and the final product requirements, the patent enables design flexibility while facilitating material repurposing, as the concealing layer masks the substrate's original characteristics and allows it to be used in new applications.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Quantity of substance

If materials are disposed of due to changed consumer demands, then inventory costs are reduced, but environmental sustainability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinventory quantityVSAvoidenvironmental waste

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies the blessing in disguise principle by converting the previously harmful disposal of excess materials into a beneficial repurposing process. The concealing layer technology enables what would have been waste materials to be transformed into valuable footwear substrates, turning the harmful act of disposal into a beneficial recycling and reuse process that reduces environmental waste while managing inventory quantities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Data Source

PatentUS20250031807A1Footwear article having repurposed material with concealing layer

Publication Date: 2025.01.30 NIKE INC

AI summary

In example aspects, materials are repurposed for article manufacturing. That is, in some instances, materials in the manufacturing supply chain are potentially subject to disposal. However, aspects of this disclosure sustainably repurpose those materials (that might otherwise be disposed of) to be used in articles. In some aspects, the repurposed materials may be obscured with a concealing layer.