Footwear Fluid Bladder with Non-Planar Support Ribs
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional athletic footwear's midsole bladders provide inadequate support and variance in support across different foot areas, particularly during athletic activities, lacking the necessary comfort and support for impact attenuation.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of impact-attenuating elements featuring a fluid-containing chamber with non-planar support elements and reinforcing structures, such as ribs, that taper in thickness and may include spring devices, to enhance support and attenuation capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If a fluid-filled bladder is used as a midsole structure, then weight is reduced and comfort is improved, but support and structural stability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The bladder is divided into multiple chambers (first chamber, second chamber, third chamber) that can be independently configured. Each chamber can be filled with different fluids or gases to provide varying levels of support in different foot regions, allowing the lightweight bladder structure to deliver differentiated support where needed while maintaining overall weight reduction benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the bladder are assigned different functional characteristics through selective chamber configuration. The first chamber provides general cushioning, the second chamber (with its own opening) provides localized support, and the third chamber (communicating with the first) provides additional cushioning. This local differentiation allows the lightweight bladder to provide varied support levels across different foot areas without requiring a heavier overall structure.
2Ease of operation
If a fluid-filled bladder is used as a midsole structure, then comfort is improved, but impact attenuation capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The bladder is segmented into multiple chambers that can be independently configured for different impact attenuation requirements. The first and third chambers provide general cushioning for comfort, while the second chamber with its dedicated opening and specific positioning provides targeted impact attenuation in high-stress areas, ensuring reliable shock absorption without sacrificing comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The bladder utilizes fluid-filled chambers (containing gases or liquids) that can be pressurized to provide consistent impact attenuation. The fluid pressure within each chamber can be adjusted to optimize both comfort and shock absorption, with the fluid acting as a compliant cushion that dissipates impact forces while maintaining the comfort benefits of the inflatable structure.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional bladder design is used, then manufacturing is simple, but support variance across different foot areas deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The bladder is divided into multiple separable chambers, each with its own opening, allowing independent filling and configuration. This segmentation enables the manufacture of a relatively simple bladder structure that can be assembled and configured in different ways to provide varied support characteristics across different foot regions, achieving support variance without requiring complex manufacturing processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The bladder design incorporates adjustable elements where chambers can be filled with different fluids or gases, and the fluid pressure can be varied, allowing the support characteristics to be dynamically adjusted after manufacture. This dynamic configurability provides support variance across different foot areas while maintaining manufacturing simplicity, as the same bladder structure can be adapted to different support requirements through fluid adjustment rather than requiring complex molded variations.
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
These elements provide improved support and consistent impact attenuation across the footbed, addressing the limitations of conventional bladders by offering enhanced comfort and support during various activities.
Implementation Method 1
The chambers are pressurized above ambient pressure by inserting a nozzle or needle connected to a fluid pressure source into a fill inlet formed in the bladder
Implementation Method 2
the bladder includes a plurality of tubular chambers that extend longitudinally along a length of the sole structure
Implementation Method 3
a spring device engaged with the support element
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 1C
AI summary
Impact-attenuating elements, e.g., for use in footwear or other foot-receiving device products, may include: (a) a base member, such as a fluid-tight and/or other fluid-filled or fluid-containing enclosure element; (b) a support element integrally and contiguously formed in a surface of the base member; and/or (c) a spring device engaged with the support element. The support element and its corresponding spring device (if any) may include a non-planar surface (e.g., substantially parabolic shaped, cylindrically shaped, etc.) that extends in a direction into the base member and toward its opposite surface. The support element and its corresponding spring device (if any) also may include reinforcing structure(s), such as raised ribs extending along a surface of the support element and/or spring device.