Footwear Upper Selective Padding for Weight and Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional athletic footwear upper materials struggle to balance protection and durability with the need for a thin, lightweight structure that maintains ball feel and reduces weight, while also providing adequate reinforcement and protection against impacts.
Innovation Solution
The upper incorporates selectively placed polymer foam padding in areas corresponding to anatomical foot features, such as the heel and toe regions, combined with an elastic outer layer and transparent unpadded sections, to enhance protection, durability, and feel, while minimizing weight and thickness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the upper is made thicker with more material to provide protection and durability, then protection and durability are improved, but weight and thickness increase, reducing ball feel
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies selective padding only in specific high-impact areas (toe cap, heel counter, medial and lateral sides) rather than uniformly throughout the entire upper. This localized approach provides protection and durability where needed while keeping other areas thin and lightweight to maintain ball feel and reduce overall weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The upper is divided into multiple discrete material elements (textiles, polymer sheets, foam layers, leather, synthetic leather) that are stitched or adhesively bonded together. Each element serves a specific function and can be independently optimized for protection, weight, and flexibility in different regions of the footwear.
2Strength
If the upper is made thicker with more material to provide protection and durability, then protection and durability are improved, but the thickness increases, reducing ball feel
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies selective padding only in specific high-impact areas (toe cap, heel counter, medial and lateral sides) rather than uniformly throughout the entire upper. This localized approach provides protection and durability where needed while keeping other areas thin and lightweight to maintain ball feel and reduce overall weight.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If padding is added to protect certain portions of the foot, then protection is improved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies selective padding only in specific high-impact areas (toe cap, heel counter, medial and lateral sides) rather than uniformly throughout the entire upper. This localized approach provides protection and durability where needed while keeping other areas thin and lightweight to maintain ball feel and reduce overall weight.
4Weight of moving object
If the upper uses a thin, elastic skin structure, then weight and thickness are reduced, but protection and durability decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The upper is constructed from multiple different material elements (textiles, polymer sheets, foam layers, leather, synthetic leather) that are stitched or adhesively bonded together. This composite structure combines the advantages of different materials - thin elastic skins for weight reduction and flexibility, with strategic padding and reinforcement layers for protection and durability in high-impact areas.
Data Source
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AI summary
An article of footwear is provided, which may include an upper and a sole structure. The upper may include an exposed outer layer forming at least a portion of an external surface of the upper. The upper may also include a polymer foam material selectively located on an inner side of the exposed outer layer and adjacent portions of the exposed outer layer, thereby forming padded portions of the upper. The padded portions of the upper may be located in areas of the article of footwear that correspond with predetermined bones of a foot of a wearer of the article of footwear.