Integrated Leather Vamp for Athletic Skates
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional leather-type athletic skate bodies are difficult to manufacture automatically due to their complex stitching process, which is time-consuming and prone to errors, and the visible stitches in the head portion are aesthetically unpleasing and prone to breaking, leading to separation of the skate pieces.
Innovation Solution
An athletic skate body with an integrated leather vamp main body made from a single bent piece, featuring a seamless toe box surface and attached strengthening pieces, where the rear edges are aligned and sewn together, eliminating visible stitches and allowing for automated manufacturing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If two leather pieces are combined by sewing at front edges and rear edges to form the skate body, then the skate body can be assembled from pre-cut pieces, but the manufacture process becomes complicated and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges two separate leather pieces into a single integrated vamp base. The vamp base includes a front end, rear end, and both lateral sides as one continuous piece, eliminating the need to sew two separate pieces together. This integration directly resolves the contradiction by simplifying the manufacture process while reducing the number of stitching operations required.
2Ease of manufacture
If two leather pieces are sewn together at front edges and rear edges, then the skate body can be constructed from modular pieces, but the stitching process becomes curved and difficult to manufacture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines two separate leather pieces into one integrated vamp base that includes the front end, rear end, and both lateral sides. This eliminates the complex curved stitching required to join two pieces, as the vamp base is now a single piece that can be more easily manufactured and assembled.
3Manufacturing precision
If strengthening pieces are attached to the inner surface of the leather vamp main body after two stitches are sewn, then the strengthening pieces can be positioned on the shaped vamp, but the work becomes complicated and the strengthening piece cannot be located precisely
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies strengthening pieces to the vamp base before the vamp base is sewn into the final skate assembly. By performing this action preliminarily, while the vamp base is still in a more accessible flat or semi-flat state, the strengthening pieces can be positioned more precisely and attached more easily, reducing work complexity.
4Shape
If the head portion is combined of two leather pieces with front edges aligned and combined by sewing, then the skate body can be constructed from two pieces, but the stitches are visible and aesthetic is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges two separate leather pieces into one integrated vamp base that forms the entire head portion including front end, rear end, and lateral sides. This eliminates the visible stitching line across the head portion, improving aesthetic appearance while the internal structure remains functional.
5Reliability
If two leather pieces are combined by sewing at front edges, then the skate body can be assembled from two pieces, but the stitches may be broken easily causing separation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines two leather pieces into one integrated vamp base, eliminating the stitching joints that are prone to breaking. By removing these vulnerable connection points, the reliability of the head portion structure is improved, as there are no stitches that can break and cause separation of pieces.
Data Source
AI summary
An athletic skate body has an integrated leather vamp main body, a heel accessory piece, multiple strengthening pieces, a tongue, a shoe lining, an inner board, and a sole. The integrated leather vamp main body has a seamless toe box surface portion and a first lateral surface portion and a second lateral surface portion extending rearward from two sides of the toe box surface portion. The first and the second lateral surface portions are sewed with a heel accessory piece and thus a heel portion is formed. With the seamless toe box surface portion, strength of a head portion of the athletic skate body is enhanced, and a vamp base can be cut into shape by automation equipment. Thus, with the plane and integral vamp base attached with multiple strengthening pieces precisely, the manpower is saved and the quality of the athletic skate body is improved.