Knitted Footwear Upper with Variable Elasticity Zones
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for manufacturing footwear with multiple performance characteristics are lengthy and limit opportunities for incremental design changes, requiring substantial modifications to manufacturing processes.
Innovation Solution
The use of a knitted upper with multiple zones of varying elasticity, breathability, and thread diameters or colors, integrated with a membrane layer and a TPU skin layer, allows for targeted performance enhancements in specific regions of the shoe.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional methods are used to manufacture footwear with multiple performance characteristics, then stability and cushioning can be achieved through multiple sole components, but the manufacturing process becomes lengthy and limits opportunities for incremental design changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple sole components (outsole, midsole, insole) into a single knitted upper structure that integrates stability and cushioning functions. The knitted material itself provides both structural support and cushioning properties, eliminating the need for separate layered components and reducing manufacturing steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite knitted materials with varying densities and compositions in different zones of the upper. By integrating multiple material properties into a single knitted structure, the design achieves both stability and cushioning while allowing for easier incremental modifications to material composition without requiring changes to multiple separate components.
2Strength
If the upper uses denser knitting constructions or higher denier yarns to create regions of enhanced stability, then rigidity and support are improved, but the manufacturing complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by varying the knitting density, yarn denier, and material composition in specific zones of the upper. High-stability regions use denser knitting with higher denier yarns, while other regions use looser, more flexible constructions. This zone-specific approach allows each area to have optimized properties without requiring the entire upper to be manufactured with complex, time-consuming multi-density knitting processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The upper is segmented into multiple zones with distinct knitting characteristics. Each zone can be independently designed and manufactured with specific density and material properties, then assembled or integrated into the complete upper. This segmentation reduces the complexity of manufacturing the entire upper as a single uniform structure and allows for incremental design changes in individual zones.
3Reliability
If multiple sole components are used to provide stability and cushioning, then performance characteristics are enhanced, but the device complexity and manufacturing steps increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of multiple sole components into a single knitted upper structure. The knitted material is engineered to provide both stability (through structural support and rigidity in key areas) and cushioning (through material composition and knit density), eliminating the need for separate outsole, midsole, and insole components.
Solution Approach 2:
The knitted upper serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support, cushioning, breathability, and flexibility. By making the upper multi-functional, the design eliminates the need for separate dedicated components for each function, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining enhanced performance characteristics.
Data Source
AI summary
An article of footwear defining a forefoot region, a midfoot region, a heel region, a lateral side, and a medial side includes an upper, a heel element, and a sole structure. The upper includes an outer surface, and the heel element is secured to the upper proximate to the heel region. The upper includes a knit fabric forming a first knit zone having a first elasticity, a second knit zone having a second elasticity, and a third knit zone having a third elasticity. Each of the first elasticity, the second elasticity, and the third elasticity are different.