Laceless Athletic Shoe Upper with Stiff Lateral Zones and Elastic Intermediate Opening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Laceless shoes often lack the desired support for the foot, particularly in athletic shoes, leading to a higher risk of ankle twisting during movements like cutting, and can be difficult to put on or take off.
Innovation Solution
A laceless shoe upper design featuring a lateral portion, a medial portion, and an elastic intermediate portion, where the stiffness of the lateral and medial portions is at least two times higher than the stiffness of the elastic intermediate portion, providing support while allowing easy donning and doffing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the shoe upper is made entirely of elastic material to facilitate easy donning and doffing, then the ease of operation is improved, but the support and stability for the foot during athletic activities deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The shoe upper is divided into multiple zones with different stiffness characteristics: a first zone (toe box and vamp) with higher stiffness for support, a second zone (heel counter) with higher stiffness for stability, and an intermediate zone with lower stiffness for flexibility and ease of donning. This segmentation allows each region to perform its specific function optimally.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the shoe upper are assigned different material properties: the lateral and medial portions have higher stiffness to provide structural support and prevent ankle twisting, while the intermediate portion has lower stiffness to allow easy insertion and removal of the foot. This local differentiation of material properties resolves the contradiction between support and ease of operation.
2Reliability
If the lateral and medial portions are made with high stiffness to provide support during cutting movements, then the reliability is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to difficulty in putting on or taking off the shoe
Solution Approach 1:
The shoe upper is segmented into laterally and medially positioned stiff portions for support, with a distinct intermediate portion that is more flexible. This segmentation allows the stiff lateral and medial portions to provide reliability during cutting movements while the flexible intermediate portion facilitates ease of donning and doffing.
Solution Approach 2:
The lateral and medial portions are specifically designed with higher stiffness material properties to provide support during dynamic athletic activities like cutting movements, while the intermediate portion between them has lower stiffness to allow the shoe to be easily put on and taken off, resolving the contradiction between reliability and ease of operation.
3Ease of operation
If the intermediate portion is made with low stiffness to allow easy insertion and removal of the foot, then the ease of operation is improved, but the support to the foot during athletic activities deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The shoe upper is divided into a flexible intermediate portion for ease of insertion and removal, and stiffer lateral and medial portions that provide support during athletic activities. This segmentation ensures that the low-stiffness intermediate portion facilitates ease of operation while the high-stiffness lateral and medial portions maintain reliability during cutting movements and other athletic activities.
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediate portion is designed with lower stiffness material properties to allow easy insertion and removal of the foot, while the lateral and medial portions have higher stiffness to provide necessary support during athletic activities. This local differentiation of material properties resolves the contradiction between ease of operation and reliability.
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
The design offers sufficient support to the foot during athletic activities, particularly during cutting movements, while also facilitating easy putting on and taking off of the shoe.
Implementation Method 1
The intermediate portion is made of an elastic material. The elastic intermediate portion may be adapted to extend over an opening of the shoe upper, wherein the elastic intermediate portion is adapted to deform so as to allow a wearer's foot to be inserted into or extracted from the shoe through the opening
Data Source
AI summary
Described is a shoe, in particular an athletic shoe. The shoe can include a sole and a shoe upper. The shoe upper can include (a.) a lateral portion; (b.) a medial portion; and (c.) intermediate portion between the lateral portion and the medial portion. The intermediate portion can include a portion uncoated by a first coating portion on the lateral portion and a second coating portion on the medial portion.