Lobed Bladder Sole Structure for Balanced Heel Cushioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sole structures for footwear lack an efficient and balanced combination of cushioning and support, particularly in the heel region, leading to inadequate responsiveness and energy distribution during various foot movements.
Innovation Solution
A composite midsole structure with a chassis, cradle, and a cushioning arrangement featuring stacked bladders with interconnected lobes and a support plate, providing enhanced cushioning and stability through a resilient polymeric material and fluid-filled bladders.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional midsole structures use polymer foam material for cushioning, then cushioning is provided by compressing the foam under load, but responsiveness and energy distribution are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The midsole is segmented into multiple functional layers: a foam midsole layer for cushioning, a bladder layer with interconnected lobes for responsiveness, and a support plate for structural stability. This segmentation allows each layer to specialize in specific functions, resolving the contradiction between cushioning and responsiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite material structures combining polymer foam with fluid-filled bladders and rigid support plates. This composite approach integrates the cushioning properties of foam with the responsiveness of fluid compression and the stability of rigid structures, simultaneously achieving all three requirements.
2Reliability
If a fluid-filled bladder is incorporated into the midsole, then responsiveness is improved through resilient compression, but structural support and stability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The support plate is strategically positioned beneath the bladder to provide localized structural support where needed. The plate's rigid structure prevents excessive deformation of the bladder while allowing controlled compression for responsiveness, resolving the contradiction between stability and responsiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The support plate acts as an intermediary between the fluid-filled bladder and the ground reaction forces. It mediates the interaction by distributing loads and providing structural stability while allowing the bladder to maintain its responsiveness function.
3Ease of operation
If the heel region is designed for maximum cushioning, then comfort is improved, but energy distribution and stability during foot movements are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The bladder structure with interconnected lobes provides dynamic responsiveness that adapts to different foot movements and loading conditions. The fluid compression and expansion within the lobes enables energy distribution across various movement phases while maintaining comfort, resolving the contradiction between cushioning and energy distribution.
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 midsole structure offers improved cushioning, responsiveness, and energy distribution, enhancing comfort and support in the heel region by allowing for spring-like compression and stabilizing interfaces.
Implementation Method 1
The bladders may contain air, and are designed with an emphasis on balancing support for the foot and cushioning characteristics that relate to responsiveness as the bladder resiliently compresses under an applied load to attenuate ground-reaction forces
Implementation Method 2
The midsole provides cushioning for the foot and may be partially formed from a polymer foam material that compresses resiliently under an applied load to cushion the foot by attenuating ground-reaction forces
Data Source
AI summary
A sole structure for an article of footwear includes a chassis and a cushioning arrangement. The chassis includes a recess formed between a first surface and a second surface facing the first surface. The cushioning arrangement includes a first cushioning element protruding from the first surface and including a first plurality of lobes and a second cushioning element protruding from the second surface and including a second plurality of lobes contacting the first plurality of lobes. At least one of the first cushioning element and the second cushioning element may include a fluid-filled bladder. A first side of each cushioning element includes a substantially planar base and a second side of each cushioning element includes the lobes formed on an opposite side from the base. The base of each cushioning element is attached to a respective one of the surfaces of the recess.