Modular Footwear Lacing Engine with Interchangeable Drive
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing motorized lacing systems for footwear suffer from high manufacturing costs, complexity, assembly challenges, lack of serviceability, and fragile mechanical mechanisms, making them unsuitable for mass production and daily use.
Innovation Solution
A modular footwear platform with interchangeable motorized and non-motorized lacing engines, featuring a robust mechanical design, serviceable components, and a streamlined assembly process, including a mid-sole plate that allows for late-stage integration of lacing engines and visual/tactile feedback through LED lighting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If motorized lacing systems are implemented in footwear, then automated tightening function is achieved, but manufacturing cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The lacing system is divided into separate functional modules: a drive mechanism unit, a spool unit, and a lace cable unit. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured and tested independently, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining automated tightening functionality. The modular design enables easier assembly and repair.
Solution Approach 2:
The motorized drive mechanism is extracted as a separate interchangeable unit that can be removed and replaced. This extraction allows the complex automated function to be separated from the footwear structure, enabling easier manufacturing of the footwear itself while maintaining the automated tightening capability through the removable drive unit.
2Extent of automation
If motorized lacing systems are implemented in footwear, then automated tightening function is achieved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drive mechanism is designed as a universal unit that can be used across different footwear models and sizes. This multi-functionality allows a single manufactured drive unit to serve multiple purposes, reducing the need for multiple specialized components and thereby lowering manufacturing costs while maintaining automated tightening functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The spool is nested within the drive mechanism housing, and the lace cable is nested within the spool structure. This nested arrangement optimizes space utilization and reduces the number of separate components needed, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity and cost while preserving the automated tightening function.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional lacing systems are used, then manufacturing cost is low, but tightening adjustment and user interaction are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The lacing system incorporates a self-tightening mechanism where the lace cable automatically tightens when the spool rotates, eliminating the need for manual tying or complex user manipulation. The system serves itself by converting rotational motion into automatic lacing tension, improving ease of operation while maintaining cost-effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The traditional manual lacing mechanism is replaced with a motorized drive system that uses rotational motion to automatically tighten the laces. This substitution of mechanical manual operation with automated mechanical drive improves ease of operation while keeping manufacturing costs manageable through simplified mechanics.
4Extent of automation
If complex motorized lacing systems are used, then automated tightening function is achieved, but assembly difficulty and serviceability decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into distinct modular units (drive mechanism, spool, lace cable) that can be independently accessed, removed, and replaced. This segmentation dramatically improves serviceability by allowing users or technicians to replace individual components without disassembling the entire lacing system, while maintaining automated tightening functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The drive mechanism is designed with dynamic accessibility, allowing it to be easily removed and reinstalled on different footwear units. This dynamic design enables flexible service and repair operations while preserving the automated tightening function through the reusable drive unit.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and apparatus related to automated tightening of a footwear platform including a footwear lacing apparatus are discussed. In an example, a footwear lacing apparatus can include a housing structure, a spool, and a drive mechanism. The housing structure can include a top section and a bottom section. The spool can include a superior surface, a lace spool under the superior surface and a spool shaft with a keyed connection pin. The spool can also be integrated into the top section of the housing structure. The drive mechanism can couple with the spool via the keyed connection pin on the spool shaft. The drive mechanism can be adapted to rotate the spool to tighten or loosen a lace cable integrated into the footwear.