Multi-Level Footwear Support Member for Energy Transfer
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current footwear designs often fail to provide adequate support and energy transfer during walking, jogging, or running, leading to reduced efficiency and increased fatigue due to insufficient force application and energy propulsion.
Innovation Solution
The footwear incorporates a multi-level support member within the sole, featuring a body with medial, central, and lateral members of varying heights and curvatures, providing differential support and cushioning to enhance natural foot rolling, stability, and propulsion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single-level support structure is used in the sole, then the device complexity is reduced, but the support effectiveness and energy transfer efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The support member is divided into multiple levels (first level and second level) with different heights, creating a multi-level support structure. This segmentation allows different regions of the foot to receive support at different heights, improving overall support effectiveness and energy transfer efficiency while maintaining manageable structural complexity through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the support member are designed with different heights and support characteristics. The first level and second level members have varying heights to provide localized support where needed, optimizing energy transfer and support effectiveness in specific areas of the foot without requiring the entire structure to be complex
2Strength
If harder materials are used to provide support, then the force application and energy transfer are improved, but the comfort and shock absorption deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The support member is segmented into multiple levels that can independently provide support and cushioning. This allows the structure to provide strong support where needed while maintaining shock absorption capabilities through the distributed multi-level design, preventing the need to use uniformly hard materials throughout
Solution Approach 2:
The support member incorporates a combination of materials with different properties - some regions use harder materials for support strength while other regions use softer materials for cushioning and shock absorption. This composite approach allows simultaneous achievement of strong support and comfortable shock absorption that cannot be obtained with a single material type
Data Source
AI summary
An article of footwear including an upper, a sole attached to the upper, and a support member on the sole, where the support member includes a body having a medial member and a lateral member and at least a part of one of the medial member and the lateral member are at a height that is different than a height of a part of the other of the medial member and the lateral member.